Chapter 12: Water Talisman

I awoke the following morning to a wet sensation over the lower part of my body, I then felt a wet something touch very close to…

I sat up. I was lying on my back, a very unusual way for me to sleep normally. Alyshia was sponging the blood from my coat and was working my inner flanks.

“Good morning Amethyst” Alyshia piped up “Feeling any better?”

I felt my head and the headache was gone, the sickness in my stomach was also a lot less, but I still ached all over. “Yeah a bit” I murmured, “What are you doing?”

“Cleaning you up” Alyshia told me. “The caked blood will get uncomfortable and you don’t want to ruin your new armour now do you?”

I shook my head before saying to her “Alyshia. You do know I am a grown mare right?”

“Oh darling… of course I know that” She started.

“I can clean myself” I told her looking at the bloody sponge, and then to my half white half maroon lower body.

She raised an eyebrow “Can you? Like when I first met you? Amethyst you stank so bad I couldn’t stand near you.” She paused before asking with a slight smile on her face “Would you have cleaned yourself if I didn’t do it for you, or would you have just put your armour back on for the blood to rot and for you to smell like a dead pig?”

I cringed. I probably would have done just that. As much as I loved being clean, I tend to lack in the sanitary department when out in the wasteland.

“See what I mean? “She said without an answer from me.

“Alyshia. Amethyst is right. She’s her own mare. You’re treating her like a filly” Midnight said as she trotted up to me holding a tin of corn in a hoof. She then sat next to me and asked “feeling ok?”

I nodded as Alyshia seethed “No I’m not, I’m helping her. You like me helping you don’t you Amethyst?”

I would have to say that Alyshia had been very helping. She had cared for me better than other ponies would have ever cared for me. She helped me bath when I had no magic, helped me into the dress and made me look beautiful. I kind of just cocked my head rather than nodding or shaking my head but it seemed Alyshia took that as a ‘I’m not going to say yes in front of Midnight’ motion.

Midnight merely shrugged and asked me “Corn? Mushed Apples anypony?”

“Corn please” I asked not knowing how hungry I actually was and wanting to steer away from this subject.

As I started to spoon the corn into my mouth hungrily I noticed we were missing a pony. “Where’s Brax?” I asked curiously, noticing that I had not seen the stallion yet this morning.

“I’m here” Brax grumbled from the corner.

“What are you doing?” I asked cautiously not forgetting what he said last night.

“Getting ready for today, I think it might be a rough one with all those hostiles up.”

I checked my EFS and still hundreds of red lights blazed across it.

He did seem to have a point on that one.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

Back in my barding, combat ready and slightly sore I was ready to go.

“Do you know where we’re going?” Brax questioned me. He was still in bare coat and the grey stallion looked at me knowingly.

“Uhh” I stammered. I had no idea where the water talisman in this building was kept. I glanced at my pipbuck and checked the files I took from some of the terminals yesterday.

“You don’t know do you?” he asked coldly.

“Hold on I’m getting there” I told him. I prayed to the goddesses that the map was in here. With a leap from my heart I had come across MAS fire emergency evacuation plan. I scrolled through all the rubbish such as “Do not use elevators in fire” and “proceed to stairwell during fire and meet the fire warden on the courtyard at the front of the building.”

Finally I found the map of the building. I looked on each floor and it was just offices, testing chambers, Spell Networking. The top floor was reserved for important ponies and across the floor plan was written “Offices of Ministry Mare Twilight Sparkle”

I was really curious what was on the top floor. Pulling my eyes away from it I tried in vain to find where the talisman was located. I found the final floor plan and facehoofed. Of course it’s in the basement, why would you put the water system in the building. It is under the building.

“Found it” I muttered to Brax with a smirk.

“Ok everypony hurry up, let’s go” I said hoarsely to Alyshia, Midnight and Brax; Alyshia and Midnight were ready but Brax wasn’t.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

We left the warm room that we had settled in and stepped into the stone cold corridor, my breath fogging in front of me.

“Sweet Celestia its cold” I mumbled feeling the cold bite my muzzle.

“You aren’t wrong there” Midnight mumbled tucking her wings into her coat which made her look like an earth pony again.

We wandered down the stairwell back onto the ground floor and stepped back into the atrium which if possible was even colder. I could hear the front doors of the building rattle coupled with a muffled howl. I looked outside; all I could see was white. It must be a blizzard outside I thought.

“I think we might be stuck in here” Brax announced looking outside “We would surly die out in that weather.”

“Don’t worry about that now” I told him seeing the mist rise from my mouth “Let’s find the water talisman first.”

We walked across the floor towards the door to the basement. I was paying attention to my EFS and ensured all hostiles did not detect us. I felt something hard catch my hoof and I fell flat on my face. I got to my hooves and brushed myself off looking at what I tripped over and rubbed my sore nose. It was a zombie corpse from yesterday, it was frozen solid.

“You ok Amethyst?” Alyshia asked.

“I’m fine” I mumbled still looking at the corpse I had tripped over.

I felt a little worried now. I didn’t want to freeze to death in here and I didn’t want my friends to freeze here either. I shook my head and mumbled “Bad thoughts Amethyst. Don’t think of that.”

“What was that?” I heard Midnight say.

“Nothing” I mumbled feeling a little embarrassed for talking to myself.

Following the map I had on my pipbuck I guided my companions to an office out the back. It was a large office. Broken terminals littered on the floor and pony bones laid in various positions all over the floor. It seemed the balefire bomb hit during office hours and killed all those within the building, no doubt due to radiation poisoning.

Alyshia and I stepped carefully around the pony bones not wanting to disrespect the dead ponies that died here and Midnight had taken flight.

CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH

I looked to see Brax stepping through the pony bones as if they were nothing more than stones. I looked at him offended.

“What?” he grumbled.

“Show some respect” I spat at him feeling disgusted “Those are ponies you’re standing on.”

He looked down at the bones that had been shattered by his heavy steel hooves, “no, those are bones.”

“Of dead ponies” I finished for him.

“Yeah Brax that’s not very respectful to go trudging through bones like that” Midnight said scornfully as Alyshia nodded

“Ok, sorry” Brax mumbled quietly.

“Don’t apologise to me” I seethed “apologise to them” I then pointed a hoof at the crushed bones.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

After making our way through the office we had come to a door with ‘Basement’ blazed across it.

I attempted to open the door. It was locked.

Of course it was I thought, nothing out here just gave me what I wanted. I pulled out a bobby pin and screwdriver from my saddlebags and slot them into the key hole. I then attacked the lock, pushing and banging on it. It did not want to give.

“Arghh” I roared bucking the door when I broke my bobby pin. “Why am I so bad at this.”

“You’re doing it wrong Amethyst” Alyshia advised, “You are being too rough.”

I looked at her “You know how to pick locks?” I asked curiously. Alyshia was not the type of pony I would have thought to have picked up this skill.

She however shook her head. I looked at her confused “How do-“I began but she shook her head and went on.

“My brother is the locksmith for Tenpony Tower, I’ve seen him work and he is gentle with the locks. He listens for the right noises and such. He says each lock is unique and you must treat it with respect. If you do then it will open for you.”

I blinked, it was just a lock I thought but it was worth a go. I slid in my second bobby pin and tried again, this time feeling for the pins and applying slight pressure to the chamber with the screwdriver. I felt each pin lock into place but the last one did not wish to go in. I loosened the chamber and from the magic around the bobby pin I could feel the pressure of the pins. I pushed the final pin up and it slot in. The lock turned and the door opened.

“See” Alyshia told me as I scowled “Sometimes you just need to be gentle instead of just forcing the lock.”

