1. Betrayal
The metallic boat hummed as it chugged over the murky service of the water. A Royal Guard, dressed in the standard reinforced midnight blue and gold uniform, headed the small boat.
"Lord-Protector and Princess Sparkle" The guard, Night Watch said, looking to the Alicorn sitting across from him, "How did the meeting with King Blood Talon go?" He smiled slightly, his eyes shifting to his blurry reflection on the light brown colored water.
Twilight smiled back, her crown slightly askew, "It went very well Lieutenant Watch. How's your family? Any foals yet" She straightened her scabbard, looking at the lieutenant.
Night chuckled, a smile adorning his face, he was always a jovial young stallion, "Cold Wind's doing great, he just signed the adoption forms for his neice, she'll be our filly in a few weeks." He looked up to the large, neigh-impregnable walls of Canterlion, one of the last few bastions that had some safety from The Contagion, a horrific disease spreading across the world. "We'll be there in a matter of minutes, better send the signal." He lit up his horn, sending an orange light into the sky, the watchmare on the wall sent up her aquamarine burst, and the gates opened up with a loud grinding.
Twilight smiled as they sailed in, and a lift elevated them to the dock. Anxious to see the Princess, and most of all, Dawn Star, the daughter of her friend and mentor, to see a friendly face after being gone for months. She tipped her head to the dock workers, this shift a unicorn and a minotaur, She was barely on the sandy ground before she smashed into by a light violet blur.
"Twilight, your back!" Dawn Star yelled, tackling the Alicorn to the ground, a wide smile on her face. Twilight's weathered dark blue and grey coat was now covered in sand. Laughing, Twilight got back to her hooves, a smile on her face as she hugged the little Alicorn.
"Dawn Star! Its great to see you again! Twilight said, hugging the little Alicorn filly. "I'd love to play with you Dawnie, but your mother wanted to see me as soon as I arrived." Twilight had magically transformed herself so she looked like her old Unicorn self, going full Alicorn when holding court or in diplomatic meetings. She ruffled Dawn's mane as the filly tugged her towards a gazebo.
"Ah, Lord-Protector Sparkle, it'ssogood to see you again." Chancellor Blueblood, adopted nephew of the Princess of the Sun, said sarcasm dripping like venom from his mouth, "Aunt Celestia is waiting for you upstairs, shoo, can't you see Solo Kov is trying to paint me?" He said, striking a heroic looking pose as the famous Prench reindeer artist Solo Kov briskly told Blueblood to stop moving.
Twilight trotted behind the filly, nodding her head at or waving to guards and staff she passed, each responded with a wave of their own or a small smile.
Twilight made her way towards the off white gazebo, vines twisting over the pillars and damp moss covered bits of the room. Princess Celestia was speaking to the Royal Spymaster, Silver Sword, he seemed to be agitated.
"Jamnit Princess, can't you see what we have to do. The other nations have forsaken us, so the only way we can get their aid is if we force them to" Silver said, slamming his hoof on a column, causing a tiny crack to appear, his maroon coat swaying the ocean breeze.
Celestia sighed, "Silver, I ask you this not just as your ruler, but as your friend, please reconsider. You know that, if we do force them to comply, then they will declare war on us, one we cannot win."
Silver grumbled, before trotting away, brushing past Twilight. Celestia smiled, hugging Dawn as the filly ran up to her mother. "Twilight, it is a fair wind that returns you to me." She nuzzled her student, "Have Zebrica, Griffonhala, Minotaurus, or the Donkelio Isles sent word?"
Twilight sighed, reaching into her coat, pulling out a sealed letter, hoofing it to Celestia. The Princesses dark gown contrasted against her golden regalia.
Celestia ripped open the seal, her eyes scanning over the page. Her brows furrowed, her expression switching from happiness, to sorrow, then anger. Frowning, she tossed the letter to the floor, staring out at the balcony. "That's it then, we're alone in this. The other nations have blockaded us off, they probably want to see the kingdom die off, and salvage whatever remains." Celestia looked around, "What happened to the guards?"
The letter lay still on the floor as Twilight laid a hoof on Celestia's back, "Princess, it isn't as bleak as it seems, a number of the nobles in the other nations have pledged to send supplies." Twilight said, smiling slightly.
