The train sat quietly on the tracks, on the outskirts of the encroaching Everfree Forest. Treble, Rose and Ocean sat around the warm coals still in the furnace, eating their lunch. The food consisted of the dried snacks Cherry had given Treble and Rose, while Ocean supplied berries from bushes on the outskirts of the dark forest. The calm atmosphere relaxed the trio as they enjoyed each others company.
"Hey, Ocean," Treble began, "You've been around, right?"
"Yeah," the mare replied, "Why do you ask?"
"Well, Rose and I only just arrived here. Things are definitely different here than they should be. I was wondering if you could tell us about what has happened since Discord took over."
"I only know so much. Sure, you pick up a few things here and there, but not everything. I wish I could help you more."
"That's okay," Rose said kindly, "Why don't you tell us about your experiences. Every little bit counts."
"Sure. I was born twenty five years ago, in a small village called Fisherton, on Horseshoe Bay, opposite Baltimare. I was ten years old when the Guard arrived…"
Meanwhile
The group of rebels made their way down into the dark passageway. After moving down some stairs, they eventually came to a large wooden door. Standing guard was a brown stallion wearing a green tie.
"Well, if it isn't Cold Shoulder," the stallion said, a cheerful grin displayed on his face, "I was wondering when you'd be back. Oh, I see you brought some friends, too."
"Time Turner," Cold replied, sharing in the warm smile, "Been a while. You know, no matter how many times I see you, you never seem to change. How's Derpy? I hope she's well."
"Never better. We can talk more inside."
Turner opened the door, revealing a wide open space with monitors in the center. The atmosphere was akin to the tavern beneath Goodnight's hotel, as it was very jovial. The mare in question had left the group not long before, remarking that she only wanted to make sure the band was safe, as it would have been suspicious had she been gone for too long. Turner and Cold stood to the side, catching each other up on the various goings-on. From out of nowhere, a bright pink pony popped out from a chair in front of one of the monitors.
"Hey," she shouts, bouncing over to the two new arrivals, "I've never seen you before. That means you're new! Oh my gosh, this is so exciting! How silly of me, I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Pinkie Pie. What's yours?"
Nightchaser was the first to answer, "I'm Nightchaser, or Chase, if you prefer,"
"I'm Lightning Dust," Dusty replied, taking a step back, "Um...aren't you one of the commanders?"
"Oh, that," the bubbly pink mare said back, eyes shifting back and forth, as though making sure no one was listening, "That's my cover. Shhh, it's a secret. Don't tell Discord! Just because my friends are evil doesn't mean I am, you know. Hey, how 'bout I play you the welcome song! Here's your complementary cupcakes and apple cider!"
Out of nowhere, the crazy pony pulled out two cupcakes, freshly baked, and two mugs of cider, still warm from an invisible stove top. Dumbfounded, the two others grabbed their treats, sharing a glance.
Pinkie gasped loudly, and began to sing a loud song, accompanied by a strange machine that had trumpets sticking out, "Welcome welcome welcome~, a fine welcome to you~! Welcome welcome welcome~, I say 'how do you do?'~! Welcome welcome welcome~, I say 'hip-hip hooray'~! Welcome welcome welcome~, to our base today~! Wait for it...." out of an oven on the machine shot a blast of confetti, comically covering the surprised ponies, as well as the rest of the room behind them.
"Alright, Pinkie," Cold Shoulder said, putting a hoof on her shoulder, "That's quite enough of that. Don't you have something to report?"
"I almost forgot! Silly me. Yeah, to the south, two ponies were captured by Commander Applejack. Their names were Treble Clef and Roseluck."
Chase and Dusty shared a look of horror. Hopefully, they were okay. There was nothing either of them could do at the moment, and by the time they reached Appleoosa, they would probably be dead.
"However, a pony by the name of Ocean Breeze rescued them, and they escaped on one of the old trains. All in all, a victory for the Rebels. Poor AJ, though, Lord Discord isn't the type to take failure lightly. Welp, that's about all I can say. Oh my gosh! Look at the time," Pinkie looked at the non-existent watch on her fetlock, "I've gotta run! I'm expected in Las Pegasus to run a troop rally! Seeya!"
With that, the odd mare left, choosing to simply disintegrate into nothingness. After a few minutes of stunned silence, Chase and Dusty turned to Cold, who was standing there with a wide grin on his face.
"Don't let her get to you," he said, "That's just Pinkie being Pinkie. For her, it's normal to coalesce into and dissipate out of existence sometimes."
"Wait a second," Dusty exclaimed, "What was one of the commanders doing in the rebel base! I thought they were the enemy!"
"Calm down, Miss Dust, we're not bedfellows with that group of murderers. Pinkie Pie is undercover as one of the Chaos Guard. She boosts their morale, as well as ours, while giving us all the information on Discord's agenda. The Incident affected every one of her friends except for her."
"The Incident?" Chase said questioningly, "That's the second time I've heard about that."
"What do you mean, second time? Everypony knows about the Incident."
"Well, we just arrived in Equestria. Give us a break."
"Then where did you hear about it?"
"By a mare called Tangerine Delight, just before coming to Ponyville. She said she moved out into the Diamond Valley just afterwards."
Cold was visibly shaken up. Looking pleadingly at Chase, he asked a simple question, "Is she all right?"
"Is who all right?"
"Tangie! My wife! Is she okay?!?"
Chase moved forward slowly, helping Cold regain his balance. "She's your wife? You mean, you're that Cold?" said Chase, his voice slowly becoming louder, "You know, she's worried about you! What happened to you after being enslaved? Why haven't you contacted her? And what is this Incident? You had better tell us everything!"