The door opened to a corridor that looked similar to a stable corridor except the ceiling was missing and you could see the pipes and electrics in the ceiling. The inside was very rusty, it was still very cold inside but slightly humid and everything within was covered in a thin layer of ice, including the floor.

I stepped in with my companions at my hooves. My socks were sticking to the icy floor and made it hard to walk; I knew the floor would be slippery if I wasn’t wearing them. I was about to tell everypony to be careful when I heard a brief scream and turned just in time to see Alyshia bowl me over after she slipped on the ice.

The slightly taller unicorn then fell on top of me sandwiching me into the cold icy floor. All I could see on top of me was Alyshia’s pink barding. The mare tried to get off me but she slipped again and fell on top of me again with a burst of pain to my side.

“Alyshia get of me” I squealed “you’re hurting me.”

“Ow sorry Amethyst” she babbled as she got shakily to her hooves again. She helped me back up. Midnight flew over not needing to touch the icy floor and Brax did not seem perturbed by the ice as it cracked beneath his hoof steps.

I rubbed my side with a hoof my eyes streaming “That hurt Alyshia, please be careful” I advised looking at her.

She looked apologetic “sorry Amethyst” she mumbled as she took a step forward and almost fell over again.

I pulled up my pipbuck inventory spell and found a set of socks, my standard plain black ones. I didn’t mind if these got damaged so I levitated them to Alyshia “put these on” I advised her.

The purple unicorn looked at them and sighed “Amethyst, I don’t know if I can. I can’t put these on.”

“Why not?” I asked curiously. I personally thought the older unicorn would look pretty hot in those socks. “You think I’m going to be ogling at you in them don’t you?” I asked suspiciously.

She shook her head “It’s not that, it’s just that… These are normally worn by- I mean”

I felt a small pick in my heart as I questioned “Worn by? Ponies like me?”

“No Amethyst, in the tower the... Uhh”

“For crying out loud Alyshia just put them on so we can keep moving” Midnight burst out while flying upright with her forelegs crossed and looking impatient.

I looked at her and levitated them to Midnight who looked confused as I told her “Hold these.”

“What are you do- Ahhh Amethyst put me down” She squealed as I levitated her into the air.

“Put them on her Midnight” I told her with a smirk on my face. To be honest I was kind of enjoying myself. Midnight slid the socks onto Alyshia’s hooves and I placed her back on the ground.

“I’ll get you for this Amethyst” she grumbled lifting a hoof with some difficulty as the socks were sticking to the ice.

“You already did” I laughed “when you fell on me.”

Alyshia scowled as we started down the staircase into the underside of the MAS Building.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

“-As long as I don’t have to wear these outside this building” Alyshia argued as we walked through the icy corridors.

“I’m not saying you have to” I told her, “The floors are icy and slippery. It’s for your safety and ours” as I pointed a hoof to myself and Brax.

“That’s all fine but if I’m seen like this…” Alyshia looked concerned as she lifted a hoof and cringed slightly.

“Why don’t you like wearing them?” I asked, “I find them comfortable and quite appealing.”

“Well I don’t Amethyst, I don’t want to look like a slut” she said coldly.

“What?” I stammered “You don’t-“

“Yes I do” she snapped, “These are worn by the prostitutes who live outside the tower.”

“Are you saying I’m a –“I began angrily.

“No. But it’s an odd dress sense Amethyst. I mean I can understand if you want to wear them when in bed or when getting intimate but as a general fashion sense?”

I felt abashed. I liked them and wore them as part of my barding set. My barding does mostly cover them as does Alyshias but I didn’t see why she would not want to wear them.

“It’s not like you’re wearing them with nothing on-“I began.

“Ok Amethyst just shut it. Who cares” Midnight groaned, “there only socks”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her” I pointed out.

Midnight facehoofed and I dropped the subject.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

I could tell we were heading the right way. The further we went in, the more ice we found. We finally turned a corner and came face to face with a rusted steel door with about an inch of ice over the entire thing.

“Ahh” I stammered, “what now?” I touched a hoof on the ice and banged it against the ice sending ice shavings onto the icy floor.

“Step back” Brax grumbled as he turned facing away from the door preparing I would have assumed to buck the door.

I stood away from the door and Brax smashed his back hooves against the door. The Ice cracked as he bucked it again and ice fell to the floor. He gave a third buck and the ice shattered and it all fell to the ground.

“That’s how you do it” he said confidently looking at the door.

The door had no lock on it and in almost inaudible letters it said ‘Push.’ This was just a swinging door so I pushed on it and it was still frozen shut.  I wrapped my magic around the door and attempted to push the door open and nothing happened. “Buck the door again” I suggested taking a step back as Brax prepared to buck the door again. He sent five bucks to the door and it still did not budge.

I started to get frustrated as I wrapped my magic around the door again and still nothing happened. I was sure if I was angry like the time I threw the door back at the slaver camp I would rip it off completely but I was not in an angry mood. I tried to get angry by clenching my teeth together and thinking of Glenda and my mother but it didn’t work.

I started to buck the door myself but if Brax couldn’t do it who was a much larger and much stronger pony than was. What hope did I have?

“Amethyst maybe we should work together?” Midnight suggested.

“How?” I asked, looking up surprised that somepony actually had a plan.

“You use magic. Alyshia, Brax and myself push on the door and hopefully it opens.”

I had nothing else to try so I nodded and said “in positions everypony let’s do this.”

I wrapped my magic around the door and pushed as hard as I could against the door telekinetically. Midnight, Brax and Alyshia then pushed against the door as hard as they could. With a leap of my heart I could hear ice shifting and breaking. I could feel the door move with my magic and finally with a loud bang the door opened to reveal a small control room in which the side door was thankfully open. It led out to a catwalk.

We all walked in. The ceiling had icicles forming and the terminals were layered in ice. Our breaths fogged in front of us as we looked at each other. Nopony said anything so I walked over to where the catwalk began. With a sink of my heart, I saw the catwalk which was also iced up. It looked very fragile and in some places it had partially collapsed. There was no way Brax would be able to walk on this. I looked over the side and felt a familiar sickening effect take place, so I looked away. There was a ten meter drop to a huge white icy floor, I gulped and backed out back into the room.

“What’s wrong Amethyst? You’re pale as a ghost?” Alyshia commented.

I put a hoof to my face and it was cold. “Nothing” I mumbled “Just cold.” I gave a small cough then told them “I think only Midnight and I should go any further.”

Alyshia looked at me suspiciously and Brax threw his head up in disgust.

“Look” I told them. “That catwalk will hardly hold me” I said pointing a hoof to the other door “it won’t hold you two” I said looking at them.

Brax trotted over to the catwalk and backed up “Right. Amethyst is right” he grumbled “Sorry kid” he muttered to me “I thought you were looking for an excuse to leave me behind.”

I shook my head as Alyshia looked as well but she said “I can understand if Brax has to stay but why do I have to stay?”

“It won’t hold you” I advised noting that Alyshia was about half a horn taller than I was and therefore heavier. “You’re too heavy” I concluded.

She blinked and she looked affronted “I- Are you saying I’m fat” Alyshia shot at me “I am not too heavy –“

“I didn’t mean that” I said quickly, “You’re bigger than me”

“Hardly” She shot back “Half a horn – if that”

“Sorry I-“

“Don’t Amethyst” she told me “I’ll stay – you obviously don’t like being around fat mares.”

“You’re not fat” I argued, “It’s just with the two of us-“

She was ignoring me. How could she do this to me? She was of a light build like me. I didn’t have time to argue. Midnight stood waiting patiently and I turned tail and wrapped myself in a magical field to lighten my weight and with Midnight taking flight I stepped onto the delicate frozen catwalk.

