https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdkhyeJ6lZ0
The T.V. set blared the alarm and the text scrolled across the screen.
THIS IS AN OFFICIAL NOTICE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT INFECTED PERSONS HAVE BROKEN THROUGH THE BARRIERS TO THE CAPITAL.
WE ARE ISSUING AN ORDER OF EVACUATION FROM THE D.C. AREA. ALL FAMILIES MUST EVACUATE TO THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL WILL BE LEAVING IN CONVOYS STARTING AT 3:00 pm.
LEAVE ALL BELONGINGS BEHIND.
LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE SET UP CHECKPOINTS AT EVERY MAJOR INTERSECTION.
FOLLOW ALL ORDERS FROM ARMY OFFICIALS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
The child, who violently hugging a teddy bear viewed the television, he called, “DAD!” He turned around, looking into the lit kitchen. There were supplies on the counter, including a rifle more fit for hunting, was also on the counter. “DAD?!” The child stood up and walked over to the counter, “Where are you?”
He looked out the window, rushing cars, ignoring traffic lanes entirely, were speeding down the road. He recognized several of the cars as his friend’s parent’s cars’. He could see them as they rushed by, some were full to the brim with stuff, others were entirely empty, say for the occupants.
“In Here,*Cough* *Cough*“ The dad replied through a violent fit of coughing. The door to the bathroom burst open out came a fairly built middle-aged man. He glared at the counter, one it was a gas mask, one that was supposed to be for him. He looked down at his forearm, “Put that mask on Alex.” He said through labored breaths.
The house shook as the sound of fighter Jets passed overhead. Alex looked out the window, there were explosions in the distance. He backed away, “D-dad, wha-what’s happening? I thought you said we’d be safe?” He looked at his father.
“Dad?” Alex asked, “Are you okay?” The kid began to move toward his father. But he was stopped by his bellowing yell.
“Just do it!” He yelled, he gripped his knees, heaving, “There’s no time for questions. Now do it, *Hrrgn* we don’t have much time,” He got up and wiped the sweat off his head. Alex, his son, was standing at the table, putting on a gas mask.
The child turned to his father, the mask securely fastened onto his face. “Good, Alex,” He said, Mitchell went over to the couch in the living room, reading, then rereading the message on the TV screen. He shook his head, “Dammit…” he cursed under his breathe, “Cause the *Cough* *Cough* third defensive barrier would hold…*Cough* *Cough*” He turned around and looked at his son, ‘Need to get out of here.’ He thought ‘D.C. will be too crowded,’ he thought. Mitchell looked at his lab coat on the nearby coat rack, on it was his I.D. badge for his work.
SCP Foundation Site Alpha-02
Ulgrin, Mitchell
L4, Senior Researcher
‘There’s an idea.’ He thought. He turned to his son, “Alex, get in the car.”
Twilight hung her head, “P-princess Luna took it,” Ross retracted his gun from her wing. He looked at his subordinate behind him, who, in turn also retracted her gun. She looked at Ross, “J-just don’t hurt them…” She felt her heart beating faster and faster. Any faster and she would think she was having a heart attack. Ross walked up to her. All the fight that was in her earlier that night left her as he re-applied the blindfold to her eyes.
Ross or the other one had laid their hands on her shoulder. She immediately, her chest tied itself in a knot, she tried to keep up her breathing, but she just felt… out of control. ‘I’ve faced w-worse than this,’ The Princess thought, ‘I can-’ The hand yanked her and proceeded to drag the Princess to the chair and tie her in it. She breathed in and out, “Thank you, your highness,” Ross said, “Com’ on Nat, let’s get out of here.” He said. She heard hoofsteps or their version of it.
