A Reflection of sorts

Chapters

An Apple Divided, Part 1
An Apple Divided, Part 2
A Promise Upheld
The Plan to reclaim the City
The Falling of the Axe
Escape from Manehattan
The Final Obstacles
The Sins of Predecessors, Part 1

An Apple Divided, Part 1

Chapter 1

An Apple Divided

850 years since Luna's Disappearance

The city of Manehattan: a bustling metropolis where dreams can be made or broken. Where a living could be made by working one's hooves to the bone, or without so much as lifting one. Work is never too hard to find, whether it be helping to build on to the city, or to repair the damages almost constantly done to what already stands. It is unfortunate that despite the wondrous opportunity this city presents, there exists one major drawback: The townsfolk are constantly conflicting with each other in the streets. The conflicts can be as mild as the exchange of insults and derrogatory remarks, but can be fierce enough to result in several ponies leaving the scene in gurneys. Thankfully, not all ponies in this city, or other cities for that matter, are consumed with such hatred for the other races.

Tomorrow will be a special day for Manehattan. On that day, the mayoral candidates will be giving speeches in the center of the city. Ponies of all races and backgrounds will be there to cheer on the mare or stallion they feel should lead the city. Unfortunately, with all of the townsfolk gathered together, the risk of a conflict is at an all-time high. To dispel any riots that may occur, a handful of the city's guards have volunteered to keep the violence to a minimum.

"All right, any questions regarding our briefing?" asked an armor-clad unicorn to a room full of other armor-clad ponies. Seeing that none had spoken up or raised their hooves, he smiled and continued to speak. "Good, then we meet up at the podium tomorrow at 0800 hours. That wil give us two hours before the speeches to make sure we are ready for anything. All of you are now dismissed". All of the guards cleared out of the room and set forth to go home. Morning came quicker than anticipated, and soon the captain found himself walking down the road leading deeper into town. He came to up to the stage that had been set up in the square, and saw that one of his men was waiting for him.

"Captain Valorous! Good morning, sir!" called out the pony.

"Good morning, rookie. You're here quite early, something wrong?" asked Valorous.

"Brickmason, Edgar Brickmason is my name. And yes, I couldn't sleep. I'm nervous that something bad could happen".

"Don't worry, kid, I've been through riots before. While they are no fun, you'll be fine so long as you make sure to incapacitate any attackers as quickly as possible".

"I just hope nothing happens. It would be a shame for anyone to get hurt".

"Hope is all you can do. Just keep calm for now, the rest of the troops should be here within the next hour". Sure enough, the other guards arrived one after another, and all had arrived by the time they were supposed to meet up. Not long after that, the mayoral candidates arrived. The three candidates greeted the guards, and then walked off behind the stage to practice their speeches. Brickmason broke off from the rest of the guards to observe them practice, wanting desperately to forget the unease in his soul. He was noticed by one of the candidates, a light-brown pegasus mare with a dark brown mane, tied back into a bun.

"Oy! Something wrong?" she questioned, causing Edgar to recoil slightly.

"I'm sorry, ma'am! I just needed to get my mind off of something..."

"Nervous, are we? I can relate. This is my first time giving a speech to such a large crowd of ponies".

"I've been getting a bad feeling since last night. I can't tell what it is trying to tell me, but my gut says that something bad will happen".

"I don't see any reason to worry. Valorous is your captain, no?"

"Well, yes. But..."

"He's a capable stallion. I've heard of his feats before. He's the first stallion anypony should want at their back in a crisis". One of the other candidates, a dark-orange earth stallion, appeared from behind her almost suddenly.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Ms. Stratos" announced the stallion, causing the mare to jump.

"Mr. Blackmoor! Please don't startle me like that!" ejaculated Stratos.

"What do you mean, sir?" inquired Edgar.

"I've seen what his father has done in the past. Seeing as he was raised by his father, I fear he may be very similar. Another bigoted monster" stated Blackmoor.

"I haven't seen anything bad about him yet. How bad can he be?"

"His father hates us earth ponies. I've seen him head many a lynch mob. I was almost a victim once, but then my brother stepped in and was taken instead". Blackmoor's expression changed to a pained one as he spoke these words.

"His father may have been a monster, but that doesn't mean he's the same" stated Edgar. He was about to continue speaking, but then he was interrupted by Valorous calling out to him.

"Brickmason! Fall back into position! There's five minutes left until the presentation, and I have some things I want to say to all of you!" announced Valorous. Edgar looked at his face, and saw that his attention had shifted slightly after his announcement. He appeared to be glaring at someone. Edgar chose not to think about it and began walking back to the front of the stage. Before he could make his way back, Ms. Stratos flew in front of him and began talking again.

"Brickmason, is it?" she asked.

"Yes. Edgar Brickmason, Ms. Stratos".

"Please, call me Nimba, Edgar. Good luck out there". Edgar smiled and moved along, placing himself amongst the phalanx-esque formation that his comrades had formed.

"All right, men! Simple task today: Protect the mayoral candidates, break up any rioting, and go home tonight in one piece. Is there anyone who doesn't understand this?" barked Valorous. None of the guards spoke up, much to his delight. "Right! Stand at attention in front of the stage, and keep your eyes open for any shenanigans! Move!" The guards moved out, and Edgar trailed behind at the end. Suddenly, he heard the captain call out to him. "I saw you talking to the candidates earlier. Anything you want to tell me about that, rookie?" asked Valorous, eyebrow raised.

"Nothing, Captain. Just discussing the anxiety that this event is causing" said Edgar, nonchalantly.

"I see. Keep yourself calm out there, Brickmason. The last thing we need is a guard panicking, think of it as a sign of weakness".

"Thank you, sir. I'll do my best". The two joined the rest of the troops in front of the stage as Mr. Blackmoor walked up to the podium in the center of the stage. Cheers and jeers were heard throughout the crowd, but they soon died down as Blackmoor began to speak. Edgar listened to the speech intently as he scanned the scenery for any sort of disturbance. Unfortunately, the combination of anxiety and Blackmoor's monotone voice made Edgar's eyes feel heavier with each passing second. He stirred suddenly when the sounds of Blackmoor's voice were replaced by several hooves stomping on the ground and clapping in the air. This did not keep him alert for long, as soon he began drifting off once again. Another noise roused his attention, but also made a pit form in his stomach.

"Get that feather-brain off the stage!" exclaimed a unicorn in the front of the crowd.

"Shut up, horn-face!" roared a pegasus that had rose from out of the crowd.

"Both of you shut your traps! Can't you just let the ponies give their speeches?!" shouted an earth pony from the front of the crowd. After those three shouts, much more, unintelligible clamor sounded through the air, and violence ensued soon afterwards.

"All right men, move in!" commanded Valorous. All of the guards save for Edgar, who was shocked from how quickly the situation had escalated, charged into the crowd to break up any fights. Valorous noticed this, and shouted at Edgar to take action. Edgar, however, could not make out a word that was said over the roaring of the crowd. What did catch his eye has a glass bottle flying towards Nimba, who had taken the stage before the riot had broken out. Quickly focusing on what needed to be done, he gripped the bottle with his magic and spiked it to the ground in front of him. He then mounted the stage to talk to the candidates.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked the three candidates.

"Nobody got hurt, at least up here anyways. You may want to go help the other guards out" stated Blackmoor.

"Alright then. Keep your heads down, this could get bad". Edgar turned back to the crowd, looking for his captain. He spotted him, in combat with the earth pony who attempted to silence the two other rabble-rousers. Said earth pony was clearly being beaten, but to an unnecessary extent. Edgar charged over to his captain. "Captain! What are you doing?!" he asked. Valorous turned his head away from the earth pony, who was now on the ground gasping for air, to face Edgar.

"This bastard was causing trouble, so I need to incapacitate him. If you don't mind, I have work to do, and so do you!" declared Valorous, angrily.

"I doubt he wants to fight you anymore, so leave him be! There are other ponies who need to be put under control!"

"He may not want to fight, but he still can fight. He's not incapacitated yet, rookie. Now help with the riot while I finish up!" Valorous then turned back to the earth pony and prepared to continue stomping on him. Edgar, seeing what his captain was bout to do, fired a bolt of magic at him and sent him flying a few feet away. He then helped the earth pony to his hooves.

"I only wanted to see my father give his speech, I didn't expect to get beaten for it!" commented the earth pony, weakly.

"You're Blackmoor's son?" asked Edgar.

"Yes. Thank you for the help".

"You should probably get out of the crowd before someone else attacks you". The earth pony limped away quickly towards the stage to be with his father. Edgar turned to help the other guards out, when suddenly he was knocked to the ground.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Brickmason?! I told you to help with the violence, not add to it!" roared Valorous, furiously.

