Who Were They?

"You have got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she stood dumbstruck at the sight of the Canterlot castle on fire. Her friends Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie did the same. "What happened here?!"

"We don't know." exclaimed a random unicorn as the entire city watched in horror at the castle burning. "This is bad...first Celestia dies and now this!"

"WHAT?!" the four mares exclaim with shock.

Before the random unicorn stallion could explain further a nearby residential building exploded with high force. Everyone screamed and panicked. "Do not be alarmed my ponies!" yelled a new voice. Everyone turned to see a cloaked mare as she stood in front of the gates to the burning castle. "Do not be alarmed."

She was quickly joined by a large and muscular red and black centaur. He looked very intimidating. "Do as she says or else you'll end like this guard." the centaur pointed at a weak and gray pegasus guard, what's left of Flash Sentry.

"The...horror..." he weakly mumbled in his catatonic state.

All the ponies quietened down to hear what this mare had to say...or else.

"Very well," she began. "as you may have already figured out, your dear and precious Princess Celestia is dead. She died saving the Crystal Empire from the return of a very evil pony but alas, her sacrifice was for not." she continued. "The monster is still on the loose, ready to take revenge against us at any time, he already had his weak willed queen brainwash Princess Cadance to join their side, which means that WE are your only hope at protection and guidance in this turbulent time."

"Who are you?!" yelled a spectator.

"Who I am doesn't matter, what truly matters is who I work with." she answered. "I work for a sisterhood that will gladly help protect you all and keep everything running smoothly until you set yourselves up your own government, just as we did before when we helped untie the tribes so many millenia ago."

Confused murmurs among the crowd. A brave cyan hoof rose up above the crowd. "I CALL HORSE MANURE!"

The cloaked mare just raised an eyebrow. "Who speaks out against me?" she yells with confusion.

"ME!" yelled the cyan pony. "RAINBOW DASH!" she walked out of the crowd and stood before the cloaked mare.

"Oh...Rainbow Dash...I have heard so many things about you, the Element of Loyalty I presume."

"That's me." stated Dash with a smug look on her face.

"Did you know that the monster Sombra has made an alliance with the caribou to invade and conquer Equestria at its weakest and his queen Twilight brainwashed Cadance to let it happen?" she announced to everyone's shock and horror.

"I don't believe you!" Dash shook her head. "What proof do you have?"

The cloaked mare took out a scroll. "I have here a written declaration of war from the caribou's dear leader Dainn. And I quote!"

It has come to my attention that the Princesses Celestia and Luna have become an unwanted influence within the borders of the Rangifer kingdom. I, the dearest leader of my people will take it upon myself to declare and prepare for an inevitable war with Equestria the moment either of the princesses die. For it will be our only chance to ever defeat them. We may not have the magic, but we do have the psychic strength to fight and show those mares their proper place in nature! To be obedient sex toys for our amusement! ALL HAIL THE RANGIFER KINGDOM! ALL HAIL THE PATRIARCHY!"

All the mares in the audience scream with terror. "I discovered this letter before the fire started hidden in Celestia's desk."

"We still don't believe you!" Dash refused to believe such a thing. She did not trust this mare at all.

"Too bad" smirked the cloaked mare. She looked up to the centaur and the centaur took that as his cue.

"Huh?" the pegasus mare was confused as to what was going on. Suddenly, she got her answer as she was engulfed by a beam of magic from the centaur. "AHHH...." she screamed in pain.

"DASH!" Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie yell with shock.

"Either you're with us, or against us." the mysterious mare announced to the crowd as they saw Dash loose her color.

"Why...no..." yelled Dash in pain as all of her magic was taken away from her. As soon as she was absorbed dry, the centaur stopped.

"WHO ELSE WANTS TO JOIN THIS WEAK MARE?!" boomed the centaur.

Nopony dared say a word.

"By the way...if any of you see a group of mares by the names of Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity...I want you to politely tell them that they are wanted for treason under the charge of conspiring with a known tool of Sombra...the sisterhood thanks you for your cooperation." finished the cloaked mare.

