private The Tyranny of Princess Cadence

[Justin ZW 396]

Applejack opened one eye and grimaced. She realized that she was being carried by Fiera. ”H-hey... Where's Swordpoint? We need him before they destroy the town...” She coughed violently. ”Please tell me he's okay... He needs to know what happened. Say... Where are ya takin' me?”

[The Original 571]

@@Justin ZW,

 

Fiera sighed and shook her head. "Can't do that. They are gone looking for bandits. I need to get you back to Canterlot as fast as possible." she whispered and kept a watch out for anypony that might see them.

 

It wasn't long before she saw a Stallion walk by to the far right of them. She froze and kept watch on him until he left from view. It seemed as though he didn't see them. Fiera didn't notice she was holding her breath until she released it. "That was close..." she mumbled and continued in the direction of Canterlot. 'Were in for a looong walk...'

Edited June 15, 2013 by The Original PWD

[Agent505 661]

(I'm not advancing, just posting again)

 

"Grrr...MAD LIFE?!" He yelled again as he booted down another door. "You always where my favourite...i'd hate to lose you to my own bombardment" he muttered, a slight hint of regret in his voice. 

 

Just as he finished his sentence, there was a faint whistle, growing ever louder as the projectile approached the building, thudding into the side of the inn, causing the whole structure to shake violently. Strangely, there were several more whistles at odd intervals soon after, followed by several distinct muffled explosion sounds, not nearly as loud - or powerful, as the combined assault before.

The explosions took place in different locations, all across the town, striking individual buildings, causing minor damage, but enough. "They must be finishing up now" he grinned, but quickly made his way up more stairs.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

Swordpoint lost his temper. ”Fine. Leave, then. You'll receive your discharge papers tomorrow. I have no time for this self pity of yours, Fiera, and if you will not help yourself, then I cannot help you.” He turned to Sanura. ”Go ahead of us to scout their position. And you two,” he said to Phylomon and Golden Age, ”will come with me. We have no time to waste. Let's move.” He walked away, leaving Fiera behind.

 

Sanura felt impatient with Fiera. She left without a word to scout ahead. It seemed to her that Fiera refused to recognise the gifts she'd been given and this was why she was acting like a brat, which Sanura had no patience with.

 

The half zebra sneaked ahead, looking out for the bandit camp. Eventually, she came accross a glow in the distance, which soon materialised as an open fire, around which several bandit ponies were sitting and some lying down.

 

Sanura wrinkled her nose in disgust as she smelled the scent of a very strong liquor, which the bandits were sharing, but she thought that Swordpoint would like to know that these ponies would not be in any position to put up too much of a fight.

 

She sneaked back silently and gave a full and detailed report to Swordpoint on her return.

 

[Agent505 661]

@@00Pony,@@Katella Avenue,@

 

(Y'know, I actually am gonna wrap this up now. Katella, you can easily just post about Mad Life being somewhere else if you want to) 

 

Harmonic cursed and made his way back downstairs, giving up the search for Mad Life in the inn. 

Upon reaching the ground floor, he stepped outside and saw Sanguine heading in his direction. "Well? Did she live up to her name? What did Honesty have to say?" he called out over the sound of irregular whistles and dull explosions.

_____

 

The guard with the message headed in the direction of the train station, before suddenly turning and heading into the back alleys. There was nothing about him that betrayed him as either a guard or a messenger, his uniform was left in the castle as was the required protocol for all of Cadence's messengers, to avoid detection. The only thing giving him away was a the crystal heart buckle on his cloak - required to be worn at all times by all Crystal Empire military forces. He made his way down to the run down section of the empire, ducking down more back alleys and sharp turns as he did so, before eventually meeting up with another pony dressed in almost the exact same attire as himself, albeit in a dark green cloak.

"Take this, and quickly. Make sure your queen gets the message."

 

Edited June 16, 2013 by Agent505

[00Pony 286]

@@Agent505,

 

Sangiune turns his gaze over to Harmonic, shrugging as he walks over, "More or less. She says that we're going to regret this once this 'Swordpoint' fellow finds out. And that the only thing that was being transported was food and building materials, nothing special."

He shakes his head, "I upheld your promise to her, and let her live. I'm not sure whether I should regret doing that or not."

[Agent505 661]

@@00Pony,

 

Placing a hoof on Sanguine's shoulder, Harmonic nodded and started walking back out of the town. 

The explosions died off slowly, until eventually they completely stopped. He chuckled to himself, before continuing to make his way out. "We've done what we needed to do here. I could use your help with something though..." 