Utilising my magic I could make myself almost weightless with rather little strain. I was glowing a soft purple as Midnight flew just in front of me. I could see the catwalk extended across the massive room and down flights of steps. Some parts of the catwalk had partially collapsed and I had to levitate them back into place so I could walk across them before carefully placing them back without breaking the catwalk any more.

I saw a red hostile flare ahead in front of Midnights green. I took a step back as I heard a roar from nearby. Midnight turned tail and flew strait into me causing my magic to implode.

All I could hear amidst the confusion was a roar, the sound of wrenching metal and the next thing I knew I was hurtling towards the icy floor. All that went through my head as I screamed was that I was falling to my death and I would be dead in less than two seconds. I looked up and Midnight was fighting a huge winged something. I looked down just in time to see my hooves hit the ground which gave way the moment I hit it.

Next thing I knew I was in a freezing underwater world, sinking slowly. I opened my eyes and it was slightly blurry. My breath held, I looked up and saw at least five meters above me a hole. I had fallen through what appeared to be a sheet of ice. I tried to move my legs to attempt to swim but all I did was sink a little more.

The water was freezing and I could feel it soak into my barding causing me to shiver uncontrollably. I kicked around and nothing I tried sent me towards the surface. I was distracted by a hum that started to make my ears sore and with some shock I saw what appeared to be a reactor albeit blurry from the water but it gave a similar shape to one.  My pipbuck was clicking quite rapidly. The water was quite deep and I could see tables and work benches on the bottom rotting away after being inundated with water for over a century.

I shook my head and attempted to swim again. I started to panic as my body yearned to breath. I wrapped myself in magic and started to push myself upwards but I was too slow and I was not strong enough, my soaking barding and saddlebags were weighing me down.

With a final push my magic imploded and I opened my mouth expelling all the air in my lungs and I sank like a stone, my ears searing with the water pressure and the hum of the reactor. I kept my eyes open and with a small bump I felt my rump hit the ground. I was going to drown before I froze to death. I couldn’t move at all and I could do was sit on the bottom of this freezing pool trying to not breathe in any water until I became unconscious and died.

I felt the back of my head hit the ground as I rolled over staring up at the ice sheet above. The hole I made clearly visible over five meters above me. I felt blackness begin to enclose my vision as I suffocated with the sounds of my pipbuck in my ears. Finally I thought. Now I could die, now I could stop holding my breath. As blackness enclosed my vision I saw part of the ice sheet break and a figure fall into the water as well, the figure began to move in my direction. I stopped trying to lose consciousness but it failed. With finality I blacked out.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

I was sitting at a desk in school. Our teacher who was a yellow unicorn mare with a lemon coloured mane was lecturing us about magic. I wasn’t really paying attention as the teacher was explaining complicated charts and ways to do magic.

“Amethyst pay attention” the teacher snapped. I jerked my head in her direction and some of the other students laughed. I felt my face burn and I paid a little more attention.

“You should all know that most unicorns are limited to the use of magic. Most unicorns have anywhere between four and six spells at generic disposal. Some common examples are Telekinesis and the ability to light the horn. Of course the other spells are normally determined by ones special talents which brings us to cutie marks.”

I fell back into a stupor. I knew all this already and it wouldn’t help me do magic any sooner. All the other fillies and colts in my class could do magic but me. I sighed and felt a jab to my back. I looked behind me and there was a colt with a note floating next to him. I held out a hoof and he passed it into my hoof not able to grasp it magically myself.

I held it under the desk and opened it and started to read,

‘I’ll take you over all this after class. Most of this is just crap but I’ll tell you without the all the shit.

‘-Berry”

I looked over to Berry and smiled but not before I heard a bang on my wooden desk “Passing notes Amethyst?” the teacher said dangerously.

“I-Well…” I stammered “Not really.”

“Well Amethyst… Just because you have good grades in other classes does not mean you can neglect mine. I see that you’re the only pony in this room without her cutie mark nor able to do any magic. You of all ponies should be paying the utmost attention.” The teacher then said quieter “You need to understand Amethyst. These ponies around you contribute to the stable through work after school. You cannot work yet because you don’t have your cutie mark or do any magic. It is your job to contribute and that includes growing up and not passing notes in class.”

“Yes ma’am” I mumbled looking down at my books again.

“Yeah blank flank, listen to the teacher” Glenda barked from the back row.

“That’s enough Glenda” The teacher said.

I looked down at my flanks which were just flat white then to everypony else who had their cutie marks. I’ll study my books more I told myself, get my cutie mark.

After a few minutes the bell rang for the end of the day. Everypony got up to prepare for their work shifts while I left for my room. Berry caught up to me and gave me a sheet of class notes.

“Thanks” I said slipping it into my saddlebag. “I’ll need these for sure. I pray to Celestia I do well in the magic practical next week. Nopony would ever let me forget otherwise.”

“I’m sure you’ll do ok” Berry told me.

“Hey blank flank” came a voice from behind.

“Ignore her Amethyst” Berry suggested.

I turned around facing Glenda “come to gloat?” I shot at her.

“I think you’ll need to do more than pray to Celestia to do magic, not even licking her hooves will you pass.” She laughed “You should just snap your horn off and start school with the earth ponies.”

Berry put a hoof around my neck and guided me away. I left with her as Glenda shouted “Good luck in the magic practical.”

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

I felt a hoof slap across my face and I opened my eyes. I felt like ice and I was shivering uncontrollably. Midnights muzzle came into view as I blinked. She too was shaking heavily. It took me a second to realise what had happened. I gave a cough and some water came out which I spat onto the ground.

Midnight started to talk, her voice shaking “Are you ok Amethyst? I thought you had drowned. You were under the water for so long. I’m so glad that you’re still alive.”

“I thought I had too” I said quietly as I got shakily to my hooves. We were standing on the layer of ice and no doubt Midnight had rescued me. Again.

Midnight pulled me into a hug which I returned. She was soaking wet as was I. I felt the warmth of her against my breast as her mane fell forwards and started dripping icy water onto me which I ignored. When Midnight pulled away I saw that her wings were all water logged and dripping still. She had not yet had the chance to shake off yet.

“Sorry” I mumbled.

“Why?”

“For fucking up again” I replied dully as fog escaped my mouth.

“It’s not your fault” she told me, “I should have caught you.”

“No” I told her shaking my head “I should have been paying more attention.”

Midnight cocked her head and then facehoofed. I could tell she knew that no matter what she said that I wouldn’t let up.

“We’re going to die aren’t we?” I asked finally as I started to shiver hard my teeth chattering together.

Midnight looked at me shocked “No of course we aren’t.”

“’I’m freezing” I moaned.

“So am I Amethyst but we have something to do so pick yourself up and lets go” Midnight advised shaking herself and her wings to get rid of any water on her coat and feathers.

I shook my coat and emptied my saddlebags before wringing my coat and mane magically and emptying my saddlebags of water. My porn book was soaking but I kept it, my photo album which was protected by a spell my mother put on it was fine. I let off a sigh of relief as I threw out books and paper that had been ruined.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

I had indeed picked myself up as my pipbuck told me I had minor hypothermia. I ignored this message because I did not need my pipbuck to tell me that I was cold.

“Which way?” I asked Midnight through my numb lips.

“Not sure” Midnight stammered.

I checked my pipbuck which had mapped this part of the building itself. I found the part that we were supposed to be going and started in that direction.

I heard a roar followed by Midnight swearing. The roar echoed around the large area.

