Revolutionary

Well, here I am, prisoner in my own room more or less. Thankfully I have a window to gaze through to help pass the time while I think. It feels refreshing to have all that armor and chainmail off. I feel a bit more relaxed, and can think more clearly. The fading sun is close to setting, and when there used to be a beautiful, amber sky during this time, now there’s only but a hint of that golden hue. The rest of the sky is tainted with thick, black clouds and an ashy sky. I can’t help but remember how beautiful this place used to be, and I have a feeling Equestria’s deterioration has something to do with Princess Twilight. I don’t know what she’s done to create such a catastrophe, but it’s getting worse with every passing day. If somepony doesn’t do something about it, this land, and everything within it, are surely doomed.

My first idea was to try and escape through the window, but that would’ve been too easy. Princess Twilight had this window sealed and locked up tight, I’d never get through no matter how hard I try. Perhaps I could break the glass, but that would undoubtedly get the attention of the two guards posted outside my door. Within seconds they, along with many others, with be storming this room. Escape seems to be almost impossible, but there has to be some way I can get passed these guards. Lost in thought, I find my attention is caught by some movement outside. Through the window, I have a view of the castle walls, and I can see something rope-like climbing the wall up to a window. I rub my eyes to be sure it isn’t just them playing a trick on me, but the dark, rope-like object reaches all the way up to the window. Then, I am stunned to see the dark silhouette of somepony climbing up the structure. Following behind him or her, two more figures climb up the wall. My heart starts to race as I realize that this could be my only opportunity. I leave the window and race to the door, shouting for the guards. “Guards! Guards! Hello!”

“Quiet down in there! Don’t you know others are trying to get some shut-eye?” One of the stallions responds.

“This is an emergency! I think somepony has infiltrated the castle!”

“Yeah, sure somepony did sweetheart.”

“Nopony would be foolish enough to even try and break in,” the other guard adds. “Besides, how would you even know, missy?”

“Because I saw it happen from my window! You must come and see!” I beg.

“Now, now, you might think that we’re dumb enough to fall for a trick like that, but I assure you that we’re not,” says the first guard.

“Well, she could be telling the truth,” says the other guard.

“Now, why would you go and say that?”

“What? What did I do?”

“You don’t just go telling the prisoner that we think her trick might work!”

“But that’s what I’m saying! It might not be a trick for all we know.” The first guard then sighs from aggravation. “I’d say there’s about a fifty-fifty chance that she’s telling the truth.”

“That’s because you apparently ‘are’ dumb enough to fall for it.”

“Excuse me? I think you just insulted my intelligence there.”

“Good. That’s because I did.”

“I hope that was just another one of those jokes of yours, Lance.”

“I don’t know, I’m starting to think that you actually are dumber than a tree.”

“A tree?”

“That’s right.”

“Trees don’t even have brains! How are you supposed to compare an organism that ‘does’ have a brain to one without?”

“That’s the point, Pike. Trees don’t have brains, you don’t have a brain, thus you are just as dumb if not dumber than a tree.”

“Bugger off!” As their child-like bickering grows more and more heated, I awkwardly but curiously continue to listen in as this could be going in the direction I need it to. “I say we have ourselves a little wager!”

“Oh, this should be interesting.”

“We both go in and see what she wants to show us. If it’s obvious that somepony did in fact infiltrate the castle, then. . .”

“Then what?”

“Then whoever was wrong has to buy lunch for the rest of the week!”

“Honesty? You want us to go in there and risk walking right into some sort of trap all because I said you were as dumb as a tree.”

“Precisely.”

“. . . You’re on then. Step back Officer! We’re coming in!” I back away from the door as I listen to them messing around with the lock on the door. The door opens, and Lance—the stallion that started their whole argument—with his silver mane, midnight-blue coat of fur and thick golden armor signifying that both he and Pike are members of The Royal Guard. Pike follows him inside, and his mane is mahogany-brown whilst his coat of fur is a very light gray. They rush towards the window and peer through the glass. “Well, I sure don’t see anything.”

“No, no, look! See that there!”

“Probably not, since I just said I ‘don’t’ see anything.”

“Over there! It looks like there’s a rope leading into that window!”

“A rope? There’s no way somepony got a rope all the way up there.”

“And why not?”

“Do you know how high that is? Nopony could’ve thrown a rope all the way up there.”

“A Pegasus could’ve!”

“You really are unaware of the things that happen around you, aren’t you?” As their bickering continues on, I confusedly listen in as I adorn myself with my armor and sword. “Unless it was a Pegasus of our own, which it wouldn’t make sense for somepony with full access to the castle to go and try to ‘break in’ to the castle anyway—”

“Why wouldn’t it make sense? Perhaps nopony was at the front gate to let them in.”

“Somepony’s ‘always’ at the front gate, Pike! Continuing on with my point, the rest of the pegasi haven’t been around for years! So, there’s no way somepony could’ve flown up and gotten the rope into that window.”

“Unless somepony dropped the rope down from the window!”

“That. . ! You don’t think. . .”