 

Food and building materials? What was Cadence expecting? What was I expecting..? 

No matter, I did as was asked and that's all I care for.

[00Pony 286]

@@Agent505, 

 

 

Sanguine glances around at the ruined town. It felt good to finally be doing something other than hunting down deserters again. He follows Harmonic out of the town, tilting his head slightly in curiosity, "Oh really? And what exactly might that be?"

[Agent505 661]

@@00Pony,

 

As they approached the top of the hill, Harmonic held his hoof out to his unicorns, now collapsed on the ground.

Visible signs of stress and exhaustion covered their bodies. "See my problem?" he chuckled. "Help me get the poor things in the chariots, would you? Then we leave. There's no need for us to be here any more."

Edited June 16, 2013 by Agent505

[00Pony 286]

@@Agent505,

 

Sanguine looks at the unicorns with amusement. It seems there were some downsides to a Unicorn's Magic, after all.

He nods to Harmonic, "Sure. I'll have to notify my followers we're finished, before we go, of course, but alright."

He steps forward and looks down at one of the Unicorns for a few seconds before lifting her, moving her onto one of the carriages.

[Agent505 661]

@@00Pony, 

 

Harmonic shook his head in an almost apologetic way, before he leaned down and lifted one of them over his shoulder, placing her in the back of a chariot, and then another, and a third. "They wore themselves out." He stopped moving them, and stood looking out at the smoking wreckage of the town. He could see in the distance there where groups of ponies fleeing still, and some movement still in the town, but he thought nothing of it. "Do you...think it's possible?" He asked in an unsure tone, still looking out over the hill. "Honesty. Building supplies and food. Do you think she lied?"

Edited June 16, 2013 by Agent505

[00Pony 286]

@@Agent505,

 

Sanguine glances over at Harmonic, setting another of the Unicorns down in a carriage before stepping over. He manages to stave off the vertigo of looking over the expanse as he speaks, "I cannot be sure. It wouldn't be the first time the most honest pony I knew lied to me, if she had."

He watches one small group fleeing, only to be overtaken and presumably slaughtered by his followers, "I didn't believe her myself, when she told me. Perhaps you could call that denial, the wish to perceive that my actions here as justified for a more... noble, reason. She passed out before I was able to ask her more," he glances back at his saddlebags, part of AJ's stetson poking out of one of them, before shrugging and looking back out, "If only we had managed to get a glimpse inside one of the shipment crates. We wouldn't need to take her word for it."

[Agent505 661]

@@00Pony, 

 

"You think that would be a risk worth taking? No...Cadence's orders where clear, we destroy the town and return. Gather your men, i'll take care of the rest of these." He turned around again, and after walking over to another of his unicorns he hoisted her up and planted her in the back of another chariot. He leaned down to pick up another, and as he lowered his head she immediately bucked him in the nose, making him bleed. "Myra! Calm down...it's finished, you have nothing to fear" he ran a hoof down her cheek and under her chin as he spoke. She looked back at him for a moment, before outstretching her own hooves and climbing over his shoulder, allowing him to place her in his chariot at the front. 

[00Pony 286]

@@Agent505, 

 

"Very well."

Sanguine says, sifting through his saddlebags until he produces a small device, something along the lines of an incredibly small ballista. He sets it down, pulling the string on it back and placing a uniquely tipped bolt within it. Tapping the release, the device launches the bolt outwards. The air moving through the head creates a pulsating, whistling noise, like that of a strange bird. Sanguine turns away from the edge upon hearing Harmonic speaking to one of his subordinates, and notices his bleeding nose. The crystal pony chuckles, "I think I'm beginning to like that one, she amuses me."

 

A minute after the signal was launched, his followers returned. Some were bleeding, notably the initiates, and all of them seemed satisfied with their work. Sanguine nodded to them, and they loaded themselves into the chariots, Sanguine boarding after them.

[Agent505 661]

@@00Pony, @

 

"Always full of surprises" Harmonic laughed as he heaved the second to last mare into a chariot. He turned to collect Enid, but she was already sat beside Myra in his chariot with a worried look on her face. "We leave, now. Back to the Crystal Empire, there's nothing more here." He grunted one final snarl at the town, before climbing into the chariot himself. 

_____

 

The other guard smiled, showing razor like teeth before he turned tail, and headed to the city limits. 

"Creepy things aint'cha?" Cadence's guard mumbled as he started running back to the palace to report his success. 

