Broken Armor

by TheUnknownPerson

Retaliation

Twilight Sparkle leaned against the palace wall, slowly sliding down. She held her bloodied snout, simply staring at the ground.

I-I've always gotten flak from p-ponies who hated my ideas-- friendship in a whole. I-I saw Nightmare Moon almost take Equestria into e-eternal night. Th-this is the closest anypony has come to... to-- Twilight took a shaken breath, her throat locked up. Spike hurried down the hall, a hoof-towel in his right hand.

"I got back as quick as I could. There's nopony around. I can't even find Cadance or Shining." He held it out in front of her. Her horn emitted her magical aura, lifting the scarf up to her snout and holding it in place.

"Th-thank you." Twilight's voice was muffled, the towel slightly masking her voice.

"Is there anything you need? D... do you want me go back around and look for Cadance? Or Shining?" Spike offered. Twilight shook her head.

"We'll check th-the throne room in a moment, a-after my snout stops bleeding."

"Okay." Spike remained silent, before sighing. "I'm so sorry Twi'. I-I should've kept up with you."

"No--" She pulled the towel back for a moment. Her bleeding had stopped. She sat the towel to her side before looking down to Spike. "This isn't your fault Spike. Nopony is to blame for this. You couldn't have know anything about it, okay? You've done nothing wrong." She said clearly, and calmly. He nodded.

"Come. W-we need to find Cadance." Twilight stood, trotting down the hall. She turned to the right, trotting towards the throne room.

"Stay out here for a minute, Spike. Please." Twilight requested. Spike nodded, standing beside the door as Twilight entered. Cadance had her snout stuck into a binder, reading over it.

"Oh, Shining-- forgot to mention, the supplies may be--?" Cadance looked up from the binder, seeing Twilight, bloody, bruised, and with tears quickly filling her eyes. She quickly pushed the binder to the side, nearly knocking it to the ground as she rushed up from her seat, galloping to Twilight and wrapping her hooves over her neck, pulling her in for a hug.

"Are you all right?! What happened?" She pulled her head back, to stare into Twilight's eyes. Twilight glanced to the ground.

"Two changelings disguised as Crystal Ponies said they needed my help. I-I followed them into a back alley and th-they tried to..." She took a shaken breath, suddenly out of breath. "-th-they tried to take me. I-I've just got a bloody snout." Twilight bit her lip, forcing back the flood of fearful tears.

"I'm so, so sorry." Cadance pulled Twilight back into the hug. "You'll be fine now. We'll get some soldiers out there to look for them, okay? This won't happen again." She tried to reassure Twilight, although Twilight doubted anypony could help her right now.

"Shining'll be back any moment now, okay? We'll go over with him and then you can go get some rest."

Twilight nodded.

"You're sure you're feeling all right?"

She nodded again. The door creaked open, with Shining quickly stepping through, rushing up to them.

"Spike stopped me and told me what happened." Shining slowed and stopped in front of Twilight and Cadance. He rested his hooves over Cadance, holding Twilight in his arms. Twilight tried to hold back her tears, but the stress and the possibility of her never seeing her friends or family against was too much. She leaned against Shining's chest, softly weeping.

"I'm so sorry Twilight. I promise we'll make sure they don't hurt another pony."

Twilight nodded.

"Th-they tried to take m-me to her... Q-Queen Chrysalis."

---

Grrrr...

"It can't be too longer until they give us some food."

"I-I hope so."

"It's been two days, it can't be much longer until they give us some more food and water."

Blooming Lily sat at the middle of the cell, on her back. She held her rumbling stomach as she looked at the boarded hole in the ceiling, starving. Lance Force sat beside the cell bars, looking out into the empty hall. I was sat at the bottom corner of the cell, staring at the boarded hole in the top of the cell.

"What if they don't give us any because we tried to get out?"

"Changeling are merciless, but not stupid. They need us."

"I-I guess so."

Creak.

"Back away from hole, crystal ponies."

Blooming backed away from the middle of the hole. A large bucket bucket dropped into the cell. A small piece of bread was thrown down into the cell, landing in the dirty water. Horseapples... the bucket had no metal rim around the middle.

The changelings slid the boards over the hole above. Blooming rushed the bucket, quickly grabbing the bread. Lance stood, trotting up to her.

"Let me divide it for us." She took the bread out of Blooming's fore-hooves, breaking half off and handing it to Blooming.

"There. Don't eat it too quickly. We need to save as much as we can." Lance warned. Blooming nodded, muttering a quiet 'thank you' as she quickly took a bite out of it, somehow ignoring the foul taste of it. She divided the last half of the bread, trotting up to me and giving me the bigger piece.

"Here." Lance held out the larger piece of bread to me. I pushed it away, opting to take the smaller piece instead.

"You get the larger piece. I had the bigger one before."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, sure of my choice. She handed me the smaller piece, taking a bite out of the larger one as she returned to her previous spot beside the bars. Think I need to save this. Just in case.

I sat the piece of bed at the corner of the cell beside my hind-hooves. We could use it later, in case they actually decide stop feeding us. Even though it's not much, better than nothing. Wasn't very hungry.

"Two guards're coming." Lance said quietly. I glanced to her.

"What?" I whispered. This isn't going to end well...

Slam

The cell door burst open, and the two changeling guards came in. We looked up at them. The guard to the right trotted over to me as the on the left trotted towards Lance.

They aren't going to take me!

