New Republic Empireby ConCarrotChaptersCHAPTER 1CHAPTER 2CHAPTER 3CHAPTER 4CHAPTER 5CHAPTER 1“We have no chance of winning,” I mumbled through gritted teeth, as I scanned this morning’s newspaper. Just a week ago, four spies were sent from the Lunar Republic to the Solar Empire. Only one of them returned yesterday, and he claimed the other three were killed in the hooves of Princess Celestia. The newspaper stated that our Princess Luna commands us not to be discouraged, and that if we stay loyal, we will surely defeat the Solar Empire. I sighed and discarded the paper into the air, watching it flutter away in the wind. Hopefully, another pony without any money would get their hooves on it and read about the bad news. My bones cracked painfully as I stood up. I ignored the disgusted looks of richer ponies as they walked past me down the street. I was just another homeless guy who just made a bad impression on the Lunar Republic. Maybe I should leave. That thought had crossed my mind more and more within the past month. I could run away and nopony would care or notice. I could get away from this war and just live on my own, without a care in the world. Nah. Everywhere outside of the Territories had such harsh environments, I would never be able to survive. The earth was scarred when weapons running on unicorn magic and technology were invented. Homes would be burned down, ponies were killed; it was all hectic. Everypony blamed Princess Luna. It actually wasn’t her fault completely. Long ago, she was banished by her elder sister Princess Celestia until the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony brought her back. However, the ponyfolk were unwilling to let her return to the throne just like that. Besides, she was gone for a thousand years! Everything had been fine after she was banished. Luna and Celestia had gradually divided as well. Luna was furious that after being gone a thousand years, the pony folk disliked her even more. Celestia tried to reassure her that soon, they would come to love and respect her as one of their Princesses. Time passed, and nothing changed. The ponies just got more and more angry, and so was Luna. There were some who even tried to assassinate her. Luna was furious by those acts, declaring that any who opposed her didn’t deserve to live in her land. Celestia kept reminding her to be patient, but Luna said that nopony could stay patient forever. Did her sister expect her to wait another thousand years or more? And then, that day came. The out-of-the-blue decision. The decision was shown first on newspaper. Then, propaganda started appearing. Fliers of either Celestia or Luna were scattered across the kingdom, telling the ponyfolk to choose a princess to follow. No further details were given. This was purely a test to see which princess the ponies loved more. The results were unsurprising. Of the estimated 10,000,000 ponies inhabiting Equestria, Celestia received around 8,500,000. Luna received the rest. Thus, the real war began. This happened twenty years ago. What about the Crystal Empire? I thought. Maybe I could run there. But that was hundreds of miles away. Nopony had been in contact with the Crystal Empire for the last two decades. Shining Armour, once Prince and Captain of the Royal Guards, abandoned his title to lead the Empire beside his wife, Princess Cadence. After the division of Equestria, they had stated bluntly that they would not take part in any of this war. Nopony could really force them to, since the Crystal Empire technically wasn’t a part of Equestria. So they stayed isolated, miles from the Territories established by the Princesses. Both sides had an equal amount of territory more-or-less, despite the Lunar Republic having a much smaller population. The dividing point was at Canterlot. Lunar Republic’s furthest area to the north was Neighagara Falls, which led to Manehatten. The shoreline was part of the boundary, and their south-most area was Hayseed Swamp. The boundary then skirted around the Badlands, and then stopped at the railway in Appleloosa. Part of the Everfree forest belonged to the Republic. Now, Solar Empire had pretty much the other half of Equestria, excluding the San Palomino Desert. The Frozen North was unclaimed by either side. Princess Luna resided at Manehatten, while Celestia lived in Vanhoover. What’s life like in the Solar Empire? It has to be better than this. I was four years old and an orphan in the only orphanage in Equestria when this war began. That orphanage happened to be located in Baltimare, on the Lunar Republic’s half. I was automatically placed in the Lunar Republic. I lived oblivious to what was happening in the world until I turned eighteen. I was kicked out. I got a painful amount of bits to live off of, which I quickly ran out of. I couldn’t find any jobs. Our world was poverty-stricken by then and nopony wanted to hire a homeless pony fresh out of the orphanage who had zero experience in everything. Things just kept going downhill for me these past six years. Well, things have been going downhill for everypony here in the Republic. I ruminated about my life in the orphanage. It was a dark, gloomy place, but at least I got to eat everyday, had a bed to sleep in, and made friends. I had one friend who was nearly the same age as me. He was two weeks older, so he got released from the orphanage two weeks before me. We were each other’s closest friends, and he vowed that he would wait near the orphanage for me. Two weeks later, I found him sitting behind the fence that caged in the orphanage building. We stayed together and watched each other’s backs. We were homeless, but we were pretty happy to have each other’s company. This only lasted a month or two. I had gone exploring the city and when I returned, I found my friend missing from our usual shelter. I heard gunshots from around the block, and when I galloped there as fast as I could, I found him lying on the ground. There were two bullet holes in him. I had to look away, since it was the first time in my life that I had seen so much blood. It was also the first time I saw death. Standing a few lengths away was an armored stallion. He was a unicorn, and he was levitating a strange metal object. I remembered that just before I left the orphanage, the matron warned me about the police. They were Luna’s guards. There were few of them, but if they ever saw anypony causing trouble, they would take out this strange weapon and shoot them. One shot, and a pony could die. I gaped at my friend in horror. He was dead. “Once a pony is dead, you will never be able to talk to them or see them ever again,” the matron’s quivery voice had warned me that day as I eagerly stepped past the orphanage door. The police was eying the gathering crowd. I heard somepony exclaim, “Why did you kill him?!” “He tried to steal my gun,” the guard replied curtly. I stared at the object. It was called a gun. “You killed him for trying to steal your gun?” Another pony said with disbelief. The guard raised his gun and pointed it at everypony. I felt my knees go weak when it pointed at me. “Anypony who defies Princess Luna doesn’t deserve to live here,” the guard declared. “I am her guard, so anypony who defies me is defying the Princess as well.” I turned tail and ran. When I turned the corner, I saw our shelter. I raced past it without a thought. That was the last time I saw that little shelter I called home. I never found another one like it. Author's Note For the part where there is a description of the Territories, refer to this http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130403195243/mlp/images/c/cb/Map_of_Equestria_April_2013.jpg CHAPTER 2“Princess Celestia!” Twilight Sparkle flew towards the Princess’s throne room. She barged in, so frantic that she forgot about the guards at the door. She skidded to a stop when she saw metal spears hovering an inch from her eyes. When the guards saw who it was, they immediately pulled back. Celestia reading the newspaper, and if she noticed Twilight, she didn’t portray it. “Princess?” Twilight squeaked. It sounded much quieter than she had hoped. Celestia looked up and nodded. “Yes, Twilight?” Twilight swallowed as she took a few steps forward. She winced at the resonating sound of her hooves in the mammoth room. Why am I so nervous? I’ve always been able to talk to Celestia. She taught me since fillyhood, for crying out loud! Twilight parted her jaws, ready to speak but hesitating. Celestia slapped the newspaper harshly onto the hoofrest (armrest). “You charged right in,” the princess said. “So it must be important. Hurry up.” “Right...Princess, you remember those four Republic spies we found yesterday?” “Of course I remember. I am Celestia. I wouldn’t forget that.” “Y-yes, of course. Well, we had them all held captive, until…” “Speak loud and clear, Twilight Sparkle. Don’t let your voice trail off. You are a Princess.” Twilight nodded furiously, but she felt unhappiness seeping through her fur. Yeah, I am a Princess. But it seems like you’re the only one ruling here… She spoke again, clearer this time. “One of the spies escaped.” Princess Celestia leaned back into her throne, her flowing hair trying to escape from being squashed. “Who’s fault is this?” she demanded. Twilight blinked nervously. “Uh, nopony’s?” “That spy escaped because his cell wasn’t made escape-proof! Who is in charge of checking the cells?” “Rock Lock,” Twilight croaked, dreading what was about to