Pirates of Equestria

2: Wanted

Shining Armor, newly crowned prince of the Crystal Empire, wanders the halls of the crystal palace. The long day of performing his royal duties has left its toll and he wishes for relaxation. He walks halfway in a daze until he finally makes it to the throne room. Though not a place of rest it would at least give him some solitude so he could recuperate. He sits on the crystal throne and rubs his aching head.

“Long day was it dear?”

Shining raises his head to find out who had interrupted his rest. His mood is lightened and stamina restored when he sees his wife. He struggles a moment to figure out how he did not hear her enter before answering.

“I’m glad to see you Cadence. I don’t think I could take any more questions on the state of things here.”

Cadence giggles as she comes close. “Well maybe you and I could discuss some more personal matters instead.” Shining smiles, anxious for such a ‘discussion.’

The two royals start to make their way out of the throne room when the doors fly open and a messenger pony charges in. Frustration begins to overtake Shining Armor, anxious to be done with royal duties.

“What is it?” he asks.

The messenger catches his breath before reporting. “Urgent news my lord and lady. Terrible news.”

“Well…” Shining begins as his patience wears thin.

“Darling please,” Cadence interjects. “Please continue.”

Relieved to hear kindness from the princess, the messenger continues. “There was an attempt made on Princess Celestia’s life.”

“What?” Both royals gasp at the news and were now very anxious to hear more.

“A few days ago, one of the officers of the Canterlot Royal Guard was arrested for attempting to assassinate the princess. During the event, two guards were lost but the assassination was thwarted.” The prince and princess sigh in relief to hear that Celestia was alright. “However,” the messenger continues, “the pony responsible escaped while being lead to his execution. Eight guards were killed during the escape and he has not been seen since.”

“Who was the pony that attempted the assassination?” Shining asks.

The messenger holds out a wanted poster. “A pegasus named Sky Runner.”

Shining Armor can hardly believe what he is hearing and hangs is head in sorrow and Cadence begins to worry. “What is it dear?” The prince looks to the messenger. “Thank you.” The pony bows and leaves the two alone. Once the doors are closed, Shining tells his wife about Sky Runner.

“I knew Sky Runner back when I first joined the Royal Guard. Both of us rose quickly through the ranks, helping each other out and pushing each other to do better. Eventually, I was named Captain of the Royal Guard while Sky Runner was made my second in command.

“After I married you and we came here, Sky Runner became the next in line to become Captain of the Royal Guard. He was ambitious, having always wanted to be Captain, but I can’t imagine him doing anything rash. He was very proud and loyal. He would never betray the crown.”

Shining Armor hangs his head, still unable to believe his old friend would commit such a heinous act. Cadence puts a wing around him and holds him tight to try and comfort him.

After a moment, Shining raises his head in determination. “I will lead the pursuit to find Sky Runner.”

“What?” Cadence says in shock. “But why?”

“I need to find out if Sky is truly responsible or not.”

“What if he is?”

“Then as the former Captain of the Royal Guard and Prince of the Crystal Empire, I will bring him to justice.”

“If he is not?”

“Then I will help him to clear his name and find the true culprit.”

“You know that this will be dangerous. Not only has he already killed several guards but if he is responsible, then that makes him potentially even more dangerous.”

“I know. But I must do something.”

Cadence holds her husband close, unwilling to release him. “I can’t let you go. I can’t risk losing you.”

Shining returns her embrace and kisses her on the forehead. “I won’t let that happen. I will come back.”

Tears flow down the princess’s face as her love slips out of her grasp. She follows him to the very edge of the Crystal Empire feeling chained to the land. She watches her husband disappear beyond the tundra alone. The tears never stop flowing even as she stands for what feels like an eternity, hoping and praying that he would return safely to her.

Recalling his training as a Royal Guard, Shining Armor makes his way to an outpost waypoint where the pursuing guards were camped. The outpost had been established in the event of an enemy going well beyond Canterlot and needed to be pursued. As this was a tactic of the highest urgency, the outposts where rarely used and the state of disrepair pointed to its scarce use.

As Shining Armor enters the camp all of the guards snap to attention, partially confused as to why the prince of the Crystal Empire would be here. The guards report the situation to the prince and question why he has arrived.

“I will be leading the pursuit. As the former Captain and a close friend of the target, I know better than any pony else how to deal with Sky Runner. Also you are currently lacking the ranking officers since you have yet to name the next captain. With Sky being the only candidate and now on the run, you are out of leaders. So I will be taking charge.”

The guards agree with his position and Shining Armor prepares a letter to Princess Celestia to inform her of the updated situation.

Shining looks around at the camp to evaluate his troops. There are ten guards, all of which are unicorns. The prince is not surprised. The low numbers speak to the fact that so many were afraid of Sky Runner and the desperation to protect the princess. The use of only unicorns shows that they fear Sky’s skill at fighting and want to keep their distance. Given the lack of leadership and the chaos brought on by the fear of a single pony eliminating so many guards, it is easy to understand how such a group is formed to pursue such a dangerous pony. In order to effectively find and stop Sky Runner, Shining Armor is going to need a tracker to help find Sky and pegasi if he is to stand a chance in bringing him down if the need arose. That being the case, the prince knows where to start looking for help.