//------------------------------// // 14. Escalation // Story: Tartarus Forged // by SvenFoxx //------------------------------// “There are three rules you should always remember when handling a gun,” Twilight said, almost lecturing. “Rule one; always handle a gun as if it was loaded. This means don’t treat it like a toy. Don’t point it anywhere but where you intend to shoot and don’t assume it’s empty. The last thing you want is to shoot yourself in the foot… er… hoof on accident because you thought it wasn’t loaded. “Rule two; always be aware of what’s behind your target. Because of how fast a bullet is moving it more than likely is going to pierce whatever you hit. That means the one behind your target will get hit as well. “And finally, rule three.” She glared at a rather sheepish looking Pinkie Pie. “Never handle a gun you have no training in using.” “…sorry,” Pinkie said, rubbing the back of her head. “Honestly, Pinkie! You saw me put a hole through a tree trunk with that thing not five minutes before you somehow stole the gun from me. What possessed you to look into the barrel?” Twilight asked in exasperation. “I was curious!” “That’s no excuse!” Twilight blew up. “You knew it was a lethal weapon! How does “Let’s point the end the bullet comes from at my face,” sound like a good idea?!” “…It doesn’t,” the party mare admitted after a moment. Twilight breathed in slowly, and then let it out. “No, it doesn’t.” She looked around at the group. “Let that be a lesson to you five as well. All weapons are dangerous, and should never be handled unless you either have the training to do so or no choice in the matter.” Everyone nodded carefully, not quite willing to have her ire focused on them Twilight sighed again, seeing the discomfort her rant had caused. She supposed she should at least say sorry. “Look, I jus-” “Look!” Rarity exclaimed, pointing ahead. Everyone turned to see what had the fashionista in tizzy, and found a cliff. Specifically, there was a boulder rolling towards them from down the cliff. ‘How did we miss that?!’ Twilight asked herself in surprise. “Scatter!” she ordered out loud, grabbing the suddenly terrified Fluttershy and diving to the right. Everyone dove either left or right, with Rainbow Dash taking to the air, and the boulder rolled past them harmlessly. Hesitantly, they stepped back on the path, looking both at the boulder as it rolled away, and the cliff that they all had missed. Twilight voiced their confusion first. “I’m… not the only who didn’t notice the cliff… right?” she asked slowly. “No, sugarcube. I don’t think any of us even realized it was there,” Applejack said. “Incoming!” Rainbow Dash called, pointing behind them. They all spun around… and stared. The boulder was rolling towards them now. Uphill. “It’s magic!” Twilight realized, almost face-palming at the obvious nature of the phenomenon. Raising her hands, they lit with violet magic as she exerted her power and will. The boulder hit a wall of shimmering purple force, creating a crashing sound. The wall, and Twilight, slid back from the force of the hit. Unfortunately, instead of stopping the boulder, it just started spinning faster, putting more force against Twilight. Twilight grunted, but didn’t budge. Her eye flared with purple light, and a somewhat visible hand made of magic grasped the boulder. She growled and clenched her fists. With an otherworldly shriek, Twilight noticed a dark mist exit the boulder just before it was crushed into gravel. Twilight slumped, her hands going to her knees as she panted. “Hoooo,” she exhaled. “I keep forgetting Alicorn magic is a step above what I’m used to dealing with.” “Then that was…?” Sunset began. Twilight nodded, standing up straight. “Yeah. I saw a mist similar to Nightmare Moon’s mane leave the boulder just before I crushed it. If she didn’t already know we were here, she does now.” --- Nightmare Moon was pulled from her meditation by a piece of her power returning to her possession, bringing with it memories of its time separated from her. She had created it, and many more like it, as a scout to search the forest for the Elements of Harmony. She could feel their Harmony magic, but the Chaos Magic of the forest diluted the signal too much to pinpoint a location. Hence, searching the old-fashioned way. Well, old fashioned for a unicorn at any rate. Her eyes narrowed and she called up a divination spell, searching for the potent power of the hybrid that had fought her to a stand-still in Canterlot. A circular screen of magic appeared in front of her, and she saw her suspicions confirmed. There was the hybrid, walking along the path to the ruins in the forest with five other ponies. She cancelled the divination spell with a grunt. “Hmph. It seems Harmony doesn’t have its claws wrapped as tightly around her heart as I had assumed. Curious.” She turned around and grinned at the only other occupant of the room. “Wouldn’t you say, my dear?” Spike, his body bulging with muscle, but ultimately unable to move due to the mystical chains binding him spread eagle against the wall, growled at her. Nightmare Moon stood and walked towards the dragon. “Now, now. None of that. As you just saw, your guardian is not the caring mother figure you always saw her as anymore. She has chosen to forsake you in return for a race she does not even belong to anymore. Wherever she was before she shattered space and time to return, it has made her as ruthless as any dragon lost within their avarice.” Spike spat in her face. “Even if that was true, I still refuse to believe she doesn’t love me.” Nightmare Moon frowned, using her magic to burn the saliva away in an instant, but then sighed. “Oh, very well. I suppose it was too much to ask for a willing minion.” Her horn ignited with powerful magic, and she began sending it into Spike’s body. Her grin became sadistic as he roared in outrage and agony. “This should break whatever will she has to fight me,” she mused, reaching deep within Spike’s very soul. After finding what she was looking for… She twisted. Spike’s eyes snapped open, glowing with crimson light. A roar that shook the very ground ripped its way from his throat.