The Alter Accords

Chapter Twenty Six: Truth.

Lego’s injuries were almost completely healed and it was told to her that he was awake and responsive only after two days from when he was found. The only reason Twilight wasn’t there herself was that the last week had seen her barely sleeping and with news Lego was found, relatively, unharmed that she would get some well needed sleep.

The alarm spell was still ringing in her ears as she listened to the doctor as she mentally scalded herself. ‘Sixteen hours is a bit much even if I haven’t gotten rest lately. I still should have rested properly, what would the Princess think if she knew I slept so long like that?’

While going over the list of Lego’s injuries, Twilight never seen nor heard the princess she had been thinking of walking up behind her also listening to the list, even if she had already heard it before. “The question though is he awake and fit to see visitors?”

The purple unicorn nearly jumped out of her coat at her teacher’s voice. “Princess!” Forgetting where she was Twilight found herself nuzzling against her teacher before remembering they weren’t alone. “S-sorry.”

Blushing hard enough to show through her coat Twilight felt incredibly embarrassed until she felt her teacher nuzzle her back. “It is alright my most faithful student; it has been a trying time for us all.”

Breaking the embrace after a moment the doctor told them that Lego was indeed awake and could receive visitors. Inside the white stallion was sitting up in his bed, head wrapped up from his injury but seemed fine even if he had an iv hooked up to his leg.

Breaking into a smile that she couldn’t stop even if she wanted to, Twilight practically galloped over to him. “Lego!”

She knew she surprised him as it took a moment to register the hooves around him in a hug before she felt him contribute to the hug. “Hey there Twilight. Guess I was missed huh?”

Twilight was happy he was back, happy he was alright, happy that he wasn’t dead, so that is why she knew the tears matting the coat of the sickly stallion weren’t of sadness. “We were all so worried about you. We had thought the killer had gotten you.”

Feeling a shrug as she pulled out of the hug she heard him chuckle before seeing him smile. “Guess I was lucky. He kept me alive because he knew I was friends with royalty. I knew knowing the princess would pay off eventually.” Giving another chuckle he looked over to the door way and smiled giving a wave. “Princess Celestia.”

The princess smiled and moved closer to the bed. “No nickname this time Lego?”

For a moment Twilight thought she seen something cross the pony’s face before it was gone with a shrug. “No thanks, I think I have outgrown that. Got to start giving ponies the respect they deserve.”

“Shame.” The solar ruler said with a bit of a sad look to her face. “It had been a long time since I had a nickname from somepony other then my sister.” Moving back over to the door she gave her trademark smile that she gave when all came to visit her in the throne room. “Well, now that I see you are on the road to recovery I have to get back to work. I will try to visit more often and plan for more time for each visit but it may be a while before I can, rest well Lego.”

“And you as well Princess Celestia.” Waved the bed bound pony.

The door closed and there was now this awkward silence as Twilight closed her eyes and thought to herself. ‘Ok Twilight you can do this. You were brave enough to say it on the day you went to go visit him when he was taken, you are brave enough to do so now. Ok here we go. Going to say it now. On the count of three, one, two, three. And now. Here is where I will say it. Right-’

“Twilight is something wro-.” Lego never got to finish that sentence as Twilight cut him off right then and there.

“I REALLY, REALLY LIKE YOU!” Twilight felt her face flush to the color of Big Mac’s coat as she had her eyes closed from her announcement never seeing the look on the pony’s face before her.

Feeling a hoof on her shoulder she opened her eyes to see Lego smiling at her gently a smile that made her heart flutter more then she had ever thought it could. “Do you really mean that Twilight?”

Nodding her head rapidly she had to stop as she had gotten lightheaded from holding her breath. “Yes!” she said taking a deep breath to calm herself.

“Well Twilight, there has been something I have wanted to tell you for a while myself.” The fluttering was back and stronger than ever, it was also in her stomach as her head swam even more.

‘D-does he feel the same way? Is that what this is, does he feel just like me? I…I think I am going to pass out so hurry and say it so I can breathe.’ Twilight was having her moment as the lips of Lego started to move and he spoke.

“Help.” Twilight had to take a moment to process what he had just said for a moment she seen confusion and surprise overtake the object of her affections face before it passed. “I mean, thank you for your help. You have supported me so much and helped me do so many things and be better than I could without you. You are the thing in my life that makes life worth going on and I can’t picture my life without you. Help.” Shaking his head for a moment again before he spoke she felt his eyes looking straight into hers. “I mean continue to help me be better in my life.”

‘He feels the same way! HE FEELS THE SAME WAY! And he is also leaning closer…is…is he going for a…I mean I don’t mine but I-I don’t think I am ready I-I am closing my eyes, wait I am closing my eyes?!’ While her mind was running a million miles a minute her body was responding, leaning closer while her eyes were closed. She could feel his breath now so close to that touch she felt she needed.

“Medication time.” Only for the moment to be ruined by the nurse coming in to hoof over his medication. “Oh dear I am not interrupting am I?”

Twilight could only sigh and pull back, her heart nearly bursting out of her chest and as much as she would have loved to tell the nurse differently, she knew that the medication was needed for a full recovery. “N-no, just I had something in my eye. But he got it so I should go now, ok bye!”

Her horn glowing she heard the pop of her teleportation spell as she was instantly back in her room in the castle. “AHHH!” The voice of Spike shouted at her sudden entrance. “Oh it is just you Twilight. You would think I would be used to that by now but every now and then WOOOOOOAH does it catch me off guard.”

Twilight heard none of that as she just flopped over into her bed and covered her head. ‘Something in my eye, something in my eye really? I couldn’t come up with something better, or even the truth? Ahhh he must think I am a little filly that can’t handle that sort of attention. What if he changes his mind cause of that? What if he regrets the words he told me? Or what if he doesn’t even want to be my friend anymore?’

Spike watched as his older sister figure went into one of her normal spirals of thought as he watched her writhe and roll under the pillows and blankets mumbling to herself. “I will get some tea.”