"I did help, Valorous! You nearly killed Mr. Blackmoor's son!"

"Who cares about that mud horse?! You assaulted me! In my eyes, that makes you one of those rioters!"

"I don't want to fight you, Valorous. Now let's go back to work and try to actually help someone!"

"That's Captain Valorous, rookie. And this isn't going to be a fight" said Valorous, before moving his neck around and making an audible cracking sound as his mouth twisted itself into a smile of sorts. "This is discipline!" he roared, as he struck his hoof across Edgar's face. Enraged, Edgar fought back against his captain. The two traded blows with each other for what seemed like hours, but was actually all but a few minutes when suddenly a roar echoed throughout the city. The ground began to shake furiously, and the sounds of screams could be heard in the distance. A pegasus frantically flew over to the site of the riot.

"Get out of town, everyone! An Ursa Minor is attacking!" he shouted nervously. This threw the rioters into a new state of unrest, as they frantically ran around looking for a hiding spot.

"Dammit! One thing after another with today! Listen here, traitor, I'm not done with you! You stay here and try not to mess anything else up, while the rest of us go attend to the new issue" hissed Valorous. The rest of the guards left the scene, and Edgar tried to think of a way to calm everyone down.

An Apple Divided, Part 2

Chapter 2

When Ursas Attack!

850 Years since Luna's Disappearance

The news of the attack had stopped the fighting, but had sent the rioters into a frenzy, each frantically seeking a place to hide. Edgar, unsure of what do, almost gave in to the compulses that commanded him to join the chaos. Right as it felt as though his nerves were going to break, a voice rang out from behind him.

"Edgar, over here!" beckoned the voice which Edgar recognized as belonging to Ms. Stratos. He jumped up on to the stage and ran over to the mayoral candidates to make sure that they were still unharmed. After seeing that they were shaken but uninjured, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's amazing how bad this day has gotten, isn't it?" commented Edgar, chuckling slightly.

"I fail to see the humor in any of this, young man!" bellowed the third candidate, a gray unicorn stallion with a white mane.

"True, this situation is rather bleak, isn't it?"

"For now, yes. I hope you have a plan for evacuation, constable". A slight frown formed on Edgar's face as the elder unicorn spoke these words.

"To be perfectly honest, I've got no ideas for evacuation".

"Do you have any ideas at all, Edgar?" asked Stratos, worriedly. Edgar appeared to ponder this for a second, when suddenly a look of apprehension formed on his face.

"Now that you mention it, Ms. Stratos, yes. It's a bit of a doozy, but it can be pulled off if I can get some help" replied Edgar.

"Please, call me Nimba from now on. Also, please enlighten us to your plan".

"We remove the Ursa Minor from town!" boomed Edgar, radiating a sort of confidence that the other ponies couldn't entirely comprehend.

"If anybody needs me, I'll be curled up inside an emergency shelter" stated the younger Blackmoor.

"I thought that if a few words could throw most of the city into a panic, a few more could rally them together to defend the town, no?" asked Edgar, the air of confidence he exerted slowly fading.The four other ponies looked at each other, and after a mimute had passed, the elder Blackmoor spoke up.

"If you think that your words can captivate the populace into working together, we'll back you up. Just choose them carefully, I've seen what happens when you say the wrong thing at the wrong time..." said Blackmoor, nervously.

"Please, be careful Edgar. I'd hate to lose a friend before I get to know them better" requested Nimba, also clearly showing her anxiety towards the current situation.

"I intend to be car-" stated Edgar, before cutting himself off. "Wait, you already consider me a friend?" he asked, blushing slightly.

"At the risk of sounding rude, we should probably take action quickly, don't you think?" interjected the elder Blackmoor. Regaining his focus, Edgar nodded his head and trotted over to the podium. The candidates followed behind him, and Blackmoor cleared his throat as he mounted the podium briefly.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, I wish to request your attention once more, if you please!" he bellowed. Surely enough, some of the previously panicking ponies stopped to look at the stage. Other ponies soon stopped to look, wondering what had caught the eyes of those others who chose to look. "I would like to give an opportunity for a new friend of mine a chance to speak to you. Please give as warm a welcome as possible to a Mr. Edgar Brickmason!" he proclaimed, motioning for Edgar to take the stage. He did so, and cleared his throat before opening his mouth to speak.

"Citizens of Manehattan, today we find ourselves faced with a crisis. As I speak, an Ursa Minor is tearing down structures and ending innocent lives. My comrades in the city guard are there as we speak attempting to get rid of the beast, but they will not be able to do it by themselves, this much I am sure of" said Edgar, loudly and clearly.

"Who cares about them? They chose to sacrifice themselves, so why should we join them?" asked a voice from the crowd.

"They are citizens like the rest of us. They could have chosen to panic like you folks did, but instead they chose to fight for the city they love. I want to join them, but one unicorn won't make a difference in this. Your town needs you, citizens of Manehattan. For the sake of your homes and loved ones, can't you fight together instead of amongst each other?"

"I don't think all of us can help. After all, some of us are quite limited in what we can do, sir" called out another voice from the crowd.

"Everyone can help in their own ways. Even the earth ponies in the crowd can help".

"Enlighten us, then. What can they do for us in this situation?" asked another voice from below the stage.

"They have their own special skills that they can contribute, I assure all of you. I could ramble on about how each of the races can help us out in this scenario, but that would waste too much time. I must beg of you, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies of Manehattan, lend your hooves to this city so that it may remain standing for years to come!" pleaded Edgar. Save for the sound of crashes in the distance, a sort of silence had befallen the city. Fearing his efforts may have failed, he dismounted the podium and prepared to jump off of the stage. Suddenly, the sound of a pair of hooves clapping together sounded through the air. Soon, this sound was joined by the sound of two more hooves, and another pair after that. Within a single minute, the crowd had began to cheer on Edgar for his speech. Even the mayoral candidates joined in the clapping of hooves, which put a smile on Edgar's face. He re-mounted the stage, his confidence raised higher than ever before. "Alright, here's my plan. I need some pegasi to go out of town and scout out the den of this Ursa, the rest of you stay here for the rest of the plan". Four pegasi rose from the crowd and flew off in search of an Ursa's den.

Meanwhile, in the northern district of Manehattan, Valorous and his men were attempting to slay the beast, but to little avail. Many of the guards had been injured, and others had even fled for their lives. Only the captain and two other guards stood to ward off the Ursa Minor.

"Men, stand your ground! Do not give this monster the satisfaction of unnerving us!" roared Valorous, hoping to save the morale of his troops. The Ursa swung its claws at the ponies, scattering them around. Valorous, annoyed, tosses a brick at the Ursa, hoping to take its attention from the injured guards in front of it. The beast slashed at him with tremendous force. Valorous jumped back, expecting to land on his hooves. He fell over instead, and saw to his horror that the creature had severed his right foreleg. Overwhelmed with pain and the fear that this will be his end, Valorous resigned himself to becoming another live lost.

Suddenly, however, the sound of music echoed from behind him. This music was soft and gentle, like a lullaby. He looked to see a group of the town's musician's gathered together, playing their instruments. The ursa, hearing this music, seemed to be calmed by this soft serenade. A group of pegasi appeared from behind them, and proceeded to slowly fly in a circle above the ursa's head. This, combined with the music and being worn out from its rampage, caused the creature to fall asleep.

"It's wonderful, isn't it captain?" asked Edgar, concerned.

"Brickmason? What are you doing?"

"Taking care of the problem, sir. We're almost done here". He motioned to a group of earth ponies behind him, who then proceeded to gather up the wounded guards and drag them away from the sleeping ursa. A group of unicorns then walked up and used their magic to lift the sleeping creature into the air. One of the pegasi that left earlier returned, and led the group to the den that had been found outside of the city. Within an hour, they had returned to town. By this time, the sun was setting, so everyone went home for the night.

The next day, Edgar was greeted at his door by one of his fellow guard. He was told that he was requested to act as a guard at the city library today as ponies came in to cast their ballots for the election. He left home, and headed for the library, wondering why the rookie would be specifically requested for an assignment. As he approached the library, he noticed Nimba sitting by the entrance. Their eyes met, and they cantered over to each other.

"Good morning, Edgar. Thank you for accepting this assignment on such short notice" she said, giving off a mildly sorrowful vibe.

"To be honest, I have no problem with the abruptness of this news. My only question is why I've been chosen when there are more capable guards in the force".

