The Night Comes Before Dawn
Three days. Three days she's been stuck there.
"Ah horsefeathers," murmured Twilight Sparkle, "I'm running low on food. I wonder if they burned down Sweet Apple Acres?" She stood up from her hiding place under the library. Ashes waded in the early morning breeze. A single raven flew through the air, cawing to nopony. Twilight took a swig from her canteen. Her eyes lazily drifted across the horizon, searching for any signs of life. "Nothing," Twilight said to herself, "Coast seems clear." She swung up her saddlebags, and galloped across the town square.
Suddenly, a form rose out of the ruins of Sugarcube Corner. Twilight froze in place, hoping not to be seen. The figure turned slowly, back and forth, as if looking for something. "Hello?" Twilight went rigid with fear. "Is anypony out there?"
"Lyra? Is that you?" Twilight called out.
The figure shook her mane, revealing the pale green and white underneath. "Twilight?" She zeroed in on the source of Twilight's voice. "Twilight! It is you!" Lyra hopped over the crumbled walls and toward the purple unicorn. "I thought everpony was dead. What happened to Ponyville?"
"It's a long story. What happened to you? I heard that you were out of town!" said Twilight.
"I was," Lyra explained, "but I came back. When I saw the ruins, I knew something was up, so I crept in, hoping to find a friend, but I didn't recognize anyone. Just a bunch of ponies by the fountain, wearing these big black robes and chanting in some weird language. I must've steeped on a twig or something then, because then I heard a snapping sound, and one of the ponies turned and saw me.
I guess I wasn't supposed to see what they were doing, because he pointed at me and all of them ran at me, screaming. I ran away as fast as I could, and rolled around in the soot to try and disguise myself. I think it worked, because none of them found me. I hope Bon-Bon is okay. I haven't seen her in weeks." Lyra sighed. "What about you, Twilight? What have you been up to?"
"Long story. I'll tell you later. Do you have much in the way of supplies?" asked Twilight.
"Not really. I've been mostly just scrounging in the bakery. Seems like Pinkie Pie left quite a bit behind."
"I was heading to Sweet Apple Acres, but we might as well look around."
Suddenly, a pink earth pony leaped out of the ground. "Boo!" she shouted, "Did I scare you? Did I did I did I? Did I scare you Twi? I was hiding in the ground and then you came over and I was like BOOO and you were like GAH IT'S A PINKIE and I'm like duh I'm the only Pinkie so if a Pinkie comes out then it's me! I was down in the ground because I was sleeping because I was sleepy and then you said Pinkie and I was like Ah somepony said my name and so I came up and I went Boo and you were like Ahh!" Pinkie Pie managed to blurt the entire splurge of words in one breath.
"Here I brought some things!" She pulled two saddlebags out of her hammerspace and slung them on the mares' flanks, Lyra and Twilight. "Come down with me!" Pinkie yanked on a chain, and a plate of metal rose from the ground. A draft of cool air blew up from a dark and foreboding hole. Pinkie Pie grabbed her friends and leapt down.
Lyra blinked into the darkness, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the low light environment. Pinkie opted to take the proactive path, slamming on a switch that turned on a single light bulb, hanging from the ceiling. "Pinkie," inquired Lyra, "why do you have a nuclear bunker?"
"'Cause I'm Pinkie, duh! Do you mean you don't have a nuclear bunker?" Pinkie munched on an apple. "Everypony should have a-"
Twilight cut her off. "Where did you get that?"
"What, this?" said Pinkie Pie, gesturing to her fruit. "Sweet Apple Acres, duh. Where else would I get an apple from?"
"So, you just went to Sweet Apple Acres, outside, and got an apple?"
"No, silly, I went that way!" Pinkie pointed her hoof towards a passageway.
Twilight peered into the hallway. "So we now have a good supply of food, then? We can probably just wait out down here for a few days, wait for things to settle down up there." She sat down on a mat.
"Good, then." Lyra proclaimed. "you have some explaining to do."
Twilight grumbled. "Well, it started when-"
"HHHUUUUHHH!!!" gasped Pinkie, rolling her eyes, "Finally, some exposition!"
"What? Exposition of what?" pondered a confused Twilight.
"This story, duh!"
"Pinkie, this isn't a story. This is real life. It's - ugh - Pinkie Pie, you are so random."
