//------------------------------// // The Fall // Story: Friend Or Foe? // by Fryguy //------------------------------// The darkness started to come over Canterlot, which haven't heard news yet of the capture of Ponyville and the threat against Canterlot and the Empire. The guards began patrolling the castle grounds and walls for the night, thinking it would be just like any other night. The princesses were in the dining room eating their dinner, and the talk of the city was about the Ponyville murder. "That murder is surely strange." Said a few. "It's the first murder in ages!" Said others. "Is there something big behind it?!" Asked more ponies. The citizens of the capital of Equestria were wondering about the what happened in Ponyville so much that many thought that a ghost committed the vile deed. Everypony didn't know that Jackdaw and some other friends of his were sneaking through the streets towards the castle, armed with swords, bows, and spears. The guards patrolling the castle didn't even notice Jackdaw and the others pass by sneaky, stealth skills. But if some of them did see them, Jackdaw had a bow pulled back, and an arrow would go through the guard's head. Some guards experienced being shot in the head by Jackdaw and the grey unicorn. "As the darkness rises, so will us, and the princesses will be at our mercy." Said the grey unicorn cunningly. Jackdaw laughed. "Correct you are Feather." He said to the grey unicorn. Feather then picked up his bow and started banging against a window with his hooves. "What's that?" Said Luna suddenly, who began hearing banging like if somepony was trying to break through a window. Celestia was starting to hear it too, who ordered their guards to look into the matter at once. "Yes your highness." Said one of the guards, and a total of six guards went to the source of the noise. "Celestia, six guards?" Asked Luna in an uneasy tone. "We can't be certain, the castle may be under attack in secret." Said Celestia to her sister, who sighed. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Yelled a voice in the distance of the castle, Luna and Celestia at once became alarmed. "CRASH" The sound of breaking glass echoed through the building, and even more shouts from the guards came to the princesses ears. "Luna! We need to see what in the name of Equestria is going on! Fast!" Luna nodded and they both ran through the halls. What they came across was a horrific site, blood was splattered everywhere, and six bodies of six guards lay sprawled on the floor. Trying to remain calm, the two princesses noticed a broken window on the wall and one of the guards was pierced with a shard of glass most likely from the broken window. "Celestia...we need to...get the army!" Shivered Luna, but before they could make any moves, ponies armed with swords and ponies with bows drawn appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the princesses. "Not so fast Luna." Said Feather, his sword reaching her neck. Jackdaw just laughed and held his sword at Celestia's head. "Were you the ones responsible for this?!" Demanded Celestia. Jackdaw replied with more than what Celestia wanted, saying. "Hmm, do what? Kill that stallion, take over Ponyville, kill your guards, and threaten your lives?! Well then, rest assured, me and my friends are responsible for everything I just said." Luna and Celestia only could give him a angry glare. "Ha ha ha! Hey guys! We found some royal road kill!" Feather shouted through the halls. Soon more ponies appeared, laughing while they held spears and swords. "Royal road kill?!" Celestia shivered at the thought of them being smashed to look like they were ran over by something. "Sister, why are we afraid of these...foolish ponies! Let's attack them!" Luna snorted. Jackdaw heard her and said more threateningly. "I wouldn't do THAT if I were you, especially since if you attack a few ponies we can all kill you swiftly and easily, then we can take the crown away from you and enslave your subjects. So don't, k?" "Grrrrr..." Celestia was frustrated and angry like a bear robbed of her cubs, do they even dare... "Enslave our subjects and you WILL face the consequences for it!" Threatened Celestia. Jackdaw then turned to the princess with rage in his eyes. He swung his sword and nicked Celestia's cheek, blood began to well out of it. "Sister!" Luna tried to rush to her sister, but Feather then made it clear with his sword to her neck that he would do the same thing if she moved. Jackdaw angrily said. "Like if you have the authority to say that!" He then swung again, this time hitting her forehead. He then swung again hitting her chin. "Well? What consequences will we face? Death?!" Taunted Jackdaw, swinging his sword again, slicing a tiny bit of her star-like mane off, he then swung again, this time knocking Celestia's crown to the floor taking part of her ear with it. Luna could do nothing but watch her sister being tortured, and Jackdaw's friends just simply enjoying the site. Blood was now dripping onto the floor from her wounds from Jackdaw's sword. Luna tried to think of a way to escape the grasp of the soldiers, but she couldn't think of a way to get out of it and stop Jackdaw from spilling more blood. She felt powerless to stop the pegasus from hurting her dear sister. Celestia began tearing up from the constant nicking from Jackdaw's sword, Jackdaw saw it and began teasing her. "Oh! Look who's crying! I thought you were the great princess Celestia, one of the princesses who defeated Discord!" He then swung his sword so hard at her cheek that he sliced through it. "OWWWW!" Cried Celestia, who clearly did not like the treatment she was getting. "Celestia!" Luna cried, who freed herself from the soldiers and tried to lunge to her sister. Feather then swung his sword blocking Luna from Celestia, leaving a mark on her neck. "The choice is yours, surrender Equestria to us, or die." Said Jackdaw in a threatening tone. Luna seemed extremely shocked from this. "Celestia, I hate to admit it, but they seem to have got us." Celestia also realized that if they were killed, that wouldn't leave many princesses left, especially if they've killed Twilight. "Fine! Equestria is yours! But you've not seen the last of us!" The sun princess yelled. Jackdaw looked surprised, that was easier than he thought, WAY too easy. "Hmph...okay then. Feather, take these two to Butter in Ponyville! I'm going to announce our presence." Said Jackdaw to Feather, who nodded and started escorting the princesses towards Ponyville. The citizens of Canterlot heard all of the shouts of pain and came rushing out of their homes, when they all gathered under the castle, they heard a laugh as loud as a trumpet. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA! Citizens of Canterlot! Kneel before your new rulers and masters!" Jackdaw appeared with a bloody sword in possession, everypony who looked at it gasped in horror. "Your princesses are dead, Equestria is ours! Soon the Crystal Empire will fall too! Bow before us! Your new masters!" Everypony knew that if they didn't their blood may end up splattered on the ground and on his sword, so they did bow before Jackdaw and some of his friends with him. "Hmph, hey guys? You got them things ready?" Asked Jackdaw to his friends, who nodded and brought a clothed wagon. "From now on your freedoms are gone! Ponyville and soon everypony else in Equestria will suffer the same fate!" Then with his bow he shot an arrow at the cloth, the arrow caught the cloth and carried it off the wagon to reveal chains, hundreds of them. "Everypony gasped with fear and shock. Jackdaw then started to fly towards the moon, laughing so much and so loud that all of Equestria heard it. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"