Chapter 1
It was 8:00 and the sun had already set. That meant that anypony outside was past curfew. No pony in Ponyville, nor anywhere else was allowed to be outside at night. Not anymore. But if somepony was outside they might have caught sight of a mare running past with a brown cloak wrapped firmly around her whole body and a hood blocking anypony from seeing her face. She also appeared to have strange wings poking out of it as well. They might have also have noticed her running farther and farther toward the outside of the town.
The mare in question was doing her best reach her destination and her paranoia of getting caught wasn't helping.
That was why she was running like a mad mare. Her breathing was hard and labored, but if she were to be caught outside, being able breathe would be the least of her problems. She stopped just as soon as she could see the red barn in the distance. She gave a sigh of relief. Then she heard talking coming from just up the road. Without thinking the mare dove for the nearest bush. She had just enough time to pull her prostatic wings in before she heard the guards as they made their way past the bush. She didn’t bother to listen in on what they were saying. All she cared about was them not being able to see her.
She hoped her orange colored wings would not be seen through the green bush. The mare also hoped that her friend would forgive her for messing up her wings like this. She was literally sitting on them in order to hide them the best she could. The mare sat quietly in the bush long after the guards had past. She wanted to be sure that they were truly gone. The last time anypony was caught out after curfew was so badly beaten she continues to walk with a limp to this day.
The mare slowly and quietly got herself out of the bush before sprinting to the barn. Just before she reached the door, she stopped to catch her breath before knocking. She knocked three times, waited 5 seconds then knocked twice. A small slit in the door opened for a second before quickly closing. Locks could be heard on the other side unbolting before the door swung open. The mare jumped inside and quickly shut the door behind her. As soon as the mare turned around she found her face just inches from a crossbow. The inside of the barn was dark but the mare could clearly see the shiny tip reflecting off a small lantern. The mare holding the crossbow spoke, “what is the password?” The mare in the brown cloak grinned as she removed the hood revealing a teen version of Scootaloo.
She continued to smile as she spoke, “Rainbow Dash is best Pony.” As soon as she said this, all of the barn was lit up as the lights were finally turned on. It revealed a big work station filled with contraptions and inventions, maps and diagrams lining the walls, a radio sitting on a table with three chairs and yellow mare with red hair wearing a Stetson holding a crossbow right in front of her. Scootaloo lifted up her hoof and she began to remove her cloak. “You can put that crossbow down now,” she said as she threw it onto a hook sticking out of the wall. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, “I thought we agreed that the new password was going to be AppleJack is best pony.” She set her crossbow on the table.
It looked just like a regular crossbow only this one had to be launched by holding it in ones hoof and firing it by biting down on the trigger in the back. Usually unicorns could use regular ones no problem but since Apple Bloom is an earth pony, she had to modify it just a bit. Scootaloo laughed, “Well it’s true. And if Rainbow Dash were here she would agree.” Scootaloo bit down on her tongue as soon as the words left her mouth. Apple Blooms face fell like a rock. “If my sister where here she would not only disagree, she might also know what to do about the princess.” Scootaloo knew she had just hit a sore spot. “Sorry Apple Bloom, I just sometimes forget that while I lost an adoptive sister, you lost a real one you grew up with.” Scootaloo put a hoof on Apple Bloom’s shoulder as they both sat down on the floor.
Scootaloo looked up at the wall and noticed a picture of them and Sweetie Bell back when they were younger. Scootaloo then threw a hoof around Apple Blooms neck. “Hard to believe it has been 10 years since we had that picture taken. It was just two days before those awesome six ponies left on a big mission for the princess. Back then things seemed so simple. Get our cutie marks and have fun while we waited for them to come home. Well eventually we did. Not long after they left we all got ours around the same time.” Apple Bloom smiled a bit. Scootaloo then smiled back before continuing. “Remember how excited we were for them to come back so that we could show them off to everypony? We thought our sisters were going to be so proud. We waited for weeks.” Scootaloo felt her own mood darken just a bit. “But then weeks turned into months and still we didn’t see them. Soon after, princess Celestia began to act kinda funny. She sent out her guard trying to find them but came up empty. Luna even went out herself to try and find them. That was when things really went downhill.
She, like our sisters, never returned. Then the princess wasn’t our princess any more. She became our one Queen who ruled above everypony else with an iron fist. At first we thought she was doing this to protect us and that her weird behavior was just her trying to cope. But then she got worst as she started hurting her own subjects. She even started to banish those who questioned her or tried to get her to stop. She became a tyrant who was willing to hurt her own subjects just to protect them. Now guards walk down every street and punish anyone who wishes to defile the crown. No pony was innocent. After all, the royal guard doesn’t hurt the innocent.
Then the biggest change came.
That’s when everypony realized that the era of Equestria had ended. We now all live in a place called the Solar Empire. Or at least that is what Queen Celestia calls it.” Both mares felt tears rolling from their eyes. They didn’t even notice that a third mare had walked up behind them until she placed a loving hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. Both mares turned to see Sweetie Belle smiling at them. She then turned and pointed at the blue flag hanging on the other side of the barn. It had a sideways moon with a star in the middle surrounded by light blue wings.
She then spoke up, “That is why we started all this. We now lead a resistance to find out what happened and to reclaim Equestria. We have friends all over working together to accomplish this. Remember how we used to call ourselves Crusaders? Well we still are only now we are leading a whole new revolution. Come on girls.” She took a few steps toward the flag and raised her hoof. Scootaloo rubbed the tears from her eyes as she got up and extended her wings. She raised her hoof and touched the end of Sweetie Belle’s while still pointing at the flag. Apple Bloom shook her head quickly and then used her hat to dry her tears. She then got up, walked over and placed her hoof against Sweetie Belle’s and Scootaloo’s hoof.
They altogether then chanted at the top of their lungs: “For the New Lunar Republic. Our goal: finding the true queen of Equestria and finding the truth about what happened to the Elements of Harmony and bringing real peace back to our land.” They then laughed with joy as they felt their spirits lift again.
They soon became quiet again though, as just then, a heavy pounding could be heard coming from the barn door.