~~~
"Well, it all started about a year ago. Remember when Princess Luna visited us during Nightmare Night? Right around that time, some rumors started circulating. Princess Luna was gathering support, making weapons, teaching combat spells, renovating The Old Castle in the Everfree, things like that. At first, I just dismissed them, but as time went on, it just became more pronounced. The Princess actually just moved into Darkehall, and installed some huge defenses. Then, just a few months after that, the Pegasi seceded from Equestria! Can you imagine? They didn't even tell us then, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy just packed up and left, they told us there was some kind of secret pegasus holiday going on.
Now, we know it wasn't just the Pegasi that left either, some Unicorns and Earth Ponies went with them, too, and they live under the jurisdiction of the Pegasus High Council high in the mountains. Celestia had managed to seed some spies among those towns, and even had a few Pegasi still loyal to her, and they barely managed to collect any information.
A few months later, some protests started up in Canterlot. Apparently, they wanted 'equal rights for Luna' or something; they were angry about Princess Luna's millennium long banishment. Things got nasty though, and pretty soon there was just open rebellion.
Equestria has managed to be strong in the past years, mostly because Celestia has the power to just confront enemies directly, the kings and ministers and chiefs that want war, and doesn't have to fight the poor soldiers that just to what they're told. But this time, there were no leaders. All the groups of rioters seemed to be completely separate. They had a cohesive and blended strategy, but no communication between the sects could be found. The Royal Guard had to resort to breaking into houses, trying to catch ponies in secret meetings.
Celestia didn't even suspect Luna yet, and asked her for help. She just claimed she didn't know anything and was to busy building up her new fortress.
Then, war. Ponies shed veils and made evident their true colours. Ponies flocked to Darkehall, and even foreigners joined the joined the fray. Diamond Dogs, ever loyal to Luna, sprang their traps out of the ground, obviously much more intelligent than we ever imagined them to be. The Griffin Empire joined with Pegarolis, siding with Luna. Celestia still held the advantage of numbers, but with Luna's armies in total control of the sky, they were hard-pressed to fight back.
Zebronica issued an official statement of neutrality, probably waiting for a clear winner before declaring their allegiance. Aroarn pirates and and bandits sprang up overnight, raiding our borders, harassing anypony they found.
As the official monarch of Equestria, Celestia did get some foreign support, to 'quell domestic revolt and civil unrest'. Currently, Lunar forces hold the southern portion of Equestria, along with a big chunk through the middle and Darkehall. With it so close, it isn't safe for us to stay much longer, but we might be able to escape across disputed lines into Solar territory.
I say we gather as many supplies as we can, then run as fast we can across to proper land. Who knows when those cultists will be back? It just simply isn't safe to stay here." Twilight concluded her droning monologue.
"That was great, Twi! It covered just about all the necessary background knowledge!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"...What?" said Lyra and Twilight at the same time.
"Anyway, supplies shouldn't be a problem. We can go anywhere with the tunnels!" Pinkie stomped her hooves. "Let's go right now!"
"Sounds good to me." said Lyra, "But Twilight, are you sure you can work without making a checklist?" Twilight shot the green mare a dirty look. Lyra continued, "Ok then. Pinkie, you can continue gathering food." Pinkie Pie nodded furiously. "Twilight, you head to the library, we might need a few books about wilderness survival or something. After that, head to the hospital. Medical supplies will be most welcome." Twilight stood up. "I'll head over to the Walmaret, and pick up other supplies. Rope, saddlebags, weapons, stuff like that. Everypony meet back here in two hours."
~Lyra~
"I'll head over to the Wal-maret, and pick up other supplies. Rope, saddlebags, weapons, stuff like that. Everypony meet back here in two hours." Lyra stood up, and headed down one of the dark tunnels, leading in approximately the same direction as the Walmaret. As she stepped in, motion sensors detected her movement, triggering a steel door to clamp down, and bright lights to swivel on the ceiling, shining their harsh white light directly towards her.
"STATE YOUR IDENTITY." spoke an piercing, robotic voice.
"Umm, I'm Lyra."
"ARE YOU A FRIEND OF PINKIE PIE'S?"
"Err, yes?"
"Okie dokie lokie! Go on in!" it said in a drastically different Pinkie-Pie-esque voice.
"Huh. Thanks, I guess."
~~~
Lyra walked on. The hallway was carpeted with a thick pink rug, the walls painted a grisly pink. It almost made me Lyra want to puke.
The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, but eventually, she arrived at her destination. The hall stopped. Lyra saw a metal platform, right under a hatch. She stepped onto it, studying some buttons on a panel. Attempting to determine the purpose, she pressed one, raising the platform and opening the hatch.
A blast of hot, sooty air met her. Even inside the store, the broken glass provided perfect passage for the outside wind to enter. Lyra climbed out the tunnel, and looked around. She was in some kind of secluded area, like staff break room or bank.