"Yes, very well," Cold said, "Five years ago…"
15 years ago, Fisherton
(Ocean)
The bright sky shone over the small, peaceful town of Fisherton. The town, being located in a remote area of Equestria, was closed off from the rest of the world by Horseshoe Bay on one side and the Hayseed Swamps on the other. The fishing village was quiet. Too quiet for the ocean blue filly's liking. It was times like this that made the girl wish for something interesting to happen. Ocean Breeze sat on the small dock overlooking the sea, watching the little fish swim by lazily as the fishing boat in the distance caught it's payload. While unusual for ponies to eat fish, the town had no other real way of surviving, as the swamps to the west were too thick to provide anything of sustenance, and the ground lacked the necessary nutrients needed for farming.
The sea had always fascinated Ocean, with its ability to support a huge variety of fish and other animals. She knew everything about the subject, as displayed by her oceanology cutie mark. Quietly, a dark form snuck closer and closer to the unsuspecting filly. Suddenly, the form reached out and began tickling poor Ocean. Laughing hysterically, she didn't notice she was getting dangerously close to the edge. With a tremendous splash, she landed hard in the water. Unfortunately, preoccupied with her laughter, she took in a mouthful of salty seawater. Coughing and spluttering, she thrashed about, trying to orient herself in the water, and failing. Thinking quickly, the form grabbed a flotation device and threw it, catching the struggling filly and helping her regain her composure.
"*Cough cough* Stormy!" shouted Ocean to her brother, a dark blue stallion with a storm cloud grey mane, "You meanie! How could you?"
"Calm down, Ocean," replied Stormy Waters, "It was all in good fun. Heh heh, except that last part. You're all right, though, aren't you? Suck it up!"
"How would you like it if I tickled you into the water, and you almost drowned!"
"Oh, so you want to see if you can get the drop on me, huh?"
"Yeah, I do!" Ocean retorted, sticking out her tongue.
Stormy shook his head as he dragged his little sister back to shore. As soon as she was on dry land, she tackled him, returning the tickles tenfold. Eventually she stopped, and helped him stand. Panting, the two siblings grinned.
"Come on, Mom's waiting for us," said Stormy, ushering Ocean towards the rest of the village.
Walking up to a small thatched-roof cottage, he opened the door. Out of the house came the sweet aroma of seaweed and the oily smell of cooking fish. Breathing in the wonderful fumes, the pair entered, finding a small wooden table all set with food and drinks. From the kitchen came their mother, Summer Sun, a mare the color of a sunny summer day.
"Oh, Ocean!" she exclaimed, "You're soaking wet! Come, let's get you dried off before you eat."
Taking her daughter into the laundry room, Summer grabbed a towel and began rubbing Ocean dry. Once she was certain she was dry, the caring mother led her daughter back into the room. Sitting down at the table, the mother and children began eating the delicious food. After finishing, they all breathed a happy sigh. Nothing could ruin the perfect day. Or so they thought. Without warning, there was a huge explosion from the bay. Scrambling, the family rushed outside to see what was happening. Out of the sky came a pegasus stallion, his dark purple and gold armor glistening in the sunlight.
"I am Commander Typhoon of the Chaos Guard," he stated loudly, "By the decree of Lord Discord, you are to be charged ten thousand bits per adult and five thousand per child! If you cannot pay, then you are to be executed on the spot for high treason!"
"We don't have any money," cried a stallion, "Why choose now to arrive?"
"Silence!" roared the commander, "Since you cannot pay, then you are all hereby labeled rebels, and your town is to be razed to the ground!" Rising into the sky, Typhoon turned towards his men, "Open fire! Leave nothing standing!"
On his orders, the rest of the squad began to release explosives, raining them upon the villagers.
"Listen carefully, you two," Summer said, turning to face her children, her voice hollow and her eyes filled with tears, "Run. Run as far away as you can, and don't look back. Can you promise me that?" The two of them nodded sadly. "All right, the-aaaah!"
Behind the mare, a bomb exploded, fatally crippling her and singeing off her tail. Ocean and Stormy watched the whole thing fearfully. Stormy turned around. Ocean, however, ran to her mother.
"Go, little one," Summer said, her voice failing her, "As long as you can get away, I can rest easy. Remember, I'll always be with you. No matter what. As long as the sun still burns, I'll be with you."
With those last words, the mare died, a smile creasing her mouth. Ocean began to cry. Quickly, her brother herded her away from their mother's lifeless body.
"Come on, Ocean," he said, "Mom wanted us to go. Come on."
Taking one last longing look towards the now burning village, the pair plunged into the swamplands, never to return home again.
5 Years Ago, Ponyville, Day of the Incident
(Cold Shoulder)
It was late afternoon in Ponyville. The Guard building was still a bustling center of activity. The townsponies were trotting to and fro. Throughout the day, the patrols wandered the streets, making sure there was no rebel activity. Near the town hall stood the Ponyville Police Station, a small building that housed those that broke the law but weren't important enough for the Guard to care about. Running the station, the police chief, who was also the only police pony in Ponyville, Sheriff Cold Shoulder made sure that they spent the necessary amount of time right where they belonged, in prison. However, he was about to close up for the night. Exiting and locking the door, he made his way back to his home near the Carousel Boutique. Arriving at his destination, he entered.
"Tangie!" he shouted, "I'm home!"
"Cold, dear," came Tangerine's voice, "Come in, I made dinner."
Trotting into the dining room, Cold looked at the small dinner. It consisted of bread, a salad, and some cheese.
"Looks lovely," he commented, "How was your day?"
"Fine. I did some cleaning and made dinner. That's pretty much my day. How about yours?"
"Boring. The Guard takes most of the inmates that I make the effort to catch. Hopefully my job request is granted, because then we can finally make enough money to raise our family."