(Choices Krein, choices!)

Edited June 17, 2013 by Agent505

[THE WILD HUNT 213]

(Goddammit.... if I choose wrongly I'm going to the UK to hire Chef Ramsay to prepare your heart medium rare ;-;...)

Acheron, as he invisibly walked around to watch out for any strange Crystal Army behavior, noticed a pony running around. It seemed he was trying to avoid detection by his speeds and the routes he was taking, and Acheron would occasionally see a glint of a heart shaped emblem on his cloak. He decided to tail the pony, and sure enough he found him talking to another pony with the same uniform...

"That one running to the Citadel must have given it to the other one... the courier reports his success, and Cadenza might rest assured for now... the other one might also be carrying something of importance... then again, the courier pony will probably know more about what other couriers Cadenza has..."

Acheron decided to trail the guard who had received a letter from the suspicious looking pony, waiting for him to be far away enough to intercept him without much notice...

 

(Come one can't I at least have a hint ;-;?)

[Agent505 661]

@,

 

One of the Crystal Army's guard patrols marched down the street, looking for any suspicious activity or strange behaviour. The pegasi squads flying through the air used their sharper eyesight to pick out any who might be hiding too. Suddenly, one of the squads pointed something out, and dive-bombed to the ground, surrounding a rather dirty looking hooded pony who was scrounging around on the floor. 

(So I literally threw that in there just because I felt like it, and wanted to scare you for a second )

 

The new courier pony made his way to the edge of the city, and was almost at the train lines on the city limits. There were no means of transportation in sight, and the pony didn't seem too bothered about looking around for any reason whatsoever. He stopped for a second, and from underneath his cloak spread a pair of thickly feathered wings. He gave them a quick ruffle as he prepared to take flight. 

(I'm a bad person  )

[THE WILD HUNT 213]

Acheron saw the new courier preparing to take off and quickly took action, summoning a set of chains to wrap around his body to keep him from flying off. Acheron then appeared in front of the courier, a shadow claw pointed at his neck.

"I think you have something that interests me," he said as he tightened the chains around the courier's body.

[Agent505 661]

@, @@00Pony,

 

(Giant post incoming!)

 

Cadence's guard returned to the palace, rushing in through the doors and reporting immediately to Cadence. "Your highness, the message has been passed along, it's out of our hooves now" 

"Excellent work, it seems you are capable of holding onto a piece of paper after all! I may have a use for you yet." 

"Thank you, your highness. Is there anything more you need of me, or should I return to my appointed duty?"

"You may, and if you see Harmonic, send him my way would you dear?"

The guard saluted, and headed out the door, collecting his armour on the way and returning to his patrol of the palace. 

_____

 

As he was just about to lift off, chains appeared and ensnared the messenger, causing him to almost smash himself into the ground. 

The claw pointed at his neck caused his to raise his head instinctively away from the incoming foreign object, but showing no fear in his eyes. There wasn't much of anything in his eyes, actually. It was a fairly blank stare, as if he was looking directly through Acheron...examining him even. 

_____

 

Harmonics chariot landed first again, followed shortly by the chariots behind him. "Alright everybody, take five. But be ready, we'll be moving again soon enough no doubt." He called as he hopped from his own. "Sanguine, would you assist again?" He motioned with his head at the still exhausted unicorns in the chariots, they could barely stay awake, let alone stand. "They'll be out for quite some time..." he grunted his words out as he hauled Myra out from the chariot, as Enid followed curiously. "...Take them to the first aiders for me, I need to talk to Cadence."

 

(Okay, not that giant)

Edited June 17, 2013 by Agent505

[00Pony 286]

@@Agent505,

 

Sanguine opened his eyes as he felt the chariots touch down, standing and hopping off before it comes to a complete stop.

He nods to Harmonic, "Very well. Anything specific I should tell them, aside from magical burnout?"

 

Sanguine motions for his followers to assist Harmonic's Unicorns as he speaks, stepping forward and hauling one of them off himself. For a pony of his size, he was surprisingly strong, something his height often lied about.

[Agent505 661]

@@00Pony, 

 

(You can control the docs, if you want to for anything - I dont want to control everything all the time, despite the impression I might give off )

 

"Hm. Myra's not right, she's hurt...or something. It's not like her to want to stop. And Enid's expression...I dont like it. I'm trusting you with this." He trotted off at a steady pace, keeping Myra on his shoulders up until the palace doors, where he had to put her down. "Enid, take her through to the medical bay and wait for Sanguine to explain the situation." She nodded, her concern clearly plastered across her face as she propped Myra on her side and helped her walk through to medical.