A, single door was at the far end of the room. Walking to it, Lyra noticed her surroundings.
"A pool table. And a vending machine in it. That's genius." Lyra returned her attentions to the door, yanking it. "Shoot, it's locked." she said, then noticing the sign "PUSH, NOT PULL". She nudged it open a crack, then carefully peered out. Seeing the lack of life around, she fully stepped out onto the main floor.
"Good. I'm in the camping section." Lyra grabbed three sturdy, roomy saddlebags, putting one on herself. A collapseable compact tent sat nearby, along with some multi-tools and cooking gear, all which went into the bag. "Hmmm, I should probably find a map or something...Aha! Here it is!" Lyra took a map and compass from their shelves, and promptly thrust them into the bag. She found some canteens, dry-freeze food, duct tape, which was now safely located in her bag. Water purification tablets, first-aid kit, waterproof cloaks. Into the bag. Into the bag went many things, which would take a very long time to list.
"This is some good stuff. I should go look for some weapons now." Lyra followed the large sign hanging off the ceiling, pointing towards the next aisle. Suddenly, she heard a loud clunk and a yelp of pain. "Hello? Is anypony out there?" she called, but the building had fallen silent once again. Lyra quickly grabbed Bowmaster Complete Set ™ and set up an arrow. She quietly stalked through the shelves, looking for the source of the voice.
"Nice going there, Doctor. Now the whole bucking town probably heard you." came a low voice punctuated with periodic grunts of pain. Lyra froze, glancing around. She spotted a small trail of blood, leading towards the wall. Following it, she saw a stallion, injured, cowering in the corner.
"Geh!" the anxious stallion looked up. He was a tan earth pony, with a brown mane and hourglass cutie mark. "Stay back! I'm armed and dangerous." However, he was holding a baseball bat in his mouth so it sound like "Thed baa! Aaah merm inth domouras!"
"Relax." Lyra cooed. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Easy for you to say." spat out the earth pony. "Forgive if I don't trust you, you do seem to have a deadly weapon pointed at my head."
"This?" said Lyra, "Ok." She gently pried off the arrow and laid it on the ground. "Aren't you Sepia Tock? What are you doing here?"
"The same thing you are, I'd imagine." Sepia coughed. "Only I set off the bloody bear trap."
Lyra looked at his leg, and the blood soaked cloth wrapped around it. "Ok. I'm not doctor, put this will probably help." She took out a fresh bandage and some painkillers, giving them to the stallion. "I'm going to be snooping around a bit, but you're welcome to come with us if you'd like."
"Company would be much appreciated. Just don't forget I'm here and leave without me." ranted Tock.
Lyra set off once again, gathering her things. She pulled various things off shelves. Arrows, throwing knives, even a few guns and boxes of ammo. She found some swords and cudgels, specially molded at the handle to fit on the hoof of an earth pony.
"Mr. Tock?" Lyra called softly. "I'm done."
"Wait a second." he grunted. "I'm coming." The earth pony shambled across the floor, limping due to his injured leg.
She hurried across to him, helping brace on his injured side. They reentered the back room, and down the shaft to the tunnel.
~Twilight Sparkle~
"Everypony meet back here in two hours." Lyra said, as she walked off into a tunnel.
Great! thought Twilight, finding books at the library shouldn't be a problem. I just need to figure out how to get there. Twilight peered down a tunnel. Next to it was a sign that said "TO LIBRARY". This is probably the right way then. It was a short, uneventful trot across the town square. Surprisingly, the exit hatch opened up right in the middle of the library.
"How did I never see this before? Argh never mind. Find books find books find books." Twilight routed around on her shelves, occasionally grabbing a few and stuffing them in her bag. Next she climbed up the staircase to her bed. Spike had been staying with Rarity when Twilight was gone in Canterlot, and he had disappeared along with most of the rest of her friends. Twilight grabbed a few of her personal belongings, such as Spike' blanket and her old Smarty Pantz doll.
Twilight leaped down the stairs and galloped outside towards the hospital. She was interrupted by a large mail van careening out of the sky and falling in from of her. A grey pegasus mare stumbled out of the smoking automobile.
"Derpy! Are you alright?" said the concerned Twilight, rushing forward.
"I'm ok." reassured Derpy Hooves, her lazy eye skewing in all directions.
"I thought all the pegasi had left? Why are you still down here?"
"Not all had to go. Didn't want to, stay here. Van smashed now, that's no good." Derpy sighed. "Have you seen Sepia? I have a package for him."