Both Cold and his wife settled down to eat their meals, all the while making small talk. When they had finished, they went into the living room to read. Making themselves comfortable, the couple began to enjoy their books. Out of nowhere, a huge vibration could be felt, running through the two unicorn's horns. It had the characteristic tingle of chaos magic. Scrambling, Cold ran to one of their windows overlooking the old Boutique. What he saw amazed him. Where once stood a building now lay a pile of rubble. Visible within the dust was a shimmering portal surrounded by unconscious ponies that weren't there before.
Racing out the door, Cold noticed something that made his blood run cold. There, standing before the ruins, stood the King of Chaos himself. Lord Discord's commanding presence caused the sheriff to become paralyzed. Laughing insanely, the Mad King began striding towards one of the concussed ponies, a lavendar mare with a dark purple mane with a light purple and pink stripe down the middle. As soon as it had begun, the Lord had ceased his laughter, instead opting to stroke the mare's mane. The pony opened her eyes, staring into the face of the ruler of Equestria.
"Where am I?" asked the mare, "Who are you?"
"My dear Twilight Sparkle," Discord began, "You're in Ponyville. C'mon, don't you remember your old master? Oh dear, oh dear, it seems you have lost your memories. Not to worry, my dear, I'll take care of you. Why don't you be a good girl, and go wait in the chariot for me. Thank you."
The mare, whose name was apparently Twilight, nodded her head. Looking around, she spied a golden chariot in the shape of Discord's head. Curiously, she moved towards it. Once inside, she sat down, seemingly wondering about what had happened to her. Meanwhile, Discord moved methodically around, one by one waking unconscious ponies, whose memories had been erased by the large explosion of chaos magic, and convincing them to take his side. As he did this, the portal that had spat them all up kept churning out ponies, who were systematically taken by the Chaos Guard and thrown into their custody. After the last pony arrived, the portal closed, collapsing in on itself.
After all was finished, Discord made an announcement, his voice amplified by his magic, "These select few, these elite soldiers of the Chaos Guard, were, are, and always will be your leaders. Now, sleep. Sleep, and their existence shall be etched into your memories."
As he heard it, Cold suddenly felt very tired. He returned to his home, and, as if in a trance, went upstairs, got into bed, and went to sleep.
10 Years Ago, Baltimare
(Ocean Breeze)
Five years had passed since the destruction of Fisherton. Since that day, Ocean Breeze and Stormy Waters had survived within the depths of the Hayseed Swamps, hiding from the Chaos Guard and avoiding the rest of the Empire. However, the swamplands were gradually intruded upon, flushing the two fugitives out and into the grimy streets and back alleys of Baltimare, where those that were unable to pay the high price of living were exiled to. Since arriving, the siblings had been forced to live off the leftovers of the Guard and the remaining citizens, scrounging for scraps and small change. Sometimes, those ponies with enough money to still be called nobles, came into these dirty areas simply to look upon the squalor the poor ponies had to live in.
Today, however, was different. One of the residents had found a box full of jewelery that had been tossed for some reason into one of the alley dumpsters. In a rare moment of generosity, he had distributed some of the pricey artifacts to the others in his street, still keeping most of the quarry to himself. Ocean and Stormy both received a small bit of this fortune, as luck would have it, and had decided on selling it to a local jewelery store for a rather substantial sum. The bell above the door tinkled their arrival. The cashier looked up from her newspaper and walked up to the counter.
"Excuse me," Stormy began, "We'd like to sell some jewelery."
"Okay, please place it on the counter, if you would," she said.
Reaching up, Stormy placed his and Ocean's valuables on the counter. Slowly pulling his hoof away, the siblings waited while the jeweler looked over the items. As they watched, the cashier's face went from a smile to a pensive frown. Looking between the relatives and the precious objects, her frown increased. Glancing between each other, the brother and sister silently agreed to back out of the store. Halfway to the door, Ocean bumped into something solid. Peering cautiously backwards, she saw the large, dark form of a Chaos Guard.
"Where are you two off to in such a hurry?" said the soldier.
"We were just...um...," Ocean said hesitantly, "We're...uh...late for something."
"They brought these in," the mare behind the counter spoke up, "I found something interesting."
Walking up to the counter, the Guard pony leaned over, while the mare whispered something in his ear. Turning slowly, the stallion faced the pair.
"I'd like you two to come with me, please," he said, glaring at them, paralyzing them, "There's something we need to talk about back at the station."
Ocean and Stormy shared one last look before the Chaos Guard member dragged the two of them away.
The facility was dark, probably too dark for the young mare. Why had she been thrown in here? Why didn't her brother come find her? Where was she? These thoughts and more flashed through her mind. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she found herself stuck in a bird cage. Looking to her left, she noticed a pegasus who was in the same predicament as her. The winged pony lifted his head to watch her try to orient herself in the prison. Then, he spoke.
"Well well well, the filly awakens. What's your name, girl."
"I-I'm Ocean Breeze. Where am I? How did I get here? Where's my brother?"
"Slow down, please. First of all, you're in the Baltimare Federal Penitentiary, which is now the Horseshoe Bay Chaos Guard Relay Station. Second, you were thrown in here while a stallion screamed your name. I assume that answers the third question."
"Wh-what? I'm in jail? I didn't do anything wrong. We just wanted to make some money! The Guard can't do that! HEY, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! I'M INNOCENT!!!"
"Hush!" the stallion warned, his voice filled with anger. It then turned gentle, "Don't worry, I'm going to get us out of here. I've been here for a while now, and I think I found a weak point in the so-called escape-proof cells. Observe."
