The Game of Thrones: Pony History Anthologyby TheblondeknightChaptersStarlight Glimmer 1Twilight Stark 1Trixie Moonstone 1Starlight Glimmer 1The two things that became most evident when disaster struck where the pain in her head and the cold all around them. She didn't know if the white in her eyes was because she had never been so cold, and may have been in an arctic tundra for all she knew, or if the pain that bled from the back of her head and went all the way around and up her horn was slowly killing her. When she woke up, her eyes were clear, and the pain was subsiding. The cold was all but completely gone. Nopony else was awake yet, but she only counted four of her companions. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack lay asleep at her hooves, Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy were nowhere to be found. Slightly less frightening was the revelation that she and those with her were inside a dungeon cell. Hay was matted against corners and sprawled across the floor, the stink was among the most putrid she had ever smelled. Starlight looked to the very small window, and saw that it was night time outside. The bars keeping them caged inside the stone walls were old and black, but sturdy all the same. Her very brief attempt to use her magic and test the metal ended up in a relapse of pain. She rubbed her temples and fell back down beside her friends, of which Applejack was now beginning to stir. "Welcome to...wherever we are," Starlight greeted wearily. "I haven't been this sore since.....shoot, I can't even remember," Applejack said, stretching slowly upwards, and with a few unpleasant cracks. The farm pony looked around and went over the bars, looking around them for any signs of life. Thus far, their captors were avoiding them. A few seconds later, Starlight got up to join her. The torch-lit hall was filled with many other cells, most smaller than the one the five occupied. Not in any of them could Starlight spot their missing companions, but a table with two empty chairs was within view, no doubt where the guards would keep watch whenever they appeared. "What happened?" Rainbow Dash pondered in a hazy voice as she too rose. "Don't know, but I don't like it," Applejack said, trotting over to help the pegasus up. "Maud no!" Pinkie shouted herself away, "that's my slice of cake!" The party mare clutched at her chest and staggered to the wall of the cell, leaning against the stone and frowning, "Never mind...I ate too much." "Does anypony know what happened to Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike?" Starlight asked after the blue pegasus and pink earth pony had gained their bearings. It was frustrating enough to wake up with no explanations, but the absence of her first friend since fillyhood was more troubling to Starlight than the mystery and the pain. She had half a mind to go up to the bars and demand an explanation as to where the rest of their party was, but her logical side reminded her that if nopony were there to listen, it would simply be a waste. "I don't have a clue," Rainbow admitted, with Pinkie shaking her head with a worried look behind the fast-flier. Of course not...nothing to do but wait it out now. To occupy the time, Starlight attempted to piece together where they might be; from the small view the window provided, it seemed that the city they were in was not abandoned, for the shadows of ponies in the night passed into view from time to time. The land itself was warm and grassy, and small, community gardens seemed to be placed every so often, Starlight had already spotted two. It must've been a well off city, for there was also a statue with a built in fountain sitting across from their cell, but whatever historical scene it may have depicted could not be determined from behind the stone walls. The whistles of crickets and the buzzing of flies were the only sounds between the short bursts of conversation, as everypony waited or tried to remember anything about whatever had brought them here. Rarity, like the others, had no idea what caused their arrival here or where the others might be. Frustrating as it was, the wait did not seem to last very long. It was perhaps an hour, maybe a half hour longer than that, before the door to the dungeon hall, just barely out of their view, opened. "I-I'm sorry..." Fluttershy weeped as she was carried into view by two guards, tall and hulking unicorns who did not bat an eye at any of them, nor answer any of their questions. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry....please...I'm so sorry..." Fluttershy continued to cry. When Applejack made a motion that suggested she might try to keep the door open behind the guards, one of them thrust a spear at her, and she jumped backwards to keep her skin intact. The guard said nothing, but eyed them all furiously until he was satisfied, and followed his companion out the hall door. They were locked in again, but at least they had a source of new information. "Are you alright, darling?" Rarity asked sweet as she could, wiping away some of the grime and tears from Fluttershy's face. "I...not really..." the yellow pegasus sobbed. Through a combined effort, Rarity, Applejack, and Starlight managed to calm and assure Fluttershy, and then the answers came eagerly. "I didn't know anything when I woke up, the rest of you were still unconscious, and-" "What about Twilight? And Spike?" Starlight interrupted. "They weren't here...I'm not sure if they woke up before me, but I didn't see either of them." "And where did they take you?" Rainbow asked anxiously. "They asked me questions in a dark room. I don't even know who I was talking to. The same guards who brought me back were the ones who took me over. I never saw anypony else." "What kind of questions did they ask?" Rarity inquired, looking over her shoulder to the still empty hall. A cold draft swirled through the cell as Fluttershy continued, "About who I was and where I came from, mostly, who you all were...except, they didn't ask about Twilight or Spike, now that I think about it. Anyways, when I told them we were from Ponyville in Equestria, they didn't believe me. They said no such city or town exists...they got really mad and started roughing me about..." When it looked like she might cry again, Starlight stepped forward and placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder, and smiling, seemed to ease the hurt away. Based on her explanation, Starlight had surmised that the guards would come to take another of them away, repeat the process and check their answers from Fluttershy against the rest of them, but no guards came. It was not for several more hours, and the beginning of the moon's descent, that another sign of life appeared to them. The guards and their cohorts, whomever they may be, asked of how the group had arrived here, what the last things Fluttershy had remembered, what their intentions were, all kinds of questions that could not properly be answered or that had answers they did not like, which resulted in Fluttershy's harm. Obviously, it was becoming too much to hope that this was some kind of misunderstanding. The implications were grave, and Starlight's brow became sweatier and sweatier as the minutes rolled by, the lack of clarity as to what had happened was not quite so troubling as the lack of clarity on what was going to happen. The others showed signs of anxiety and fear as well, and the bruises were starting to appear on Fluttershy. When at last more guards came, there were twelve in number, and each pony was shackled without any explanation, chained together by their necks and marched off in a line, one by one leaving the cell for the unknown ahead of them. They walked, alone except for their rude escort, down great halls and through large rooms with many great trinkets to adorn the walls. Paintings of ponies none of them had ever seen or heard of, with a few exceptions, noticeably, a portrait of Clover the Clever hanging over a fireplace. Could it be that this was some kind of...offshoot nation? Split up from Equestria? Or was it all perhaps some cruel charade? A wool of woven lies to cover their faces and keep them in the dark until the horrible reveal? They treaded down several more halls and past many more rooms, all far nicer than the accommodations they were provided. Yet, curiously, they were all empty. What was it that was so barren about this place? Where was everypony? Aside the guards, whispers and shadows were all that could be accounted for. That was, until, they were marched into the biggest and grandest room yet. Ponies of all creeds, but mostly unicorns, packed the great hall, buzzing among themselves, pointing, whispering, at Starlight and her friends. The guards who had mistreated Fluttershy were among many posted throughout the hall, many lances reaching well above the heads of the crowd. Some lances bore banners of a shining, blue diamond, glittering before a large, white orb, the moon, perhaps, or maybe even a great pearl? But the banners soon lost Starlight's attention, for to the northern end of the hall, the room was raised up several steps, and on this stage, a large throne of iron, swords