[ a change of tone ; mlp-fim fanfic ]

[Applesky]

Chapter 5
As dinner dawned, Twilight looked up from her seat in surprise as she realized Celestia was next to her.
"Oh thank goodness!" Twilight said happily."I've been wanting to speak to yo-"
"Not now,please,"Celestia butted in, knocking on the table with her hoof to get everyones attention. Twilight sat back in surprise,and snorted.
"I will need a few unicorns to try out the machine first,"Celestia announced once everyone was silent.All the unicorns sat up,eager to be chosen."I need 4, and they have been already chosen." Celestia picked up a scroll and read the four names out.
"Golden Touch," Gold squealed happily and grinned at Rarity."Brightlight,Chopper and Doodle Eyes."
Golden Touch and the other 3 unicorns looked around excitedly and stood,ready to go.
"Oh no,not yet,"Celestia said."Tomorrow morning,I'll send some guards to collect you from your rooms at 9AM,sharp." And with that,Celestia left.
Twilight silently bristled with anger, she still hadn't talked to Celestia and she hadn't been picked. Was it possible Golden Touch and those other 3 unicorns where better at magic than her? Or were the names picked at random? Twilight comforted herself slightly by telling herself it was the second one.

~~~

Twilight and Rarity looked out of their door enviously as Golden Touch,Brightlight,Chopper & Doodle Eyes were taken from their rooms and walked down the corridor. As the guards walked past with them,one of them caught her eye and for some reason,she blushed slightly. As the patrol walked through the doors, the guard looked back and smiled at her.
As everyone retreated to their rooms Twilight was in deep thought. Guards never smiled. She thought back and remembered some of the same guards shooting daggers at eachother before, but anger was alright, smiling wasn't. Celestia always looked for guards that had strong self-control.An hour later, Rarity and Twilight headed to the dining room and ate breakfast. The four unicorns weren't back yet.
"Something must have gone wrong, how can it take an hour to try out a machine?" A stallion named Wheat Hacker drawled.
"Easily!"Twilight snapped.
"All right,all right,I was just saying."Wheat Hacker said defensibly.Breakfast then continued to be full of gossip on why they were taking so long.
Lunch came,no sign of the unicorns or Celestia.
Dinner came,no sign of them again.
The next day came,still no sign.
Then finally,after a disappointing lonely breakfast, Celestia was there at lunch. But the unicorns weren't.
"The testing went well,"Celestia grinned.
"Where are the others?"Wheat Hacker asked.
"So well that I want to try it out on three more of you!"Celestia said, ignoring Wheat Hacker's question.
Rarity and Twilight shared a glance, unsure whether they wanted to get picked this time.

[xxazul63xx]

Crossed swords is cute! but her looks kinda like shining armor

[vanillababy]

hopefully the rest will come soon xD

[Into the Sky]

Would you like to have your story featured in The Pen and Pencil Paper?

[Applesky]

Would you like to have your story featured in The Pen and Pencil Paper?

ovo I'd love to :>

Crossed swords is cute! but her looks kinda like shining armor

I sort of intended to look a bit like him because to me guards look sort of the same xD

Chapter 6 hopefully coming later today ;D

[Applesky]

Chapter 6

It was breakfast, and Celestia was there.
"I will be needing Rarity, High Coin and Remake to continue our test on the machine." Celestia said. "We will collect you after lunch."
Then she left.
Rarity trembled as she turned to look at Twilight.
"Twilight I can't go!" She said quietly,barely controlling her voice."I may not ever come back!" Silent tears streaked down Rarity's face.
"Oh Rarity,"Twilight murmured comfortingly.
"Tell everyone I love them,"Rarity choked.
"It won't come to that..."Twilight whispered.
"But it will!" Rarity squeezed her eyes closed."I don't like it Twilight, something is going on."
"Maybe the others didn't want to come back?" Twilight suggested. "Make sure you're back in time for dinner, I must know all about it."
"I won't come back." Rarity moaned. "I thought this would be my dream, be made into some beautiful pony by the Princess' own machine , but it's turning into a nightmare."
"We don't know that Rarity,"Twilight said stubbornly."There must be a reason why the others didn't come back,"
"If I ever see you again,I'll tell you that reason."

