(chapter 1) the hidden district
Three months later, the two sisters had begun to truly set their plan in motion, as they headed to the one place that sold maps of the different districts in Equestria. And though the organisation was built underground, a large guarded entrance gate kept out the suspicious characters that would destroy their bountiful amount of goods. The two sisters approached the guarded gate, as the two guards drew their spears.
“What is your business here?”
said the one to the left, being a large earth pony which made the unicorn to his right look small in comparison.
Nightshade simply smiled and adjusted her dark cloak, and stepped closer to the guards. Although she was no way taller than them she, made up for it in the way she carried herself.
“We mean you no harm, we simply seek a map of Equestria, with each district and city shown on it. If that isn't too much to ask of course,”
she smirked as she looked at them both. And Angel made her presence known as she walked up to her younger sister's side, offering a calm smile.
“We are not letting in outsiders, especially ones with no true wealth,”
at hearing this Nightshade levitated a bag of bits from her cloak, shaking it in front of them to let them clatter.
“Surely this must be enough to get in, and believe me, there's a lot more than just that,”
Angel said in a proud tone, lifting her own bag of bits as well. The two guards stepped back and the unicorn guard used his magic to open the large doors, letting them walk into the bustling and crowded underground city.
“Why do I get the feeling that bending the rules is part of the ‘business’ in this place?”
Nightshade asked her sister, as they tried to walk through the city filled with busy ponies and some occasional gryphons.
“If that's what you're thinking we need to do, than I think dad would agree, it's a risk we have to take to fulfil his dream,”
Angel said as she looked at one stallion in particular and smiled, winking at him and getting him to blush.
“Most of all, stay professional, no flirting or fornicating. Or so help me I will knock you out and carry you through the city by myself,”
Nightshade hissed at her sister, giving her the coldest stare that she could muster, making Angel look down like a disappointed foal.
“Understood, fun comes after victory, not before,”
she shifted her wings under her cloak and grumbled under her breath.
“I heard that,”
Nightshade said as they continued towards what looked like the centre of the city: a large building that looked like a rock formation that most of the citizens were avoiding. As if it was somehow important or gave off a bad vibe. Regardless of that fact, they moved forward and were eventually close enough to see what was carved above the door. Just above the large carved out doorway was a crown and scroll, which in all honesty, looked as though it may have been an over-glorified cutie mark that was made to suit the building itself.
“Well, this going to suck,”
Nightshade sighed as she started to walk in.
“What makes you think that it's going to suck?”
Angel said as she walked up to her sister's side, feeling confused and concerned.
“Whenever there is a pony who puts their cutie markup like that on the front of the building they work in it's either so traders can know which building to go to, or..,”
she sighed deeply and looked up at her sister “they get off on power and attention like our cousin, it's equal parts annoying and stupid.”
Angel folded her ears back and looked at the large entrance way, which made it look more like a castle than anything
“It definitely requires a lot of money to do this type of work, so maybe this guy is just proud of his achievements?”
Nightshade just chuckled
“In the vainest ways,”
as she laughed the sound of hooves on the dusty tiles caught her attention, and she instantly stopped laughing and looked in front of her. A few meters away there was a stallion with an incredibly well-groomed mane standing with what looked to be two guards at his sides, and he didn't seem to be in the best mood either.
Angel quickly tried to seem better conducted in front of the handsome stallion
“Please excuse my little sister, she has a thing again simply flaunting power…….and money,”
Nightshade just rolled her eyes and took a few steps closer to the stallion.
“Sir, is there somewhere we could discuss business, possibly somewhere more private,”
as she said this she tried to walk in the most dignified way she knew.
The stallion just looked her up and down before scoffing
“This foal is your sister? I'm so sorry for your bloodline.”
at hearing this nightshade tensed and folded her ears back in rage, just as she was getting ready to chew him out for insulting her Angel trotted up to her side and tried to hastily calm her down.