"There is a reason, I assure you. The voting has already commenced, so please take your position" she said, insistently. He nodded his head, and walked inside. The voters all turned around to see who had entered. Cheering sounded through the library, much to his surprise. Edgar took a seat at the designated spot, and kept his eyes peeled for any sort of unfavorable activity. Much to his pleasure, no fighting broke out. After what seemed like hours, the last voter cast their vote, and the tallying began. Soon, an earth pony rallied the attention of the voters, and Edgar turned his attention to the front of the building, picking up a glass and pitcher of water close by.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, the results of our mayoral election are in! The winner of the election is..." announced the pony, before opening an envelope he had been presented with. He read the card, and a look of confusion spread across his face. "Edgar... Brickmason?!" he announced, his feeling of confusion clearly reflected by his voice. Edgar, shocked from hearing this, choked on the water he was swallowing and began coughing loudly. The crowd began to cheer as Edgar walked over to the announcer.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked while trying to collect himself after choking.

"This is who the people voted for. Am I to assume that you are him?"

"Yes he is, sir" announced Nimba, now appearing from behind Edgar.

"I don't recall him being a candidate, could someone please explain this to me?" asked the stallion.

"He saved the city from the Ursa minor that attacked yesterday. He showed the leadership skills it would take to run this city" stated Nimba, firmly.

"W-wait! I don't know too much about politics. Why don't you do it, Nimba?" suggested Edgar, nervously.

"I can help you with being mayor, Edgar. As your assistant, and partner. What do you say to that?" proposed Nimba, warmly. Nimba moved in closer as Edgar began to blush.

"Is this even right? Should this be allowed?" asked Edgar, nervously.

"I'm sure the other citizens wouldn't complain at all" said Nimba. She then turned to the crowd that had gathered in the library."Isn't that right, ponies of Manehattan?!" Cheers and the sound of hooves clapping sounded throughout the room, and Edgar walked out in front of the two other ponies beside him.

"Ponies of Manehattan, I thank you for your help yesterday. I know that I'm not the best stallion for the job. However, if you feel that this will be a good way for me to return the favor for your help, then I accept this opportunity as your mayor!" bellowed Edgar, much to the pleasure of the crowd.

Later that day, in the hospital, one of the guards was visiting Captain Valorous in the hospital. He told Valorous of the results of the mayoral elections. The captain took this news seemingly well, and dismissed the guard after he finished explaining what had happened.

"Thank you for the report, guard. Please bring me more news when you can" requested Valorous, a smile on his face. The guard left the room, and said smile twisted itself into a frown. "Just you wait, Brickmason, your punishment shall come someday. I guarantee you that much" he then remarked in an angry growl.

A Promise Upheld

Chapter 3

A Promise Upheld

854 years since Luna's Disappearance

Four years ago, an odd occurrence happened in Manehattan: Edgar Brickmason, a rookie amongst the town guards, was elected mayor of the town due to his ability to rally the townsponies together to ward off an attack from an Ursa Minor. Since that day, he's been working diligently to keep the townsfolk at peace with each other. It has been mostly successful, but there were still many hate crimes popping up throughout the town. Dissatisfied with what little he could do, he began secretly funding a small group to travel throughout Equestria, spreading words of peace and tranquility. However, he realized that this could possibly end as soon as his term as mayor does. He awoke in the morning of the Monday of his last week in office before elections began anew, unaware that his past was coming back to bite him.

"Just another week of this, eh? I can do this..." said Edgar to himself, groggily. He arose from bed, trying not to disturb his sleeping wife. He shambled into the water closet and bathed himself, waking up in the process. His mind, now caught up with his body, began to run down a list of what he needed to do today. "Arrive at the office, read the bills that have been sent my way, and then bring Nimba to 'The Gilded Truffle' for supper" he thought to himself out loud. Having bathed himself, he dried himself off and walked out into the kitchen to find Nimba preparing some breakfast.

"G'Morning Dear" she said, sleepily.

"You didn't need to get up to make me breakfast, Nimba. You need your rest" said Edgar, concerned.

"I'm fine. Besides, the little bugger inside me wanted food just as much as I'm sure you do" she remarked, softly rubbing her hoof along her rounded stomach. Edgar grinned at this comment, and trotted over to her. The two nuzzled each other briefly, and Edgar motioned for her to sit down. She complied, not wanting to cause any sort of argument.

"French Toast sound alright, Love?"

"Wondrous, Darling" she replied, walking outside to retrieve the morning gazette. She returned with paper in mouth, and sat down in the kitchen to read it. She came across an article that caused her brow to furrow slightly due to the shocking nature of the news. Edgar noticed this, and felt it necessary to inquire about it.

"What's wrong, Nimba?"

"Gerald Blackmoor Jr. and his wife have gone missing. There's no trace of where they've gone, according to the paper" she said, deadpan.

"Really? Damn, I'll have to see to it that the guard put in as much effort as possible to find them. Anything else interesting in the paper?"

"Yes. It looks like a potential riot was dispelled by an unknown group of ponies last night. These are odd times we're heading towards, don't you agree?" Hearing this caused a grin to spread across Edgar's face, as he placed his and Nimba's breakfast on the table. "What's with that smile, Dear?" she asked, concerned.

"I just love to hear good news!" he replied, not bothering to hide his glee. The two sat down and ate their breakfast quickly, both returning to their bedroom afterwards. Nimba climbed back into bed as Edgar put on a collared shirt, a tie following soon afterwards. Fully dressed, he trotted over to his wife and nuzzled her once as she began to drift off to sleep once more. Grabbing his briefcase, he walked out the door and cantered down to the mayoral office. Along the way, he stopped at the sidewalk in front of a house, the inhabitant of which was making his way out. A white pegasus stallion bearing a light brown mane nervously exited the house, briefcase in mouth. He turned to see Edgar sitting there, and waved his hoof at him.

"Top of the morning to you, Mayor Brickmason!" he called out, briefcase still in mouth.

"And the rest of it to you, Mr. Linshire!" he replied. The pegasus glided over to him, a mildly annoyed expression having formed on his face. The two began to walk towards their destination and coninued to converse between each other, Linshire somehow able to speak coherently despite having a handle in his maw.

"You are free to call me 'Colin', sir. How long has it been since I've first told you this?"

"The same length of time since I first told you to simply refer to me as 'Edgar'".

"You're the mayor. You deserve that much respect, and I intend to give it".

"Possibly not after this week. I've always seen you as more of a friend than a co-worker anyways".

"I'm not sure whether to see that as an insult or a compliment, Edgar".

"Ladder!" ejaculated Edgar, moving to the side. Colin failed to noticed this, as he was more focused on the conversation than their path.

"Don't you mean 'the latt- Agh!" questioned Colin before colliding with a ladder that was standing up against a buidling. It fell to the ground with a loud thud, and a unicorn stallion turned the corner to confront them.

"Dammit Colin! Seventeenth time this month! Watch where you're going!" roared the stallion. Colin apologized profusely as he scurried alongside Edgar on the sidewalk. They dropped the conversation, and chose to discuss the wondrous subject of potpourri until they arrived at the office. As they stepped indoors, a pegasus mare motioned for Colin to approach her. He obliged, Edgar following close behind.

"Good morning, Rose. How are things?" asked Colin, finally putting his case down.

"Things are well, Colin. Did you still want to meet up for supper tonight?" she asked, blushing slightly.

"I'm good unless something dire comes up. I see no such thing happening as of yet, though".

"Wonderful! So we'll meet at 'The Gilded Truffle' at 6!" replied Rose, gleefully. Colin nodded his head and smiled. He and Edgar walked off towards their office, Edgar smiling as well.

"My, it seems like that restaurant is rather popular. Me and Nimba were going to go there tonight as well!" commented Edgar, gleefully.

"I suppose it is. Thank you for talking me into talking to Rose. She's made me a happier pony overall!" replied Colin, smile still present.

"It's nothing to fret about, Colin, really".

"Still, I can hardly imagine where I'd be in life right now had I not listened to you..." They both entered the office and placed their cases down besides two desks. They read over paperwork for what seemed like hours when suddenly, Colin spoke up again. "It looks like a piece of this document is missing. I'm going to check the filing cabinet in the storage closet".

"There's no need to report your every action to me, Colin. Feel free to do what you need to". Colin fluttered over to the closet and entered it, leaving the door ajar by merely a crack. Edgar proceeded to continue reading, but sudenly the door from the hallway leading in flew open, and city guards spilled in. "What's the meaning of this? Can't you have knocked and entered normally?" questioned Edgar, shocked and slightly enraged.

"It seems as though mayoral power has made you quite arrogant, Brickmason. No matter, though" announced a deep voice as an armor-clad stallion entered the room.

"V-Valorous? What's troubling you?"