Lego waved to the nurse with a smile as she left before looking at his medication. “New preventative measures in case of dark magic poisoning. Little late on that isn’t it?” getting up he took the small cup of pills and washed them down the bathroom sink. Looking up into the mirror he grinned for a moment before stopping. “Don’t think I didn’t notice your little stunt there you three. I am not sure how you got that much control at all to do what you did but don’t worry; the pain you are feeling now surely will teach you your place.” The mental screaming of the brothers warmed Plaga’s heart, if he had one of his own that is.

Heading back to the bed he started to think to himself. ‘Step one: infiltration complete. Now cause of my immersion into their little group, I won’t be able to do my normal art routine but, once all the steps in my plan come together, I will have six new masterpieces all to behold by everypony. Maybe eight if I play it right.’

‘We won’t let you.’ Plaga frowned at the voice, it was the first one he captured in this body, the pegasus Velox.

His wasn’t the only voice that joined in either. ‘All you can do is torture us, we will never break, and you will never kill us.’ This one was the second voice, the unicorn Novo. He liked all the knowledge that one had for the taking, though he still preferred the form of the pegasus for mobility.

“Oh, and how can you be so sure?” Plaga smiled as he spoke out loud to them, for he knew they could hear that.

‘Oh I figured that out within a few minutes of you capturing me.’ The Scourge of Canterlot frowned at the voice of the last one the earth pony Lego, he was smart, smart enough to make him nervous that he might figure out what was wrong with himself before he captured him. He didn’t though and Plaga won. ‘The reason you won’t is cause you can’t. If you could kill us without suffering any consequences then you would have killed my brothers long before capturing me. The fact that they as well as myself are still alive shows you can’t access our knowledge or our forms if we are dead.’

Plaga clicked his teeth together in annoyance as that was exactly why he feared that pony, a sharp and analytical mind was the worst match and it has always been. ‘No matter, you all fall to realize I have been at this for a long, long time. The Alicorn Amulet has always functioned this way, and since I am the essence of such I work the same way. I have captured many unicorns, earth ponies, and even pegasus while being passed around for power. Few ever escape and it’s really only because I couldn’t influence them totally at the start. However thanks to you three I found that I no longer need such a container.’

The faux pony sat straight up in his bed as the idea came to him and with it laughter. “Oh, I can’t believe I never thought of that idea before, oh thank you brothers for this conversation it was most inspiring.” He let his thoughts run allowed in his head so that the three could hear it and immediately angry retorts and promises to stop him came. It was music to his ears.

It had been a week since she had visited him, too embarrassed by the last get together to see him, and slightly afraid as her fears that she held as a result of her display still ran through her mind. However he was getting out of the hospital today with a clean, well clean in the relative sense considering his condition, bill of health. With that the princesses had invited the element bearers and the lucky stallion that was alive to lunch. Twilight was nervous as she was the first one to get to the dining hall that the sisters used, in her mind she was trying to think of responses to anything that would be said by the one whom held such a large spot in her heart everything from normal greetings and answers to simple questions like ‘how is your lunch’ to the more heavy hitting ones that she honestly hoped wouldn’t be asked.

Luna was the first to arrive followed shortly by Rarity and Fluttershy. Rarity while not directly helping in most of the investigation was helping to design some enchanted fabrics, now that Spike was no longer worrying about Twilight, that would be worn under the soldiers armor to both give a bit of extra protection, help against chaffing , and to give just a bit of extra protection against heat and cold weather conditions. Fluttershy still was only getting bits and pieces of info for the princess and while the killer had not struck since the night that Lego was found the critters around Canterlot had not reported seeing him leave nor and fog to cover his escape. This meant he was still in Canterlot no doubt biding his time.

Speaking of Spike, he was the next to flow into the dining hall along with Applejack. Twilight was still surprised that she along with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were allowed to accompany Luna along with her mission to hunt down the killer. When she had questioned her friends they gave various replies but all was assured by the princess herself that they were tested to see if they were fit. AJ was allowed in because of her more than satisfactory physical physic as well as some impressive moves that she claimed she learned “in order ta keep them critters from the Everfree from eattin’ the apples”. She was still not sure if she meant the apples from the orchard or her family, either way it was enough.

Spike lazily laid his head down and was taking a few extra moments to catch up on his sleep as he was being used more and more lately to keep Twilight appraised of the situation. Another one who was getting sleep was Rainbow Dash, of which Pinkie Pie was currently towing into the room with a rope attached to drag her and the cloud she was sleeping on towards everypony. The purple mage now had another itch in her mind while remembering why she was let on to the team that Luna had.

Both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie were let on for their various skills. Besides being a very quick and able scout of the air, Rainbow had been trained in weather that would help clear up any fog the killer tried to use against them. Not only that but she was surprised that the multi-hued pony was an accomplished and master martial artist of several forms. Then came Pinkie, she was sure before hoof that the pink party pony was farthest from being able to go to the front lines like that…till the explanation came. For her abilities of prediction which could help stop ambushes, to her surprisingly fitness prowess that was nearly to the level of Applejack, to her Pinkie-ness to do things other ponies couldn’t figure out, and finally all those years of work with a party cannon made her an artillery specialist. Who knew?

All in all the fact that seemingly all her friends were helping in some way while she herself, one of the most accomplished mages in Equestria, student of Princess Celestia, and bearer of the Element of Magic itself all turned those accomplishments back on her as she stood on the side lines a mess unable to help. ‘Why couldn’t I do what Rainbow, Applejack, or Pinkie did? I am sure I could of help and not be such a completely worthless side lines pony who-PRONKING! The word I was looking for was pronking. That is the movement Pinkie does with the bouncing. Now…what was I thinking of again?’

Before she could find the tracks that her train of thought had derailed on the stallion whose sight made her heart beat faster was rolled into the dining area in a wheelchair that had a familiar golden aura around it whose royal owner followed behind right after. “Sorry we are late everypony. I had to go make sure that Lego was truly cleared for leave and I am happy to say he got a clean bill of health.”