~~~

Twilight looked after the groups' retreating figures. Rarity was silently consoling herself, and looked back at Twilight for comfort, but the corridor doors slammed closed before Twilight managed to return a comforting look.
As everyone else left back to their rooms, Twilight sunk down in her doorway, thoughts swirling and darting. She heard hooves but didn't look up, she only wanted answers. That was all she ever wanted. And now there where too many questions that needed answers, too many secrets that she needed to know.
"Well," A kind voice said, to her. Twilight looked up, and saw the guard from the day before, the guard that broke it's own rules. It was doing it again now, smiling at her. Obviously for my own pity. He nudged her up gently.
"What is it?" Twilight said, a slight hint of coldness in her voice.
"You're Twilight Sparkle right?" The guard said. Twilight nodded weakly. "I'm Crossed Sword, nice to meet you."
"And you too..." Twilight said in disbelief. "Oh come on,"She snapped."What is it?"
"Nothing, but something is going on." Crossed Sword said. "I don't know what it is..but I hoped you might know?"
"Why would I?"
"You're Celestia's star pupil.How can she call all the best magicians here and not tell the best one of all about it?" Crossed Sword asked. Twilight felt proud that he knew who she was. But then something struck her.
"So you're saying you don't know what's going on either?" Twilight asked.
"Oh no,"Crossed Sword said,shaking his head. "We aren't allowed anywhere near the room with the machine now and neither the rooms surrounding it, but from what I've heard whenever I get close enough, I hear noises of ponies, well, atleast I think ponies."
The doors at the other end opened.
"Oh yes."Crossed Sword added hurriedly. "I was coming to tell everypony to go back into their rooms for the time being." And with that, he strode up to his fellow guards.
Twilight retreated into her room.


Rarity wasn't there at dinner.
Or the following day.

[xxazul63xx]

EEEP! what´s happening!

[Into the Sky]

well, atleast I think ponies."

Heh, I think I spotted a clue. :3

[vanillababy]

Creepy xP

[Applesky]

Chapter 7
The air had changed. It was full of hostility and fear, you didn't know who to trust. Your friends had been taken away, you could be next. When you were taken, you didn't come back. At least, not yet. Where they went, they didn't leave, so maybe they stayed there? Twilight's head ached, too much thinking, but she felt like she had nearly got something. If they stayed there, how did they eat? Something was obviously there, Crossed Sword had told her that. Could he be lying? He was weird, different, there were rules but it was if he thought they didn't apply to him. He could be lying. That idea, was very possible. If he is breaking all the rules, why not go ahead and break an unofficial rule of well, making friends and lie to someone? But then, what if he was lying, where were the unicorns? But, if he wasn't, why were they there? Trapped? Twilight's heart pulsed. What if they were trapped? Twilight froze. It was a matter of time before she became trapped, if they even became trapped. As Twilight looked out the window, she realized, no matter where everyone else was, they had become trapped the minute they had arrived.

Twilight kept her head high, trying to look as casual as possible. She walked out of the corridor and arrived at a set of double doors. They led to the corridor of the main drawing room. The centre of the problems. She briskly opened the doors and approached the door of the drawing room. She put her ear to it, but heard nothing but a voice.
"Are you meant to be here?" It said. Twilight jumped, and turned to face Crossed Sword.
"Are you?" She shot back.
"No, I was curious, coming to see," Crossed Sword said defiantly. Breaking more rules, Twilight noted.
"Well, alright," And Twilight turned back to face the door and Crossed Sword stood next to her. A faint and soft rumbling could be heard and also... the sound of bees? At least, that's what it sounded like, before the doors opened and the guards walked in. Crossed Sword glared at Twilight.
"What are you doing here,Crossed Sword?" Little Shield said frostily.
"I was going to take this little escapee back to her room," Crossed Sword said fiercely,"She has no right to be here."
"Good,"Little Shield snapped,"We where coming to find you anyway,so hurry along, Princess wants us to collect one more unicorn to be tested. Meet us at the Dining Room." Little Shield and the others walked off and Crossed Sword herded Twilight back to her room.
"Well, we can always try again?" Crossed Sword said, as he walked off towards the Dining Room, leaving Twilight with the words on her lips.
Yes.
Twilight wanted to try again.
Something was not right.

One more unicorn was taken away.
They didn't come back.
Twilight and another unicorn, Thread, were the only ones left.