She heard Ross turn around and say, “Wait an hour, then leave, otherwise, well,” He chuckled, “I mean, it’ll be hard to leave when you can’t see, right?” The door slammed shut. Her breathing stopped altogether. She felt like time had stopped like her world was falling apart. The last statement he said, made the hairs on Twilight’s neck stand up. ‘He couldn’t possibly mean…’ She lit her horn and undid the ropes around her, ‘I mean… how would he know, it's not… logical.’ She breathed in, and time began to move again.
‘That’s just… Ludicrous!’ She convinced herself as her bonds came off. Her magic reached the blindfold, as she began to undo it, she noticed that something was attached to it. She could feel the weight on her face, it was maybe a couple of grams at most. Her magic traced the item.
The item had the outline of one of Spike’s smaller fireworks. She began to tug at it, ‘Did he put a firework on my face?’ She asked herself. As she traced it in her magic, she could feel it wrap around her face all the way to her mane, ‘Just what did he do?’ She questioned.
“H-hey?” She said, “A-are you okay?” Twilight asked the bat pony guards. No response. She sighed, “Guard!” She yelled, “Wake up!” Again, nothing. ‘We need to stop them before leaving,’ She thought. The princess got out of the chair, the rope that used to bind her fell to the ground.
As soon as her hooves touched the ground, she stumbled. She closed her eyes, for all the good it did her, and focused on her breathing; it was a technique her father taught her when she was having a particularly bad attack. The firecracker… or whatever it was, on her face suddenly gained more weight. From a few grams maybe to at least 10. Something was on her eyes, and if Ross’s threat was to be believed, then she should take it seriously. ‘Alright, find the guards, then hopefully they can see what this thing is and take it off.’
Twilight shook at the body on the floor, she was sure that neither Ross or the other one would kill a pony. ‘They certainly could’ve killed me given the circumstances, but didn’t… so,’ She felt the armor on the pony, ‘By that logic, they wouldn’t have killed the guards… right?’ She felt the familiar feeling of hair, a mane. She shook the guard’s head.
“Mmmmhmm-” The pony groaned.
Twilight shook her head, the item on her face jingled, “Sorry…” She raised her hoof.
“Your majesty.”
“Yes, captain?” The Prince said, just as he was about to open the door to his bedchamber. He sighed internally as he so desperately wanted to join his wife in their bedchamber. He turned to the bat pony guard captain, Princess Luna’s hoof-picked captain from Canterlot.
“One of the patrols has not checked in,” the bat pony captain said, “They were patrolling on level-”
“Six?” Shining Armor cut off the captain, hoping that he was wrong. ‘Please shake your head,’ He begged him internally, ‘We can’t be affording any more,’
The Captain nodded, the prince of the Crystal Empire’s heart fell into his stomach for the second time that week, ‘Incidents…’ He actually sighed, “Ring the alarm, I want every guard up and the castle locked down.”
The captain bowed his head, “As you wish your majesty,” He raised his head from the bow, then turned and took off running at full gallop. A thought hit Shining’s mind, more of an instinct really, ‘I need to check on Twily,” He thought, “She’s spent the most time with this human. She might know something,” He reasoned to himself out loud. He turned to his bedchamber’s door, then looked down the hall. He sighed, lit his horn, then teleported to his sister’s room.
“Twilight,” He stated as he looked at the bed, “We nee-” The empty bed… “Faust dammit…” He hung his head, ‘I swear, she needs to stop doing things like this…’ He opened the door to the hallway.
“Sister, why did you no-” He heard immediately after leaving. He quickly galloped across the hallway to his daughter's room
“Because I… I convinced myself that-” Luna was obviously chastizing Celestia about
“Princesses,” He interrupted them, this was more important than whatever they were talking about, “Ross has or is escaping, he’s already taken down a patrol,” He swallowed a lump in his throat, “And Twilight is missing…” He trailed off. Both of the princesses were silent.
Celestia looked at Luna, and Luna looked at Celestia. Celestia then turned back to the Prince, “We’ll trot and talk, this takes precedence.” She said as she began to walk away, Shining Armor followed her, then Luna.
