The four ponies crept through the halls of the dark castle, avoiding guards as best as they could. Twilight peeked around yet another castle on their route to the outside, when suddenly the sound of many hooves striking the stones behind them caught their attention. The four ponies bolted around the corner, and upon Dusk spotting a door, they all dove inside. Twilight lit her horn, the darkness around them quickly receding, showing them exactly where they were. All around them was the equipment of the guards that had been chasing them, as well as normal chains and various other pieces of equipment that were not so much for guards or prisoners.
“I think we both just got an idea…” Dusk said in a whisper. Twilight nodded as she used her magic to lift a helmet off one of the racks and placed it on her head, making sure that her horn slid into the slot cut out of the top of the helmet and that her mane was in the standing position typical of the guards. When the helmet finally was completely on her head, the spell cast on the helmet took effect and made her coat white and her two color mane into monochromatic red.
“How do I look?” She asked with a smile while putting on the usual chest piece that didn’t have slots for her wings, making her appear like a normal unicorn.
“Good enough to stun and tie up while I get everypony out of here.” Dusk replied with a smirk while taking a helmet and body piece. Soon the two violet alicorns became the basic white and red guards of the Alliance, their cutie marks covered, being the one part the spell did not affect.
“Should Celestia and I take armor as well? We’d be a bit out of place being how tall we are.” Artemis said, looking at the armor and pieces of equipment around them. Dusk scratched his chin in thought, before finally coming to a conclusion. He quickly took some of the chain and locked them onto the two ponies and latched the end of the chains to the horn of the saddle piece of his and Twilight’s armor.
“There, you are now our prisoners that are getting a transfer to a more secure location since you were already able to escape from this area.” Dusk said with a smirk. “Now act like the chains are the magic draining ones, we need to be realistic.” The two ‘prisoners’ looked at each other and nodded, and then let their head go limp and took a stance that rang out with weakness, as if the ponies were barely able to stand.
“Alright, I’ll check if it’s clear to head on out.” Twilight stated, moving a bit closer to the door and opened it a crack and looked around, and after seeing that there were no guards around, she let Dusk take point and lead them out, since the majority of the guards they had seen thus far were stallions, and there was a chance all of them were stallions that had been posted at this castle.
The four ponies continued walking for a good while without interruption until a guard approached them with queer looks. Dusk gave a salute, which was returned without hesitation.
“Since when did we have these two captured and why are you taking them this way. The holding cells are back downstairs in case you’ve lost your way.” The guard stated.
“Yeah, we know, and that’s where we took them first, but we got a message from the new pony on watch that these two were to be taken to a more secure location while as those other two alicorns were kept in the old cell.” Dusk replied, using his natural voice, not wanting to risk it with a fake voice.
“Really? Why is it that I’m always the last one to get these memos?” The guard asked with an annoyed sigh. Dusk shrugged with a frown.
“I guess they’re just telling the ponies that it directly affects right now. Namely the guard on duty at the cells and the ponies that have streak of unfortunate circumstances to get stuck escorting these two on their hike to the new location.” Dusk replied with a shake of his head.
“Yeah, I guess that’s what they’re doing. Say, where are you taking them anyway? I didn’t hear of any secure holding cells up this way.” The guard questioned, looking back at the two trembling alicorns. Dusk hesitated for a moment, racking his brain for some answer.
“We’re bound for the secret castle.” Twilight replied, stepping in for Dusk. “Seriously, Nightshade, I think we could tell one of our fellow guards where we’re going.” Twilight chided the newly named Nightshade with a shake of her head. Dusk shushed her quickly, keeping up the act.
“We weren’t told to tell anypony where. For as much as I care, Boysenberry, nopony besides us and those ponies that are meeting us halfway should really know.” Dusk growled angrily.
“So I’m allowed to guess you’re reflection by the names?” The guard asked with a smirk.
“No,” Dusk replied with the shake of his head, “Boysen here is my half-witted sister that worked some magic to become one of the guards.” Twilight huffed and looked away in frustration. The guard chuckled a bit at the mare’s reaction.
“Well, anyway, could you… perhaps tell me where the secret castle is? I’ve been dying to know ever since I heard about it.” The guard pressed.
“You see now, Boysen, you got him asking questions that he isn’t supposed to know the answer to now. Great work, sis, great work.” Dusk groaned in exasperation before turning back to the guard. “Look, I don’t know where it is, I only know the rendezvous point where we meet the ponies that are taking these two the rest of the way. Even if we did know I wouldn’t tell you because that would make it the once-secret-but-not-anymore castle.”
“I guess so,” The guard said in a bit of disappointment,”well, you best get these two where they need to go before they can get enough strength back to revolt.” The guard said, stepping to one side to let them through. Dusk nodded and started off, Twilight coming up beside him quickly. Dusk shoved her a bit and gave her an angry glare.