Flying upwards, he positioned himself near the locking mechanism. Turning around, he slammed his hind hooves hard into the door of the cage. With a loud noise, the bar holding the prison cell closed snapped, burying itself into the opposite wall. Moving quickly, the stallion rushed over to Ocean's cage and opened the door.
"Quietly now, the guards are surely on their way," the mysterious stallion whispered, ushering the mare through the entrance, "Once we make it outside, let's make a run for it. Whatever you do, don't stop or look back until you escape the city. Understand?"
Nodding, she followed him down the narrow hallway. Turning the corner, they spotted their exit. However, just as they thought they were home free, a Chaos Guard leaped in front of the double doors.
"Halt!" shouted the Guard, "Or I will be forced to kill you!"
"Ocean, remember what I told you!" the mystery stallion called out, "Don't look back, and don't stop! I'll hold him here!"
Ocean bobbed her head in acknowledgement. She watched as he tackled the Guard, pinning him down. She took that moment to break through the doors, and took off at full speed down the street. Following the stallion's instructions, not once did she look behind her. Charging forward, she eventually made it to the city limits. Only when she was certain she was out of sight of the city did she stop. After catching her breath, she wandered farther and farther away from Baltimare, tired, sad, and, for the first time in her life, truly alone.
3 Years Ago, Canterlot
(Cold Shoulder)
Cold Shoulder had been promoted shortly after the Incident. He was noted as "doing a great service" on that day. He, however, had some reservations about what exactly he did. Nevertheless, he and his wife were elated. He had been asked to become a personal guard to Lord Discord himself. So, after moving to Diamond Valley to get away from Ponyville, packing up and leaving his wife behind, Cold went to train himself. Two years later, he found himself standing guard within Canterlot Castle. Standing in the warped hallway was definitely a strange sensation, but he eventually got used to it.
Today had started out so well. Now, he was looking at having his rank stripped and at risk of being thrown into the Crystal Caverns to dig his way into the fabled lost city of wonders, the Crystal Empire. He thought back on what had transpired to make his future seem so bleak.
It was dark when he awoke. Of course it was dark. Lord Discord relied on the Chaos Guards to cause his havoc around Equestria. However, here within Canterlot, he had made a bubble of chaos magic that warped reality to suit his needs. This caused the cycle of day and night to act erratically, and this caused Cold some discomfort and confusion. Eventually, though, he got used to it, and now it really didn't bother him at all.
Sliding out of bed, he glanced at his clock, reading seven o'clock in the morning. Giving a sigh, he gathered his armor and put it on. The red and gold Discord Guard armor fit snugly, but not uncomfortably, around his barrel. On his head, the helm, which held the Crest of Chaos above the head, fitted like a glove. His boots, which had elaborate designs on the soles, clopped loudly upon the marble floor as he made his way to the breakfast room. Inside, his colleague, Rock Solid was making his coffee, smiling smugly to himself.
"Hey, Rock," Cold called out as he began getting his meal together, "What's so great?"
"It's nothing," Rock replied, "Just thinking about something. So, how is your wife and foal?"
"I...don't know. I...haven't heard from them in a while. I've never even seen my daughter. I hear she's adorable, though. You have a family, right? Hear from them often?"
"Yeah. Just yesterday, my son sent me a picture of his old man in Discord's Guard. Like to see?" Rock Solid pulled out a crude drawing of him in his armor, heroically blocking dragonfire with the shield he didn't really have, saving Discord from being severely injured.
"He does know we're just for show right?" Cold said sarcastically, "Lord Discord is strong enough to protect himself. Besides, the only reason we're here at all is because we wanted the prestige that comes with it. I just wanted the honor of being his direct subordinate without having to go through the system and become like General Shining."
"Heh. True enough. Oh, look at the time. We're off to stand for four hours before lunch. Come on."
Four hours later, and Cold's hooves hurt from standing. Unfortunately for him, however, he had standing orders to go and check on the prisoners. While not usually his job, as they had their own guards, there was an unwelcome situation in the Crystal Caverns that needed his attention. Marching down the stairs, he eventually came upon the entrance to the caverns. Listening carefully, Cold could hear the faint sound of whimpering. Trotting down the hall, he watched as the chocolate walls turned to steel and finally into crystals. At the large portal into the mining grounds, he passed through a pulsing wall of dark-colored chaos magic, signaling the end of Discord's bubble.
The ledge in front of Cold overlooked the rest of the cave. Down below, the Guards were subduing the prisoners, linking them up to their carts. Moving down the dug out ramp that lead to the main floor, he approached the head jailer, Hard Time.
"What happened?" Cold asked.
"Well," Hard replied, "One of the detainees managed to rush one of my men. That emboldened the others to try a revolt. Nothing we couldn't handle."
"Do you mind if I see this prisoner?"
"No, of course not. But you're not going to get much out of him. He's in here because of his high rank in the rebel army we crushed three years ago."
"I won't be long."
Cold wandered over to a large crystal cage. Inside, a brown stallion wearing a green tie was sitting on a bench. Across from him sat a wall-eyed gray mare, who stared half at the stallion and half at Cold.
"You're the attacker, aren't you?" Cold asked.
"Yes, I am," he replied, "My name's Time Turner, and this is Derpy Hooves. What can I help you with? I've never seen you before."
"I'm a member of Discord's Guard. I just wanted to see you, nothing more, nothing less. I heard you were with the Ponyville rebels, the ones arrested at the scene of the Incident. I was there, as a police pony. I saw the destruction, but I don't think you caused it. Just before the explosion, I felt chaos magic."
"Of course. That was Discord. That building was blown up by him, in order to stop the influx of ponies that would have surely disrupted any plan to keep others like you under his tyrannical rule."
"Discord, a tyrant?" Cold laughed, "You've got to be kidding me."