She was sure that she was glowing at the sight of the stallion in the wheelchair for a moment before remembering the last time they had met and she had teleported away. Feeling suddenly very shy she looked to go take her seat before having to say something to buy herself some time. However when his chair rolled up next to her she couldn’t fight the blush that rose up in her cheeks when he smiled at her.

“So how are ya partner?” Applejack asked of the stallion first when their orders had been taken. “Recovery goin’ well enough for ya?”

Giving her a nod and a smile he lifted up a leg and flexed it. “Fit as a noodle.” That got a couple of chuckles from everypony. “How about you Applejack?”

The farm mare opened up her mouth to say something before stopping as if to think. “Doing really well Ah suppose. The contracts to move our apples to other places are really helpin’ the farm out. I was hopin’ that one day Velox would come back in your head so that Ah could thank him. Ah don’t suppose ya have and clues do ya?”

Taking a sip of water before causally speaking Lego looked at her as he spoke. “I tend not to think of them anymore honestly.”

Twilight almost gasped at hearing that though Applejack did for sure even Rainbow Dash, who had woken up to eat, and Pinkie Pie did. “How could ya not think of your family?”

There was a moment of silence as she looked at the face of the weak stallion. A moment where she thought she no longer seen the caring face of the one she felt such intense feelings for and instead a cold calculating eyes.

Taking another sip of the water he once more spoke calmly. “Simple, if I were to think of them it would cause me to think of if they have dissolved into my subconscious with no physical body and mental changes to associate with them which was what caused our initial split up into three separate personalities to come from in the first place. In other words my lack of ability to change makes me wonder if my mind and body could even support them anymore.”

The silence in the room could be cut with a knife and force once, even the energetic Pinkie Pie didn’t try. Instead she just got up and left the hall followed quickly by two others.

“S-sorry, Ah just need a moment to myself.” AJ said quickly running out following the pink party pony.

Nodding Rainbow Dash also spoke up. “Y-yeah be right back maybe.” Before quickly zooming straight out of the hall in a chromatic blur.

“I hope I didn’t offend them. I try not to think of things like that as it can be upsetting and getting emotional can weaken my immune system with stress.” The worried looking monochromatic pony told them.

Twilight though wasn’t feeling right anymore, something was off but she couldn’t think of what it was at the moment. Instead seeing the look on the stallion’s face made her shake her thoughts away for the time.

Speaking in a cheerful voice she said loud enough for everypony to hear. “I am sure they are just worried over their loved ones and friends. It’s a lot to take in when you see somepony you love hurt and in the hospital let alone just gone with no trace.”

The last bit felt more personal as she had just gotten back the object of her affection after him vanishing like he did. “Sorry, maybe I should have said something different then.”

Before any of the ponies gathered could say anything, the princess of the sun decided to stand up. “I am sure that it will be ok, however since they are dining guests I will go check on them while our food is being prepared.”

Twilight watched her teacher and mentor leave the room, wondering if she too was upset though she couldn’t tell behind the princess mask that the ruler of the sun was wearing. Though that in of itself didn’t make the purple mare any more assured as the doors closed behind her.

The dining room behind her Celestia quickly sought out the ponies that had departed not a moment ago. Searching high and low she couldn’t find hide nor hair of any of them. Instead it wasn’t her who found them but a servant who had seen them heading to the gardens. Quickly making her way to them she managed to find them only because she heard the sniffling…and the current topic being discussed.

“-sit right with me Dash. Somethin’ about how he said it so coldly just rang wrong Ah tell ya.” It was the voice of the orange bearer of honesty that spoke. “Ah remember him always speakin’ fondly and longingly about his brothers and to hear him talk like that just, it is just plain wrong Ah tell ya.”

The sniffling got stronger for a moment before another voice spoke up. “She isn’t wrong you know. When he smiled at us all back there…I got chills.” It was the subdued voice of the element of laughter, somewhat odd in contracting to her personality. “I have seen all of them smile false smiles before but never like that. That was the smile that somepony uses to deceive somepony else and it is just wrong.”

Celestia could tell where this conversation was heading and she had her own opinion, but before she could reveal herself to the ponies the last missing pony voiced their concern. “No kidding. I have talked to all of them as well and not a single one would act like that. Velox saved Apple Bloom and Pinkie at his own risk. Novo taught me something that he felt shouldn’t passed on cause he believed in me even though it proved to bite him in the flank before with his friend as well as fight off Changelings at the Crystal Empire. Lego, while the more silent type, is still a part of them and did his best and was a good pony. He should share the same loyalty as they did but as he said that even I could tell it was with a two faced tone. No pony like who we know would turn on their friends and family like that to the point of giving up.”

The Princess couldn’t agree more with the bearer of Loyalty and stepped into the place where they were talking, a small section around a tree in one of the more secluded spots of the garden. “I concur my little ponies. That pony there may or may be Lego; it is unknown at this time. My own experiences with the three brothers in the past have been very playful and uplifting even though he himself was having a hard time during some of the visits. He never wanted to show his pain to others nor let others learn of it and more often resorting to changing the subject of dismissing the idea of something wrong. This cool explanation was neither playful nor anything of the sort that he has done in the past.” It had started off with him no longer wanting to use the nickname for her which she dismissed at the time, but slowly she began seeing other things. “Whoever this pony is, if they aren’t Lego, then they seem to know enough about him to duplicate most of his mannerisms. However if it is Lego, we have to consider that whatever trauma he faced during the hooves of the killer might have left some scars on his psyche which may or may not heal over time.” The Alicorn stopped for a moment to consider psychological damage as she didn’t know what he may have went through during that week to do so. “Regardless, we don’t know what is going on and all we can do for now is watch and see if anything else is wrong. You all must remember that Lego has experiences not just one situation that many ponies never will go through, but several. The latest being his illness and now his kidnapping. We can’t be sure if this is a result to him reacting to what happened during his week captured or not. We don’t anything right now without getting a read on him.”