"That's Captain Valorous, worm!" exclaimed Valorous, enraged. He turned towards the other guards, glare still ever-present. "Men! Take him away!" he roared. The guards moved in to drag Edgar off.

"Under what charges?!" demanded Edgar.

"Assault on an officer, amongst many others" replied Valorous, a smirk spread across his face. The guards attempted to drag Edgar away from the desk, but he put up a surprisingly strong fight. Seeing the resistance being put up, Valorous gripped a vase with his magic and smashed it into the back of Edgar's head, knocking him unconscious. One of the guards restraining Edgar took notice of this, and turned his eyes towards his captain.

"Sir, wasn't that a tad bit excessive?" he asked, concern reflecting in his voice.

"I hardly think so, Blackmane. After all, did you see how tacky that vase was? I was doing it a favor breaking it!" replied Valorous, jokingly. The other guards laughed at this, and even Blackmane couldn't help but chuckle slightly. After regaining their composure, they dragged off Edgar, unaware that the whole event had been watched. Colin emerged from the closet, shocked at what had unfolded.

"What in the name of Tartarus' nine circles just happened?" thought Colin, out loud.

Edgar came around to find the floor around him cold. He opened his eyes, despite the throbbing pain in his head, to find bars surrounding him. He began to remember what unfolded before he lost consciousness, and began to panic. "Hello?! Someone?! Help!" he called out, praying he got a response. He heard shuffling behind him, and nervously turned around to find an earth stallion staring at him.

"Mayor Brickmason?! What in Celestia's name have they done to you?" called out the stallion. Edgar recognized the voice, and could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Gerald Blackmoor?! What in the world are you doing here? Shouldn't you have been reported as-" asked Edgar, before a realization struck him, causing any semblance of calm within him to vanish.

The Plan to reclaim the City

Chapter 4

The Plan to reclaim the City

854 years since Luna's Disappearance

"So, this is some sort of revenge against you, Edgar?" asked Gerald, concerned.

"I'm afraid so. What tipped you off?" asked Edgar in an exhausted manner.

"I'd say it was either you slamming the bars while screaming 'Damn you! Let me out, you whoreson!' for ten minutes, or just a good hunch" said Gerald, somewhat sarcastically. Edgar could not think of anything to say in response. Suddenly, however, the sound of a door opening in the distance caught their attention. A figure approached the cell, and gripped Edgar's body in their magical aura. He was thrown into a wall, and restraints fastened themselves around his ankles.

"I hope you haven't gotten too attached to your new home, Brickmason. After all, you'll be leaving it soon enough" announced a familiar voice.

"Valorous! What is the meaning of this?! Why is Blackmoor in a prison cell, and why am I?!" interrogated Edgar, furiously. Valorous grinned slightly as he trotted over to Edgar. He then began pummeling Edgar with his hooves, smile still fully intact. Gerald looked on in horror as the captain of the guard, known as the fiercest upholder of justice in the city, was once again beating an innocent pony into submission. He soon stopped, his smile twisting into a frown as he prepared to speak to Edgar.

"I've held that back for four years, Brickmason. And now, there's nothing left for me to do with you..." he said, remorsefully. Suddenly, the wicked smile he bore previously returned, somehow more manic than before. "... that is, except for your final punishment!" he stated gleefully.

"What do you mean?! What could I have possibly done to deserve this?!" demanded Edgar.

"And why involve me? After all, I've done nothing wrong!" pleaded Gerald.

"What do you mean? You and your wife were kidnapped by Mayor Brickmason here after you wised up to his recent embezzlement! Don't you remember anything, Blackmoor?" questioned Valorous in a tone that feigned innocence. Gerald took this in as a shocked expression formed on his face. He slumped back as something resembling malaise instilled itself in him.

"E-Elizabeth? No..." muttered Gerald, under his breath. Edgar saw this and began struggling to break free from his chains.

"Valorous, you bastard! You won't get away with this! Do you hear me!" barked Edgar, thrashing about in his chains.

"I won't now?" asked Valorous. Suddenly, he erupted into a fit of crazed laughter which seemed to echo throughout the entire prison block. "I'm afraid I already have" stated Valorous, deadpan, as he turned to look back at Edgar. Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground by Gerald, who could not stand his predicament any further.

"Where is my wife?! Tell me!" barked Gerald, enraged. Valorous merely stared at him, dejectedly.

"It's a shame, really. Here I thought you'd be found alive after grilling Brickmason for information. Oh well..." said Valorous, sadly. He got up and disappeared for a brief minute, coming back with a mare following close behind. He motioned for her to go in, and he slammed the cell door shut as she got in.

Elsewhere, earlier on in the day, the doors of the mayoral office swung open as a pegasus frantically flew down the halls. Many ponies stopped to look at this, almost perplexed by what could have caused Colin Linshire, who normally was quite stoical, to panic. Most assumed it had something to do with Mayor Brickmason having been dragged away by the city guard. As Colin neared the exit, Rose flew out in front of him, her face bearing a look of deep concern.

"Colin? What's going on here?" she asked, nervously.

"Mayor Brickmason was arrested, and I need to help him, Rose! I'm sorry, but our plans for the evening will have to be postponed!" he shouted as he worked his way around the mare and bolted out the front door. Rose watched as he flew off, saddened to see Colin so upset. Colin frantically dashed across the city, trying to find Nimba to alert her to what happened. Seeing no sign of her, he decided it would be best to go to the guard station and attempt to sort this out. As he trotted in to the building, he saw that Captain Valorous was by the receptionist's desk. He approached the stallion cautiously as he formulated his thoughts.

"Good afternoon, sir. Normally, you'd want to talk to the receptionist beforehand, but I guess I'll try to help you out. What can I do for you?" asked Valorous, smiling.

"Hello, my name is Colin Linshire, and I'm the Mayor's assistant. I need to speak with him" stated Colin, calmly.

"He can't be seen at the moment. I have men in the back interrogating him. We believe he knows something about Mr. Blackmoor's disappearance" said Valorous, sternly. Hearing this caused Colin to shoot him a confused glance.

"But wasn't he taken in for 'assault on an officer', sir? I mean, that's what I heard before he got carted off".

"I don't know where you heard this, but please, if there's something you know about this, enlighten us". Colin seemed to ponder this for a moment before directing his gaze back into the eyes of Valorous.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know anything else. Thank you, sir" he said, walking away.

"Have a good day!" called out Valorous. After Colin had left, Valorous called a guard over to his side. He began to whisper into the guard's ear. "Keep a close eye on Mr. Linshire, and report his activities to me. I fear he knows more than he's letting on" said Valorous. The guard nodded his head and left the station as Valorous made his way to the cells in the back of the station.

Colin, unsure of what more he can do, decided to go back home and try to better collect his thoughts. As he approached his dwelling, he noticed a familiar looking pegasus mare fluttering down the way.

"Nimba? Is that you?" he called out to the mare. She turned to him and approached, a worried expression on her face.

"Mr. Linshire? Aren't you normally still at the office?" she asked.

"It's a long story. Come inside, I'll try to explain". As he finished his sentence, he noticed Nimba's attention shift to behind him. He turned to look, but saw an empty alleyway, which somehow gave him a sense of unease.

Back at the prison, Edgar continued to struggle in his chains as Gerald comforted his wife, Elizabeth. The sound of a door opening nearby caught the attention of the three ponies, causing them to freeze. A cart stopped in front of the cell as the door opened. Valorous entered the cell, dragging the small cart behind him. He lifted three loaves of bread, three apples, and a pitcher of water out of the cart and placed them on the floor. Without a word, he walked out and slammed the cell doors shut.

"I'm sorry that both of you got dragged into this" said Edgar, remorsefully.

"You didn't do this, Mayor, Valorous did. Why should we be angry with you for that?" asked Elizabeth as she picked up a loaf of bread.

"I almost could've seen this coming, anyways" added Gerald, before taking a bite from an apple. "I never thought you'd be a part of this as well, but I guess that's life for you, right?"

"Perhaps. In any event, thank you for helping out. I'd have done the same thing to Valorous had he not bound me" replied Edgar, somewhat relieved.

"That cur had it coming, there's no need to thank me". A silence fell in the air, which caused a sort of discomfort among the three sharing a cell. "Aren't you going to eat, Edgar?" asked Gerald.

"I'm more concerned with how my wife is holding up. She must be worried sick about me!"

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She might even come to visit you soon".

"I shudder to think that, Gerald. I swear, Valorous better not lay a hoof on her..."

