The Stranger

by Kaptein

Chapter 6

The soft rattle and rhythmic ‘clinking’ of locomotive’s wheels against the tracks brought an odd, sleepy sensation - like the soothing lullaby of a mother. Lyra Heartstrings lay snoozing softly, nuzzled firmly against Bon-Bon who kept an alert air about her.

Across the booth, Adrias kept a similar air about him. It was in his nature to be alert - so much so he had paid the extra bits for a private compartment.

“So, why Canterlot?” Bon-Bon asked, slicing through the silence.

“As a part of...what I am, I can feel the presence of other similar entities,” Adrias began. He looked out the window, making note of the large castle-in-a-mountain in the distance. “Something arrived the other night - violently. I’m surprised the magic surge wasn’t felt by unicorns across Equestria.”

“I certainly didn’t feel anything,” Bon-Bon said. She ran a hoof through Lyra’s mane, and the unicorn shivered slightly before smiling in her sleep. “And Lyra didn’t mention any strange magic.”

“This was a foreign magic. A type only my kind would be familiar with - not something I’d expect your average unicorn to know.” He tapped at his chin for a moment, a ponderous look coming over his face. “Come to think of it - I haven’t sensed a magic like that for a very long time.”

Bon-Bon continued her loving caressing of Lyra, her eyes still locked onto Adrias. “So I assume that whatever you felt is in Canterlot.”

Adrias continued to gaze out the window, towards the castle. “Not just in Canterlot,” he said, raising a hoof and pointing towards the tall spires. “But in the main Castle itself.”

The earth pony mare raised an eyebrow at him, give a brief snort. “And you expect us to just waltz into there?”

He didn’t reply, remaining silent for a long while. He had many options available to him - sneak in, full-frontal assault, or even bribery if it came to it. All of them were options he seriously considered - but only one made total sense to him.

“I’m going to surrender myself to the Royal Sisters.”

Bon-Bon’s eyes bugged out as they grew wide as saucers, her body suddenly becoming stiff. “What?!”

This seemed to startle Lyra, who woke with a loud start. ‘What happened? Are changelings attacking again?” she asked, bewildered and looking around.

Bon-Bon was on her hooves, nose-to-nose again with Adrias. “Do you have any idea what they’ll do to you in there?”

“Oh, hey!” Lyra quipped in, “I’ve got half a story here, mind filling me in?”

Adrias tilted his head towards the unicorn. “I was just explaining to Bon-Bon that whatever entity arrived in Equestria is currently sitting bang smack inside Canterlot Castle, and my plan is to surrender myself to the Princesses.”

Lyra’s eyes also went wide. “Oh, I see how that can be a bad thing,” she said, nodding in agreement with Bon-Bon. “I mean, you’re not exactly normal or anything. I mean, if I were a Princess or a scientist, I’d probably strap you...to a table...and...disect…” the mare’s speech trailed off, two sets of eyes now glaring at her heatedly. She blushed a deep crimson as her brain finally caught up to what her mouth was saying.

“You’re not making my point any easier, Lyra,” Adrias said blankly.

“Your point is,” Bon-Bon began heatedly, not budging an inch from his face, “is to simply give yourself in after trying so hard trying not to get caught in the first place?”

Adrias’ flat expression didn’t falter. He briefly considered pushing the mare away, but decided against giving her any fuel to attack him with. Bon-Bon was as volatile as Lyra was excitable. How the two managed to maintain a stable relationship was beyond him.

“Bon-Bon, there is still much about me that you don’t understand.” Adrias bowed his head. To some it would’ve seemed as a sign of submission; to the two ponies in front of him, they knew it as a sign of sorrow. “You two...opened my eyes to a different way of life. I’m not here to hide any more.”

Lyra and Bon-Bon looked at each other nervously before back at Adrias as Bon-Bon backed away from him. His face still didn’t change expression, but the tone in his voice was dead serious.

“There is a very clearly a present threat to Equestria and as a consequence, to my only two friends at the moment. I’m not going to let anything happened to anyone.”

Bon-Bon sat next to Lyra. “It took you a few years, but you finally admitted it,” she said, her usual sarcasm gone from her voice. “The fact that you have the stallionhood to admit you needed our help is the reason I agreed in the first place, Adrias.”

A smile faintly touched at his lips. “Thank you, Bon-Bon.”

Lyra looked around at the two, feeling thoroughly confused at the situation. “Hey, things are getting a little too sappy for me,” she said, shifting out of her seat. “This is supposed to be an adventure!” she added, breaking into a wide smile. “Let’s act like it!”