“So what ya are saying is that for now it could just be a think from disguised as him or Lego reactin’ all weirdly to the stuff that happened to him?” Sweet Apple Acres own hard working summarized pretty well. Seeing the nod from the princess herself Applejack stood up and brushed herself off quickly. “Well then, Ah suppose it should be our job to see if it really is him or not. If not that pony has some explainin’ to do.”

Pinkie was the next to speak up, in agreement with her friend. “Yeah, and if it is Waffles then we need to make sure that he gets all the super duper comfort he needs to get back to normal.”

“Indeed. Now if we would get close I can teleport us all back to the hall. Our food should be ready by now so I hope you are all hungry.” Celestia told them as two of the three mares moved close. “Rainbow Dash are you alright?”

Shaking her head quickly tears were still running down her face from her eyes. “No. I am not. I try to act all cool and put up a brave front but it hurts so much sometimes and I don’t know why. Sometimes there are days especially in the last few months when the pain is almost so real, and in my dreams I can hear Novo screaming out in pain sometimes calling out for me. So when he said he didn’t care it was almost as if I could hear Novo screaming even louder.”

Celestia had been around for many, many years, governing for the betterment of her ponies. It was sometimes easy to forget that one would experience so much pain when they lost someone and it sometimes caught her off guard. To see Rainbow Dash in that state all she could do was go over to her and wrap her wings around the pegasus in a comforting hug. They stood like that for a while, the Alicorn of the sun letting the fastest pegasus get all the tears out she needed.

Using a quick drying spell once she was done she made sure all ponies were available to head back to lunch. With a nod from each of them her horn lit up in its golden glow as she briefly hoped that she was wrong in her assumptions that this was another impersonator and that if it was Lego, he would go back to being himself.

Getting to the room he was assigned was a pain and the flank, needing somepony to help him while he could walk needed to keep his cover from being blown. He had nearly blown it he thought when the three mares from lunch ran out. Whatever the big hearted princess of the sun had said to them though made them all stick to him even more fiercely.

‘Ponies and their affection, it would make me sick if I didn’t love seeing that emotion turned around for those that love the hosts I take over. Speaking of-’ “Hey Twilight?” Plaga called out to the nearby Unicorn who was with her friends helping him to his room.

She must have been in her own thoughts as her head came up and her eyes focused quickly. “Huh, what is it is Lego?”

Waving a hoof around to everypony he smiled. “Not that I am being rude, but I really don’t need all of our friends helping me to get into bed, kind of makes me feel bad as well. Mind if it was just you and me? Plus we don’t really need six ponies and a baby dragon to put one stallion to bed no matter how sickly he is.” If he was going to put his plan into action he needed her alone.

Looking over to her friends she nodded and smiled. “Sure, I got this everypony go ahead and go back.” Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike seemed to take that pretty well, even if the latter didn’t like being called a baby from before. However Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie hesitated. “It’s alright girls. I will be fine. I should have no problems levitating him around. I mean if I can levitate an Ursa Minor then I am sure I can levitate Lego.”

The three hesitated a moment longer before leaving, Plaga remembered that two of those were lovers of two of the personalities he had captured while the third was the supposed best friend. ‘Guess it is just natural for ponies to sob over loved ones, even ones they know will never come back. Well at least I know that haha.’

Once inside Twilight quickly went around arranging the room only to be stopped after a few minutes. “Twilight, do you mind if we talk?”

Said pony jumped for a moment before moving over hesitantly to the stallion. “I-I am sorry, I didn’t mean to run away that one time and if you hate me for that I am sorry and-”

She was shushed with a hoof to her lips. “Actually I was hoping if you didn’t mind if you would like to continue where we left off before being interrupted?”

He could see her blush and honestly he loved it, he decided that he may even keep her around, or at least her body, since if his plan went forward and worked like he thought it would, she would be another victim to his hold. Plaga awaited an answer but all he got was babble he didn’t understand a long string of words explanations theory’s and some math thrown in. He wasn’t even sure what she was talking about so again he pressed his hoof to her lips to quiet her.

“Twilight, don’t think about it, if it feels right do it.” To show her, he started leaning forward towards her. For a moment he thought that his plan would fail but smiled in his mind when he seen her close her eyes and lean forward herself. He was an inch away as a black substance covered his lips. ‘Yes! Twilight your body will be mine as well!!!’

‘NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ Three voices shouted inside his head loud enough to give him a headache and a sudden throb in his head. The pain from the throb and its suddenness made him pull his head away for a moment in a wince and miss his primary target, the lips of the unicorn and instead hit her nose.

‘Damn you three, I will teach you your place once again!’ Setting about some mental tortures their screams were still loud enough to continue his headache going but now at least it pleased him to hear them screaming. “Sorry about that, must still be weaker than I thought.”

Twilight quickly wiped away her nose but never nosed the black substance going into it. “It’s ok I at least know that I didn’t mess up. That has been bothering me since I left so it’s a big weight off my shoulders.” She reached up to hug the stallion before levitating him over to the bed and setting him down. “I will come to visit more often and maybe…we can try to do that last bit right.” Her hoof was playing around in the carpet drawing circles as the blush on her face went down her neck as there was no more room on her face for that much red.

“I look forward to it.” Giving her a smile and wave Plaga watched as she left before turning his thoughts inwards towards the screaming. ‘You three! I am about done tolerating your meddling. She is mine now, it will actually be slower and more painful this way so in a way I am glad but you will not interfere anymore do you got that?!’ The screams only got louder and while Plaga was sure they would try again he smiled in that at least he got to enjoy himself.

Pinkie Pie and Luna were at Rainbow Dash’s room worried looking over at the mare on the bed sweating and moaning as if in pain. “So you are saying you both were coming back to your room, yours being next to hers, and suddenly she collapsed in pain and passed out?”

Pinkie looked at the lunar Alicorn with a worried look. “Mhm you were the first one I found. What is wrong with her?”

Luna’s horn started to glow as she pushed her magic into it and out, letting it flow over the pegasus before her as she frowned at what she found. “She is in a magically induced sleep, self imposed it looks like.”