Three days passed, and almost nothing seemed to have happened. Valorous would stop by once a day to drop off food, and the rest of the day would comprise of the three talking about whatever subject popped into their heads. The nights were spent sleeping and looking out the barred window whenever they heard a noise outside. On the fourth day, Gerald and Elizabeth were taken out of the cell by Valorous, and Edgar saw no trace of them after that. On the fifth day, a guard came to the cell and began unchaining Edgar.

"Thank you, they were starting to dig into my ankles" thanked Edgar.

"Just don't cause any problems. Now, what would you like for your last meal?" asked the guard.

"Last meal? What are you talking about?! My trial isn't even until tomorrow!" asked Edgar nervously.

"Still a bit out of it, are we? That must be some illness you had..."

"I-Illness?!" asked Edgar, his nervousness now replaced by fury.

"Yes. Valorous said you looked too unwell to present yourself for the court. As he pointed out, though, there was enough evidence to come to a reasonable decision" said the guard. Edgar could not contain his anger any longer, and he shouted at the top of his lungs.

The Falling of the Axe

Chapter 5

The Falling of the Axe

854 years since Luna's Disappearance

It had been hours since Edgar learned that he was a condemned stallion. The rage he felt had subsided long ago, and since then he merely hung his head, waiting for his end to come. Not even the beauty of the moon's light shining through the barred window above his cell.

"What will happen to Nimba and the foal?" he asked himself, out loud. Suddenly, something popped up in front of the window, blocking the moonlight. Edgar noticed this, and turned his head towards the window to see a figure outside his cell.

"You won't need to ask that, sir. You won't be in here much longer" called out a familiar voice.

"C-Colin?"

"Were you perhaps expecting Princess Celestia?" he retorted, snidely.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to tell you that Nimba is alright, and that we'll be here to bust you out tomorrow night. I'd do it tonight, but my friend, Gladstone, won't be here until tomorrow. That, and they were out of files at the general store".

"It won't matter, Colin. I know what fate has in store for me already".

"What do you mean? Mr. Gladstone has a wagon, and he owes me a favor. I talked to him about it three days ago, he said he'd bring you and Nimba to a town far away from here. You and her can have a new start in a new-"

"It won't matter because I'm being executed tomorrow morning, you nimrod!" he exclaimed, tired of hearing his colleague ramble on. Hearing this caused Colin to recoil with shock.

"Executed? Over what?"

"The kidnapping and murder of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Blackmoor II, among other things".

"That can't be! They're still alive, Edgar! As a matter of fact, they are a few cells down from you".

"Valorous must not have executed them yet". Edgar turned around and walked to the bars of his cell. He noticed that there was only one cell next to his on both sides, as well as doors on both ends. The door to the left was comprised of iron bars, much like the cells that lined the walls of the hallway. The door to the right, on the other hand, appeared to be made of solid steel. "From my cell, which direction was theirs?"

"To the right, Edgar. Why, what's wrong?"

"And there was a barred window as well?"

"Yes. Please, tell me what's going on!"

"I have three simple requests for you Colin. Please honor them. First of all, I want you to go to my home and get a file from Nimba".

"I can't believe I didn't think to do that earlier. I'll get right on it!" he claimed as he prepared to fly away.

"Hold it! I'm not done yet. Next, I want you to promise me that you'll help Nimba with the foal, no matter what happens".

"Y-You mean 'Nimba and I', right?" questioned Colin, nervously.

"Finally, I want you to make sure Gerald and Elizabeth escape from the city".

"I can't do that, Edgar. I won't let you die because of that scum!"

"As much as I want to get out, I can't do it at the cost of two innocent lives. Valorous' grudge is with me, not them".

"But Edgar, we still have time! I can retrieve the file and have both of you out in no time!"

"If I'm missing in the morning, who is to say that Valorous won't execute them?" Upon hearing this question, Colin stepped away from the window, and the sound of his hoof striking the wall rang through Edgar's ears.

"Fair enough. I'll honor your wishes, but you better not think for a minute that I've given up on you! You're just as innocent as the Blackmoors are, and I will make every effort to get you out as well!" said Colin, remorsefully. As he began to run towards the street, he heard a pony call out to him.

"That's far enough, Mr. Linshire!" called out a stallion from the shadows. He stepped into view to reveal that he was an earth pony, and bore the armor of the city guard. Edgar saw this occur, and slumped over in his cell, fearful that the Blackmoors would still suffer as he would. He listened intently for signs that nothing had gone wrong, but heard nothing. Unsure of what to make of the silence, he opted to get some sleep.

The sound of the cell door opening caused Edgar to stir, as he opened his eyes to find Valorous standing over him. He quickly stumbled to his hooves and engaged the captain in eye contact.

"That was quick. Are you ready to face the music, Brickmason?" asked Valorous, smugly.

"Let's just get this over with, we all have better things to be doing" retorted Edgar, bitterly. Valorous bound shackles to Edgar's legs, and led him down the hall and out the barred door. They were now walking through the lobby as several guards that were present glared at them. "Where exactly is this affair going down, Valorous?" he asked, confused as to why they were leaving the station.

"Town Square. Everypony in town will be there, Edgar. They'll be there to see you pay for your crimes". He then turned his head back towards the lobby and motioned towards a guard, who disappeared into a room behind the desk. The guard came back out, a large axe on his back. The doors opened, and the resulting burst of sunlight blinded Edgar as he attempted to follow his captors. As his eyes adjusted back to the outside world, he noticed many of the townsfolk staring at him. Some of the faces he saw reflected sadness, whilst others seemed to display a sense of betrayal. He searched the sea of faces to find Nimba, but saw no trace of her. Soon, they arrived at the square, and Edgar was forced to place his neck on a wooden block. Valorous called forth the citizens of Manehattan as the other guard levitated the axe above the chopping block.

"Ponies of Manehattan, we are gathered here today for the execution of our former mayor, Edgar Brickmason. He was condemned to execution based on several charges, those being: Two charges of kidnapping and first-degree murder, embezzlement of taxpayer's bits, and using said funds to fund a mercenary group to overthrow the Equestrian government! Before we drop the axe on this loathsome fiend, does he have any final words?" he asked, turning to Edgar as he finished.

"Why do you insist on fooling the town like this? Why would I want to overthrow the government? Sure, I'd have the entire kingdom, but I'd also have the responsibilities that come with it! Not to mention, I'd likely be hated anyways for staging a coup against the ruler who has watched over the land as far back as anyone can remember. And while I did dip a bit into the public funds, it was to fund a group of ponies to promote further peace between the three races. I thought their presence would be pretty obvious, given the fact they've been in the gazette as often as they have. And where is your proof that Gerald and Elizabeth Blackmoor are dead? Has there even been an autopsy, Valorous? How many of these ponies actually know that they are 'dead'? Your plan to get rid of me is more porous than imported cheese. Of course, I really don't care anyways. After all, I know for a fact that the Blackmoor's are both safe right now, as well as anyone else who might have had to suffer the same fate as me. And what is that fate, some may ask? Dying because of a reason, which in all honesty, amounts to a heaping mound of road apples in the end. So you know what? Drop the axe! Just know that you've failed in your endeavor!" said Edgar, in a mild rage.

"Defiant to the end, I see. It's a shame, really. Had political power not corrupted you, I'm sure you would have been my right hoof, Brickmason. That doesn't matter anymore" retorted Valorous. He then turned to the guard and nodded his head. Edgar looked up and saw the axe rise up into the air. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact that would sever his ties to the mortal world.

"Nimba... Please be safe" prayed Edgar in his mind, as he felt a small burst of wind rushing above his neck.

Escape from Manehattan

Chapter 6

Escape from Manehattan

854 years since Luna's Disappearance

"That's far enough, Mr. Linshire!" called out a voice from the shadows. Colin turned his head towards the shadows as a guard stepped out to confront him. "I've overheard everything you've said, Linshire. I should take you in right now!" he growled.

"Since you know what is going on, you should also know why doing that is a bad idea" replied Colin, calmly.

"You claim that the Blackmoors are still alive. I want proof".

"Fair enough. I have to make this quick, though. Innocent lives are in my hooves, and I don't want to let anything bad happen!" With that, Colin lead the guard to the back of the guard station. Both of them peered inside and saw a mare and stallion curled up together on a pile of hay. Colin called out to the pair, and they bolted awake.

"It's you again. Is there something you need, Mr. Linshire?" asked the stallion.

"Show us your flank, Gerald. It's imperative you do so" replied Colin.

"It's not shower time yet, I'm afraid. Come back later and we'll talk about that".

"Save that lowbrow humor for later! Your life isn't the only one that hangs in the balance right now!"

"So you're going to get us all out? If this really helps, then I guess it'll be no problem". Gerald turned his flank to the bars, and the light pouring in revealed a cutie mark of a trowel. The guard recoiled slightly, a shocked expression on his face.

