//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Assassins and Acquisitions // Story: Equestrian Grand Knights // by Athlon2736 //------------------------------// Chapter Two: Assassins and Acquisitions Celestia looked at the cloak figured, who moved gently forward and presenting itself to the small crowd of ponies. The air was chilled, nipping at Celestia’s body for the heat she radiated, making her shiver slightly, while the ponies around her stood stiller then water at rest. Their eyes, all locked forward at the hooded newcomer, who took a few more steps towards then, each more bold then the previous. One guard-pony stepped forward, and spoke something in Prench, but Celestia didn’t catch the meaning. However the pony continued to advance, making her feel very uncomfortable. “Halt,” the guards-pony yelled this time, reaching to his sword and grasping it with one of his hooves, that cold look on his face. The figure stopped this time, then back up with times, while another guard-pony walked forward, a soft purple unicorn this time. “Remove yourself from the road,” the unicorn said, extending a hoof out to the cloaked figure, which only caused it to back up down the road a little more. Celestia could help but get the feeling it was toying with the guards now and nudged Captain Wind-Cutter softly with her hoof, before leaning her head down to the pony’s ear gently. “I don’t like this,” she whispered, receiving a soft almost omnipresent nod from the captain, “Keep your eyes open for anything.” She stood up straight, eyes locked on the hooded pony again, which the guards were trying to scare off now. The cloaked one backed up a little further, before Celestia could make up a pearl white grin on the ponies face. She was about to speak something when the pony moved forward again, revealing the crimson red coat hooves to the ones in front of it, as well as bracelets around them. Golden with runes even make Celestia feel strained to read them. With a soft clank the pony touched the bracelets together and from them pure black energy of dread expanded out and formed a black shaft of metal that extended out either side. To the left, it extend a full two feet before slowly forming two heads of black energy, each the shape of scythe, and almost untouchable. Untouchable to all those but Celestia, as to her, it was a solid scythe. In the next few seconds, the pony launched itself at the two guard ponies, red wings appeared on the ponies back. With another swift instantaneous moment, the ethereal scythe swung back, then back forward, upwards through the unicorn, completely and uniformly upward. The unicorn stood there, her eyes wide with fear, while the pegasi turned hard right and swung blindingly quick through the other guard’s neck. There was no blood, and the other guards began to think this an illusion to them. “Midnight, Owl’s Eye, remove her,” one of the commanding guards said, stepping forward with a grin across his face as he couldn’t help but believe it was an illusion. There was a cough followed by a gurgle, as the earth pony turned around standing on his hind legs and grasping at his neck. From his mouth, slowly and attentively, was the crimson red blood of his body. The guards stepped back and he fell to the ground, gasping out for the air, but drowned in his own life. The unicorn, crumpled sideways her helm falling off and rolling away, the limp body impacting the streets loudly. The escort tightened around the Empress and Princess, using their bodies as shields from the assassin. “M’lady, ma-” Wind-cutter started to speak before being silenced by a glance from the goddess. “You are about to have a child in Canterlot,” she stated, “You are not going out in a blaze of glory before you get to meet your child, understood?” The captains helmed head nodded, viciously, not wanting to risk angering the goddess he served. “Y-Yes m’lady,” he said looking away. The red pegasi looked at the gargling guard, still holding his neck trying to live. The blade swung down, into the skull of the guard, finally ending his agony. Celestia stared at the assassin, eyes examining the weapon, up and down. She knew it very well, and could feel her skin roll with a shiver from both the fear and the coldness of the air. “I’m here for the Empresses head as well as the goddesses,” the cloaked figure stated, looking at that crowd of pones with deathly eyes. The guards didn’t back down, though their eyes shone with the fear of the weapon the pegasi wielded. From the group stepped forward the dark green stallion, who adorned armour with the reflection of scales and several white runes around his eyes. “M’lady Empress, forgive me, but I will deal with this... wretch myself,” he commented, his voice firm and booming out to the air around him. His horn, glowing gently, seemed sharper and longer than the average unicorn, while his brilliant red eyes locked forward on his foe. The cloaked figured chuckled, menacing yet happy, lifting off and fly a hoof from the ground as it