happen. “Have Rock Lock sent here at once,” Celestia ordered the guards at the door. They dashed away with a “Yes, your Highness.” Twilight’s tail swished uncomfortably. “Princess, what exactly are you planning to do?” Celestia raised her newspaper again, which Twilight saw was crowded with doodles. “That Rock Lock didn’t put enough care into locking that spy in,” the Princess stated. “Therefore, he doesn’t care about pleasing his Princess. Therefore, he will be banished.” I gaped, and immediately stopped myself. “B-but, Princess. He still had the other three locked in fine!” “But one got away,” the Princess retorted. “But Rock Lock is just a normal unicorn pony! Everypony makes mistakes.” Under her breath, Twilight added, “Even you.” The Princess didn’t hear, thankfully. “I don’t need his mistakes. He can live in the desert starting today. I’ll find another pony to check the cells.” Twilight forced herself to not argue. It felt like swallowing a rock. Exhaling, she sat down and awaited the inevitable. A minute or two later, the guards returned with a terrified-looking unicorn stallion. His fur was steel-colored and his mane was white with a streak of light gray. His cutie mark was a key. Celestia glared at the unicorn, who cowered under her gaze. “You, Rock Lock. You failed your duty to me, so you will be banished.” Rock Lock’s eyes widened. “B-banished?! But--” Celestia’s horn flared with yellow light, blinding Twilight. She watched through squinted eyes as the unicorn was enveloped in the magic. The humming of the magic was deafening, but Twilight thought she heard him cry for help before vanishing into thin air. Twilight rubbed her eyes. The guards were looking quite shaken as well. “Princess,” Twilight began cautiously. “Did you just--” “I teleported him to the San Palomino Desert,” she grunted. Twilight nodded, her heart still pounding. What will become of the Solar Empire with Celestia ruling like this…?! The door busted open and in wooshed a familiar rainbow-maned pegasus. Twilight sagged with relief when she saw her good friend. “Rainbow Dash,” Celestia addressed. “Why are you here?” Rainbow, despite her normally confident and open personality, shrank down a bit when she spoke to Celestia. “The weird weather is back,” the pegasus reported. “Then, you pegasi do something about it,” Celestia scoffed. “We can’t,” Rainbow answered. “The clouds are moving on their own and we can’t control them! It started snowing up north.” “Snow!” Celestia growled. “Perhaps I should move to Las Pegasus after all.” Rainbow flitted her eyes towards Twilight, and their gazes held. Rainbow looked pretty uneasy. “Twilight,” Celestia said sharply. “Yes, Princess?” “Go with Rainbow Dash and take a look at the ‘uncontrollable’ weather. Do something about it.” “Y-yes, Princess.” Twilight got up and quickly trotted after Rainbow. They closed the door behind them and started walking down the massive hallway with stained-glass windows on either side. It was almost a replica of the Princess’s old home back in Canterlot. “Phew,” Twilight sighed as they walked. “I’m so glad to be out of there.” Rainbow laughed a bit, but there was a hint of concern in her laugh. “You really don’t like Celestia anymore, huh?” “I just...I wish she would go back to how she was before this war…” “It’s been twenty years, Twilight. It’ll be hard for anypony to change.” Twilight nodded. “Celestia did have to go through the pain of splitting with her sister again after finally reuniting after a thousand years.” “It’s all us ponies’ fault,” Rainbow said angrily. “If we had been more accepting, Luna would never have gotten angry and this whole war wouldn’t exist.” Twilight shared Rainbow’s frustrated feelings, but she decided to put their mind off of this topic. “Race you to the entrance,” Twilight yelled. Twilight opened her wings and started flying towards the giant doors. Rainbow whisked past her in a second and pushed the doors open. Twilight slowed when she reached RD, breathless. “Nice try,” Rainbow teased. “Now, lemme bring you to the crazy weather.” Fluttershy was there, along with Applejack. “C’mon, Fluttershy!” Applejack hollered. “Put yer back into it!” Fluttershy was struggling to push a rather large cloud away. “The wind’s too strong,” she wailed. All the other pegasi were trying to push the clouds away too, with no such luck. Twilight stared at the spectacle. “We could use some Princess magic,” Rainbow hinted at the purple alicorn. Then she flew up into the air and tackled a snow cloud. Heat spell, Twilight thought immediately. A powerful one could probably quench this snow. Twilight poured her strength into her horn. She felt the magic expelling through it, and her face warmed from the heat waves. “Stand back, everypony!” she yelled as she flew up towards the clouds. The snow stopped soon enough, but was replaced with rain. “Gah,” she blurted as she was drenched. She flew back to the ground, where ponies were running to take shelter. Twilight found her friends running back towards town. Twilight flew after them, leaving the rain clouds behind. “Not sure if I prefer the rain or the snow,” Applejack joked as the four of them entered a small cafe. She gave her whole body a shake, spraying water onto Fluttershy and Rainbow and shaking her hat off. “Hey,” Rainbow Dash yelped. “Watch where you’re shaking your water.” Fluttershy scooped up AJ’s hat and passed it to her. “Thanks, Fluttershy,” she said as she placed it back on her head. “Sorry about that,” Twilight said sheepishly. “I should’ve realized it would become rain.” Rainbow Dash rustled her wings. “Twilight, you were pretty helpful. Vanhoover hasn’t had any rain in moons.” “Yeah,” Applejack agreed. “The crops have been relying on pond and stream water. Some rain will really do ‘em good.” Twilight looked at her hooves. “Do you miss Sweet Apple Acres, AJ?” Applejack looked at the purple pony with slight surprise. “Well, yeah, I do. But it’s been twenty years, Twi. I’ve gotten over it. This is mah life now.” Twilight nodded, but she didn’t share her feelings with Applejack. Twilight longed for things to be back to normal. I’m a Princess. Why can’t I do anything? “I haven’t asked about Apple Bloom in a while,” she said slowly. “Has she sent any mail recently?” Applejack rubbed her hoof on a patch of mud on the wooden floorboards. “Her last one was three weeks ago. She said that she’s havin’ a fine time buildin’ bombs back in Ponyville. There hasn’t been any accidents. She says she misses us and Big Mac.” “Same as every letter she sends,” Fluttershy mused worriedly. “Yeah,” Applejack agreed, sounding twice as worried. “And it’s been three weeks. I hope she’s doin’ alright.” Twilight felt guilty for asking about Applejack’s sister. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” “Naw, it’s fine Sugarcube. Talking about her really does make me feel better.” Rainbow suddenly interrupted. “Hey guys, did you just notice we’re in a cafe? Let’s eat something!” Applejack laughed a bit. “Fine, fine. Let’s take a look at what this place has first. We’ve never even been here before. And bits are a lot more precious than they used to.” The friends went over to the ordering counter and looked at the menu. Twilight skimmed through it. “They’ve got a list for cupcakes, a list for pies, and a list for soft drinks.” “What kind of cafe is this?” Rainbow exclaimed, bewildered. “It’s really cheap, though,” Twilight said. It was only five bits for a pie! “Hello?” Applejack called over the counter. “Who takes da orders?” An elderly mare stepped out. She was blue with a faded pink, swirly mane. Twilight gasped in recognition. “Mrs. Cake!” Twilight said. Mrs. Cake’s eyes lightened. “Why, it’s you! I haven’t seen you all in years! You’ve grown so much…” The mare shuffled over to them. She looked them over warmly. “So, you want to order something?” We all ordered something and agreed to splitting the costs. We found a table that had once-cheerful designs and took a seat. “This reminds me of Sugarcube Corner,” Fluttershy mused. There was a moment of silence. “It also reminds me of…” Applejack’s voice slowed and paused. “Pinkie Pie,” the other three said in unison, voices thick with grief. Twilight walked out of the cafe feeling much better than earlier today. It had been a while since she go to spend this much time with her friends. Applejack looked a little impatient. “Listen, y’all. I need to skedaddle. Got farmin’ to do.” “Aw,” Rainbow whined. “But we’ve been having such a fun time!” “I know,” Applejack said, sounding genuinely reluctant to leave too. “Which is why I gotta go.” Rainbow looked ready to protest, but Twilight stopped her. “Go on, Applejack,” Twilight said. “Hopefully we can get together again soon.” “Yep,” Applejack said cheerfully. She waved her hat before galloping off. Fluttershy pushed a strand of pink hair away from her muzzle. “Do you think Rarity misses us?” Twilight hadn’t seen Rarity in fifteen years. She managed to get a rare but well-earning job in Las Pegasus. She designed clothes for the few high-society ponies left in this world. She was living her dream. Her dream provided her with no time to spend with her friends, however. It’s been a long time. We’re probably just a feeling of nostalgia to her now. This thought reminded her of Pinkie Pie. That party pony wasn’t seen since the beginning of the war. They had no contact with her, and had no idea where she was. Her friends are her everything. Pinkie, where are you? I wish