“Do not think that conversation is over, sister.” She said. Malice was laced throughout her voice.
“Agreed, sister.”
“Did I-”
“NO!” Both of the princesses said, stopping the prince’s words. The clamoring of armor, however, stopped any further discussion. Shining Armor turned around, a squad of guards, were marching down the hallway. “Your majesty’s,” The captain of the Crystal guard said, “We’ve already locked down the castle, Ross is not getting out of here without a fight.” The guard, clad in his golden armor embedded with blue crystals.
“Good,” Shining Armor replied, “Meet up with the other guard captains, I want ponies on every corridor, every stairwell, searched,” He breathed out. He looked to the diarchs “Any other suggestions?”
“Perhaps…” Luna started, “We should awaken Princess Cadance,” Luna paused, “she should be informed.”
“Yes…” Shining Armor agreed, “I’ll do it,” He said, pausing to think for a moment, “After we find Princess Twilight; I don’t want her to have a heart attack.” He said, “Now let’s go find them, we can’t let them get away.” Shining began to walk.
“Shining Armor,” He turned to Princess Luna, “When this is done, there is something that Celestia and I would wish to speak to you about.” Luna and Celestia began to walk off, “I will be on the sixth level, looking for Princess Twilight should you need me,” Luna added.
Celestia stopped, “I will also join you, sister.” Luna nodded and lit her horn, disappearing in a flash of midnight blue magic. Celestia left in a similar manner, however, looking at the Prince before teleporting.
Shining Armor sighed, ‘I feel like I haven't slept in days.’ He kicked reached a set of stairs, ‘I should talk to Cadance… she’s still not taking it well…’ He thought of his wife. He had to practically drag her out of their bedroom in the morning to rule the Kingdom, to keep a straight face, but it was getting harder. He climbed the stairs, the clamber of the guards’ armor giving a consistent temp with each hoof step.
He looked around, down the hallway, there were guards stationed at the various corridors and turns as far as the eye could see. He saw the Solar guard captain entering from the opposite stairwell. “Alright,” He heard him say, “We are going to search every one of these rooms, no exceptions!”
“Sir, yes sir!” Shining Armor heard the guards behind him say. Shining turned back to the stairs and began to climb the next flight.
‘After this…’ He began to think as he reached the sixth floor. There were only a few guards on this floor, but the prince could see more pouring in from the opposite staircase and from behind him. “Alright, let’s go, they’re bound around here somewhere.” Shining Armor stated. ‘I’m going to kill that thing when I find it.’ He began to walk, the guards falling in step behind him, “I want everypony to do a room by room search on this floor.”
“Yes, your majesty!” All the guards said. Shining looked down the hallway. True to his orders, every corridor and turn, that he could see, had guards stationed there. “Captain,” He said. In an instant an orange Stallion wearing Crystal Armor was next to him, giving him a slight bow with his head.
“Your Majesty?”
“See to it personally that every corridor on this floor has guards stationed. Take a hoofful with you to begin searching this level personally,” He ordered, “If you need me, I’ll be taking these ponies to look for Princess Twilight.”
“Yes, your majesty.” The captain replied with a bow and walked off.
The prince turned around and addressed the guard ponies, “We’re starting with the cell we were keeping him in, then we’ll split off into pairs and search rooms from there. Anything suspicious, no matter how small, must be pointed out, any question?” He said, giving no time for said questions, “Good, let’s move.”
His hooves carried him the room they were keeping the good colonel. There were already guards outside the door, “Open the door,” He ordered. The guards both nodded and moved to the door. The guard on the left, a brown unicorn mare with a black mane, used her magic, which held a blue hue and turned the handle.
They burst the door open and rushed in. Shining Armor followed behind them, a dozen spells and curses were waiting at the tip of his horn. Nothing. Anger grew in the Prince, though, as there was nothing in the room; no Twilight, or human. Just to be sure, however, he decided to scan the room, 'They might've been here,' He thought. His magic washed over the room. ‘Only an empty room, full of nothing,’ He grumbled and turned around, ‘Onto the next one then.’ he thought.
