Twilight flipped the bit that rested on her hoof. Watching as it somersaulted in the shimmering summer air. It truly was mesmerizing, and she enjoyed watching the intense faces of her captors gradually follow the bits flight. She allowed herself a small satisfied smile. After around a year of slavery, she, along with all her other friends would be free. Of course she couldn't give herself all the credit. Without her dedicated mentor she would have perished within a week. Twilight mentaly filed away a thank you for Lily.
Everything was going according to plan. All the guards present had seen her perform the same bit flip for the past two minutes. Always the same in nature, the bit would fly, hover in the air, and then land silently on the magenta mare’s hoof. Subconsciously, the guards began to focus on the bit, forgetting to keep an eye on their true target, Rose Blush.
They had no idea how this once timid and innocent mare had transformed into the leader of their very own syndicate. It had all happened so fast. She started out as just another slave, struggling to survive. Only a year later she had become the bane of all true criminals. She even had the audacity to attempt a coup, but they would see that she failed.
Twilight, who was now known as Rose Blush, nodded to her mentor, receiving a sly smile in return. She couldn't help but grin at the peculiar situation she was in. A crime lord, syndicate leader, apprentice to a dark mage, and missing princess. All these titles were added to her already impressive list. She felt her batons underneath her slave garments, checking to make sure everything would be ready for her big move.
Meanwhile, Lily stood contently in the corner of the large balcony. She could not have been more proud of her short time student. She knew from personal experience that surviving the dark side of Equestria was no easy task. However, Twilight was an avid learner, and once she found a reason to fight was unstoppable. Her mind wandered to Shoe Shine, hoping he had indeed succeeded in his part of the plan. Without a male puppet at the head, Twilight and herself could never have pulled this off. Fortunately enough, they had found the perfect stallion. She felt her excitement grow as Twilight began to speak, her training was about to bear entertaining fruit.
“So gentlecolts. Are you going to arrest me? I have been waiting for quite some time to beat all of you. Or meet all of you?” She shot the nervous guards a coy smile, flipping her well styled mane dramatically. This caused some of them to blush, and others to just stare in confusion. It still shocked her how far looks could take you. She decided she would apologize to Rarity once she saw her again. “So. I will offer this deal only once. Surrender your weapons and leave my city. I promise I won’t tell Shoe Shine about your treachery.” While she spoke, she continued to flip the bit, allowing the motion to plague her enemies subconscious. “Cant speak?” She leerd, raising an eyebrow.
“You will pay for your insolence slave! No pony crosses The Arrowhead and lives!” The guard yelled out his idiotic assertion, desperately hoping that his fellow criminals would stay loyal to their now absent leader. Luckily enough for him, the guards surrounding Rose were the last and most loyal of the original syndicate. The guards in question, nodded their heads in affirmation. They then refocused themselves on Rose, preparing to attack. Lily rubbed her forehooves together, and had only one thought. Let the fun begin.
Twilight sighed and softly spoke,
“So be it.” She then proceeded to throw the bit high into the air. The guards who had been gradually tricked into focusing on this small object followed the bit, waiting for something miraculous to happen. They had walked straight into the trap. By the time most of them had looked away from the bit, four of their own were already on the ground incapacitated. Twilight had moved with lightning quickness. The second the bit left her hoof, she was on the attack.
Lily watched, a satisfied smile gracing her features, as the perfectly executed assault unfolded before her. Twilight started by kicking the table she was sitting at into the two adjacent guards, knocking them both out. She then leapt to the right side with a swan like grace, landing with both of her batons already out of their respective hiding places.
The three guards she landed in front of only had a split second to register what was happening before their body's began to collapse beneath them. This was the result of well placed strikes that hit vital points, such as the temple or throat. One of the three guards had still been looking at the bit which was nearing the ground when he had been struck. Poor soul, at least he saw stars before the nothingness.
The bit hit the ground. Five goons had already been left to eat the floor, and only three more remained. Twilight recognized a unicorn preparing to fire off a stunning spell, and she cursed the powerful inhibitor ring restraining her, before she let loose her batons. Both struck the unicorn, though they were not enough to take him out of the picture, he was left stunned and unprepared for the hoof strikes that followed. He attempted valiantly to stay in the brawl, but Twilight had trained for too long to miss the principle points and gaps in his lacking armor. He hit the cold tile like a rock.
Rose whipped around and observed her final two opponents. One was a burly earthpony, the second was a nimble looking pegasus. She immediately ran statistics in her mind, planning out attacks and counter attacks, all in a matter of seconds. Twilight couldn't help but continue to curse her missing magic. If she had her wings and horn, this battle would have been over already.
