NaNo2014: Shadows of Friendship: Part 21

“You’re welcome.” Fluttershy smiled at her, “Now, hold still. Applejack, can I have a hoof please?”

“Uhh…” Applejack glanced at Twilight and Dash, both of whom nodded, though one did not look too happy while the other looked unsure. Then she cantered forward, moving to Fluttershy’s side. “What’dya need?”

“Just a little strength.” Fluttershy replied directing Applejack to the right places to hold the joint. The orange earth pony followed her lead, full aware that Fluttershy had nursed birds that had dislocated their wings before and sure this would not be much different. “Now, ready?” She asked the injured pegasus, who looked worried.

“Ready for wha…ahh!” Nightnigale cried out in pain as the surprisingly strong but timid pony, with Applejack’s assistance reset the dislocated limb and leaned against Applejack for a few moments to prevent her legs buckling as the earth pony let go. “Hay and horsefeathers!” Nighingale gasped as she pulled herself together.

“Sorry.” Fluttershy actually looked embarrassed as she checked the appendage was back in place properly and that it could extend correctly again, “But I don’t have anything to dull the pain with me. My medicines are back at my cottage.”

“Th...That’s fine.” Nightingale shook her head as she let Fluttershy check her wing and noting that while it hurt, it was nowhere near as bad as the pain she had been in while the joint had been out of place. “Thank you for what you’ve done. I owe you one.”

With that she took off, leaving the party from Ponyville behind. Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh as she watched Nightingale lift off and vanish out of sight above the trees they had just come through. Then she turned to the Alicorn their friend had become, expecting to have to talk her down still. That turned out to be unnecessary. The mare before her seemed confused but much calmer than the pegasus would have expected of her.

The pale yellow filly considered the Princess before her carefully. She did not look exactly the same as their friend. Her coat was a couple of shades darker for a start and the wings were a new addition, though Fluttershy could not help but internally wince when she saw them, for as little as she like flying she could not help but remember the horror stories of pegasi who had gone crazy because they had been grounded by such injuries. It was the eyes more than anything that indicated to Fluttershy that this Twilight and the ‘normal’ one were not the same. She had to pay close attention to her animals if she wanted to work out what was wrong with them, since none of them could talk and the eyes were normally the best way to read an animal’s true mood.

The normal Twilight’s eyes were wide and bright with curiousity and, most importantly, purple. While the Alicorn’s were narrowed with suspicion and if she was reading them right, a little fear, though what such a powerful pony was frightened of was beyond Fluttershy and red, very red, like the rubies that Rarity had dug up the other day for one of her fabulous jewellery pieces.

She did not get a chance to ask though as the puzzle flashed and suddenly it was Twilight Sparkle she was looking at, though she seemed confused for a few moments, as if trying to regain her bearings. Then the unicorn spotted Dash was on her feet and a huge smile crossed her features and relief shone through.

“You’re okay?” Twilight asked as she cantered over to Rainbow’s side and looked her over, as if needing to check she was okay for herself. The pale blue, rather soggy pegasus let out a slightly shaky laugh and nodded.

“Yeah, takes more than a little water to keep me down.” She looked a little less confident then she sounded, but it was enough for Twilight for now. “At least we know you can transform without passing out.”

The unicorn tried not to frown at that. She had guessed that she had changed form somehow again, but once again she could not remember it. She did not say anything though, the others had enough in their minds without worrying about her. It was quite plausible that the stress of the transformation was why her mind blocked out what happened while she was an Alicorn, but she needed to find a way around it. That was something she did not have time to work on now, though, not while they were in the middle of Nightmare Moon’s ‘game.’  

“You sure you’re alright to carry on?” Twilight pressed, concerned for the pegasus only to get a scornful look in return.

“I’d better be, there’s no going back, remember?” Rainbow reminded her, “We’re trapped until we win. Besides, I think I saw a path that will take us straight to the castle while I was outstripping those pegasi.”

That caused a cheer amongst Rainbow’s friends. They were all getting tired, having stayed up all night and been busy preparing the previous day and there was not one amongst them that did not hope to get this finished soon and get back to civilisation and their nice warm beds soon.

