//------------------------------// // Mission Breakout // Story: Foals Next Door-Operation:R.E.C.O.M.M.I.S.S.I.O.N // by Th3FileWriter //------------------------------// The strong musk of most growing of stone pervaded the air. While the dripping of water from a leak echoed throughout the entire chamber. The cobble stone structure made it so that the cold breeze from the outside would get trapped down here once it flowed throughout the multiple corridors, with the only heat source being the minimal amount of iron torches that were attached to the cold stone walls. Applebloom tossed and turned in her cell trying to find the best comfortable position, as she laid down on the cold stone floor, while using the spare bits of hay that she had as either a cushion or a blanket. "I swear to sweet Celestia!" She exclaimed. She stood up frustrated at the fact that she couldn't sleep in her cell. "We have been here for about 15 hours! We have to find a way get outta here, or else I'm gonna lose my damn mind! "Save your breath Applebloom." Scootaloo retorted, not even facing her as she tried to get some shut eye in her own cell. "What'ya talkin' about Scoots?" Scootaloo groaned as she turned around to face her, annoyed at the fact that she had finally found a comfortable position herself, but had to lose it so that she would not to be rude to her. "Look at the facts AppleBloom! Were locked behind iron cast bars with a strong oak door that borders the cells, which I almost must remind you is locked. And even if we get out of our cells and past the door, there are like a hundred or more guards that are roaming around the stronghold, and on top of that the dungeons have a ton of intertwined and winding corridors. I may be not the smartest out off all of you, but even I know when the odds are stacked against us." "But we cant stay here forever." Applebloom cried, however Scootaloo did not respond. Her back was already turned towards the bars, even though she was frustrated just as much as the rest of them. Applebloom slid herself back down to the floor discouraged at the fact that at the end of the day all hoped seemed lost. She started to whimper while tears ears started to flow out of the corners of her eyes. She thought that they would never get out of there, she would never see her brother, her sister, or Granny Smith ever again, and that they failed all of Equestria. No one spoke up afterwards, keeping themselves to their own thoughts. Then as the oak door creaked and swung wide open, 2 large stallions slowly walked into the room. They were wearing heavy armor that covered their waist and their hooves, while a large helmet covered a majority of their head, except their lower snout. The first stallion went closer towards the cells and stated " Rise and Shine twerps time for supper!" Then he magically grabbed 4 trays filled with slop and dropped them in each cell. Sweetie Belle stood up and went close towards the cell bars. "Excuse me sir?" "What do you want Brat?" The guard huffed. Sweetie Belle fluttered her eyelids, in hopes to intoxicate the guard with her cuteness. "Well you see its pretty cold down here... and I was hoping that, maybe you lads can do me a teensy-weensy favor, and get me a little blanket. Pretty Please." The two guards looked at each other and gave one another a devilishly sly grin, before one spoke up. "Of course your majesty." He said with a mocking tone. "anything for you m'lady." Then without hesitation the guard spat on the ground right where Sweetie Belle stood. As the two of them left laughing out loud right before slamming the giant oak door. "Bastards." She huffed under her breath. "what did you think was gonna happen?" Scootaloo sarcastically replied. "Well you cant blame me for trying! its freezing cold down here, and to top it off it ain't the most comfortable living space. So anything we can add just to give me a little bit of warmth would go a long way right about now." Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked across the hall to each other , with this look on their face that said "You gotta be kidding me". Then they both looked towards Sweetie Belle, whose cell was at the end of the room, in which she slept to the right side, while as they panned to their left there was Button Mash, still asleep snoring his days away into oblivion. "WILL YOU CUT THAT OUT!" Sweetie Belle screamed, fully annoyed by his loud, and nonrhythmic snoring. Which caused Button Mash to jump up from his Slumber screaming bloody murder. I'M AWAKE.. I'M AWAKE! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, I PROMISE I'LL tell you where the...." Button slowly gathered his senses as he started to become aware of his unfamiliar surroundings. "Umm.. Where are we?" Sweetie bell rolled her eyes and groaned at the comment, while Apple Bloom hoof-palmed herself in the face. "Does both of your stupidity know no bounds?" Scootaloo quietly whispered to herself. "Jeez.. its almost as if you two were made for each other." Spike ran in between crates, carts, and vendor stalls grabbing rags, belts and a hoodie as a way to disguise himself from the guards the patrolled the entire city. He thought to himself how luck he was that the idiots guarding the front gate didn't happen to look inside the wagon or else he could've been screwed and thrown into jail himself. He knew he need to come up with a plan and fast. Time was running out and if he didn't get his friends and save Big Mac, all would be lost. He tried looking around from where he was hiding to see if he could figure out where they may taken his friends. However due to his small stature he was blocked by multiple ponies the flooded the streets. He