melded together and thrust into a monument of battle success, sat higher than anything. And it was upon this large, Iron Throne that a mare around the age of the captives sat, looking down at them with disdain and pompous arrogance. Fluttershy was intimidated, the rest were angered to various degrees. Starlight did not recognize her in the slightest, but it was clear that her word was law in these parts. A pony under the Throne but above the crowd blew his trumpet and announced the beginnings of what was likely going to be a witch's trial. "Before the Royal Court of the Princess of the Four Kingdoms of Equestria, Mercury Iridia, the great defender of the Realms and the true descendent of the Iron Throne, I call this trial to order!" Starlight gulped at her accuracy. A trial. Perfect. "Commence!" The Princess upon the Throne announced in a high voice. "Your Grace," the guard leading their troupe of escorts spoke up, "these brigands were discovered in the city limits, no identification, no proof of allegiance, and no known ties to any House of the Four Kingdoms, except perhaps for the mare with the hat, a possible bastard of House Appleton." "What did he call me?" Applejack whispered from among the small huddle of friends. "Worse still," The guard captain announced, his hoof running through his flowing black beard, "among their group was a...criminal of known infamy." Princess Mercury eyed the guard captain with almost as much hatred as she did Starlight and the others upon that last statement. "I wish to know," she told the assembly, "exactly whom this criminal is! Why has your Princess not been told of his or her identity? It is maddening that in my realm, I am left without answers. More than that, it is wholly unacceptable, and I will see heads roll before I go any longer without answers!" Starlight glanced nervously to the others, and they looked back at her. If heads were going to be rolling, and this continued as poorly as it was going, theirs were sure to be among them. "Your Grace, please," A stallion of considerable size and overzealous hygiene spoke up from below the Iron Throne, "Those of us who have witnessed this criminal's return are, frankly, bewildered. It doesn't seem possible, and yet...the proof is here, in this city. As we speak, she is being brought to you. I fear I must warn you, you will not be pleased." Starlight noticed that the only zebra in the crowd below the Throne (and, further, of the whole room) eyed the new speaker with a cold grin, but when he stepped away, the zebra mare returned to her silent neutrality. "In the mean time," Princess Mercury announced, "May we ask the accused as to their identities and purpose?" "We have interrogated two, Your Grace, one a dragon, since sent to the Wall, according to your law; the other, this pegasus with the yellow coat," The guard captain in front of them answered. "What's happened to Spike?" Starlight heard herself ask, though she did not remember her intention to speak and step forward. Now the Princess on the Iron Throne eyed her with daggers once more, and Starlight found the mysterious courage was quickly leaving her. "Who speaks to the Princess with such bold ignorance?" Mercury demanded. "My..." her throat caught but she forced her voice up and out as best she could, "I am Starlight Glimmer of Equestria, and I-" "Your name does not sound familair," Mercury cut in, "of which House in Equestria are you from?" "Excuse me?" Starlight asked back. "Which House do you call home? Surely you are not from the South, which means you, as a unicorn, must call the North your home. So I ask again, which House do you come from, insolent one?" "I...I don't...I don't understand," Starlight stammered. This could surely not be the Equestria she knew. Houses...Four Kingdoms...what unpleasant madness was all of this? "Princess! Princess!" a voice called from the crowd, "the criminal comes! Here she is!" Starlight knew before the pony was let out of the great burlap sack that Twilight was whom they spoke of, but the reaction the Court gave was truly astonishing, and all hatred and scrutiny towards Starlight disappeared at once when Twilight was revealed to them. Huge gasps and cries of fear and anger mounted up, none louder or more ferocious than Princess Mercury, who the commanding tones of a general hardened from years of battle. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?!?" Twilight looked around, catching Starlight's eye briefly, but before they could so much as exhale another time, it was broken, and Twilight was brought forward by three guards, each of them pushing and shoving her along with all amount of prejudice, white cloaks dragging behind them. "WHAT SORCERY IS THIS!?" The Princess continued, losing all regality, "HOW DO YOU STAND BEFORE ME!? HOW ARE YOU IN MY GREAT HALL???" Once again, Twilight was denied the chance to speak up, and Princess Mercury rose from the Iron Throne, and a timid pony, who looked more scared of Twilight than the Princess Mercury, brought her a large sword, which her magic raised at once and flew towards Twilight's throat, stopping inches away from spilling the life within. Now the external fury ended, and Mercury struggled to take in what she was seeing. Twilight did not try to speak now, but stood alone, hated and silent, and waited for Mercury to finish her stroke of anger and disbelief. Many whispers and hushed outcries arose from the crowd, and even a few ponies on the stage, though the servants of Mercury held their composure well, for whatever Twilight had done to cause it. Starlight and the others were old gossip, neglected like ghosts. At last the words came out of Mercury's mouth, as though she were regurgitating them from some foul place within herself that she had not managed to kill entirely. "Four Bloody Hells! How is it...that after your death on my front porch...you stand before me again.....Twilight Stark?" Author's Note Thank you for checking this story out, I hope to make many more additions to it in the future. As I said in the summary, I will say so again here, I'm still in Season 2 of GoT, so please, do your best not to spoil anything for me. And yes, I realize how ironic it is that I am writing this despite my freshness to the show and books. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, please leave a like and a review! -TBK Twilight Stark 1Once, Twilight would have been delighted to stroll through the square, and watch the birds fly above and the bees buzz among the flowers as their lives went on under the hooves of the ponies of Queen's Landing. Once, she would have smiled at being here. A time ago, she would have sucked in every second of exploring this city of great history. Once upon a time... But when House Stark did not bend to her whims, and Princess Mercury declared war on the North, Twilight was pushed into a fight she would have done anything to avoid, and her dreams of the South were sullied. Now, on the day of her death, it seemed only fitting she try and rekindle them. Life was too short to neglect one's dreams, even if life was being put down prematurely to the mark of a good cause. And no matter what anypony said, she knew now: this war was for a good cause. It was most unfortunate she wouldn't be around for the rest of it. She took no joy in bloodshed, but as a pony who grew up under the corrupted Sombra, when the Warden of the North was far more than daring and deadly tyrant, she was not against it where it was needed. And now, there was no doubt in her mind that Mercury was due to meet death. Well after House Stark passed, but at an unpleasant end for her, Mercury would follow. Most unfortunate that Twilight, as the one who started rebellion and passed sentence, as the Warden, and some would say Princess of the North, would not be around to swing the sword. The sunlight was hot, she had never before been so bothered by it, even after these long weeks held captive in Queen's Landing. Frankly, though the ponies swore at her and bade her farewell to the deepest pits of the four hells, she didn't think they could be much hotter. Maybe it was nerves. She wasn't adversed to killing, but she enjoyed the thought of her own death even less. But if it had to happen, it had to happen. Nopony could change the disaster that the last leg of her campaign had been. She dared to play the Game of Thrones, and she did not win. Who now should play in her stead, she wondered? The self proclaimed Princesses Celestia and Luna were closest to her heart, if not her cause. Her followers had many known names among them, but no proven leaders. Perhaps one of them would rise. Back in the winters of the her childhood, she never would have thought that she could rise to be what her older brother had worked to become. What he gave his life in the Old War to make of his family. Hmm, what would Shining think of her if he could see her now? The roar of the crowded mass was the first thing she heard, but the first she saw was her rival, and her better in the world of warfare. True, Twilight Stark fought an uphill battle against a foe with superior arms, but in the end, it was only a pony's mind and swordplay that mattered, and her