“I thought you killed that Midnight” I asked turning to her.

“No, it vanished when I dived into the water to save you. It must have returned” she replied.

I looked up and saw a smallish dragon like thing. It had a wing-span of roughly five meters; it had two large back legs, two tiny arms and huge black leathery wings on its sides.

“A Dragon?” I squeaked “A Dragon?”

“Not a dragon, I think that’s a blastwing” Midnight told me matter-of-factly.

“It’s a dragon” I screamed pulling out my sniper rifle wanting maximum punch.

The blastwing swooped down and hung in mid air near us. I looked at it and it opened its huge maw. I pulled Midnight to me and activate my shield. I heard a roar and a rush of fire hit my shield. The heat from the fire radiated through the shield that made me feel temporarily warm, then hot, then it felt like my skin would blister.

The blastwing attempted to land on the ice sheet without success. The ice broke under its weight and it began to split as it took flight again.  I collapsed my shield and took two shots at it from SATS. My bullets went off and both bullets struck the leathery wings. It didn’t even seem to feel it. The blastwing turned around and let out another belch. I broke into a gallop as I felt fire lick at my tail. I looked behind me and Midnight had taken flight.

When at a safe distance I entered SATS again and took careful aim before sending two shots to the head. The bullets hit the target but all it did was enrage the monster. It made for me and took another belch as I ran, the heat causing me to feel faint. I felt the ground tip as the ice broke apart from under my hooves. The ice was melting and breaking apart. I stood on my little island of ice and swapped out my magnum with armour piercing rounds. I took two unassisted shots at the blastwing which was now doing battle with Midnight. She was moving through the air taking shots here and there and in general her skills in the air were superb. One of my bullets hit it in the hid leg which looked like it penetrated the thick hide and the second shot by mere chance hit it in the eye.

The blastwing nearly fell out of the air and Midnight sprayed its face with bullets. Its face was now all red and bloody. It took a beeline for me and I shot at it again and missed. It took a breath of flame which I dodged by jumping on a nearby ice island. I looked at where I was standing and all that was left was water. I gulped and turned just in time to see fire searing right for me. I activated my shield which popped into place for about five seconds then collapsed but was up just long enough to absorb the fire.

I felt the ice around my hooves thin and crack. I then concentrated with extreme will and force and I wrapped myself in magic and levitated myself off the ice which vanished. I had no ice close enough to go to so all I could do was keep myself floating here until I ran out of energy.

“Midnight help” I screamed as the blastwing prepared to open its mouth and turn me into roasted pony.  I felt myself get taken in Midnights hooves just as a rush of flame came out of the beast’s mouth. With relief I let my levitation field drop and I clambered onto Midnights back, my Magnum levitated. Midnight flew between pipes, catwalks, collapsed machinery and icicles as I aimed my Magnum at the pursuing dragon like thing.

The beast opened its mouth again and I tried to activate my shield again. My horn lit then sparked, the spell could not be cast anymore. I instead entered SATS and drained the entire spell by firing into its mouth. I ended up putting five armour piercing rounds into its mouth causing it to roar and screech. It stopped and smashed into a catwalk which fell through the ice below before flapping its wings and smashing into icicles which shattered against its leathery body causing the whole inside to shake sending ice from the ceiling. It did not let up and with added fervour it came up at us and with surprising speed was right behind us again.

I saw it roar and with a searing heat of fire licked at my body which singed my barding and coat. Midnight’s right wing caught fire and she screamed which caused my heart to tear. I pulled out my soaking wet towel and doused the flame. I could see tears in Midnights eyes as she tried to keep a flight.

Shooting from here was useless so I decided to do something stupid. After all I was a stupid pony and this was for Midnight. I wrapped myself in my magic and jumped from Midnight and landed on the blastwings head before collapsing my magic.

The thing was not as smooth in the air as Midnight was and it made me sick as it bobbed up and down with each wing stroke. I tried not to look down knowing my vertigo would surly unseat me. The blastwing clearly did not feel me as it continued to pursue Midnight who was twisting and weaving between objects to try and keep a distance from the monster. She looked back every so often to see if I was still on top of it.

I knew what to do. I put my final six armour piercing rounds in my magnum then pointed it down at the beasts skull knowing that surly at point blank it would kill it. I closed my eyes and emptied the entire barrel into the blastwings head. All I heard was the echo of my shots in the large chamber like place and before I knew it all I could hear was rushing air. I opened my eyes and saw I was in free fall on the now dead monsters head. I wrapped myself in magic and my falling slowed and finally I came to a stop with sweat now running around my horn as I concentrated on not falling.

Finally Midnight was in front of me and she wrapped her hooves around me allowing me to thankfully drop my levitation field. I kept my eyes closed as Midnight flew knowing that if I opened them I would be staring down at a great fall and I would probably vomit.

The heat from the dragon had managed to dry much of my coat, socks and flanker but my barding was still damp to wet and with the wind chill of Midnight flying I began to shiver again.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

Midnight and I remained silent as we landed on a platform that led into the door that would take us to the water maintenance area of this building. The sheer size of the ‘basement’ of this building made me wonder why it was so large, and why there was a dragon thing in here. All I could think of was this place was a secret facility to even the standard MAS Employees that worked in the top part of the building.

“This the right way?” Midnight whispered.

I checked my pipbuck and we were indeed heading in the right way. I nodded and guided us through a small icy corridor. I could hear running water which struck me as odd considering how cold it was in here.

My question was answered when we came up to a catwalk where liquid water was ripping about a meter below it. The sound of running water was from a large burst pipe in the ceiling causing a crashing waterfall into the water sending freezing mist over the catwalk which was slippery of ice.

The catwalk led into another room with no lights. I lit my pipbuck light allowing its luminescence to illuminate the room we were in. I saw terminals and I hoped to hack one. I plugged my pipbuck in and found the computers had no electricity and attempting to hack one would be about as stupid as trying to hack a tree.

We moved on into a corridor which also had no electricity as no lights were on. This didn’t help and after a few trots my EFS blazed red. I stopped and Midnight kept going before stopping about five meters in front of me. “What’s wrong Amethyst?” she asked.

“Uhh, lots of bads” I muttered to her.

“How many?” she inquired.

“Too many” I replied.

Midnight landed and crouched low for me to get onto her back. I clambered onto the hot white pegasus and she lifted me into the air. We continued at a slow pace with my front hooves around Midnights neck with my magnum hovering at my head.

When we entered the next room my pipbuck brought into perspective some thirty young blastwings jammed into the room. They all saw us enter and still too young to fly they started breathing fire at us from the ground sending waves of heat into the room. Midnight flew fast across the room without colliding with anything. I shot at them, some of my bullets landing on target and some that didn’t caused them to explode against the ground.  Fire licked at our tails as Midnight shot up to a door and I telekinetically threw it open thanking the goddesses that it was unlocked.

Upon going through the door I felt Midnight hit something followed by a loud crack and next thing I knew I was hurtling face forwards through the air towards the steel floor. I wrapped myself in magic and managed to stop myself smashing my face into the ground.

I dropped to my hooves and heard a scream, a terrible blood curdling scream. I turned to see Midnight screaming in pain.

“Fuck” she screamed, “My fucking wing.” She had tears in her eyes and was cradling her left wing. I saw to my horror that the main bone that held the wing in place had split and skewered through the skin. I could see the bloody bone poking about half a foot through the skin. I felt the blood drain from my face.

