The Ties that Bind

by the7Saviors

A New Order

Frigid Gale was largely happy with the way things had turned out all things considered, even if she did have to get her hooves a little dirty.

Her initial search of Farhoof Forest hadn't turned up any kind of damning evidence of Ancient Scroll's presence like she'd been hoping for, but she figured it was a longshot that the ponies she was looking for would still be around anyway—especially given what, or rather who she found instead.

The stallion back at the tavern had mentioned that Ancient Scroll had passed through the forest, but he didn't say anything about a patrol of Royal Guards so far from Canterlot. It was surprising certainly, but not entirely unexpected given the troubling, if somewhat vague, reports she'd received about the state of Canterlot. Gale had no doubt there'd been more updates from her contacts in the capital city since she'd set out on her own.

Now that she'd seen the extent of the situation with her own eyes, she was sure whatever news she was given would not bode well. The thestral was beginning to feel like she was running out of time, which was in part why she chose to take matters into her own hooves, but even more than that was an odd sense of foreboding. It was a feeling that only grew worse at the sight of the large magical blockade in the distance.

The disappearance of Abern and Red Storm and the resulting increase in security, the widespread patrols, Nightmare Moon's suspicious behavior, and the fact that Fell Wind still had yet to make any kind of report. None of it boded well for what Frigid Gale had planned, and all this when she was closer now to her goal than she'd ever been. It was the driving force behind her sense of urgency, her underlying fear that something would go wrong if she didn't push things along as quickly as possible.

It was ultimately Nightmare Moon who convinced the increasingly impatient rebel leader that, given the number of guards stationed in and around the forest's perimeter, subtlety was the better option. Grudgingly and despite her misgivings, Frigid Gale had agreed to do it Nightmare Moon's way, and the mare opted for stealth over a straight confrontation.

And so it was that Gale spent more time than she would've liked sneaking around the many guards scouring the forest in groups of three or four, gauging the size and strength of their forces and gathering intel all the while. To the thestral's relief and satisfaction, it didn't take long for a few of the small squads to let slip a few useful bits of information—some interesting, some worrying, some confusing and unexpected but all relevant to her situation in one way or another.

So at the very least, that old coot wasn't lying when he said our merry little caravan was headed this way, Gale thought with a frown as she watched yet another small patrol pass by from where she was concealed within a particularly thick bit of underbrush, but it looks like we just missed them.

Their lead does not seem to be a sizeable one at least, Nightmare Moon calmly observed from within Frigid Gale's mind, in any case, we've gained the information we require so I see no further reasons to delay in our pursuit.

I agree… but something else is bothering me about what we heard.

You're referring to the pegasus, I presume? The one said to be traveling with Ancient Scroll and the others?

Frigid Gale nodded grimly before taking off in the opposite direction of the receding patrol. She weaved her way through the trees, heading deeper into the forest towards the massive barrier.

The way they talked about her… that fits Fell Wind to a T. I'm almost certain it's her, and if that's the case then the mystery of where she's been is solved, but then that just raises the question of why she's with them in the first place. Knowing Fell Wind, she would've hauled her flank right back to me if she had any news about our target.

Perhaps she simply doesn't have the proof she requires and has taken up their company in order to confirm her suspicions.

Gale pondered Nightmare Moon's suggestion for a moment before giving a mental shake of her head.

Nah, Fell Wind doesn't have the patience or mind for that kind of subterfuge. No, there's something else going on here, and I don't like it one bit, she sighed inwardly, it's times like these that I wish your ability to invade minds was a little more… consistent.

If I was at my full strength it certainly would be, but as things stand, I only have enough power to peer into and affect the minds of those who are especially susceptible. And lest you ask me again to probe Fell Wind's mind, I would remind you of what happened as a result of the last attempt.

No, I most certainly was not going to ask, Frigid Gale replied, grimacing at the memory, trust me, I know better than to open that can of worms again. I know how… unstable those two are. I don't know what that crazy nag did to their minds, but I wouldn't risk hurting them like that… not again.

Yes… I suppose you wouldn't…

A pang of guilt made its way into Gale's mind having remembered the mistake she'd originally brought Fell Wind and Red Storm back to their base of operations beneath the Old Castle. The sentiment was strong, but thankfully it passed quickly, though Nightmare Moon seemed not to have noticed. If anything, the tone in her response was oddly distant—distracted even.