"No, I haven't. I'm going to the hospital, to get some medical supplies. You can come with me; we might see him."
"Well, the situation seems to demand it."
~~~
Twilight and Derpy arrived at the hospital. The front doors were off their hinges, laying in the grass a few feet away. The windows were smashed, bloody shards of glass everywhere. They cautiously entered, wary for possible attackers. They made their way to the supply room, luckily encountering no one.
"Mother of Celestia.." Twilight stared into the room. Piled high, up to the ceiling, rows and rows of shelves. All stuffed full of supplies. "This will last us forever. Quick, Derpy! Just grab anything you can!"
"Ok." Derpy ran forward, disappearing behind the stacks.
"Hmm, we'll need medicine. Painkillers, antibiotics and stuff. Extra syringes and measuring cups would be good to." Twilight pulled some items off their shelves. "Bandages, too. And plenty of antiseptic." Bottles and boxes and bags flew towards her. "Oh oxygen canisters. I guess those could be useful, too." Twilight grabbed a dozen, small, sealed metal cans, along with face masks. Her saddlebags were stuffed close to bursting. "Derpy Hooves? Are you ready yet?"
"Yeah." The two mares cantered out, back to the library entry.
~Pinkie Pie~
"Everypony meet back here in two hours." Lyra said, as she walked off into a tunnel.
"Yippee! Time for nom nom gathering!" Pinkie scratched her head. "Where can I get more noms?" She turnded and stared at a patch of wall. "Hey, you! You know where I can get noms?" Pinkie Pie sat there. "Hellooo? Anyone there?"
"Who are you talking to?" Lyra called.
"Them!" Pinkie pointed.
"There's no one there..." Lyra said, peering at the wall. "WHALP. I'm going."
"Food food food food. Where I get food. Oh, right! Sweet Apple Acres!" Pinkie Pie ran down a hall.
~~~
Pinkie Pie galloped down the darkened hall, than skid to a halt as the wall grew close. She leaped up to a hatch, popping it open with a button press. The plate silently slid open, revealing a small room, lit by a single, dwindling candle.
"Hello? Who's there?" A voice wafted out of the darkness.
"Who is? You is, Applejack!" Pinkie sang.
"No, I'm not. What are you doing here, Pinkie?"
"Vinyl! Fancy meeting you here!"
"Is it, really?"
"Well, Scratchy Matchy, I'd love to talk, but I need to go get some food!"
"What? You're just going to leave me here?"
"Silly Vinny Minny, you can with us! How many apples do you think you can carry?"
"I dunno, a lot. 'Gonna be kind of hard with a broken leg."
"Oh noes then. I'll have to take them all with myself. Don't move!"
Pinkie Pie bounced through a doorway and up the stairs, out of Applejack's basement through the cellar door. Pinkie gazed around the farm. Trees stretched as far as the eye could see, some were burnt and only a few still carried apples, but with the vast number of trees numeration of fruit was no problem. Pinkie scrambled, visible only as a pink blur, waving around trees, up and down trees. Apple cores and fluttering leaves fell in her wake.
Soon enough, Pinkie Pie had filled her bags. Dragging back to the barn, her tail vibrated. "AAH! Twitchy twitchy twitch! Twitchy tail is twitching!" Pinkie Pie dashed forward, staring skyward for falling objects, but stumbled into a hole. Pinkie screamed, plummeting earthward. Rather melodramaticly, she even managed to faint before being startled awake on impact of the floor, three feet below.
Unfazed, Pinkie Pie hopped down into the cellar. "Oooohh Vinyl! I'm back!"
"Bleh. Do you always have to be so loud?" groaned Vinyl Scratch.
"Well, duh."
"Ok, let's just go."
Pinkie Pie grabbed onto the white mare, and led her with a series of pulls. "Brace yourself, we're going down now!" Pinkie Pie stomped on a button, opening the hatch into the tunnel.
The Night Comes Before Dawn
HHHUUUUHHH - woohoo! I haz 5 stars! T-hank all of you. Specifically the three people that rated. Do not own ponies. Or Eddings. Or anything else you may recognize here (If you really want to know why things are as they are in the way of names, you can comment I guess). Don't sue me, pl0x!
~Rainbow Dash~
~Pegarolis~
Seven people were in the room. It was a so very large room, high ceiling, cloud structure. Five of them, two mares, three stallions, sat behind a large, semicircular desk.
General Mithryl Shield, High Commander of the military forces of Dracus, sat at the left. He wore ceremonial dragon armour, fiery red plate, claws sheathed in smoky black steel. Behind him, two spears sat crossed on the the wall. They were long, shafts of Dryad hardwood, reinforced in a shell of metal. The tip and cross guard were made of mithryl, heat treated in the lava pits of Wyrmanth.
