For Everfree

by NPP6

From the Inside Out

Featherdancer felt Moonchaser shift uncomfortably next to him. Glancing over at her, he couldn't really blame her. After they had been arrested, when they realized she had lost her disguise charm, they had taken what seemed like the only option and hastily redone her cloak so that it was a little tighter and hid her wings. So now the mare who had grown up a pegasus was pretending to be a unicorn. Also, her wings weren't able to stretch for the first time since her last arrest, only the second time in her entire life.

The colt suppressed a shudder at the thought. Having his wings free meant everything to him, even his special talent was influenced by it. He couldn't imagine what it must be like to go a full night without being able to move his wings, let alone doing it twice.

Hearing shifting on his other side, Featherdancer turned his head to look at the mare that had attached herself to them. A gray pegasus with a yellow mane, he couldn't quite figure her out. Still, she seemed like she needed their help, so... they had let her group up with them. He and Moonchaser had discussed it, and whenever they managed to escape or get rescued, they were going to be taking her with them. They could at least do that much for her.

Suddenly, he twitched. His ear flicked back and then slowly swiveled. He smiled as he heard the sound again. The distinct splintering caused by a certain breed of mobilized wooden pony statues when they broke could only mean one thing. He gently nudged Moonchaser, "Get ready," he whispered, "He's coming."

The mare nodded slowly before motioning with her horn towards the pegasus who was tagging along. "When do we wake her?"

At the whisper, the mare lifted her head up, "I'm awake. Are they coming for us?"

"In a way," Moonchaser replied, "The rescue party seems to be at the door, get ready to run."

---

The alicorn and the time charger in his magical grip touched down lightly behind the three ponies staring intently at the doors that led from the massive prison room into the rest of the castle. Midnight couldn't resist, he leaned forward and whispered in Moonchaser's ear, "What are we looking at?"

The mare threw a shush over her shoulder before returning her intent gaze to the door. "We're waiting for Midnight to open the door and-" the mare abruptly cut off with an "eep."

Featherdancer rolled his eyes as he turned around. "What took you so long?"

His brother pointed at the pony he had brought with him. "My friend here needed to stop by the armory and pick up his weapon."

Featherdancer cocked an eyebrow at the pony who was having a whispered conversation with the strange mare who had attached herself to them. "Who is he anyway?"

Midnight rocked his head back and forth for a moment as he weighed his response. "Tell me, I'm not sure if it was different here, but did Mom tell you bedtime stories about the wizard of the travelling blue box?"

Featherdancer blinked and turned to look at the two strangers, not even realizing his jaw had dropped. "No way," he breathed, "Not possible. He's not real, he's just a story."

"Methinks," Moonchaser finally joined the conversation, "That perhaps we had best get used to things that aren't real being real, and things that are impossible happening."

The young colt nodded numbly before shaking his head to clear it. "Alright," He finally said, "What's the plan?" Midnight pointed. "What?"

Midnight pointed more emphatically. "That. That's the plan."

His brother and friend turned to look at the enormous double doors that led from the room they were in to the execution courtyard.

"How are we going to do it?"

Featherdancer turned to look at Moonchaser, "You do realize that he's completely lost it, right? We've got ponies who are too old, too young, too sick, or too injured to escape the city before they catch up to us."

"Doesn't matter," Midnight cut him off before he could get worked into a rant, "We can't leave anypony here. They'll kill them as soon as they realize that we're gone. We have to take them all with us, whether we think we can or not." At Featherdancer's stunned expression, he smirked, "Well? Did you want the hero back or not?"

The Doctor cleared his throat and inserted himself into the conversation at that point, "Believe it or not, we do have a bit of a plan."

---

Midnight took a deep breath as he finished placing the spells that would prevent sound from leaving the large room. Then he opened his eyes and let it out as he spoke in a magically amplified voice, "Hello everypony. I imagine that you're all wondering what's going on. Allow me to explain.