Shining Armor kicked in another door, or rather, he watched the guards in front of him did, the captain had seen him kick in a door and it immediately raised red flags. ‘Too dangerous my rump…’ he thought, ‘I just want to keep my family safe.’
He followed the guards inside the dark and empty room, ‘Empty… Celestia damn it!’ He turned around, seething. He looked down the hallway, all the door opened, giving him and his guards nothing in return. He teleported downstairs, to the fifth floor, all the doors were opened, again nothing. He repeated the process, again and again. Nothing. Then he went the opposite way, all the way to the top of the castle. It was obvious even before he was done, twilight, along with Ross and two-night guards, were missing.
Shining Armor sat on top of the crystal spire. He felt the wind in his mane as snow blown around him. His azure eyes looked out at the twilight in the sky. He could see the sunrise, just barely cresting the sky. ‘I’m supposed to be a father…’ He thought, ‘and my daughter’s missing.’ He looked again to the sun, ‘I’m supposed to be a husband, and I can’t seem to look my wife in the eye anymore.’
He shook his head, ‘I’m supposed to be a B.B.B.F.F, and I lost my sister.’ He fell to his haunches. ‘A prince, leader of a nation,’ he chuckled, ‘I can’t even protect my family. How am I supposed to protect a nation.’ The stallion looked in the opposite direction, to the mountains that lie beyond the borders of the Crystal Empire. He could just barely make out their peaks in the darkness.
He heard the flapping of wings behind him, he shook his head and turned, “I was wondering…” He began, thinking his wife was behind him, but instead, it was her blue counterpart. “Oh, sorry Princess Luna, I thought you were-”
“Young Cadance, yes, we- I understand.” He turned back to the rising sun, ‘Celestia’s raising the sun a bit earlier than usual.’ He heard the clicking of Luna’s silver shoes against the Crystal Palace’s roof.
“Is there something I can help you with?” He asked, his voice showing signs of malice and tiredness. Luna sat down next to the prince. He turned and looked at her.
“I just wanted you to know, that I can feel your daughter,” Shining Armor’s eyes widened, “ Her dreams, however, I can’t see, there’s something blocking me, but she’s safe.” Luna stood up and flared her wings.
“I knew you were taking it the hardest, and it would be… better if Cadance heard it from you.” She said, “I will continue the search for young Twilight. Her friends have already torn up any unopened rooms, save for yours.” He smiled at the thought of Twilight’s friends. ‘Of course, they would be the most energetic…’ He rolled his eyes. ‘More than her own brother.’
He looked back to Princess Luna, who began to stand up, “Can you… do me a favor, Princess Luna?” He asked. Luna turned and nodded at the Prince.
“Of course, Shining Armor.”
“I need you to… make sure Cadance is… not having nightmares,” He looked back at the rising sun, “She’s not been sleeping and well…” He laughed, “If she can’t sleep, I can’t.”
Luna again nodded, her horn lit up with magic, and teleported away.
Shining Armor looked back at the sunrise. It was cresting over the hill at this point. ‘I need a vacation…’ His mind practically lit up at the prospect, ‘Maybe a business trip?’ He lit his horn and teleported back to the hallway that led to his and his wife’s room. He looked at the door, ‘She knows everything that’s happened in the frozen north for the past twenty or so years… she needs to know something.’ He thought.
He tried to be as quiet as possible as he turned the handle and entered. He even went so far as to go tippy-hoofed to not get noticed by his wife.
Of course, it didn’t work.
“Shining?” He heard his wife say. He silently cursed himself and turned. He saw the outline of his wife through the closed curtains. “What’s going on?” She asked. “What are you doing?” Her voice was hoarse, probably from lack of food and water.
