private The Tyranny of Princess Cadence

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Agent505,

 

Cicada smiled back at Harmony, before turning on her heel and galloping alongside him as they followed after Cadance. Cicada was sure that whatever the disturbance was, it wasn't an attack by the Equestrians, but it would be a good idea to find out what it was.

[Agent505 661]

(Honestly, I haven't planned this, it's all just fallen nicely into place to get things moving before they grow stale)

 

@@Pripyat Pony, @@Ano170, @@00Pony

 

Cadence made her way outside swiftly, staring off into the distance in the direction of the bakery - or at least where part of it now remained. 

Sure enough there was smoke rising in the distance, but it didn't look like normal smoke - it was thin and almost dust-like. 

"Harmony get a squad down there ASAP, secure a march around the perimeter and outwards - I don't want anything else getting the drop on us...Cecy, I assume you'll be going with him as per your orders. Return to me when it is done, we need to have a chat with the military..." 

"Ma'am, if it is an assault from Canterlot, hadn't we best be at full force?" 

"We are at full force Harmony - Celestia has been foolish enough to strike where my influence reigns strongest." 

"No, ma'am - Sanguine and his assassins...surely if Celestia has come, she'll be well protected, and we need somepony who can get close to her...right?" 

"I see your point...I don't care how you do it - either of you - just get him back here as soon as you can!"

_____

 

Enid continued to walk briskly away from the castle, darting down back alleys and keeping off the open streets. She knew the guard patrols and she was timing everything to avoid their routes. There was also the fact she had just torn a hole in the side of a building - hopefully that would serve as a distraction for a while, long enough for them to get clear. 

Eventually after finding a spot behind some houses in a dead-end corridor, she stopped dead, staring at the wall in front of them. In an instant, she spun around and clung to Myra, attempting to stifle her silent cries in her sisters coat, pulling her hooves frantically to try and wake her. 

[Ano170 162]

@@Agent505,

 

Arrow swore internally at the sight of a dead-end ahead of them, but before he could voice his concern he felt Enid burrow her face in the coat of the mare deposited on his back. He flinched slightly to feel her silent sobs.

 

We don't have time for this... A voice hissed in Arrow's mind, but he ignored it - he could think of nothing to say; in fact he didn't think it would be right to say anything.

 

And, in a twisted sense, Arrow felt almost relieved to see Enid having such a strong emotional response - as much as he hated to admit it, Harmonic's warning still rang in his ears, and Arrow was glad to see her reacting appropriately to the situation even as he felt pity and compassion well up in his chest.

 

Harmonic was lying - she isn't empty.

 

Eventually, however, Arrow had to clear his throat - he knew they couldn't risk getting caught; Harmonic, Arrow instinctively knew, would seize this whole...situation as an opportunity to take care of him, and perhaps Enid and Myra too if he really wanted.

 

"Enid," he spoke softly, barely louder than a whisper, trying to be gentle. "We have to keep moving - we can't stay here..." 

 

Here. 

 

Glancing about the dead-end alleyway, Arrow realised he himself wasn't sure if by "here" he had meant the alleyway, the street or the Empire itself...

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Agent505,

 

"Just as you say, Princess," Cicada replied, giving Harmonic a quick glance. She felt somewhat protective of Harmonic now, after spending so much time with him already.

 

@@Justin ZW,

 

A green pegasus mare was given the scroll that Zecora had written out and flew off at once to locate Swordpoint and give it to him. It was very important, and she had been chosen cuz of her unusual talent for seeing in total darkness. The scroll read as follows:

 

I have worked and searched for over a week

But I finally have the answer that you seek

It concerns an evil unicorn

And the sundering of his horn

Sombra's horn was cleaved in part

A creature with evil in his heart

Most of the horn went far and wide

But fragments bounced out to hide

One of these flew out in the sky

And while there landed in Cadance's eye

This is the key to Cadance's villany

A solution to her madness is not clear to me

But now that you know perhaps you can look

And write the last chapter in the book.

[Agent505 661]

@@Pripyat Pony, @@Ano170

 

Harmonic nodded once, spinning in place with enough speed to cause his cloak to raise up momentarily, revealing his blank flank as he took a step forward. He glanced at Cecy with a visible anger building in his eyes, before growling out "I'll be seeing to this patrol myself - if Celestia's soldiers are upon us, we'll stop them outside the city...give the troops some time to prepare." Despite the spell that had been placed on him, his soldiers intuition and sheer bloodlust still held strong, and he couldn't hide from his superiority complex by nature. "I'm going to arm up, gather my soldiers and meet me outside the gates, i'll stop them there." With that, he quickly disappeared into the palace, heading down to the armoury where his magic-weaved helmet and hookblades resided. Staring at them with a smile for a moment, he quickly armed and armoured himself, before making his way outside via the underground tunnels. 