"It's true," Time answered, as Cold turned to leave, "If you don't believe me, then look into it yourself. We're only here because you don't realize the truth!"
By this time, however, Cold Shoulder was out of earshot. He returned to the passageway only to find his path blocked by a group of guards. Looking behind himself, he found himself surrounded.
"What's going on?" he said questioningly.
"Cold Shoulder," one of the stallions answered, "You are now under arrest for conspiring with a known rebel."
"Conspiring? What do you mean?"
"No questions. You are now dead to rights. Give yourself up, or force will be used."
Bewildered, Cold Shoulder sat down and quietly waited for his inevitable arrest.
So, that's what had happened. Sighing quietly, he stared out of his cell into the dark hallway. All he wanted to do was to see who the prisoner was. Why didn't anyone believe him? He told them the honest truth, but they wouldn't have any of it. They said that the inmate never talks to anypony, let alone a member of the Chaos Guard, and he spoke to Cold. All that meant to them was that he was the enemy. Feeling the weight of the events that transpired sat on his eyelids. Yawning, he fell into a fitful sleep.
5 Years Ago, Van Hoover, Day of the Incident
(Ocean Breeze)
It's been five years since Ocean Breeze had escaped Baltimare. Alone and afraid, she wandered the Empire aimlessly, stumbling through the remains of small towns and villages. Eventually, though, she entered the town of Dodge Junction, meeting the kind soul of Cherry Jubilee, who she asked to help point her to the farthest place away from Baltimare. Cherry explained that the farthest city she knew of was Vanhoover, all the way on the west coast. Pulling out a map, she pointed out Ocean's next destination. After thanking the kind mare, she left town. Once again traveling thorough the country, she met many different ponies, some good, some bad. Sometimes she was forced to run away from the Chaos Guard, and sometimes she made the acquaintance of a pony that would label themselves as rebels. Ocean knew, however, that hanging with such ponies for more than a few days was an invitation to trouble.
Finally, she reached her destination, the city of Vanhoover. The setting sun lit the buildings in hues of red and gold, giving the metropolis the impression of being gilded. The high reaching towers gave her little warmth, though, for she knew of the dark recesses of it's bright facade all too well. After searching, she eventually received a job as a waitress at a local bar. After she made enough money, she found a place of her own, a small apartment not far from the tavern. The remaining three and a half years were somewhat uneventful, and she settled into an enjoyable routine. Unfortunately, her relatively peaceful life would come to a sudden end, when she found a reason to leave on her journey once more.
"Ocean Breeze!" screamed her boss, Bar Tap, "Three hard apple ciders for table thirteen! Get moving!"
Picking up the drinks, Ocean carried them over to the table. Putting them down, she smiled, and walked away. This was her first job, and already she'd served more Chaos Guards than she would have liked. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the only other job that would have hired her without any education would be becoming a call mare, something she hated the thought of doing. After all, why should a pretty girl like her give out sexual favors to strange stallions she didn't know?
Moving swiftly between the tables, she collected the tips from other patrons she serviced. While she was doing this, she looked towards the clock, and noticed that she was on her last table for the day. Working the day shift meant that she could avoid the strange crowds that came out at night. It was safer to go home to sleep anyways, as the darkness also brought out the less upstanding members of society. Having lived in a city before, she knew all too well the dangers associated with the characters after dark, having had to be protected by her brother on more than one occasion.
Just thinking about Stormy made Ocean tear up. However much she hated crying, she knew it was the easiest way to get herself calmed down in this crapsack world she called home. The mystery of what had happened to him still tugged at the back of her mind. Just what had happened that day? What had the jeweler said that had made the Guard pony arrest her and her brother? These questions floated around in her mind, giving her a pause. Snapping herself out of it, she wandered into the kitchen. There, standing by the grill, making hay fries, was Bar Tap. The slightly obese stallion was hard at work, his greasy brown mane flopping into his eyes. His greyish coat was wet with sweat, making him appear to glisten in the dim light.
"Finish up your table," said he, "We'll start early in the morning, so make sure you're on time. No more late starts, got it?"
"Yeah, sure," Ocean replied, "Can't you just let that go? It was one time!"
"No, I can't. Go on, your table's empty."
Glancing out the window where she picked up orders, she noticed that Bar was right. How does he do that? she thought, he didn't even look! Shaking her head, she dismissed the question. Moving back into the dining room, she made her way back. Picking up the bill, she looked to count the tip they left. Grunting, she was furious to find that they didn't leave her one. The one thing she couldn't stand was when her patrons never left her a tip. Stalking over to the counter, she placed the money inside the register. Before she left, she was stopped one last time by Bar Tap.
"I almost forgot," he said, "Here's your paycheck. Don't spend it all in one place, you hear?"
Nodding, Ocean exited the glass doors. While her life could be better, she at least had a place to stay and call home, even if she had to stoop low enough to serve the Chaos Guard every day. That wasn't to say that she hadn't met good Guard ponies, but they were few and far between.
As she made her way down the street, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise a little. Suddenly, an odd shiver coursed through her body, starting at the frogs of her hooves and traveling upwards through the top of her head. Pausing in the street, she gazed southeast towards Canterlot. She had the strangest feeling that something was wrong, but she didn't know exactly what it was. Then, it hit her. While she may have been an earth pony, she knew what this was. This particular feeling was one that she remembered feeling before. Chaos magic. The last time she felt this effect was in Baltimare, and before that, when her village was destroyed.
Forgetting what she was just about to do, she felt pulled towards the epicenter of the surge. Ignoring the world around her, she was entranced, moving forward slowly. To the outside observer, it looked as though she had been possessed. Loudly, and without warning, a voice sounded boomingly overhead.