started at the armoured foe. As it grew closer the armour soldier drew a blade, and held it in his mouth, taking a rough stance at the flying foe. “Grand-Mast-” Frostmane started, taking a step forward, being stopped by the High-General Shadow-Sword, a long dark greyed sword in is other hoof. Frostmane looked at the stallion, eyes filled with worry. “M’lady, we’ll take the side path to the airship and get aboard,” he said, not looking at her. Many of the dignitaries nodded in agreement. Celestia looked up at the foe, who’s weapon growled out at her, before she looked at the armour guard. “What of our fine and valiant hero?” she asked the high-general. “What I am about to do, m’lady sun, is a death sentence on its own. I will not be coming with you,” the stallion stated. Celestia nodded and looked to Wind-cutter, who was being told the route by a guard-pony. They started moving towards the route quickly, the knight being left behind. Celestia turned her head to the left to look at the sergeant, only to not see him there. “Thunder-hoof?” she asked stopping to look around, seeing her unicorn guard going to armour pony standing infront of the pegasi, “Sergeant Thunder-hoof. You will-” “I’m not leaving a pony behind princess. They are taking the bodies of their dead,” he said stepping up behind the knight staring at assassin. Celestia was about to speak up when one the guards nudged her forward. “Ma’am we cannot stay here. We risk being ki-” he said looking at her. Celestia stopped him with a look, fierce in its purpose and its strength, “I mean no disrespect ma’am, but I cannot let harm come to you for your guards sake.” Celestia looked back at her escort and frowned, seeing the logic in the soldier’s statement, and turned to go with them, walking at the same quickened pace they took. In a few moments they disappeared, and Celestia took with the Galastrians to their airship. _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ Thunder-hoof stared at his foe, letting the magikal energy in his body circulate about it as he took up a stance behind the armour Galastrian. The assassin pulled back the cloak finally and cracked her neck twice either way smiling. His eyes widen, and then narrowed at the red mare’s face, who grinned at them. “Oh you recognized me? That’s good. At least you know my name, since I intend to kill you,” she said licking her lips. “Raven’s Blood wasn’t it?” the Galastrain asked, shifting forward slightly. Thunder-hoof loked at him, seeing the stallion’s eyes had changed, almost more feral and blood-thirsty from mentioning the name. It wasn’t the only thing to have changed either, as the armour that was once separate from him now became more whole with the stallion, the runes around his eyes glowing with a angry white rage. His tail grew longer, and acted as two separate tails, separating amongst the hair, while his coat of hair changed to seemed more shimmering and scale like. His eyes, now feral as they were, became far more reptile like, with his jaw slightly growing out. “And you must be Grand-master Vulcan, correct? Leader of the Salamanders Knights?” she replied, landing gently, so soft that her hooves couldn’t be heard. The knight, Vulcan his name is, nodded solidly at the assassin. “I am, and make sure you remember it,” he said smiling. Thunder noticed that Vulcan’s hooves, once much like his own, now grew talons and became more... lizard like. “Why is that?” she said losing the grin for a moment to wonder at the knight, who grinned at her with sharp angry teeth that they were. Thunder looked back at the red pegasi mare and took his stance, unwittingly having lost it from staring at the changing knight. “Because it is the name you will death, the name of the stallion that killed you, and will great him happily when my time comes,” he said, shifting forward. Thunder, which was now a side-lining pony stepped forward, feeling his body shake all over like never before. He had stared down dragons, griffons, diamond-dogs, marauders, goats, Zebra and even the occasional angry mare, but nothing felt like the air around him. The air, static with tension of the two warriors around him was contagious while also drowning him out. The pegasus looked at the royal guard and smiled, licking her lips again, moving her scythe to one side. The next action Thunder barely had time to react too, sidestepping the strike that hit his armour with a swing. She looked at him happily grinning moving past him, and bounced off the wall, aiming her body back at him. Thunder’s hooves moved again and he felt the scythes blade pass clean through his flank, and searing hot pain shot up his side. He crumpled down and looked back at his grey flank, grunting. No blood, but he felt his entire flank crying out, protesting the idea of movement. He forced himself to ignore it, biting down on his cheek as he stood up. ‘Pain is illusion of the body,’ he thought to himself, remembering his training, ‘Fear is the illusion of the mind.’ “Strong colt you are,” a voice echoed, making him turn and look at the assassin, who was preparing to leap at him again. This time however, he wouldn’t be able to react fast enough, “Too bad I have to put you down; my sister would love to have her way with you my deary.” Thunder cringed as he turned towards her, feeling his leg lock up as he came to his final standing point. ‘Face death with a stone hard face.’ She leapt at him, scythe drawn back for a good strong kill. ‘Never back down from your foe.’ Her evil, yet beautiful face was the lasting he would see. From the left came a stream of rolling twisting fire as it leapt at the red pegasus’s body, making her pulled up and away, into the sky. Thunder’s head twisted quickly, looking at the knight. Only he wasn’t a knight any longer. _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ Celestia started to run with the Galastrians as they rushed up the boarding planks, onto their steel airship. She admired their technological constructiveness in how they used the large- ‘Admire the ship later, Tia, right now, we need to get aboard the ship and get out of here,’ she thought to herself, rushing onto the ships wooden deck. The in the middle of the ship’s deck was a large bridge, raise up by a by several large tiers of metal constructed to give the bridge a good view of the world around it. The bridge itself, which she could see from where she board, was built to give a near complete view of the sky, reaching well around the main towers top deck. She was whisked into the main down by a unicorn, dressed in a blue uniform unlike the green the others wore to the dance. Frostmane was being pushed by two unicorns herself, though into a room with stairs, as she protested being left out of the decision. Celestia didn’t care right now, only wanting to get away. “M’lady, your ship?” one unicorn asked the princess, shoving her quite forcefully, only to receive a look from the goddess. She entered the same room as Frostmane, who was quickly being forced out of her dress and behind given more appropriate clothes to wear. She looked just as disgruntled, though use to this at the same time. The General’s were all out, rushing up stiars to the main bridge, barking out orders. “I sent the captain to inform the crew to take off, and to return with his best three guards to this ship. He knows what he’s doing,” she said, ‘I hope.’ The unicorn nodded and Frostmane walked up, a tighter clothing on her, allowing her to fly and run easily now. She seemed more imposing in a way that Celestia have never seen before while the crew around her seemed to take no notice. “I’m going up the-” she started being cut off by one of the officers. “You are not, as I, lieutenant Sweet-lick, will not allow you, my great empress ma’am. Its for your sa-” he stated, only to turn and rush after her, who was flying up the stairs in a fury, Celestia following directly behind her. It was only a matter of moments that they reached the bridge, rushing in seeing the general standing and listening to the Captain as she barked out orders to her bridge crew. “I tell ya lads, if you get my ship damaged in anyway, I promise ya, that your ba-” she started before turning and bowing to the Empress quickly, quickly making the language more appropriate for her presence, “Your days on the Firedancer will be over, ya understand that ya gits?” There was a loud call out form the four ponies on the bridge, all wearing the same blue cloth uniforms as the other crew. One stallion that looked back slightly, before waving gently at the Empress, looking back at the console in front of him, using his horn’s magik to throw some levers and switches around him. “We’re leaving the dock, captain. The engines will be going live in thirty seconds, the power core and ballast gems are active and ready,” he stated, complete calm and normal. “All weapons receiving power, and ready to go,” another said, standing up and turning to the captain. “Master-Captain, the mage’s are ready for your orders at any moment,” a hood member of the bridge crew commented looking up and at the captain. The unicorn, which was made obvious by the horn that protrude through her hood, walked past her, and over to the stallion standing in front of another console, barking out orders into an amplifier. “Captain, the crew is ready for ya orders, Captain Snow-lily,” the first unicorn said, not looking back. His front hooves rested on the wheel controlling the rudder behind each of the propeller engines. Celestia stood in awe and the bridge was a flurry of moments and comments as the ship pulled away. On her ship, the Suns Kiss it was much calmer and more gentle then the rigorous and almost violent comments of this ship’s crew. She was kind of worried what she gotten herself into. “Aptain, four Pegasi ‘oming up to the ship, Equestrian Royal Guard, should we let ‘em land?” the final crew bridge-member said turning about, his bright orange mane and tail, and his clearly scoltish accent making him easy to spot. “Let them land,” Celestia