//------------------------------// // Plans and decisions // Story: The Journalist // by redspark //------------------------------// Chapter 29 Plans and Desicions The world was spinning. An eternal and never-ending nightmare; a dark reality. Serena looked out of a window into the evening streets of Canterlot as ponies went to their houses for the night. Sleep... That word seemed so distant now to her. She had not closed her eyes for two days now, if it was for his old boss or for the ponyhood, it didn't mattered. She wanted to sleep. She looked around the room she was in. It was lit by a single small chandelier and had a small bed. Nothing more, nothing less. They had locked her in after she had arrived. She was laying down on the bed, wondering about her fate. She had never before doubted her actions or be unsure of herself. Until that day that is. She was calmed now, with her mind totally cleared. She wasn't sure of what was going to happen next. The ponyhood was going to make a plan to rescue Nimble and Shadow. If she was going to be involved in it she had no idea. Time passed slowly, and as she had no way to measure it she wondered how long she had been there. There was a sound outside of the door as somepony opened the door. Serena turned to see who it was. "Alright Serena, come." said one of the ponies... a grey one named Grey Stone... or something like that. She stood up and went with him. Grey Stone waited for her to move out of the room before closing the door again. He began to walk, leading Serena. She cleared her throat. "So... You have a plan?" she asked. Grey Stone nodded. "Yes." he said. Serena felt slightly uncomfortable beside that pony... for some reason she could feel the tension. Not that she was surprised of it, she had betrayed them after all. They reached a dor in which Grey Stone stopped and opened. He entered followed closely by Serena. "...and then you know what to do next." Hightip was saying. He stopped and turned to the newcomers. Serena looked around the room. It was round and had a square table in the middle. There were some empty bookshelves around it and some chairs as well. The ponyhood was there. She looked down. "Thank you Grey Stone." The blue unicorn said. He turned to Serena. "Ready to repair your mistake?" he said, surprisingly calm and without any hint of anger on his voice. She could even swear he was encouraging... She nodded slowly, looking at him. "Alright." Hightip said. "Everypony knows their tasks. You have one main objective and then you'll be backup should something go wrong." He gestured her to approach. She walked slowly to the table. There was a sketch of a building. "This is the Shadow headquarters. We got this map last time we were in. Deepsqueak managed to get it. You see the main entrance?" He asked her. Serena nodded. "That's your main task. Distract the ones protecting the door. As they give you their attention, we will enter through a back door. You'll have to move fast once we are inside. You must find a way in and meet us here..." he said placing his hoof on a small room. "It's gonna be our randezvous point. From there you'll go with me and High Mane." He looked at Serena in the eyes. "Ther will be action. We won't leave the building unscathed, that we are sure. Also, we'll have limited time to complete this." Serena looked at hm confused. "limited time?" Hightip nodded. "Yes. We have a backup plan in case things go wrong, which if the don't is just the end of the main plan." He looked around to everypony. "We'll make sure the Royal Guard gets there and arrest the entire Shadow ponyhood." Everypony looked a him confused, and High Mane was looking almost disgusted. "The Guard? No! You know the rules of Lower Canterlot. The Royal Guard is just... we solve our problems alone. If the Roya Guard ever gets into Lower Canterlot..." High Mane began. "Yes, I know the creed of the ponyhoods, but this are different circumstances." His body seemed to rise up as he said the next words. "It's time change falls in Lower Canterlot." High Mane looked down, obviously in disagreement. "That's not of your choosing. You cannot decide for the entire Ponyhoods!" The white unicorn exclaimed. Hightip sighed. "The ponyhoods are no longer what they were once, and you know that. I believe you would be the one to understand that there is no such as Ponyhood 'honor' anymore." High Mane looked at him. He still seemed a little uncomfortable, but he nodded. "You... you might be right." he finally said after a couple of seconds. Hightip smiled. "Also, I'm gonna announce this here, right now..." He breathed heavily for a couple of seconds before peaking again. "I'm rtiring from the ponyhood after this." Everypony except for Serena took that with shock. "But... you are our leader, you formed use into one." Deepsquak said slowly and with a shocked voice. Hightip nodded. "Yes, but None willl be the same after tonight, and I... I want to feel what it is to live in a house on the countryside, on some