"These select few, these elite soldiers of the Chaos Guard, were, are, and always will be your leaders," the voice, clearly Lord Discord's, said, "Now sleep. Sleep, and their existence shall be etched into your memories."
Unsteadily, Ocean snapped out of her daze. Wobbling a bit, she looked around as the ponies of the night collapsed, sound asleep. Shaking, she continued her advance, seemingly less affected by the memory and sleep spells than others. Slowly but surely, she felt her legs turn to lead and her eyelids become heavy. Finally, she, too, blacked out, lying in the street, just feet away from the outskirts of the city.
1 Year Ago, Crystal Caverns Beneath Canterlot
(Cold Shoulder)
Two years after his arrest and subsequent trial, Cold Shoulder found himself tied to a cart, beaten, and forced into a life very different than the comfortable existence he had enjoyed for the previous two years. In his time having been incarcerated and forced to work as a slave, he had come to learn much from Time Turner, the rebel stallion he had been arrested for talking to. He learned of prisoners who had been spirited away, never to be seen or heard from again. Since they had been brought to the Crystal Caverns, the reports had been coming in on a regular basis. According to the rumors, before the Incident this strange phenomenon hadn't happened. Some speculated that the two were interconnected, while others hadn't taken stock in rumors.
It was on one of these so called "schedules," that Cold learned the truth behind the disappearances.
"Get up!" screamed Vice Warden Jailhouse, "Fall in for roll call!"
Cold Shoulder woke with a start and found himself rushed out of bed. Mornings were always a problem for the inmates, mostly because the jailers were all rather rough. They didn't like sluggishness, and they made sure to make it well known. Today was no different. One of the prisoners, a grey, yellow and brown pegasus stallion newcomer named Thunderclap, had made the rookie mistake, and would undoubtedly never lay in bed too long again.
"Newbie!" one of the other guards called, "You are to be up when we tell you! Get your ass in gear!"
Thunder only nodded, too frightened to say anything. He scrambled to his feet from where he fell, getting into line. Shaken, he looked at his hooves.
"All right, ladies!" the Vice Warden shouted, "Remember, no talking! One word or complaint, and you'll feel the whips! Get moving!"
With that, Jailhouse turned around. As he stood there, the whole line of detainees shuffled to their positions without protest. Some were linked to carts, some where sent to blast through the crystals, and some gathered them and put them in the carts. It was Cold's turn to gather crystals with Time and Thunderclap. The three of them worked for hours, collecting many shards and sharing meaningful glances.
Thunder may have been a newcomer, but he was definitely not stupid. According to himself, he was a member of the rebel faction. He had shown up to take stock of the situation. The fear he had shown earlier had been a facade, and a very effective one at that. Time knew Thunder from sometime before the Incident, though he had never really mentioned where he knew him from. When Thunder had arrived, he and Time spent the first night sharing memories and going over the movements of the rebel armies. Thunder had noted that they had a mysterious helper, who was clad in Chaos Guard armor. The reports of such a pony were unproven thus far, and had been only rumor.
When lunchtime rolled around, the three friends gathered together, out of earshot of the Guards. The lunch only consisted of slices of bread and small bowls of water, but they made the most of it.
"Today's the day," Thunder said, "I wonder who the victims of the spirits will be today?"
"Come on," Time said, smiling, "You know those events are just a rumor, right? There's no such things as spirits."
"Well," Cold put in, "What happened to Quartz Crystal and Bright Shine? I haven't seen them for days. I overheard the guards talking. They said that they have no idea about where they went either. It's curious. What happened to them? Clearly, there might be something to these events. After all, rumors have to come from somewhere."
"Yeah," answered Thunder, "Ever think of that, Time?"
"Of course I have," Time Turner said, sounding slightly offended, "However, there has to be a logical explanation for this. You know, like somepony is actually trying to help us out here. Maybe they've come to save us."
"Uh huh, right," Thunder retorted sarcastically, "And my wings are for show only. Nopony is searching for us. You know that. Giving false hope like that is never going to change things."
"Um," said Cold questioningly, "Did you get yourself caught with no way to escape? You came here to observe, right? You have a team for extraction, right?"
"Well, we...uh...I...didn't think I'd get this far, really," Thunderclap chuckled, embarrassed, "I suppose I forgot about that."
Cold stared intensely at Thunder, who backed away slowly. Maybe the pegasus wasn't there simply to take stock of the situation. Still, the three friends were on to something, they could feel it.
"Very interesting, Captain Thunder," came a voice, "You came in...without a plan. Teeheehee, that's funny."
Cold, Thunder, and Time nodded at the source, a pink pony in Earth Guard armor, and turned back to continue their conversation. Just as quickly, they made a double-take. Thunder, who had just taken a sip from his drink, make a spit-take straight into the pony's face. She sat there, smiling broadly, her mane dripping water onto the cold crystal floor.
"Who are you," Cold exclaimed, "And where did you come from?"
"I'm Pinkie Pie," the mysterious pony answered, "I'm here to save you. More specifically, I came to take you out of here and into our little hideout. Trust me, it'll be fun!"
Glancing between themselves, the three comrades slowly followed Pinkie around a corner and down a small hole concealed behind some loose crystals. Warily, they kept following the mare until they reached the edge of the crystals and began crawling through the dirt and into a large cavern.
"There, all safe," Pinkie said with finality, "They'll never find us in here! So, anyway, you all look rather surprised. Should I take that as a good thing, or a bad thing?"
"Aren't you with the Chaos Guard?" asked Cold, "I know you! You must be the famous Commander Pinkie Pie!"