“What was that for, Nightshade?” Twilight asked, rubbing at her aching shoulder. Dusk huffed, not even caring to reply.
“Oh, hey, Nightshade,” The guard said as they passed by. Dusk looked back at him, coming to halt to listen, giving the pony a nod to signal for him to begin. “Hoy many years did you have in the Royal Guard?” Dusk looked with a questioning gaze, not sure how to respond.
“It would be a year and a half two day from now… why, how did you know?” Dusk said, and eyebrow lifted at the pony.
“The salute,” The guard replied with a smirk, “The Alliance has a different salute than the guard, but even I find myself doing the guard’s from time to time. Just remember, the hoof goes across the chest, not the head, that’s how we can distinguish ourselves from our former allegiances.”
“Right, thanks,” Dusk said with a nod, correcting his salute, which the guard returned with a smile, “I’ll try to remember that for future reference.”
“Good, I’ll see you later, Nightshade, maybe we can get to know each other a bit better when you get back from delivering those two.” The guard said before heading off. The guard eventually turned the corner and was out of earshot, giving the four ponies a reason to give a sigh of relief before heading off again.
“Well done, Nightshade, I think you did an excellent job playing my overbearing brother.” Twilight said with a smirk.
“We can’t drop the act now, Boysenberry, who knows if we’ll meet another patrol before getting out of here or not.” Dusk stated.
“Hey, I think I probably know the answer to this, but were you actually in the guard or was that just a part of the act?” Twilight asked as they went on, no guards in sight thankfully.
“Part of the act, though my sister constantly told me everything there was about the guard and how great it was.” Dusk replied. “Though I have to say that it served as a pretty good alibi for that instance at least.”
“It was a rather interesting exchange if I do say so myself.” Twilight commented as they rounded another corner in complete confidence, especially after finding no guard nearby.
“It does prove one thing to me, though.” Dusk stated, gaining the curios gaze of Twilight who was slightly confused as to what he meant, which gained her more confusion since she really should know what he was trying to say because of them begin reflections.
“What exactly do you mean by it proves something?” Twilight asked as they opened the door before them with their hooves, keeping the guise of the chains being magic absorbing material, even if they weren’t aware of any followers.
“I mean it prove that these ponies aren’t actually really bad ponies, just that they are following a confused pony with rather… interesting motives.” Dusk stated. “Think, he was actually being friendly while we talked, not once being our stereotypical bad pony’s henchpony.”
“I guess you are right, he really didn’t act like you’d expect from a pony like him.” Twilight agreed after a bit of thought. “Maybe these ponies can be redeemed in some way.” Twilight thought aloud.
“That’s what I’m thinking. These ponies are just misled is all, and we can change that by changing who they follow, at least, in theory it would do the job.” Dusk said.
“I suggest less chatter,” Artemis said in a whisper, “It might draw unwanted attention to us.” Dusk and Twilight nodded, their lips immediately sealed and staying so for as long as they kept walking though the thoughts of the previous discussion still rang in their minds.
The four ponies eventually made it to the courtyard where several dozen ponies were standing in files. Dusk looked towards Twilight, and both nodded as they trudged onward through the swarm of ponies with confidence, keeping to their parts.
“Get out of the way, coming through!” Dusk shouted, several of the ponies before him moving away slowly, looking at their ‘prisoners’ with curious gazes. “Come on, move, we need to get through.” Dusk continued sounding a bit annoyed at the ponies that moved slower than the rest. Finally they came to the gate, which was shut, the portcullis lowered and the gigantic wooden doors beyond it secured with an equally massive wooden beam that might as well have been a tree they had taken the branches off of and attached to four chains.
“Open the gates, we haven’t got all day!” Twilight shouted at the ponies up above. The four ponies looked at Twilight and Dusk with the two royals chained behind them.
“Where are you heading with the prisoners?” One of them asked pointedly. Twilight opened her mouth, only to have Dusk shove her.
“You’re not spilling the beans one more time, sis.” He stated sharply. Twilight pretended to tear up slightly, acting rather offended at Dusk’s harsh words, an expression Dusk ignored while looking up to the guards.
“We have orders to take these ponies to a more secure location, now open up!” He shouted up at them. “I rather not wait until they get enough strength to do something out of line, so the faster the better.” The four guards in the area above the gates looked at each other and shrugged.
“Fine, hold you horses, we’ll get the gates open for you in a second.” One of them replied; the four ponies turning back into the room where the various mechanisms were held that raised and lowered the portcullis as well as raise and lower the beam that blocked the wooden doors. Twilight and Dusk waited in a huff, their prisoners looking to and fro at the courtyard.