mind was not up to snuff with Mercury's hordes, and her blade was not enough to cut through the opposing strategy. Well played, Princess Mercury. Now keep the Throne you so rigorously defended. "Kill her!" "Death to the Last Stark!" "The North is no more!" "Die, traitor, die!" On and on they went, some too foolish to see what Mercury was doing in the shadows of her chair, others too unwilling to stand against her, and so they fell beside her. But they almost all shouted indignities to her. "Long live Princess Mercury and House Iridia!" "We'll bury your corpse in your precious snow!" "Death to Stark!" "Put an end to Stark, put an end to the War!" "Grab the biggest pike you've got! We all want to see it when it stops rolling!" "Let House Stark live no longer!" The Princess was rather quiet. Of course, she would be. She had finished their Game, and now she was celebrating her victory by watching the mindless masses bury Twilight's reputation and memory just before her body would cease to function. It all happened so quickly once she was moving through the rilled crowd. She found herself standing alone on the execution stand, Princess Mercury and her entourage behind her, of which Twilight once thought she had at least one or two friends, but now, it was clear, that their lives were worth more to them than what was right. Not everypony plays the Game for the betterment of the world. She ought to have expected nothing less of them, really. But it was the crowd before her that really shocked her. Scattered, a few friendly faces, ponies with no position or room to help, but sympathizers, who frowned in the midst of angry yelling and cross demands. But the overwhelming sentiment was that Twilight Stark's name would go down with the likes of her predecessor, and the hatred scorn known to ponykind as Discord, and the Queen of Changelings across the seas that prevented Celestia and Luna from intervening sooner. House Stark's line was long, but their reign was short. Twelve years were spent as Warden, and in the end, it was less than six months that truly mattered, in the grand scheme of things. They continued to shout their fury at her. "Visit all four hells, over and over and over again!" "Let us all take a stab at her!" "Twilight Stark is fit to be eaten by our dogs, let them have her blood!" The Princess enjoyed their fury for a while longer, allowing them the chance to get out their insults, ruffle whatever feathers she thought Twilight cared about, and listened to the satisfaction brought about by their cries. But when her satisfaction ended, and Princess Mercury bade Twilight Stark speak, she found it very hard to. In the end, these ponies that wished her fates worse than death, but certainly death as well, were sheep. Tricked by Princess Mercury into making the world what she wanted it to be, they were falling and did not know it. It was never the job of the Princess to change the world, only to keep it running. Let the ponies make the changes they wanted. Mercury never saw that, she only thought about what she wanted. And as Twilight stood, the sword that would take her life mere feet from her, unsheathed and thirsting for her blood, she pitied the crowd. They were pawns, and when Mercury was tired of them, she would turn her powers against them as her armies had mounted to oppose Twilight and her small band of bannermen. "My name is Twilight Stark. I am the last of my House; I have no more siblings, nor did I bear any heirs. I chose to stand against the Princess of the Realm, and forsake my life and honor-" Already the chorus of boos and hisses assaulted her, but the guards hushed them on the Princess' command, and Twilight went on. "And I raised an army...I called my bannermen and raised my sigil against the Crown....and I waged war from the North, and brought upon my own people more suffering, after many long and hard years of it less than two decades before....and I was captured and my company slain....and I was parted with my horn....and kept in a dungeon to starve and rot....and I stand before you now, to share what I have done and show you how much I have lost by fighting Princess Mercury." The crowd booed less now, partly because they reveled in her admission of defeat, and partly because the guards were getting rougher with those that distracted attention from Twilight. Now was the best chance she'd ever have. So she let those words sink in, and just as the biggest smile came to Mercury's face, Twilight found one even bigger, and finished what she had to say. "And I regret none of it! The North will remember!" And the crowds became sour, and the guards got nasty, and the sword moved swiftly to her neck, and before another five seconds had passed, Twilight Stark's head was rolling down the stand, and her body collapsed in the scorching heat of the sun. But even then, Princess Mercury was no longer smiling. Trixie Moonstone 1By the Four Kingdoms and the Sun itself.....could it actually be... The gasps of the crowd confirmed it for her. She dared make one, quick glance back, and there she saw her Lord Stark again. In the flesh. Alive. It took everything to keep the tears restrained and not do more than flinch. Alive! The rumors must have been false! She had cursed the day she left Lord Stark's company long enough to let her Liege Lord be taken. Everypony, even those who were fifty yards from the Great Hall that day told her otherwise. But there she was. Lord Twilight Stark returned. The questions and excitement and general energy of the crowded room pushed her out of her guise as an Iridian guard, for only a moment. The upheaval at the revelation her Lord was living and well, however, had distracted all the real Iridian guards, and Trixie left their midst before any of them could realize the mistake in their math that had corrected itself. She slipped by the open door and discarded the white and blue armor piece by piece as she went to her stronghold, hidden in plain sight. Did she even need it? It practically made her invisible. But practicality dictated that speed was more important than camouflage in the upcoming events of the night. With everypony of even minute importance inside the Great Hall, and the others in bed according to curfew, Trixie needed not concern herself with being found out. Even better, she could hear the shouting outrage Princess Iridia threw over the reappearance of House Stark. This was a day to be sung of by bards for centuries to come. As she rolled over the great stone in the public garden and found her trinkets in the dirt, she wondered briefly how she might compose an ode to this day, when things were more peaceful and times less turbulent. When we heard the grim news, to the Wall we would've fled, Refuge from tyranny, rest never again found in a bed, The Princess smiled bright, on the day bleak but untrue She thought she had won when down rolled Stark's head, But as it turned out, Lord Stark never was dead! Yikes. Thankfully, Trixie was no bard. She had always been a proud warrior of House Moonstone of the North, and never would that change. Her standard saber was a welcome comfort, she had never taken a liking to pikes. Spying was a nasty business, and one she was quite content to leave. With everything else, it wouldn't be very hard to make a break out. The escape was what worried her. Powerful and brave as she and Lord Stark, and even the new companions that had found Twilight, they were not worth betting on against the capitol's forces. But she'd sooner visit all Four hells than let this chance pass her by. Now, in the dissipating clamor, it was time to make their escape. Mercury had at last let them go. Most of them were bruised and limping, especially the barely conscious Lord Stark, though thankfully, it seemed Mercury intended to have them all executed at the morrow's light, for all the Four Kingdoms to see. This time, Trixie knew, it would be for good. Whatever miracle had revived Lord Stark could not possibly save her a second time, not when so much was stacked against them. As the guards escorted the strangers down the streets, Trixie shadowed them, leading them towards her traps whenever possible while still remaining hidden. By the time the entourage had arrived at the marked lane, Trixie had already stolen three lives from under their noses. Even the guards, among them Acid Flower, the newest member of the Queensguard, were afraid of the power of Lord Stark. And rightly should they be. When the band trotted onto the bridge, Trixie ignited her horn and let her magic loose. The smoke bombs went off on cue, and the fourteen or so guards still alive drew their weapons. Trixie was faster than they were, and let the blood run from two throats before she freed the unicorn who called herself Starlight Glimmer. They had never seen each other before tonight, but their teamwork was impressive none-the-less, and as Starlight freed her companions with her magic, Trixie activated more of her traps, felling two more guards with the crossbows she had placed in the waters below the bridge. With over half of Lord Stark's companions freed and the smoke thinning out, Acid Flower had had enough. Though new to the Queensguard (Acid Flower was the replacement of the knight Lord Stark ran her sword through the day she was sized by Mercury's forces), this caped warrior was confident and strong. "Guard Stark with your lives, the others are of secondary priority!" She shouted as her blade met Trixie's. The clanging was sure to attract more attention very quickly, as was the fresh blood all on the stone and in the water below them. Trixie and Acid Flower danced together, their metal striking evenly at almost every lunge. For an Earth pony, she was extremely gifted, and the lack of maneuverability provided by a horn was not holding her back. She even managed to gash a flesh wound on Trixie's forehoof, much to the young Lord Moonstone's dismay. "Brought some friends with you?" Acid Flower asked from behind the hilt of her sword, "good. We can crush you all tonight!" Trixie paused and found that swords were ringing against one another all through the streets, though she did not bring any allies into Queen's Landing. Possibly troubling, but definitely helpful at the current moment. Acid Flower lunged in again and followed up with a low sweep that cut Trixie's legs and brought her to her back. Her sword rose instantly to meet the killing blow Acid Flower slugged down. It would be a while yet before Twilight's friends were done fighting off the rest of the guards, though they were doing a fine job of it together. That meant Trixie's last trick was needed to save her own life. "Just like her...too proud to concede when you're beaten..." Acid Flower taunted as she gnashed her teeth against the hilt and engaged in the struggle of attrition with Trixie. Slowly, both blades lowered, and Trixie was nearly crying with the effort to resist the earth pony's vast brute force. But if she could just edge Acid Flower to the side. Even a little bit would be enough... "If you quit trying...it'll be over quickly. More than you deserve I'll admit, but I like your tenacity. Not half bad for a traitorous lout!" Acid Flower continued. Just a little bit more wiggling, and she'd be set up perfectly. The branch was almost over her head. Not long now..... "Just don't put too much hope of coming back by your Lord's sorcery. Whatever she did to push death away for herself, she won't be able to do for you...or for herself a second time!" They gave it their all, and in a sudden move, Trixie slanted her aim and Acid Flower's blade stuck into the stone. Now! Trixie let the magic grasp on the plug go, and the the succession of rocks fell from the mighty, old tree branches overlooking the bridge, striking Acid Flower on the back and freeing Trixie from her place. After a few hits on the head to boot, Acid Flower was dazed enough to let a solid swing of Trixie's sword put a cut along her cheek and scar her helmet, but the Queensguard regained her bearings and sword thereafter, and they circled once again. "Admirable...but futile effort," Acid Flower resumed her wordplay. "You talk too much," Trixie returned. "I know," Acid Flower said with a devious smile, "Keeps ponies like you offset. I almost had you there." WHACK! "Almost. Not quite," Starlight Glimmer affirmed to the now unconscious Queensguard and hoisted the spear above her head. "Thank you, but we need to start moving, now!" Trixie told the other unicorn. Starlight nodded, and the rest of the envoy followed, newly acquired weapons in hoof, the unconscious Twilight being levitated by Starlight and Rarity. They'd really done a number on her. How fortunate they'd be to escape, even with her help. She had to wake soon. Very soon. Cutting through the alleys and backstreets, and taking more unorthodox routes, they ought to be able to avoid many guards, but House Iridia was well rooted in Queen's Landing, and had been since before Princess Platinum. It would be close either way. Still, with the mystery commotion going on in the streets unseen, there was room to hope. Though they could hear the marshaling of guards and readying of posts, and more ringing blades, they ran into few, and those unlucky enough to come across them were cut down swiftly, until they rounded the corner of an alley and found a bridge leading to the lower station of the royal gardens. Freedom was within the bushes, a secret tunnel created in the rebellion and gifted to Lord Stark, only used once before, and not by anypony present. But atop the bridge was the last unicorn Trixie was hoping to see. The company halted, and the green magic surrounding this Queensguard was harnessed in sounding the alarm. The guards refocused on the sound coming from the royal garden, and the lone enemy on the bridge drew her sword. "Take Lord Stark into the gardens. Under the very center of the azalea bushes, you will find a hole. Slide down and run out the old sewer network, just don't fall out the back of the cliff. Block the other side when you get out," Trixie whispered to Starlight, "All of you should go. I'm the one best suited to face this foe." "We can't leave you behind alone," Rarity objected from behind. A despair fell over the Nothern Unicorn when she replied, "Yes you can. You half to. My sister won't let me escape, but I can make sure you all do." It might kill her. "Trixie!" The Queensguard shouted, "This escape dies with you!" "As soon as you can, go," Trixie told them, and quickly began shouting back as a group of Iridia guards rounded upon them. "I think not, Tira! You're mine!" Trixie shouted back as they charged on the other, their blades hoisted over their heads. But dying would be worth it to let Lord Stark reignite the rebellion. The North Remembers...hopefully she too would be remembered. Steel twanged against steel, horn locked with horn, magic collided with magic; the Queensguard was knocked into the railing of the bridge, her face staring down at the long waterfall not ten feet away. Trixie was thrown into the dirt after rolling backwards on the stone bridge. Despite this, she was also first to recover and bared down upon her older sibling at the railing as the other escapees ran into the gardens, the company of guards trailing after them. Trixie let her sister up in exchange for throwing her sword in a long arc, cutting down only two. Tira did not waste the chance, and kicked Trixie into the ground. In a snap decision, Tira opted to swat away the returning blade and watched Trixie's steel fall into the water below, and roll down into the dark abyss below Queens Landing. More Iridia guards swarmed towards the gardens, but Trixie distinctly heard battle sounds from behind the veil of stone and bush. "Should I run my sword through you now, I wonder.....or show you to the Princess alive? And make a spectacle of your death, just like Stark?" Tira asked with a very satisfied smirk. "Lord Stark is back!" Trixie rebutted quickly. "Aye...but you're no Lord, no great figure, just a faceless soldier in a hopeless war. And you picked the wrong side." "I'd rather die a loyal member of our House than live here and serve an unfit Princess, whose madness will be the end of the Four Kingdoms! I'd sooner break down the Wall myself and let the Wendigos turn everything to ice!" "That's enough out of you," Tira snarled and ran the hilt of her great sword into Trixie's cheek. Trixie let the blood fall and held her silence. Tira always was a pain, and was rarely wise, but to be so lost in Mercury's folly...what a pathetic first born heir she was. "You never could understand why the important and miserable things had to be done, could you?" Tira chided, "You never wanted to grow up. You never wanted to be anything the world and our family needed you to be." "Don't talk to me of miserable," Trixie muttered back, the red spittle still slowly falling from her lips, "You've been doing what you most wanted since before they died." "You think dreams are nothing but joy? I've suffered my share." "Liar! You suffered nothing. You left all of the suffering at home with me." An outraged look came upon her craven sister's face, as though she desperately wanted to challenge that notion, disprove Trixie's facts. But in the end, facts were facts, and selfish viewpoints could not contend, so Tira remained quiet in her disillusioned stance. It was odd when Trixie reminded herself that she used to hope no matter what she would grow up to be just like her older sister. Thank the gods she grew up to be very different. Another two guards drew near, chains and swords in hoof, but Tira denied them their duty. Miserable lout. Traitor. "No. Dying like her hero would only give her a sweeter death. There will be no public execution." Witch. Trixie closed her eyes and prepared for the worst. Tira's sword came within inches of her little sister's throat, and then after a small pause, a fine red line began to fall where the sword ran across it, slowly, methodically, so that she could enjoy the moment. "Any last words?" Tira asked. "Yes..." Trixie spoke with a shaken voice, but a proud one all the same, "Winter is coming." Author's Note As usual, this came out far later than I had wanted it to. Alas, life obstructs creativity all too often. Plus I've been compulsively binge watching the show, so, I think I'm justified in chalking some of this delay up to "research". Please enjoy, reviews always welcome.