"That's his cutie mark alright. I don't believe it..." The guard approached the bars once more, a look of concern displayed across his visage. "Gerald? Why are you down here?"

"Julius Blackmane? My goodness, it's been ages! How're the foals?"

"Little hellions. They'll straighten out soon enough, though. That's not important, though. Please answer my question".

"Well, we were at our home when suddenly the door was broken down. A stallion with a prosthetic hoof knocked us unconcious and we woke up behind bars. Mayor Brickmason was thrown in there a day later, and we haven't seen him since we were dragged off to this cell a few days ago. Is he alright?" Julius took a moment to take in this information, and a confused look sprouted upon his face.

"He's going to be publicly executed in a few hours for your deaths. But if you're still alive, then..." He paused for a moment to attempt to calm himself. "I need to confront the Captain on this. He'll explain what's going on, I know it!" He started to run off, but Colin stopped him.

"Hold up! You know that they are the genuine article, so why are you going to report this to the one who locked them up to begin with?" asked Colin, irately.

"He should at least be able to explain his side of the story. After all, I let you do that, and it brought up a lot of questions. I know that the Captain can answer them" replied Julius, uneasily.

"Isn't that like asking a convicted murderer if they've claimed a life before?!" bellowed Colin. He breathed heavily before speaking up again. "You know what? Fine. Ask him. Just give me a head-start of an hour or so first. I'm going to break them out".

"Shouldn't that be a reason for me to take you in? I mean, a cutie mark's a cutie mark. There's always the possibility that he's a fraud".

"You still deny it?! Fine. List off an idea. But keep in mind, he not only bears Mr. Blackmoor's cutie mark, but also knew your name and that you have children. Think hard if necessary". Julius stood there silently, thinking to himself.

"Fine. I'll wait to talk to the captain. But if I find his story more plausible than this, I'm coming for you, Linshire!"

"Fair enough. Have a nice night, Blackmane". That having been said, Colin flew off, and returned 15 minutes later with a file in mouth. He immediately began wearing away at the metal bars above the Blackmoor's cell. At the cost of the file finally snapping from the excessive friction, most of the bars came off of the window. Colin lowered himself into the cell and lifted up the two ponies one at a time. All three of them now on the ground, they looked up to see the sun just beginning to rise. They fled the area, and Colin lead them to a house with a covered wagon parked in front. He rapped the front door with his hooves frantically, as he looked around to make sure no guards were nearby. The door opened, and a pony motioned for the three to come in quickly. The door was closed quickly, and the figure turned around to reveal a unicorn stallion.

"Colin, these ponies don't look like Edgar and Nimba. What's going on?" asked the stallion, worriedly.

"There's been a change of plans, Gladstone. This is Gerald and Elizabeth Blackmoor. They were also caught up in this horrid scheme, and now so am I. I have to go get Nimba and Rose now. I'm sorry, but not even I could have seen how bad things were going to get".

"Bad? First I'm late getting a shipment, then I find out my home village is nothing more than a ghost town, and now this?! There had better be a damn good reason why I shouldn't toss the lot of you out of my house!" barked Mr. Gladstone, clearly having lost his patience.

"Gerald, please fill him in on what's going on. I have to go round up the rest of us" commanded Colin as he burst out the back door. He soon arrived at Edgar's residence, and explained the circumstances to Nimba. She quickly filled a suitcase with items, and ran out the door with Colin. He had given her the address, and told her to go there while he runs to go get Rose. He raced towards her residence, heart pounding from the fear of guards hunting him down. He arrived, and rapped on the door. To his surprise, Rose was already awake. "Rose, I need you to pack some belongings and come with me" he said, panting.

"A guardspony came by ten minutes ago looking for you. Why are you helping out criminals?" she asked, visibly shaken.

"They are innocent, Rose. All of them. I'd love to explain everything, but time is of the essence here. Please, Rose. Trust me" he pleaded. The mare looked at him in the eyes, hers now reflecting sadness.

"Mr. Brickmason really has messed with your mind, hasn't he? Don't run from the guards, Colin. They just want to talk to you and figure out what's wrong".

"I can't do that, Rose! His life hangs in the balance, and I won't let harm come to him! He's done so much for me, and I feel obligated to return the favor!"

"Colin, he's guilty. The court ruled it. If you go and save his life, you'll be behind bars for a long time. Come inside with me, dear. Just relax and wait for the guards".

"Relax? Relax?! My best friend is going to die if I don't do anything! Now please, Rose. Gather up what you need. We need to leave town before the guards come to take us away". Hearing this, Rose's expression changed to one of anger. She glared at him before opening her mouth to speak.

"Are you really so lost, Colin? I'm trying to help, and you push me away! So you know what? Go help the mayor. Leave town. Whatever you want to do. Just do it by yourself!" she yelled before slamming the door in his face. This sudden change of emotion shocked Colin to his core.

"R-Rose? Please, I just want to help..." stammered Colin.

"Leave now, or I call the guards!" roared Rose from behind the door. Colin fled the stoop, fighting back tears as he ran back to Gladstone's flat. Nimba had arrived shortly before, and was sitting in the front room. The others walked over to the front door to check on him.

"Is everything alright, Linshire?" asked Gladstone.

"Jack. Have everyone load up into the wagon" demanded Colin, choking back his emotions.

"Look, if you're upset about me snapping at you, I'm sorry. Now c'mon. What's wrong?"

"Just do it! I'll meet you at the city gate soon!" exclaimed Colin. Gladstone nodded, and everyone began loading up into the wagon. Colin, meanwhile, ran out back and began beating his hoof against a tree. Growing fatigued, he sat beneath the tree and tried to find something happy to think about. He lost his train of thought, however, when he saw a group of ponies marching past the front of the house. In the center of the group was Edgar, bound in chains. Colin regained his focus, and began to follow them amongst the crowd of ponies that wished to spectate the event.

Upon arriving at the square, Colin immediately broke from the crowd to get a good vantage point on the event, which was found on the roof of a nearby building. He watched the event, waiting for the proper moment to strike. As the axe was raised above Edgar's neck, Colin leapt from the roof and divebombed into the axe, catching it right before it connected.

"Edgar! Get up!" called out Colin. Hearing this, Edgar opened his eyes and rose to his hooves.

"Is everyone else safe, Colin?" he asked, a renewed sense of hope taking hold of him.

"Just you and me. C'mon, let's get the hay out of here!" Edgar beamed and blasted his shackles with a stream of magic, reducing them to dust. "Why didn't you do that before I rescued you?"

"I figured that you'd come to my aide at some point. I've not known you for dawdling, after all". Valorous stepped forward, a look reflecting fury visible on his face.

"Neither of you are going anywhere! Arrest them!" cried out Valorous. Despite being outnumbered, the two managed to somehow fight off the guards. They prepared to leave, but Valorous leapt out in front of them, axe hovering above him. "Get back to the chopping block, Brickmason! We all know you can't get past me!" bellowed Valorous, angrily. Without a word, Edgar fired a bolt of magic at Valorous. He dodged, and poised himself to charge. As he began to burst forward, the axe came down and severed his right foreleg, which was a wooden prosthetic. As he cried out due to blind rage, Edgar and Colin ran off to the City gate to meet up with the wagon. Upon arriving, Nimba nuzzled Edgar ferociously.

"I missed you, Nimba. Are you alright?" asked Edgar.

"I'm fine, but there's someone here who wants to speak to you" she said, pointing to a figure bearing a hooded cloak. "He's refused to let us leave town until he gets a chance to speak to you". Edgar nodded, and approached the figure.

"Time is short, friend. How can I help you?"

"You musn't escape this town. The pain you will cause in the future shall be too great" said the figure.

The Final Obstacles

Chapter 7

The Final Obstacles

854 years since Luna's Disappearance

Edgar was shocked by the words that came from the pony's mouth. He couldn't think of anything he had done recently that would cause, in the figure's words, 'pain'. He looked the figure in what he assumed was its eyes under the hood.

"What have I done, or will do, that warrants I stay here and face my death? Surely, it must be terrible" he questioned. The figure merely stood there, shaking its head.

"I can't tell you that, Edgar Brickmason. If I told you what were to happen, it could change the future in a way that would cause more pain for the world" stated the figure in a slightly annoyed manner.

"Really? And whose to say that doing it your way won't cause the same problem? Did you even think things through before you started acting out this plan? Also, is this supposed 'future' really so bad that you can't fix it yourse-"

"Enough! You don't understand! One life to save what could be all of Equestria an infinite number of times over! This is the path with the least bloodshed, and I'm giving you one more chance to turn around and face the music, or, so help me Celestia, I will drag you back there by force!" roared the figure. its voice becoming slightly more guttural as it continued shouting.