said looking at the captain, who didn’t flinch at all, “They are my Royal Guard, and they are here to protect me,” she said. The Captain turned her head and looked at the princess, then came completely around and looked at her dead in the eye. “Ah don’t care ya egit, tis is ma ship and ah won’t let anyone on unless ah say so,” the captain said, eyes filled with fire, “Let ‘em aboards you git, their ‘ere to guard their princess. Not like we could do it, eh lads?” Celestia didn’t like that tone to her, and felt threatened around this mare, but from the corner of her eye she could hear the soft chuckle of Frostmane who leaned up to her ear and whispered, “She’s like that with everyone, well everyone except me.” Celestia nodded and looked back at where they had came from, worried slightly from what had just transpired. An assassin attacked the group, and was after her head, making her body shiver at the thought of the assassin coming after her in Equestria, or after her younger sibling. “Captain. Prench ships, two of them to the rear, coming up fast,” “Now. Ah wonder what they want,” the captain said looking around the bridge. They could see Celestia’s ship pulled away further down, but it was already flying off out of the port. Celestia looked at the others and sighed. Things couldn’t possibly get any worse. _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ Thunder ducked another swing as the Grand-master leapt at the pegasus in a strong bound, hitting her away from the unicorn. Thunder shot of a bolt of energy at the mare, but missed. He was distracted, by the fact that the Grand-master wasn’t a pony anymore. He was, and wasn’t at the same time, his coat of hair not lizard like scales, his teeth, dragon like, and his armour having melded into his flesh as a harder shell. He was somewhere between a drake, and a pony, and it made the sergeant unsettled. Another swing and he ducked, though he felt a sharp, powerful and piercing pain that shot form his flank as he did. “This is getting ridiculous!” Thunder barked out, shooting of another bolt of energy at the Pegasus, who simply flew back. The Grand-master didn’t chase her though, having stopped beside the smaller unicorn. “How so?” he asked, voice far deeper than before the change, while his eyes stayed locked on his foe. “We get touched by that... blade and we don’t bleed and yet we feel pain. What is with it?” he asked, “On that, we can barely hit her.” “She’s toying with us. She just having fun,” the drake-pony said, stepping forward, his body shifting back to a pony like form, “For what reason I don’t know...” The royal guard looked at the ground and then down one of the streets. She was pulling them away from the air-docks, and deeper into the city. Even so, he hadn’t seen a soul yet, not even a lower class citizen. “Something’s not right,” he said aloud, eyes moving about, “Where are all the ponies?” he asked looking about, seeing that each building’s windows were closed. “You know what? I’m done with you. I did my job so I can just leave,” Raven’s Blood said, grinning happily at them. The two stallions looked at the blood red mare, who’s weapon seemed to fade back into the bracelets around her legs. She flew up and screamed suddenly. “Oh guards help me! Somepony! Anypony! PLEASE HELP ME!” she was screaming out. Thunder-hoof flinched and heard the marching of several dozen soldiers, making him panic slightly. “Crap, she was a diversion!” Vulkan yelled twisting his head quickly in all directions. Several prench ponies appeared rushing to the screaming mares aid. All had their weapons drawn. “Well, she was a good diversion,” Thunder said, scanning the first group coming close. He looked at the grand-master, who was smiling. “Indeed, for war is a game of deception and lies with courage and bloodshed, honour and pride, sanity and insanity,” he said, speaking much like a poet would. He looked at the Equestrian and smiled happily, “Boy, you need to survive this,” before turning to him directly and drawing a sword with his mouth and giving it to the smaller stallion, “Take this and run. Hide and survive. That’s my request for you.” Thunder looked at the blade, the blade seeming like lightening jumping up and down within the steel that the sword was forged from. He took it in his mouth nodding quickly, and turned seeing the pegasus there, leaping in the way. “Soldiers! Kill them!” he barked. He rushed past her as Vulkan rushed at the blood red mare, forming gems with magic and launching them towards her. Raven leapt back, getting away from Vulkan and letting the Prench soldiers rush at him. In a matter of moments, with Thunder now having disappeared down the back aisle, Vuklan stood up, barely standing up, legs shaking and coughing blood up out of his mouth. His eyes were lizard like again, but as he contemplated the thought of transforming again, he knew at that instant it would be the last time. He had used up most of his life energy as it was, and the transformation would kill him. He turned sharp