I ran towards her but not before about five baby blastwings came through the open door, hobbling on their two back legs with their little arms held out. I wrapped Midnight in my magic and pulled her to safety before pulling out my shotgun and fired at the little bastards. They went down easy enough but the gunshots had brought more through the door. I wrapped the door in my magic and slammed it shut before firing at the remaining ones.

I felt something slash me across the muzzle and turned to see one had jumped forwards and physically attacked me. I jumped back and wrapped it in my magic. The little blastwing was about three feet in length and was quite heavy as I could feel it strain my magic slightly. I levitated the shotgun to it just as it opened its mouth to breathe fire at me. I shot it in the head and dropped it.

I turned to Midnight who was now sobbing on the ground. “Are you ok Midnight” I asked feeling stupid. I looked at her wing which was now beginning to soak with blood. The feathers dying a vibrant red, I could obviously tell that she was not alright.

“N-No” she gasped. “Can you fix this?”

I pulled my head back shocked. There was no way in hell I could fix an injury like this. Even if Midnight was unconscious I would not be able to let alone with her screaming in pain. I shook my head “I-I’m sorry Midnight, there is no way I could fix this. I’m not a medical pony.”

“You fixed Alyshia leg” she gasped.

“This is different; her injury was a basic break. This will need a lot more. I don’t know if even Alyshia can fix this” I told her feeling tears leak out of my eyes. The pony I had come to care about and loved was injured before me and I couldn’t fix it. Instead I pulled out three filled syringes, needles and painkillers.

I levitated them to her and as I did so I whispered “this will numb the pain, we will get you back ok?”

Midnight nodded and I injected the three doses of med X. Midnight relaxed as the painkillers did their job. I checked through my pipbuck spell to see if I could find anything else. That was when I came across a small bottle of buck. I read the description ‘will make you stronger, add endurance and will keep you fighting longer and harder.’ It was a drug, like Party Time Mintals and Stampede. But this was for medical purposes I heard myself say in the back of my head.  I shook my head and administered the drug to Midnight.

The drug did the job. She managed to get to her hooves, her left wing bent at an odd angle and the bone still poking sickly from the wing. I cringed thinking how much that must have hurt. It would be like doing that to my leg and Midnight who depends on her wings to fight and live couldn’t use them.

Midnight collapsed back to the ground with a moan. I levitated her and placed her on my back causing a slight shiver up my spine as my heart welled inside my chest. I ignored this, determined to get Midnight to safety. But not before getting to the Water Talisman.

I felt Midnight tighten her hold around my neck as I galloped down the dark and silent corridor. A red blaze lit my EFS as the ratatata sound of a turret filled my ears and the sound of bullets striking concrete. I slipped into SATS and shot it with my magnum. The casing of the turret exploded and I continued on, pipbuck lit with Midnight on top of me.

I stopped and placed Midnight carefully onto the ground and levitated my canteen and took a drink. I gave some to Midnight and she thankfully drank in silence.

“How are you going?” I asked quietly.

“Sore” Midnight murmured, “I feel like my bone has speared through my wing” she muttered.

I facehoofed because that was exactly what had happened and that was not what I meant, “you know what I mean” I muttered to her.

“I’ll live” she responded, “thanks for the water.”

I levitated my canteen back into my bag. I checked my pipbuck and saw a little room labelled ‘Armoury’ just up ahead. I put a hoof to my head and scratched it. Why was the armoury all the way down here? Surely it would be at a place that was easily reachable by the guards but in a place that not anypony could get to. I sighed and levitated Midnight back onto me.

I decided to check the armoury. My shotgun was low and my magnum was low on specialised bullets and would soon be onto my regular ones which I had few of anyway. I snuck through the corridor and picked the door open. I used Alyshia’s advice and it clicked open in less than a few minutes and that was one of the more complicated locks I had tried.

I stepped inside the room and heard the familiar sound of turrets powering up. I slipped into SATS before any could fire at me and despite it being dark I took out two of them before my gun clicked to indicate I was out of bullets.

Ratat-atatata

I felt a bullet strike my barding but it did not penetrate through.

“Amethyst watch it” Midnight growled, “please don’t get me killed.”

“You’re in safe hooves” I muttered to her.

I heard her scoff but ignored it. I reloaded with standard bullets and dived around the corner and fired at the final turret three times. The third bullet punctured the casing and the turret powered down.

This part of the building must have had its own electricity I thought. If these turrets were to come to life that would mean that there was electricity to power them. I needed light. My pipbuck wasn’t bright enough if I was to look for ammo or guns. I found the light switch but it did not turn the lights on, instead the soft glow of emergency lighting filled the room, at least enough to see everything well enough.

That made sense. The turrets were on emergency power and the lights were off because they weren’t. Well at least with the dim emergency lighting I could make out what I needed.

I looked around and all kinds of weapons adorned the grey walls of the room, benches lined the entire room and I pulled open all the drawers to look for ammo. I was disappointed to find that most of the ammo was gone. At least until I found a draw that held boxes of bizarre looking bullets.

One box which said held ‘.44’ bullets had in fact held purple and very pointy looking bullets that were indeed a similar size to the bullets I used in my magnum.

“Hey Midnight have you seen these bullets before?” I asked knowing she was the expert with ammo and weapons and levitated them to her. She held them in her hooves and shook her head.

“No I’ve never seen these before” she replied.

I shrugged and loaded my magnum with these bullets instead and shot at the blank wall. I was shocked to find that a purple beam shot from my gun and exploded in a puff of purple smoke against the wall which had melted the steel wall partially

“Holy fuck” Midnight mumbled, “What are those bullets?”

“I don’t know, but I’m keeping them” I said jubilantly.

I stashed three boxes of these funny looking bullets into my saddlebags and had also found some other bullets that would not match any of my guns. It was quite large and the bullet had a distinctive hourglass shape to it apart from the tip which was rounded.

I put these in my saddlebags too intending to sell them. I put Midnight onto my back again and trotted up to a cabinet that had caught my eye. I looked inside the glass top which was locked and saw a small gun inside. The gun was lavender much like Alyshia’s coat with a deeper purple line running through the centre. Written on the base was ‘Unicorn’s lavender rifle.’

This made me scratch my head again. This gun was too small to be a rifle. It was slightly larger than my magnum and much smaller than my last rifle or my currant sniper rifle. This ‘rifle’ didn’t have a scope on it.

I smashed the butt of my magnum on the glass but it did not yield. Instead I picked the padlock and with a satisfying click it opened to reveal the lavender rifle.

I picked it up in my levitated field and was shocked to find that the gun was light as air. I couldn’t feel any strain on my magic at all holding it; in fact, I could probably levitate it with my magic power exhausted. I pulled the trigger and it clicked. It obviously was not loaded. I found where the bullets went and I tried all my bullets and found that my sniper rifle bullets were indeed the right calibre.

I pocketed lavenders rifle and pulled my magnum back out knowing at that moment this was my most reliable gun.

I exited the armoury and crept through the dark corridor quietly until I came across a heavy iron door. Breathing heavily, mist fogging from my mouth; I attempted to push the door open by hoof, then by magic. It did not budge. I checked how this door opened and found it was opened by an eye scanner. Which unfortunatly had no power anyway. No doubt nopony but ponies like Twilight Sparkle or the princesses could have gotten through this door and if it was powered it wouldn’t matter anyway.

“Grr” I grunted trying to think, “any ideas Midnight?”

“Well. Yeah I do” she murmured, “pull it the other way?”

I looked at her confused “What?”

“Pull, not push” she said.

“What difference does it make? The door is locked” I told her.

“Well the door has no power. If it has no power what is holding it closed?” she asked looking slightly amused.

I pulled on the handle of the door and with a grind it opened. I opened my muzzle, and then closed it again.

