Amethyst Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning Spike woke up to the sound of someone knocking agitatedly on the front door. "I'm coming," he called yawning as he walked toward the door. He had no idea why anyone would be knocking on the library door so early in the morning - didn't anyone these days have any respect for common courtesy?

"Hold your horses, wait you probably are a horse..."

He opened the door and his eyes widened when he saw who it was. "Rarity!" What was she doing there?

"Good morning, Spike," the white unicorn with the purple mane greeted him a bit shortly. "I'm not here for pleasantries, is Twilight here? She was supposed to help me finish my dress designs today but she never showed up and she knows how I hate being left waiting."

Spike blinked; confused by her statement.

"She didn't?"

That didn't sound like Twilight at all. She was usually so punctual.

"No, she did not," she said, sounding a little annoyed that she had to repeat herself. "Now, is she here? It is quite rude for someone to make a promise and not keep it without informing her friend she wouldn't be able to."

She clopped into the library and looked around thoughtfully.

"Is she in her room?"

"I don't know..." Suddenly he took note of the time. "Noon?" Twilight never slept that long, in fact, she never let him sleep that late either.

"Yes, noon," Rarity said, as she trotted up the stairs. She closed her eyes, turning her head as she spoke.

"That is why I am here." She knocked briskly on the closed bedroom door.

"Twilight, are you in there?"

There was no answer, so she knocked again a bit harder. "Now come on, Twilight it isn't like you to go around ignoring your friends."

Still no response.

"Twilight!" Rarity exclaimed, banging her hooves on the door.

"Open this door this instant!"

When the unicorn didn't answer Rarity made a face and shoved at the door, swinging it open.

"Come now Twilight, I think you're being very rude ignoring me like tha-" she stopped in mid sentence when she saw the room.

"What? What is it?" Spike peeked into the room and gasped.

It was a mess - there were books, quill pens and papers lying strewn all over the place. The blanket on the bed was bunched up and the pillows were knocked on the floor. It looked like Twilight had gotten into a fight with someone and lost or she'd lost something and had torn up her room desperately trying to find it.

"Oh my!" Rarity exclaimed, walking slowly inside. She looked around cautiously, as if she expected someone or something to jump at her.

"Twilight? Twilight, are you in here? Are you all right?"

No response.

Rarity looked at Spike then gingerly clopped over to the bed and removed the covers to find it empty.

"She's not here!" she gasped.

"Not here?" Spike asked, looking around. "Where'd she go then?"

She frowned. Obviously, she'd expected him to be able to answer that question and she was very distressed that he couldn't.

"Has Twilight ever done this before?" she inquired, a tone of desperation in her voice. "Does she have a special place she likes to go to be alone for awhile?"

"No - never." Spike told her in answer to the first question.

"Twilight is usually up before I am. She wakes me up..." he frowned. "and as for a secret place; No, she isn't the kind of pony to do that sort of thing."

Rarity stared at him. "You mean she's never done this before?"

When he shook his head she gasped.

"You don't think something has happened to her, do you?"

Spike wasn't willing to believe that right away and shook his head. The white unicorn frowned.

"The mess her room is in shows no other alternative solution."

"I don't know..." The baby dragon looked around the room again, hoping to see something that would give him a clue to Twilight Sparkle's whereabouts. His eyes eventually fell on something on the floor.

"What's this?" he padded over and picked it up, studying it carefully.

"Hmmm? What's that?" Rarity asked.

"It looks like fur," he said after a moment of contemplation. "Brown fur." he gave it a sniff and made a face, sticking out his tongue. "Disgustingly smelly brown fur. P. U!"

"Fur?" she trotted over. "Twilight bought herself a fur coat without saying anything? You'd think she'd at least tell me, especially if it smelled ba-" when she got a close look at the fur her eyes widened.

The baby dragon looked up at her curiously, wondering why she'd reacted in such a way.

"What's wrong?"

Her face suddenly changed and became very serious. She'd seen and smelled fur like that before and it left a vivid memory in her mind, especially since the owner had tricked her into thinking a boulder was a giant diamond.

"Discord!"

"Discord?" he asked, blinking. "But I thought-"

Suddenly she grabbed him up and threw him onto her back before he could even finish his sentence. "No time for dawdling now, Spike, we must tell the others of this travesty!" She galloped quickly out of the library with Spike hanging on for dear life.
----

Twilight Sparkle woke up to a splitting headache from a blow to the head. Moaning she sat up, rubbing her poor head and opening her eyes to complete darkness. Gasping she shot to her hooves, hearing a loud clinking noise as she did so. She froze, listening.

