The Journalist

by redspark

Change of Plans

Chapter 27
Change of plans

Hightip stood over the last shadow guard to fall. It had taken the ponyhood a lot of effort to reach the back door, especially after the sudden apparition of shadow ponies. The ´guns´ were no help either. Grey Stone had a small wound were a bullet had hit him, thing that slowed them down a little. High Mane was looking at the door that led to their escape making a worried grin. Hightip approached him.

“What is it?” He asked the white unicorn. High Mane shrugged.

“It´s too easy. I don´t think we are safe, maybe we should try to use another exit.” Hightip shook his head.

“No, there is no other… well, apart from the main door which is full of guests. We can´t, at least not through there.” He then remembered when he saw as Time carried Nimble and Silent away. “Also Time will be on the lookout for us. We cannot go back, not anymore.” Deepsqueak sighed.

“We are in the worst disaster since the creation of the ponyhood, don´t you think Hightip? I feel we already lost.” His ears were falling down slowly, which made Hightip grin.

“We are ndot lost, just disorganized. If we make it back to the headquarters we can get new plans traced and rescue Nimble and Silent in no time.” He looked at the door. “But we need to get out through there.” High Mane shook his head again but said nothing. Hightip walked over to the door and listened. He couldn´t hear anything.

Grey Stone picked up one of the guns and looked at it. “Maybe if we used one of these we might be able to get out easily.” Deepsqueak nodded, earning an angry look from Hightip.

“No. None of us will ever use one of those. They are not meant to be or exist, pure killing inventions those are, no honor in using them.” The blue unicorn said. High Mane nodded agreeing. Grey Stone sighed and threw the gun away, a metallic sound disturbed the silence as it landed hard on the floor.

“Now, we need to get out one way or another. Deepsquek!” The earth pony walked over to Hightip. “Do you think you can check on that hallway for any windows big enough for us to get out?” Deepsqueak smiled confidently.

“Piece of cake.” He said, walking away. Hightip walked over to the door and pushed it slightly. The door creaked a little as it opened. He instantly ducked as a bullet flew inches away from his head.

“Hide!” He ordered. All the ponyhood took cover behind anything on their reach as soon a shadow pony entered carrying a large metal tube. He picked it up with its magic and pulled the trigger. Instantly a shower of bullets fell in the ponies. Hightip groaned as a bullet managed to hit him in the flank. He lighted his horn and shot the pony a magic blast. The pony fell back only to be inetantly knocked out by Deepsqueak, who had just returned.

“Well boss, I think that didn´t went well, now did it.” He helped Hightip on his hooves. “And you won´t be able to seat down in some time.” He chuckled.

“Shut up.” The unicorn grunted. He looked at his flank only to see a small wound. He grunted again. He made small spell that stopped the bleeding and numbed the pain. He turned to the ponyhood. “I guess we can go now.” All the ponies nodded and soon they were out of the house. Hightip swore to himself that he would never return to that house unless he needed to.

They soon reached their headquarters. Hightip was about to open the door when he noticed that it was already opened. He stopped and raised a hoof to tell everypony to shut up. He opened the door which made a loud creak as it opened. Hightip reminded himself to replace the hinges someday.

In the back of the entrance hall was a door that led to the planning room. The light in it was on, which meant there was a pony in there. Hightip walked slowly, trying not to make a noise. Once he reached the door he peeked inside. He opened his mouth and stared confused at the pony inside.

“S… Sunny?” He said. The yellow Pegasus turned around and looked at Hightip.

“Hightip!” She said, jumping happily. The two hugged each other warmly. The other ponies looked once and smiled, she was safe.

“Sunny…” Hightip said as soon as they stopped the hug. “What happened, how did you escaped?”

Sunny stopped smiling. “It was… Serena.” Hightip looked sonfusedly.

“Serena? But she surely couldn´t have…”

“No.” Sunny said interrupting him. “She works for Time Keeper; she was a spy among us.” Hightip rose his head with an angry smirk on his face. “But she said she felt bad for that and went to rescue me. Now, well, I´m here.”

Hightip smiled kindly. “Yes, you are.” He kissed her forehead and turned to the others. “Now, we need to rescue Nimble and Silent.”

Sunny gasped. “They were captured?!”

High Mane nodded. “Yes.” Sunny looked to the floor.

“What are we going to do then? We cannot leave them with Time! He´s gonna kill them, or… or… or torture them! Or…”

Hightip stopped Sunny from talking. “Yes, I know what´s at stake here. Which is why we need to rescue them.” He looked around. “Only I don´t know how.”