dodging away from a taller stallion, swinging a mace at him eyes burning with fury. His eyes were a crisp yellow, and Vulkan could smell the fresh apples still on his breathe, and as the stallion smashed the mace into the ground, he aimed his horn at the pony’s neck, firing several bolts of energy into the him. This continues for a good five minutes, maybe ten, as Vulkan loses track, and he could feel exhaustion setting in. A slash across the flank, a thrust into the shoulder, crushing smash against the ribs, and even a swing of a blade across his face; all taking its toll on the wary knight, and even as he kicks out at another, as crimson red pegasus comes down out the sky, a sword in hoof. The impact is swift and resounding, powerful and true, cutting through his armour and to his painfully beating heart. He looked at Raven, who licking her lips gently. “The kings will be done,” she whispered into his ear, before wretching the sword form him, only to thrust it back in. His breath, once fire hot and strong, now escapes him as an ice cold and weak gasp. Again another thrust, making him cough what is left in his lungs out, making him lurch his head towards the ground, feeling the blood leak out his nose. “My oath is fulfilled then, for my duty was bound the protect the innocent from the vile and evil,” he weakly before completely crumpling to the solid stone road, eyes half open as he stares at death. He fells the mare pull out the blade as he pulls in one final breath. “Luna guide my soul...” _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ “Ma’am their hailing us on the raido!” on the crew said, looking worried. Two war-ship now gained on the single, guns of the ships aiming at the shorter ship. “Let ‘em talk than. Ah’d like to hear what they got to say,” she said, slowly walking over to the crew-member. He nodded and threw a switch with his hoof and spoke into it, quickly in prench, though the response was quick, fluid and strong, making all the crew jump at the stallions statement. “You will power down your ships main engines, and prepared to be boarded! Princess Celestia and Empress Frostmane are considered criminals by the country of Prance for attempted assassination of the King of Prance, Aimer Roi!” The bridge crew froze as the two country leaders looked petrified, eyes bugged and wide. “Impossible, they must be crazy!” the pilot stated. “On this, should the ship, Firedancer, should not yield, it will be considered an act of war by both Galastria and Equestria, and you will be fired upon. On this, Lord Stein has ordered for the arrest of all Imperial Delegates and generals who attended the party, being considered-” the voice was cut off by the captain shutting off. “Empress, yar orders?” she said looking at the pale blue pegasi, who just looked at the floor of the bridge. Celestia looked at her, eyes soft, but worried. From the pegasus fell several tears, each a gem of sadness as her body jumped and jittered, trying to stop herself form completely weeping and looking pathetic. Celestia looked at the general, who watched the pitiful mare of an empress crying, not interfering with her. She looked back, raising a hoof to pat her, only to feel a hoof on her shoulder. She looked to see Earthshaker shaking his head no. Then something soft came from the mare, head still lowered and eyes upon the floor. All watched her, seeing a few more tears fall from her face. “Captain Cloud-dancer,” her voice was cracking and broke, but the firm undertone was there. “Yeah, ma lady?” she said looking strongly at the small Pegasi. Something incorherant came from the small pegasus, which the earth pony captain asked her to repeat louder. “I am to choose between war and a lie that is false and cruel. They would see me hanged and Galastria leaderless, with Equestria left to crumple away,” she said, voice still fragmented, and her yes still on the floor, “They ask me to give myself up, to give up my friends and duties that I have yet to earn, only to be hung for a crime I did not commit. If I don’t, Galastria would be burned to ash around me or the ship be destroyed as we flee.” There was a great moment of silence as she slowly raised her head and looked at the captain, clearly in the hazel eyes. The generals stood quiet for a moment, looking at the ground. “I will not let that happen. Don’t stop the ship, no matter what.” Celestia looked at them, a surprised looked across her face. What Frostmane was just doing was throwing her country into war, as well as her own, and she took such little time to contemplate the idea of it. Celestia walked forwards and infront of Frost, glaring at her. Their eyes locked for but a brief instant before Frost looked away. “Celestia you are welcome to leave if you wish to save you country from war. I do not mind,” she stated, walking over to the generals. Celestia’s eyes followed the pegasus’s movements, scowling at the young one. “Captain,” a voice crept up, “Port side, you should see this.” Everypony looked to the left, and