“Sir, I understand that you must be busy but we are only asking for something small, it would just take a second and we're probably just as busy as you so we should really just get this out of the way,”
Angel smiled as nervous smile as she looked at him and reluctantly, he agreed and silently told them to follow him.
In a hushed whisper, Angel quietly said
“Professionalism~”
before following the stallion, making Nightshade roll her eyes as she followed them, regardless of her current feelings towards the stallion. As they walked down the twisting corridors the guards stayed close, but not to the stallion or Angel, in fact, the two were talking the whole way.
No, the guards were clinging to Nightshade, eyeing her every step and breath. Although it was awkward to be escorted by guards it wasn't a feeling she wasn't used to, whenever she visited princess Luna she would usually get the royal treatment, and just found it annoying to be watched this closely.
“Hey, Night, true spell said that he can give us the map we need, apparently he already has two,”
Angel said in a peppy tone, Nightshade forced a smile that made one of the guards give her a cold gaze.
“How much do we owe you True spell?” nightshade said with so much forced joy it nearly hurt.
“That's simple, I want to be able to relocate to Canterlot, to work with the princesses as the true royal advisor I'm meant to be,”
the stallion said, in a prideful tone which made Nightshade want to knock him out.
“Awww um you see,”
Nightshade said as she flew up and landed in front of him, not only frightening him but his guards as well.
“That can't happen, our current advisor is perfectly fine, think of something more logical.”
The stallion glared at her and looked lost for words,
“Well….what do you even need a map of Equestria for? And especially one with the place's where the most dangerous creatures live, I mean…it just seems so useless to me just thinking about it!”
He leant in closer to her as he started to yell in her face,
“Unless you're trying to hunt them down and wipe them out, is that what you're trying to do you….you little mare!?”
Nightshade's expression was calm but did show how annoyed she was with being yelled at by a pony she just met.
“No sir, that is not what we are doing, but regardless of our intent we need a map to find those places. Since this is the main place to find the most accurate and recent maps we figured we’d come here, now please, let us just buy a stinking map so we can leave.”
while she stood there the stallion called his guards to him and told them to get the map for them. And instead of sticking around, he walked away with his head hung low.
“I can't believe you were so calm about all this, I think that's most calm I've seen you after being yelled at,”
Angel said as she was practically hopping in place, and making the guard that stayed to watch them back away a bit. When the other guard came back he gave them the map in exchange for 500 bits before they turned to leave, once they were finally out they checked out the map.
“Ok, so the changeling forest is here and the vampire ponies are there, wow, it is going to be a long way before we execute this plan fully,”
Nightshade said as she held the map in magic in front of her, the sheer distance between the changeling forest and the vamp pony horde were was enough to make Angel start to rethink the plan.
“Um sis, are you sure we can do this? I mean we could get really hurt and the distance alone is enough to kill us if the changelings don't,”
Nightshade just looked at her sister with a serious gaze,
“I wish this was going to be easy but it's not, most of the best things take the longest time and this is one of those things,”
she rolled up the map and tucked it in her cloak.
“And I know you're scared, I am too, but if we don't avenge our father then who will?”
Angel just looked at her, before her ears dropped and tears rolled down her cheeks.
“What happened to you? You've become so much like him I don't know what to do anymore”
Nightshade sighed and hugged her sister, being as gentle and as loving as she could be without smothering her.
“I haven't changed but my feelings towards Equestria have, and I wish we could stop this but if we do we'll end up in a cell for the rest of our lives,”
she leant back and looked into her sister's bright blue eyes.
“When he died nobody but we and Luna cared, but she didn't even care enough about him to that point to give him a proper memorial. Now we're reforming Equestria, we're fixing it so judgements don't fall on the creatures misunderstood and hated because of one mistake.”
Angel wiped her tears away and sniffled softly before standing up tall,
“You're right, let's get going and fix Equestria,”
after she said that they both made their way back to the entrance, and short after, began their long journey to avenge their father.