we could just all be together again. CHAPTER 3I watched a youthful couple buying some fruit from a food vendor. I stared hungrily at the gold-colored bits flashing in the pale sunlight, but I felt hungrier at the sight of the colourful fruit. I hadn’t managed to find food yet today. I could barely remember what fresh fruit tasted like. The couple looked like they were part of the wealthier side of society. Looked highly on by the rest of the wealthy, looked down on with jealousy by the rest. I was feeling quite jealous. I eyed the other homeless ponies around the street. There were three. And all of them had their eyes fixed on the couple as the couple made their way down the sidewalk, carrying the fruit with their unicorn magic. Unicorns. They always seemed to be so sophisticated. In fact, most of the wealthy are unicorns. I don’t know how that happened. I am a Pegasus. Yeah, I can fly and unicorns can’t. But having wings isn’t so great when you can’t fly. Living in a cramped orphanage for my entire foalhood sure didn’t let me develop those skills. Movement suddenly caught my eye. I snapped my head toward it and saw one of those homeless ponies making his way towards the couple. I stared in shock. Then I noticed a small head peak out from the alleyway where the pony had been waiting. It looked like a unicorn filly. It was watching the older pony make his way towards the couple. The pony tackled the stallion first, making the fruits drop out of the air. The mare shrieked and tried to pry the stranger off with her magic. When that didn’t work, she started kicking him. I saw the homeless pony flick his tail. It must have been a signal of some sort, because the unicorn filly dashed out of her hiding place and scooped the fruit up with her magic. Then, she ran back into the alleyway. The mare noticed and began to chase after the thief. The homeless pony grabbed her tail and held her back. Soon, a heated fight began. My heart pounded as I watched through the corner of my eye. Other ponies strolling down the streets noticed the fight, and ran over to help out. I saw none of the homeless ponies moving, however. One actually got up and walked away. I noticed that I was standing up. It was unfair! That stallion only wanted to get some food for himself and that filly. That couple could easily just buy more. Why didn’t anypony see the reasoning? I took a step towards the fight. I need to help that stallion. Suddenly, a loud, cracking sound made me trip. For some reason, I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do. I saw armored stallions racing down the path. They were each levitating a...gun next to their faces. N-no! Guns! They were going to kill that homeless pony! The other ponies saw the police arrive and they quickly backed off, revealing a very beaten up stallion. Everypony else was unscathed. “What happened here?” one of the police demanded. The couple was standing there, staring at the limp homeless pony with anger. “He’s a thief,” the male one said. The police officer pointed his gun at the homeless pony. The pony stared at the nozzle, not reacting. Then, the gun was fired. I squeezed my eyes shut, but I wasn’t quick enough. The image of the pony’s head falling, limp, flashed behind my eyelids. I opened my eyes again, and the crowd of ponies were all looking quite shaken as well. Even the couple. That police officer just killed the homeless guy without a thought. He didn’t even check for evidence or anything! That pony he just shot didn’t even have the fruit with him! The police officer blew a whistle, and several police officers streamed in and hovered around the dead body. They wrapped the body in cloth and ran away with it. I closed my eyes, trying to calm my nerves. Then I remembered the unicorn filly. I felt tempted to go into that alleyway to see where it led. Maybe I could find that filly. She probably didn’t know that her friend was just mercilessly killed. Who will take care of her? Not me. I waited for the crowd to disperse before getting up and peering into the crack between the buildings. It led to the other side side of the buildings. I squeezed in. My shoulders brushed the walls as I made my way forward. I popped out the other side, only to meet another semi-bustling street like the one I was just at. I sighed and went back into the alleyway, where I took a nap. I woke up when I heard a clop next to my ear. I jerked up, alarmed, and my head nearly smashed into the stomach of another pony. “Jeepers!” The pony exclaimed. It was a female, and she looked ready to run off. The tight space between the walls didn’t allow it though, and she just turned and looked apologetically at me. “Sorry for interrupting your nap,” she said. She had a faint western accent. “Uh, it’s alright.” I was curious to why she would be crossing through this alley. “Why are you here?” I asked. She looked a little nervous. A metal cart from the street reflected some sunlight onto her face, and I saw that she had freckles and green eyes. She was wearing an intelligent brown dress with frills at the neck. “I’m in a hurry to get somewhere,” she said. “This is the fastest route I can find. You happened to be in here...napping.” I sat up and adjusted my sleeveless, threadbare, button-up jacket. “Well uh, nice meeting you.” She nodded tightly, but gave me a friendly smile. “Yeah. Bye.” With that, she walked out and disappeared from sight. I leaned back against the cool wall, feeling the rough bricks scratching my neck. I hadn’t talked to a higher class pony in ages. And this one seemed particularly nice. She looked a little familiar, for some reason. Suddenly, I heard rushed hoofsteps behind me. I whirled around and saw that unicorn filly. She didn’t have any fruit with her anymore. “Hi,” I said uncertainly. Her eyes widened, as if she recognized me. “You,” she said with demanding voice. “What happened to that stallion?” “He’s dead,” I forced out. I watched her face go from dominant to horror, and then to the frailness of an eighty-year-old pony. I watched her turn away. “O-okay.” She walked back the way she came from, her steps quaking, and then she ran off just before she turned the corner. I’m going to kill those police officers one day. I was still feeling hungry, and got up, ready to find a bite or two. I took a step forward, and my hoof stepped on some crinkly surface. I looked down, and saw a rumpled piece of paper. I turned it over and was surprised to find several notes written down on it. I hadn’t read anything other than propaganda in a long time. I brought it close to my face, trying to make out the messy writing in the dark. I heard some barking, and I recognized them as the sounds of dogs. Encouraging shouts were heard over the barking, so I figured it was some police and their trained dogs. They must be searching for someone. Not wanting to be viewed at suspiciously for being in this dark alleyway, I rushed out and back into the sunlight. The sky was already inking out. I had nowhere to put the paper, so I opened my wing, and carefully held the note under my wing. “They’re getting excited,” I heard somepony shout behind me. I saw the dogs sniffing at the other side of the alleyway. I moved away. Police looked at all homeless ponies as criminals. I heard the barking become more frenzied, and much louder. I looked behind my back, and my heart dropped when I saw the dogs trying to lunge at me, only to be restrained by leashes by the police. The police eyed me viciously. What? I haven’t done anything wrong! Those dogs have made a mistake. “Hey son,” one of them called at me. “Get over here.” I was terrified. Were they going to shoot me next? “If you want to run, we’ll just let these guys loose.” The officer nodded at the dogs, who were desperately trying to maul me to pieces. I didn’t know what to do, or what was happening. I tried to reassure myself. I’m innocent. The officers will find out I’m innocent and this will all be over. But I knew the officers had no interest in checking for evidence, especially in the case of dealing with ponies like me. I decided to oblige to their orders and walked towards them. When I was a meter away from them, I found that I couldn’t move my legs anymore. I looked down and saw them covered with the magical aura of unicorn magic. The other officer ripped off my jacket with his magic. Then he shook it harshly, making sure I wasn’t hiding anything. A thought crossed my mind. That note...could that be why those dogs chose me? No way. I found that note literally two seconds before those dogs appeared. Besides, it was just some paper. “Wings open,” the officer instructed. I inched them open, and I felt the paper slip out. “OH HO,” both officers said triumphantly. “What’s this?” There was a moment of silence as the officer examined the note. I didn’t even know what was written there. “Hey, Hold,” the officer said, chuckling. He was talking to the other officer. “This guy is the one.” “Wow,” Hold said. “That was easier than I expected!” The dogs had settled down a bit, and were whining. Hold went over to them and rubbed their heads, all the while keeping me in place with his magic. “Good job, guys,” he said, and he rewarded both of them with some...meat. I didn’t know what was happening. This was all that note’s fault! “E-excuse me,” I stammered. The officers’ gazes snapped to me. “What is it, son?” the unnamed one asked sharply. “I don’t know what’s going on. If you think I committed some sort of crime, I didn’t! And