"Yep, that's me! The one and only. You must be former Captain Cold Shoulder of the Discord Guard. I've heard so much about you," she turned to Time Turner, "It's been a long time, Doctor! So nice to see you again!" she faced Thunderclap, "And finally, we have the famous Thunderclap. I heard you helped destroy three different Chaos Factories! It's soooo cool to meet you. Same for the two of you. Am I moving too fast? Twilight always says I move too fast. Really, though, it's the author's fault."
"What author?" asked Time, bewildered.
"The author writing this story, silly! Don't worry though, all will be explained in due time. I hope," said Pinkie, looking towards the ceiling, as though there were a window only she could see through.
"Before we get too comfortable," said Time urgently, "We need to go and save my friend!"
"Your friend?" Pinkie asked, "I thought these were your friends."
"There's one more. Her name is Derpy, and I won't leave without her!"
"I'm up here," said a voice from the ceiling, "I got stuck, and I can't get down!"
Looking up at the corner of the room, out of Pinkie's view, the four ponies noticed a wall-eyed grey mare with her rump stuck in a small dent where the roof met the wall.
"Derpy!" Time exclaimed, "How'd you get there?"
"Well, I was just on my way to get lunch, when I bumped into the wall near that hole. I sorta tumbled down here, and caused some crystals to fall from the ceiling and disguise the doorway. After that, I tried to get my bearings, but you know I have navigational difficulties, and I ran into the wall, and here I am," Derpy explained quickly, smiling sheepishly when she was done.
"Well, fancy that," Time said with surprise, "Just one more victory for the bubbly buns of steel! Whoo!"
The entire room looked at the stallion oddly. Slowly, his joyful yell became uncomfortable. At that point, he looked to the ground in embarrassment. The whole room laughed at his shamed expression.
"Well, this is great!" Pinkie said animatedly, "Looks like everyone is here! All right," she continued, becoming suddenly serious, "All right, let's get some rest and give you real food. After that, I'll show you all the way out. Go see my colleagues, who should be nearby. There, they will assign you your positions and posts. Cold Shoulder, they already know about your prior service to Discord. You may get an increased standing seeing as you probably know more about the Chaos Guard maneuvers than most other rebels."
"What about you?" asked Cold.
"Me? I'm supposedly a loyal member of the Guard, so I'm not always around. You, on the other hoof, are not."
"Since I'm getting out, do you think I can see my family?"
"No. That would just endanger their lives. You're a rebel now, and their families are usually executed if a connection is known."
"Oh," said Cold dejectedly, "I just want to see my precious daughter."
"The Guard doesn't care. Just trust me on this one, okay?"
Cold Shoulder didn't say another word, and began eating the food on the table. He thought fondly about his wife and daughter, hoping that, when peace had returned, he'd be with his little girl, the same one whom he hadn't met yet. It was certainly going to be a long time until then.
One Day Ago, Ghastly Gorge
(Ocean Breeze)
After giving her notice and quitting her job, Ocean Breeze made her way across Equestria for five more years, stopping in many towns across the land. She first traveled to Ponyville, where she was sure that she felt the chaos magic blast. There, she found the scorched remains of a building with the all to familiar feeling of Discord's power. A complication with the Chaos Guards unfortunately forced her to clear out of the town. Sustaining a few small injuries, she wandered to the southwest, eventually reaching the city of Las Pegasus, which was famous for its casinos. However, Ocean had become wary of large cities, knowing they had too many untrustworthy ponies living in them, so she quickly bought some supplies and left. Eventually, she wound up in the growing town of Phoenix, near Ghastly Gorge. There she stayed for a couple years, living off the money she made in Van Hoover.
On the anniversary of her mother's death, she left the town, feeling that she had stayed for longer than she was comfortable.
The wide chasm of Ghastly Gorge yawned before her. She had heard of a pony that lived in solitude at the bottom of the ravine. While such rumors were not necessarily founded, she had it on a rather good authority that it was true. Phoenix may have been a small town in the San Palomino Desert, but it hid its dark side very well. While she was very perceptive, it still took her two years to figure it out. The Chaos Guard in the town was corrupt, or at least more so than normal, and during the night, gangs could be seen making deals and committing crimes. She left the place out of fear for her life.
Sliding down the steep walls, Ocean Breeze glanced around herself. The morning sunlight became shrouded in mist, and her visibility dropped. Trotting down the narrow floor of the gorge, she swept her head left and right, making sure she hadn't missed anything. Above her, the quarray eels slept soundly in their nests, not yet awakened by the dawn light. She continued to wander through the canyon, carrying on her search for this mysterious pony.
Ahead of her lay the hardest obstacle to pass, the bramble bushes. The spiked branches criss-crossed each other, creating a thorny wall between Ocean and the other side. Glancing about for a way by, she spotted a hole bored straight through the rocks next to the bushes. Smiling to herself, she trotted over to the hole. Inside, she could see the exposed roots of the plants sprouting out of the walls. Some stretched across the tunnel, clearly marking the fact that it hadn't been used for quite a while. Frowning slightly, she made her way forward, eating through the exposed lattice. Eventually, she reached the other side. Looking back, she was glad she didn't have to traverse the dangerous landscape.
Continuing on her way, she noticed the beginnings of a river. Sighing, she began walking along the water's edge, making slow progress. Unfortunately, the space before her got narrower. While most ponies would have turned around in situations like this, Ocean was born near the water. She had grown up swimming, and it was something she excelled at. Hopping into the water with a splash, she continued forwards, never giving up on looking for the possibly non-existent occupant. As she swam, it became less and less likely that the rumors were true. After an exhausting journey, she finally made it to the opposite side.
