//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: Warframe: Rebirth // by REDMAMBA //------------------------------// Back at the castle months prior… This is bad this is bad this is BAD! Bubbles came to a sliding stop in the doorway of the throne room, a panicked look on her face. Princess Celestia, Raven Inkwell, and Notepad Inkwell looked up from the most recent paperwork they had been going over. The two guards on each side of the mare watched her from the corners of their eyes. All eyes were on her… “RAVEN’S MISSING!” Celestia’s face paled further more than her normal pale fur. The room went deathly silent, a pin drop would have sounded like a magical explosion. Even the guard’s jaws dropped. “I searched everywhere!” Bubbles continued through her sobs. Oh, gods above she was so fired! “No pony has seen her, and her guards were not informed! She just… disappeared!” By this point, both guards were staring at the mare, equal amounts of shock adorning their features. As soon as their eyes fell on Celestia, they knew what was coming next. “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? FIND MY DAUGHTER!” In the coming minutes, the castle would come under lockdown. Bronze, upon hearing the news, locked down the castle and mobilized the guard. Maids dropped what they were doing to join in the search. Squads of guards poured into the streets of Canterlot one objective on their minds. Find… the… princess! “Search every house if you have to!” Bronze ordered his troops as they ran past. “Fucking find her! NOW!” The stallion spun around, slipping his helmet over his head as he headed for the castle. His intentions were to spearhead the whole search form the castle. Unfortunately, that plan would come to a halt as he came to a stop when Cadet Armor and the rest of the cadets came running up, dawned in full armor. “Sir!” Cadet Armor saluted, the rest following suit. “We wish to aid in the search!” Bronze stood there and watched the teens with a keen eye. He really wanted to deny them, they were not ready whatsoever… but… “Follow me!” He ordered, stepping past the crowd. “The princess is missing, and we have an A.P.B. out for her! This is your first assignment cadets! GET READY!” “YES SIR!” they all answered in unison. “Cadet Armor,” Bronze started as he and the rest of the cadets entered the castle gates. “Break off the cadets into squads! You have full permission to do anything necessary to find the princess. Kick in doors, flip tables, I don't care! The welfare of the princess is of the utmost importance.” The stallion spun on his heels, stopping the cadets. “I am enacting martial law! You don't need warrants, you don't need permission. Any and all info on Raven’s whereabouts is important and will be treated as such, understood!?” “Sir!” the cadet confirmed. The young stallion wasted little time in turning to his remaining cadets and barking orders. Bronze had already left the group and headed back to the command center in the castle to wait on any info he could get his hands on. As soon as the cadets left the grounds of the castle, the broke off into squads. It was a dark day in Equestria. *** In the coming weeks the nation would be in a state of horror and worry. Reports would come and go, 99% were false info or misidentification. Raven’s picture was in the papers and the talk of the nation. One month in, Cadet Armor rubbed his face with both hands as he stared down at the table, which was covered in various sheets of paper, each holding a possible clue. Nearby, Cadet Dawn stood in front of a wall covered in pictures, papers, and red string, each connected to a central picture of Raven. As the cadets continued examine the evidence, the door to the room opened and an exhausted Bronze entered the room. Cadet Dawn glanced at their captain. “Captain on deck…” she addressed rather unenthusiastically. Cadet Armor lazily saluted from his seat without looking. Cadet’s Dawn and Longbow along with a few others who were scattered across the room did the same. They had given up on formalities until the princess was found. The exhausted stallion approached an open seat and sat down. No matter what he had done, everything came to a grinding halt. He had promised Celestia that he would return her little girl via any means necessary… That was weeks ago. “What do we do?” Shining questioned as approached his commander from where he stood and took a seat in an open chair, Cadets Dawn and Longbow following close behind, but remained standing. Bronze was the only one the young cadets could seek to for guidance. Except… He had none this time. Bronze remained silent for several seconds as he glanced from one cadet to another. “Look,” he finally answered, leaning back in his chair. “And look and look…” It… came out grimmer than he intended. It was even worse, due to the fact, that Princess Celestia had been taking this loss the worst. It was justifiably so, of course. But the fact that court had been canceled for the prolonged future was a great concern. The mare very rarely left her room. When she did, she was a shell of a living pony. She ambled like a zombie with a blank, empty stare. Her once prestigious and flawless fur was matted and messy. Her cheeks were covered in unremoved mascara and… well, she smelled. Bronze had visited as often as he could -much to his nostrils chagrin- and, more often than not, found the mare huddled up under her bed sheets sobbing. No matter what he said or what he did garnered a response. The only thing he could do would be that he would have to have Raven right here, right now, right in front of him. But as each day passed, it went from a rescue… to a body recovery. “Just keep searching,” Bronze continued as he started up at the ceiling, almost hoping that it would have the answers he so desperately needed. He sighed heavily before lifting his head from the back of the chair and looking toward Cadet Armor. Bronze took a breath as though to speak but held his tongue as he gently bit his lower lip, thinking about his next statement. “I… Three weeks. Three weeks is all we can afford to keep this search open,” he stated as he glanced at his younger trainees. “She’s been missing for a month now. As far as I know… we’re looking for a body.” Cadets Dawn and Longbow stood a little straighter at the revelation, sharing a worried glance. The rest of the Cadets, who were listening in, felt the same chill run up their spines. But unfortunately… it was time to face facts. If Raven wasn’t being held hostage… she was dead… With an exhausted grunt, Bronze rose to his hooves. “Do what you can…” he ordered, exiting the room with a pathetic and exhausted salute, which came off more a wave than anything else. Taking that as his que, Shining rose from his chair with a depressed sigh. As he stared at the door, contemplating his next course of action, he took a deep breath and pursed his lips. He clicked his tongue off the roof of his mouth before turning around and going back to what he was going. “So that's it?” Cadet Dawn stated rather passive aggressively. “We just… quit?” She threw her arms in the air in defeat. “Accept that she’s dead and go home!?” Longbow blinked several times and glanced down at the floor in thought. “A girl like that wouldn’t just...” he started before shaking his head and staring back at his friends. “You saw how well she can fight. It would take a squad to wrangle her in!” “Just because somepony thinks she’s dead doesn’t mean we have too,” Cadet Armor added, gaining the attention of his teammates. He glanced up from the papers he had gone back to reading. “I’m going to find her! End of conversation!” And it was… for a few seconds. “And if we don’t?” The question seemed to weigh heavily on everyone. It was a legit question. They could all say what they pleased, so long as it helped them sleep at night. But the fact still remained, Raven isn’t here, she hasn’t been here, and every tip has led to nothing. So… what would they do if they didn’t find her? “I’ll eat my helmet, quit the guard, and walk away from everything...” Cadet Armor stated. ... "I'd pay to see that..." Longbow stated under his breath as he walked towards his post.