I have nothing to do with that note. I just happened to find it on the ground.” The officers exchanged exasperated looks. “How can you prove that?” Hold asked, looking like he was holding back a laugh. I tried to think of an answer. But I was too slow. I felt something cold and hard slither around my midsection and tighten. My wings were now immobile. Cuffs were locked over my forehooves. I could only slide a hoof forward by about two inches. A blindfold was placed over my head, and darkness was all I could see for the next few grueling hours. CHAPTER 4I woke to a muffled, static voice. I was still blindfolded. “The news of the captured spy will be passed on to the Solar Empire,” I heard a strong, female voice shouting. “This is the first Empire spy we Republicans caught, so let this remind you that not all hope is lost!” Captured spy…? I figured that the voice was coming from Princess Luna, from a radio or tv. Back in the orphanage, we had a tv. We only had one channel on it though. Whenever the time had come for the only foal show, the tv would be so crowded, I could rarely see what was happening. Suddenly, someone spoke next to my face. “Heya.” I jumped from instinct, but that was when I realized that I was sitting in a chair. The cloth covering my eyes was ripped away from my face, and I squinted as I had to adjust to the sudden change in brightness. I saw a pony figure in front of me, and I recognized him as Hold, one of the officers who caught me. “Your years of being a spy are over,” he said coolly. I’m the spy in the news? So they think I’m a spy. “Solar Empire will finally lose one of their own to us!” Hold said happily. “Y-you’re gonna kill me now?” I asked, too scared to believe it. “Uh, not yet. The Princess wants us to get some info outta you first.” Info? Uh oh. I have no secret info about the Solar Empire whatsoever. "Your interrogation begins tomorrow," Hold said as he headed for the door. "We won't inflict pain on you if you answer our questions." He closed the light before shutting the door. I waited in the dark in terror until the next day. I heard the door creak open, and the sudden break in silence made my heart lurch. I threw my gaze at the door, and a hooded pony in a cloak step in. The cloaked pony carefully closed the door. Then the stranger made their way towards me, at snail speed. When they got close enough, they pulled back their hood, revealing their face. I gasped when I recognized her. It was that freckled orange pony from a few days ago! "Hi," she said, expressionless. I remained silent. I wasn’t sure what to make of this. She sighed, and suddenly started working on untying my ropes bounding me to the chair. "You're not the spy," she said suddenly. I was relieved to hear that somepony thought I wasn't a spy. But she sounded so sure, which made me wonder how she knew. "It was a all a huge mistake," she continued. My right hoof suddenly broke free, and it snapped painfully as I straightened my leg for the first time in days. "How do you know?" I asked her. “How did you even find me?” She glanced right into my eyes. She looked away just before she spoke. "I'm the real spy they're looking for." I gaped. "That note you found belongs to me. I guess I dropped it in that alley. Whoops." She chuckles uncomfortably. I had mixed feelings, but for now I decided to he thrilled I was being rescued. My other hoof was unbound, and I stretched it eagerly, despite the cracking sounds and the painful popping in my joints. I was freed! I relished in the ability of being able to move around. "Looky here, son," the orange pony said slowly. "My reputation as a spy is ruined due to the news of me being captured. But if I run back to and make it seem like I escaped myself, Celestia might keep me. I'll help you get away from this place, but then I will skedaddle." "Wait," I said quickly, an idea forming. "Can you take me across the border with you?" She hesitated. "I could," she said, emphasizing 'could'. "Please take me with you," I said, adding a desperate tone for I truly was desperate. "I need to get out of this Republic." The orange pony gave in. "Fine. It shouldn’t be too hard to get you across the border. But then you're on your own." "Thank you," I said, smiling for the first time in as long as I could remember. "C'mon," She said, glancing at the door. "It's four AM. Those guards will be here soon to check on ya." I had butterflies in my stomach as I watched her peek out the door. "Go!" she whispered. Her legs were tensed. "Stay close behind me." She galloped off, and I raced after her. I hadn't moved in days, so there was no way I could sprint much. But I have to. She was really fast. Probably the fastest earth pony I've ever seen. I realized how loud our hoofsteps were, but I figured she had already thought about that. "Turn the corner," she said over her shoulder. Literally one heartbeat later, she altered course, going left. I skidded to a stop before doubling back to the intersection of the hallways. "The exit is on the right," she informed me after a few more seconds of running. She didn't sound breathless at all, and I was already gasping for air. She lunged out the door and I followed her. It was still dark out, which worked to our advantage. The place seemed like the orphanage from the outside, except not as old. There was barbed wire fences all around. "Follow me," the mare said again. She ran to the side of the building. I watched with confusion as she charged right at the ten tail-length fence. Then, she jumped, clearing the fence like it was a log. She waited for me e on the other side. "Hey," she said. "Aren't you gonna come over?" I stared at her. "Not everypony can jump like you!" She stared back in bewilderment. "Aren't you a Pegasus?" she asked. "Don't tell me you can't fly." I realized what she was talking about, and I never felt so embarrassed. The mare grunted in frustration. "I'll help you out." She reached into her cloak and pulled out some rope. She held it between her teeth and started swinging it like a cowgirl. She lassoed a nearby branch. She yanked, and the branch completely tore off. It landed on my side of the fence at an angle, forming a sort of path to the top of the fence. "Hurry up," she urged. I placed a hoof uncertainly on the wood. Suddenly, white light outlined my silhouette in front of me onto the wood. I whirled around and saw the prison place come to life. I heard a faint alarm coming from inside it. “Hurry up!” the orange pony repeated, yelling this time. I staggered to the top, heart racing as I went as fast as I could but also being careful not to fall off. I was a few more steps from the top, but the sight of the barbed wires made me hesitate. “Oh Celestia,” the mare muttered. She got her rope and lassoed me around the chest and pulled me up and over the fence. I sprawled gracefully onto the wet grass. She thundered past me with the lasso still attached to me. She dragged me along until I finally found my footing. “Where are we going?” I asked, my voice breaking because I was sprinting to keep up with her. “Straight to the border,” she replied, her eyes fixed on the dark forest path ahead of us. “How are we going to find our way?” I manage to sputter out. “There’s old railway tracks leading to all over Equestria. Nopony uses ‘em anymore, so we’ll just follow that. In a few days’ walk we’ll get across the border.” I nod. A few days… CHAPTER 5"Please, Princess! Let me find her!" "I told you, Twilight Sparkle. She failed and is might as well dead by now. I don't need someone who makes mistakes." Twilight's eyes stung. It was so unfair. "She was your spy for twenty years," Twilight growled. She forgot about keeping her tone level. "One mistake in twenty years. How is that not good enough for you?" "One mistake every A THOUSAND years will only please me!" the Princess yelled. "Get out of my presence, Twilight." Twilight turned around and stormed out immediately. When she closed the huge doors, she found her friends waiting. Fluttershy hugged Twilight comfortingly, while Rainbow watched Twilight with sorrow. At last, she herself moved in closer and wrapped a foreleg around Twilight. "Don't worry about AJ," the blue pony said. "She'll get away herself. Heck, she was even able to sneak away from us when she went on her missions! She kept it secret from us for so long..." Twilight pondered over it. Twilight didn't want to lose Applejack after losing Pinkie and Rarity. Besides, they could save the farm pony. "And hey," Rainbow added after a moment. "Who says we can't rescue her ourselves if we have to?" Fluttershy looked at the floor, which was gleaming and polished. "Princess Celestia won’t allow it," she answered softly. Rainbow rolled her eyes. "We don't have to listen to her. Are we going to stay loyal to that crazy Princess or are we going to stay loyal to Applejack?" Fluttershy looked thoughtful. Twilight thought the idea was nice, but... "If we save AJ, Celestia will kick us out for sure," Twilight warned. "Ha, like we need her," Rainbow said, grinning confidently. "With Applejack, the four of us will have a better life than life could ever be living under Celestia." Twilight was feeling pretty confident too, but it didn't feel right that she wanted to leave her mentor so badly. Especially after decades of being her student. "That's what we'll do if AJ doesn't come back," Twilight reminded. "Yeah," Rainbow said. The three friends stood there together for a while in silence, dreams about the future raiding their minds.