To his right, sat Varamyr, a zebra unicorn, Archmage of the Imperial University of Zebronica. A rare race, prized by the Imperial Army, shunned by her peers. She hid her horn for seven years, living on the streets in the slums of Dolicheck, capital of Zebronica. She was found by Imperial Guards at the age of fourteen, and promptly brought to the Palace for examinations. Needless to say, she passed with flying colours. Today, she is one of the most powerful mages of the world. She had the distinct, black-white striped pattern of a zebra, her cutie mark a swirling vortex or energy. She wore the black robe of the Archmage, covering her face, and she wore enchanted boots, allowing her cloud-walk abilities. On the desk in front of her, sat a helmet. It was black steel, a sliding eye cover of clear diamond.
In the middle of the desk, sat Supreme Justice Polarma 'Dyl, Chief of the Pegarolis High Council. She was blue, her mane pulled back behind her withers. Her cutie mark was a gavel, inlaid with five rubies, lined down the handle. The real gavel, based on her mark, laid on the table in front of her. A blue robe, similar to her shade, was draped across her body.
To her right, sat Archon Tiona Axeclaw, cousin of the current Gryphon Emperor. He wore a crystal crown, symbol of the Lord of Hipponicra, the largest fief of the Griffin Empire. His wings were sheathed in mithryl sleeves, each tapering into sharp points at the far end. Covering his talons were deadly claws of steel, designed for gouging and tearing enemy flesh.
On the far end of the bench, sat Rex Winter. He had donned a set of clockwork, steam powered devices. Countless cogs, gears, pistons and springs adorned his costume. After Centuries of underground isolation, the dogs had developed the best technology in the world. The great city of Caniss, capital of the great lands of the Diamond Dogs, was unrivaled in size. Huge buildings filled the underground caverns where it lay, and as the population grew, the dogs expanded their mighty cities, over lakes of fire and seas of iron.
None of this, Rainbow Dash thought about as she expressed her ideas. "All I'm requesting is permission for a short reconnaissance mission. Retrieval isn't even an option at this point, so I just need some time to search." she said.
"Denied." Polarma slammed on the table. "We do not have enough troops to support your mission."
"But - This would just be us. No additional personnel requested. The Elements of Harmony are extremely powerful magical artifacts, so would greatly -"
"Denied, Rainbow Dash."
"Gah! I'll take this elsewhere. Let's go, Fluttershy."
~~~
"You shouldn't have interrupted her, Dashie." Fluttershy whispered.
"She wasn't listening!"
"I know she wasn't the most cooperative pony, but that doesn't mean you should just shout out in the the middle of a Council hearing."
"Forget it. Let's just go find them by ourselves!"
"Wha - What? You're very good Dashie, but I don't think we can just jump in during the middle of a war."
"Relax, I have a plan. Just get your things, we're leaving tomorrow." Rainbow Dash flew off dramatically into the falling sun, while an inexplicable boombox nearby started playing classical music.
Rainbow Dash dashed devilishly through the city of Cloudsdale, heading towards the local Army Recruitment Office.
"Oh hey, where can I sign up?" Rainbow Dash leaned onto a counter.
An irate stallion with a grenade cutie mark looked up from his desk. "Here." He shoved over a large pile of paperwork at her.
"Oh, um, do you have a quill?" Rainbow Dash said, subtly dropping one, and kicking it under the desk.
"Here's one - " he bent down to retrieve the fallen writing implement, "here you go - hey! Where are you?" Behind him, a door slowly swung back and forth, unnoticed.
Rainbow Dash sneaked through the hallways. She systematically entered and searched rooms, looking for a certain item. On the fifth such room, she seemed to find it. "Aha!" Rainbow Dash held up a folder, full of documents.
"And then, I was like cereal, are you crazy?" A pegasus outside guffawed.
"Oh potato nuggets. Hide hide hide hide." Rainbow Dash ran under the desk and started digging onto the floor, trying to make a large enough hole to escape through.
"Hang on a minute. I gotta get something from my office." The door opened and a mare stepped in. Rainbow Dash froze, ceasing her frantic burrowing. She heard the rustling of papers overhead.
"Hey, have you seen my folder?" The pegasus said to her friend.
"No, maybe you left it back in the cafeteria?"
"We'll have to go back and find - do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Like a scratchy noise."
The pegasus outside glanced around. "Oh, they're still building the new place across the street." The mare left the room and went walked away with her friend.