“AHHHHHHH.” The large stallion cried out in sincere pain. Twilight rolled her eyes at her mentor who now stood alone and serene between the two indisposed criminals.
“You know I had them right where I wanted right? It was all part of the plan.” Twilight tried to keep her tone confident, but she could not cover up the fact that she had indeed made a mistake.
“Twilight dear. Your performance was exemplary. However, you did not move quickly enough from target to target. I can say in full confidence, that you would have been able to dispose of them yourself. However, I got tired of waiting. We do have a lot to attend to.” She strutted forward while speaking, her soft melodic voice still a pleasant sound, even after it had reprimanded her.
“No! Us, having work to do? I have never heard such a blatant lie in my entire life! It's not like we have criminal lords, an army of slaves and most likely the royal guard waiting for us.” She shot her friend a sultry smile (which she had mastered by now). Twilight turned towards the doorway, falling in step with Lily. As she left the balcony she felt compelled to look back. This was not the final battle, she was sure of it. However, this battle had lifted the final chain of slavery, Twilight was free.
With this realization, Twilight began to think about all of her friends and family. A few nervous thoughts crossed her ever full mind. ‘How am I going to explain all of this? Should I even bother? Will my friends accept the new me? Can I go back to who I was before? Will I fight for truth and freedom bearing the title of rebel? Or will I comply once again with Celestia, and live stuck in the web of lies I have discovered?
Twilight did not know what path she was going to take. What she did know however, was that either way she went she would never be the same. Most likely she would end up arrested after this fiasco anyway. She laughed at that thought, receiving a questioning look from Lily. She elected to ignore the unspoken question, and continued to enter the small throne room of the mansion/castle. The sight that greeted her was one she had not expected. The room was filled to the brim with slaves, servants, syndicate members and her other allies alike. They all fell to their knees as she set foot in the room.
Uncomfortable would be an understatement. Twilight had never liked ponies treating her like royalty. This scenario was like her coronation amplified one hundred times. These ponies were not bowing out of obligation, they were bowing to her by choice. They were loyal to her by choice. If only they knew who she really was, then this situation might have been actually less agonizing.
“My Queen. We have gathered in honor of your victory over The Arrowhead syndicate. We are prepared to serve.” Lily paused, deciding to scratch her obviously prepared speech. “You saved all of us. Whether it was from slavery, a purposeless life of crime, or from death itself. We are in your debt and shall serve you forevermore.” Lily proceeded to execute a charming and smooth bow, joining the hundreds already on their knees.
Twilight was in way over her head. Before her disappearance she had defied Celestia repeatedly, experimented in forbidden magic, and attempted to uncover truths that had been buried for centuries. Now, she was a criminal, a syndicate leader, and apparently, a queen. Objectively this situation was remarkable and should have been a moment of triumph and pride for Twilight. She however, was plagued with worry. The rebellion against the Princesses had already been spiking. No doubt, they would see Twilight as a threat, and possibly a rebel. She placed her hoof on her temple and rubbed deeply. She was indeed in a lot of trouble.
Rose recomposed herself and strode down the aisle, holding her head high. It would seem that her decision had become a great deal more complicated. She reached the single, cheaply made throne, and lithely sat down. Her heart seemed to beat faster than ever before, yet she found herself cool and at peace. She addressed the crowd laid out before her.
“It is time to save Equestria. The crime world for too long has tortured the common pony. They have committed the most appalling crimes, and caused countless atrocities. I shall stand for it no longer. WE will rise together, and bring back true peace to equestria!” She ended by drawing her hidden crossbow, she then proceeded to shoot a large tapestry of the former tyrant. The bolt hit directly between his eyes.
Poison Lily sighed contentedly as the vast hall exploded in cheers and praise. Her Queen had succeeded. Though there would be trying times ahead, she knew that in the end it would all be worth it. These ponies were not the only ones who had sworn loyalty to Twilight. Her support was stronger than she would ever know, and soon, they would join together and an oh so glorious war would follow.
Poison Lily smiled, a true mirthful smile. Very soon Equestria would see a grand and complicated conflict like it had never seen before. The deepest most profound forces of the world itself were moving. She leaned back, and watched lovingly as Twilight conversed with her friends. The real fun would begin, it was only a matter of time. Twilight had a prophecy to fulfil afterall.
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One Year Ago
Ice Whip let out a satisfied sigh as his last piece of enchanted armor latched into place. It felt truly wonderful. The Common soldiers always found fitting their armor to be a tedious and most unpleasant task. However, this was not the case for the grand mages of The Second Sun. Their armor was especially fitted to their needs, and enchanted by the entirety of the council. So the experience for Ice Whip was quite different. The slight cold touch of the armor, the flowing magic that seemed to pump you with fiery adrenaline. The assorted weapons and gadgets, whose very presence implied glorious battle; all fueled his soul.