_____

 

Enid glared up at Arrow, his suggestion to leave had clearly hit a nerve as she dragged Myra's almost lifeless body from his back with her magic, laying her out on the ground behind him. She turned back to face him again, before rearing up and pushing him with her front legs. Of course, all she really managed to do was slip on the dusty floor with her back legs, but she was determined to get him to move. She stopped pushing, sitting on the floor by Myra and biting her lip while shaking her head, pointing forward with her hoof in a clearly commanding way. 

Edited September 5, 2013 by Agent505

[Ano170 162]

@@Agent505, 

 

Arrow frowned at the sight of Enid sat on the floor, his muzzle crinkling and his eyes narrowing. For once, he felt certain of what she was trying to say - and he didn't like it.

 

"I'm not leaving you," he stated with blunt firmness. "Or your sister - put Myra back on my back and we'll leave on hoof; the guards won't know yet to stop us."

 

Before, Arrow knew there was a chance he may have left Enid there and then, but since finding himself propelled into the future he had found a part of his younger self reawakening; he was done trying to play hero, but he was no selfish coward either.

[Justin ZW 396]

 

 

 

Swordpoint shook his head. He didn't like Golden Age's attitude. He couldn't deny that Goldie was a fine soldier, but he certainly didn't enjoy seeing such a fondness for war. While he was a great warrior, he still preferred nonviolent solutions over bloodshed. 

 

@@Pripyat Pony, @@Concord Discord

As Sanura approached, Swordpoint warily eyed the pony she had brought with her. He listened to her explanation and frowned. "Are you truly prepared to fight? This is war, and war is hell. Do you truly wish to participate in this bloodshed?"

[Agent505 661]

@@Ano170, 

 

Enid glared at him some more, her eyes practically piercing his own. 

She pointed to his wings, and then to the sky in the same direction as earlier, before turning her back on him to tend to her sister.

She had stopped twitching, but she hadn't noticed when that had occurred - maybe the motion of being on Arrow's back had shaken some life into her and she had managed to get control of herself.

Enid turned her head back to Arrow, to check if he was still there, before she lowered her ears to Myra's muzzle. 

When she heard no breathing however, things took a turn for the worse. It was as if a shadow had descended purely on Enid as she began frantically searching for signs of life, checking her pulse and her eyes, as well as her chest for any breathing, before finally resorting to fruitlessly hammering on her sister's lifeless body - initially from panic, turning quickly to frustration as her poundings became weaker and weaker, finally resulting in her collapsing over her, lifting her head with her forelegs as she made one final attempt to shake some life into her, before ultimately breaking down into a sobbing mess. 

 

Tears began streaming down her face in a more serious and much more genuine way than before, she was crying and shaking, occasionally thumping the dirt in frustration and confusion while she still clung to her sister. For the first time ever, she heard the faintest sound of what her own voice may have sounded like, an almost inaudible whimper crept from her mouth as she bubbled over into an almost total breakdown over her sister's corpse. 

[Ano170 162]

@@Agent505, 

 

(Wow, what a crybaby. ...I'm not sad over this at all, I swear, there's just something in my eye..).

 

Arrow glared back at Enid, still refusing to move even after she turned her back on him. Before he could argue further with her, however, Enid simply broke down, crying  harder than Arrow had ever seen her over Myra's body - Myra's corpse Arrow realised grimly.

 

Witnessing this outpouring of emotion - and indeed, a treacherous part of Arrow still couldn't help but wonder if this was the first true emotion he had witnessed from Enid, though he tried not to dwell on that at the current moment - Arrow found himself trembling. He knew there was no time; that it would be wiser to follow Enid's advice and fly away and never look back - but instead, he found himself sitting down next to the distraught mare and wrapping her in his forehooves, softly shushing her in much the same way as he would his foal when she'd had a nightmare.

[Agent505 661]

@@Ano170, 

 

Enid pulled away from him slightly, before turning around and - in a sudden burst of anger and strength - shoving him away before frantically beating him with her hooves. All she wanted to do was scream about how this was all his fault, but the only thing she could do was lash out. Tears still streaming down her face, she pelted him on the shoulders again and again, before grabbing him and practically curling up on him, burying herself in his coat as she held onto his forelegs.