The weight of a lifetime of sin weighed heavily on Adrias’ shoulders, but he still found the strength inside him to smile.

~~~~~

Leaflet Locket leaned against the corner of the passenger car. Several ponies - mostly nobles and rich-looking ponies - sat in the several seats lined by the windows. A griffon stood in the opposite corner, wearing a large overcoat. The two shared a look and nodded at each other.

The pegasus glanced around. One security guard - easy peasy. He wore a similar coat - as did his companions spread across the train cars. His wings tested a weight hidden underneath the overcoat, checking the mechanisms were loaded and ready to go.

With a slight grin he gave a final nod to the griffon.

Taking quick strides, he took flight before bringing the back of his hoof down on the back of the security guard’s skull, knocking him out with a quiet ‘oof’. Tossing a quick-strike firework from the window, it shot outwards before giving a loud bang - signalling the rest of his crew to begin work.

“Alright, everypony this is a robbery!” he bellowed, pulling a hefty crossbow from under his overcoat. A mare screamed but was quickly hushed by Tenor, his griffon partner-in-crime. He, too, sported an equally as deadly crossbow, bolt loaded and ready to fire.

He would’ve liked to say he didn’t enjoy his line of work - but the truth was he enjoyed every moment of it. The Canterlot snobs had too much money, anyways, and they deserved to have their purses...lightened a little.

“Now, the rules are simple!” he called out, aiming the bow around ponies cowering behind their seats. “We’re here for your money not your lives. My good friend is going to hold out a bag, and we would appreciate any donations you could afford us.”

There was always an adrenaline rush - that powerful thrill in committing the act.

“You won’t get away with this!”

A furious grin spread over Leaflet’s muzzle as he bore down on the offending pony rapidly. “What was that, sunshine?” he said, the point of his crossbow bolt pressing against the cowering earth-pony’s nose.

“N - nothing…” he whimpered.

“Thought so,” Leaflet spat, before turning his attention to the rest of the passengers. “See? Bravery will likely get an arrow between your eyes - so sit tight and cough up!”

A manic grin overcame the pegasus as the various ponies frantically dumped their valuables into the large duffle bag held open by Tenor. There was one thing he loved more than the thrill of the hunt. It wasn’t the fact that he might get caught, or lose limb or life. No...it was the money. The sheer sum of everything he stole that fuelled his addiction.

“Hey, boss, all the front trams are accounted for,” A voice said at the front of the passenger car. Leaflet nodded at him.

“Good, get a few crew so we can sweep the private passenger cars.”

He made his way towards the back of the car - through here onwards it would be a cakewalk. Individual compartments with nopony to see or hear anything going on. Making his way to the first compartment, Tenor behind him ready to knock down the adjacent door.

Leaflet pounded heavily against the door. “Room service,” he grunted. Shuffling was briefly heard before the door slid open, revealing a mint-green unicorn with a broad smile on her face. It quickly descended into a look of horror as she saw Leaflet’s crossbow aiming into the room.

There were three occupants - the unicorn, a beige-cream earth pony mare and a dark-tan stallion with straw-coloured hair and an icepick for a cutiemark.

“Alright, rules are simple. You’re going to cough up any valuables you have and then we can move on our merry way with nopony getting hurt.” Silence filled the room as the two mares nervously glanced between him and the stallion. “Well? We’re not getting any younger here! Get a move on!” he yelled, holding up the weapon threateningly.

The tan stallion spoke up. “Listen, buddy, I’ve had a really bad day so far - and it’s only going to get worse later on,” he said in a tired voice. “So why don’t you do us all a favour and close up that door behind you and go about your business because I really don’t give a sh -,”

Leaflet cut him off viciously, jabbing the tip of his crossbow against his snout. “Listen up, sunshine,” he spat through gritted teeth. Uncontrollable rage boiled up inside of him at the sheer audacity the stallion had. “Nopony gets to talk back to me like that - got it? Now - empty your bags and cough up any bits before I skewer you through the eyeballs.”

The earth-pony continued to level a steady glare at him. Leaflet stole a glance towards the two mares - the unicorn had a manic grin of excitement on her face, the earth-pony a look of sheer abject terror as she hugged the other tightly.

“What did I say?” he demanded, pressing the point a little firmer before giving an involuntary shiver. A snowflake floated past his vision . “Hey...is it getting cold in here?”

~~~~~

The Day Court always had its fair share of loons - but thankfully for the most part it was always fairly predictable. The political game of chess Princess Celestia was constantly playing with the nobility of Canterlot was, in a way, a fun game. What wasn’t fun was the fact that she always had to keep such a serious tone and expression in front of the ponyfolk. Thankfully, this was only a bi-weekly occurance - where certain nobles who had filtered through the red-tape and filing system were able to directly petition her for something.