"We broke in here tonight to break out some specific individuals. However, circumstances have changed and so we'll be taking anypony who wants to leave with us. We advise that you hold off on making a decision until we've finished telling you everything." The ponies in the prison began turning their attention to him. "Unfortunately you don't really have many options. If you come with us, we can only keep you safe for a short time. You also likely won't be able to go home, and if you do, it will be to take your families and go on the run with them. You will be fugitives of highest priority, and will be running from the draconequi until either they catch you or somepony stops them permanently.

"If you stay, then what awaits you is almost certain death after very certain torture for letting us get away without trying to stop us. I'm sorry to have put you into this position. Believe me, I know exactly how it feels to be where you are right now."

"Oh really?" Somepony in the back shouted, "And how would you know that? You've basically just told us that we're dead either way and that our lives are over, how could you know how that feels?"

Midnight felt Featherdancer flinch next to him at the verbal assault. He deliberately kept his composure. "Because I've been there. Where you are now. I was there two and a half weeks ago. Most of you probably remember when they executed me. My name is Midnight Star." There was a ripple that went across the crowd.

Another pony spoke up, a little more kindly this time, "So you managed to get away. How is probably complicated, but why come back?"

"To protect ponies. I came back for these two," He pointed at Featherdancer and Moonchaser, "And they came for you."

The first pony spoke up again, "So why pull this? You can obviously make it look like ponies die when they don't, why not let Discord think he's killed us?"

"Because Discord isn't the only problem. Mayhem would be down here in a heartbeat, and he wouldn't bother with ceremonial executions anymore, he'd just kill you outright, might even do it himself. Also because there's somepony we couldn't let the Draconequi know they had."

The second pony looked up at him with eyes shining. He didn't know what that meant, but he knew it was good for ponies. "Who?"

"Luna," as it was rolling off his tongue, Midnight felt something following the name, "Princess of the Night."

Another ripple rolled across the crowd. Moonchaser shot Midnight a hidden glare before putting her court face on and stepping forward, magically whipping her cloak off in a showy spiral as she spread her wings for all to see. "Ponies," She addressed the crowd, "The alicorns are returning. And we're here for war. It's time to take back Equestria. It's time to take back the world."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Featherdancer let it drag on as long as he could, then couldn't resist any more. "Anypony who wants to help us fight after this is all over, feel free. Literally. This revolution is only beginning, and you can already see how scared we've got the draconequi. I would suggest that you make that decision too, because that's largely what this is about."

The Doctor cleared his throat, "Right, I think that's enough dramatic revelations for now, let that all sink in. Mull it all over, and then make your decision. We don't want to leave until you've all decided, but at the first sound of aproaching guards, we'll need to run. As soon as those great overdone doors over there open up, it's the point of no return. Either you come with us, or you stay behind. Anypony who has questions or concerns, talk to one of the five of us. Alright ponies, let's get ready for a jailbreak."

---

"Look, for the last time, I don't know why I stuck that ridiculous title on the end. Frankly though I think it's better than the last one you got saddled with."

"I am simply saying, you should have checked with me before announcing something like that."

"I get it, I'm sorry, alright?"

"No... Although your apology is accepted."

Midnight and Moonchaser were interrupted by the pegasus mare who had finally been introduced to them as Ditzy Doo. "Hey, everypony's ready. We're just waiting on your signal."

The pair nodded. "Well," Moonchaser whispered, "Fair is fair, right?" Before Midnight could ask her any questions, she raised her voice, "General Midnight Star," everypony heard her say, "Get those doors open."

He ruefully shook his head and stepped forward, horn lighting up with magic. "Yes ma'am. Just one thing first." The half dozen ponies who had opted to stay fell to the floor to the gasps of the rest of the crowd. "Don't worry, they're only unconscious. Anypony who wants is welcome to join them. It's a massive gamble, but it might just make it seem like they at least tried to stop us." After getting a negatory response from everypony, he turned to the door.

Midnight's horn glowed again, and this time, so did the doors. Slowly, they began to creak and inch open. "Alright, as soon as those doors open, it's going to get chaotic and fast. Everypony be ready." Another tiny bit open... and then it was like a barrier had been passed and they swung open wide, letting the light of the moon in, and the prisoners of chaos out.