"Who's there?"

The only response she got was utter silence. No one was there at all, so what had made that noise? The purple unicorn turned her head, realizing then she was blind folded. No wonder she couldn't see anything. What had made that noise? Had it been her imagination? She moved her head, hearing the clinking again.

"Huh?" she raised a hoof, feeling a heavy metal collar around her neck. She pulled back slightly, feeling a tug. A heavy metal chain. The collar was connected to a chain. Panic shot through her when she realized she was a prisoner. She tugged on the chain again, trying to pull it loose but it refused to give as it was attached firmly to the wall behind her.

"Come on!" she shouted, yanking hard on it. "Break loose!"

The chain had no intention of complying, not that it was sentient, anyway.

Eventually she gave up and sat down with a sigh. She wasn't going to get out that way. It had been stupid to even waste energy trying.

"What am I doing?" She asked herself suddenly "I'll use my magic." She closed her eyes behind the blindfold and concentrated. Nothing happened. In fact, she didn't even have her horn to use her magic with. It was gone as if it had never been there.

"Discord..." she breathed realizing what had happened. It had to be him.

"Did somebody call me?" a voice spoke up suddenly.

She gasped, turning her head. He was there, but where? She wished she could see so she could prepare herself for combat, if necessary. Footsteps came toward her.

"G-get back!" she exclaimed, backing up against the cold stone wall.

"Stay away from me!" It was bad enough she couldn't see him, she didn't want him near her or even touching her.

"Or you'll what?" he asked. "Use your little Element of Magic on me? You seem to forget you don't have you horn and the rules are different here because you see-" his voice was suddenly right next to her. "- I make the rules in this place."

She gasped and backed away, pressing against the wall even harder, looking around frantically trying to locate where Discord was hiding in the darkness.

The voice was right next to her now making her shriek and twist away.

"What's wrong, Twilight? Are you afraid?" the voice suddenly moved to the front of her. "Is this the same pony that stood up to me even when her friends were not interested in helping?"

She darted away again, reaching the end of the chain, She gagged and fell over.

She heard him laughing as she got up, shaking her head. "Twilight, you should know better. I have you on a leash, remember?" she heard it jingling and then a tug. "Running won't help you."

"Why don't you give me back my horn and then we'll see who runs!" she shot back, trying to sound brave.

He chuckled. "Oh, Twilight, always with the bravado." He pulled on the chain, bringing her closer even as she dug her hooves into the ground in an attempt to stop him. "Let me reiterate; I make the rules here. You'll just have to learn them."

"What rules?" she demanded. "You don't have any rules!"

"My dear Twilight," he yanked on the chain again, pulling her closer. "Don't you remember the game we played? Of course I have rules, they're just ... more unconventional than what you're used to." he tugged once more. "And I want to play another game."

"I don't want to play your games!" She yelled in what she thought was his face. Discord tugged again violently, knocking her off her hooves. She hit the floor face first, grunting in pain on impact.

"I've had enough of them."

"Oh Twilight," he said darkly as he pulled her closer still, dragging her across the floor. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice." he gave a mighty yank and she flew toward him with a shriek of surprise.

He caught her which made her kick out with her hooves until he set her down, though he kept a grip on her mane. "Let go!" she ordered, trying to back away from him. "I said I didn't want to play! Just let me go!"

He chuckled, keeping a strong hand on her back to hold her still. He cupped her chin and lifted her head to directly face him.

"It's too late for you to deny the invitation," he told her smoothly. "You see, I already have you, so you'll just have to play the game and accept my rules."

She gritted her teeth, tempted to spit on his face. He was messing with her, waiting for her to ask him what he meant. He was a chaotic being, so this game of his could be anything and have any kinds of rules. No doubt, it was going to be incredibly sadistic. If she asked she might actually break one which would be worse than not.

"Not asking?" he questioned. "Good move. You're learning already."

"Wha-what do you mean by that?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." He replied, flashing her a sickeningly complacent smile in the darkness.

Then, before she could inquire further he snapped his fingers and disappeared, leaving her alone once more with only the fading echo of his laughter to keep her company.