The normally hyper pony beside her looked confused. “But Dashie can’t use any spells like Twilight or Rarity.”

Running a comforting wing over her subject and friend she smiled. “Any pony can do this, it is part of our survival instincts. You see when something magically traumatizes a pony suddenly with intense force, their body’s natural magic will recoil to wrap around themselves to protect them. So whatever did this to Rainbow Dash started out magical in nature so should be easy for me to track, but only after the element of Loyalty awakes.” Pinkie was about to speak again when Luna cut her off. “And seeing as I serve to help all ponies dream better, it is only natural I walk into her dreams to help guide her back to the land of the waking.”

Luna made herself comfortable as she started to let her magic envelop herself Pinkie was amazed as the glow seemed to die away for a moment but for sure she still felt the magic there. “Wow, it’s like it just blended into everything, neat. I wonder if I could do something like that if I tried.”

The ruler of night faintly heard those words as already her consciousness was leaving her body and into the domain where dreams all connected: her domain. Looking around she found a few doors already active as some ponies were taking naps and such so it didn’t take too long for her to find the door with the cloud and three-toned thunderbolt.

Pressing her horn to the door she already knew beforehoof that the bearer was having a nightmare and some intense emotions would be felt. However she wasn’t prepared for the jolt of actual pain and raw emotions that filled her at that moment knocking her back and onto the dream ground.

“What was that?!” Luna shouted to herself, having not felt something like that in a long time, where she couldn’t rightly remember right now but no time. “Alright this is going to be painful but for my friends I will endure all pain and all agony if it means I can keep them safe from whatever troubles I have the power to alleviate.”

Pressing forward she pressed her horn once more to the door this time prepared for what was to come. The pain and agony made her grit her teeth as she used her magic to force the door open, normally this would be done gently and silently however this time she threw the door open to wade into the room. Inside it was pitch black, screams of two sources could be heard, one of which she knew right away as her friend and the owner of the dream. The other was a voice she had not heard in many months. Quickly running towards the sources she came to find Rainbow Dash clasping her hooves at her sides wings wrapped around herself as protectively as possible.

However she wasn’t alone, almost as if superimposed upon her form was a forest green coated and yellow maned unicorn. “Novo?”

Dash must have heard her though as she looked up at the princess tears streaming down her face. “Luna please it hurts so much, make it stop.”

Quickly running over to her the dark colored Alicorn quickly pressed her horn to the forehead of the pegasus and started to use her magic to stop whatever it was that was attacking the pegasus, except she couldn’t find the source, as if it was being transmitted from somewhere else. When she tried to use magic to cut off the transmission she found that whatever it was that was transmitting it to her was so intertwined with Dash’s own magic she couldn’t untangle it. Instead all she could do was place a block in the pegasus’ mind and magic that stopped her from receiving the transmission. While dangerous to have for an extended period of time, it would at least stop the pain. Right away the pegasus collapsed asleep and her dream was the dream of those exhausted from a day, in other words she didn’t dream at all and soon Luna found herself back in front of the doorway to the subconscious of the pony she had just helped.

Waking back up in her body Luna looked around to see Pinkie Pie returning with a washrag to place upon the forehead of her friend. “Ah that is a good idea, keep that up and I will return shortly. I must consult with some specialists before I can help her any further.”

Teleporting quickly Luna found herself outside the magical studies labs, specifically the enchantment labs. “Whatever is plaguing my friend, they should know.”

Heading inside there were many scientists all working on something or other. She was still unsure of a lot of discoveries made since her exile but surely somepony here would know what to do.

“Ahh, Princess Luna are you here to marvel at what we are doing again?” The voice was from the head scientist a mare known simply as Eureka. Her thick goggles covered her eyes and she refused to take them off, same with the pure white lab coat she always wore so Luna only ever caught the colors of the coat of this pony that were peaking out, that said it was a light blue with a red fiery mane.

Luna did indeed come here often trying to better herself with understanding the modern world, and normally that is what she would be doing here now, except she was looking for answers and had no time for curiously. “I am afraid not most esteemed Eureka. I came to inquire you about some anomaly I have found in a pony.”

“Sure, what do you need me to think ‘bout today?” The scientist pony asked of the royal Alicorn.

The Alicorn of dreams and the night slowly and patiently started to describe the symptoms of the cyan pegasus, though she was asked many questions and interrupted repeated for clarification on certain facts. The questioning took about an hour but finally it seemed they had narrowed it down.

Currently the earth pony scientist was looking through a book having remembered something about a case like that before. “Ahh here it is. It sounds like your pegasus is suffering from Acute Trans Thread Feedback Syndrom. Meaning she has formed a Trans Thread, with somepony who is not doing so well right now, maybe injured or something else.”

She was sure she heard that word before. “I am sorry what is a Trans Thread?”

Eureka smiled and chuckled. “I believe it is also called a Love Line or Connection Cord in some circles. Ponies that share an aura usually lovers tend to-”

Her eyes went wide as she heard the names and remembered what they meant. “I have to go.” And with that she teleported out of the lab heading back to the room of Rainbow Dash.

Luna wasn’t the only one having trouble it seemed as Celestia had just barely missed her sister in the castle while being searched for by ponies. Twilight had collapsed and was running a very high fever. She was found by a maid who quickly took her to the Royal Physician right away before calling for Celestia.

Coming into the room she seen her student with her eyes screwed shut in pain but awake. “I am here my student, do not worry we will find out what is the cause of your pain.”

Twilight opened her eyes for a moment to give a relieved smile but had to quickly shut them again as a convulsion took her. Celestia quickly ordered the doctor to secure her while she ran a scan of her body and magical pathways to see what was wrong. The scan of the body showed many things, but none of which would cause this, while the scan of the pathways though.