“Uh-huh, and who’s the one with a tree for a brain?”

“That’s not—” Lance smacks his hoof against his forehead, and I sneakily leave the room as they proceed to argue. With it being nighttime, most of the guards should be in their quarters sleeping by now. I just need to be careful on my way to the dungeon. I don’t know who I saw breaking in to the castle, but whoever they were, I can only wish them the best of luck. I don’t have time to investigate, my mind is only set on obtaining the keys to the cells, and getting into the dungeon unnoticed. I hug every wall, and cautiously peer around every corner. The keys are only held by whoever’s guarding the dungeon that night, getting them is what’s going to be the hard part.

“Alright, soldiers! Give me your full attention,” says a frighteningly familiar voice just around the corner. I quietly watch from afar as a group of about six Royal Guards are standing with their backs straight and chins out as they obey the stallion before them. Ever since I was a new recruit this stallion despised me, and I despise him all the same. His deep, raspy voice echoes throughout the halls, and I recognize that despicable face of his from a mile away. His coat of fur is of a charcoal-gray color; and his mane, along with his moustache and beard, are pure white. His uniform consists of a violet, button-down coat adorned with all sorts of medals along with a red sash across his chest. “Her Majesty has informed me that she has sensed a disturbingly, high amount of magical energy nearby. It is your duty to ensure that we do whatever is necessary to neutralize the threat, and keep Her Majesty safe. It’s possible this might not be as serious as it seems, but regardless, I want all of you to be on your guard at all times. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Commander!” They all salute in unison.

“Now, I will assign each of you your stations—”

“Commander Liaison! A moment please!” Suddenly Pike and Lance come trotting down another hallway to meet up with The Commander and his guards out of breath and clearly shaken up.

“What could you two possibly need now? And this had better not be another waste of my time, because I’m quite busy as you can see. Otherwise, I suggest you two keep your mouths shut and move along.”

“Commander, we’ve. . .” Pike nervously trails off.

“We’ve uh. . .” Lance tries to speak up.

“I’ll make this easier for you two. I’m going to count to three, and when I get to three, I will take you both to Princess Twilight so that you may explain your situation to her instead. And trust me, if I was her, your faces would be the last thing I’d want to see at this hour.”

“Well. . .”

“One.”

“Y-You see, we. . .”

“Two.”

“We lost Officer Maple!” Pike squeals.

“. . . I hope I didn’t hear that correctly. Surely I misheard you—could you say that once more?”

“We . . . lost Officer Maple . . . Commander.” Commander Liaison stomps his hoof onto the floor, and glares into both Lance and Pike’s eyes.

“All you two had to do was guard the door to her quarters!” Commander Liaison fumes. “How could you have lost her?!”

“You see . . . he said my head was like a tree—”

“Search for her! Now!”

“Yes, sir! Right away, sir!” They salute as they nearly trip over themselves as they scurry away back into the hall they came from.

“Alright, soldiers! Change of plans!” Commander Liaison turns back to his group. “Spread out and hunt down Officer Maple Bough! She is a traitor to the princess, and a threat to us all!”

“Yes, Commander!” The group of soldiers shout.

“We need her alive and in custody, so that she may pay for her crime! She must not be allowed to leave these castle walls! Understood?!”

“Yes, Commander!”

“Good, now go!” With a wave of his hoof, each of the guards breaks from the group, splitting up and beginning their search. I have no time to lose, I need to get those keys and fast. If I’m captured, I can’t even begin to imagine what Princess Twilight will have in store for me. Once all of the soldiers leave the room, I proceed towards the dungeon. With the old, wooden door in my sights, I approach it as I wonder just where the door guard is. Surely he couldn’t have just left his post. I squeeze and yank at the metal handle, but the door won’t budge. I check the floor and myself to see if perhaps I may find something I can try to pick the lock with. Until my entire body shudders at the sound of metal grinding. I slowly and worryingly turn my head to see an officer with his blade pointed right at me.

“. . . Rain?” I ask.

“Maple, why are you here?” Rain asks.

“I need to get to my parents, Rain. And nothing is going to stop me. Not The Royal Guard, not Princess Twilight, and certainly not you.”

“What you’re doing is foolish, don’t you see that?”

“I don’t expect you to understand, Rain. You’re just like the rest of them, you always have been. There were times where I thought you wanted the same thing I do, I guess I was wrong.” My eyes are drawn to the ring of keys dangling from his belt, forcing me to make a decision I was hoping I wouldn’t have to. “If you are what’s stopping me from saving my parents. . .” I draw my sword from its sheathe, and point it directly at Rain just as he’s holding his to me. I plant my hooves firmly on the floor, ready for whatever might happen. “Then I will do what I must.” By the look in Rain’s eyes, I can tell he’s pondering deeply about something. I watch his body movements carefully, as any sudden twitch can lead to an attack. He then withdraws his sword, sliding it back into its sheathe. Confused, but still on my guard, I keep my sword raised. He grabs hold of the ring of keys attached to his belt, and tossing them onto the floor before my hooves.