Above the mare was the tracks for the trains that used to run, while to her right was another hole. This one, in contrast with the last, had signs of life. Smiling proudly once again, she walked up to the small cave. Peering inside, her heart fell. Where she expected to find a living pony, she instead found the corpse of a pegasus mare, freshly dead from starvation. The body showed signs of injury, the left wing having been torn to shreds, most likely due to the bramble bushes. The mare must have been living here all alone for weeks, barely getting by. It was not uncommon for ponies to be ousted from their homes by the Chaos Guard, only to die in some forsaken area. This one clearly had fared no better. Sadly, Ocean dragged the body out of the cave, where she began using a shovel she found in the cave to dig a hole into the ground. Luckily, she had chosen a spot far enough away from the shoreline that water did not fill up the grave. Placing the pegasus in the grave, she filled it back up, saying a small prayer for the safe journey to Elysium, the part of Tartarus where ponies that were pure of heart ended up.
Sniffling, she turned away. Glancing around, she found there was only one way up, and that was through climbing a steep incline. It was clear to Ocean that, even when she was alive, the mare would not have been able to climb out of the ravine. Ocean, however, was still strong. Taking one last look at the makeshift burial site, she began climbing. After a long, excruciating hike, she made it to the top. Once she caught her breath, she checked her saddlebags for some food. Rifling through the pouches, she could find nothing to eat. What was she thinking? She had forgotten to buy food before leaving in a rush. Silently cursing, she continued on her way.
Wandering along the tracks, she wound her way onwards, heading for a town she knew of. Grinning to herself, Ocean broke into a gallop. If she moved fast enough, she would reach Dodge Junction in no time. She didn't quite know exactly how far it was, but she knew that Cherry Jubilee would be there, waiting for her to come back as she had promised she would. Not watching where she was going, she ran into a large and soft body. She bounced off, landing in a heap upon the ground. Shaking her head, she raised it, staring straight into the sharp eyes of a giant red weasel. The huge animal had red fur on its back and a white underbelly. In its left paw was a huge scythe. While Ocean wasn't an expert on land animals, she had heard about these giants. The claims had started just after the Incident, and no one knew of where it came from. Until five years ago, no such animal had existed in Equestria before. It was as if the creature had simply appeared out of nowhere.
The Scythe Weasel, as it had been dubbed, stared at her for a few seconds before lunging. Ocean dodged to the left as the weasel swung its huge scythe, barely grazing her. She retaliated by giving its head a whack. By that time though, it was already too late. Before she noticed, the creature slashed her in the side. Screaming in agony, she collapsed upon the ground, where she writhed in pain. Suddenly, the weasel ran off after hearing the sounds of a train in the distance. Before she could lift her head, Ocean blacked out.
One month ago, Ponyville
(Cold Shoulder)
After escaping thanks to Pinkie, Time Turner, Derpy Hooves, and Cold Shoulder were separated from Thunderclap, who went back to his old post. Cold had been set as one of the commanding officers due to his knowledge of the inner workings of the Chaos Guard. Time and Derpy were assigned together to work under him, and to be his advisers. Several months had passed, and Cold decided he needed to freshen up a bit on the language of the Guard, as he had been separated from them for a while. One day, he came up to Time with his plan.
"So," Cold finished, "What do you think?"
"Well," Time answered, "I think you're crazy."
"Hey, it worked for Thunderclap, right? Who's to say it won't work with me?"
"Well, he came into the Crystal Caverns by complete accident. I'm not judging you, but what if something goes wrong?"
"Don't worry," Cold reassured, "I have an escape plan. I've already contacted Goodnight, and it seems she's on board. All I need now is your support."
"Fine," Time gave in, "However, if anything goes wrong, I want to be able to step in and clean up after your mess. Good luck, you'll need it."
The two friends continued to stare at each other for a while longer. The looks between them were intense, as though they both were looking for a slip up in the other's composure. Eventually, Time's eyes winced. Cold wasted no time in declaring his superiority.
"Well, Time," he bragged, "Looks like I win again. Come on, let's get this party started!"
"Did somepony just say 'party'!" piped up a high-pitched voice, belonging to none other than Commander Pinkie Pie.
"Yeah, I beat Time in a battle of wills!"
"Oooo, sounds exciting!"
"If you two would," grumbled Time, "Let's get a move on, before I change my mind on this plan."
The loud pair immediately dropped their comical facade, becoming serious in an instant. The trio left the building, passing through the hidden doorway and into the foyer of Goodnight's hotel. Pinkie split off to the relay station, while Cold and Time moved towards the Ponyville library. Eventually, the two of them split, too. Time hid himself in an alleyway, while Cold approached the brick building. Acting quickly, he began to graffiti the side of the building. When the Guard at the entrance noticed, he immediately became infuriated.
"Stop that at once!" he yelled.
Cold Shoulder, however, simply continued on. Marching up to him, the armor clad stallion lashed out. Cold grabbed his foreleg, and, with little effort, dispatched him quickly. As he did this, he became surrounded by more members. Out of the crowd stepped a mare. She was clearly in charge of the troops, and advanced toward the graffiti stallion.
"I'm Lieutenant Commander Gleaming Shield, and you're under arrest for defacing government property," she barked. When Cold ignored her, she raised a hoof, slamming it into his face, "Don't ignore me! Wait, I know you, you're Cold Shoulder, one of the rebel leaders. Commander Pinkie told me that this is where I'd find you. You are also under arrest for working with the rebels. You'll be lucky if you stay alive."
Grabbing the stallion, she slammed his face into the ground, knocking him out. As he was carried off, Time could have sworn he saw Cold smile.
"You are sentenced to three months of prison time in here," said Commander Pinkie, "You'll be lucky to see the light of day after that term is up, upon which time, you will be sent back to the Crystal Caverns where you belong. That is all. Take him away and out of my sight."
Cold was dragged away to the holding cell. He smiled slyly to himself, "They bought it, hook, line, and sinker. Haha, one month, and I'll be out again."