sank down onto the wall right next to where he was hiding feeling tired and exhausted. He stayed down and listened to the hustle and bustle of the city life. He found it ironic that even in their situation most of the ponies kept living out their lives, as if everything was back to normal. Spike chuckled on the fact that while they just kept living, he and his friends were so focused on saving everybody that they may never have any time to relax, well except right now. He looked around observing the state of disrepair that the city was in, even though Sombra's invasion had only occurred a couple of days previously. There were clothes line being hanged across windows, in-between buildings. The alleyways were in worse condition than the main streets, with trash lining the perimeter of the floors. His eyes started to wonder up onto the side of buildings looking at other things to look at, which is when he saw that on the wall that he was slumped right next to, he saw a yellow parchment nailed to it. He tried to make the best of what was written on the paper from where he was sitting, but to no avail. so he stood up and went directly in front of it, as he fully saw what filled the parchment a sense of dread fell over him. He was now a wanted a criminal in Baltimare, which made his predicament a lot more difficult than it already was. Now everypony in the city knew what he looked like and if he was caught, it could spell doom for the entire mission. Although as he kept looking at the picture something was bothering, but he couldn't claw on it. Until it finally hit him "They never get my nose right!" he thought. With one last sigh he tore the poster of the wall and crumpled it into a tiny ball before tossing it over his shoulder. He wondered to himself if things could get any worse. "Spike?" a voice said behind him. "Is that you?" Spike was frozen in fear, did he dare to turn around, or should he just book it and try to hide. Anticipation was killing him he knew what ever option he chose, he was gonna have to fight his way out of this situation. He slowly turned around mentally preparing himself for the fight of his life. However once he had fully turned 180 degrees, he saw that the being who confronted him wasn't a foe, but rather a friend, to be more precise it was Grand Pear. "Grand Pear?" Spike questioned."What are you doing here?" "I could ask you the same question." The old pony chuckled. He was wearing his iconic green handkerchief, tied around his neck, and now was also sporting a brown trench coat to keep him warm from the cold coastal breeze. Behind him he was carrying a wagon, that was filled to the top with crates full of pears. "It's somewhat relieving to see a familiar face in these hard times" "Yeah I know what you mean" "So why are you in Baltimare?" Spike questioned the old pony. Then he gave Spike a small grin before he responded to his inquiry. "Well you see.. I was here selling my wares. You know the usual business stuff." He chuckled once again. "However I became stuck here when Sombras forces invaded the city a couple of days ago." He looked down once more at Spike, however his grin of relief slowly turned into a look of pain. "I'm guessing the reason your here in the city is because, Ponyville was overtaken." The look of sadness filled the old pony's eyes as he hesitated to ask him another question. "Did any of my family survive?" "Both Apple Bloom and Big Mac survived." "Thank Celestia!" He praised to the sky. "Where are they? Can I see them?" Spike was hesitant whether or not he should tell him the truth, but he knew he deserved to hear what happened to his grandchildren. "Well to be honest I don't know where they are." "What do you mean? I thought you said they survived?" Questioned Grand Pear, confused at the previous statement. "Well..." Spike then explained the entire sequence of events to him. Of how they were rescued by Big Mac, how he got lost, and how they were on their way to rescue him, but were attacked and had to crash land. Of course Spike left out the information about the whole F.N.D debacle, for security reasons in case Grand Pear would ever betray them for any purpose whatsoever. "Yeah that's basically the gist of what happened." The old pony just stood there trying to comprehend the sequence of events that had occurred just to get them to where they are now. In his mind he wondered how in Tartarus did these kids survive all of this, and how did they get here in such a short amount of time. "So do you have any idea where the guards could have taken them?" He questioned Gran Pear didn't even hesitate, he knew exactly where they would've been taken if they were caught. "The most likely place they would've been taken is to the Old Cox Stronghold, the current HQ of Sombra Forces. It was originally the city Hall of Baltimare before they took over, and fortified it, making it into some sort of barracks for their troops. If you want to find them, they most likely are there. However, in my opinion I don't think you should head over there." "Why not?" "Spike, there are countless of guards patrolling the city, and even more inside of there. If they see you sneaking around they'll take you into the dungeons. And even before that your wanted poster is posted all over the city, everypony knows your face here, even if you tried to disguise yourself. Especially in times like these ponies would sell their own friends out for a small amount of cash. And with the bounty on your head, most wouldn't event think twice before calling the authorities." Spike pondered on his options, he knew that there would be no easy way for him to get to the stronghold, much less find a way to get