Twilight chipped furiously at the stone around the chain, she didn't have time, if Strong Hooves was telling the truth, she had to get out of here and save Spike, Save Flash, she had never had the courage to even ask him to go to lunch with her! He couldn't die before they'd even had lunch I mean not that I would want him to die anyway Stop distracting your self twilight! Get that chain free!
She was keeping an ear cocked for the door, so she heard it when the Servant pony came with her afternoon meal, she was hot and tired and she longed for the water, but made herself be content with the juices from the less then stellar apple; if she was ever going to get out of here she would need her magic back, and while she knew it took days to get Mordlewort fully out of a ponies system, the longer she didn't ingests it the sooner she would get her magic back.
After wolfing the apple down Twilight went back to her furious chipping, the day was more then half over, she didn't know when the King had planned to kill Spike Flash and the others, but if he was planning on dumping them in the Everfree forest, it would have to be soon, because Ponies form Equestria would be searching for them in after a few days, they would have been expected back tomorrow, so her friends had one day at most before chances were...don't think about it! Chip!
~~~~~~
Spike groaned, he couldn't eat another bite “Your doing great buddy” Flash encouraged.
“I'm sorry Flash, I just can't eat anymore.”
"That's OK, hey pass me the rocks, I will hide them in the hay.”
“What about the Guard, won't he see?”
“Don't worry, I will be sneaky I promise.”
“Pinkie Promise?”
Flash was not sure what a Pinkie Promise was, but he figured Spike took it seriously and if Spike needed the reassurance of a Pinkie Promise, that's what he would get.
“Pinkie Promise.”
Spike Took another bite out of the wall and passed the chunk to Flash, as careful as could be Flash rolled the chunk down and pushed it under the hay, so far, so good.
They were making good progress with this when Flash noticed the Guard moving “Hold on a second Spike, somethings happening.”
~~~~~~
Gallant Heart grabbed a few things from his room, he would have to be careful, most likely the announcement disinheriting him had all ready spread through the castle, but maybe if he moved fast enough he could reach certain places before the news did. He found one of his throwing knives and moved to the door, there he used the slim blade to jimmy the door open, once that was done, he very carefully opened the door to see if anypony was guarding it; as luck would have it, the corridor outside was empty. Grabbing those things he thought would come in handy, Gallant made his way, stealthy but swiftly, down into the dungeons.
He had thought finding out where Twilight's companions were being held would have been an easier matter, but the first few cells he tried were empty. It was getting close to mid-day and he was worried that a changing of the guards would spoil his plans to free Twilight's guards. He checked one more cell- empty, but it was missing its bars... a bucket with water lay inside. I have to be getting close, they wouldn't have placed a bucket of water here for nopony. The only way out of there was into the interior courtyard; risky... but maybe if was careful, he could see where the pony that had been in here had gone. Crossing the small cell, Gallant looked out the broken window, he scanned the edges of the courtyard carefully and then he spotted it, Spike, laying against the wall, chewing chunks of rock from the edge of the bars. well I will be the son of a Gryphon! he hadn't known the little fellow had it in him. Gallant left the cell and made his way cautiously to the cells where Spike had been working on the window. It was time to see if he could bluff his way into making the guard let him in, or if word had reached this far down that he was no longer a prince.
“Open the door Guardspony.” Gallant commanded.
“Your highness! I didn't expect to see you down here!”
Thank goodness, it seems news has not reached the dungeons yet. “My Father wishes to make sure his, guests, are prepared for their journey.”
The guard looked confused as he unlocked the door to let Gallant in “I thought Dark Strider was going to do that that your Highness?”
Gallant did his best 'you dare question me' look, one he had seen his father pull of, recently in fact. “Dark Strider has many things to attend to to make sure everything goes smoothly, and I wanted the pleasure of taking care of this myself.”
“Of course your Highness.”
I must be a better actor then I thought, or is everypony in this nation just, wrong?
“Lock the door Guardspony.” As the guard turned to follow this command Gallant threw his body hard against the guard, knocking his head forcefully into the stone, rendering the guard unconscious.
Flash looked out of the bars surprised “Prince Gallant Heart?”
“Just Gallant Heart, a Prince no more I am afraid friend, I have been disinherited, though the way things are going around here, maybe it's for the best. I don't have much time, we have to get you out of here before Dark Strider comes, his plans for the four of you are not good.”
“You don't have to tell me twice. Spike, How long till your done with the window?”
“One last chunk Flash, now that we don’t have to worry about the size to hide from the Guards.” Spike tore a chunk of rock off and dropped it into the cell, as Gallant unlocked the doors to the cells, the removed the bars and slide them into the cell then Flash helped Spike ease inside.
“Where is Princess Sparkle?” Flash demanded of Gallant.
“If I had to hazard a guess I would say she is in the uppermost room of the northern tower, Flash, its the most secure position in the castle, only one way up, easily defensible, you could hold that position with one pony against an army.”
“What about OUTSIDE the tower, we are Pegasus ponies after all Prince, and don't say you are not a Prince, it's not the title but the man that makes you one.”
Gallant thought about it “It would dangerous, only one pony with a bow, even just a lucky shot, and your down. What we really need to do is let Equestria know what has happened to Twilight, the four of us-”
Spike coughed “Ahem!”
“Sorry five of us, are no match for all of the soldiers at my fathers disposal. If we really want to save Twilight, we are going to need help, we are going to need all of us to get through the Everfree Forest and get aid.”
Flash frowned but nodded his head. Gallant was right, strategically he made sense. It pained him to have to leave Twilight here, but he would return, with an army at his back if needed, to get her back.
“Name is Flash Sentry by the way Prince Gallant, Flash to my Friends.”
“If we are friends, you best call me Gallant then, and we getter get going before this is the shortest friendship in the history of ponydom.