[longgone 873]

 

Swordpoint shook his head. He didn't like Golden Age's attitude. He couldn't deny that Goldie was a fine soldier, but he certainly didn't enjoy seeing such a fondness for war. While he was a great warrior, he still preferred nonviolent solutions over bloodshed. 

 

@@Pripyat Pony, @@Concord Discord

As Sanura approached, Swordpoint warily eyed the pony she had brought with her. He listened to her explanation and frowned. "Are you truly prepared to fight? This is war, and war is hell. Do you truly wish to participate in this bloodshed?"

 

He saw Swordpoint's expression and changed his attitude accordingly" Oh and...Swordpoint..." he began, coming upon a studding realization. "That piece of woods...it ain't the everfree, is it?" There was a fear in his voice as he spoke, memories flooded back that made him tear up inside. "Is it?" he repeated in a more frantic manner.

Edited September 6, 2013 by ~HistoricallyInaccurate~

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Agent505,

 

Cicada waited patiently. She used the time to contact her Queen, keeping her up to date. Chrysalis replied, "I am pleased with you, Cicada. Just continue as you have been doing."

 

 

 

@@Justin ZW,

 

At that moment, a green pegasus mare landed in front of Goldie and Swordpoint. She said, hurriedly, before either could attack her, "I mean you no harm. I have a message from Zecora on a matter of great importance." She handed the scroll to Swordpoint.

 

(Ooc: To save you having to go back a page.)

 

I have worked and searched for over a week

But I finally have the answer that you seek

It concerns an evil unicorn

And the sundering of his horn

Sombra's horn was cleaved in part

A creature with evil in his heart

Most of the horn went far and wide

But fragments bounced out to hide

One of these flew out in the sky

And while there landed in Cadance's eye

This is the key to Cadance's villany

A solution to her madness is not clear to me

But now that you know perhaps you can look

And write the last chapter in the book.

[Agent505 661]

@@Pripyat Pony, 

 

Harmonic was staring off into the darkness of the sky (what time is it again?) when he heard quiet hoofsteps coming from nearby. Instinctively he dived to one side and tore out his swords aggressively with his magic, before realising it was Cecy who had snuck up on him. He nodded apologetically - a rare thing - before he tucked them away again and looked behind her to see nothing. 

"You...didn't summon the Onyx?" he paused, momentarily shocked that someone had disobeyed his orders - even if they where only given from instinct. Any thoughts of tearing off the mare's head however, where quickly repressed and replaced by feelings of an almost servitude like nature. 

[Ano170 162]

@@Agent505,

 

(OOC: And I thought my post was cheesy )

 

 Arrow took the brunt of Enid's assault with little more than a few grunts, though the pain did  make him wince. He felt he deserved it; hell, he deserved more - not just for what had happened with Myra, but for all the things he'd seen; all the things he had given up on.

 

Holding Enid in his forelegs even as she clung to him, Arrow's eyes narrowed in determination - now wasn't the time to wallow in self-pity, and whatever Enid was feeling Arrow couldn't leave her to be captured either.

 

"Enid," he said, gently but firmly as he pulled away slightly to look her in the eye. "We have to move, and you know it; Harmonic isn't going to let either of us walk away from this if he can help it." Then, more softly he added. "Get out alive now, and there'll be time to grieve later. Then...you won't ever have to see me again if you don't want to."

[00Pony 286]

Well, this had gone swimmingly.

 

Sanguine and his assassins were camped in a cave a quarter mile from Neighara. The blasted city was locked tight. Much tighter than Sanguine had anticipated. Already he'd lost four of his original team of twelve trying to gain entrance. He was pleased with managing to keep their presence relatively unkown. At most, some might have thought a wild animal was causing all the trouble. Having unicorns with illusionary magic could be very useful.

 

Still... He couldn't shake the feeling that he was failing in his mission. To a degree, at least. He had managed to take down at least one of the lesser targets, but at the cost of the assassin who'd done the deed. The fool had managed to kill his target and his bodyguards, but had gotten himself so injured that he died simply from the energy it took teleporting himself away.

 

Should they turn back and return to the Empire? That was the common question amongst Sanguine's followers. He'd already stabbed a pony who'd tried to desert through the leg, pinning the stallion in place and leaving him there for the rest of the day. Even if Sanguine wanted to turn back, he found himself worried about what Cadence might say. He knew how harsh she could be when necesarry.

 

(Cannot think of much more to say)

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Agent505, "Oh, they'll be coming soon," Cicada replied. "Or rather, the remainder. It appears that two members are currently missing and the others were in a bit of a snit about that. I've also informed my Queen, and she will also be meeting us here in time."