"Whew. That was close." Rainbow Dash stood up and slipped on a concealing cloak. She stealthily entered the hallway, and walked through a door labeled RESTRICTED AREA.
"Halt!" A guard spread his wings across the narrow space between walls. "Who passes?"
"I am." Rainbow Dash hissed.
"Do you have identification?"
"Here." She pulled out a fake card and held it up. The guard visibly paled and stepped aside. Rainbow shoved the card back into its slot and moved on.
Rainbow Dash stalked through the empty halls. An occasional lettering pointed her way to the ARMOURY, or as the signs called it. Additional labels and and increased security signaled her continued correct path. Proceeding to the location with no event, she gave a furtive glance behind her back. Sighting no followers, she opened a heaver door and entered a large, well-stocked room.
"Jackpot." Rainbow Dash murmured under her breath. With a last cautious glance behind, she began to hurriedly tear items off shelves and shove them into her bag. Within minutes, the room previously full of swords, explosives, and armour was empty. She barely managed to refasten her cloak before a stallion entered the room.
"Hey! What are you doing here?"
Rainbow Dash suppressed the urge to punch him in the face and run, and slowly turned around. "Talking to you." she hissed between her teeth. The long cowl bathed her face in shadow, and the stallion could not see her distinctive rainbow mane.
"Are you a thief? What happened to all the armaments that were here?"
"Precisely the reason I came. I was walking by when I noticed the vacated counters. I came closer to investigate."
"Did you see anypony come through here?"
"Now that you mention it, I think someone galloped past me back in the hallway. You should probably go check." The stallion ran off with a displeased look on his face. "Whew. Good things that's over. I hate talking in that horrible voice." Rainbow Dash grabbed an axe and hurriedly swung at the wall. Quickly breaking through the flimsy cloud barrier, she jumped out. Skirting the edge of the building to avoid detection, she raced away through the sky. Grinding to a halt, she turned around and ducked under a passing Awesome Sky Carriage of Awesome™. When she judged herself to be far enough away, she spun off and progressed back to her own home.
~Rarity~
~Ponyville~
"Oh dear. Oh dear. Come on, Rarity, you can do this!" The white unicorn stood in what once was the Carousel Boutique, sleek, chic, and magnifique. Rarity had holed down in the half-burned down building for two days. When the mob came and torched the town, Rarity had bunkered into her store, hoping the fire would not infect into its inner vaults. She had prepared for such an emergency. Tucked away in the bowels of Carousel Boutique was a small panic room, stuffed to the ceiling with food and water. However, she didn't expect something to actually happen, and never got around to fully stocking the room. The miniscule supply of nourishment was near depleted.
Attempting to boost her confidence in such level to prepare to for the fear-inducing horrors sure to await her outside, like insane murdering cultists, war-stricken countryside teeming with armies, and ash with a partial liking to sticking to coats and not washing out. "I. Will. Go!" Rarity bucked open the door and and ran out. "Oh. Wow. It's actually fairly nice out here."
As is saying nothing was wrong was some kind of magic phrase, right as she finished her exclamation of positivity a dart whistled past her ear, right where the center of head had been a few seconds before. "Wahahaaa!" She spun circles, desperately searching for her attacker.
"Meh. Bucking mares." a voice came out from the surrounding darkness.
"Ah! You startle me-" Rarity screamed and rolled to the left, evading the next dart drilling through the air.
"Shouldn't have said anything." A third dart flew, and finally hit home. The spinning needle burrowed into Rarity's neck.
"I - what kind of pony would do this?" Rarity hoarsely said, as the tranquilizer kicked in.
"I'm - I'm the type of pony, everypony should know."
High above, a grey pegasus in a van shrieked and veered into the distance.
~Gilda~
~Gryphon~
"I'm ready." Skyswooper Gilda Axeclaw, of the royal family, took off. Four griffins followed close behind, comprising her squad. Being a high ranking imperial, Gilda automatically qualified as a military officer. Her immediate subordinate, Nightbreaker Black Wing, however, was technically her superior. Seventeen years in active service, trained from the age of three, fifth officer of the Stealth Op's Field Command.
Seventh division, third legion, fifth phylite, first squad, commanded by Gilda Axeclaw was on a scouting mission. Along the southern edge, the Lion Islands divided the Intera Sea, forming the border with Zebronica. The zebras had an official neutral stance, but were closely intertwined with Pegarolis. The griffins also allied with the pegasi, had hoped for a potential friendship with Zebronica, but had received no response to their missives. One could never be too careful, especially in wartime.
