Regression from Mind

Twilight asked Brew as he hefted a box of potions to the back door, “You only want to take one pack? We could fit more in if you’d like. It is your wagon, after all.”

Brew shook his head, saying with a sigh, “Eh, no. We need as much horsepower as possible. I’m just taking the essentials, along with a few precautionary measures.”

Twilight said as he left most of his product behind, “You sure?”

“I want to live. I want us all to live. And, it’s not like they’re priceless artifacts, just a few ingredients in glass bottles. So, buck it.”

Brew cracked open the rear-exit, checking for anypony in the alleyways.

He didn’t initially see anypony, so believed it to be safe.

Yet, as he told them all to follow him outside, a few of the townsponies just so happened to be coming through to search.

Five of them. Right in the damn way, too.

Brew was about to close the door after spotting them, but they also spotted him.

One asked as he came up to the door, “Hey, colt. You happen to find anything in this here buildin’?”

Brew was mentally shouting to himself to tell everypony to run, but kept calm after thinking it through. He didn’t have wings anymore. Sure, a few feathers here and there, but nothing you’d notice by just his standing in front.

He cracked the door open a bit more, even as his own brain screamed to him not to.

He stated in his best Dirmeter accent, “Nope. Don’t reckon I have, mister. This place was clean as a whistle. Heh, none of them horned bastards here.”

“Ah. Well, good job...”

The pony tried to put a name to face, but nothing came up in his head.

Frowning, he said with a bit of an attitude, “Colt, don’t ‘member you from anywhere before. An’, I’m pretty good at knowing my neighbors.”

He then referred to his search party, asking, “Y’all know this colt?”

They gave out a unified no, which sent shivers up Brew’s back.

He stammered out without the accent seconds later, “I-I’m not from here! I just got in Dirmeter a bit ago!”

The fellow blocking the door hollered out, “You’re an outsider in our town, making fun of how we talk?! Colt, I don’t know where you bucking came from, but your parents should have knocked some manners into you! Say ya sorry!”

“S-sorry! Totally my bad! Never should have tried tricking you guys!”

The townspony nodded his head, happy to hear the apology, “Alrighty, then.”

…

Then, after thinking about it for a moment, he immediately got back in Brew’s ponysal space, “Hold on a sec. You hiding something in there? Don’t nopony just randomly go into some run-down building without keepin’ something secret.”

Brew’s eyes widened as fate slapped him down again.

He opened his mouth, but no words departed from his lips.

The pony said more authoritatively, “Well?!”

Giving into his instincts finally, Brew chose the flight option in fight-or-flight, “Twilight! Bucking run!!!”

Brew tried to run himself, but got caught by the first pony. Twilight gathered some magic in her horn to fend off the pony now on top of Brew, but the others soon entered the building.

She fired at them, but they took cover behind some shelves. Seeing the potions lining the place, her assailants began hurling them at Twilight, messing with her aim.

Twilight soon tripped after the multi-colored liquid pooled around her on the ground.

She kept enough balance to land on her face, keeping the foals safe.

Well...safer.

Her attackers soon sprang on the open opportunity she gave them, capturing Twilight and the foals.

Steelton said as Twilight and Brew were hauled up on stage, “Well, we did find Twilight, Kelly. Just not how we pictured it.”

Kelly thought to herself, “I envisioned explosions. That would have been cool.”

Steelton shook his head at her comment, then looked at the new ponies on the chopping block.

He stated to Twilight, “Better get comfy in that nice rope dress you’re in. When I get out of this, you’re coming home in it. All I’d need is a pretty bow to complete your look, my little present.”

Twilight tensed up, suggesting to him, “You better stop talking and start trying to get us free! Because we’re all still stuck in this crazy bucking town!”

Steelton was about to press her for more information as to what happened, but then the mayor stomped up on stage, catching everypony’s attention.

Steelton and Kelly both exclaimed, “Whoa!”

After seeing the muscles on the approaching stallion, Kelly whispered to Steelton, “Damn. You think he’ll tell me his work-out routine?”

Steelton proceeded to slam his head into the wood flooring in disbelief.

Dammit, Mind. You just wanted her out of your mane, didn’t you?

The town leader bellowed to all of his crowd in pride, “Good job, my little ponies! They’re all here.”

Steelton yelled to the crowd and mayor in anger, “I have been here for five bucking minutes! What crime could I have possibly commit in that short amount of time?!”

Razor turned from the crowd to his captives.

He growled out in a deeper menacing voice, “Being a Pegasus. Being an Unicorn. And, the harboring of either race.”

Steelton’s eyes grew. He looked to Twilight, who was even more stressed than him.

Razor Edge told Steelton and Twilight with a small smile, “Who wants to go first? My blade is getting thirsty.”

…

Receiving no response, he chose for them. Grabbing Twilight by her roping with one powerful hoof, he dragged her to underneath him.

Then, slipped the blade to the base of her horn.

He barked to his mob, loud enough to overcome the massive cheers from his crowd, “For bringing her filth in our home! For sending more of the beasts to try destroying our way of life! For corrupting Earth-Ponies into joining their horrid cause! I will take the horn lain before me!!!”