in. If only there was a way somepony could sneak him in without anyone ever finding out, as he kept thinking an idea popped into his mind. There is one possibility that may just work. "Grand Pear can you sneak me into the stronghold?" "Of course not! Nothing is going to make me risk my life." He adamantly declared. "Grand Pear please.. you're the only one I can trust" Spike begged. "If you want to save Apple Bloom you need to get me inside that Stronghold" Grand Pear was very hesitant, knowing that if they were caught he could get imprisoned or worse executed, especially for aiding a "criminal." But he cared about his family too much and knew he had to do the right thing. "Alright Spike I'll do it. However, I cannot guarantee we'll make it, and if we do the farthest I can take you to the west storage supply. After that you're on your own." "of course.. thank you! I am forever in your debt." he said, filled with overwhelming amounts of gratitude. "Quickly there's no time to waste! hop in my wagon!" He ordered, as he moved multiple crates filled with pears out of the way so that Spike could lie at the bottom. Once Spike got settled in, he carefully arranged the crates as to fully cover the fact that there was somebody hiding in the cart. Spike laid flat on his back in the cart, with crates full or pears surrounding him, so his movement was restricted and his vision was obscured. All he could rely on was his sense of smell and his hearing, to allow himself to figure out what was going on around him. Suddenly the cart started to violently rock and shake due to the uneven pavement and maintained road, causing Spike to hang on as best he could. All he could hear were the sounds of hooves clopping around as they moved on by, the busy chatter and yelling of ponies trying to buy goods and supplies. The sounds of the metal armor that guards were wearing clanking against one another as they patrolled the streets. The rattling of the wooden wheels on wagons at they rolled along every bump and pass on the road. Then suddenly the cart went to a screeching halt causing Spike to hit his head hard on the crate in front of him. He tried his best to muffle his groan of pain as to not make himself noticeable. "Grand Pear...psst" Spike whispered trying to get his attention but to no avail so he tried again. "Grand Pear." "Huh? Spike?" He whispered back. "What's going on why did we stop?" "They've set up a makeshift checkpoint over here. Most likely it's because they're looking for you. It seems they've set one up every couple of blocks, in hopes to catch anyone doing illegal activities." As Grand Pear kept talking to Spike, trying to explain the situation. He took a quick glance ahead of him and saw that the guard had finished the cart in front of him he quickly turned around to warn Spike. "Spike get ready, the guard us heading this way" Grand Pear quickly looked forward and tried to act as normal as possible. Internally however he was panicking, he felt that there is no way they're ever getting past, he feared that they're going to get caught, and killed. Why in did the world did he ever agree to the this stupid idea. All the while he kept his eyes focused on the guard as he slowly made his way closer to him. Once the guard got a couple of feet from him, he stopped, which caused him to internally panic once more. It seemed as if it took an eternity for time to pass, as the guard just stared at him, giving a look of suspicion. "Bale!" The guard called out. Another guard appeared from a crowd ponies, as if he just manifested from thin air. He walked over to is superior with a very strict movement, and his chest puffed out. As if he was trying to intimidate all those surrounding him. "Check The Cart!" His superior commanded, without any hesitation the guard immediately started heading over to the cart. All the while Spike was listening to the entire situation, the tension and anticipation growing worse. Slowly the sound of the hoof-steps started to get louder and louder. With every step, it was almost as if it was giant making those steps, and each one resonated deep within him to the point where even all his bones started to vibrate in rhythm with them. Spike did his best to hold his breath as much as possible, so not to make any type of noise, while his eyes were closed shut tight as he was too afraid to see what would occur. Sweat slowly started to form out of every pore in his body,slowing seeping out and rolling down the side of his body. In his mind he felt like they were never ending. Then suddenly the hoof-steps stopped completely, and at the point it seemed that the entire world had gone silent. "Is there really a need to any of this?" Grand Pear quickly cried, as a way to break the nonexistent tension. "I mean i'm just a humble merchant trying to sell his wares." "Relax sir, it's just a precaution. There's no need to worry... unless you have something illegal in there" the guard chuckled as he made a quick jab at him. "What? Pssh... illegal, me? No way! That's crazy. There's nobody.. I mean it just pears" He quickly stammered trying to make himself seem calm, even though he was acting the complete opposite of calm. "Right..." The other guard kept checking the multiple crates, picking one up and stacking them upon another, and sliding them past each other. Can this damn pony just hurry up already! Spike though to himself. Then he heard creaking right above him, which caused him to open his eyes and by this point and see that the crate right above him and shaking slightly. Oh crap I'm done for, he thought, then as suddenly as the shaking began it suddenly stopped. "Everything is Clear here boss " the other guard