These sensations made Ice Whip shiver in anticipation. He had trained for countless painstaking years, just to fight this single, most important battle. Of course he had enjoyed his numerous past duels, but nothing truly compared to killing an Alicorn. Ice Whip stopped fitting his secondary sword as that thought slipped through his mind. He knew better than to fall into arrogance, failure to remain composed and logical in battle would result in imminent defeat. Defeat, was something he could not, and would not allow. Far too much was at stake. This mission could go as far as to expose The Second Sun, or set in motion the meltdown of Equestria.
His final prepared battle potion slid into its respectable compartment with a dull and muffled thud. This small almost inaudible sound drew the attention of the two other mages in the room. Both were adults in their middle ages, with finely tuned body's and minds, prepared in the same fashion as their captain. The mare looked down at her own unique armor, initiating a last check before her commanding officer could ridicule her. The stallion next to her, who was slightly older, walked towards Ice Whip, his cloak flowing behind him. He roughly placed his right hoof upon Ice Whip’s right shoulder. He then recited The Sun’s Mantra.
The words flowed melodically off of his tongue, drowning out the creaking floor boards and incessant bugs. The stallion's eyes remained closed for the entirety of the psalm. The violent yet calm emotions and verses that intertwined demanded respect and reverence. He eventually completed the mantra, stepping aside to provide room for the mare to take his place. She mirrored the stallions actions and words down to the dot. Finally, Ice Whip repeated the mantra himself, letting his mind come to terms with the ancient words. The three mages after a moment of silence moved to a corner of the abandoned café.
They sat down with no hassle to be seen, their armor was now a part of their body, physically and magically fused until ordered to do otherwise. Upon contact, the cushions shot out large plumes of dust, causing the mare to cough. After some inelegant hoof waving to clear the dust, the mare spoke.
“So, how long are we supposed to wait?” Her voice was sweet and light, her mouth smoothly forming the words beneath her deep brown eyes and above her striking scarlet coat. Many good ponies had fallen into her beautiful trap, swooning over her innocent demeanor and elegant appearance. Even when hidden by her hood and armor, she was still stunning.
Ice Whip lazily glanced over, putting his head on his hoof.
“We will wait until we receive the signal. It should be in about two hours. However, taking into account the fact that Silver Hammer is not our best agent, I would count on an hour or so delay.” Ice Whip’s voice was cold and hard. All who had heard his voice always felt that they were somehow in imminent danger. He spoke in a friendly manner to his long time subordinate, however it carried an undertone of annoyance, which was only heightened after he received an eye roll from the adjacent mare. “Don’t give me hell. I was not the one who assigned her to this mission. Also you're not a filly anymore, you can wait a few hours.” He paused dramatically then smiled evilly before leering, “If you can’t handle it I might just pull you back into training, and give you a nice lesson on patience.” The mare would not even dignify that with a response. Instead she gave him a killer glare and an annoyed grunt, before leaving the table, claiming to have a parched throat.
After a few minutes of fixing an armor problem, Ice Whip turned his powerful gaze to the stallion seated on his right, who was obviously lost in thought. Ice Whip tapped him on the shoulder, eliciting a slight twitch.
“What are you thinking about old man. Still wish you had my position?” The older stallion ignored the jab and Whip’s amused expression, instead deciding to engage in conversation.
“I was thinking about Sombra again. It still bothers me that we let him leave like that. His essence and physical being were no where near complete. He was not really himself. He lacked his brilliant mind and his legendary power, which of course made him humiliatingly easy to defeat.” His voice was nothing like the other two, it was common and monotone, carrying no significance and evoking no emotion. He sighed and then snorted in frustration. He had always been such a fan of King Sombra, so when he was informed of the resurrection project he had been nothing short of ecstatic. Now, Sombra was seen as nothing more than a foolish and arrogant crystal maniac.
“I cannot believe you are still going on about that. Yeah the council was stupid to let him go, but sulking isn't going to change anything. Put your eyes and mind on the mission.” Ice grabbed Daylight Dream by the back of the neck and violently pulled him right up to his own face. A single deliberate breath rolled out of his mouth, filling Daylight's nose with the foul smell of hate. “Twilight Sparkle is the target. She is the enemy. The Princess of Friendship will fall by our hooves, and we will be heroes.” Whip’s eyes were as cold and harsh as his name. It only took him a half second to push Daylight back, stand up, and exit the room.
Right as he exited, Ice ran into Poison Lily, who luckily was agile enough to avoid a full collision.