CHAPTER 1“We have no chance of winning,” I mumbled through gritted teeth, as I scanned this morning’s newspaper. Just a week ago, four spies were sent from the Lunar Republic to the Solar Empire. Only one of them returned yesterday, and he claimed the other three were killed in the hooves of Princess Celestia. The newspaper stated that our Princess Luna commands us not to be discouraged, and that if we stay loyal, we will surely defeat the Solar Empire. I sighed and discarded the paper into the air, watching it flutter away in the wind. Hopefully, another pony without any money would get their hooves on it and read about the bad news. My bones cracked painfully as I stood up. I ignored the disgusted looks of richer ponies as they walked past me down the street. I was just another homeless guy who just made a bad impression on the Lunar Republic. Maybe I should leave. That thought had crossed my mind more and more within the past month. I could run away and nopony would care or notice. I could get away from this war and just live on my own, without a care in the world. Nah. Everywhere outside of the Territories had such harsh environments, I would never be able to survive. The earth was scarred when weapons running on unicorn magic and technology were invented. Homes would be burned down, ponies were killed; it was all hectic. Everypony blamed Princess Luna. It actually wasn’t her fault completely. Long ago, she was banished by her elder sister Princess Celestia until the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony brought her back. However, the ponyfolk were unwilling to let her return to the throne just like that. Besides, she was gone for a thousand years! Everything had been fine after she was banished. Luna and Celestia had gradually divided as well. Luna was furious that after being gone a thousand years, the pony folk disliked her even more. Celestia tried to reassure her that soon, they would come to love and respect her as one of their Princesses. Time passed, and nothing changed. The ponies just got more and more angry, and so was Luna. There were some who even tried to assassinate her. Luna was furious by those acts, declaring that any who opposed her didn’t deserve to live in her land. Celestia kept reminding her to be patient, but Luna said that nopony could stay patient forever. Did her sister expect her to wait another thousand years or more? And then, that day came. The out-of-the-blue decision. The decision was shown first on newspaper. Then, propaganda started appearing. Fliers of either Celestia or Luna were scattered across the kingdom, telling the ponyfolk to choose a princess to follow. No further details were given. This was purely a test to see which princess the ponies loved more. The results were unsurprising. Of the estimated 10,000,000 ponies inhabiting Equestria, Celestia received around 8,500,000. Luna received the rest. Thus, the real war began. This happened twenty years ago. What about the Crystal Empire? I thought. Maybe I could run there. But that was hundreds of miles away. Nopony had been in contact with the Crystal Empire for the last two decades. Shining Armour, once Prince and Captain of the Royal Guards, abandoned his title to lead the Empire beside his wife, Princess Cadence. After the division of Equestria, they had stated bluntly that they would not take part in any of this war. Nopony could really force them to, since the Crystal Empire technically wasn’t a part of Equestria. So they stayed isolated, miles from the Territories established by the Princesses. Both sides had an equal amount of territory more-or-less, despite the Lunar Republic having a much smaller population. The dividing point was at Canterlot. Lunar Republic’s furthest area to the north was Neighagara Falls, which led to Manehatten. The shoreline was part of the boundary, and their south-most area was Hayseed Swamp. The boundary then skirted around the Badlands, and then stopped at the railway in Appleloosa. Part of the Everfree forest belonged to the Republic. Now, Solar Empire had pretty much the other half of Equestria, excluding the San Palomino Desert. The Frozen North was unclaimed by either side. Princess Luna resided at Manehatten, while Celestia lived in Vanhoover. What’s life like in the Solar Empire? It has to be better than this. I was four years old and an orphan in the only orphanage in Equestria when this war began. That orphanage happened to be located in Baltimare, on the Lunar Republic’s half. I was automatically placed in the Lunar Republic. I lived oblivious to what was happening in the world until I turned eighteen. I was kicked out. I got a painful amount of bits to live off of, which I quickly ran out of. I couldn’t find any jobs. Our world was poverty-stricken by then and nopony wanted to hire a homeless pony fresh out of the orphanage who had zero experience in everything. Things just kept going downhill for me these past six years. Well, things have been going downhill for everypony here in the Republic. I ruminated about my life in the orphanage. It was a dark, gloomy place, but at least I got to eat everyday, had a bed to sleep in, and made friends. I had one friend who was nearly the same age as me. He was two weeks older, so he got released from the orphanage two weeks before me. We were each other’s closest friends, and he vowed that he would wait near the orphanage for me. Two weeks later, I found him sitting behind the fence that caged in the orphanage building. We stayed together and watched each other’s backs. We were homeless, but we were pretty happy to have each other’s company. This only lasted a month or two. I had gone exploring the city and when I returned, I found my friend missing from our usual shelter. I heard gunshots from around the block, and when I galloped there as fast as I could, I found him lying on the ground. There were two bullet holes in him. I had to look away, since it was the first time in my life that I had seen so much blood. It was also the first time I saw death. Standing a few lengths away was an armored stallion. He was a unicorn, and he was levitating a strange metal object. I remembered that just before I left the orphanage, the matron warned me about the police. They were Luna’s guards. There were few of them, but if they ever saw anypony causing trouble, they would take out this strange weapon and shoot them. One shot, and a pony could die. I gaped at my friend in horror. He was dead. “Once a pony is dead, you will never be able to talk to them or see them ever again,” the matron’s quivery voice had warned me that day as I eagerly stepped past the orphanage door. The police was eying the gathering crowd. I heard somepony exclaim, “Why did you kill him?!” “He tried to steal my gun,” the guard replied curtly. I stared at the object. It was called a gun. “You killed him for trying to steal your gun?” Another pony said with disbelief. The guard raised his gun and pointed it at everypony. I felt my knees go weak when it pointed at me. “Anypony who defies Princess Luna doesn’t deserve to live here,” the guard declared. “I am her guard, so anypony who defies me is defying the Princess as well.” I turned tail and ran. When I turned the corner, I saw our shelter. I raced past it without a thought. That was the last time I saw that little shelter I called home. I never found another one like it. Author's Note For the part where there is a description of the Territories, refer to this http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130403195243/mlp/images/c/cb/Map_of_Equestria_April_2013.jpg
CHAPTER 2“Princess Celestia!” Twilight Sparkle flew towards the Princess’s throne room. She barged in, so frantic that she forgot about the guards at the door. She skidded to a stop when she saw metal spears hovering an inch from her eyes. When the guards saw who it was, they immediately pulled back. Celestia reading the newspaper, and if she noticed Twilight, she didn’t portray it. “Princess?” Twilight squeaked. It sounded much quieter than she had hoped. Celestia looked up and nodded. “Yes, Twilight?” Twilight swallowed as she took a few steps forward. She winced at the resonating sound of her hooves in the mammoth room. Why am I so nervous? I’ve always been able to talk to Celestia. She taught me since fillyhood, for crying out loud! Twilight parted her jaws, ready to speak but hesitating. Celestia slapped the newspaper harshly onto the hoofrest (armrest). “You charged right in,” the princess said. “So it must be important. Hurry up.” “Right...Princess, you remember those four Republic spies we found yesterday?” “Of course I remember. I am Celestia. I wouldn’t forget that.” “Y-yes, of course. Well, we had them all held captive, until…” “Speak loud and clear, Twilight Sparkle. Don’t let your voice trail off. You are a Princess.” Twilight nodded furiously, but she felt unhappiness seeping through her fur. Yeah, I am a Princess. But it seems like you’re the only one ruling here… She spoke again, clearer this time. “One of the spies escaped.” Princess Celestia leaned back into her throne, her flowing hair trying to escape from being squashed. “Who’s fault is this?” she demanded. Twilight blinked nervously. “Uh, nopony’s?” “That spy escaped because his cell wasn’t made escape-proof! Who is in charge of checking the cells?” “Rock Lock,” Twilight croaked, dreading what was about to happen. “Have Rock Lock sent here at