The Lion islands were named after Lionus Axeclaw, First Emperor of Gryphon. He led a great army across the Intera Sea, forcing back the zebras who had previously controlled the archipelago and southern shores of Gryphon. In just two weeks, he had occupyed and captured land that had been held by zebras for centuries. A sprawling fortress had been built on the largest island, Lionus, as mighty as its namesake. Zebra invasion forces had attempted to destroy it four times, each ending in utter failure.
Sighting nothing, Gilda prepared to wheel around and turn back to the massive military base. "Wait!" one of the three, low ranking meat shields, spoke up. "What's that?"
Pausing, Black Wing hovered and stared down. "It's a boat. Equestrian Design. They fly the old flag, no hint of allegiance given."
"Let's go in then." Gilda hoped they were just traders, left before the war and ignorant of combat. Recon didn't usually require armour, in fact heavy armour would make completing the mission harder.
Four griffins slammed onto the deck of the ship. One griffin slammed through the deck of the ship, and hastily withdrew his leg. Frantic sailor ponies ran amok, trying to flee armed and scary beasts that fell out of the sky. One stallion, however, obviously a captain, first mate, or an important pony of some sort, stepped up in front of the patrol. His front left hoof had been severed, replaced with a shining golden stump. A high quality sabre hung from his hip, and a bronze spyglass wiggled as he sauntered up the promenade.
"How may we be of service?" he hollered from the pop deck, leaning against the railing.
"What are you doing here?" Gilda questioned.
"Why, I am standing here, having a chat with a lovely lass that appeared on my deck." the white and brown pegasus shrugged his wings.
"No, really? Do you have any idea where you are?" she queried.
"Well, I'm on a boat, I'm on a boat, everypony...What were we talking about?" He blinked and shrugged again.
"I'm tired of your games." Gilda hopped off the deck, wings fluttering as she flew up onto the higher level. She shoved the stallion up against a wall, and held her bladed sabatons up to his throat. "Now, do you have a room we can use?"
~Rarity~
Darkness. She saw only darkness. Where am I? The white unicorn writhed, but the knots fastening her body held tight. Her horn lit up, but the anti-magic fibers in the hood quenched the spark. Oh, great. This barbaric imprisonment will just ruin my mane. She heard a door creak open and clamp shut again. Bright lights blinded her as somepony ripped off the hood.
"Who are you?" the upper class pony demanded.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie will be the one asking questions!" The air in front of Rarity shimmered, and the aforementioned third-person person whipped her cape dramatically.
"We are the Knights of the Mortwing. We are the masters of fire and ice. We are the warriors of sorcery and steel. We-" someone said from behind her.
"Enough introduction. Trixie wishes you skip to the part that matters."
It cleared its throat. "We have been hired by the Lunarem to oversee your interrogation. They sent the one called Trixie to make sure it runs smoothly."
"What? What could I possibly know? I'm just seamstress!"
"You are a Solaris. You are the Element of Generosity. You are close friends with Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic and personal student of Princess Celestia."
"I know nothing, I swear to Celestia!"
"That's your problem. We should've taken Applejack first. Bring her out!"
A second gate swung open, and two unicorns levitated out the orange earth pony. "Graar, gerrof me!" They set her down next to Rarity, and removed her blindfold. She also was bound, but with heavy chain.
"Mare." spoke the hidden voice. "Do you or the unicorn beside you possess any knowledge of Celestia's plans?"
~Twilight Sparkle~
The wind howled. The rising moon lighted the path in its radiant darkness. Blackened trees lined the right side, both by the night and flame. Shrubs popped out of the road, forcing their way through the hardened ground. Bodies of ponies, Lunarem and Solaris alike, littered the thoroughfare, painting their ghastly pictures of blood. Remnants of civilization, debris, metal sheeting, an overturned wheel, symbolized the boundary of the route.
"Herp a derp, derp durr derp!" Pinkie Pie hummed. The cheerful tune conflicted the grim landscape.
"What?" Derpy Hooves cocked her head and looked at Ponyville's prominent pink party pony, Pinkie Pie.
"Oh, nothing. I was singing!" She hopped down the road.
Twilight Sparkle and Co. had been traveling for two days, along the northern road to Canterlot. Progress was slow, with Sepia and Vinyl's injuries. Limping was not the best vehicle for travel in warzones. Only partially healed, blood-soaked bandages were repeatedly changed, frequent breaks taken. Any kind of danger, however minute, could be deadly.
Pinkie Pie stopped, turned her head and stared deep into the horizon. "Do you hear that?"
"No." said the DJ, her ears muffled by the destructive powers of the extremely loud bass, "Should I?"
