Back then it was a game, a game without consequences, a game in which I would be safe under my rulers protection, I was wrong...
Prologue: Escape from Canterlot
I ran down the street, panting from all of the running I had done. The moon cast a soft glow upon the dimly lit street as I searched desperately for the house I was looking for.
It's just a little further! I thought to myself, trying to calm the panic rising inside of me, What if it's true? what if he is going to try to silence me? I asked myself hoping for an answer. I saw the house to my right and nervously trotted towards it, hoping that he was wrong.
The door opened and a bright light entered the street.
"Lightning Blaze?" A grey stallion asked from behind the door, giving me a suspicious look.
"Y-Yeah it's me, I came back to report the mission progress on the assassination attempt on the rebel leader" I stuttered, barely getting the words out.
"well?" he asked, annoyed about getting woken up in the middle of the night.
"H-He escaped sir" I said, my heart beating furiously
"I see," He said understandingly, his voice somehow calming me down "I understand"
"You do?"
"Yes"
I heard a metallic clunking sound and turned to see five fully armored Pegasi pointing spears towards me, their golden armor shining from the moons dim light. I froze in shock, my brain trying to comprehend what was going on, You must run boy, now that you have failed they will surely try to silence you. My heart skipped a beat as I put two and two together.
"You're going to kill me" I whispered, the fact as clear then anything else in my life
"Yes" said the stallion behind me "we cannot allow you to live after what you have seen. The chances are that the reason the rebel leader is still alive is because you defected, we cannot allow you to live with the information you posses," his voice sounded regretful, but not because he was killing an innocent pony, no, because he was going to lose a potentially great solider.
"But why?" I asked, trying to find a way to make him reconsider killing me
"I'm very sorry-"
Like fucking hell you are! my mind screamed
"-but this is the end of the line"
I realized that my only chance was to run. The guards raised their spears, you have to time this perfectly! my mind yelled at me, I slowly bent my legs, wait for it...NOW! I launched into the air just as spears penetrated the air were I was split seconds before, I stretched my light blue wings out and used them to push me further into the air. I flapped madly and flew forwards towards the outer walls of Canterlot, I was less then a minute away from it. I suddenly became aware of the Pegasi flying behind me and strained myself to fly faster, Maybe they can't see me in the moonlight I hoped. I was making my way towards the wall when I felt a sharp pain in my right wing, I turned my head and saw a bloodstained, silver arrowhead poking through it, my wing buckled as I let out a scream of pain and started making my way towards the ground, no, no not now i'm so close just a little more please! I screamed to myself, fear gripping me as the rapidly approaching ground loomed before me.
NO! not when i'm this close! a determined voice inside of me said. Slowly I started stretching my injured wing out, tears started forming in my eyes as i clenched my teeth through the pain. I managed to bring it fully out and slow my decent, I began gliding towards the outside world transferring the speed of my decent into a forwards motion. The Pegasi were still behind me as I made my way over the wall, my vision slowly starting to fade. I lost all orientation and slammed into the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop. All I could feel was pain, and not all of it physical. I looked up towards the night sky as my vision faded to black.
That was the day the game ended, when I realized that not everyone cared about each other in this world. To them I was just a tool, and when I broke they would get rid of me like trash. That was the day I became alone, and the day my real life started.
* * *
I opened my eyes and was instantly blinded by the sun above my head, I held a hoof over my eyes and looked around. I was in a large, open area with short, cut grass, Canterlot was much further away then I expected it to be considering I was flying injured. Pain suddenly throbbed through my body and forced me to curl up into a ball, tears escaped my eyes under the sudden intensity of it.
A long time later I relaxed and opened my eyes, I looked towards my own body and immediately noticed the arrowhead sticking through my wing, Dried blood covered my wing and the light blue fur that surrounded it, I realized that I would need to get that out fast or I would be facing a severe infection and given my current circumstances that would not be the best thing. Realization dawned on me as I remembered what had happened that night, fear and grief overtook me and I started to cry again, trying desperately to stop. After another long time I managed to look over my body, this time noticing my lightning bolt shaped cutie mark.
Heh my special talent, going as fast as lightning, I never thought there could be a cutie mark so bloody cheesy I was surprised that I had enough willpower to make any jokes at all.
After a long time I managed to stand up and slowly but surely walk to the nearest tree for shade, as soon as I sat down I noticed my hunger and thrust almost instantly.
ahh crap I need to find something to drink, and eat while i'm at it
I got up but jumped in surprise and pain as the arrow in my wing hit an outstretched root of the tree
aghh shit I forgot about that I groaned
I sat back down and stared down at the pointed tip of the arrow, steeling myself for what I needed to do. I put my mouth over the top of the arrow and ripped my head backwards. I screamed through the arrow tip as blood was pulled onto my face. I fell onto the ground and cradled my now profoundly bleeding wing.
"AGH! Damnit it hurts! Make it stop god damnit aghhh!"
After several hours I slowly managed to get up and start walking, to where? I don't know. But every step meant a step away from my old life, every drop of blood from my wing the sacrifices that I have yet to make. I thought nothing could be worse then what I went through but boy was wrong.
This was the first step towards the rapidly approaching endgame.