"Then I guess I have no choice. Out of the way!" Edgar fired a magic bolt from his horn at the figure, kicking up a cloud of dust as it hit something. As the dust cleared, Edgar saw that the figure was flying on a pair of wings it had hidden beneath its cloak. The figure landed on the ground, folding its wings to its side in the process.

"You couldn't just accept it, could you? One simple task: Stop living. But, since you couldn't do the job, I will!" announced the figure. The figure flipped up its hood to reveal a horn, now glowing with a light-gray aura. Its face was obscured by a cowl, leaving only its two brown eyes visible. Judging from its facial structure, Edgar guessed it was a stallion. Edgar recoiled slightly from fear upon realizing that an Alicorn stallion wanted him eradicated. Before he could retreat too far back, though, he felt a deep pressure on his neck, and he could feel his ability to breath being slowly stripped from him as the ground below him seemed to vanish.

"Edgar? Is everything alright?" called out Nimba, coming out from behind the wagon. She looked over and saw Edgar levitating in the air, his hooves pawing at his throat as if frantically trying to breathe. She screamed, and soon the rest of the group jumped around to the front of the wagon. Seeing all of these ponies having come around to Edgar's aid, the stallion released Edgar from his grip.

"Is he really so important to all of you that he must live, despite him having already been condemned?" asked the stallion.

"Mr. Brickmason has been my boss for the last three years. Those three years have been a joy, despite the hardships we've faced. He's done so much for me, and I feel I have yet to return the favor" declared Colin.

"Edgar saved me at a rally four years ago from the same stallion who captured me and my wife. Though he wasn't able to get us out of the situation ourselves, he put our lives before his. I feel that warrants me calling him my friend" announced Gerald.

"He made sure that me and the other candidates stayed safe at the rally. Ever since then, he's been a wonderful husband, and he'll make an excellent father in a few weeks. I love this stallion" stated Nimba. Hearing these words, the stallion seemed to contemplate something. He looked at Jack next.

"And what of you, Gladstone?" he asked, his voice seemingly a bit shaky.

"I'm just in it to help a friend of a friend. How do you know my name, exactly?" questioned Jack.

"That's not important. What is important is that I've forgotten something important. I can't very well let any lives come to an end, even if it means saving more" stated the figure, remorsefully. Confused glances were shot in his direction at this statement.

"If killing me would have saved the future, then why have are you suddenly deciding not to?" asked Edgar.

"Yes. Preventing your escape would have saved the future, but pain would be caused no matter what. But I think there's a third path to take. Maybe that path will entail even less suffering than this one. I know what it means to lose loved ones, and I don't intend to let it happen so long as I can prevent it!" As the stallion announced this, electricity began crackling around him. "I guess my time's up now. Good bye, all of you. I wish I could have stayed longer, especially to get to know my-" said the stallion before disappearing behind a pillar of light.

"Well, that happened. We can try to comprehend this all later, for now we need to leave. There's no telling when the guards will catch up" stated Gerald. Jack moved back to the reins of the wagon as the others loaded up into the back. The wagon began moving once again, and within mere minutes, the slight bumps of the cobblestone road were replaced with the relative smoothness of a dirt road. Edgar moved to the front of the wagon to talk to Jack,

"Did you already have a place in mind, Sir?" asked Edgar.

"Please, call me Jack. And to answer your question, not entirely. While we could easily go to another city, there's no guarantee Valorous won't find us if we do. And if he finds us, he can get reinforcements from that town's guards. We need to go somewhere where we can settle down and not have to worry too much about the law. Any ideas?"

"Well, I did have a place in mind. I've not told anyone about this, not even Nimba, but I bought a second house a few months back. I was going to give it to the little one when they were older, but I guess they'll be living there a bit earlier than planned..."

"Does this have anything to do with your 'Embezzlement'?"

"I assure you, it doesn't. I used a few bits to fund a group of ponies to travel Equestria to promote peace between the three races. I paid for the house with bits I had saved up for a while".

"I see. I used to go to stay with my twin brother back at home every now and then while traveling. I hope he's alright, wherever he went..." Edgar was about to ask more about it, but Colin popped up from the back of the wagon.

"Jack? I've got one quick question for you" he asked in a manner that seemed to reflect concern.

"Shoot".

"What was in your last shipment?"

"Fabrics and textiles".

"Nothing like fresh fish, or something that would need the use of ice as a means of cooling?"

"What would make you think that, Colin?" Before he could answer, a voice rang out from further back in the wagon.

"Oh god! Stop the wagon!" exclaimed Nimba.

"Sweet Celestia!" exclaimed Jack. He pulled the wagon to the side of the road, and all of the ponies save for Edgar and Nimba vacated the wagon.They waited outside, keeping their eyes to the road to keep watch for incoming trouble. After 20 minutes of constant shouting, between Nimba screaming in agony and Edgar frantically shouting commands to her, the wagon fell silent. Edgar poked his head out of the wagon for a brief moment,

"We're going to need some sort of cloth. Immediately" stated Edgar, unbuttoning his own shirt in a hurried fashion. His voice seemed to reflect a waning sense of nervousness. Colin removed his as well, and passed it to Edgar.

"Wasn't Nimba supposed to be due in a few weeks?" asked Colin. Edgar merely nodded in response.

"Is it a Colt or a Filly? Unicorn or Pegasus?" asked Gerald. A smile formed on Edgar's face upon hearing this question.

"Both" he replied.

"Was that the first question or second?"

"Both". The other ponies gasped upon hearing this. Edgar ducked back into the wagon, bringing the shirts with him. The other ponies poked their heads in and saw Nimba curled up a front corner of the wagon, nuzzling two foals. They were lifted into the air and wrapped with the shirts. Edgar turned back to the rest of the group. "When we prepare to move out again, those of us in the back should watch their step. Jack, please try to avoid bumps as much as possible. Let's continue, our destination isn't too far off". The wagon was back on the road within a few minutes, and soon a clearing leading into a forest came into view. The wagon turned into the clearing, much to the confusion of the rest of the group. Nimba groggily rose her head, having fallen to sleep shortly after giving birth.

"Edgar, dear, where are we going?" she asked, weakly.

"Yes, I agree. I thought we were going to another town for a new start" added Gerald.

"As Jack pointed out, that wasn't a good idea. There's many ways that Valorous could find us, wherever we go. I had an idea, though. I bought a second house to give to my future children a few months ago, using some bits I had been saving for a while. We can hide out there for at least a while, there's enough room for all of us" said Edgar, mattor of factly.

"Wouldn't someone know that you own that house? I mean, you had to sign for it I imagine, so they'd know you own it" asked Gerald.

"All of you are the first to know. The bank I bought the property from only knows that a pony that bore a great resemblance to 'Edgar Brickmason' bought that house. I used an alias to sign for it, just to keep it a surprise. Unless any of you have a place we can readily go to, I think this idea beats going into the city". The wagon stopped moving suddenly, and Jack trotted to the back of the wagon.

"I think we've arrived at the house. Is this the place, Brickmason?" he asked. A few meters away stood a two-story cottage surrounded by a crude fence. The house, while not dilapidated in appearance, looked to be in need of some maintenance. The property was under an opening in the canopy of trees, which allowed in the sunlight, what little was present at this point in time.

"Yes. This is the house. Wipe your hooves at the door, please" said Edgar, in relieved manner. He helped Nimba up, and walked her into the house. They reached a room on the second floor, and Edgar put her in a bed that had been set up in the room. He left and quickly received the sleeping foals from the wagon, bringing them up to the bedroom to find that the others had gathered there as well. Placing the foals in bed with Nimba, Edgar turned to them. "I do actually have something I need to discuss with all of you. This may or may not seem obvious, but we're likely not going to want to use our names anymore, what with a sizeable portion of us being wanted for some sort of crime. I will now start using the alias I used to buy this house. So, from this day forth, I am no longer 'Edgar Brickmason', but rather 'Roland Mason'". The others seemed to contemplate for a moment, and then turned back to the pony formerly known as Edgar Brickmason.

"Very well. We are now Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Black" announced the pony formerly known as Gerald Blackmoor.

"I shall now go by Lincoln Shire" declared the pony formerly known as Colin Linshire.

"Richard Stone is the name I have chosen" stated the pony formerly known as Jack Gladstone.

"Call me Cumula from now on, love. On the note of names, we need a pair of them for the little ones" said the pony formerly known as Nimba Stratos.

"Cumula. That was your Grandmother's name. Anywho, which of the two do you want me to name?" asked Roland.

"Why don't you name the filly, dear".