 

Queen Chrysalis was a little late as she had taken the time to establish that the damage was not caused by a sneak attack by Celestia.

[Agent505 661]

@@Ano170,@@00Pony, @@Pripyat Pony,

 

(I'm sending out guards to give Sanguine a reason to come back, it wouldn't make sense to talk about it and then not do it. However, you can interpret it how you will. Stay at Neighagra falls when they arrive or be on your way back, I don't mind whatever you choose)

 

Enid sniffed a little, turning to face Myra again as a few more tears started to well up in her eyes. She grabbed Arrow around his neck with her forelegs, pressing tight against him. Unsure herself what she was feeling, something about it just felt right. She brushed one hoof down his mane lightly, taking in a deep breath and holding it as she teleported them both out of the Empire's boundaries into the snowy surroundings, causing a purple flash from both ends of the teleport. Afterwards, she simply let go of him and turned away, sitting in the snow and staring solemnly at the palace. 

_____

 

Harmonic thumped the floor in frustration "It's that Celestia-damned pegasus!" He growled "I knew Cadence was a fool to take him in."

As he finished speaking, he could hear the soft crunching of snow getting characteristically louder as his soldiers approached, lining up either side of him in equal stead. He glared at them for a second, staring up and down their ranks as he mentally checked who he could see - not that he didn't already know who was going to be missing. "Iron Forge, Steel Edge, Cloud Runner... he mumbled their names, before finally stopping at the end. "Where are they?" He closed his eyes as his guard stared across the way at each other, before he shouted aloud "Where IS SHE?!" 

A few of the front row earth ponies flinched back, before a pegasus quickly spoke up. "Commander Harmonic sir, Master Warrant Officer 'Silent Catalyst - Enid' and Warrant Officer 4 'Unyielding Devotion - Myra' have been MIA for some time now, sir. Estimated time away from last contact; 14 hours."

Harmonic grimaced, digging his hooves into the floor to stop himself from knocking the pegasus down there and then, before calmly stating "She can't talk. Neither of them can talk. Why was nopony keeping them UNDER WATCH AS I ORDERED?! You all KNOW what she's capable of and I swear with Empress Cadence as my power I will-" he was cut off my a slight flash of light from the corner of his eye, immediately snapping his attention to the city streets from which it originated. "I want a flight squad down there now - call out anything you see, sniper teams, set up positions along the wall and inside the empire, sweep the streets around the inner edge and relay to me. Ground team, 6 of you that way around the outer perimeter, the rest of you with me." With speed and dedication still unmatched by all but Cadence's guards themselves, his Pegasi team took to the sky and within seconds had vanished in the approaching fog. It would take his unicorns some time on foot to return to the inner walls of the empire, but his Earth ponies where already over half way to the wall. 

Harmonic bowed slightly, lowering his head but keeping eye contact with Cecy. "Care to join us miss? It's time to hunt some Canterlot fine dining." 

 

 

I've not been giving Harmonic enough love recently, it seems

 

[Justin ZW 396]

@@Pripyat Pony

 

Swordpoint shook his head. "No, Golden Age. We are far from the Everfree Forest." Just then, the green pegasus landed before him with the scroll.

 

Swordpoint glanced at the pegasus curiously. "From Zecora?" He took the scroll and read it quietly. When he had finished, a grave expression crossed his face. "... That cannot be... But that was so very long ago... Even before I came to Equestria." He turned to Goldie with a solemn gaze. "We must move. She can be saved. I am certain of this." He nodded toward the north. "Send the word. We move in twenty minutes."

[longgone 873]

snip

 

A sigh of relief came over him. "Thank Celestia...it ain't the creatures that scare me, it's the...erm...I'll just go get my boys all set..." he said awkwardly

 

Golden Age saluted and walked off back to his camp. "3&9th, first call!" 

 

His men released a sigh of relief knowing they would finally be back to doing some productive. "Bully, make sure the lads are assembled in 20 minutes sharp!". With the sergeant's acknowledgement, he focused on breaking down his tent. He threw is gear out in front and began striking it. It didn't take much effort seeing how it was no more than a piece of cloth being held up with sticks and string. 

Edited September 7, 2013 by ~HistoricallyInaccurate~

[Agent505 661]

@@00Pony, 

 

(I just realised how stupid I am...again...)