Gale, who had picked up on the tone and found the reply itself strange, frowned, but before she could ask what Nightmare Moon meant, she herself was distracted by the sound of urgent voices coming from a distance further ahead of her. She quickly but quietly wove her way through the trees for a few moments longer, then slowed her pace as she caught sight of another group of guards just past the thicket a little ways ahead.

She stopped altogether at Nightmare Moon's urging just before she reached the edge of the thicket, but Nightmare Moon had no need to tell Gale as much. Something about the small squad felt off to Gale, though she couldn't immediately place what the issue was. The wary tone in Nightmare Moon's voice when she next spoke told the thestral she could sense it too.

Look at the squad leader, Nightmare murmured in Gale's mind, look at his expression... something has changed.

Now that you mention it...

Up until now, many of the guards on patrol that Gale had come across—although diligent in their rounds—had been moving at a rather slack pace. Gale hadn't seen any sense of urgency in their steps and had even heard them mention rumors that their patrol was all but concluded. Now, though, judging by the grim expression of the squad leader and the hurried gait of his troops, it seemed something had gone amiss.

...I don't know where it's coming from, but I'm getting a real bad feeling, Nightmare.

Nightmare Moon didn't respond, but she didn't have to. Gale could feel that she felt the same, and it was that bad feeling that led the thestral to follow after the squad. It didn't take long for them to reach the eastern edge of the forest where both the massive amber-tinted barrier and the rest of the guard stood waiting. Frigid Gale remained hidden within the trees just outside the range of the detection spells they'd set up around the perimeter.

The spells were something she'd only managed to circumvent thus far because of her fine-tuned control of soul magic. This hadn't been her first stealth operation—far from it—and as she scanned the many, many rows of soldiers lined up across the edge of the barrier, she had to once again thank Nightmare Moon for honing the magic most responsible for those finely tuned thaumic senses.

I suppose I should thank the old stallion too, huh?

You should, said Nightmare Moon in a surprisingly solemn voice, he may have taught you only the basics, but he laid the foundation upon which you were able to build and grow.

Wow, that's... not really something I expected to hear from you.

Nightmare Moon scoffed, but Frigid Gale could hear something in her voice when she spoke. It was a sort of strange melancholy, or at least that's what it sounded like to Gale.

We all must start from somewhere, Gale. None but a rare few are born powerful or knowledgeable—not even me. Even I had a mentor to call my own, and it was he who taught me to value the wisdom of a good teacher.

Oh... right.

There was a moment of somber silence in which Gale wisely decided to let the subject drop. Instead, she continued to watch what was evidently one of the last few patrol squads arrive and take their place among the rest of what could probably pass as a small army of guards. It seemed to Gale that the Guard Captain had finally begun to call off the patrol, a fact that was confirmed when the mare in question trotted past the throng of guards and into Gale's view.

"Iron Heart," Gale muttered, "if Celestia sent her all the way out here she must be desperate."

Up until the moment she came into view, Gale had thought the squad leader she'd followed was the head of the search party, but evidently, that wasn't the case. She wasn't personally acquainted with the Guard Captain, but if the reports she'd received were anything to go by, the mare was dangerous in more ways than one. The fact that Captain Iron Heart was part of the search only made the sinking feeling in Gale's gut worse.

"Report," Iron Heart said curtly as she stepped out to meet the returning squad leader and his troops, "any sign of the pegasus, Lieutenant?"

"Negative, Ma'am, we've lost her trail," the earth pony stallion replied, snapping a crisp salute, "it's possible she may have slipped through the barrier when we let the civilians pass."

"It's just as well," Iron Heart sighed, "somehow I get the feeling she isn't the culprit we're looking for."

The Lieutenant gave a bemused frown.

"Ma'am?"

"Forget it, Lieutenant," the Captain shook her head, "let's just say I was probably wrong to go against my better judgment this time around. I have a good reason to suspect that she's not the culprit, but the details can wait."

Frigid Gale frowned at the mention of the pegasus but kept her silence as Iron Heart spoke.

"More to the point, you look like you have something else to report, so go on."

"Er... yes, well, assuming the unidentified pegasus isn't the one we're looking for," the stallion took a second to recover his train of thought before continuing, "including those already present, none of the squads thus far have found any evidence that points toward the culprit having traveled through this forest... nothing damning at any rate."

"Nothing damning," Iron Heart repeated with a furrowed brow, "so you may have found a possible lead then?"

At that, the Lieutenant glanced back towards a rather mousy unicorn mare who looked horribly out of place amidst all the armored troops. The mare—likely a student of thaumotology given her scholarly robes—shot the Lieutenant an uncertain look in turn. The two seemed to share a silent dialogue and the lieutenant nodded a moment later before turning back to Iron Heart.