"Yeah, I think there is something there." Twilight lit up the area and cast a sound amplification spell.
"Help! Is anypony there?" A lump in the distance rose and twisted. "You! I - I can see your light! Help!" Twilight and Co. rushed to the pony's aid.
"Oh, oh my Celestia. What's wrong?"
"The fact that you are still here." The earth pony lifted his masquerade and stood up, brandishing a sword. "Out, boys!" Several ponies, a mix of unicorns and earth ponies, sprung out of the ground, each wielding some sort of weapon. "I can't believe you fell for that. Now, you'll be coming with us."
"Oh yeah, think you can take us?" Vinyl shouted, defiant and proud.
"Hmm, a DJ who can barely move, a bookworm that spends all her time reading, a ditz who can't walk straight, a party pony who's diet comprises entirely of sugar, a delusional who plays a lyre, and a clock maker. Yep, really intimidating. So scary." He brought up his blade and charged.
"Agh!" Sepia Tock pulled out a small object, and flung it at the rushing pony. Suspecting a bomb, he veered left, dodging the substance. "Gotcha! It's just a spring! You fell for the old-" An earth pony mare bucked him against a tree, stunning him. The spring accomplished its purpose, though. Pinkie Pie leaped into the air, then crashed down onto the distracted stallion. Blindly, he randomly lashed out against potential enemies. He struck at one of his own allies, dashing out to help him. The unicorn at the time was levitating several rocks, and when the sword bit into his shoulder, his concentration broke, dumping the payload down. One even landed on Pinkie Pie; she did a front flip off the stallion, kicking the rock into the gash.
Twilight Sparkle took advantage of the situation, raising Vinyl Scratch and feeding her stones, which were lobbed into the crowd of attackers. One rock smacked a unicorn's chest, slamming her back. Lyra ran and grabbed the unicorn's dropped bow, its strummed string twanging as arrow after arrow impaled the aggressors.
They had a glorious last stand, but eventually a unicorn just used an illusion to disguise himself has Lyra, then calmly walked up to Twilight and whacked her head with a rock.
~Gilda~
Gilda sat with the sailor in his cabin. "Well, who are you?"
"I'm Captain Sleek Sail of the Swiftwind. I'm Equestrian by birth."
"You are aware of the situation in Equestria, and the nature of the water you travel through?"
"Of course, Miss..."
"Axeclaw."
"I was informed a week ago of the, ah, state of affairs."
"Who do you side with?"
"Well, we've got no pegasi on our crew. We don't really need boats. We're independent traders." He stressed the final word, drawing it out.
"That explains the lack of signaling. Also the several hidden compartments full of contraband."
"Why, yes. We take a very, open-minded, approach to trading."
"So, pirate smuggles then?"
"I suppose you could call it that."
"You do know you are traveling through disputed territory."
"That's why we fly without flag. Any customs would have to chase us down and identify us, rather than just blasting us out of the sea."
"Now, an unauthorized Equestrian ship, already smuggling illegal goods, admitted customs evasion, there is a reasonable amount of suspicion on you. I could impound your boat, execute you, and maroon your crew."
The stallion paled. "Oh surely, there is nor reason for rash action! I'm sure we can work something out."
"Well that fits well, because I happen to have a job for you. The zebras talk nicely enough, but their action leaves much to be desired. Sail between Carthene and Gryfael, posing as a trader. Snoop around, report any information to the Intelligence Offices. The Navy will provide you with funds."
He brightened. "Oh, jolly good then."
~Rarity~
The stallion yanked her out of the water. Her mane soaked, dripping water everywhere, she gasped for breath. Magic blocked by the suppressor clamped over her horn. She was pulled back into her chair, tied in.
"You ready to talk yet?" the stallion said. He was a unicorn, but strong like an earth pony. As an interrogator, he was to "utilize resources to persuade confession and revelation" from Rarity.
"Yes, I am ready to talk. I just don't have anything to say."
He thrust down the chair, unicorn fastened and all, towards the ground. A pit burned, full of hot coals. Light danced across the glowing stones, like waves on the ocean. Unlike the ocean, however, these waves caused great discomfort when you touched them.
"I don't have all day, you know. Honesty already talked, we know you know something. I have places to be." He pushed Rarity all the way down, flames scorching her cheek, the ends of her mane shriveling, curling up.
Trying to ignore the agony, she sang under her breath.
"When darkness passes, spelling your doom
Howls of wolves, everywhere loom.
Your enemies creep, riding wings of death.
Cling to your life with your final breath.
Fear not, we are there.
Ever watching, evermore."