 

"Sir!" Cried a sudden voice, followed by a flurry of feathers and wings as a pegasus crashed into the ground "Unyielding Devotion is down! Charlie team is following tracks as we speak, but from what we can tell, cause of fatality was a sudden trauma to the head and neck area. Source unknown." 

Harmonic fell silent and his eyes began drifting down to the ground. He closed his eyes and stretched his neck by rolling his head around once, letting out a brief sigh before quietly stating his next order. "Round up Bravo team. Neighagra falls. Call Sanguine and his men back, we're at war."

Edited September 8, 2013 by Agent505

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Agent505,

 

Cicada smiled. "Celestia will rue the day that she messed with us," she said. Her ears went up as she heard the flutter of insectoid wings, then Queen Chrysalis landed next to her and Harmonic.

 

"My apologies for keeping the two of you waiting," Chrysalis said.

[Ano170 162]

@@Agent505,

 

(OOC: Eventually - sorry to keep you waiting ).

 

Arrow tensed slightly when Enid grabbed him round the neck, then blinked as he suddenly found himself in the snow - beyond the Empire's outer perimeter, he realised.

 

"Huh...teleportation." Arrow chuckled ruefully, even as a part of him felt like bucking himself for forgetting something so important. "I ah, forgot unicorns could do that... Think you could blink us all the way to Trotland?"

 

He watched as Enid moved away to stare back at the palace, the cold biting into his coat despite the vest he wore.  

 

Maybe we will need to go as far as Trotland - get away from all...this. Arrow wasn't sure if he would be able to handle that; going home only to find it wasn't home anymore - the thought made his head spin and his stomach turn. Trying hard not to think about how much he may have given up by leaving the Empire, he turned and began heading off into the snow. After a few feet he paused to look back at the mare sitting in the snow.

 

"Enid?" he asked, a slight touch of hope in his voice. "Are you coming?" Truth be told, for once - looking out at this vast, cold, empty landscape; or as much of it as he could see in the flurry of snow - Arrow didn't want to be alone.

[Agent505 661]

@@Ano170, @@Pripyat Pony,

 

Still sat there, silently staring out into the distance, Enid let out another sigh. Even if she was cold - she couldn't feel it. At least, not any colder on the outside than she was feeling inside, if anything the icy winds where warming her up. A single ear flipped up at the sound of her name, but she didn't move. Hearing the question, it flopped back down again and she let out yet another sigh, drawing a line in the snow with her hoof and slowly shaking her head. She drew a second, much shorter line, crossing over the first. She looked back a little, seeing Arrow already on his way away from there, she took the amulet from around her neck, and placed it over the second line she drew, before placing the second amulet that she had taken from Myra at some point around the first. 

 

After a few more moments - almost a minute - she took a deep breath and turned around, looking up into the sky and then cautiously trotting to the side of Arrow, a blank expression on her face as she stared off into nowhere.

_____

 

"It's not a worry my Queen" Harmonic bowed, suddenly shaken to his senses by the queen's presence. "We were actually just about to move, weren't we Cecy?" He turned and started walking, slowly at first but he soon picked up, in a clockwise direction around the empires walls.

[Concord Discord 35]

@@Justin ZW

 

"I think I have had enough of bloodshed," the grey unicorn replied solemnly "But I can still help. Invisibility, teleportation, magic cloaking, I can do the lot. Just give the word. I think it's time that donkey Cadence's reign of tyranny ends once and for all."

[00Pony 286]

@@Agent505,

 

 (It wouldn't be godmodding to have the retrieval squad just show up there, right?)

 

The next few days were.. interesting. Sanguine had found himself and his followers being called back to the Empire. It seems that they were needed. Were Celestia's troops attacking? Or was it just paranoia? I didn't fully matter, really. Sanguine was given an order, and he would follow it.

 

He and his followers had pulled out of Neighagra and made a hard march back to the Empire, occasionally his remaining Unicorns would teleport them. They were nowhere near as efficient at Harmonic's Onyx unicorns, but it still helped to be jumped ahead by nearly a mile, if such jumps were only coming every hour or so. It didn't take quite as long to return to the Empire as it had to get to Neighagra. Within a day, with a nearly all four of his unicorns completely exhausted, the Empire was within sight, perhaps another hour or to of walking.

While he wouldn't admit it, or show it, Sanguine was tired. A Crystal Pony's pain tolerance could only go so far, after all. While he would have loved to be able to just sit down and relax for just an hour upon arriving at the Empire's doors, he knew he would not be allowed such a luxury. He would have a fresh pool of followers to draw from however. Give these eight some time to regain their strength before they were called back to combat.