With Midnight still on my back I trotted inside. Much of the inside was coated in what appeared to be spider’s web. The room was filled with a familiar humming sound.

Last time I heard this sound was in my stable testing the water talisman. The room was of similar design but with a lot more unicorn magical contractions I could not recognise. A huge hole in the side of the room led into what looked like a cave. It was filled with spider webs and likewise when I checked my pipbuck I saw signs of enemies. Not wanting to waste any time I trotted to a cabinet and pulled the door open and the humming sound grew.

With a leap of my heart I saw it. The beautiful and perfect water talisman, shaped from a sapphire into a necklace wrapped around a large pipe that was emitting a loud hum. Unlike the talisman in the stable, the surface of it was flawless yet slightly dusty from being inside the cabinet for two hundred years.

I wrapped my magic around the necklace and pulled. The chain morphed through the pipe and the humming stopped filling the air with eerie silence, the water talisman was now mine. It was in front of me. I could finally go home. I felt a smile break across my muzzle.

“Midnight I got it” I said enthusiastically, “finally I can take this home and proov-“

I stopped and heard a rustling sound and the red lights on my EFS were moving. No doubt whatever was up there had noticed the humming sound came to an end. I put the Talisman on my horn and dashed to the door we came through. But not before about a dozen large spiders the size of a small carriage burst through the open hole in the wall.

I closed the door behind me telekinetically as I dashed out of the room into the dark corridor. The spiders pushed through the door as if it was made of paper. I aimed my magnum over my shoulder and fired. I hit one in the face and with a flash of purple light and its face melted away. I could hear its screech echo down the corridor along with the scuffling and pincers gnashing together of the other spiders.

“Amethyst run” Midnight screamed from above me as I felt a stitch begin to develop on my side.

“I’m trying” I gasped as I ran. Normally I didn’t do exercise, my build had never really required it, even when I ate junk food at the stable I had no need to burn it off. I was paying for it now. I was not very fit and it was clearly showing.

Gasping for air I dashed into a push door and ran inside to what appeared to be the little colt’s room. The stainless steel urinal was rather grimy but nonetheless smelling like the rest of the building, the bathroom ceiling was caved in slightly. I dashed into one of the toilet cubicles and closed the door crouching. I could see the red lights on my pipbuck move around before stopping.

One was moving and I heard the bathroom door open and close, the rustling sound of hairy legs on tiles filled my ears. My heart hammered as I stood frozen, Midnight did not say a word or for that matter move at all. Still tired from all the running, I tried to limit my breathing and tried to make it slower even though it made my vision fog.

I heard it move up to the toilet cubical and I held my breath. I could see its hairy legs under the door. I wanted to shoot it but all my guns were really loud and I didn’t want the other ten to be drawn in here too. It stopped. I could hear the click of pincers and heard the door beside me get pushed opened. The spider outside however seemed to think that we were not in here and with a leap of my heart it scurried away.

I heard the door to the bathroom open and close. I let out a huge sigh before falling to my hauches.

“Owwww… FUUUUC---” Midnight yelled as she slid off me. I turned around and shoved my hoof into her mouth.

I jumped back up and found that the bone sticking out of her wing had struck the cistern of the toilet. Midnights eyes had welled with tears of pain.

“Sorry” I mumbled before removing my hoof from Midnights mouth which was now covered in her saliva. I blushed and wiped it off on my barding.

“Owww” Midnight moaned, “Amethyst pl-“

I pulled her into a hug silencing her “I’m sorry Midnight. We’ll get you back to Alyshia and fix you up ok.” She nodded and I smiled at her before pulling her back onto my back.

I raided the medical box on the wall and found a syringe of Med X and a healing potion. I administered the painkiller to Midnight.

When I had given her the dose I asked her, my heart hammering in my chest “When we get back, I was wondering. Do you want to… uhh, come back with me. To home, I can share my living quarters with you.”

Midnight looked confused “Come with you? Where?”

“My stable, to live” I replied, “I’m hoping Alyshia might take up on th-“

“No Amethyst” Midnight moaned “I am not going to live in a cage with you”

“Oh.”

I felt deflated and felt tears build of which I blinked away. I could not imagine returning without Midnight. I couldn’t return without her.

“It’s not a cage” I told her, “It’s rather comfortable and-“

“No Amethyst. I’m not going.” She said harshly “You need to get out of this fairy tale land you live in Amethyst. I am not going to shut myself in a cramped underground chamber. I will not live like that.”

I felt more tears form before telling her “I-How… How can I return without you or-“

Midnight looked angry and she looked quite pale as well as she drained herself of energy “The world does not revolve around you Amethyst. If you want to stay with me or stay with Alyshia or Brax then you have to make the choice to return to your stable with the talisman and stay there, or return the talisman and leave.”

“I-I can’t do that” I moaned “ Berry and-“

“What about me Amethyst? I’m a pegasus who needs air. I can’t live in a tiny little place where the ceiling is hardly two meters high. I’m a pony, not some cage rat.”

I felt my heart split slightly and I shut up tears running down my cheeks. Now I have to choose, the ponies in my stable or my friends?

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

We reached the door to the blastwing room and I was rather apprehensive about dashing through it with Midnight on my back. I took a deep breath and opened the door magically. I then activated my shield spell and with heavy strain I dashed into the room filled with the small yet still large blastwings. All I could see was fire licking at my shield as I ran. Some clawed it and others gave chase.

When I reached the other door my shield collapsed as I opened it. Several blastwings smashed their way through the door with fire licking at our tails. I turned my magnum on one and fired. I missed and struck the door which caused part of it to melt. I pulled out my lavender gun instead and slipped into SATS sending one shot each to two blastwings.

The bullet struck the first one. The blastwing became half frozen, encasing its body and one of its wings in ice. The blastwing then burst into blue frost fire. It screeched flapping its other wing. It was clearly in deep agony, I could see tears forming in its eyes as it stopped struggling and died.

My second bullet struck the metal wall which encased part of it in ice before it too caught fire.

With the lavender gun levitated I turned tail and dashed out onto the icy catwalk with about half a dozen blastwings on my tail. I replayed the scene when I shot that blastwing, the lavender gun was a cruel weapon. If I had of known what it would do I would never have shot the blastwing with it.

I didn’t have time to think about that. As I was being pursued by these murderous beasts, unfortunately I did not remember the catwalks were not very stable and when the blastwings stood on it, It teetered throwing me off balance. I attempted to regain footing while still running but it tripped sending me face forwards into the catwalk and Midnight over my shoulders.

I heard a roar and heat encased my hindquarters which singed my flanker and tail. I grabbed Midnight in a field of levitation before she was thrown over the edge. The lavender rifle broke from my field of levitation and it too was throw over the edge. My Water talisman flew from my horn and landed on the catwalk with a small ‘tink’ and began to slid off the catwalk.

I levitated it back onto my horn as the catwalk fell away. I wrapped myself in magic and floated myself over the huge drop to the icy depths below. I tried with all my might, thinking of Midnight as I slowly levitated myself with Midnight on my back to the intact catwalk nearby. I could still see the flame from the blastwings as they continued to breathe fire from near the door that led into the dark room.

Finally I landed on the following catwalk and still with my levitation field on enough to keep my weight low, I dashed as quickly as I could away.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

We had made it back. I stepped over the threshold of the door, magically, emotionally and physically exhausted. I collapsed with Midnight still on my back and Alyshia dashed over.

“Amethyst, Midnight. Are you-“Alyshia began, I heard her gasp “Midnight what happened here?”

“She broke her wing-“I muttered, “a-a while ago before we got the talisman.”