The entire crowd turned to stare at the three mares only to see a flash of blue light engulf them an disappear. "Where did they go?" one spectator exclaimed.

"Do you want me to go after them ma'am?" asked Tirek.

"Let's give them a few hours head start, until then, I want to test how obedient the Element of Loyalty can be." Awa looked down at the weakened and catatonic Rainbow Dash. She had plans for her.

Far away, the caribou nurse was at a sink with the dishes that needed to be cleaned. She suddenly got a knock on the door. She peeked through the window in front of the sink to see two army males waiting. "Crud, can't let them know I am harboring a foreigner." she quickly went over to a sleeping Applejack and opened the night stand next to the bed. "This should help disguise you." she pick up from the night stand a piece of caribou horn and placed it behind Applejack's ear. The nurse quickly got her nurse cap and collar straightened up and walked to the door.

"Oh, good evening you two, what services can I offer you two brave souls of the great Rangifer Army?" the nurse said to them in standard caribou etiquette. A female must always ask a visiting male what kind of service they want.

"Just to answer us some questions ma'am." said one soldier. "I'm Corporal Alart and this is my colleague Corporal Americ and we're hear because we heard reports of a suspected foreigner within our country borders. More specifically an Equestrian pony female." both soldiers wore a medieval helmet, chain mail and tunics over the chain mail.

"Well, I haven't seen any walk by here, but you are free to look around if you want." the nurse offered.

"Why don't I hear the radio ma'am?" stated Americ with suspicion and being the observant one of the two, as symbolized by a pair of eyes on his tunic.

"Oh, the radio is on just like the law requires, I just turned it down since I currently have a patient recuperating." the nurse pointed to Applejack still sleeping in the bed.

"Ah, we see." nodded Alart as they two soldiers looked through every nook and cranny for any hiding places. "Don't mind us ma'am, we're just following standard procedure."

To the nurse's relief, both soldiers bypassed Applejack each and every time. The deception worked.

"Everything checks out sir." announced Americ. He turned over to the nurse. "Just make sure we know the radio is still on ma'am, don't want an important female like you to suffer a day in the stocks."

"Oh...I'll keep that in mind sirs." nodded the nurse with relief. "So, is there anything I can offer you before you leave?"

Americ turned to his colleague. "Sir, since you are the senior among-st us I would like to ask for permission to satisfy my urges with this female nurse."

"Permission denied corporal, we have an order to complete first." answered Alart. "Once we're done we can go into town and visit a brothel, until then, we continue our mission, understood?"

"Yes sir." he saluted his senior colleague with disappointment in his voice.

"Thank you for the cooperation ma'am." Alart slightly bowed to the nurse before he and his colleague left. The front door closed and the nurse was once again alone. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"The things I do to help undermine the system." she sighed.

"You asked for me Awa." said the caribou male Serrell as he met with Awa at the Canterlot train station.

"Yes...I have a gift to give you, something to show my gratitude for doing your duty." said Awa. "But first, how's the potion going?"

"It has just been delivered to Dainn just as you said."

"Good." smirked the mare. "Now here's your gift." Awa used her magic to open a train car door. "She's right inside ready to get her wings plucked and brainwashed."

"An Equestrian female? For me? How exotic." smirked Serrell. "She should fetch a hefty price back home."

"But she's not just some Equestrian female...she's one of the elements of harmony." Awa showed Serrell inside the train car to show a weak Rainbow Dash chained up and spread eagle against the wall. "Didn't Dainn always say that he wanted a harem consisting of the six elements of harmony?"

"Please...let me go..." weakly pleaded Dash with fear. She did not want to face her fate.

"Now, now Loyalty, just relax and everything will be fine." Awa used her magic to place a black collar around Dash's neck.

"Dainn will love this." laughed Serrell.

"Please..."

"I knew he would." laughed Awa as well as she suddenly placed a black bag over Rainbow Dash's head.

Darkness...