small town. Have peace for the first time in my life. I don't know you, but I've had enough of this to last a lifetime." The gathered ponies looked down, even Serena. Only Sunny remained looking at him. She walked over and hugged him. Hightip smiled and hugged her back. Deepsqueak looked up and saw them. He walked over as well and placed a hoof on Hightip's back. Grey Stone and High Mane followed his example and did the same. Only Serena remained where she was, but she was sure she shouldn't do anything. Finally Sunny and Hightip separated and the ponies took the hooves down. "We're with you boss." Grey Stone said. Deepsqueak and High Mane nodded in agreement. "Thank you." Hightip said. He looked at each and every one of them. "So, should we go and kick some shadow but?" He asked smiling. The gathered ponies cheered with Sunny laughing happily. Only Serena remained quiet. She looked at Hightip. He seemed... tired. As much as his body and gestures said something entirely different, his eyes said it. She was an expert in knowing what ponies hid within their gestures. Her work with Time Keeper made her use it a lot... Sometimes more than she's like to. Now she knew what was happeneing to Hightip... ...he was tired. * * * * * * Night had already fallen. The ponyhood was walking on the rooftops slilently to one place: the shadow headquarters. The had left their building ten minutes ago and were preparing to get into action. Deepsqueak was not with them though. He had gone to the Canterlot Guard building to get the guards for the last part of the plan. Hopefully, he'd take enough time to let the ponyhood fulfill their job in time. Serena was going behind High Mane, who apparently wasn't as good as the others in the rooftops. Maybe it was because he had not needed to move much while in the shadow ponyhood? Serena wasn't sure. She moved suiwftly even though she had never been on rooftops before. She knew how to move on such an environment thanks that she had been practicing moving fast on obstacle-covered places. Some minutes later they were looking at the dark building that was their destination. There were many ponies taking guard all around. In the street and in the adjacent buildings. Why that was so protected, nopony knew. Hightip turned to Serena and nodded... the signal for her to make her part. She nodded slowly as her heat began to race. She got off the building she was on and walked slowly in the cover of shadows until she was facing the main entrance. The building was pretty much like on of the government offices in Upper Canterlot, only darker and decayed. Serena noticed some of Time Keeper's own ponies that he had sent to help Shadow. She knew they'd recognize her. If they knew she was betraying them... she wasn't sure. Time Keeper was a very resourceful pony, and he probably already knew of her betrayal. She breathed slowly, trying to calm herself and she walked into the faint light of the moon on the street in front of the main entrance. The ponies there saw her and turned still. She noticed that each one of them was carrying one small gun. She gulped and approached. One of the ponies walked in front of the others and looked at Serena. "Serena Skye... We were not expecting you here." he said. Serena nodded. "I don't you were. I come here under orders of Time Keeper. I need to enter." she said with authority. Those ponies were behind her technically. She had authority over them. He shrugged. "I'm afraid I can't let you. We have strict orders not to let anypony..." he saw cut off short by Serena's rapid punch. He landed hard on his back. "And I have strict orders myself." She said without any hint of emotion in her face. The ponies were lifting their guns towards Serena. The fallen guard stood up and turned to Serena again angily. "How dare you!" he said, spitting the words out. "Actually, how dare YOU stop me." She pushed him back slightly with her hoof. "I have my orders, and my orders go over yours." she got close to his ear. "So let me in, or else..." she let the word hang in the air. They could think whatever they liked of what was the 'what else'. She was only trying to get as much attentin from the guards around. She was being succesful. The gards around had turned to look at the scene she was making. Many were approaching to see what the ruccus was about. The nack door was now cleared. She couldn't see if they entered, so she tried to make more time. "So?" she asked at the pony. The pony picked up its gun. "You'll pay for that." he said angrily as he lifted his gun towards her. Serena didn't moved nor flinched. "You know, I don't need your permission. I can just enter." she said, walking towards the door. The pony clicked the safety lock of the gun. "Don't you touch that door!" Seren stopped in front of the door and looked at him. "Then answer on Time Keeper." she said, openening the door. Everypony looked nervous at that ponies name. She smiled and entered, leaving behind many confused and surprised ponies...