//------------------------------// // Strained Bonds // Story: Broken Armor // by TheUnknownPerson //------------------------------// "-I feel that all of you should know that I, Princess Luna, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Prince Shining Armor are doing everything within our power to help those injured in this attack and bring the attacker to justice." Shining Armor watched on as Princess Celestia addressed the small crowd of ponies that had accumulated while Shining was in the hospital. Princess Cadance stood a few feet behind her and watched her continue her hope-inspiring speech. Shining trotted over beside her. "In ending, please have patience with us. We will have built shelters for all the homeless ponies soon. And soon enough, you all will be back in your own homes with your loved-ones." Princess Celestia finished. After a moment, the small crowd erupted with the sound of clapping. Celestia, surrounded by a group of the Canterlot Royal Guard, trotted back over to Cadance and Shining. "Ah, I see you have returned from the infirmary. Has your horn healed?" Princess Celestia stood beside Cadance. They both stared at Shining. "No, unfortunately..." Shining said as his ears fell to his head. "Very. I'm sorry to hear that." "Don't worry, Shining. It's probably just a side-effect of that spell." "I guess you're right. I'm going to go check with Twilight. See if she's come up with anything." Princess Celestia's gaze momentarily diverted from him to her own setting sun. "Something wrong, princess?" "Oh--" Princess Celestia turned back to Cadance, forcing a smile. "No. Just a bit tired, that's all." "You can retire to your bedroom if you'd like." "Yes. Thank you." Celestia said as Cadance trotted in front of her, motioning for her to follow. She did so and Shining followed behind them. --- The candle wax dripped down onto the floor, almost leaving a trail for us to follow. That is, if we could even see it. There was only a quarter of the stick left, and the flame was quickly dimming. We have to hurry. "Do you see a door, a hole- anything that could get us out of this darkness?" "Nothing" Lance huffed. "Knew we should've brought an extra candle." "We'll just need to pick up the pace. C'mon." I quickened my pace. "Horsefeathers, this is freaking me out." "We've got plenty of time. Keep your cool." "Kinda hard to with the tight corners and Blooming being out there by herself." "I get it, but-- just try to stay calm." Lance huffed, staying close. "How long do you think it'll take to get Blooming?" "Could be a few minutes to a few days. Lets just hope that we're lucky." "D-days?!" She took a shaken breath, slowing for a moment. "Focus Lance." She didn't respond, only staying at the edge of the light. "Come on. We don't have time for this right now." Ugh... she's such a pain. "Lance," I turned to her. "remember what we went over in the room. Don't lose hope, okay?" She glanced up to me, taking another breath before nodding. "Right. Sorry. Lets go." --- Twilight and Spike trotted down the hallway and towards the Crystal Palace's exit. As she trotted towards the door and was about to open it, but the door opened, and Cadance stepped in front of her, knocking her off balance, onto her two left hooves. "Oh- sorry, Twilight, Spike. I didn't see you there." Cadance's horn glowed with her blue magic aura, helping Twilight regain her balance. "Honest mistake. Have you seen Shining? I need to talk to him." Shining stepped out from behind the door. "What's wrong, Twilight?" "I need for you to come with me. We need to talk." "Something a matter, Twilight?" "No." Twilight grabbed Shining's right fore-hoof, pulling him to her. "I need to talk to him. Excuse us." She trotted away from Cadance, pulling Shining with her. "What's the matter, Twilight?" Shining asked as they turned the corner into the hallway back towards the archives. Twilight trotted into the archives and held the door open for Shining. He entered and Twilight shut the door. "Did you take my notebook?" "Wha-- No, Twilight." "Really? A servant told me that she saw you heading into your's and Cadance's bedroom. What were you doing with it?" "Twilight, I don't know what you're talking. What reason would I have to take it? You're helping me." Shining reasoned. Twilight glanced to Spike. He shrugged his shoulders before she looked back up to her. "Would you mind if I looked around your room, then? To make sure it's not in there." "Not at all. I have nothing to hide from you, Twilight." Twilight nodded. "Thank