“Hey, don’t get any ideas!” Dusk shouted back at the alicorns, who both focused their gazes on Dusk, which almost made Dusk flinch back. Suddenly, the sound of chain scraping against stone and other things filled the air as the portcullis slowly lifted, soon followed by even more clatter as the gigantic wooden beam blocking the massive wooden doors was lifted. The two huge doors slowly inched apart, letting the ponies through. Dusk pulled against his chain and took a few steps before the tension stopped him. He looked back at the abstinent Twilight who wouldn’t move. Dusk’s shoulders fell as he sighed. “Come on sis, we need to get these ponies out of here and on the road now if we want to get back anytime soon.” Twilight gave a huff and finally started moving, to the relief of Dusk, who thought for sure that the doors would close before they got out if Twilight played her part to well. The ponies continued onward, soon enough encountering a turn in the road, where Twilight quickly undid Artemis and Celestia’s bindings and removed their armor.
“Alright, let’s go before anypony gets suspicious.” Twilight said, spreading her wings and getting ready to take off. She leaped and flapped her wings, expecting to take off into the sky, only to flop back onto the ground as she felt something restraining her, namely Dusk’s magic gripping her tail. “What are you doing, we need to get out of here.”
“Yeah, they do,” Dusk agreed, “But I think Nightshade and Boysenberry need to stay behind and get medical attention.” He stated, pushing Twilight’s armor back towards her.
“What are you thinking, we need to get out of here, not stay behind and wait for them to figure us out.” Twilight pleaded desperately. Dusk shook his head, using his magic to put Twilight’s armor back on her, the spell changing her back into her unicorn guard form.
“Equestria can do with us still in here; in fact, they need us in here right now.” Dusk stated. “We need some inside ponies in this operation.” Dusk explained. “And since Nightshade and Boysenberry are already known as guards and are about to be attacked by a group of Royal Guards that spring the two prisoners, it’ll cement us as loyal guards.”
“I guess that’s true… hey, what Royal Guards?” Twilight asked hesitantly. Dusk looked over to the two royals with a straight expression.
“Attack us and chain us up, just don’t hit the helmets.” Dusk ordered. “We need to get back in as the eyes and ears for Equestria.” Artemis and Celestia looked at each other, their gazes saying everything. Finally the two ponies nodded and turned back to the two disguised royals.
“We’ll do it, but we’ll help you in your entrance to the Alliance.” Celestia stated, taking a bit of the chain and turning it into a necklace, adding a bit of a design on the end before casting a spell of some sort on it. Artemis took a bit more of the chain that was left and made a necklace with the other half of the design and cast his spell on it before giving it to Dusk.
“These will give you a unique appearance when your helmet is off.” Artemis explained. “It’s a bit weaker than the armor’s, so it should be covered with the usual spell, though it does have something the armor doesn’t.” He stated. “It will change your cutie mark for as long as you wear it, thus making you completely unrecognizable.” Dusk and Twilight put on their necklaces, looking at the design on it, being half of a strange design.
“The story behind it is that you got it from an exchange with zebras that occurred during a trip where one of you went on the trip as a guard for the cargo.” Celestia stated. “Now prepare yourselves, for the guards are coming.” Dusk and Twilight nodded nervously, preparing for the beating. Suddenly the sky lit up with the beams of magic, Twilight and dusk even lighting up their horns to add a bit of variety as the blasts struck them, sending them sprawling across the road in pain. Dusk lifted his head and looked at the alicorns, waving them on before letting his head go limp. Soon enough the guards from the castle charged up, forming a half circle around the two fallen ponies that had scorch marks all over their armor.
“Search the area; we need to know what happened here!” The head guard shouted the order while a medic skidded up to the two fallen ponies, flipping the locks on their saddles magic with their magic as they set them down flat. Another pony charged up and set up a magical shield around the front side of the medic and the injured ponies.
“What happened to you two?” The medic asked as she became to take out supplies from the boxes. Twilight tried to prop herself up to answer while looking at the medic, but slipped and fell back down. Dusk rolled over and put a hoof on Twilight’s chest.
“Take… take it easy sis, I-I don’t think we should move much.” Dusk cautioned Twilight, believing every word he said to be true, save for referring to Twilight as his sister.
“I-I’m needed to help the search…,” She rasped, fighting weakly against Dusk hoof, “I… I can’t let those two get… away.” Suddenly she fell back, completely limp.