“Lead the way, Rainbow.” Twilight told her, causing the pale blue pegasus to salute her with a cheeky grin before she lifted off, clearly favouring one side as she went. Applejack and Twilight shared a worried glance as Rainbow started gliding in the direction that they needed to go but neither said a word in order to prevent the others becoming concerned. Instead they followed Rainbow as she flew overhead.

The path the filly took sent them up a narrow cliff path and more than once they had to watch their footing as the edge crumbled away to reveal a rather nasty drop. Not for the first time did Twilight envy the pegusi their wings as Fluttershy took to the skies the first time she nearly slipped and stayed there and Rainbow Dash stayed above and kept guiding them forward.

She was not the only one who wished she had wings, Applejack admitted about halfway up the cliff face, looking a bit nervous as she peered over the edge into the mist below that was a strange mix of the black and purple of the Shadows and the white of pure, natural fog. “Not that I mind heights.” The orange earth pony explained as they climbed, even Pinkie being careful as they went, “But I prefer ma feet on the ground, or at leas’ on somethin’ solid, yer know?”

Twilight did know and she nodded her agreement as Rarity piped up, “This isn’t my idea of fun either, darling.” She added, nerves clear in her tone, “Why build a castle out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“It’s been ‘bout a thousan’ years since it were used, right, Twilight?” Applejack asked, startling Twilight who had not thought the others had been paying that much attention to what she had been saying on their way through the first part of the forest. She nodded and the earth filly turned back to the white unicorn, “So its probably overgrown by now. Bet it were something special when the Princesses were ‘ere.”

“Wouldn’t envy the gardeners though.” Twilight muttered. She did not realise that she had been speaking out loud until she heard Fluttershy giggle and Rarity snigger in a rather unladylike fashion. She blushed, embarrassed, but none of the others seemed to mind. Instead it lifted the mood a little as they traversed the dangerous terrain.

About halfway up the path, Rarity thought to ask a question that no one else had dared, “Twilight, dear?” She asked, her tone hesitant, “Are you really an Alicorn or a unicorn?”

“Unicorn.” Twilight told her firmly, certain of that fact. She had been a unicorn her entire life and she had never heard of any pony doing what she could do and change themselves into an Alicorn and back again. There had not been anything in her books that had suggested that it was even possible to do the change once, yet alone twice. “I was born a unicorn but I think...” She bit her lip, trying to work out how to explain her theory to the others without sounding quite mad.

“Is it your pendant?” Pinkie asked without preramble. The pink earth pony was as blunt as ever and Twilight welcomed it as it meant someone elsehad brought up the theory that it was something to do with the ancient artefact she was wearing. “Cause it flashes every time you change or get really mad or upset.”

“I think so.” Twilight nodded, “I only finished it last night, so I don’t know everything it does, but it’s quite possible. Especially when you consider the legends around it.”

“Legends?” Fluttershy asked nervously, having been keeping close enough to hear every word.

That led Twilight into explaining all the stories that dam-sire had told her, though she tried to stick to the better ones. She was really getting into one of them when Rainbow yelled down, “Watch out!” and they heard the cry of a huge bird.

The group on the cliff did not get a chance to react before the source of the call was on them, raking the path with its humongous great talons. They were lucky in one respect. The huge blue feathered creature was too big to grab any of them properly, but they were still swept in different directions as they were knocked about.

Twilight let out a startled and horrified cry as her back legs left the relatively solid floor behind and she slid down the cliff face a few feet, leaving her on her own on the ledge below her friends and unable to see them for the thick fog.

“Dun worry Twi,” Applejack called down to her, “We’re comin’ to get ya.”

“No!” Twilight whinnied back unable to hear the bird except for a slight whistling in the air and not wanting her friends to risk themselves for her, “Head up, I’ll join you.”

NaNo2014: Shadows of Friendship: Part 20

“Yeah, right, I’m supposed to believe some awesome flying squad was just passing through the Everfree when a demonic Princess passed through and just happened to tell them that the best flyer in all of Equestria was passing through? The only part I believe is that I’m the best.” Dash snorted, “And even if it was true, you introduced yourself by attacking me and when you lost sight of me, you went after my friends and that’s not okay. Now go away, I’m not joining your team and I’m not letting you hurt my friends, not even Princess Twilight. I might not know her very well, but she’s worth a million of you.”