not a single pony not gasps at the sight to the port-side of the airship. Falling rapidly from the air was Princess Celestia’s own airship, the Suns Kiss crumpled out of the sky towards the city below, her engine burning with angry red fires and a few pegasi diving off of it, mostly royal guard. They flew towards the Firedancer in a massed hurry, while they left the few crew behind, falling with the once proud wreckage. Two small Prench ships flowed next to the falling wreck, magic bolt of energy firing at the slowly descending carcass of a ship. Celestia’s face became one of horror and disgust as her ship was gorged out by the other airships, and weakness took over her legs quickly, eyes beginning to water up. She looked at Frostmane, eyes of pain and agony. “There were fifty ponies aboard that ship I knew well,” she managed out, “I can’t let the king of Prance get away with this...” With that and a solid nod the ships engines groaned angrily as it gained speed, straining to keep them away from the Prench behind them. Celestia was now going to have to trust the Galastrian with her life, and hope they would help her with what was to come. _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ Thunder slide around a corner, the pain in his flank screaming out at him to stop and give up to the Prench. He couldn’t. He raced towards the airships, only to see the ship he was to have been aboard collapse out of the sky under the relentless fire of Prench gunships. He could hear loud pops and crashing as the Prench boats fired crystal shells as the ships, while any who could either teleported away, or just died in the inferno. He raced toward some other unicorns, all dazzed and struggling to control themselves in anguish, barking out for them to run. There was only seven there, now himself as they began to race away from the ship, which crashed into the docks below and detonated ina brilliant show of light and angry fire. The seven raced into the back alleys, some crying, other calm and collected, but all torn apart by the thought of leaving anypony who was alive to die in the blaze behind. Thunder turned a corner and heard a door open, looking towards to see a Prench pony, eyes locked wide on the Equestrian unicorns infront of him. He began to move his mouth when he heard cries from the next street over, all Prench soldiers and citizens. With that he stared at them, and they at him, Thunder getting ready to run. “Venez vite!” he stated waving a hoof at them, all to enter the building, Thunder stopping to stare at him for a short moment, before one of the other guards looked at him. “I think he wants us to come quickly inside,” he answered. “Qui! Qui, rapide!” the stallion stated again, looking around, and with that the others rushed in, Thunder came in last, closing the door. The stallion urged them down some stairs, rushing them quickly and quietly before they were all in a dark and crowded basement, all looking at the stallion. He looked at one of them and began talking quickly in Prench being stopped by the second guard of the group, who seemed to understand some prench. Thunder leaned against the wall, panting heavily. He flank now screamed at him to lay down and to never move again, making him sweat in agonizing pain. He eventually laid down slowly, resting his head on what felt like a bag of sand or flour. “Sir?” another unicorn asked, eyes barely visible in the basement, “Are you okay sir?” “F-Fine, Sweet-Touch,” he replied knowing who it was. He looked around the room finally realizing he had three other royal guard, and a few ship crew members, eyes all dim and quiet as the stallion and guard talked. Before too long the room grew silent before a dangerous sentence was spoken by the royal guard. “Thunder-hoof. The princess was accused of attempting to assassinate the king of Prance, and that’s why the Prench ships attacked us. They’ve basically declared war on us.” He stated. There was no gasps, no whimpers of self pity or fear. Not a sound was mad, before Thunder looked at the Prench-pony, eyes locked on him. “Does he intend to help us or turn us in?” he asked. “He wasn’t born in Prance, and doesn’t see the good it would to help us in saving Equestria. He will hide us for as long as possible if need be,” he said. There was a nod from the black figure, before they began to move away from him. Thunder could only now hope that this was just a miss understanding and pray to Celestia that he would be out of her in a few hours. But for now, his eyes grew heavy while the other crew members sat on the cool stone floor, some sobbing and weeping, others just lost in deep and dangerous thought. He left his head resting on the bag that he laid it on moments earlier, and let the sleep he desire take him. -Authors Note- Sorry for the long wait and I'm sorry for not being informative about what happened. Life got busy, work got complicated and writing took a major jump over the holiday break. I apologize and humbly home this will be a weekly thing soon.