“Sis… sis? Boysen!” Dusk shouted frantically. He pressed his ear against her chest, listening carefully for a heartbeat, which was absent. He put a hoof to the base of her neck, and sure enough there wasn’t a pulse. “S-she’s gone into cardiac arrest!” He shouted, immediately putting his hooves on her chest and began resuscitation. “Come on, Boysen, give me something…” Dusk murmured before putting his ear over her mouth, but he couldn’t hear or feel anything. Dusk suddenly was pushed aside by the medic, causing his to tumble a short distance before looking back towards Twilight and the medic as some weight seemed to be lifted from his neck. The medic rubbed the two pads of her mobile defibrillator, charging it with her magic.
“Clear!” The pony shouted before slamming the pads into Twilight’s chest, shortly followed by a crackling sound as the pads released their charged directly into Twilight, causing her to jolt, though her pulse did not return. The pony rubbed the pads together again, charging them back up before slamming them into Twilight’s chest again with the same shout, the same crackle, the same jolt, but no change in Twilight’s condition. Dusk inched back up to her, looking her over, trying to find something that might be inhibiting her heart restarting, but found nothing, much like he expected.
“We need to do a manual muscle command through the cardiovascular centre.” Dusk told the medic. “There’s not enough power in the pads to get her back up and going.” The medic looked at him with a surprised look before nodding and discarding the pads and placing her horn on Twilight’s forehead, directly below her horn. A shock of magic passed from the medic’s horn directly into Twilight’s skull, directly entering her mind, sending a manual signal to her heart to being at the correct pace. Slowly, Twilight chest began to bounce slightly as he heart began pumping once again, though she still wasn’t breathing. Dusk quickly pressed his muzzle against Twilight’s and started CPR, hoping against all hope to get Twilight breathing again.
“Sir, we need to give her space!” The medic ordered Dusk. Dusk whipped around and glared at the medic with an amount of fury unmatched.
“She is not breathing! A beating heart is great, but it’s pumping deoxygenated blood through her system, which is doing her no favors.” Dusk stated plainly before going back to CPR on Twilight. Suddenly she coughed four times in quick succession before she began breathing normally. Twilight slowly opened her eyes and saw Dusk standing over her.
“D-Dusk? W-what happened…?” She asked bleary eyed, unsure of the entire situation. Dusk froze, realizing she had just used his real name. “Where are we?” She said, looking around at the other ponies.
“Shhh…, it’s alright honey, you had a bump, just go back to sleep and rest.” He put a hoof on Twilight’s lips. Twilight nodded before drifting off, back into sleep. Dusk stood up shakily, his own injuries making him wobble. “We need to get her back into the castle and stabilized.” Dusk ordered. “I don’t want any more scares today.” The medic nodded as she gently lifted Twilight with a magical field. A hoof found its way to Dusk’s shoulder, making him jump slightly as he turned to look at the pony putting his hoof on his shoulder.
“Well, Dusk, I never would’ve guessed your time in the guard would’ve also included medical training.” The pony stated. Dusk recognized the voice as the guard that had stopped him and Twilight in the hall earlier.
“It didn’t, and my name isn’t Dusk, it’s Nightshade.” Dusk stated. “She mistook me for her husband…” He explained. “That blast must have really jostled her because this white coat doesn’t at all look like Dusk’s violet coat.”
“True, the armor spell doesn’t look violet in the least.” The pony agreed. “But you’re steel grey certainly does.” He stated with a smile. Dusk looked at his leg, and sure enough, he was a steel gray. He looked around and saw his helmet lying near where he had landed after being shoved off of Twilight.
“I guess it would now that you put it like that.” Dusk said, levitating the helmet in a field of white magic, which felt quite alien to him as he placed the helmet back in its place, the spell instantly coming back, turning him to his white maned and red coated façade.
“Well, we best get you into the hospital as well before you collapse.” The pony stated. “You aren’t looking to good yourself.” He finished with a smirk.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.”Dusk said as he began limping back towards the castle only to teeter to one side and fall onto the ready shoulder of his new found friend.
“Hold on there, partner, I think you aren’t suited to be going all the way to the infirmary by yourself.” The pony stated, almost as if he knew it to be a fact. Dusk mentally kicked himself for even of trying, being as he had no idea where he was supposed to be. “Come on, let’s get going.” With that the pony began walking, Dusk keeping most of his weight against the friendly shoulder given to him. “The name’s Thunderlane.” He said in a congenial tone, quickly peeking Dusk’s interest. He knew a pony on his side with a similar name, but he couldn’t seem to remember where he had heard it. Dusk shoved the though away as they continued inching towards the castle as the guards behind them continued the search of the area.
“Nice to meet you, Thunderlane, I… I think we can agree on that we’ll probably become fast friends.” Dusk stated with a smile that was scarred slightly with a jolt of pain that shot up his hind leg.
“Yeah, I’d like to think that.” Thunderlane replied as they passed through the gate. Dusk silently hoped that of all the ponies they could turn to their side, that this pony would be one of the first.