“Wrong choice, Rainbow Dash.” The mare growled out, launching herself at her. Dash narrowly escaped the strike by folding her wings, jumping off of the cloud and dropping like a stone out of the sky. The three evil pegasi followed her down at high speed, not wanting to lose her, only for Dash to open her wings at the last minute and pull up. The mare managed to copy her antics, soaring up after her, but the two stallions collided with the ground, hard and burst into clouds of purple and black mist.

“Two down.” Rainbow panted, trying to ignore the pain in her side and the complaints of her wings as she climbed again, fully aware that the mare was on her tail. “Just one to go…”

“Yes,” The mare shot up in front of her, forcing Dash to break hard, making her let out a pained whimper as her muscles, which were pushed to their limits, screamed for her to stop. “But that last one is me,” The mare smirked, “Nightingale. And I always deliver.”

“Yeah well, not this time.” Dash snorted, diving down and skimming the river, trying to keep an eye on where Nightingale was. “How the hell does a Shadow creature have a name, anyway?”

“If you have to know,” Dash started and nearly tumbled into the water as Nightingale pulled up alongside her, looking smug, “My brothers and I were normal ponies before we were banished to the Shadows. We live there now and when we’re defeated in this world, we just end up back in the dark. You’ll be joining us soon. Nightmare Moon has sworn it.”

“No way.” Dash snapped back, barging Nightingale and rowing for height, fully aware she was slowing down, “Even if you get me, my friends will fix it and I’ll be me again before you know it.”

“Not if your mortal form is dead.” Rainbow did not have time to react to that as Nightingale collided with her and forced her down into the river. The pair of pegasi plunged into the deep river, just down from where the others had crossed and Dash found herself caught in the currents.

Nightingale transformed into purple mist and fled, leaving Rainbow in the river alone. She struggled and fought against the current desperately heading for the surface, but the current was too strong for her and her muscles were too heavy from the heavily draining flying she had been doing before. The lack of rest between her practises and now and the fact she had had no chance to take a deep breath before she had been plunged into the waters did not help as she struggled for air.

Then, just as her world was going dark something orange plunged into the river next to her and grabbed her before pulling on a rope with her teeth. Somepony had to be on the other end of it as they were slowly dragged to shore but Dash was not conscious to see them touch down on dry land.

Twilight watched in stunned horror as Fluttershy shoved Applejack aside and started trying to get Rainbow Dash breathing again, her shock breaking a little as she heard cackling from above. She looked up as a shadow passed over them and revealed itself to be the same pegasus mare who had driven Dash into the water.

Something in Twilight snapped when she saw the mare was coming in for a fresh strike as they tried to save their friend and the puzzle glowed brightly, the same changes overcoming Twilight’s form as she stared up at the pegasus.

Nightingale pulled up sharply when she saw the unicorn grow taller and wings sprouted from her back. Wide purple eyes narrowed and turned a bitter, angry ruby red as the heavily damaged wings spread to cover the alicorn’s back and rump and dark magic swirled around her like flames. She was no fool. She recognised power when she saw it and the alicorn before her was nothing but power.

Still she had sworn that she would deal with the Princess and her guards when she had been summoned. Nightmare Moon had promised freedom for her and her brothers if they managed it so alicorn or unicorn, Princess Twilight was going down and going down hard.

“What’s the matter, Princess?” Nightingale sneered, glad at she did not have to outrun an alicorn in the skies. Rainbow Dash had proved a surprisingly good challenge and Nightingale was tired and sore. Up in the skies, however, she had the advantage. “Too afraid to fly? Oh wait, you can’t. Those wings wouldn’t lift a butterfly, yet alone a fat mare like you.”

Twilight glanced over her shoulder when she heard Rainbow coughing and spluttering behind her, bringing up the water she had swallowed and the momentary distraction gave Nightingale the opening she was looking for. She rammed into the Alicorn, sending her sprawling before rowing for height.

The Princess ignored the concerned calls of her allies as she carefully watched Nightingale’s flight trajectory. Just because she could no longer fly, it did not mean she did not know what to expect of an aerial combatant and the pegasus was overconfident. She chuckled darkly as Nightingale swooped in to finish her, taking a leaf from her earlier battle and calling up a card from her deck but not a monster this time.