“You are lucky Ice that I have better reflexes than the blind fool who almost hit me.” She flicked her mane to the side, and out of her eyes. This revealed the fact that her helmet was now latched onto her back instead of upon her head, revealing her luscious dark brown mane. Ice gave her a once over before crafting an excellent frown of disapproval. He unconsciously felt his own mane. It was dark blue, like that of the night sky. It was short cut and felt very wiry. He remembered a time when he had been a stunning young stallion, his whole future ahead of him. Ice immediately felt far older after that observation.
Ice was about to fire back a childish retort when his horn began to glow. It was not the elegant dark blue of his magic, but the violent dark black magic of The Messenger. He shot his eyes up towards Lily, and immediately recognized the same magic pulsing gently around her own horn. The air in the room seemed to freeze, and all sounds ceased. Not even the creaking of the decaying floor boards continued. In a loud bang three messages appeared, one for each of the mages. Their cutie mark displayed on the front, and the seal of The Messenger on the back, this could mean only one thing. Executive orders. The unicorns nodded to each other before going their separate ways to privately view their new mission or possible mission adjustments. Ice Whip, Poison Lily and Daylight Dream all opened their letters. No pony breathed or dared to move. They had all received the same orders.
Bring the princess in alive. Kill the other two.
-The Council
The mages refitted their armor and went back into the main room. Normal ponies might have felt remorse, fear, anger or really any sort of emotion. However, this was not the case. The dark mages are trained to kill emotion and master their mind. So, light friendly conversations floated out of their mouths, speaking of life, while their intentions were now only of death. Princess Twilight Sparkle would be taken alive, and no pony would know until it was too late. Not even her kidnappers would live to speak. The fourth dark mage would make sure of that.
The fourth mage watched the other three from a far, sharpening his knife. He enjoyed his job, tying up loose ends. There was a sense of finality and peace when no one but yourself was left alive. Small sparks flew off of his blade as he continued to sharpen it, the only light to aid him slowly fading behind the horizon. He held up the knife and gently inhaled the scent of poison. Even if he failed, his mission would be complete one way or another. That knife would inevitably end up buried in someponys back, time just had to decide who. He settled himself against a nearby piece of ruble, taking in the desolate street laid out before him. He smiled and closed his eyes, joining the masses of people waiting on the one who would decide the fate of the world.
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Iron Eclipse stood at the edge of his once hometown. His eyes threatened to break down and let loose emotion. Iron Eclipse though, was a soldier and a hero. So he would settle for nothing less than the best from himself. He used his horn to adjust his cloak, gently pulling it over the tips of his feathered grey wings. It tickled slightly and made him consider a triumphant return instead of a silent one. However, he knew said plan would draw the attention he was trying to avoid. He inhaled, taking in the salty pine trees and mountain air, the air of home. Or one could say his second home, he did not linger long on the tragic reality of his past. Instead he exhaled and moved forward, towards the waiting future, and towards the forgotten past.
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Twilight was not happy. Definitely not happy. She had been wandering the streets of Manehatten since the sun came up, and now it was pitch black outside. Endless hours walking and listening to her illiterate guard who seemed to enjoy annoying Twilight with pointless information, instead of in depth history. She did not want to be too harsh on her bodyguard, but she had claimed to be lost exactly six times. Now it was dark, Twilight was lost, and they were obviously on the bad side of the city. That was arguably the one good thing that had come of the pointless trek. Twilight had seen a small portion of the less fortunate Equestria. A side that until now she had been oblivious to. Twilight after passing a destroyed library made a note to ask Celestia about this area. She was about to write a quick angry essay about the need for knowledge and books in all communities, when she realized there were no longer a second set of hoofs sounding off on the pavement. Twilight looked up from her notebook and saw what appeared to be a storm of energy swords, raining down on her from three different directions. Her only thought before instinct kicked in was this: Today is the wrong day to mess with me.
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Celestia collapsed on her large alicorn sized bed, exhaling in a relaxing and relieved matter. No matter how many years she had held day court, it still seemed to always present new problems. Unfortunately before she could sleep, she had to check on her sister. Iron Eclipse’s return had been a hard blow, and Luna was still deciding whether it was a good blow or not. Celestia walked onto her balcony and gave the starry night a small smile, she inhaled the warm and damp air of summer and wondered what it would be like to have summer up north. She had always wanted to know if it was still cold or not during the summer time. Celestia chuckled to herself before opening up her wings, after a thousand plus years, she still wondered about such trivial and silly things. She tensed her muscles and prepared to elegantly launch into the sky, but then it hit her. A feeling. A bad feeling. The feeling of dread. Celestia's eyes narrowed. Only dark magic could set off the alarm now blaring violently in her head. She instantly knew what it meant, even though she would refuse to believe it. The Second Sun had returned.