“You can fix it can’t you?” I heard Midnight moan.

“I think so” I heard Alyshia say, “but I’ll need to anesthetise you which means you won’t be able to move for a while.” I heard Midnight moan and Alyshia then addressed me “How long ago did this happen Amethyst?” she questioned.

“I don’t know, a few hou-“

“A few HOURS” Alyshia roared, “Amethyst, this injury is severe. Her blood has frozen to her bone feathers. Why did you not bring her straight back?”

I cringed. I should have done that but instead I said “I wasn’t going to leave without-“

“Amethyst how could you? Your friend needed urgent medical care and you decided your needs were greater than hers.”

“It’s not like that” I argued from the ground.

“Yes it is” Alyshia retorted, “how would you like it if you broke your leg and you were bleeding out and I decided I needed to go to the toilet, or I needed to do something else?”

“I gave her painkillers and buck to keep her going” I mumbled, “I did my best to get her through till we got it.”

“Maybe you need to not talk and let the doctor do what she needs to do?” Brax advised.

I shook my head to clear it feeling the water talisman whack my forehead.

“So did you get it?” Brax asked.

I nodded and levitated it off my horn and showed him.

Behind that helmet I couldn’t see his expression. What I didn’t expect him to say was “I thought we were here to get an in-tact water talisman, not one that’s broken.”

“It’s not broken” I mumbled, “It’s beautiful.”

Brax shook his head “no its not.”

I held it up to my own eyes. I felt the world tip away. The beautiful sapphire within was shattered. The talisman was fucked.

“No” I moaned, “No, No… NO!”

Alyshia turned around. She was clearly working on Midnight who was now anesthetised.

“What’s wrong?” Alyshia asked still clearly a little cross with me.

“My water talisman is broken” I yelled, I then collapsed onto the ground, I beat my hoof on the icy ground “Fucking broken.” I felt tears develop as I blubbered “I put Midnight through this for what? For a fucking broken talisman.”

“Calm down Amethyst” Brax advised, “C’mere” he muttered holding his heavy metallic hooves out. I got up and hugged the huge metallic pony. He was stone cold and it didn’t make me feel better. I was indeed shocked that Brax had hugged me. “Look filly. We’ll sort this out ok? Where can we find another?”

I nodded still sobbing a little and he pulled me closer, I attempted to push away as I felt uncomfortable having him hug me. I was personally glad that my barding prevented his cold armour from leaking into my skin “Alyshia is right. I should not be so harsh on you sometimes.”

“What did she say? I asked.

“Never you mind” he grumbled before thankfully breaking the hug. Brax seemed to have been talked to while we were away but Alyshia was too busy and Brax trotted over to watch Midnight get fixed.

I poked my head up and what I saw made my stomach clench. Midnight was bleeding heavily from the wound as Alyshia had to unstick the ice from her feathers before doing anything.

I sighed and walked into a corner before lying down on my stomach. I hovered the broken talisman in front of me. I knew where next. To New Applesooa to find the stable that was near there. I looked at the gem that was now nothing but a shattered blue stone. I placed it in my saddlebags merely as a token or trinket rather than for anything useful, for me to at least remember what it had cost for this journey. If Midnight could not fly ever again because of me, I don’t know what I could say to her.

To distract me from my own thoughts I pulled out my earbloom and plugged it into my pipbuck and played the first audio file I got from the body swapping room.

Entry 71

“Twilight Sparkle is beside herself.

“Just now she was summoned all the way from Manehattan to cover up the crisis of the body swapping machine that she herself had designed. It killed both the testers when we powered it up.

“I dunno if anypony will lose their job. I for one am quite shocked the machine malfunctioned during testing. Miss Sparkle was sure the machine was safe but upon further investigation somepony did not carry out maintenance properly and it killed the occupants.

“I dunno if this machine will ever be used now.”

I clicked next

Entry 72

“Twilight has just given the go ahead for testing once again. She has had to go back to Manehattan to attend to an injured friend.

“Vallete has been tasked as manager and she is almost as much of a control freak as Twilight herself. I only hope nopony gets hurt during the next round of tests.”

I mashed the next button again,

Entry 73

“Round of tests was successful. The information was sent to Twilight and Luna. I have been advised that Luna will be visiting the site before giving approval of the use of this device. I sought council with Twilight with what is intended for this machine. I was advised that it is part of the war effort.

“I can understand why a machine like this would be a great weapon. Body swap zebra prisoners with our saboteurs and send them to the zebra lands.

“Twilight would not tell me what they were doing with the machine and proclaimed it to be top secret.”

Next…

Entry 74

“Luna is expected in a week. Twilight has visited and advised that this machine must not have any flaws. She says her integrity is on the line and would not want to the princess to be disappointed. This is after all her project, but I think she is being a bit narky to throw all her burden onto us the way she has been doing.

“Tests have been run daily and the machine works perfectly. Yet Twilight insists that it be tested each day. MOM Prisoners are currently the test subjects and none are showing any sign of injury or damage.

“Can’t wait till Luna approves the damn machine so she can get off my teams back.”

Next,

Entry 75

“Luna has approved the use of the machine on our most heavily trained ponies. We expect the Zebra Prisoners in a week to perform the body swap. While under the swap it has been agreed that once the Zebras are in our pony’s bodies that they are put to sleep until our soldiers return to take their bodies back. The Prisoners will then be euthanized.

“I was quite thrilled when Princess Luna addressed me directly and thanked us on behalf of Equestria. Even Twilight gave me a smile. I guess hard work does have its merits.”

I unplugged my earbloom. At least I knew what the machine was intended to do and very thankful that we had gotten it working again.

I trotted over to my friends and saw Midnights wing coated in blood and Alyshia had the piece of bone levitated in front of her outside Midnights body, before pushing it back into the wound. I felt my stomach grow weak as I saw blood spill from the wound, the feathers soaking up the blood.

I saw Alyshia’s horn go out before reigniting. The water talisman at that moment didn’t really matter. Not now that my friend was in surgery and unsure if she will ever fly again. I took a deep breath and let off a huge sigh causing Alyshia to look at me.

“Are you ok?” she asked.

“I’ll live” repeating what Midnight told me earlier.

I took out a memory orb wanting to get away from reality. Not wanting to look at Midnight or Alyshia and see the blame in their eyes. The world tipped away as I focused on the orb.

                                         ========OooO…OooO========

I felt my vision come back suddenly and sharply. I felt different, yet I still had a horn. I felt stronger and larger. I felt something bizarre between my legs.

The room I was standing in was the body swapping room. But two lumpy white sheets lay nearby. The door was intact, the floor shiny, the machine pristine. The whole room was very well kept as it would have been all those years ago.

I felt my host speak and in a rather deep voice “Calm down Kiln, I’m sure Twilight will understand.”

I suddenly realised I was in a stallion and yearned to instead be stared to death by Alyshia and face her disappointment. My own thoughts filled with sick images so I tried to instead concentrate on the matter at hand.

I saw the other Stallion shake his head. He was clearly the supervisor “You don’t  und-“

An intercom message cut him off “Kiln I have sent Twilight Sparkle up to the room, she has just arrived and wishes to speak to you immediately. She will seek council with you and your ponies.”

The stallion hung his head before snapping it straight back up as the door burst open to reveal an aging purple unicorn that I had seen a number of times in previous memories. She looked pissed as she stepped over the threshold. She took a look at the lumpysheets on the ground. I suddenly realised these were the bodies of ponies from the shapes of the lumps.

I heard Twilight neigh before turning to Kiln. “What in Equestria happened?” she asked in a rather soft voice.