“How?!” Celestia gasped as she found it, a mass of dark magic slowly inching its way towards her mana well. Quickly charging her horn she struck, luckily the source wasn’t too far in but with how it was moving it seemed alive. It was no match for her magic though which quickly removed the small mass of energy before it could do any real damage and cleansed what she couldn’t remove from her system. Right away there was a change in her student who seemed to calm. “There there Twilight, it is ok. However you and I will have to talk now. What was infecting you was a small piece of dark magic. I need to know how it was that this came to be inside you.”

“What? I-I don’t know. I mean I was feeling fine not too long ago, you saw me at lunch.” Twilight said shaking clearly afraid of why it was dark magic was found inside of her. However before Celestia could ask another question Twilight gasped as she looked at something. “THAT was what was inside of me?” Seeing where her student was looking she nodded and again was interrupted before she could speak. “That looks like the stuff the killer leaves behind.”

The Alicorn ruler opened her mouth to say something however she stopped and quickly looked over to the mass in her grip. “You may be right. I will be back Twilight, for now just rest and try to recall everything you have done last few hours, this mass was moving slow and couldn’t have been inside you for very long.” With a pop she appeared in the lab that specialized in the research of dark magic and its repulsion. Standing there was the pony she came to see and smiled. “Ahh Eureka just who I wanted to see.”

“Oh?” The earth pony scientist said as she looked over to the princess “First Luna in a different department and now you, I sure am popular today. So what can I help your solarness with today?”

‘Luna was here too? Never mind that, questions for later.’ “Yes, I would like you to run an analysis on this sample please.” She told the science pony as she carefully set the sample in a beaker for the pony. “I have had others test things like this before but you are the expert and this was in my student so I personally would like this handled by you.”

“Of course Princess.” She said giving a bit of a salute before running off. “Since this is obviously dark magical residue it shouldn’t be that hard to identify matching data, an hour at most, but most likely sooner.”

Now it was just a waiting game, one she hoped she didn’t lose.

“Wake up my little pony, wake up. I need your help.” A voice was calling to Rainbow Dash compelling her to wake up. She didn’t want to, she loved her naps. “Wake up Rainbow Dash, I need your help, it is about Novo.”

This caused Dash to spring up wings at the ready as she beheld Luna in a dark void surrounding the two. “What, where are we Luna, and what was that about Novo?”

Luna looked to be a bit sad as she looked at her but hide it away quickly. “I believe I have a way for us to speak to him or at least find him.”

Dash felt hope spring alive in her quickly and her wings trembled in excitement. “Alright let’s do it then, though that doesn’t explain where we are.”

“It is not so simple Rainbow Dash.” The Alicorn of dreams explained. “First off we are in the dream realm, you are asleep. Second I have found the reason you are experiencing the pain you felt all this time. You are having a reaction to the pain being caused to Novo wherever he is. It is because you are linked to him so deeply that you feel his pain.”

Her heart trembled just like her wings. “H-he is in pain? Then we got to go rescue him!”

“Again it isn’t so simple.” A comforting wing was placed around her as Luna spoke. “I have put a block inside kind of similar to a seal to prevent you from feeling the pain he feels. However if we are to find him, I have to remove that seal and you will once again feel that pain. I wouldn’t normally ask this of any pony except that I am-”

“What are you waiting for, hurry up, we have to find him!” Dash cut the princess off. “I don’t care what kind of pain it will cause me, if it means we can bring him back then let’s go.”

She saw Luna sigh and close her eyes as her horn lit up. “I am sorry for the pain then my friend.”

The pegasus was about to tell her not to worry when it hit her all at once, making her cry out in pain for a moment before she gritted her teeth. “Ready when you are.”

Luna’s glow enveloped them both before the scenery shifted and changed. They now found themselves inside a corridor lined with doors that led to rooms. Rainbow was about to ask where they should go when she noticed it. A thread that was connected to her forehead, one she recognized and was pointing in a direction. Right away she was flying in the direction and she could hear Luna right on her hooves. However more and more she ignored the pain as worry took over. The corridor was being covered in black tendrils that seemed familiar but at the same time her mind wasn’t looking to compare it to anything.

Instead she found herself stopped in front of a door covered in the stuff. “Princess, whatever this stuff is it is blocking the way to this room, he is in there, I can feel it!”

Luna was silent though she did charge her horn and blasted the door apart to get inside. They both rushed in and gasped at what they seen. Strung up and covered in the black mass were three ponies, all of whom were familiar as if they had shown up after all the months of missing.

“Novo, Velox, Lego, what is going on here. Never mind I will get you all down.” Dash shouted out loud and quickly started to move.

“NO!” Shouted the voice of the one she cared about most in the world. “You can’t do that my spectrum, you shouldn’t even be here. If he catches you here he will do to you what he did to all of us.”

“Rainbow Dash we need to leave now, I feel a dark presence coming. We need to escape now lest we be trapped here as well.” Said the royal Alicorn as Dash was being pulled away by her.

“We will be back to free you, from whoever did this. So hold on!” The chromatic mare told them as tears ran down her eyes.

All she got was a shake of the head. “We are lost my spectrum, the one who has us it the killer of Canterlot, he calls himself Plaga now. You must not fight him; he is dangerous he has our p-.”

Whatever he was going to say was cut off as Luna and Rainbow Dash found themselves back to the void of dreams. “Luna, you heard that as well right?” A grim nod was all the answer she needed. “I am not leaving our friends like that. It’s time to confront ‘Lego’.”

“Not yet, we need to let others know so he doesn’t escape. Let us first wake up and relay the message and our call to battle.” Luna told her as her horn lit up once more.

Celestia couldn’t believe what she had heard from Eureka, not only had the sample matched perfectly with the killer’s sample but another dark magic sample she never even considered to look to match: Lego’s. Even more startling was the message she had just gotten from her sister claiming that the killer was in control of the body of the brothers.

“Princess, are you sure you know what you are doing?” Twilight asked nervously as she carried an ornate box with her. “What if you are wrong?”

Celestia had explained to her what she had planned but honestly, if things didn’t work out then she would have no choice but to protect her ponies even if it meant the death of another. “You have to have hope my student, sometimes it is even more powerful then the elements as long as you keep that in your heart.” Celestia herself wished it was that simple as it usually never was.