once,” Celestia ordered the guards at the door. They dashed away with a “Yes, your Highness.” Twilight’s tail swished uncomfortably. “Princess, what exactly are you planning to do?” Celestia raised her newspaper again, which Twilight saw was crowded with doodles. “That Rock Lock didn’t put enough care into locking that spy in,” the Princess stated. “Therefore, he doesn’t care about pleasing his Princess. Therefore, he will be banished.” I gaped, and immediately stopped myself. “B-but, Princess. He still had the other three locked in fine!” “But one got away,” the Princess retorted. “But Rock Lock is just a normal unicorn pony! Everypony makes mistakes.” Under her breath, Twilight added, “Even you.” The Princess didn’t hear, thankfully. “I don’t need his mistakes. He can live in the desert starting today. I’ll find another pony to check the cells.” Twilight forced herself to not argue. It felt like swallowing a rock. Exhaling, she sat down and awaited the inevitable. A minute or two later, the guards returned with a terrified-looking unicorn stallion. His fur was steel-colored and his mane was white with a streak of light gray. His cutie mark was a key. Celestia glared at the unicorn, who cowered under her gaze. “You, Rock Lock. You failed your duty to me, so you will be banished.” Rock Lock’s eyes widened. “B-banished?! But--” Celestia’s horn flared with yellow light, blinding Twilight. She watched through squinted eyes as the unicorn was enveloped in the magic. The humming of the magic was deafening, but Twilight thought she heard him cry for help before vanishing into thin air. Twilight rubbed her eyes. The guards were looking quite shaken as well. “Princess,” Twilight began cautiously. “Did you just--” “I teleported him to the San Palomino Desert,” she grunted. Twilight nodded, her heart still pounding. What will become of the Solar Empire with Celestia ruling like this…?! The door busted open and in wooshed a familiar rainbow-maned pegasus. Twilight sagged with relief when she saw her good friend. “Rainbow Dash,” Celestia addressed. “Why are you here?” Rainbow, despite her normally confident and open personality, shrank down a bit when she spoke to Celestia. “The weird weather is back,” the pegasus reported. “Then, you pegasi do something about it,” Celestia scoffed. “We can’t,” Rainbow answered. “The clouds are moving on their own and we can’t control them! It started snowing up north.” “Snow!” Celestia growled. “Perhaps I should move to Las Pegasus after all.” Rainbow flitted her eyes towards Twilight, and their gazes held. Rainbow looked pretty uneasy. “Twilight,” Celestia said sharply. “Yes, Princess?” “Go with Rainbow Dash and take a look at the ‘uncontrollable’ weather. Do something about it.” “Y-yes, Princess.” Twilight got up and quickly trotted after Rainbow. They closed the door behind them and started walking down the massive hallway with stained-glass windows on either side. It was almost a replica of the Princess’s old home back in Canterlot. “Phew,” Twilight sighed as they walked. “I’m so glad to be out of there.” Rainbow laughed a bit, but there was a hint of concern in her laugh. “You really don’t like Celestia anymore, huh?” “I just...I wish she would go back to how she was before this war…” “It’s been twenty years, Twilight. It’ll be hard for anypony to change.” Twilight nodded. “Celestia did have to go through the pain of splitting with her sister again after finally reuniting after a thousand years.” “It’s all us ponies’ fault,” Rainbow said angrily. “If we had been more accepting, Luna would never have gotten angry and this whole war wouldn’t exist.” Twilight shared Rainbow’s frustrated feelings, but she decided to put their mind off of this topic. “Race you to the entrance,” Twilight yelled. Twilight opened her wings and started flying towards the giant doors. Rainbow whisked past her in a second and pushed the doors open. Twilight slowed when she reached RD, breathless. “Nice try,” Rainbow teased. “Now, lemme bring you to the crazy weather.” Fluttershy was there, along with Applejack. “C’mon, Fluttershy!” Applejack hollered. “Put yer back into it!” Fluttershy was struggling to push a rather large cloud away. “The wind’s too strong,” she wailed. All the other pegasi were trying to push the clouds away too, with no such luck. Twilight stared at the spectacle. “We could use some Princess magic,” Rainbow hinted at the purple alicorn. Then she flew up into the air and tackled a snow cloud. Heat spell, Twilight thought immediately. A powerful one could probably quench this snow. Twilight poured her strength into her horn. She felt the magic expelling through it, and her face warmed from the heat waves. “Stand back, everypony!” she yelled as she flew up towards the clouds. The snow stopped soon enough, but was replaced with rain. “Gah,” she blurted as she was drenched. She flew back to the ground, where ponies were running to take shelter. Twilight found her friends running back towards town. Twilight flew after them, leaving the rain clouds behind. “Not sure if I prefer the rain or the snow,” Applejack joked as the four of them entered a small cafe. She gave her whole body a shake, spraying water onto Fluttershy and Rainbow and shaking her hat off. “Hey,” Rainbow Dash yelped. “Watch where you’re shaking your water.” Fluttershy scooped up AJ’s hat and passed it to her. “Thanks, Fluttershy,” she said as she placed it back on her head. “Sorry about that,” Twilight said sheepishly. “I should’ve realized it would become rain.” Rainbow Dash rustled her wings. “Twilight, you were pretty helpful. Vanhoover hasn’t had any rain in moons.” “Yeah,” Applejack agreed. “The crops have been relying on pond and stream water. Some rain will really do ‘em good.” Twilight looked at her hooves. “Do you miss Sweet Apple Acres, AJ?” Applejack looked at the purple pony with slight surprise. “Well, yeah, I do. But it’s been twenty years, Twi. I’ve gotten over it. This is mah life now.” Twilight nodded, but she didn’t share her feelings with Applejack. Twilight longed for things to be back to normal. I’m a Princess. Why can’t I do anything? “I haven’t asked about Apple Bloom in a while,” she said slowly. “Has she sent any mail recently?” Applejack rubbed her hoof on a patch of mud on the wooden floorboards. “Her last one was three weeks ago. She said that she’s havin’ a fine time buildin’ bombs back in Ponyville. There hasn’t been any accidents. She says she misses us and Big Mac.” “Same as every letter she sends,” Fluttershy mused worriedly. “Yeah,” Applejack agreed, sounding twice as worried. “And it’s been three weeks. I hope she’s doin’ alright.” Twilight felt guilty for asking about Applejack’s sister. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” “Naw, it’s fine Sugarcube. Talking about her really does make me feel better.” Rainbow suddenly interrupted. “Hey guys, did you just notice we’re in a cafe? Let’s eat something!” Applejack laughed a bit. “Fine, fine. Let’s take a look at what this place has first. We’ve never even been here before. And bits are a lot more precious than they used to.” The friends went over to the ordering counter and looked at the menu. Twilight skimmed through it. “They’ve got a list for cupcakes, a list for pies, and a list for soft drinks.” “What kind of cafe is this?” Rainbow exclaimed, bewildered. “It’s really cheap, though,” Twilight said. It was only five bits for a pie! “Hello?” Applejack called over the counter. “Who takes da orders?” An elderly mare stepped out. She was blue with a faded pink, swirly mane. Twilight gasped in recognition. “Mrs. Cake!” Twilight said. Mrs. Cake’s eyes lightened. “Why, it’s you! I haven’t seen you all in years! You’ve grown so much…” The mare shuffled over to them. She looked them over warmly. “So, you want to order something?” We all ordered something and agreed to splitting the costs. We found a table that had once-cheerful designs and took a seat. “This reminds me of Sugarcube Corner,” Fluttershy mused. There was a moment of silence. “It also reminds me of…” Applejack’s voice slowed and paused. “Pinkie Pie,” the other three said in unison, voices thick with grief. Twilight walked out of the cafe feeling much better than earlier today. It had been a while since she go to spend this much time with her friends. Applejack looked a little impatient. “Listen, y’all. I need to skedaddle. Got farmin’ to do.” “Aw,” Rainbow whined. “But we’ve been having such a fun time!” “I know,” Applejack said, sounding genuinely reluctant to leave too. “Which is why I gotta go.” Rainbow looked ready to protest, but Twilight stopped her. “Go on, Applejack,” Twilight said. “Hopefully we can get together again soon.” “Yep,” Applejack said cheerfully. She waved her hat before galloping off. Fluttershy pushed a strand of pink hair away from her muzzle. “Do you think Rarity misses us?” Twilight hadn’t seen Rarity in fifteen years. She managed to get a rare but well-earning job in Las Pegasus. She designed clothes for the few high-society ponies left in this world. She was living her dream. Her dream provided her with no time to spend with her friends, however. It’s been a long time. We’re probably just a feeling of nostalgia to her now. This thought reminded her of Pinkie Pie. That party pony wasn’t seen since the beginning of the war. They had no contact with her, and had no idea where she was. Her friends are her everything. Pinkie, where are you? I wish we could just all be together again.