“N-nothing honey,” Came his stuttered reply, trying, in vain, to mask the current problem, “Just some… problems with the prisoner.” He was talking as calmly as possible, or as calmly as a pony who’s just lost two of the most important ponies in his life could. ‘And the third is a mess who refuses to eat.’
“Oh, do tell…” She said. Her tone was obviously sarcastic. “What is the problem with him this time?” He saw her shadow of a form look at him. Since she heard the tape recording, she had locked herself in here, refusing to see anypony outside her family, and even that was a challenge.
“It’s erm… It’s Twilight, Ross, he, well, he got out and well… he ponynapped her,” Shining said, immediately seeing how grim it sounded. He perked up, trying to inject some hope into the situation, “W-we’re almost-”
“It’s fine Shining…” She interrupted her husband with her monotone voice, “Can you… just tell me… what happens? When it’s done.” Her voice sounded dead of its normal tone.
“O-of course Cadance,” He said before magically levitating a few things into his saddle-bags, “A-and Luna, she… told me that Flurry is fine.” He could practically see his wife’s eyes widen, even in the dark.
Cadance’s head lifted up, “Really?” It fell back down soon after, “So now she’s stuck with all those things?” She said mockingly, her voice devoid of any loving emotions. Shining sighed.
“Yeah.” He replied, ‘I was hoping that would get you out of here…’ He thought. “I’m going on a trip,” He said, “To see if I can dig up information about this so-called, Foundation.” He didn't wait for confirmation. Under normal circumstances, She would yell at him and tell him not to go, that he was too important, but now...
He turned back saw the form of his wife nod.
He looked back at the door and began to trot out, ‘I shouldn’t have let you listen to that damn thing.’ He magically gripped the door handle, nearly pulling the golden handle off of the door. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
He trotted past the two guards who were watching the door to his wife. He turned the corner and sighed, ‘She’s fallen into a pit, it seems,’ He thought looking back at the corner of the hallway that led to his and his wife’s shared room, ‘And I don’t think I can get her out.’ He shook his head and walked back down the hallway.
He looked forward and saw the lines upon lines of guards guarding the castle’s many doors. He calmly walked down the hallway, he turned into an open door. He looked at it as he walked in, a golden sun was emblazoned on the center of it. He sighed as he looked at the room’s sole occupant. *Mhmm Hmmm*
Celestia turned and faced the Prince, “Oh! Shining Armor,” She got up from the chair and trotted over to him. Shining saw that the tape player was on her table. She got in front of him and blocked the view, “Is there something you need?” She asked, a bit more flustered than usual. Shining closed the door behind him with his magic.
“Yes,” He said, “I’m going away for a bit,” Celestia opened her mouth, ready to protest, “I AM going, I’ll probably be back in a day or two.” He paused, “You’ve always been good when talking with crowds, right?”
Celestia cocked her head, “Yes?” She said, but it was more of a question, “But what does that have to do with-”
“I need you to… inform the ponies of the Crystal Empire,” He said, “I-I would tell them myself, but, I need to see to this personally, Luna is, well she doesn’t have much of a filter,” He chuckled as did Celestia, “Plus, she needs to lead the search, and… Cadance is…” He trailed off. "And I want Pegasi at every town, and for them to move on any unidentified flying object."
“I understand,” She nodded, “but I need to know where in the world you’re going. What is this matter that is so important to you, that you couldn’t send somepony else in your stead?”
“I’m going to the Changling Lands,” He replied, “Chrysalis… should know what this foundation is. She’s lived up here longer than anypony else.”
“Should?” Celestia asked, “I-I’m sur-”
“Princess Celestia, you and I both know that the only other pony who ruled up here is imprisoned, and he’s not really in a talkative mood right now, well,” Shining mused, “Ever, really.”
Celestia was about to protest again but chose to sigh instead. “Well, there’s something you should know…”
“What is it, Princess?” Shining said
“I’ve… encountered... a similar organization before, made up of similar beings.”