"The filly, 'eh?" He began to think, his brow furrowing heavily. After a few minutes, he spoke up again. "F-Filia?" he said, unsure of himself.

"Filia? That name is a bit, um..."

"Bad? What can I say, I take after my Father. Besides, I like it more than some of the names parents are giving to their foals nowadays. 'Twinkle Toes' I remember was a name that one of my former co-workers game to their foal. What happened to the days in which foals weren't given adjectives or insults as names?" said Edgar, chuckling slightly.

"I like that name, dear. And I guess to pair up with your name for the filly, I shall name the colt 'Colton'" declared Cumula.

"Really? Even though that one sounds awfully ridiculous?"

"I'm sure. Colton and Filia are fine names for our foals" said Cumula, yawning.

"Then that will be their names" declared Roland, also yawning. "You've presented a good point. We should probably get some sleep. A lot awaits us tomorrow, my friends. The first day of our new lives". The other ponies nodded their heads and went off in search of other bedrooms to use.

Meanwhile, back in Manehattan, Julius Blackmane is approaching Valorous' residence to discuss the events that have unfolded. He hears noises coming from the shed, and approaches it. He taps his hoof against the door, and the noise stops briefly.

"Come in" called out Valorous in a slightly pained voice. Julius opened the door to see Valorous laying on a table, another pony using an assortment of tools on the stump of a foreleg that remained after his prosthetic was destroyed earlier that day.

"Sir, we've not seen any sign of Brickmason or Linshire since they retreated from the town square" said Julius, calmly.

"Dammit! They must have left the city! Do you have any clues as to where they went, Blackmane?"

"I'm afraid not, sir".

"You best not be lying, Blackmane. I'm not afraid to pry information out of anyone, not even my own guards! Now tell me absolutely everything you know about where they went!" roared Valorous, now having to be restrained by the other pony.

"Sir, you do realize that threatening a guard, whether you be one or not, is frowned upon by the legal system, right? Again, I don't have a clue!"

"I don't give a flying feather who I have to interrogate, a murderer is on the loose, and it's the fault of all of you damn guards! How did we hire such incompetent fools?!"

"And what of you? We'd have to use our leader as a reference for our actions, wouldn't we?"

"One more remark like that, Blackmane, and you'll regret it. I mean it" growled Valorous, now laying on the table. Julius was shocked wish how his captain was acting. He had never before threatened to beat information out of a guard, and he only threatened to punish a guard before when they had done something questionable. He began to back off slightly.

"Very well, I have no further information for you, Captain. I'll see you at the station within the next few days". Julius raced off from the shed and continued on down the street. As he moved towards his home, he thought about the recent events that had transpired. Something about it all didn't seem right to him.

The Sins of Predecessors, Part 1

Chapter 8

The Sins of Predecessors, Part 1

875 years since Luna's Disappearance

21 years ago, a string of events occured in Manehattan. The mayor of the city, Edgar Brickmason, had been arrested under various charges, the most serious of which being murder. He was to be executed in the square, but ahd been liberated by his right hoof, Colin Linshire. They slipped away without a trace, along with several other ponies who were connected to them through various means. Captain Valorous of the city guard had his men keep their eyes peeled for signs of the refugees, even all those years later.

Little did Valorous know, they never went so far as a day away. Tucked in the forest along the path between Manehattan and a smaller settlement known as Ponyville was a farm house. There lived six ponies who chose to forsake their identities so that they might perhaps live a peaceful life. They, along with their families that have sprung up over the last two decades, lived in relative secrecy in that clearing, as they only left when they needed supplies and when taking the foals to school. The single farm house was slightly cramped, what with their being four families of at least three ponies living in it. Roland Mason, the head of the house, was aware of this issue, but seemed to avoid action. One day, as he was preparing to head to Ponyville to escort the young ponies home from school, his son rushed out to meet him. Being a gray stallion with a blonde mane, he was a near mirror image of his father. The fact that he often times kept his wings hidden under a waitcoat helped further improve their similarity in appearance.

"Father? Can we talk?" asked Colton. Roland merely nodded his head, and the two began walking along the path that would bring them to the school building in Ponyville, where all of the colts and fillies from the four families were waiting for one of the adults to come get them. "It's about the lack of space in the house. I think we should consider attempting to expand".

"It is a bit cramped, son. However, there's not much I can do, you see" replied Roland.

"You always say that, but you never explain why. Can't you tell me?"

"It's none of your concern, Colton. It's best if we stay off of the subject". The two then walked together in silence until arriving at the school house. Five foals ran over to the pair, and they turned around to head back into the forest. They walked along, the children scampering about and horsing around as they followed the stallions.

"What do you suppose will happen when all of the foals grow up and have foals?" asked Colton, curiously.

"I thought we agreed to drop- Lanca! Stay with the group! This conversation". replied Roland.

"You can't dodge the is-If you wore it to school, it stays on until we get home, Ignaceous! Issue forever, Father. You'll have to explain why you won't answer me at some point. I'm fully grown, I can handle it".

"There's no need to explain, Colton. You- For the love of Celestia, Noir! If you don't get out of that puddle, no sweet roll after supper!" exclaimed Roland. He regained his composure briefly before resuming. "The foals are awfully rambunctious today, aren't they?"

"You're still dodging the issue, Father. Again, whatever the reason, I'm sure I can comprehend it. I'm a stallion, and I want to start taking some responsibility around the house". Roland sighed and shook his head in response to hearing this.

"Fine. The truth is, I accidentally left the deed to our property back in Manehattan, where I used to live. Besides that, we'd need to purchase more land. That's something we can't really afford to begin with. So there, now you know. Any further questions?"

"What did happen in Manehattan? Why have you forbidden us from going there?"

"You'll learn that some other time. For now, let's just get these foals home". The two continued walking along the path, snapping at the foals whenever they began playing around too much. Within a short span of time, they arrived back at the farm house in the middle of the forest, and the foals dispersed to be with their parents once again. Colton immediately marched to his shared bedroom and found his twin sister, Filia, reading a book by the window.

"You're back" she stated, eyes still glued to the book.

"Indeed" replied Colton, climbing into the bed.

"And you tried talking to Father about the issue of space?"

"Indeed".

"And he dodged the issue as per usual?"

"At first. He gave me some more information this time around, though". Hearing this, Filia turned her nose away from the information-rich leaflets and towards her brother. "He said we can't because it's out of our price range and the deed to the land is in his old home".

"That being the proof that he owns the property. I imagine it's in-"

"Manehattan, yes". Filia sighed in response to this.

"Well, then I guess that's all the more reason not to go there..."

"What? Why not?" asked Colton, having almost guessed his sister would say the opposite.

"If he never went back to get it himself, then he must have a good reason. Think about it" she stated, matter-of-factly.

"Or maybe he forgot?"

"If he hasn't forgotten what happened when he let you help him re-paint the house 16 years ago, I doubt he'd forget that".

"I was under the impression that word meant something else, I swear!" he exclaimed. Taking a moment to recompose himself, he continued. "Okay, so that's definitely not the case. But what does matter is we still need that deed!"

"There's nothing we can do about it, Colt".

"So says you, dear Sister" he retorted playfully.

"I mean it!"

"Come now, where's your sense of adventure?"

"Buried under that wondrous thing most ponies have. It's called 'Logic'. Please research it sometime" she retorted.

"Yeah? Stick to your logic and you'll live a boring life, I say".

"That might be true, but at least it'll be safe". Colton got up and left the room, playfully giving his sister a raspberry on his way out.

That night, both of the twins had trouble sleeping.

For Colton, it was because he was planning how to go about getting his hooves on the deed.

For Filia, it was due to the fear that Colton might try to do something asinine. Unable to sleep due to these worried thoughts, she turned to the floor where Colton slept. "You're not planning on going, are you?" she asked, hopeful he might not stay true to his usual sort of nature.

"It's got to be done, Filia. We need more room, and the answer to our prayers sits in wait for us. Or perhaps someone else. We can't wait any longer, for risk of the latter" he replied, his determination ever-present despite the drowsy tone of his voice. Filia couldn't entirely disagree with what he was saying and, while she wanted to just tell him 'No' anyways, she knew that no matter what he would do it anyways. She could report this to her parents, but she knew that the punishment would be severe. Besides, perhaps the fear of such would dissuade him from going.

"Alright" she conceded. "But promise me one thing: Be careful when you do this. There's a reason Father wants us to stay away from there. And, on the note of Father, be prepared to face the consequences when you get home".

"I can't imagine him doing otherwise. Of course, I'll be careful" replied Colton, chuckling. The two finally fell asleep, dreaming of what they thought would come the next day.