Starlight Glimmer 1The two things that became most evident when disaster struck where the pain in her head and the cold all around them. She didn't know if the white in her eyes was because she had never been so cold, and may have been in an arctic tundra for all she knew, or if the pain that bled from the back of her head and went all the way around and up her horn was slowly killing her. When she woke up, her eyes were clear, and the pain was subsiding. The cold was all but completely gone. Nopony else was awake yet, but she only counted four of her companions. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack lay asleep at her hooves, Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy were nowhere to be found. Slightly less frightening was the revelation that she and those with her were inside a dungeon cell. Hay was matted against corners and sprawled across the floor, the stink was among the most putrid she had ever smelled. Starlight looked to the very small window, and saw that it was night time outside. The bars keeping them caged inside the stone walls were old and black, but sturdy all the same. Her very brief attempt to use her magic and test the metal ended up in a relapse of pain. She rubbed her temples and fell back down beside her friends, of which Applejack was now beginning to stir. "Welcome to...wherever we are," Starlight greeted wearily. "I haven't been this sore since.....shoot, I can't even remember," Applejack said, stretching slowly upwards, and with a few unpleasant cracks. The farm pony looked around and went over the bars, looking around them for any signs of life. Thus far, their captors were avoiding them. A few seconds later, Starlight got up to join her. The torch-lit hall was filled with many other cells, most smaller than the one the five occupied. Not in any of them could Starlight spot their missing companions, but a table with two empty chairs was within view, no doubt where the guards would keep watch whenever they appeared. "What happened?" Rainbow Dash pondered in a hazy voice as she too rose. "Don't know, but I don't like it," Applejack said, trotting over to help the pegasus up. "Maud no!" Pinkie shouted herself away, "that's my slice of cake!" The party mare clutched at her chest and staggered to the wall of the cell, leaning against the stone and frowning, "Never mind...I ate too much." "Does anypony know what happened to Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike?" Starlight asked after the blue pegasus and pink earth pony had gained their bearings. It was frustrating enough to wake up with no explanations, but the absence of her first friend since fillyhood was more troubling to Starlight than the mystery and the pain. She had half a mind to go up to the bars and demand an explanation as to where the rest of their party was, but her logical side reminded her that if nopony were there to listen, it would simply be a waste. "I don't have a clue," Rainbow admitted, with Pinkie shaking her head with a worried look behind the fast-flier. Of course not...nothing to do but wait it out now. To occupy the time, Starlight attempted to piece together where they might be; from the small view the window provided, it seemed that the city they were in was not abandoned, for the shadows of ponies in the night passed into view from time to time. The land itself was warm and grassy, and small, community gardens seemed to be placed every so often, Starlight had already spotted two. It must've been a well off city, for there was also a statue with a built in fountain sitting across from their cell, but whatever historical scene it may have depicted could not be determined from behind the stone walls. The whistles of crickets and the buzzing of flies were the only sounds between the short bursts of conversation, as everypony waited or tried to remember anything about whatever had brought them here. Rarity, like the others, had no idea what caused their arrival here or where the others might be. Frustrating as it was, the wait did not seem to last very long. It was perhaps an hour, maybe a half hour longer than that, before the door to the dungeon hall, just barely out of their view, opened. "I-I'm sorry..." Fluttershy weeped as she was carried into view by two guards, tall and hulking unicorns who did not bat an eye at any of them, nor answer any of their questions. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry....please...I'm so sorry..." Fluttershy continued to cry. When Applejack made a motion that suggested she might try to keep the door open behind the guards, one of them thrust a spear at her, and she jumped backwards to keep her skin intact. The guard said nothing, but eyed them all furiously until he was satisfied, and followed his companion out the hall door. They were locked in again, but at least they had a source of new information. "Are you alright, darling?" Rarity asked sweet as she could, wiping away some of the grime and tears from Fluttershy's face. "I...not really..." the yellow pegasus sobbed. Through a combined effort, Rarity, Applejack, and Starlight managed to calm and assure Fluttershy, and then the answers came eagerly. "I didn't know anything when I woke up, the rest of you were still unconscious, and-" "What about Twilight? And Spike?" Starlight interrupted. "They weren't here...I'm not sure if they woke up before me, but I didn't see either of them." "And where did they take you?" Rainbow asked anxiously. "They asked me questions in a dark room. I don't even know who I was talking to. The same guards who brought me back were the ones who took me over. I never saw anypony else." "What kind of questions did they ask?" Rarity inquired, looking over her shoulder to the still empty hall. A cold draft swirled through the cell as Fluttershy continued, "About who I was and where I came from, mostly, who you all were...except, they didn't ask about Twilight or Spike, now that I think about it. Anyways, when I told them we were from Ponyville in Equestria, they didn't believe me. They said no such city or town exists...they got really mad and started roughing me about..." When it looked like she might cry again, Starlight stepped forward and placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder, and smiling, seemed to ease the hurt away. Based on her explanation, Starlight had surmised that the guards would come to take another of them away, repeat the process and check their answers from Fluttershy against the rest of them, but no guards came. It was not for several more hours, and the beginning of the moon's descent, that another sign of life appeared to them. The guards and their cohorts, whomever they may be, asked of how the group had arrived here, what the last things Fluttershy had remembered, what their intentions were, all kinds of questions that could not properly be answered or that had answers they did not like, which resulted in Fluttershy's harm. Obviously, it was becoming too much to hope that this was some kind of misunderstanding. The implications were grave, and Starlight's brow became sweatier and sweatier as the minutes rolled by, the lack of clarity as to what had happened was not quite so troubling as the lack of clarity on what was going to happen. The others showed signs of anxiety and fear as well, and the bruises were starting to appear on Fluttershy. When at last more guards came, there were twelve in number, and each pony was shackled without any explanation, chained together by their necks and marched off in a line, one by one leaving the cell for the unknown ahead of them. They walked, alone except for their rude escort, down great halls and through large rooms with many great trinkets to adorn the walls. Paintings of ponies none of them had ever seen or heard of, with a few exceptions, noticeably, a portrait of Clover the Clever hanging over a fireplace. Could it be that this was some kind of...offshoot nation? Split up from Equestria? Or was it all perhaps some cruel charade? A wool of woven lies to cover their faces and keep them in the dark until the horrible reveal? They treaded down several more halls and past many more rooms, all far nicer than the accommodations they were provided. Yet, curiously, they were all empty. What was it that was so barren about this place? Where was everypony? Aside the guards, whispers and shadows were all that could be accounted for. That was, until, they were marched into the biggest and grandest room yet. Ponies of all creeds, but mostly unicorns, packed the great hall, buzzing among themselves, pointing, whispering, at Starlight and her friends. The guards who had mistreated Fluttershy were among many posted throughout the hall, many lances reaching well above the heads of the crowd. Some lances bore banners of a shining, blue diamond, glittering before a large, white orb, the moon, perhaps, or maybe even a great pearl? But the banners soon lost Starlight's attention, for to the northern end of the hall, the room was raised up several steps, and on this stage, a large throne of iron, swords melded together and thrust into a monument of battle