you." She trotted passed him, out of the archives. Shining followed behind closely. --- C'mon... I can feel the draft, but where the hay is that door?! The wax stick had melted. Only the top of the left. The flame of the candle became darker and darker with every passing minute, causing Lance to huddle close. "Rocky, please tell me you've found something." "No. I can feel that draft, but I can't find where the hay it's coming from." I took hold of her left fore-hoof, galloping down the hall. "C'mon. We've got to pick up the pace." The flame dimmed, barely giving me enough light to see the floor, let alone the hall. I huffed as we turned another corner. Hsss... The flame burned out. Lance drew a sharp breath. "R-Rocky, please tell me you're d-doing that." "Horseapples!" I threw the candle against the ground, stomping on it. Lance pulled me closer, holding tightly. "No!" A thump echoed through the hall. I could feel the vibration from her motion. She sighed. "Knew it wouldn't be enough..." Her hoof went lower, barely hanging onto mine. "Keep calm! We can still get out!" "How?! We can't see!" "We... we'll..." I sunk down, sliding down the wall. Horseapples... "Exactly." Her voice trembled. "Please be merciful with Blooming... please..." She whimpered, as if somepony or changeling could hear her pleas. "It's- it's going to be all right Lance." Fear took over my normally calm voice. I felt her chest rest against mine, and her head against my shoulder. "We'll be okay." "Rocky, I-I'm sorry for everything bad I said back there. I'm sorry I slapped you." Lance said. She chuckled. "Survived a changeling invasion only for us to get lost in the belly of their kingdom trying to escape. It'd be funny if it weren't so sad." "You've got a strange sense of humor." I said in a weak attempt to lighten the mood. Lance giggled. "You'll come to love it with whatever time we have left." Lance's hoof slowly traced up my chest, under my chin. She lifted my head. I could feel her warm breath come close to me. Creeeeaaaak A strong gust of wind pushed through the hall. Orange sunlight filled the small hall, revealing Lance's warm smile. Her head was placed in front of mine, a small grin across her face. She shook her head, the grin disappearing as she saw the outside. "Whoa-- c'mon!" Lance jumped to her hooves, pulling me up as she galloped towards the opened "It's to the outside! Come on, Rocky!" I galloped behind her out of the door. We slowed, the welcomed sound of snow crunching beneath my hooves. Did we just... "We're out..." Yes! We're out of that forsaken dungeon! "We got out, Lance!" I pulled her close, shaking with excitement. However, she didn't react. Not even a grin. Oh horseapples... I'm a jerk... Blooming is still inside. "Sorry... let's try and find another way back in and get Blooming back. Not back through the dungeon." "Please. Help me get this chains off my wings." --- Shining took out the ring of keys at the side of his uniform and unlocked his and Cadance's bedroom door. He opened the door and held it open for Twilight. "Thank you. Please help me look for it, Spike." Twilight said. Spike nodded as he followed behind her, looking under the bed. She checked over the bed, and the nightstand beside it. "See?" Twilight lifted each pillow, confirming the notebook wasn't there. She felt over the blanket, once again to no result. "Did you find anything, Spike?" Twilight asked. Spike lifted up the cover draping over the opening to under the bed. He shook his head as he pulled out a piece of lint stuck to one of his scales on his stomach. "Okay. Keep looking." Maybe it's over here? Twilight turned to his nightstand, opening the drawer. She looked over the book she'd sent him, reading over the title and smiling. Simpler times. She pushed the book to the side, immediately noticing her notebook. "Shining... are you sure that have nothing to hide?" "I'm sure, Twi'." "Are you sure about that?" Twilight pulled out her notebook from the drawer of Shining's bedside drawer. "Huh?" Spike asked as his head popped back up from under the bed, confused. "I-I don't know, Twilight! I've been with Celestia and Cadance all day! Only place I went without them was the hospital, honest!" Twilight sighed. "I don't know what to say, Shining." She trotted carefully placed the notebook into her right saddlebag. Spike crawled out from under the bed and walked beside Twilight. "I'll have to make sure there's not any changelings around. It had to be one of them..." Twilight stepped passed Shining, silently angry. He lied