 

"Ma'am, we've returned" Harmonic nodded, and spoke with a triumphant tone.

"So I see, Harmony. How fares your conquest?" Cadence responded with a rather cheery tone, oddly. 

"Conquest? Ma'am...the city lies in ruin and the Element...the Element escaped." 

"Unfortunate. Did you learn anything of use to us?" 

"They where receiving shipments of...food, and building materials...ma'am. There was also mention of another pony by name, a...Swordpoint, I believe?" Harmonic sounded again unsure, why was this so important to her?

"Building materials? Food? Celestia has learned of our uprising already? How is this possible...she's building an army and war machines to stop our freedom march! We cannot allow this!" Her happy tone suddenly changed to one of panic and anger. 

"Ma'am...I don-"

"Appleloosa lies in ruin yet still she persists! What more do we have to do to get her to see...Equestria will be mine, And it has begun!" 

Harmonic simply stood there with a determined look on his face, not saying anything as Cadence rambled on. 

"We need to make a statement...we cut off one of their supply lines but we have no force, we have no stage! You did destroy the rail tracks, didn't you?" 

"N-no ma'am, there was no order to-" 

"IDIOT! Are you a puppet or a commander?! Their rails remain intact and they can still move freely! No no no no no no no matter, we'll have to take down the train instead...ready your soldiers and prepare to march immediately!" 

Harmonic sighed, unsure of what to do. His unicorns where in no state for another attack, but he couldn't deny his princess's orders...

"Ma'am...with respect, we cannot march at this time. My soldiers are...resting. I will march myself if you require me t-" 

"No! Never mind, never mind. Leave me! Leave me to my thoughts..."

 

Her horn began to glow, and suddenly Harmonic was encased in her magical aura, before being thrown out of the door, which proceeded to slam and lock shut behind him. 

 

(It's dream time Mr. Bubbles...i'm ready for dream time...)

Edited June 17, 2013 by Agent505

[00Pony 286]

@@Agent505,

 

(Haha, alright. I'll see what I can come up with.)

 

"I'll pass it along." Sanguine says, glancing at Enid's face and shrugging, "Personally, I kind of like her actually having an expression." He says, matter of factly, before signalling his followers to carry their unicorns into medical, and going along with them himself.

 

He watches as Harmonic passes Myra off to Enid, before walking off, probably to report to Cadence.

After they arrive in medical, Sanguine stops one of the workers, "I have multiple Unicorns suffering from excessive magical burnout," He gestures to the ponies behind him, "And these two have been worrying their commander," He points to Myra and Enid, "He says they've been acting strangely. See what you can do, will you?"

 

The medical pony nods, motioning for a few more medical workers who didn't seem to be doing anything and leading the ponies off. 

 

Sanguine follows for a little, but decides to simply sit and wait.

 

 

(I am proud of myself for knowing that reference Wish I had a Big Daddy as a bodyguard. And I should probably take it's advice to. I would post more in this but I am getting tired.)

[Justin ZW 396]

”Excellent,” Swordpoint said with a small smile. ”Let us strike while they are weak. Phylomon and Golden Age, I I want both of you to lead the charge with me. Sanura, I want you to follow behind and take out any stragglers.” He advanced slowly. ”On my mark... ATTACK!”

Edited June 17, 2013 by Justin ZW

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

”Excellent,” Swordpoint said with a small smile. ”Let us strike while they are weak. Phylomon and Golden Age, I I want both of you to lead the charge with me. Sanura, I want you to follow behind and take out any stragglers.” He advanced slowly. ”On my mark... ATTACK!”

Sanura nodded, a smile of satisfaction on her face. She dropped back, thinking that the bandits were about to get a very nasty shock when Swordpoint and the others burst in on their drinking session. The liquor was one brewed from juniper berries and was very strong, meaning that the bandits would be in no condition to fight. Sanura armed herself with hoof daggers taken from her saddlebags and assumed her position. No straggler would get past her.

[Justin ZW 396]

Swordpoint rushed in, lance drawn. Before the bandits were even aware of his presence, he ran two of them through with his lance. They fell quickly.

 

” What the hell?! We're under attack!” the leader shouted. He charged toward the group and swung his axe toward Phylomon.

 

The other bandits were too drunk to fight effectively, so they ran, hoping to escape.

 

”Gods-damned cowards!” The leader cried. ”I'll kill you myself if you don't fight!”