success, sat higher than anything. And it was upon this large, Iron Throne that a mare around the age of the captives sat, looking down at them with disdain and pompous arrogance. Fluttershy was intimidated, the rest were angered to various degrees. Starlight did not recognize her in the slightest, but it was clear that her word was law in these parts. A pony under the Throne but above the crowd blew his trumpet and announced the beginnings of what was likely going to be a witch's trial. "Before the Royal Court of the Princess of the Four Kingdoms of Equestria, Mercury Iridia, the great defender of the Realms and the true descendent of the Iron Throne, I call this trial to order!" Starlight gulped at her accuracy. A trial. Perfect. "Commence!" The Princess upon the Throne announced in a high voice. "Your Grace," the guard leading their troupe of escorts spoke up, "these brigands were discovered in the city limits, no identification, no proof of allegiance, and no known ties to any House of the Four Kingdoms, except perhaps for the mare with the hat, a possible bastard of House Appleton." "What did he call me?" Applejack whispered from among the small huddle of friends. "Worse still," The guard captain announced, his hoof running through his flowing black beard, "among their group was a...criminal of known infamy." Princess Mercury eyed the guard captain with almost as much hatred as she did Starlight and the others upon that last statement. "I wish to know," she told the assembly, "exactly whom this criminal is! Why has your Princess not been told of his or her identity? It is maddening that in my realm, I am left without answers. More than that, it is wholly unacceptable, and I will see heads roll before I go any longer without answers!" Starlight glanced nervously to the others, and they looked back at her. If heads were going to be rolling, and this continued as poorly as it was going, theirs were sure to be among them. "Your Grace, please," A stallion of considerable size and overzealous hygiene spoke up from below the Iron Throne, "Those of us who have witnessed this criminal's return are, frankly, bewildered. It doesn't seem possible, and yet...the proof is here, in this city. As we speak, she is being brought to you. I fear I must warn you, you will not be pleased." Starlight noticed that the only zebra in the crowd below the Throne (and, further, of the whole room) eyed the new speaker with a cold grin, but when he stepped away, the zebra mare returned to her silent neutrality. "In the mean time," Princess Mercury announced, "May we ask the accused as to their identities and purpose?" "We have interrogated two, Your Grace, one a dragon, since sent to the Wall, according to your law; the other, this pegasus with the yellow coat," The guard captain in front of them answered. "What's happened to Spike?" Starlight heard herself ask, though she did not remember her intention to speak and step forward. Now the Princess on the Iron Throne eyed her with daggers once more, and Starlight found the mysterious courage was quickly leaving her. "Who speaks to the Princess with such bold ignorance?" Mercury demanded. "My..." her throat caught but she forced her voice up and out as best she could, "I am Starlight Glimmer of Equestria, and I-" "Your name does not sound familair," Mercury cut in, "of which House in Equestria are you from?" "Excuse me?" Starlight asked back. "Which House do you call home? Surely you are not from the South, which means you, as a unicorn, must call the North your home. So I ask again, which House do you come from, insolent one?" "I...I don't...I don't understand," Starlight stammered. This could surely not be the Equestria she knew. Houses...Four Kingdoms...what unpleasant madness was all of this? "Princess! Princess!" a voice called from the crowd, "the criminal comes! Here she is!" Starlight knew before the pony was let out of the great burlap sack that Twilight was whom they spoke of, but the reaction the Court gave was truly astonishing, and all hatred and scrutiny towards Starlight disappeared at once when Twilight was revealed to them. Huge gasps and cries of fear and anger mounted up, none louder or more ferocious than Princess Mercury, who the commanding tones of a general hardened from years of battle. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?!?" Twilight looked around, catching Starlight's eye briefly, but before they could so much as exhale another time, it was broken, and Twilight was brought forward by three guards, each of them pushing and shoving her along with all amount of prejudice, white cloaks dragging behind them. "WHAT SORCERY IS THIS!?" The Princess continued, losing all regality, "HOW DO YOU STAND BEFORE ME!? HOW ARE YOU IN MY GREAT HALL???" Once again, Twilight was denied the chance to speak up, and Princess Mercury rose from the Iron Throne, and a timid pony, who looked more scared of Twilight than the Princess Mercury, brought her a large sword, which her magic raised at once and flew towards Twilight's throat, stopping inches away from spilling the life within. Now the external fury ended, and Mercury struggled to take in what she was seeing. Twilight did not try to speak now, but stood alone, hated and silent, and waited for Mercury to finish her stroke of anger and disbelief. Many whispers and hushed outcries arose from the crowd, and even a few ponies on the stage, though the servants of Mercury held their composure well, for whatever Twilight had done to cause it. Starlight and the others were old gossip, neglected like ghosts. At last the words came out of Mercury's mouth, as though she were regurgitating them from some foul place within herself that she had not managed to kill entirely. "Four Bloody Hells! How is it...that after your death on my front porch...you stand before me again.....Twilight Stark?" Author's Note Thank you for checking this story out, I hope to make many more additions to it in the future. As I said in the summary, I will say so again here, I'm still in Season 2 of GoT, so please, do your best not to spoil anything for me. And yes, I realize how ironic it is that I am writing this despite my freshness to the show and books. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, please leave a like and a review! -TBK
Twilight Stark 1Once, Twilight would have been delighted to stroll through the square, and watch the birds fly above and the bees buzz among the flowers as their lives went on under the hooves of the ponies of Queen's Landing. Once, she would have smiled at being here. A time ago, she would have sucked in every second of exploring this city of great history. Once upon a time... But when House Stark did not bend to her whims, and Princess Mercury declared war on the North, Twilight was pushed into a fight she would have done anything to avoid, and her dreams of the South were sullied. Now, on the day of her death, it seemed only fitting she try and rekindle them. Life was too short to neglect one's dreams, even if life was being put down prematurely to the mark of a good cause. And no matter what anypony said, she knew now: this war was for a good cause. It was most unfortunate she wouldn't be around for the rest of it. She took no joy in bloodshed, but as a pony who grew up under the corrupted Sombra, when the Warden of the North was far more than daring and deadly tyrant, she was not against it where it was needed. And now, there was no doubt in her mind that Mercury was due to meet death. Well after House Stark passed, but at an unpleasant end for her, Mercury would follow. Most unfortunate that Twilight, as the one who started rebellion and passed sentence, as the Warden, and some would say Princess of the North, would not be around to swing the sword. The sunlight was hot, she had never before been so bothered by it, even after these long weeks held captive in Queen's Landing. Frankly, though the ponies swore at her and bade her farewell to the deepest pits of the four hells, she didn't think they could be much hotter. Maybe it was nerves. She wasn't adversed to killing, but she enjoyed the thought of her own death even less. But if it had to happen, it had to happen. Nopony could change the disaster that the last leg of her campaign had been. She dared to play the Game of Thrones, and she did not win. Who now should play in her stead, she wondered? The self proclaimed Princesses Celestia and Luna were closest to her heart, if not her cause. Her followers had many known names among them, but no proven leaders. Perhaps one of them would rise. Back in the winters of the her childhood, she never would have thought that she could rise to be what her older brother had worked to become. What he gave his life in the Old War to make of his family. Hmm, what would Shining think of her if he could see her now? The roar of the crowded mass was the first thing she heard, but the first she saw was her rival, and her better in the world of warfare. True, Twilight Stark fought an uphill battle against a foe with superior arms, but in the end, it was only a pony's mind and swordplay that mattered, and her mind was not up to snuff with Mercury's hordes, and her blade