Dawn tugged on Celestia's gown, pointing to the roof of the docking building, "Mommy, why are those stallions on the roof?" Celestia's face lit up in alarm, as did Twilight's.
"Dawn, get behind me!" Celestia yelled, placing herself between her daughter and the incoming threat. In a flash of green light and dust, two cloaked beings, one a stallion zebra and the other an imposing Griffon, drew swords, rushing at Celestia, but was blocked by Twilight's own rapier.
"Arghh!" Twilight yelled, slashing at one of the assassins, leaving a deep gash in his side as he teleported away, punching the Griffon in the throat, causing her, or at least it sounded like a her, to stumble back, as this one too teleported away in dust. Twilight huffed in relief.
"Twilight!" The Princess yelled, snapping Twilight out of her relief, as she drew her pistol, just as two more cloaked figures appeared. These two she could get a better look at. They both wore gloves, boots, gas masks, and hooded cloaks, all charcoal gray. Firing two rounds into their legs, they disappeared like their comrades.
"Thank you Twilight, t-No, not again!" Celestia said, as two more appeared, one raising a hoof, holding Twilight in midair, followed by Sombra, once Celestia's most trusted advisors, and a member of her elite guard, who had disappeared several years ago. Sombra smacked Celestia to the ground, a flash of guilt in his eyes, as he mouthed something unintelligible, before running his sword through her abdomen.
Dawn tried to run, but Sombra grabbed her tightly. Sombra nodded, as the one holding Twilight ceased his hold, as they disappeared, Dawn vanishing with a whimper.
Twilight gasped for breath, crawling over to Celestia, who lay in a pool of golden ichor, the blood than ran in demigods or minor gods. Celestia's head moved, she was alive, barely, her voice hoarse. "Twi-Twilight, its all, coming apart." She coughed, "Find, Dawn, s-she's the only one that can f-fix all this. You'll do this for me, won't you Twilight?" Her eyes started to close, as Twilight's welled up with tears. "I love-" Was the last thing Twilight could make out, as the mare, her mentor, ruler, and friend's body, lay lifeless. That was when he heard a the sound of heavy boots, and gasps. Turning her head, Blueblood, Silver Sword, and two guards, one of which who raised a sword to her throat.
"By Faust, look what she's done!" Blueblood said, staring in horror at what he saw, though Twilight could notice a glint of victory in his eyes.
"Yes, she's killed the Princess!" Silver Sword said, laying an odd amount of stress on she, "Where is Lady Dawn Star, traitor?" He said, glaring.
"Her own personal bodyguard, a fellow Princess, and her personal student to boot, who would have thought?" A portly guard asked, sneering.
"Take her, we'll see, Blackgate Prison should do nicely for her execution." Blueblood said, grinning, waving a hoof at the guard. Rearing back his arm, the butt of his rapier smashed into Twilight's face, as unconscious and darkness, took over.
2. Blackgate, where not a single soul gets through
Twilight awoke with a loud groan, her head pounding. Slowly opening her eyes, she awoke in what appeared to be an interrogation chamber, Blueblood standing next to the interrogator, who was dressed in a bloodstained grey apron, off white shirt, black pants, and a welding mask, body hunched over a tray of instruments.
"Ah, Twilight, your awake, how nice." Blueblood smirked, the sarcasm in his voice dripping with venom, "If you haven't figured it out, we, that is to say Silver and I, along with the help of Govenor Ash Fire, hired Sombra to kill the Princess, not that he would have bothered, he hated her guts. Fortunately for us, you happened to be in the right place, at the wrong time. With you and the Princess out of the way, and her daughter conveniently missing, we'll be able to make Equestria so much more, get the aid we need from those who abandoned us. The Princess was a soft-hearted foal who coddled this kingdom, never expanding." He lowered his head slightly, "After your little "confession"," He motioned to a typewriter holding a finished manuscript, "You'll be executed and no longer be a threat to our goal of a united Equus, under the control of Equestria, there will be peace, no war, no evil, no fear." He then turned away, "Well, goodbye Twilight, I'll enjoy seeing your lifeless head roll, your beautiful, bodiless head, maybe I'll keep it as a trophy, a warning to any that stand against the new regime." He smirked, trotting away. "Maybe a little bit of torture for old times sake?"
