Shattered Glass: A Multiversal Tale
A Blue unicorn walked down the street, nodding her head to the music that played through her headphones, seemingly unaware of where she was headed. She turned down a rarely passed alley, her magenta mane swept by the wind. Her name, irrelevant, as her identification was fraudulent. Most free unicorns identification was, however, unless they were in the military, serving the ‘glorious Empress Sparkle’, but few were, and of those that were, they were far more than simple manna farms.
It was at the crescendo of the song, the drum solo, when a frantic unicorn ran into the blue mare, knocking her headphones off, causing her to open her pink eyes, the other unicorn kept running, and mare could see why. She promptly stepped aside as 3 of ‘her majesty's finest’ ran by, a fourth stopping not far away.
“Identification?” The officer asked, turning to show her the sword that he wore openly on his hip, his voice coming off like sandpaper, dry and lifeless. Wordlessly, the unicorn passed him her forged ID, after a moment he passed it back.
“Get inside. This is your only warning. Its past curfew Missy.” He then turned and ran to rejoin the pursuit of the other unicorn.
The blue mare picked up her headphones, placing them on her neck, surely they'd need to be repaired after the rough tumble they took. She continued on her way, into what seemed to be an abandoned building, before passing through what looked like a wall.
The room she entered was bright, well lit, and spacious. Far more so than the usual undetectable extensions thrown on broom closets, that make the majority of resistance hideouts. In a far corner on a mattress lay the master seamstress, coco pommel, a stallion spooning her, evidence of earlier activity's. The blue unicorn lay her bags on a table, and walker under a flowing waterfall, the magic of her disguise falling, revealing her mane to be pink like her eyes, except for the red stripe, and her coat to be teal. The wanted posters outside with her face called her the ‘plague doctor’ or ‘Insane scientist’, on account that she infected “the goddess” with an incurable disease, one that rendered her unable to generate her own mana, one that brought even the most powerful of unicorns to their knees, and killed many, given the time.
“Hey, Light, you’re back! Can I get you anything? A bowl of apple carrot stew perhaps?” A balding stallion with a white coat and black mane called from the impromptu kitchen, His well aged voice like mellowed down honey, everyone called him jet. Jet was a pegasus, former officer of Luna’s night guard, and was cybernetically augmented, before leaving the force. His right foreleg was gone, taken by a rouge griffon bomb, since been replaced with a realistic looking cyber-leg. He bore other scars from the incident, including the metal plate visible on his head, but was perhaps the nicest pony this side of the apploosan front.
“Mmmmmm, not right now, but thanks! But what are we short on this time? The apples?”all I could smell were carrots in the air, but they must've not been cooking long, considering the water wasn’t boiling yet. “tell ya what, check my let saddlebag, I nabbed you a few surprises.” I grinned, then walked towards cocos corner, where my cot sat, among a row of 50 or so, mostly filled cots, not far from her ‘bed’ which was actually just old celestial and lunar flags, from the old regime.
The orange pegasus on the cot next to mine rolled over to stare at me, as I lay down. “Tomorrow we break her out. Get ready to blow the prison. In the meantime, get some rest. I want you to get the note to her tomorrow. That means hiding your horn, and do it better than Minty did. I dont want another incident.”
I nodded at my superior, former wonderbolt spitfire, and rolled over. Tomorrow was going to be a looong day.
Elsewhere- same day- Tempest Shadow
I woke up, and I knew something was wrong. Maybe it was that I couldn't move, or maybe the pain in my horn when I tried to unpin my legs, or the immediate pain that followed, of the blade that was shoved through my hoof. Come to think of it, all of it was worse than I could have imagined. A few hours ago I woke up, in a strange version of canterlot. Twilight was now the goddess empress? She ruled with an iron hoof apparently. When the guards learned I didn't have id, they tried to take me. I'm not sure how far I ran, but judging by how sore my legs were, canterlot had grown. I groaned softly as I opened my eyes, head pounding as a result of my being tackled, or was I hit?
“so the prisoners finally awake, huh? I was wondering if id ever get a chance with you.” the grueling-est most vile voice id heard spat at me, there must've been cloth obscuring my eyes because I couldn't see, but I could feel as my tail was lifted against my will, I tried to buck against my captor, but the cold steel being twisted in my fore-hoof made me stop, I whimpered to myself, ashamed, as he looked over my most personal area. “I think I be your first. Ive got to make my rounds, but i’ll be back for your flank, fillie. Oh, and I should probably take that damn mask off ya, let ya get aquanted with your new surroundings.”
he left and pulled the mask off me, leaving me to fall to the floor, thankful he had to take his sword. I looked around, I was in a dingy cell, another unicorn lay against the far wall, seeming asleep, I moved as close to the wall as I could, trying to stay away from where that guard could get me.
“You know, hiding wont help you. All that will help is getting out. That pig needs to taught a great lesson, which we cant teach while being tormented and tied up.” I was shocked to hear a familiar voice, one of someone I thought I recognized… starlight's friend.. what was her name? Takesies? Trickster? Trapper? I couldn't remember. “You just get some rest for now, dear. I’ll deal with the guard when he comes back. You must’ve been through quite an ordeal, nasty lump on your head like that.. and your horn looks like its been shattered, that's not good at all.” I didn't realize shed gotten up, but the blue unicorn was looking me over, like a doctor looking over a patient.
She pressed her horn to the locks on my hooves and they fell away, before an illusionary pair took their place. And the unicorn smiled. “tomorrow I am going to need you to be ready to run, alright?”
I nodded slowly, tiredly, already today has been exhausting, and I just wanted to find out it was all a dream. Oh how I wished it had been a simple dream.