I got up and punched the guard with my right fore-hoof, putting all my force behind my right fore-hoof. The guard caught my hoof, twisted behind my back, and-

Snap

Ah! Buck!

I called out in pain as the guard pushed me forward towards the cell door. My right fore-hoof was the first to land, with my body collapsing atop of it. An intense bolt of pain shot up my hoof. I stared at my right fore-hoof, eyes widening as I saw my hoof twisted at a grotesque angle.

He snapped the bone in my hoof as if it were a twig!

Lance had her right fore-hoof wrapped around the bar to her right, kicking the guard as she held on.

"Lance!" Blooming called out. She rushed towards Lance, only to get slapped away to the ground by the guard.

"Blooming!" Lance glanced back down to her fallen sister, shocked by her action. She turned back to the guard, eyes full of anger and with her teeth bared. "Animals! Overgrown bugs!" Lance punched the guard over her, causing him to release her. She pounced atop of him, punching him while he was down.

"Don't you dare touch my sister--?!"

The guard that had unsheathed his spear, stabbing Lance in her right shoulder. The second guard stood up, his face bruised. He trotted up to me, lifting me up and unsheathing his spear.

"Get up now!" The guard over me yelled. I stood up, realizing there was no getting out of this situation. Lance stood up, holding her bleeding right shoulder. They trotted out of the cell, forcing us ahead.

"No..." Blooming called out, weary. "Please, don't take them." She leaned against the bars, her face bruised. Her mane hung over her face. Lance turned back to her sister.

"Don't worry Blooming! Stay safe! We'll be back!"

"N-no. Don't leave me alone here! Please!"

---

Shining, Twilight, and Spike trotted back to her room in silence.

"You can go back to Ponyville if you want. Cadance and I understand, especially after what happened today."

"I'm not going to let them stop me. I am going to help you, Shining."

"All right, Twi'. Just know that the offer's open."

"Okay. Thank you. I think I just need to rest."

"All right. Get some rest."

The group arrived at Twilight's room. Shining opened the door for her and allowed Spike and Twilight to pass.

"Have a good rest, Twilight. You too, Spike."

"Thanks..." Twilight and Spike said at the same time. Shining shut the door, giving her some privacy.

Now, time to find those ponies.

Shining trotted back down the hallway and down the stairs, towards the barracks. He was about to trot in and look for whatever guards he could find to accompany him, but two guards trotted out. One even bumped into him.

"Oh, terribly sorry, your highness. We were about to go on our shift." The guard who bumped into Shining said as he bowed.

"It's fine. I need one of you to come with me."

"OF course, your highness. What do you need me to do?" The bowing guard asked as he glanced up at Shining.

"I'll discuss it on the way. Just follow me." Shining said as he trotted towards the exit. The guard followed behind.

"Okay, your highness. May I know what we're doing?"

"Yes. My sister, Princess Twilight Sparkle, was attacked this afternoon. The group of attackers could've possibly been changelings disguised as ponies sent by Queen Chrysalis to kidnap her. We are going to track down before they can escape and interrogate them." Shining said as he pushed the door open and stepped out into the cold air. He had put his armor earlier, and was ready to defend himself if he needed to.

"Okay, your highness. What's the time frame from when Princess Twilight was attacked to now?"

"Approximately two hours. She said that she was led into an alleyway near the shelter and attacked. We start our search their."

"Of course, your highness. I suggest we stay together in case of an attack."

"All right. Let's get to work."

---

The guards made he walk on my broken hoof, making my pain more intense. We were lead back into the same throne room again, with an even larger amount of blue eyes staring at us. I could vaguely see Queen Chrysalis at the center, sitting atop an old throne.

"Ah, thank you two. You may leave. Now, begone and let me deal with these two."

The two changeling guards trotted away from Lance and I, leaving us with the queen and those cold eyes.

"You know, I would've expected both of you to be smarter than that... you ungrateful ponies."

I held my tongue. It'd be unwise to say what's really on my mind, especially with those changelings up there.

"You've been planning to escape. What are they teaching you in the training academy, Rocky Diamond? I'm disappointed with you both."

She's had guards spying on us? I should've known!

"I take you into my home, feed you, give you a place to stay, and this is how you repay me?"

"Buck off..." Lance muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Queen Chrysalis questioned, making sure what she had just heard was true.

"You heard me. You've hurt my sister, hurt me, Rocky, my friends, and my family!"

"Lance, keep your mouth shut." I whispered. She's going to get us killed!

"Unruly mare!"

"At least I have the bravery to stand up to you face to face. You have to hide behind a disguise or your guards."

"Lance, you're going to get yourself killed. Shut it!"

"Oh, is that so?"

Queen Chrysalis arose from her throne and trotted up to Lance. She stood in front of changeling, a large smile across her face as she stood in front of her, chest to chest.

"Am I such a cowardice changeling now?"

Lance spat in her face. The grin disappeared, replaced by a frown.

"Lance!"

"I won't be disrespected like this in my own kingdom, especially by a pony. Guards, take them to the Disposal Rooms. Make sure they stay in the worst room you can find for two days."

My eyes would widen as the words hit my eardrums. Was that the place that Blooming had described?

I always thought it was just a rumor to scare us by the superiors... no!

"You'll be regretting that by the end of those two days. That is, if you can even speak."

"I've heard of worse, overgrown bug."

Queen Chrysalis slapped Lance.

"Add a day to that."

"Lance, you idiot!"

I felt two changelings grab my hooves and lift me. Two others did the same with Lance.

Celestia have mercy on us...

---