Twilight’s eyes squeezed tight as she felt the cold metal of his scythe leave her forehead to prepare the strike.

Teardrops soon dribbled from her face at the realization this was really about to happen to her.

Then, a voice rang out, “Mayor!!! We have the princesses!!!”

Razor’s ears perked at the shout, heartbeat stopping for a moment.

The crowd also shut up finally, hearing the magic words to be silent.

A stallion walked delicately up on stage, carrying all three foals with him.

He spoke in wonder, “We have them! Celestia! Luna! Both of them!”

Bowing, he allowed Razor to fully view both foals, which made him tilt his head in wide-eyed amazement.

Placing his scythe down for a moment, he immediately tread over to Celestia and Luna.

Carefully taking them from their former ride to his hooves, he cradled them as if they were his own children.

Then, nodded for the stallion to exit the stage, which he did with Shining on his back. Shining was whimpering for everypony, especially for Twilight and Steelton, as he was seated in the front row under the stallion’s care.

Razor then bellowed to the crowd, “My dear friends...our gods have returned!!!”

Like a trigger on a metaphorical cannon, they exploded into excited celebration, hooves banging the air in joy.

Twilight just stared at them all, brain still processing what was going to happen before and what was happening now.

She, along with everypony else tied up, said confusedly, “What's going on?!”

Razor exclaimed in praise to the foals in his hooves, “You grace us with your appearance once more, Goddesses! How wonderful!”

Yet...they’re foals now. Hhmmm.

Razor got up on his back hooves, holding the princesses still, as he trudged over to Twilight again.

Twilight saw as he towered over her even more, which frightened her deeply.

He demanded of her, “You! Spell-beast! What magic is this you cast?! Bring them back to adulthood! Now!!!”

His voice literally made her body vibrate from sheer force.

She gathered the bravery to say, “I didn’t do anything, idiot! I was trying to fix them!”

Razor’s frown dug deeper into his face at her tone.

He placed a backhoof on her back, roaring, “You dare disrespect me! In front of my Goddesses! I’ll break your body into nothing more than blood and tears!!!”

Twilight’s breathing became erratic as he pressed down hard on her.

Gasping, she shook and shiver as her body became deprived of oxygen.

Twilight felt pure pain as he drove his tree-trunk sized hoof onto her much more fragile back.

She screamed after awhile, unable to stand the weight. No yells escaped her muzzle though, as her airway was being suffocated right then.

…

Twilight could soon breathe again, as Razor backed off from outright killing her.

Twilight was much too busy taking in air to notice Celestia and Luna had saved her.

They were fighting to be free of Razor’s grasp as soon as they saw him hurting Twilight.

Razor, being the religious pony he was, immediately followed their wish to be set down.

They ran to Twilight as soon as they could.

Twilight, after a few moments, had her lungs full and back to normal. Still huffing, she glanced to the foals at her side.

Smiling tiredly, she guessed with a raised eyebrow, “Y-you both saved me? Should have k-known.”

Celestia and Luna pet her head, then glared at Razor with easily-visible tempers.

Razor’s ears bent back, looking worried.

He then approached them cautiously, asking with a whisper, “Are...are you upset with me?”

They nodded fiercely, which sent the crowd and him reeling in shock.

He regained composure a moment later.

Then, knelt before them, wondering, “My Goddesses...why is their wrath in your eyes?”

They both facehooved, then pointed to Twilight.

It took him a few seconds to connect the dots.

But, once realizing what they meant, he stammered out, “T-the beast? I know I was told they weren’t to be slaughtered outright, but you truly care for that...monster?”

Twilight coughed out, “Bucker! I’m Celestia’s student!”

Razor’s eyes narrowed, then he growled out as he stood up menacingly before the little pony, “Truth?!”

“Yeah!”

He glanced to the foals below, viewing them nod in agreement to Twilight’s answer.

Razor sighed after brooding over their various responses, then somehow pulled his scythe into his hooves without using magic. He cut the binds holding Twilight, surprisingly gently.

Twilight’s back ached as she slowly got to her hooves, hearing several pops to affirm her stressed spine.

She then looked up to the mountain of a pony, smirking as she said, “Good colt.”

Razor’s eyes shrunk to pin-size in absolute rage. His scythe spun, still without magic somehow, cutting the air like a windmill in one of his hooves.

Twilight’s face dropped from smug to horrified, gulping at the display of power performed to scare her.

It worked as planned.

Razor paused its rotation faster than Twilight’s eye could blink.

He hefted it over his shoulder as he sat down once more, declaring, “Let’s try that again, girl.”

Twilight sweat as she sat herself, mentioning, “I...uh, did say I was Celestia’s student, right?”

“You did, which is why you still have a head on your shoulders.”

“O-okay, then.”

“Don’t tempt me again.”

“...Understood,” Twilight replied, nervously grinning at him.

Razor Edge snorted, questioning her, “Alright. Now, what happened to my Goddesses? Why are they foals now?”