was not enough to cut through the opposing strategy. Well played, Princess Mercury. Now keep the Throne you so rigorously defended. "Kill her!" "Death to the Last Stark!" "The North is no more!" "Die, traitor, die!" On and on they went, some too foolish to see what Mercury was doing in the shadows of her chair, others too unwilling to stand against her, and so they fell beside her. But they almost all shouted indignities to her. "Long live Princess Mercury and House Iridia!" "We'll bury your corpse in your precious snow!" "Death to Stark!" "Put an end to Stark, put an end to the War!" "Grab the biggest pike you've got! We all want to see it when it stops rolling!" "Let House Stark live no longer!" The Princess was rather quiet. Of course, she would be. She had finished their Game, and now she was celebrating her victory by watching the mindless masses bury Twilight's reputation and memory just before her body would cease to function. It all happened so quickly once she was moving through the rilled crowd. She found herself standing alone on the execution stand, Princess Mercury and her entourage behind her, of which Twilight once thought she had at least one or two friends, but now, it was clear, that their lives were worth more to them than what was right. Not everypony plays the Game for the betterment of the world. She ought to have expected nothing less of them, really. But it was the crowd before her that really shocked her. Scattered, a few friendly faces, ponies with no position or room to help, but sympathizers, who frowned in the midst of angry yelling and cross demands. But the overwhelming sentiment was that Twilight Stark's name would go down with the likes of her predecessor, and the hatred scorn known to ponykind as Discord, and the Queen of Changelings across the seas that prevented Celestia and Luna from intervening sooner. House Stark's line was long, but their reign was short. Twelve years were spent as Warden, and in the end, it was less than six months that truly mattered, in the grand scheme of things. They continued to shout their fury at her. "Visit all four hells, over and over and over again!" "Let us all take a stab at her!" "Twilight Stark is fit to be eaten by our dogs, let them have her blood!" The Princess enjoyed their fury for a while longer, allowing them the chance to get out their insults, ruffle whatever feathers she thought Twilight cared about, and listened to the satisfaction brought about by their cries. But when her satisfaction ended, and Princess Mercury bade Twilight Stark speak, she found it very hard to. In the end, these ponies that wished her fates worse than death, but certainly death as well, were sheep. Tricked by Princess Mercury into making the world what she wanted it to be, they were falling and did not know it. It was never the job of the Princess to change the world, only to keep it running. Let the ponies make the changes they wanted. Mercury never saw that, she only thought about what she wanted. And as Twilight stood, the sword that would take her life mere feet from her, unsheathed and thirsting for her blood, she pitied the crowd. They were pawns, and when Mercury was tired of them, she would turn her powers against them as her armies had mounted to oppose Twilight and her small band of bannermen. "My name is Twilight Stark. I am the last of my House; I have no more siblings, nor did I bear any heirs. I chose to stand against the Princess of the Realm, and forsake my life and honor-" Already the chorus of boos and hisses assaulted her, but the guards hushed them on the Princess' command, and Twilight went on. "And I raised an army...I called my bannermen and raised my sigil against the Crown....and I waged war from the North, and brought upon my own people more suffering, after many long and hard years of it less than two decades before....and I was captured and my company slain....and I was parted with my horn....and kept in a dungeon to starve and rot....and I stand before you now, to share what I have done and show you how much I have lost by fighting Princess Mercury." The crowd booed less now, partly because they reveled in her admission of defeat, and partly because the guards were getting rougher with those that distracted attention from Twilight. Now was the best chance she'd ever have. So she let those words sink in, and just as the biggest smile came to Mercury's face, Twilight found one even bigger, and finished what she had to say. "And I regret none of it! The North will remember!" And the crowds became sour, and the guards got nasty, and the sword moved swiftly to her neck, and before another five seconds had passed, Twilight Stark's head was rolling down the stand, and her body collapsed in the scorching heat of the sun. But even then, Princess Mercury was no longer smiling.
Trixie Moonstone 1By the Four Kingdoms and the Sun itself.....could it actually be... The gasps of the crowd confirmed it for her. She dared make one, quick glance back, and there she saw her Lord Stark again. In the flesh. Alive. It took everything to keep the tears restrained and not do more than flinch. Alive! The rumors must have been false! She had cursed the day she left Lord Stark's company long enough to let her Liege Lord be taken. Everypony, even those who were fifty yards from the Great Hall that day told her otherwise. But there she was. Lord Twilight Stark returned. The questions and excitement and general energy of the crowded room pushed her out of her guise as an Iridian guard, for only a moment. The upheaval at the revelation her Lord was living and well, however, had distracted all the real Iridian guards, and Trixie left their midst before any of them could realize the mistake in their math that had corrected itself. She slipped by the open door and discarded the white and blue armor piece by piece as she went to her stronghold, hidden in plain sight. Did she even need it? It practically made her invisible. But practicality dictated that speed was more important than camouflage in the upcoming events of the night. With everypony of even minute importance inside the Great Hall, and the others in bed according to curfew, Trixie needed not concern herself with being found out. Even better, she could hear the shouting outrage Princess Iridia threw over the reappearance of House Stark. This was a day to be sung of by bards for centuries to come. As she rolled over the great stone in the public garden and found her trinkets in the dirt, she wondered briefly how she might compose an ode to this day, when things were more peaceful and times less turbulent. When we heard the grim news, to the Wall we would've fled, Refuge from tyranny, rest never again found in a bed, The Princess smiled bright, on the day bleak but untrue She thought she had won when down rolled Stark's head, But as it turned out, Lord Stark never was dead! Yikes. Thankfully, Trixie was no bard. She had always been a proud warrior of House Moonstone of the North, and never would that change. Her standard saber was a welcome comfort, she had never taken a liking to pikes. Spying was a nasty business, and one she was quite content to leave. With everything else, it wouldn't be very hard to make a break out. The escape was what worried her. Powerful and brave as she and Lord Stark, and even the new companions that had found Twilight, they were not worth betting on against the capitol's forces. But she'd sooner visit all Four hells than let this chance pass her by. Now, in the dissipating clamor, it was time to make their escape. Mercury had at last let them go. Most of them were bruised and limping, especially the barely conscious Lord Stark, though thankfully, it seemed Mercury intended to have them all executed at the morrow's light, for all the Four Kingdoms to see. This time, Trixie knew, it would be for good. Whatever miracle had revived Lord Stark could not possibly save her a second time, not when so much was stacked against them. As the guards escorted the strangers down the streets, Trixie shadowed them, leading them towards her traps whenever possible while still remaining hidden. By the time the entourage had arrived at the marked lane, Trixie had already stolen three lives from under their noses. Even the guards, among them Acid Flower, the newest member of the Queensguard, were afraid of the power of Lord Stark. And rightly should they be. When the band trotted onto the bridge, Trixie ignited her horn and let her magic loose. The smoke bombs went off on cue, and the fourteen or so guards still alive drew their weapons. Trixie was faster than they were, and let the blood run from two throats before she freed the unicorn who called herself Starlight Glimmer. They had never seen each other before tonight, but their teamwork was impressive none-the-less, and as Starlight freed her companions with her magic, Trixie activated more of her traps, felling two more guards with the crossbows she had placed in the waters below the bridge. With over half of Lord Stark's companions freed and the smoke thinning out, Acid Flower had had enough. Though new to the Queensguard (Acid Flower was the replacement of the knight Lord Stark ran