Fractum Speculum

Eleven

“Please Applejack,” Applebloom begged, “Don’t do this.”

“Go home Applebloom, I’m putting an end to this.” Applejack smashed through the double doors into the ward causing Rarity and nurse Redheart to jump.

“Where is she?” she demanded.

“I can’t let you through,” the nurse responded, “Princess Celestia has given strict orders that no one is to enter this room.”

“The princess can go to Tartarus, let me through.” Applejack bellowed. She began pushing forward but Applebloom confidently strided between her and the door; although her shaking legs gave away she was terrified.

“No Applejack. This won’t solve anything. This won’t bring Big Mac back.” Her voice broke, Applejack halted, still angry but not willing to push past her. She turned on her hoof and stormed back out the way she came.

Applebloom sniffed and nurse Redheart crouched in front of her offering her a tissue. Accepting she dabbed her eyes.

“How are you holding up?” she asked softly.

“Ok I guess.” She responded, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

“And how is Granny Smith?”

“She’s not talkin’.” Nurse Redheart nodded sadly.

“I’d better go home,” said Applebloom. And without waiting for acknowledgment, she turned and walked down the corridor, dragging her hooves.

Outside she couldn’t see Applejack anywhere; she guessed she must have run off somewhere in anger. The sun had set, but the streets were still busy. Ponies gathered at doorways, discussing in hushed tones the events of that morning. Mostly it was just rumours but Applebloom could tell from the stares she was getting, that her brother’s death was known. She wanted to get away from it all, so she made for the club house where Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and herself had their Cutie Mark Crusader meetings.

Sitting alone in the small tree house, her mind wandered back to that morning. She hurried out of bed when she heard Applejack approaching. She’d heard Winona too and was curious to know what had happened. Running out the front door she greeted Applejack with her biggest smile, but it wasn’t returned. Applejack was dragging a cart, and she looked like she’d given up on life. Granny Smith came out and stood at Applebloom’s side. She saw the look on her face, something bad had happened.

“Where’s Big Mac?” she asked as Applejack reached the house. No response. And slowly the truth dawned on her.

She dragged herself over to the window of the club house and stared into the darkness of the forest. She sighed and smothered her face into the window sill. Then in the distance, she heard something trotting. Looking up she saw a figure weaving in and out of the trees. Squinting her eyes she made out a tall Pegasus, black as night and deathly thin. She wondered why he was running rather than flying, when his wings fluttered open behind him and she saw they were withered. Something about that figure, gave her the chills.

Twelve

Rarity watched Applebloom leave. She felt bad for her, but she was here for a reason, and she couldn’t be distracted.

“As I was saying nurse Redheart, you need to get some rest.” She continued, “You’ll be no help to anyone if you keel over.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she said reluctantly, “and you’re sure you don’t mind staying watch?”

“Please, it would be my pleasure. After all, Fluttershy is my friend, I feel responsible for her.”

Nurse Redheart left and Rarity smiled, so far so good. She gave it five minutes before making her next move. She passed through the doors behind her, entering another shorter corridor. This one however contained two, watchful guards. No problem though, she was no stranger to coercion.

Having got passed easily enough she entered the room, it was intensely bright, completely empty bar the centre piece. A table, which looked more like a metal slab. And strapped to it was a moaning, writhing, yellow Pegasus. Rarity approached Fluttershy, who seeing her approach became still, her eyes piercing into Rarity’s. She breathed heavily through the mask clamping her jaw shut. Rarity leaned over to whisper so the guards outside wouldn’t hear.

“Listen carefully; I’m going to open this so you can talk.” Fluttershy looked suspiciously, so she continued, “you have something I want, and I’m willing to make a deal for it.”

She unclamped the mask, removing it slowly. She was worried Fluttershy would give her away by shouting or screaming, but she stayed silent.

“I want the orb.” She decided not to dance around the subject and get straight to the point. Fluttershy giggled to herself. “Where is it?” Rarity demanded.

“You want it? You can have it.” Fluttershy said smiling, a twisted grin showing all her teeth, Rarity could still make out bits of flesh stuck between them. “I have everything I already want.”

“Where is it?” she repeated, impatient now.

“Oh Rarity, so fickle. I saw the way you looked at it, a shining new toy that you couldn’t let someone else have.” Rarity knew fluttershy was mocking her now.

“I won’t ask again, I searched the house and it wasn’t there. Where is it?” that part clearly surprised Fluttershy, and Rarity realised someone else must have got to it before she did.

Rarity made to leave; clearly she’d wasted her time. But then Fluttershy called out to her, “you’re just going to leave me here?”

Rarity turned. Futtershy was putting on a pout. “I was actually.” And with that she made her way out of the room. Someone had the orb; she had to find out who.

Thirteen

Rainbow Dash swooped beneath the cloud cover, scanning left and right. Normally she’d have been honoured to be asked by the princess to head an operation personally. But after everything that happened, she just couldn’t feel anything resembling pride. The sun was rising, it was the day after the events, and Rainbow Dash had been ordered to organise the pegasi of Ponyville to man a perimeter. For the purposes of the investigation, a curfew was implemented; no pony was allowed to leave the city limits until further notice.