CHAPTER 3I watched a youthful couple buying some fruit from a food vendor. I stared hungrily at the gold-colored bits flashing in the pale sunlight, but I felt hungrier at the sight of the colourful fruit. I hadn’t managed to find food yet today. I could barely remember what fresh fruit tasted like. The couple looked like they were part of the wealthier side of society. Looked highly on by the rest of the wealthy, looked down on with jealousy by the rest. I was feeling quite jealous. I eyed the other homeless ponies around the street. There were three. And all of them had their eyes fixed on the couple as the couple made their way down the sidewalk, carrying the fruit with their unicorn magic. Unicorns. They always seemed to be so sophisticated. In fact, most of the wealthy are unicorns. I don’t know how that happened. I am a Pegasus. Yeah, I can fly and unicorns can’t. But having wings isn’t so great when you can’t fly. Living in a cramped orphanage for my entire foalhood sure didn’t let me develop those skills. Movement suddenly caught my eye. I snapped my head toward it and saw one of those homeless ponies making his way towards the couple. I stared in shock. Then I noticed a small head peak out from the alleyway where the pony had been waiting. It looked like a unicorn filly. It was watching the older pony make his way towards the couple. The pony tackled the stallion first, making the fruits drop out of the air. The mare shrieked and tried to pry the stranger off with her magic. When that didn’t work, she started kicking him. I saw the homeless pony flick his tail. It must have been a signal of some sort, because the unicorn filly dashed out of her hiding place and scooped the fruit up with her magic. Then, she ran back into the alleyway. The mare noticed and began to chase after the thief. The homeless pony grabbed her tail and held her back. Soon, a heated fight began. My heart pounded as I watched through the corner of my eye. Other ponies strolling down the streets noticed the fight, and ran over to help out. I saw none of the homeless ponies moving, however. One actually got up and walked away. I noticed that I was standing up. It was unfair! That stallion only wanted to get some food for himself and that filly. That couple could easily just buy more. Why didn’t anypony see the reasoning? I took a step towards the fight. I need to help that stallion. Suddenly, a loud, cracking sound made me trip. For some reason, I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do. I saw armored stallions racing down the path. They were each levitating a...gun next to their faces. N-no! Guns! They were going to kill that homeless pony! The other ponies saw the police arrive and they quickly backed off, revealing a very beaten up stallion. Everypony else was unscathed. “What happened here?” one of the police demanded. The couple was standing there, staring at the limp homeless pony with anger. “He’s a thief,” the male one said. The police officer pointed his gun at the homeless pony. The pony stared at the nozzle, not reacting. Then, the gun was fired. I squeezed my eyes shut, but I wasn’t quick enough. The image of the pony’s head falling, limp, flashed behind my eyelids. I opened my eyes again, and the crowd of ponies were all looking quite shaken as well. Even the couple. That police officer just killed the homeless guy without a thought. He didn’t even check for evidence or anything! That pony he just shot didn’t even have the fruit with him! The police officer blew a whistle, and several police officers streamed in and hovered around the dead body. They wrapped the body in cloth and ran away with it. I closed my eyes, trying to calm my nerves. Then I remembered the unicorn filly. I felt tempted to go into that alleyway to see where it led. Maybe I could find that filly. She probably didn’t know that her friend was just mercilessly killed. Who will take care of her? Not me. I waited for the crowd to disperse before getting up and peering into the crack between the buildings. It led to the other side side of the buildings. I squeezed in. My shoulders brushed the walls as I made my way forward. I popped out the other side, only to meet another semi-bustling street like the one I was just at. I sighed and went back into the alleyway, where I took a nap. I woke up when I heard a clop next to my ear. I jerked up, alarmed, and my head nearly smashed into the stomach of another pony. “Jeepers!” The pony exclaimed. It was a female, and she looked ready to run off. The tight space between the walls didn’t allow it though, and she just turned and looked apologetically at me. “Sorry for interrupting your nap,” she said. She had a faint western accent. “Uh, it’s alright.” I was curious to why she would be crossing through this alley. “Why are you here?” I asked. She looked a little nervous. A metal cart from the street reflected some sunlight onto her face, and I saw that she had freckles and green eyes. She was wearing an intelligent brown dress with frills at the neck. “I’m in a hurry to get somewhere,” she said. “This is the fastest route I can find. You happened to be in here...napping.” I sat up and adjusted my sleeveless, threadbare, button-up jacket. “Well uh, nice meeting you.” She nodded tightly, but gave me a friendly smile. “Yeah. Bye.” With that, she walked out and disappeared from sight. I leaned back against the cool wall, feeling the rough bricks scratching my neck. I hadn’t talked to a higher class pony in ages. And this one seemed particularly nice. She looked a little familiar, for some reason. Suddenly, I heard rushed hoofsteps behind me. I whirled around and saw that unicorn filly. She didn’t have any fruit with her anymore. “Hi,” I said uncertainly. Her eyes widened, as if she recognized me. “You,” she said with demanding voice. “What happened to that stallion?” “He’s dead,” I forced out. I watched her face go from dominant to horror, and then to the frailness of an eighty-year-old pony. I watched her turn away. “O-okay.” She walked back the way she came from, her steps quaking, and then she ran off just before she turned the corner. I’m going to kill those police officers one day. I was still feeling hungry, and got up, ready to find a bite or two. I took a step forward, and my hoof stepped on some crinkly surface. I looked down, and saw a rumpled piece of paper. I turned it over and was surprised to find several notes written down on it. I hadn’t read anything other than propaganda in a long time. I brought it close to my face, trying to make out the messy writing in the dark. I heard some barking, and I recognized them as the sounds of dogs. Encouraging shouts were heard over the barking, so I figured it was some police and their trained dogs. They must be searching for someone. Not wanting to be viewed at suspiciously for being in this dark alleyway, I rushed out and back into the sunlight. The sky was already inking out. I had nowhere to put the paper, so I opened my wing, and carefully held the note under my wing. “They’re getting excited,” I heard somepony shout behind me. I saw the dogs sniffing at the other side of the alleyway. I moved away. Police looked at all homeless ponies as criminals. I heard the barking become more frenzied, and much louder. I looked behind my back, and my heart dropped when I saw the dogs trying to lunge at me, only to be restrained by leashes by the police. The police eyed me viciously. What? I haven’t done anything wrong! Those dogs have made a mistake. “Hey son,” one of them called at me. “Get over here.” I was terrified. Were they going to shoot me next? “If you want to run, we’ll just let these guys loose.” The officer nodded at the dogs, who were desperately trying to maul me to pieces. I didn’t know what to do, or what was happening. I tried to reassure myself. I’m innocent. The officers will find out I’m innocent and this will all be over. But I knew the officers had no interest in checking for evidence, especially in the case of dealing with ponies like me. I decided to oblige to their orders and walked towards them. When I was a meter away from them, I found that I couldn’t move my legs anymore. I looked down and saw them covered with the magical aura of unicorn magic. The other officer ripped off my jacket with his magic. Then he shook it harshly, making sure I wasn’t hiding anything. A thought crossed my mind. That note...could that be why those dogs chose me? No way. I found that note literally two seconds before those dogs appeared. Besides, it was just some paper. “Wings open,” the officer instructed. I inched them open, and I felt the paper slip out. “OH HO,” both officers said triumphantly. “What’s this?” There was a moment of silence as the officer examined the note. I didn’t even know what was written there. “Hey, Hold,” the officer said, chuckling. He was talking to the other officer. “This guy is the one.” “Wow,” Hold said. “That was easier than I expected!” The dogs had settled down a bit, and were whining. Hold went over to them and rubbed their heads, all the while keeping me in place with his magic. “Good job, guys,” he said, and he rewarded both of them with some...meat. I didn’t know what was happening. This was all that note’s fault! “E-excuse me,” I stammered. The officers’ gazes snapped to me. “What is it, son?” the unnamed one asked sharply. “I don’t know what’s going on. If you think I committed some sort of crime, I didn’t! And I have nothing to do with that note. I just happened to find it on the ground.” The officers exchanged exasperated looks. “How can you prove that?” Hold asked, looking like he was holding back a laugh. I tried to think of an answer. But I was too slow. I felt something cold and hard slither around my midsection and tighten. My wings were now immobile. Cuffs were locked over my forehooves. I could only slide a hoof forward by about two inches. A blindfold was placed over my head, and darkness was all I could see for the next few grueling hours.