her sword through the day she was sized by Mercury's forces), this caped warrior was confident and strong. "Guard Stark with your lives, the others are of secondary priority!" She shouted as her blade met Trixie's. The clanging was sure to attract more attention very quickly, as was the fresh blood all on the stone and in the water below them. Trixie and Acid Flower danced together, their metal striking evenly at almost every lunge. For an Earth pony, she was extremely gifted, and the lack of maneuverability provided by a horn was not holding her back. She even managed to gash a flesh wound on Trixie's forehoof, much to the young Lord Moonstone's dismay. "Brought some friends with you?" Acid Flower asked from behind the hilt of her sword, "good. We can crush you all tonight!" Trixie paused and found that swords were ringing against one another all through the streets, though she did not bring any allies into Queen's Landing. Possibly troubling, but definitely helpful at the current moment. Acid Flower lunged in again and followed up with a low sweep that cut Trixie's legs and brought her to her back. Her sword rose instantly to meet the killing blow Acid Flower slugged down. It would be a while yet before Twilight's friends were done fighting off the rest of the guards, though they were doing a fine job of it together. That meant Trixie's last trick was needed to save her own life. "Just like her...too proud to concede when you're beaten..." Acid Flower taunted as she gnashed her teeth against the hilt and engaged in the struggle of attrition with Trixie. Slowly, both blades lowered, and Trixie was nearly crying with the effort to resist the earth pony's vast brute force. But if she could just edge Acid Flower to the side. Even a little bit would be enough... "If you quit trying...it'll be over quickly. More than you deserve I'll admit, but I like your tenacity. Not half bad for a traitorous lout!" Acid Flower continued. Just a little bit more wiggling, and she'd be set up perfectly. The branch was almost over her head. Not long now..... "Just don't put too much hope of coming back by your Lord's sorcery. Whatever she did to push death away for herself, she won't be able to do for you...or for herself a second time!" They gave it their all, and in a sudden move, Trixie slanted her aim and Acid Flower's blade stuck into the stone. Now! Trixie let the magic grasp on the plug go, and the the succession of rocks fell from the mighty, old tree branches overlooking the bridge, striking Acid Flower on the back and freeing Trixie from her place. After a few hits on the head to boot, Acid Flower was dazed enough to let a solid swing of Trixie's sword put a cut along her cheek and scar her helmet, but the Queensguard regained her bearings and sword thereafter, and they circled once again. "Admirable...but futile effort," Acid Flower resumed her wordplay. "You talk too much," Trixie returned. "I know," Acid Flower said with a devious smile, "Keeps ponies like you offset. I almost had you there." WHACK! "Almost. Not quite," Starlight Glimmer affirmed to the now unconscious Queensguard and hoisted the spear above her head. "Thank you, but we need to start moving, now!" Trixie told the other unicorn. Starlight nodded, and the rest of the envoy followed, newly acquired weapons in hoof, the unconscious Twilight being levitated by Starlight and Rarity. They'd really done a number on her. How fortunate they'd be to escape, even with her help. She had to wake soon. Very soon. Cutting through the alleys and backstreets, and taking more unorthodox routes, they ought to be able to avoid many guards, but House Iridia was well rooted in Queen's Landing, and had been since before Princess Platinum. It would be close either way. Still, with the mystery commotion going on in the streets unseen, there was room to hope. Though they could hear the marshaling of guards and readying of posts, and more ringing blades, they ran into few, and those unlucky enough to come across them were cut down swiftly, until they rounded the corner of an alley and found a bridge leading to the lower station of the royal gardens. Freedom was within the bushes, a secret tunnel created in the rebellion and gifted to Lord Stark, only used once before, and not by anypony present. But atop the bridge was the last unicorn Trixie was hoping to see. The company halted, and the green magic surrounding this Queensguard was harnessed in sounding the alarm. The guards refocused on the sound coming from the royal garden, and the lone enemy on the bridge drew her sword. "Take Lord Stark into the gardens. Under the very center of the azalea bushes, you will find a hole. Slide down and run out the old sewer network, just don't fall out the back of the cliff. Block the other side when you get out," Trixie whispered to Starlight, "All of you should go. I'm the one best suited to face this foe." "We can't leave you behind alone," Rarity objected from behind. A despair fell over the Nothern Unicorn when she replied, "Yes you can. You half to. My sister won't let me escape, but I can make sure you all do." It might kill her. "Trixie!" The Queensguard shouted, "This escape dies with you!" "As soon as you can, go," Trixie told them, and quickly began shouting back as a group of Iridia guards rounded upon them. "I think not, Tira! You're mine!" Trixie shouted back as they charged on the other, their blades hoisted over their heads. But dying would be worth it to let Lord Stark reignite the rebellion. The North Remembers...hopefully she too would be remembered. Steel twanged against steel, horn locked with horn, magic collided with magic; the Queensguard was knocked into the railing of the bridge, her face staring down at the long waterfall not ten feet away. Trixie was thrown into the dirt after rolling backwards on the stone bridge. Despite this, she was also first to recover and bared down upon her older sibling at the railing as the other escapees ran into the gardens, the company of guards trailing after them. Trixie let her sister up in exchange for throwing her sword in a long arc, cutting down only two. Tira did not waste the chance, and kicked Trixie into the ground. In a snap decision, Tira opted to swat away the returning blade and watched Trixie's steel fall into the water below, and roll down into the dark abyss below Queens Landing. More Iridia guards swarmed towards the gardens, but Trixie distinctly heard battle sounds from behind the veil of stone and bush. "Should I run my sword through you now, I wonder.....or show you to the Princess alive? And make a spectacle of your death, just like Stark?" Tira asked with a very satisfied smirk. "Lord Stark is back!" Trixie rebutted quickly. "Aye...but you're no Lord, no great figure, just a faceless soldier in a hopeless war. And you picked the wrong side." "I'd rather die a loyal member of our House than live here and serve an unfit Princess, whose madness will be the end of the Four Kingdoms! I'd sooner break down the Wall myself and let the Wendigos turn everything to ice!" "That's enough out of you," Tira snarled and ran the hilt of her great sword into Trixie's cheek. Trixie let the blood fall and held her silence. Tira always was a pain, and was rarely wise, but to be so lost in Mercury's folly...what a pathetic first born heir she was. "You never could understand why the important and miserable things had to be done, could you?" Tira chided, "You never wanted to grow up. You never wanted to be anything the world and our family needed you to be." "Don't talk to me of miserable," Trixie muttered back, the red spittle still slowly falling from her lips, "You've been doing what you most wanted since before they died." "You think dreams are nothing but joy? I've suffered my share." "Liar! You suffered nothing. You left all of the suffering at home with me." An outraged look came upon her craven sister's face, as though she desperately wanted to challenge that notion, disprove Trixie's facts. But in the end, facts were facts, and selfish viewpoints could not contend, so Tira remained quiet in her disillusioned stance. It was odd when Trixie reminded herself that she used to hope no matter what she would grow up to be just like her older sister. Thank the gods she grew up to be very different. Another two guards drew near, chains and swords in hoof, but Tira denied them their duty. Miserable lout. Traitor. "No. Dying like her hero would only give her a sweeter death. There will be no public execution." Witch. Trixie closed her eyes and prepared for the worst. Tira's sword came within inches of her little sister's throat, and then after a small pause, a fine red line began to fall where the sword ran across it, slowly, methodically, so that she could enjoy the moment. "Any last words?" Tira asked. "Yes..." Trixie spoke with a shaken voice, but a proud one all the same, "Winter is coming." Author's Note As usual, this came out far later than I had wanted it to. Alas, life obstructs creativity all too often. Plus I've been compulsively binge watching the show, so, I think I'm justified in chalking some of this delay up to "research". Please enjoy, reviews always welcome.