Instead the mare, who, if her muzzle and ears were any indication, was actually of a similar shade of coat to Rainbow Dash, went crashing into a wall of light and bounced off, hitting the floor hard. One wing wrenched out of place in the collision leaving the pegasus in a great deal of pain as she picked herself up and just as ground bound as Twilight.

“You’ll pay! You’ll pay!” Nightingale screamed at her as she charged her, lowering her head with the intent to ram the alicon. Twilight dodged it easily and tripped the furious shadow spirit. She stumbled and staggered a few steps further than she had intended giving the Princess enough time to blast her with the same spell she had been using to keep the creatures from earlier at bay.

It sent Nightingale tumbling, the already injured pegasus going sliding across the ground before coming to a halt at the water’s edge, her goggles going tumbling into the river. Fear was clear on her features as Twilight approached, she knew she could not win. That had been clear from the moment that she had lost her ability to fly, but accepting defeat meant losing her chance to get her and her brothers out of the dark void they had been trapped in for so long. Even now if she died she would just return to that dark place instead of moving on. She had to get away.

The Princess seemed to have no intention of letting her do that as she stood before her, anger clear and magic crackling around her. Nightingale cowered, hoping that showing that she knew she was beaten would get her off lightly or make the Alicorn make a mistake.

“You hurt my friend,” Twilight snapped, her voice stern and disapproving as she glowered down at the terrified shadow spirit, “Trespassed in my soul, and you’ve lost at your own little twisted game.”

That was far too true for Nightingale’s liking and she let out a whimper before begging, “Please,” She tried, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know...”

“Yes you did, don’t lie, it only makes it worse.” The Alicorn hissed at her, cutting her off, “You were aiming to kill Rainbow Dash when you drove her into the river.”

“Please, I’m sorry,” Nightingale backed up, knowing she was in trouble, “Please, I’m beaten, you don’t need to...”

“Twilight.” Fluttershy called, causing the purple former-unicorn to perk an ear up, twitching it slightly in her direction. It was the only indicator that she had heard the pale yellow pegasus but Fluttershy cantered up to the Princess’s side and then stood between her and Nightingale. “You’re better than this. You’re not Nightmare Moon.”

Red eyes narrowed a little further as Twilight harrumphed and backed up a couple of steps, giving the flyer a little more room, her anger clear. “She hurt Rainbow Dash.”

“I know.” Fluttershy informed her, her voice stronger than normal. She had a soft but worried smile as she glanced towards the blue filly who was looking a little shaky but otherwise okay, “But Rainbow’s okay now. Princess Celestia wouldn’t want you to fall to the power and neither does Rainbow, right?” The last was directed to Rainbow Dash who shook her head, “See?”

“But...” Twilight started.

“A little kindness goes a long way.” The animal loving pegasus pony told her softly, before looking at Nightingale, “If we let you go, will you leave us alone?”

“I...yes, I swear.” Nightingale nodded rapidly, having already decided to stay far away from the possessed Alicorn in the castle in the middle of the forest and terrified of the dark flames licking around the Alicorn before her. She was fully aware that the Shadows she could feel from the Princess could do so much worse to her then kill her current form and send her soul back to the darkness and wanted nothing more than to get as far away from her as possible. If she could not win, after all, she had to survive, for her brothers.

“She’s not a threat. You can let her go.” Fluttershy told Twilight with all the care offered to one of the more dangerous creatures the pegasus dealt with on a daily basis. The angry Alicorn snorted but backed up a little more, watching as her friend turned to the Shadowbolt. “Are you hurt?” She asked, showing the same concern that she gave any pony.

Nightingale looked started as she nodded, extending her wrenched wing as far as she could. Fluttershy let out a worried sound as she started examining it, “This is going to hurt and you’ll need to rest it.” She warned, “I’d say for you to get this done properly by a Doctor, but do shadow things even have Doctors?”

“N...no.” Nightingale admitted, startled by the question, “You want to heal me?”

“I can’t heal it, but I can put it right so it’ll heal right by itself.” Fluttershy offered, “If you want. I mean.”

“Y...yes, thank you.” She stammered, nodding rapidly. Her form would reset when she was sent back into the darkness but she had no intention of going back yet and a functional wing would go a long way to helping her avoid the demon Alicorn that taken over the forest.