The Draconequus of Notre Mare

by Inkquill

Chapter Twelve: From the Frying Pan, Into the Fire.

Flash Sentry organized his soldiers in formation outside of the barracks, making sure they were in perfect alignment. Glancing down the street, he could see a large iron-dressed carriage coming down towards them. It was pulled by two large stallions cladded in dark leather and iron scale layered armor. The sound of their horse shoes and the sound of the carriage wheels on the cobblestone streets echoed through the narrow streets. Growing louder with every second.

“Attention!” Flash ordered as the carriage drew up next to them. Its door embroidered with the royal insignia. 

The carriage door swung open and Chrysalis stepped out into the sunlight. Flash noticed that she seemed to be moving rather stiffly, and he noticed how her eyes drooped wearily. “Your majesty.” He said with a respectful bow. Chrysalis nodded in reply and rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. “Is there something the matter, my Queen?”

“No, Captain.” Chrysalis answered groaningly, “Just a long night. Had a... slight trouble with the fireplace.”

“Ah... yes, I see.” Flash replied. 

“But never mind that now, Captain.” Chrysalis stated as she composed herself. “We have work to do.”

The bakery was calm. It's shelves stacked with fresh baguettes and other assorted pastries. The baker, a gingerly Earth Pony was tending to a fresh loaf, pulling it out of the oven when the front door of his shop was suddenly bashed violently inwards, sending a great deal of splintering fragments about the room. 

With great alarm, the baker dropped the fresh loaf to the ground as several of the city royal guards rushed in through the bashed in doorway, poleaxes at the ready. 

“Police!” One shouted gruffly. They then set work, overturning tables and shelves of pastries and bread alike. Moving a large barrel aside, the soldiers tore away the slightly abused rug that it had been resting on, revealing a rather well concealed trap door. Ripping it open, the soldiers were able to see over eight cowering ponies looking up at them, mostly consisting of mares and fillies, with a few stallions amongst them. The mares pulled their frightened foals tightly against their breasts as the soldiers glared down at them. 

“We found some!” Called out one amongst them. 

“Well, haul them out and load them up.” Called back another. 

The families were forced up the stairs of the secret hide away to the surface and out into the streets, the baker amongst them. Chrysalis was waiting outside with the rest of her soldiers. The gypsy ponies were forced to kneel down before her, the fillies among them still cradling to their mothers. 

Chrysalis head up to them a small coin purse. The sounds of coins jostling inside it clear. “30 pieces of silver and your freedom in exchange for the gypsy mare, Fluttershy.”

One of the stallions amongst the cowering ponies spoke out with a sincere desperation in his voice. “But we don't know anything of her. Please, your highness. Please have mercy!”

Chrysalis sneered at them and strode away, barking out to her guards, “Lock them up!”

A great raucous rose up from the streets of Maris. Soldiers, the very soldiers sworn to protect the city, were no practically sacking it. Forcing their way into private homes and places of business, and causing a great deal of damage as they did. Tearing through the city, the soldiers had found several clusters of gypsies in hiding, and quickly proceeded shackling them, along with anypony found harboring them, and brought them before the Queen. 

“40 pieces of Silver for the gypsy Fluttershy! 50 pieces of Silver! 60! 70! 80!” Called out the Queen, each time raising the reward for knowledge of the Pegasus mare's whereabouts, but every time met with either silence or desperate please that they knew nothing. And every time her impatience and anxiety rose. 

As the day wore on, the city was plunged deeper and deeper into turmoil as more and more ponies where bound and sent off to the city prisons. Stacks of smoke rose from burning bon fires of personal possessions confiscated from the accused. From a distance, there seemed to be one fire. The sky had no become overcast and a light rain drizzled down, the smoke from the bon fires. 

Meanwhile, Chrysalis had grown frustrated. She was still no closer to finding the gypsy mare, and she was running out of options. From her balcony back at the Palace of Justice, she looked out onto the city as it was caught up in chaos. She wasn't getting anywhere. She knew that. Rubbing her hooves against her temples, she racked her brain of what she should do next. 

“Celestia's horn! How hard is it to find just one gypsy mare!?” She shouted to herself. She drew in a long deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. She could think better that way. 

Composing herself, she thought about her options, trying to figure out what actions should be taken in trying to uproot the rosy maned Pegasus. Leaning against the railing of her balcony, she turned her gaze towards the city walls. It was then that something caught her eyes. Atop a lofty hill just outside the city gates, she could see a small encampment. Smoke stakes from campfires rose up as ponies moved about the tents and wagons.

A sudden stroke of inspiration light up in the Queen's eyes. She felt a grin race across her lips as her plan formulated in her mind. “Captain!” 

Through the many snaking alleyways, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and the others carefully, but with great haste, made their way towards the city wall. They concealed themselves in dark cloaks and kept to the shadows as much as possible. 