She relished the thought of just...being normal for once, of laughing at the nervous expressions as she counter-played a snobbish unicorn’s words against himself. That was a fun twenty-seven minutes.

The court was concluded for the morning - and as one of the regents of Equestria, there was always a bountiful amount of paperwork that needed to be done. She almost missed the olden days, simpler days where they didn’t need to worry more than what seeds to plant for the next crops.

But now, it was always a political game of favours and back-stabbing. She hated it. Every word had to be measured and considered, lest it was turned viciously against you - but Celestia had played this game for centuries and she knew every turn and trick in the book.

The door burst open unceremoniously, causing the alicorn to look up at alarm from her desk. The captain of the royal guard stood at attention, saluting firmly to the Princess.

“At ease, captain,” Princess Celestia said warmly, a soft smile spreading on her lips.

“Forgive the intrusion, Princess, but a situation requires your immediate attention.”

The eyebrow raised again. “Yes?”

“There was a train robbery earlier, Princess.” His voice was frantic, bordering panicked.

“Oh my - I trust nopony was hurt?” Celestia said, before adding, “Although, I’m sure the guardsponies are more than capable of managing the situation.”

The guard, ever stoic, did not betray his firm stance - but the worry and fear behind his eyes and voice did exactly that instead. “The robbery is not the situation, Princess. The thugs responsible are already in custody. They were personally delivered by a -,” his voice froze for a moment as he closed his eyes and gulped. “A monster of sorts delivered them to the local police station before marching to the front gates of the Castle. It - he is demanding to see you personally.”

Celestia’s expression stiffened as she gave a single nod towards her personal assistant, who nodded back before speeding off in a galop. “Have you been able to subdue this ‘monster’?”

“All attempts to apprehend him have failed. The very air around him is - It’s frozen. Out guards cannot get close enough without succumbing to the sudden cold as they approach.”

“Is it magical in nature?”

“We presume so, Princess.” The captain’s voice wavered slightly as he continued. “Any attempts to neutralise the magic have failed. He is demanding to see you personally, but says he will not cause harm.”

Celestia rose from her seat, walking towards the main doors. “Follow me, captain. I have already sent for reinforcements.”

The guardspony saluted before taking his place to the left of Celestia in a steady march. “We already have all available reserves trying to subdue him, Princess.”

Celestia glanced to her left and right - several ponies of all three tribes adorned in thick gleaming armour had flocked around her. Full-faced helmets protected them, the pegasi with custom-fitted plating around their wings and the unicorns with unique rune-stones to augment their magic.

The Paragon Guard - Celestia’s most elite and loyal guards. She knew each of them and their families personally - ponies who would lay down their lives for her without a moments hesitation.

She hated the mere fact that their existence was needed - but some threats beyond Equestria’s borders and some powers would jump at any opportunity to undermine or overthrow the alicorn; the Paragon Guard were her shield against them.

The Paragon Mage-Casters' horns ignited in a brilliant white glow, the runestones thrumming with magic as a near-invisible shield shimmered into existence around the alicorn. Several Paragon Flight-Masters hovered above, wing-blades at the ready as the Earth-Grinders took up formation in front of her.

The formation of elite soldiers, escorting their Princess, rounded towards the main entrance hall of Canterlot Castle. Celestia could hear the commotion from a while away. Guards shouted orders and the clanging of spears and armour rung through the halls.

Celestia let out a small gasp at the scene - which was nothing short of a warzone. Ponies lay strewn everywhere, medics having set up emergency triage stands. Guardsponies gathered around a single, dark-tan stallion. Tentatively, they would approach him only to be rebuffed by a sudden wall of ice erupting from the ground. Celestia could feel the heat being leached out of the air around the strange stallion.

“What is going on here?” Princess Celestia demanded, her voice a loud crack of thunder in the air. The Royal Canterlot Tone brought an immediate hushed silence in the halls.

The earth-pony stallion looked up, an impassive frown on his face as he tilted his head. Icicles hung from his features but he gave no sign of feeling any effects from the cold.

“Ah, Princess,” he said, before bowing.

The shield shimmered slightly, the Mage-Casters adding an extra layer of strength.

“Why have you sought to cause such a disruption?” Celestia asked, her voice a lot softer this time but still holding a steely edge to it.

“Honestly, Princess?” he began, his voice taking a sheepish edge to it. “It’s a very long story. But, the short version is…” He bowed down again, laying out his front hooves against the floor in front of him. The icy tundra around him faded as the icicles disappeared. “I’ve come to offer my unconditional surrender.”

Author's Note:

Hooh boy.

It gets hectic from here onwards.

A lot of things will be explained in the next chapter.

Comments

[Mr Marshmallow]

Fucking cliffhanger!