Slowly down and down they went heading to the training area where the guards usually were practicing spells, fortified under Canterlot to provide protection from errant blasts thanks to the enchantments placed upon the walls. Before her the others had already gathers, a few soldiers were practicing spells as well for cover. Her eyes took hold of each of the element bearers that have gathered as well as the ‘guest of honor’ himself.

“Looks like we are all here. Shall we get this demonstration underway?” The pretenses they had used to call everypony here was for a display of the new anti-killer tactics and spells.

She could see ‘Lego’ studying the display carefully and she knew why. Behind her she heard her student open the box and distributed what was held inside.

Luna came up beside her sister and nodded before the solar ruler spoke. “I see you are interested in the display Lego.”

Giving a nod and smile he didn’t look away from it. “Indeed, when you are captured by the one who hurt you, it feels good to see what measures will protect others from something similar.”

“Oh, are you sure?” She asked of him causing him to turn around and look at her, then his eyes widened at what he saw. The glow of the diarchy faded and they both find themselves in their armor, covered head to hoof in either gold or silver color armor while the element bearers themselves had on their elements. “Are you sure it’s not because you have taken over the body of our friend and are using him to do your deeds, Plaga the Alicorn Amulet?”

No pony moved, the soldier’s that had been called down were not taking their positions around the subject. “I see, and here I thought I played the role I was given so well, though I wonder how it is you learned my name.”

The stallion stood up making everypony there tense up as the voice was no longer what belonged to Lego. “You did indeed, never once did I think to check to match the corruption inside Lego that I thought had been made dormant to the killers. However when went to go heal Twilight I found she was infect with the same residue you give off.”

He gave a shrug as Luna herself also started to speak. “Not only that by the reason we know your name is thanks to Rainbow Dash. Her link with Novo, the unicorn whom you have captured let us enter his mind to find where you were keeping him, where he told us who you are and your name.”

The white pony before them clicked his teeth as he stretched. “I see, I will have to punish him later extra for that once I deal with all of you.” When he looked at them they all felt a cold chill rise up when they saw his eyes go black and the black gunk flow out of his skin covering him and reshaping the body to its own purpose of a dark coated Pegasus. However before it was complete it made some subtle changes, now instead of the shape he deemed all his own, he now looked like Velox except with the same black color scheme as before. “I must say Princess you really, really shouldn’t have done this. After all I have three captives in my head, don’t want to hurt them do you?”

His answer came in the form of a bright beam from Celestia’s horn that he barely managed to dodge. “Does that answer your question?”

The muscles in his jaw could be seen tensing as he growled in anger. “Damn, and here I was hoping the princesses had a soft spot for their friend. Oh well, we do this the hard way.” He began to flap his wings a tell tale sign he was using the current and trying to gather moisture. “Huh, what is this?”

Luna smiled as she waved a hoof around “This room is kept in idea conditions to train in, we don’t want moisture around to case a lightning spell to go awry. There is very little here for your perverse version of The Current to grab hold of here monster.”

Giving a shrug the scourge changed his plan, and his body. “I suppose then I have to rethink things then.” With almost a wet sucking sound the body reshaped again this time no wings were present only a horn. “How is thi-”

He never got to finish the sentence as a cyan blur tackled him to the ground, her element around her neck jingling, before each hoof started to pummel him. “Don’t you dare use his body like that!”

“Dash please stop!” The voice that came from the pony was no longer Plaga’s instead it was Novo’s. “Stop please you are hurting me!”

Hearing her loves voice after so long caused her to hesitate. “I-I didn’t mean t-.”

Her hesitation would cost her as she was blasted off of him with a spell. “Damn, I haven’t used this form nearly as much as I should, he can’t really output a lot of magic. Oh well, I have plenty to spare from what I siphoned off of them.” Once more Plaga spoke in his own voice. “However his knowledge of transmutation is really, really impressive, here let me show you just how much he knows.”

Twilight managed to teleport Rainbow away as the spot where she was laying started to glow. Just in time too as spikes made up of the materials the floor was constructed as jutted up from the ground. Celestia was surprised to say the least, the floor was enchanted so that it couldn’t be easily manipulated like that, if Plaga using second hoof knowledge that he got from Novo could do that, she was silently amazed at the potential of the real owner of the knowledge.

However now was not the time for that. “Soldiers, Net formation!”

The unicorn guards called here quickly teleported into position, five each to each side of the body snatching pony. Their horns lit up as webbing shot out of each of them to connect to the horn of another pony whom was using the same spell. This created essentially a magically thread based net that settled over the faux unicorn.

“Ha, as if I would let something like this stop…stop.” However his boasting was halted for a moment his horn glowed only to have the lines of webbing siphon off the power before it could complete a spell. “Fine, be that way, but I saved the best for last.” Changing again this time to the toned and muscular form that at one time Lego had possessed. “This pony was very interesting, a pacifist mostly that would let his brothers do most of the work in fighting. Yet he is the most powerful fighter among them and he is scared of that power.” Plaga struck out with a hoof and did…something. All they knew is it somehow ripped a hole in the net letting him free.

Celestia felt like she should recognize what it was that happened, however she didn’t need to: Luna knew. “Telekinetic Spike!”

Plaga rushed forward as Luna rushed to meet him to save the guards only to have each of the hooves meet before suddenly they were both propelled backwards. “Not bad Princess you met mine with equal force stopping us from both getting hurt.”

Celestia was worried though Luna was still out of practice from her exile. Luna had been the one to come up with the Telekinetic Spike during the war against Discord. It was a powerful manifestation of earth pony prowess with their hooves and the control of the telekinetic field that all ponies controlled there. Any pony could learn it true but only earth ponies had the power to truly make it their own. What it did was create a strong and sudden sharp surge of the telekinetic field from their hoof that would lance forward a small distance of anywhere of a few inches to a foot from the hoof. Because of the sudden strong burst of telekinesis it tended to stab or shatter anything it came in contact with and was usually a fatal move to be used against a living opponent. One had to have a fine control over not only their field, but of their magic as well.