They were heading towards the main gate. They were hoping that with all the turmoil throughout the city, there would be drastically fewer guards posted that could spot them. Pinkie knew of a small alley drainage tunnel that lead through the wall near the main gate that they could possibly slip through without drawing attention. 

Turning the corner, they came upon the stone face of the cities encircling wall. Peering up from their hiding place in the dark alleyway, Pinkie searched for any soldiers that could possibly spot them. There were only two that she could see, but luckily, they were both facing in the opposite direction. 

“Yes!” Pinkie exclaimed under her breath. It was becoming dark now, and this was the best chance they had of slipping out of the city undetected. “I think we're clear.” She whispered to the others. 

Signaling them to follow her, she dashed over to the small drainage passage located at the base of the wall and set to work removing the iron grating that blocked it. All four of them held their breath, praying that they wouldn't be spotted. Fluttershy prayed to Celestia that this plan would work. She held Angel tightly to her breast and bit her lip. 

Not long after, the metal grating shifted from its wedging and fell aside. Success! Pinkie signaled with her hoof for them to join her in the small drainage tunnel. Fluttershy felt her heart beat begin to quicken and they swiftly dashed into the tunnel, moments before the guard at the nearby watch tower looked towards where the tunnels entrance was. 

The tunnel was cramped, slimy and foul smelling. it's low ceiling forcing them to crawl on their bellies, but the path ahead was clear and unbarricaded. Fluttershy could see the exit just passed Pinkies flanks as they slowly inched closer and close and she felt her heart begin to soar. Freedom was in sight. 

Pinkie was the first one out, followed shortly by Fluttershy, then Pip, then Trixie. Fluttershy hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath the whole way through the tunnel, and as she stepped out into the wide open air, she let out a deep exhaling sigh.

She looked out at the unfolding fields, hills and forests spanning out towards the mountains in the distance, and she felt her heart beat heavily in her breast. 

She was free.

She felt tears of joy begin to fill her eyes as Trixie and Pipsqueak joined by her side. They smiled at her and nuzzled her tenderly, relieved to have their dear friend back. 

“Um... guys?” Pinkie interrupted, “I know this is a very emotionally relieving moment, but we're not out of the custard yet. We got to keep moving.” 

The three of them looked up at her and nodded. Swiftly, they made a mad dash from the wall and into the tall fields of wheat that were close by. Luckily, the wheat had grown tall enough to conceal them.

Finally, they reached what Pinkie had classified as a safe distance from the city that they would need to worry about being shot at if any of the archers had spotted them, but they still tried to keep a low profile. It still was best they weren't seen at all. 

“Well, that was quite an adventure.” Pip said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that wavered in the air. 

Fluttershy chuckled, shaking her head with a weary smile. Trixie came up to her and place a hoof on her shoulder. “Are you okay, Flutters?” She asked with concern.

“Yes. I'm... I'm fine.” She answered. “It's just... I can’t believe it's finally over.” 

“We understand, Flutters.” Pip interjected. “It's been a long and tiresome past few days for all of us. But soon we'll be home again and on the road. Everypony will be so excited to see you back, they will.” 

“Indeed.” Added Trixie, “And as soon as we're back, we're going to get as far away from this city as~” Trixie stopped in mid-sentence, a curtain of shock and horror falling across her face. The others turned to look at what she was looking at and they let out a frightened gasp at what they saw. It was the caravan camp. It was on fire. 

Wagons had been over turned and set ablaze. Food, clothing and other goods that they had been carrying littered the smoldering ground, and no pony could be seen. Fluttershy felt something break inside her. She felt her heart sink to the lowest point that it had ever gone. Tears welled up in her eyes as she beheld the desolation. She screamed out. Not a word, she just screamed. A deep, mournful and guttural cry of horror and sadness. 

Trixie and Pip also felt tears well up in their eyes. But through the tears, Pip spotted something on one of the over turned wagons. A piece of parchment nailed to the wooded underbelly of the wagon. He went to investigate. 

Tearing it from its nail, he brought it over to the others and began to read it aloud. 

—“By order of her majesty the Queen, for the high crime of harboring a witch amongst their ranks, this caravan has been placed under arrest and placed in the Marisian City Dungeons. If anypony has seen or heard anything that could lead to the capture of this vile witch, you are to report it to your nearest officer immediately. Anypony that withholds information will be punished severely. Be on the lookout for a cream-colored mare with a pink mane and blue eyes. If you see her, report it to your nearest officer.”—

Fluttershy read it over and over. Chrysalis had done this. She had captured her people and was holding them captive in her dungeons. A sharp pain struck through her heart. "This is my fault." She thought to herself. "All of this was because I had so stupidly wandered into the city. And now... my friends and family are paying the price." Tears ran down her cheeks. 

Turning to face her friends, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Steadying her breath, she said, “I'm going back.”

“WHAT!?”