yelled out. "Good, well sir you can continue on in. Thank you so much for being patient with us." "Of course, no problem. Well have a good day gentlecolts." He quickly declared as he started to book it away as fast as possible from there, still holding his big, wide,"fake" grin. In hopes to escape the guards in case they might find something else. Spike gave a big sigh of relief, the hard part was over he thought to himself. The little hints of light that passed through the small crack in between the crates and pears had gone out, and he was left in complete darkness and alone to his thoughts. He couldn't tell where they were, so for all he knew he was still a long ways from the stronghold. His best guess as to where they were at the moment was that they've entered some sort of tunnel, however he didn't remember any sort of tunnel in Baltimare. Especially since it was a coastal city which meant that it laid on a very soft foundation, that could cause the city to sink if they did any type of major underground digging. As time passed multiple thoughts passed through his head such as, where could they be held? How is he going to save them? What if this is all just an elusive scheme forcing him to be lead into a trap? And many more. Plus what made it even worse was that he was still in pitch black darkness, meaning that if somepony wanted to do something, they could do it and he wouldn't have even seen it coming. An eternity seemed to pass by until the cart stopped once more, then again he heard the sound of crates being moved. "Oh no, they've caught us this time,"he thought in panic. Then when the crate above his head was finally moved out of the way allowing to finally breathe fresh air, the face that he saw was that of Grand Pear's. "Spike were here, you ready?" He asked. Spike nodded with a strong sense of determination in his eyes. Grand Pear moved a couple of more crates out of the way allowing Spike to jump out of the cart. "You see that tunnel to our left?" He inquired. " That should lead to the west barracks, which holds the entrance to the dungeons." "Thank you again for everything" Spike said filled with sincere gratitude. " I promise I will get Apple Bloom and find Big Mac, so we can stop Sombra" "I know you will, now go! Quickly before the guards spot you." Spike ran off without hesitation slowly disappearing deep into the long dark tunnel. Grand Pear just stood there and kept looking at his direction, until he had completely disappeared from his view. "May Celestia protect you. Good Luck." He quietly said to himself filled with a new hope that soon everything will return back to the way it was. Spike kept running and running through the long, dark tunnel, which was barely lit with torches that were spread sparingly along the walls. He would take an occasional break as to catch his breath, before eventually continuing. He didn't know how long he had been running, whether it was for 30 minutes or for 2 hours. This was because the tunnel felt like it went on for an eternity with no end in sight, with only the dim glimmer of torches giving him hope that he had finally reached the end, only to be disappointed by the eventual outcome. Spike kept running until his saw another glimmer of light in the distance, however this light seemed to be brighter than the others, and as he got closer the light seemed to also increase in intensity. With one last push of his energy, Spike made a mad dash towards the light. As he finally entered threshold he was temporarily blinded by the overwhelming amount of light, until his eyes had adjusted allowing him to comprehend that he finally made it to the main part of the stronghold. However his excitement was short lived when he heard voices coming from a distance. He then made a mad dash towards a pillar hiding behind it in Hope's not to be seen. The voices seemed to get louder and louder as they passed by, although he wasn't able to make out to what they're saying. Once he was sure they were gone, he slowly made his way around the pillar, observing his surroundings trying to figure out which way he should go. To his dismay there were no signs signaling which way to head. As he kept looking he saw there was a door a couple of feet in front of him. Hopefully it had information he could use as to how he could navigate this labyrinth. Once he had arrived at the door, he peeked around the corner to check if somebody was there, luckily for him there was nobody inside. As he went inside he was able to get a full scope of the room. There were a bunch of stalls that held pieces of armor, clothing, and other miscellaneous objects, that most likely belonged to guards. In the middle there was a large rectangular table that was filled with more miscellaneous objects and a couple of papers and documents. Spike made his way towards the table and started sorting all the paperwork. At the bottom of the stack he found a large document that had a rough sketch of a map of the entire barracks. As he tried to grab the map it didn't budge, he then carefully examined the document realizing that it had been stapled down to the table, and on top of all that all the directions and locations were written in Old Ponish. "Damn it!"he thought."Sombra's much smarter than I give him credit for." He knew that he was out of options and had to figure it out on his own. Spike quietly made his way out of the room, demoralized knowing that this would be a lot more difficult than he previously realized. He stood there deep in thought, wondering how would find them and where would he even start? As he kept thinking a voice yelled from behind him. "HEY! What are you doing? You're not supposed to be here!"