CHAPTER 4I woke to a muffled, static voice. I was still blindfolded. “The news of the captured spy will be passed on to the Solar Empire,” I heard a strong, female voice shouting. “This is the first Empire spy we Republicans caught, so let this remind you that not all hope is lost!” Captured spy…? I figured that the voice was coming from Princess Luna, from a radio or tv. Back in the orphanage, we had a tv. We only had one channel on it though. Whenever the time had come for the only foal show, the tv would be so crowded, I could rarely see what was happening. Suddenly, someone spoke next to my face. “Heya.” I jumped from instinct, but that was when I realized that I was sitting in a chair. The cloth covering my eyes was ripped away from my face, and I squinted as I had to adjust to the sudden change in brightness. I saw a pony figure in front of me, and I recognized him as Hold, one of the officers who caught me. “Your years of being a spy are over,” he said coolly. I’m the spy in the news? So they think I’m a spy. “Solar Empire will finally lose one of their own to us!” Hold said happily. “Y-you’re gonna kill me now?” I asked, too scared to believe it. “Uh, not yet. The Princess wants us to get some info outta you first.” Info? Uh oh. I have no secret info about the Solar Empire whatsoever. "Your interrogation begins tomorrow," Hold said as he headed for the door. "We won't inflict pain on you if you answer our questions." He closed the light before shutting the door. I waited in the dark in terror until the next day. I heard the door creak open, and the sudden break in silence made my heart lurch. I threw my gaze at the door, and a hooded pony in a cloak step in. The cloaked pony carefully closed the door. Then the stranger made their way towards me, at snail speed. When they got close enough, they pulled back their hood, revealing their face. I gasped when I recognized her. It was that freckled orange pony from a few days ago! "Hi," she said, expressionless. I remained silent. I wasn’t sure what to make of this. She sighed, and suddenly started working on untying my ropes bounding me to the chair. "You're not the spy," she said suddenly. I was relieved to hear that somepony thought I wasn't a spy. But she sounded so sure, which made me wonder how she knew. "It was a all a huge mistake," she continued. My right hoof suddenly broke free, and it snapped painfully as I straightened my leg for the first time in days. "How do you know?" I asked her. “How did you even find me?” She glanced right into my eyes. She looked away just before she spoke. "I'm the real spy they're looking for." I gaped. "That note you found belongs to me. I guess I dropped it in that alley. Whoops." She chuckles uncomfortably. I had mixed feelings, but for now I decided to he thrilled I was being rescued. My other hoof was unbound, and I stretched it eagerly, despite the cracking sounds and the painful popping in my joints. I was freed! I relished in the ability of being able to move around. "Looky here, son," the orange pony said slowly. "My reputation as a spy is ruined due to the news of me being captured. But if I run back to and make it seem like I escaped myself, Celestia might keep me. I'll help you get away from this place, but then I will skedaddle." "Wait," I said quickly, an idea forming. "Can you take me across the border with you?" She hesitated. "I could," she said, emphasizing 'could'. "Please take me with you," I said, adding a desperate tone for I truly was desperate. "I need to get out of this Republic." The orange pony gave in. "Fine. It shouldn’t be too hard to get you across the border. But then you're on your own." "Thank you," I said, smiling for the first time in as long as I could remember. "C'mon," She said, glancing at the door. "It's four AM. Those guards will be here soon to check on ya." I had butterflies in my stomach as I watched her peek out the door. "Go!" she whispered. Her legs were tensed. "Stay close behind me." She galloped off, and I raced after her. I hadn't moved in days, so there was no way I could sprint much. But I have to. She was really fast. Probably the fastest earth pony I've ever seen. I realized how loud our hoofsteps were, but I figured she had already thought about that. "Turn the corner," she said over her shoulder. Literally one heartbeat later, she altered course, going left. I skidded to a stop before doubling back to the intersection of the hallways. "The exit is on the right," she informed me after a few more seconds of running. She didn't sound breathless at all, and I was already gasping for air. She lunged out the door and I followed her. It was still dark out, which worked to our advantage. The place seemed like the orphanage from the outside, except not as old. There was barbed wire fences all around. "Follow me," the mare said again. She ran to the side of the building. I watched with confusion as she charged right at the ten tail-length fence. Then, she jumped, clearing the fence like it was a log. She waited for me e on the other side. "Hey," she said. "Aren't you gonna come over?" I stared at her. "Not everypony can jump like you!" She stared back in bewilderment. "Aren't you a Pegasus?" she asked. "Don't tell me you can't fly." I realized what she was talking about, and I never felt so embarrassed. The mare grunted in frustration. "I'll help you out." She reached into her cloak and pulled out some rope. She held it between her teeth and started swinging it like a cowgirl. She lassoed a nearby branch. She yanked, and the branch completely tore off. It landed on my side of the fence at an angle, forming a sort of path to the top of the fence. "Hurry up," she urged. I placed a hoof uncertainly on the wood. Suddenly, white light outlined my silhouette in front of me onto the wood. I whirled around and saw the prison place come to life. I heard a faint alarm coming from inside it. “Hurry up!” the orange pony repeated, yelling this time. I staggered to the top, heart racing as I went as fast as I could but also being careful not to fall off. I was a few more steps from the top, but the sight of the barbed wires made me hesitate. “Oh Celestia,” the mare muttered. She got her rope and lassoed me around the chest and pulled me up and over the fence. I sprawled gracefully onto the wet grass. She thundered past me with the lasso still attached to me. She dragged me along until I finally found my footing. “Where are we going?” I asked, my voice breaking because I was sprinting to keep up with her. “Straight to the border,” she replied, her eyes fixed on the dark forest path ahead of us. “How are we going to find our way?” I manage to sputter out. “There’s old railway tracks leading to all over Equestria. Nopony uses ‘em anymore, so we’ll just follow that. In a few days’ walk we’ll get across the border.” I nod. A few days…
CHAPTER 5"Please, Princess! Let me find her!" "I told you, Twilight Sparkle. She failed and is might as well dead by now. I don't need someone who makes mistakes." Twilight's eyes stung. It was so unfair. "She was your spy for twenty years," Twilight growled. She forgot about keeping her tone level. "One mistake in twenty years. How is that not good enough for you?" "One mistake every A THOUSAND years will only please me!" the Princess yelled. "Get out of my presence, Twilight." Twilight turned around and stormed out immediately. When she closed the huge doors, she found her friends waiting. Fluttershy hugged Twilight comfortingly, while Rainbow watched Twilight with sorrow. At last, she herself moved in closer and wrapped a foreleg around Twilight. "Don't worry about AJ," the blue pony said. "She'll get away herself. Heck, she was even able to sneak away from us when she went on her missions! She kept it secret from us for so long..." Twilight pondered over it. Twilight didn't want to lose Applejack after losing Pinkie and Rarity. Besides, they could save the farm pony. "And hey," Rainbow added after a moment. "Who says we can't rescue her ourselves if we have to?" Fluttershy looked at the floor, which was gleaming and polished. "Princess Celestia won’t allow it," she answered softly. Rainbow rolled her eyes. "We don't have to listen to her. Are we going to stay loyal to that crazy Princess or are we going to stay loyal to Applejack?" Fluttershy looked thoughtful. Twilight thought the idea was nice, but... "If we save AJ, Celestia will kick us out for sure," Twilight warned. "Ha, like we need her," Rainbow said, grinning confidently. "With Applejack, the four of us will have a better life than life could ever be living under Celestia." Twilight was feeling pretty confident too, but it didn't feel right that she wanted to leave her mentor so badly. Especially after decades of being her student. "That's what we'll do if AJ doesn't come back," Twilight reminded. "Yeah," Rainbow said. The three friends stood there together for a while in silence, dreams about the future raiding their minds.