“Which Lego and his brothers were always exhibiting fine control over themselves.” The princess said out loud. “Luna be careful.”

She couldn’t see her sisters face but she could sense her smile. “Do not worry, I may be rusty as they say, but I am still a master compared to this novice!” Suddenly she reared up and stood on her hind legs before thrusting her hooves forward.

It was good to see her sister in her element as she was the stronger battle oriented of them both, however seeing the dark earth pony stand up and matching her for blows was worrying. If it was Luna before her banishment she would have no doubt literally beat him with one hoof tied behind her back, instead she looked to be strug-oh wait he is being pushed back now.

“You are good I admit, however I can’t tell that you aren’t used to that body and are only mimicking another, an amateur mimicking a master if you will. If it was the real Lego and he truly has these skills then I would have welcomed the fight, however.” The blows that Luna was throwing suddenly became stronger throwing the stallion back before she landed on all fours. “Actual experience wins out over you. All I had to do is press more and more and you couldn’t keep your concentration and your spike broke. No doubt your legs are now numb to say the least, similar to when a unicorn feels spell feedback.”

All that she got was laughter from the stallion as he stood back up on three legs, favoring the front right one. “Fine fine, you win. I literally have nothing I can do to stop you…or maybe I do. It was something I was considering even if it tears this body apart, but I won’t be captured, I won’t be confined, and I will not be ruled by the likes of you!”

Whatever it was he was trying it was obvious that it wasn’t working, more than once black ooze popped and squirted out of his hide before closing back up.

Rainbow Dash however was waking up now as Celestia started to use her power to form a dome of sealing around the faux pony. “Make him stop, it’s hurting Novo!”

“I cannot Rainbow Dash. If I drop the dome the corruption he is leaking out could spill out to all of us. The guards as well as myself and Luna are protected but you six and spike are not. I cannot risk him infect you all.” Celestia said gritting her teeth before mumbling out her next words. “Even if I have to stop him once and for all.”

Rainbow Dash nearly rushed forward to stop her as the glow in her horn increased. “Stop!” It was not Dash who said that to Celestia, but instead Twilight to Dash. “We must trust the princess, we have to have hope that all will turn out ok.”

“Yes darling, the princess wouldn’t hurt our friend, so we have to hope that she knows what she is doing.” Rarity spoke up as well.

Fluttershy was the next to speak. “Y-yeah I mean she has all kinds of wonderful animal friends who says she sacrifices time out of her day to make sure they all are ok, just like all the ponies. She will find a way to help, just believe and hope Rainbow Dash.” The pony went back to hiding behind her mane though as she continue. “If-if you don’t mind that is.”

“Ah reckon Ah have to hope as well if Twi believes.” The country pony said as she lowered her hat off her head.

Pinkie nodded and smiled. “That is right it is Princess Celestia she has never failed to do the right thing. So hope and believe.”

Celestia was straining, her spell was about to give and if she couldn’t contain him she would have to collapse the seal exploding it and all that was inside. She didn’t want to tell her ponies that as it would destroy them and their faith in her. However she would rather that happen then their lives be forfeit and it was looking like there would be no other options. Musting up the will and power, she started.

Twilight watched both her mentor struggling magically and Rainbow Dash emotionally before it all came to a head. “Alright then. I put my hope on the princess to bring back our friend.”

‘Hope huh, alright then.’ The Unicorn blinked hearing the voice in her mind suddenly. She was about to say something when she felt her body being filled up with power overflowing it and there was only a few times when she ever felt that before.

“Girls!” she gasped as she knew they too were rising. “The Elements are responding; quick lets use them before anything worse can happen.”

The purples mage heard Celestia gasp out as her surprise caused her seal to fail and shatter. “The Elements of Harmony?” Twilight knew why her mentor was surprised as she recalled the conversation along the way to the training area.

“Princess, even if we bring the elements they won’t work.” Twilight had told her.

The Princess didn’t even look at her before nodding. “I know. Your worry over your friend will cause you all to hesitate, cause you to doubt and I know that no harmony can be achieved with such conflicting emotions and reasoning. You are to bring the elements there more as a…bluff of sorts to threaten him with. This is one case that the Elements could heal but not when the users are out of synch with each other over the target.”

So why was it the elements were working and what more why did it feel like she didn’t summon the power but it came on its own. No matter, with the power flowing out into her all she could do was direct it with her friends now and their target was certain loose oozing mass of dark corrupting magic.

Plaga was concentrating so hard to complete his transformation or die trying he never saw the beam of harmony coming for him till it was nearly on him. “Oh Buck!”

The beam swept over him and whatever it was doing couldn’t be seen behind the pillar of white that became of him where he stood. The light was blinding in its intensity but soon died out. All that was left was two bodies, one a familiar white stallion. The other was a mass of goo that seemed to want to stand up on its own.

As well as could speak. “I won’t give up, I won’t be defeated by six girls who can’t do anything themselves without magical artifacts. I won’t-.”

“Can it, as they say now a days.” Luna told him created a glass bubble around him containing the blob. “Sister, check on the unconscious one.”

While Twilight could tell a headache was threatening to split her mentor’s skull from the feedback of the broken seal, she persevered and ran a scan over him. “Ahh.” She said with a smile and looked over to them all. “He is in good health, better than before for sure. While I do not think he will ever recover to before I do not think his life will be shortened now. That must have come as a result of what Plaga was doing to him.”

All of the exhausted friends went to the downed earth pony stallion glad to see that he was safe and sound even if he wasn’t back to his normal self. They also wondered what this meant for Velox and Novo who were still in his head.

Author's Notes:

This is the halfway point of the second arc of my fanfic. How is everyone and everypony enjoying it? Do not worry I plan to have 3-4 arcs to this story so its not done or close to it yet so rest assured more answers will come just as more questions will be asked. Brain does that make me evil?

Out to lunch

What...how...why...where is my lunch?