He stammered clearly trying hard to find something to say “I-Umm, the machine malfunctioned”

Twilight looked angry and she shook her head before asking heatedly “What do you mean malfunctioned? What happened that killed these ponies?”

He trembled slightly before saying “We don’t know yet. Something inside gave up the ghost when we turned it on and-“

Twilight stomped her hoof and looked back at the bodies before turning back to Kiln “The machine has never been in use… Tell me how a part ‘gave up the ghost’ as you so put it? What part?”

“We don’t know yet.” He stammered “I will try and-”

Twilight stepped forward looking thunderous “You damn right better fix this Kiln, you have no idea what I have to do to cover this up. What am I going to tell Luna? What am I going to say to the families of these ponies?”

Kiln nodded vigorously and the ponies under his charge backed up slightly afraid to get in trouble too.

“You’re on probation” Twilight thundered, “Find out what happened. Find out how to fix it. I want to know everything. I want this machine so perfect that I can grantee that this does not happen again. You will not play with the lives of my ponies. I want a report on my desk in three hours.  Don’t you dare stuff this up Kiln or I swear to Celestia and Luna that you will be out” She concluded pointing her purple hoof out of the door.

I felt my host tense as Twilight gave heaps to his supervisor.

Finally Twilight turned to my host who gulped “I am going to ask you to deal with the removal of the bodies while I seek solace with the families of the test subjects.”

My host managed to say “Aren’t they prisoners Miss Sparkle? Does is really?”

Twilight narrowed her eyes before telling the pony I was riding “It does actually. They are ponies and they are still under our care. Yes I want them taken to the morgue. Thank You… Uh”

“Rusty” my host finished.

Twilight then trotted out of the room and my vision faded out.

                                         ========OooO…OooO========

I opened my eyes and sighed. I was right, that machine was used for the war. I personally wouldn’t have wanted to be on the receiving end of Twilights anger. Her reputation could be tarnished and she would look bad in front of Princess Luna.

I for one would do anything to meet one of the princesses and to meet one alone would make me squee so hard I would probably pass out. I did think Twilight had a point. The machine cannot malfunction. What if it went live and it killed Equestrian soldiers?

I now had a realisation that Midnight and I were lucky to be alive when one of the parts in the machine blew. I could have killed myself and her. I suddenly realised I was probably a danger to my friends after all. Maybe Brax was right? Maybe I was a pathetic leader, leading myself and my friends to their deaths?

Still lying on the cold ground I looked at where Alyshia was still fixing Midnight with Brax next to her. I was a bad leader. I put Midnights wing and life on the line. I had indeed gone down the path of greed and used my friend to get to the water talisman. Maybe Midnight should have just let me drown in the water. At least she wouldn’t have a broken wing and bleeding half to death.

I let myself stew in my own thoughts in the corner all alone. I closed my eyes and sighed. From pure exhaustion I felt blackness take over me

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

Midnight was on the dusty ground bleeding heavily from a wound in her wing. Her wing bone had speared through the skin and was clearly visible. Midnight was crying in agony as Alyshia tended to her. I walked up to Midnight and Alyshia turned around to face me. She didn’t look very pleasant at all.

Alyshia then said in a very rude tone “Midnight doesn’t want you Amethyst, none of us do. Leave us now.”

I looked at her shocked “What? But… Midnight is my friend. I love Midnight, she –“

Alyshia laughed at me as Brax came through a nearby door.

“Midnight doesn’t love you Amethyst. Get your head out of the sand. Midnight hates you for what you did to her what you have done to her. You used her like you used her back at the Tower, anything to satisfy your needs. Sexual Pleasure? Yeah Amethyst I saw you leave the room to go fuck yourself in that bathroom. “

I saw Brax look at me with disappointment in his face. I heard him grumble “she’s right you know.”

I felt my heart break slightly as tears began to track down my face. Somehow I managed to find my voice “I do love Midnight. I love her so much it hurts. You have no idea. I didn’t mean for Midnights wing to break or to cause any damage.”

Alyshia scoffed “Yeah right… You love her? You just want her to get you off. You want her to fuck you and that’s it. Once you’re done, you will throw her away like you have done just now.”

“I don’t like you Amethyst” Midnight intoned. She looked bloody but well even though her wing was bent at a funny angle “I want you to go away and never come near me again. You will get me and us killed.”

“Anyway” Brax cut in “Midnight is mine.”

I watched in horror as Brax lowered down his muzzle down to Midnights and they kissed passionately. I felt as if my whole world had tipped upside down. I felt tears falling. I let out a moan as I collapsed to the ground and beat my hoof against the icy and dusty ground.

“What’s wrong Amethyst?” Brax mumbled jubilantly “can’t stand the fact that Midnight is actually strait? Why would she date a little slime like you, pathetic in comparison to everypony else. What made you think she would ever love you? You’re as stupid as a thirteen year old filly.”

“Don’t” I screamed, “Shut up.”

“What are you going to do about it little Amy? I’ll sit here and make out with Midnight in front of you until you split emotionally. I love to see you cry after all” Brax mumbled smiling happily. “You are pathetic. Go home.”

I stood up as Brax started kissing Midnight. I stood my ground despite being emotionally destroyed. I levitated my magnum and pointed it to Brax’s forehead. “Fuck you… You dare mess with my feelings. You dare mess with the pony I love?”

Brax smiled before laughing “You are a hypocrite girl. You tell me you’re a good pony over and over again and this is what happens? You get jealous and pull a gun on somepony? Pull a gun because your feelings got hurt?”

I shook my head pulling my gun away crying, before gasping “I am a good pony.”

“Are you?” Midnight proclaimed, “are you going to shoot me too Amethyst? For loving a stallion and not you? I’m not into little fillies Amethyst. I am into strong sexy stallions. You cannot compare. The thought of even touching you makes my skin crawl. You are nothing but a horny little girl.”

“I AM NOT” I yelled, “I love you Midnight. I would do anything for you. I would take a bullet for you. I would throw myself in harm’s way to save you.”

“Would you?” she laughed before moving her damaged wing slightly “This is proof that you’re nothing but words.”

My friends all got up and looked at me standing side by side “Sorry Amethyst” they all said together “We are done with you.”

They all turned away and walked through the door which sealed shut behind them leaving nothing but a blank wall.

“Noooo” I screamed, “Noooo… Midnight, Alyshia, Brax. Come back.” I banged my hoof on the wall and heard nothing but echo. I felt the walls around me close in leaving me trapped. I cried and screamed but the walls came closer and closer.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

I jerked awake to total darkness. My heart was pounding and my eyes were leaking tears.  I thought I was alone and at first I panicked but I felt a hoof on my head. I relaxed and shifted to see Alyshia’s silhouette behind me. As I shifted her hoof hit the ground and she opened her eyes.

She looked worried “Are you ok Amethyst?”

I looked at her and felt tears fall down my cheeks. I said quietly and rather shakily “I’m fine. I just had a bad dream, a really bad dream.”

“It’ll be alright darling” Alyshia mumbled as she pushed herself towards me and pulled me into a hug.

“I’m sorry Alyshia” I whispered, “I never meant to hurt anypony.”

“Midnight’s going to be ok. And please don’t apologise” Alyshia said.

I nodded and Alyshia ran her hoof through my mane, Alyshia’s warmth radiated through my barding and into my coat. I felt myself shudder as the image of Brax and Midnight kissing entered my head. I felt fresh tears fall. I sighed and closed my eyes ridding the image from my head. With a small cough I went back to sleep.

Footnote: Level Up

New Perk: Frost resistance increased by 10%