Twilight poked a hoof in his direction, stating, “Ah. Good question. See, there is this guy who took over Equestria, turning Celestia, Luna, and my brother into foals. I’m trying to cure them of their age regression...but haven’t had the time.”

Razor cracked his neck at that, readying for a fight, “Understood. I’ll be at the castle shortly.”

Twilight was going to suggest he not go there...if only to not have the castle walls coated in blood.

Razor shut down any conversation on the matter, “I see concern on your face. Are you working with this new ruler?”

“N-no! No. Never.”

“Better not be. Wouldn’t want me-”

Kelly screamed at him, “You leave Mind alone! He’s a better ruler than those two ever were!”

Razor glanced to Kelly, then got to his hooves hastily.

Marching over to her, he brought his head close to her eye level to breathe out, “I don’t believe I heard you correctly. Want to say it more clear this time?”

Amazingly, Kelly decided to shriek louder at him, “You can go buck yourself! Mind is so better!”

Razor sighed at the sad loss of faith before him, declaring, “You. You are my kind, yet you chose profanity in the presence of our lords.”

He turned to the crowd, declaring, “We will punish her ways! For as long as I remain gone, she is to be held in our jail. Once having returned a champion, I will decide what happens next.”

Razor motioned for the act to be followed, which it was. Kelly, cursing and shouting, was soon hauled off the stage by a group from the crowd.

Twilight’s breathe had been kept inside herself, collecting until the worry for Kelly had passed. She blew it out, wiping the moisture from her forehead at the same time.

Steelton also found freedom to exhale, happy Kelly hadn’t gotten herself slice-and-diced over a stupid opinion.

Then, he noticed as Razor put his attention onto him.

Freezing up at the sight of Razor bringing his scythe inches from his muzzle, Steelton resumed restraining his lungs.

Razor called to Twilight, barking, “What of him, girl?!”

Twilight honestly explained, “He works for Mind now. But, I don’t think Celestia and Luna want you to kill him, either.”

Razor wished for confirmation on the subject, gaining the answer he disliked from Celestia and Luna nodding.

Slumping his shoulders slightly in defeat, he waved to his townsponies, “Lock him up with the mare. I’ll try to be back soon.”

Twilight shrugged as the order was given, thinking Steelton would escape before Razor returned.

When it was only Brew left on stage with them, Twilight asserted his aid to her and the foals, “Let him go. He’s with us.”

Razor ground his teeth, but obeyed the order of a pony he believed was below him.

Anything for the Goddesses. Well...almost anything.

Razor slit Brew’s bonds free, allowing him to sprint behind Twilight as cover.

Brew whispered thankfully into her ear, “You’re the greatest pony I have ever met. I don’t know if I could do what you just did. You are so, so brave, Sparkle.”

Twilight would have felt better about the compliments if he wasn’t clutching her like a shield.

She said in annoyance, “Brew! You’re getting sweat all over me. Stop it.”

Brew backed away sheepishly, almost dripping hooves behind his back.

Razor then instructed Brew and Twilight in lethal seriousness, “You will return my lords to their former ages. Correct?”

Twilight and Brew were about to answer until Razor cut in on their reply, “No speaking! It was a demand, not a real question! You will do so, or I will slice you by each limb!!!”

The two much smaller ponies were close to needing diapers themselves as soiling the stage in alarm became a real threat.

They nodded very slowly in hopes it wouldn’t set him off.

“Now, take the road out of here. Follow the right all the way. It will lead you to a city nearby, which has a museum of magical artifacts. A spellbook powerful enough to rival my staff was housed there awhile ago, I’ve been told. As Goddess Celestia’s...student, I believe you are powerful enough to use it, girl. Take some supplies for our young lords and the other little one, seeing as how you carelessly dropped your bags before when we gave chase. Lastly, don’t disappoint me. Or, I will come for you. You don’t want that.”

Brew immediately high-tailed it off-stage, sprinting to retrieve his cart as quick as possible. Twilight magically floated Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor onto her back, waiting on the ground for Brew to come pick them up.

…

Brew took longer than Twilight thought he would, but did trot out into the open with cart saddled up soon enough.

Twilight levitated the foals into the cart, their backs to a couple boxes of potions Brew had strapped in moments ago.

Foal supplies were also tied in by the townponies...but not anything for the two grown ponies hauling the vehicle to the city.

Twilight tried to request some food and other essentials for Brew and herself before the trip began, “So...we could really go for something to eat and drink on our way to that city you mentioned, Razor. Care to spare a few extras for Princess Celestia’s student?”

Razor didn’t move a massive muscle as he warned grimly, “Get the buck out of my town before I feed one of you to the other.”

Brew took that as a no, thanking them all for not killing Twilight or him, “Well, it’s been fun! So glad we’re alive right now! You folks have a nice day!”

Overplaying his cheerfulness, he demanded of Twilight in a sing-song voice, “Let’s get out of here! That sound awesome to you?! It does to me! Let’s leave! Now! Nownownownow!!!”

Twilight rolled her eyes, listening to his directions as they promptly strode out of the nightmare town.