to me! After all I've done to help him! "Twi', please, you have to believe me." "I don't know what to say. I-I... I don't know. I'm going to get back to work." She trotted away, turning down the hall. Shining groaned. Great. Take one step forwards and get pushed two steps back. Shining shut the door and locked it. Now I've got another changeling to worry about. It's about time I got to that changeling. --- Crrack Clank The chains holding Lance's wings together broke off. She stretched out her wings, releasing cracks from her joints. "Ah... that feels better." Lance said as she relaxed her wings and rested them back on her back. "All right. So, should we rest and plan before we go in or-" I trailed off as Lance flapped her wings, ascending higher. "What are you doing?" I asked. Lance didn't respond and continued to rise up the large, castle like wall protecting the inside of the Changeling Kingdom. It was one of the few parts of the Changeling Kingdom that didn't have many holes or cracks in it. "Lance, get down here! A changeling is going to see you!" Lance didn't respond once more. She had already ascended up half the wall. What the hay is she doing?! Lance reached the top of the wall. After a couple of minutes of hovering in place, she descended. "What were you doing?" "I was scoping out the inside the kingdom. Duh." Lance lightly tapped my forehead with the palm of her right fore-hoof. "What did you see?" "Not much; most of the inside's covered with old, decayed buildings. There's a big courtyard in the middle that looked empty, but I'm not sure." "Did you see any entryways near here?" "Do you think I could see something small like that?" "True. Fine. Let's find a way in that isn't obvious and isn't near any changelings." "Why don't you just hang onto me and I'll fly over the wall?" Oh, no no no-- My ears fell to my head. "You think you can carry me?" No way I'm going up that wall. "Just hold onto my hoof or something. C'mon." She pulled me towards her. "Er... w-with a broken fore-hoof? Are you kidding?" "What're you so afraid of? Have some faith in me. I'll hold onto you." Lance held onto my left fore-hoof with her right fore-hoof. Sweat rolled down my fore-head. "Uh... I-I'm not really comfortable with this..." "Pssh-- afraid of heights? And you made fun of me for being claustrophobic." Ugh... I'll never live this down if I make us find another entrance just for me. "Fine. J... just go fast." "I will. You just gotta trust me. Give me more credit than that." Lance flapped her wings, sending us both off the ground. I kept my hooves still as best they could, although the painful pings from the bottom of my hooves. "D-don't look down..." I repeated to myself. "Don't look down..." Lance snickered. "Acting like a foal over a little height. You wouldn't make it in Cloudsdale." We reached the middle of the wall. "Sh-shut it, Ms. 'I'm-afraid-of-the-dark'." "I'm claustrophobic!" "Yeah, yeah... and Princess Celestia is the princess of the night." "I'll drop you." Lance's grip loosened. I pulled up. "All right, all right! I-I'm sorry!" "Better be..." Lance tightened her grip again. We reached the middle of the wall. "Wh-what'll be the plan once we find Blooming?" I looked back up at Lance. "Simple; we get the hay out of here and back to the Crystal Empire." "How are we even going to find the Crystal Empire? We don't even know if a mile or twenty miles away from it." "We'll figure it out along the way." We approached the top of the castle wall. Thank goodness... "At least we still have this sheet to keep us warm if we can get out." "Yeah. We're almost over the wall. I think I saw a walkway down from the top of the wall. We can either trot down that way, or I can hover down." Lance said. We were almost at the top. "Let's trot down." I said, eager to get back down to ground. "It'd probably be faster if I hovered down." Lance passed over the top of the wall and hovered in place over the walkway she had described. "It'd be safer if we trotted. And we'd get noticed easier if you hovered." "Fine..." Lance said as she slowly hovered down and landed on the walkway, much to my delight. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..." I caught my breath which I had been unknowingly holding. "Jeez. Calm down, will ya?" "I would if I had any control over it, but I don't..." I took a moment to catch my breath "... okay... let's go." I trotted towards the stairs. Lance followed behind. Hopefully we'll get to Blooming soon and get the hay out of here before they notice that we're gone. ---