Twilight growled, before her eyes widened when she saw the tongs, holding a burning coal. Twilight screamed as the torturer pressed the coal onto her chest, leaving a visual mark that she was a traitor, a wolf's head, if she escaped. The seering pain caused Twilight to black out.
Twilight woke in her cell, to the sound of a truncheon rattling the bars. Raising her head, her eyes met the body of a lanky, pale, Pegasus, maybe nineteen at the youngest, his badge read Officer Featherweight, he pushed a plate, stale bread, murky looking water, and slightly burned bread, standard prison fare ever since the plague broke out, all the good food going to the wealthy. "Brought you your grub 744, enjoy it, and there's a gift from your friend under the bread." Featherweight smiled slightly as he trotted away.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, picking up said bread and munching on it, before looking where it was, a key, possibly to her cell, and a note lay on the tray.
Dear Twilight,
The key, as you may have guessed, unlocks the door to your cell.
I am a member of a resistance movement against Blueblood, we need you to blow open the main door out,
using charges found in the interrogation office, once that is done, swim to a tunnel, that will lead you into the sewers.
As you make your way through, look for a black case, in there you will find some useful supplies, weapons included,
if you don't find any during your escape. Get through the sewer, and you'll find Rune, who'll ferry you to our base.
-A Friend
Twilight smiled, "Maybe now I can find Dawn." she muttered, picking up the key in her hoof, and slowly, carefully, unlocked her cell door, trotting out. Looking around, she noticed a table which lay an officer's sabre, the sharpened blade gleaming in the sunlight. Twirling the blade in her hooves, she kept the sword in one hoof, sneaking towards an entry, where, through the plates and bars, three guards were chatting.
"So, did you guys catch the Wolfhound fight at the Pit yesterday?" One guard, older, maybe in his early to mid fifties said, his forelegs crossed as he leaned upright on the wall next to the door. His buddies shook their heads.
"Nah, I was patrolling D-Block, apparently some yahoo had held himself up in the cafeteria. Now he's swimming with the fishes." This guard, an athletic looking mare said, smirking as she trotted away, same with her friend, leaving the elder guard alone, smoking a Puban cigar.
Twilight looked to the guard,slipping the knife into her jacket, carefully sneaking up to him. Breathing in deeply, she wrapped her hooves around his mouth as he struggled, until he went lax. Putting her head to his chest, he found he was still breathing, to her relief. Stowing his body in a dark corner, she searched in his satchel, pulling out some bits and a key.
Sighing, she slowly crept towards a door, the metal hinges creaking open as the door yielded, revealing another door to the right, and pistol rack, and dusty machinery. Twilight grinned, "Perfect." She muttered, taking a pistol in her hoof, spinning it. Checking the chamber, she found it was fully loaded, slotting this into her belt holster, followed by filling her pouch with some powder and bullets.
Carefully pushing the door open, she noticed a lone guard, standing on the banister, a cigar in one hoof, and a key marked INTERROGATION hung limply from his belt. Twilight licked her lips, deftly unlatching the key from the ring, and slowly trotting away from the distracted guard, heading into a hall/covered trotway. Peeking around the corner, she waited for a whistling Zebra guard to pass, following her downstairs. As the mare passed through one door, Twilight headed into the interrogation chamber, shutting the door behind her.
The chair was empty, the recorder had a note left inside, closer observation revealed it had already been used. Shrugging, she pried open a rusty iron door, revaling a safe. Turning around, she picked up some bits and a few ingots of gold. Concentrating, her horn lit up, as a small hole opened up, her own little slice of Hammerspace, or H-Space.
Magiscientists had, a little over a hundred years ago, found away for ponies to access hammerspace, allowing one to store items of any size, and only they could access the items they stored, and not anypony else's, unless given permission.
Twilight placed the gold ingots inside, alongside a few paintings and ingots, hidden in a safe inside the locked off room, alongside the explosives and schematics. Closing the portal, she started moving again, pocketing the charges. Breathing in deeply, she creeped to another door, leading to a courtyard, and closer to freedom.