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe it is time for a change.” Without breaking eye-contact with him, I put away my sword and retrieve the ring of keys from the floor. “Go on and get to your parents, I’ll stay here and be on the lookout.” Rain lowers his sword, leaving me baffled and speechless. “Well? Go on!” Hurriedly, I unlock the door and enter the dungeon. I slam the door shut, and carefully work my way down the stairwell without any light source whatsoever. Suddenly, the room shudders from an intense, clamoring thunder outside. Through the darkness, flashes of lightning illuminate the dungeon for only a few brief moments. Nonetheless, it helps me navigate to my parents’ cell block.

“Mom. . ? Dad. . ?” I call out, hoping to hear a response, but the dungeon remains devoid of any other voices besides my own. With another flash of lightning, I discover the hallway containing my parents’ cell. I trot over to the iron cell, fumbling about with the ring of keys to find the right one. “Mom! Dad! I’m here! I said I’d come back, and—” Lighting flashes once again, revealing that the cell is completely empty. My heart sinks to the bottom of my chest as I stare at the floor with the loose shackles sprawled over the stone. My body goes numb as I drop the ring of keys, and my mind runs wild with thoughts of where they could’ve possibly been relocated to. Rain starts to pour in from the barred window at the end of the hall, and the thunder grows more and more violent.

“Looking for something, Officer?” A startlingly familiar voice asks from the opposite end of the hall. I jolt and turn out of fear as the thick, black clouds in the sky move to reveal the moon. A shaft of moonlight is cast through the window and down the hall to reveal Commander Liaison with a filthy grin on his face. “Or, perhaps I should just call you Maple now. Considering you’ve surely lost your rank within the brigade with all these shenanigans of yours.” He casually steps towards me, yet his calm and collected appearance is what frightens me. “In fact, by the end of this, I feel you may lose more than just your rank, Miss Bough.”

“What have you done with my parents? Where is Rain?” I ask whilst glaring at him.

“I’m afraid Officer Rain has been ‘decommissioned’ for his treachery. Tis a shame, he showed so much promise. As for your parents. . . Well, we’ve moved them to another facility.” Filling with fury, I draw my sword as the moonlight glimmers off the surface of the blade. “My, my, be careful, Miss Bough. You don’t want to make this any more difficult than it needs to be.”

“I demand to know where you’ve taken them!”

“I’m afraid you’re in no position to be making demands. ‘You’, my dear, are the one causing all this trouble. You’ve betrayed Her Majesty, your fellow officers and even your commanding officer.”

“I don’t follow ‘Her Majesty’, and I’ve never followed you. The both of you are the reason this kingdom is dying, and I will put a stop to it.”

“Listen to yourself. You’ve truly gone mad thinking you can fight against the monarchy, as well as the entire Royal Guard.”

“Somepony has to.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Miss Bough, as there’s only one way to solve this predicament.” Commander Liaison slowly unsheathes his blade, and crosses it with mine. “Don’t worry about your parents Maple, you’ll be joining them very, very soon.” He mercilessly swings his blade as I do my best to block each of his successive attacks with my sword. A harsh wind starts to blow from the window, drenching us in the rain. He continues to swing his sword with a flurry of attacks, leaving me clueless on what to do besides being defensive. His movements are so fast, yet he doesn’t seem to be suffering from any sort of fatigue whatsoever. “I can see you’ve learned absolutely nothing from your training. I’m appalled to see that you were even granted the title of ‘Officer’.” He proceeds to back up towards the window, and he finally ends his series of attacks for just a moment. A moment long enough to grant me the chance to swing my sword towards his throat. He ducks down, and with too much momentum to stop myself, he charges forward and bashes me right in my chest. I fly back and hit the wall behind me, and fall to the floor as the cold rain runs down my face, mane and armor. I look up with a severe pain in my chest, as Commander Liaison looms over me with a pitiful look on his face. “You think you can win, but you don’t seem to have a firm grasp on reality.” He kneels down to be eye-level with me, as I am too powerless to even move away. “You’re all alone, Maple. You’re too weak to fight your own battle, and quite honestly, I believe this army would be much better off with you out of it.”

Commander Liaison raises his sword, ready to plunge, and I lower my head in defeat. Until I am met with the smell of something burning. I look to the floor, and notice a small bomb with a lit fuse rolling towards us. Commander Liaison looks down as the bomb comes to a stop, and we both look to it puzzled by the crudely drawn smiling face painted on the surface with white paint. I shield my face, and the bomb explodes sending a wave of heat and small pieces of rubble flying through the air. I listen as Commander Liaison grunts and struggles as his swords clashes with what sounds like a wooden weapon. I hear a body fall to the floor, and I open my eyes to a thick cloud of smoke and dust. As it settles, I find Commander Liaison unconscious on the floor, and three other figures standing over him. Two of them appear to be average size for a pony, but the third is much taller and thinner than the others. They step forward as the moonlight illuminates their dark hoods and cloaks. I fearfully look on, unsure of what they plan on doing with me.