It was for this reason when Rainbow Dash saw Pinkie Pie charging out west, that she soared down to block her path

“Where do you think you’re going?” but she ran around him and carried on. Peeved she lifted off and flew so she was gliding level with her. “Hey, I’m talking to you. Don’t you know you’re not allowed to leave?”

“Not now Rainbow Dash, this is important,” said Pinkie. She fell back slightly, Pinkie didn’t sound like herself, she sounded angry.

“Well if you tell me what’s so important maybe I can help.” She retorted back. Pinkie came to a sudden and completely still stop, and turned to face her.

“Last night I ran into Spike,” strange start to a story but ok, “he told me him and Twilight found something in fluttershy’s house. A black orb.”

“A black orb? So?” replied Rainbow Dash.

“That’s what I gave to Fluttershy for her birthday,” Pinkie exclaimed, Rainbow Dash hesitated.

“You think that’s what caused this?”

“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” Turning on the spot she started walking, Rainbow Dash walked with her. “The pony who sold it to me said he was travelling to Vanhoover,” Pinkie said.

Rainbow Dash thought about this. She was ordered not to let anyone leave, but following up on this made sense. Eventually she made her decision, racing into the clouds she found a patrolling Pegasus and quickly relayed some instructions. Diving back to earth she caught up with Pinkie, “in that case, you ask the questions… and I’ll punch.”

Fourteen

Twilight woke up. No dreams? Pulling herself out of bed she walked down stairs into the library. She’d spent the night pouring through books trying to identify the orb, but there were no records of it in any of the books she owned. Eventually she gave in and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She didn’t want to dream, but she had to sleep. And she fell asleep to the sound of whispering. Why hadn’t she dreamt? Then a voice echoed through the room. “A dreamless sleep… my gift to you, Twilight sparkle.”

“Who’s there?” she called out. Nothing but silence, then something wet touched her head. Looking up she saw a spider web of cracks in the ceiling, dripping with black goo. She jumped back disgusted.

“I’m so sorry my dear, I never wanted any of this.” Came the voice, “Your poor friends they didn’t deserve any of this.”

“What are you talking about? Who are you?” she demanded.

“They couldn’t handle me, I was too much, and you saw the results.” The voice sounded sad, impossible to distinguish as male or female. “But not you, you’re special.”

Twilight looked at the floor, the black… whatever it was, was pooling at her feet, and rising rapidly. She rushed back up stairs. The voice was louder when it next spoke.

“But together we can make it all right, we can heal those wounds, fix those broken lives.” Twilight reached under the bed pulling out the chest.

“Tell me what you mean.” She said opening it to reveal the orb, pulsating violently.

“I can save your friends; I can bring back what they’ve lost, but only with your help.”

Picking up the orb Twilight stared into it, she pressed her ear to it as if it were a sea shell, and from within she heard the steady rhythm of a heart beat.

Fifteen

Rarity listened intently to what Spike was telling her. Twilight had the orb. Twilight had the orb now. She wanted to go that instant, take it by force if necessary, but she couldn’t act suspicious in front of Spike.

“Oh thank you Spiky-wiky, to think you trust me with this kind of information,” she leaned in close for effect, “you must really care about me.”

“Oh I do Rarity,” he said excitedly, begging for approval, “Hey, why don’t we go there now, maybe you could help Twilight figure out what it is.”

“You know what, that sounds like a very good idea,” said Rarity smiling to herself, things were working out better than expected.

They made their way to the library, Rarity could feel herself salivating. At last, she was going to hold the orb in her hooves.

“Spike, don’t you think you’d be happier going to Sugarcube corner and getting yourself something to eat?” she suggested casually, “after all I’m sure you’d find any work Twilight and I have to do to be extremely dull.”

“Oh no I want to help.” He insisted. Rarity was annoyed; it would be harder to steal with two of them. For a brief second she considered… getting rid of Spike. Like she got rid of Opal. Nobody would stand between her and her prize.

But she decided against it, she’d needed to have planned ahead so she wouldn’t get caught. No, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it, or if Spike started being a problem. Finally they arrived at the library; it seemed to take a lifetime. Each second seemed to drag out. Ten feet to the door. Five feet. They were on the front step. Spike was reaching out to grasp the door handle. The door opened… and they stepped in.

There was no one there. The whole building was empty; Twilight was nowhere to be found.

“I guess she must have stepped out.” Spike said unsure.

“No matter,” she said confidently, “why don’t you show me where it is and we’ll start working until she gets back.”

Spike shrugged and moved for the stairs, Rarity close behind. Spike reached under the bed and slid the chest out. Open it, show it to me. Spike removed the spell sealing it and carefully pulled the lid off.

The box was empty.

“Huh, I guess Twilight has it with her. Still no matter Rarity. Rarity?” but Rarity was shaking with fury. To have come so close and been cheated. Her anger burst out of her, a stream of magic shooting from her horn into Spike. His small body was tossed into the ceiling and came crashing down lying still. This wasn’t over, Twilight couldn’t have gotten far. Rarity left, hatred fuelling her.