“We could always use their own tricks.” Deepsqueak said sheepishly. Hightip looked at him angrily.

“No.”

The earth pony sighed. “Alright.”

High Mane approached Hightip. “If I may say something, they probably took them to a dungeon or something of the kind. They are clever enough to escape from a house or a mansion even. Time Keeper probably has someplace to keep his worst enemies.”

Hightip nodded. “But we don´t know if he has one, or if he does, were it is.” Just then they heard the front door open and hoofsteps in the entrance room. Soon a pony opened the door of the room.

“I know where they are.” Serena said. She was trembling and looked dangerously pale. Her eyes looked watery, like if she had just cried. Still, she wore a resolved grin.

Deepsqueak pounced at her and tackled her to the floor, holding her there. Hightip approached.

“How you dare show your face, SPY!” Grey Stone said angrily. Hightip stopped in front of her and kneeled, looking at her eyes.

“I… came to help…” She said, her voice shaking. Hightip stopped inches away from her face.

“I can´t trust somepony that betrayed us.” He said flatly. Serena stopped fighting to be released and looked at him.

“But I am sorry, I really am!” she exclaimed. Hightip stood up and nodded at Deepsqueak. The earth pony helped her on her hooves but remained with a firm grip on her. “Please, you got to believe me! He has joined in with…”

“Stop!” Hightip exploded. His face was red with anger. “You better shut your mouth and consider yourself lucky that Silent is not here. He does NOT take kindly a spy, less one involved directly to him.” Serena gulped. “You showed nerve coming here, that I accept, but it may as well be but an act to trick us into something.” Serena shook her head slowly, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“No…” she said. “I am not acting…”

“…and a spy is always punished the same way in every ponyhood, why should we not use the same rule. It´s a ponyhood code which I´m happy to say we have never needed to apply…” He stopped and looked at Serena directly in the eyes. “Spies are executed.” Serena gasped and threw herself to the ground sobbing.
“No! I am sorry, really. I… Yes, I started on a mission, but then I… I felt bad about this, especially after Sunny…” She looked at Sunny. “Sunny, please, make them reason, please…” Her voice was now low and tears covered her face. Sunny stood paralyzed, looking from Hightip to Serena. Hightip had gone to retrieve a knife, which he now held in front of him, facing the wall giving his back to Serena. He slowly turned and looked at Serena. “No! Sunny, please…” She felt no strength left. She closed her eyes and sobbed. Hightip looked at Sunny once and walked towards Serena. Sunny took a step forward but hesitated. Hightip stopped and raised the knife.

“Stop!!!” came Sunny´s plea. Hightip stopped and looked at Sunny. “Don´t kill her!” She cried out, walking over and hugging Serena. “She may have done wrong, but she repented and I believe her.” Hightip looked once more at Serena and slowly a tension on his muscles relaxed. He smiled at Sunny as a tear rolled out of his eye.

“Sorry Sunny. I… I was angry for what she did to us, I hardened my heart.” Sunny stood up and hugged Hightip.

“Don´t be sorry.” She said. Serena opened an eye. She looked at Sunny and smiled.

“Thank you.” She said. Sunny helped her to her hooves.

“I´m glad you decided to help us.” Sunny said. “You are my friend after all.” Serena seemed to beam in light for a second when she heard the word friend.

“Well, thanks Sunny.” She said smiling. He body was still trembling, but she seemed more relaxed. Hightip looked at the knife and threw it hard against the wall, impaling it.

“Alright then…” Grey Stone said on his corner where he was seated. “Now what?”

Hightip looked at Sunny and both smiled confidently.

“Now we rescue Silent and Nimble.” Hightip sad.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long wait. I don´t know if you saw that I uploaded two new chapters not long ago but erased them. I´m sorry for that, but those, as much as I liked them, I had a new idea that changed the whole way the story goes, so I took them out and wrote this. I hope you like it, and soon I´ll upload a chapter bonus showing Serena´s fight with herself of wether she should or shouldn´t go to help the ponyhood so you see why she looked so bad at her arrival on this chapter.

Also, I hope you still remember Sompony named Metal Mane... muahahahaha!!!! (Sorry for that =P )

Comments

[Synthetic Amber Patch]

Ha Ha! Reached you... Finally!
Hope you will continue!
Interesting episode... Liked it!

[Synthetic Amber Patch]

Ha Ha! Reached you... Finally!
Hope you will continue!
Interesting episode... Liked it!

[redspark]

4250006
4250006 glad you liked it!! I will take a little longer than I am used to in publishing nxt chapter because I am out of town for two weeks, but I'll try to get them done as soon as I can.