"It's possible but we believe it unlikely," he replied as the horn of the mare behind him lit up. She used magic to pull open the flap of a satchel she wore. From it, she pulled a large black tome which she then floated over to the Captain as the Lieutenant continued speaking, "we found this book hidden among the underbrush a short distance away from where the wagon was first discovered."

Frigid Gale's ears perked up at that and her eyes focused on the tome as Iron Heart snatched it out of the mare's magical grasp. She'd already had her suspicions about the Vardo confirmed, so that was no news to her—she'd even found the area the Lieutenant had referenced regarding the wagon. The book, however, was something she had apparently overlooked. She knew for a fact that the killers they were looking for were nowhere near this area, which meant the book could only have belonged to someone in that Vardo.

You've gotta be kidding me. How in Tartarus did I miss that?!

You are not infallible, Frigid Gale. You've made worse mistakes and blunders in the past and this is simply another one to add to the list. That said, this was quite an oversight on your part.

Nightmare Moon wasn't quite mocking, but she spoke without pity and Gale couldn't even blame her. This had indeed been a horrible oversight. Had she found the book first, she could've used soul magic to track the residual thaumic signature of whoever had last used it right to their immediate location. The trail would've been just fresh enough for it to work, but now...

Now she had to watch in silent irritation as the Captain of the Guard flipped through the book's pages.

"This... this is a spellbook... a tome meant to teach dark magic of all things," the Captain's frown deepened as she looked back up at the Lieutenant, "what makes you so sure that this didn't belong to the culprit? If anything, I'd say that was a relatively safe assumption."

"That is what we thought at first," the stallion admitted, "but... well..."

He turned back to nod again at the scholarly mare, who took that as a sign to take a nervous step forward. She cleared her throat before addressing Iron Heart in a squeaky, nasally voice that matched her mousy look.

"W-Well, Ma'am—er, Captain... I m-mean—"

"Captain will do, Miss Chalice," Iron Heart interjected reassuringly, "go on, what did you find?"

"R-Right, well," she cleared her throat again, "I was the one that found the tome, and I have a bit of practice in using soul magic, s-so I used my meager talent in that particular field to divine the thaumic signature of the owner, a-as per Lieutenant Coal's suggestion."

"A sound suggestion," Iron Heart nodded and a thought came to her mind, "if you found that near the wagon and believe it wasn't the culprit, can I assume that the book was left behind by one of the ponies in said wagon?"

Again Chalice and Lieutenant Coal shared a look, but Iron Heart couldn't quite read their expressions. It seemed as though they were having trouble coming up with a proper explanation.

"Lieutenant," Iron Heart pressed firmly, "is that or is that not the case?"

"That's just it, Captain," Lieutenant Coal replied with a hint of unease, "we're not entirely sure, but if that is indeed the case, then we've let a high priority target slip right through our grasp."

"What do you mean?" Iron Heart asked, confusion written clear across her face, "a high priority target? And it's not the culprit?" her brow furrowed as several different possibilities ran through her mind, and a second later, her eyes widened in shock, "you... you're not talking about..."

"I'm afraid so, Ma'am," the Lieutenant nodded grimly, "the thaumic signature matches that of one Twilight Sparkle. We're not one hundred percent sure that she was traveling with the older stallion and his family, but chances are high, and we're all but certain of the foal's identity."

Dammit!

Frigid Gale's teeth ground together as the Captain put the pieces together, and a command from Nightmare Moon was the only thing stopping the thestral from charging headfirst into the mass of guards.

Calm yourself you foolish mare!

But they're on their way to—

They still have much ground to cover before they arrive! Moreover, I warned you long ago that the foal's discovery by Celestia or her Royal Guards was a possibility! We've discussed this at length and as of right now it changes nothing! Stay your wrath for now and listen! There is more to be said and I feel it would be in our best interest to hear all of what they have to say.

For a few intense moments, Gale strained against her overwhelming desire to tear the entire company of guards to pieces and chase the lavender filly down. Eventually, however, she was able to calm herself enough to settle back into the trees and listen, albeit with great difficulty. The biggest factor in her decision was that their discovery of Twilight hadn't been the root of her sense of foreboding. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she was sure of it.

"Damn," Iron Heart continued, letting out a consternated sigh. She closed her eyes and pressing an armored hoof to her muzzle, "so I was right, that clever bastard pulled one over on me after all, and I'll bet my bottom bit that the pegasus was in on it."

"Should we drop the barrier and give chase?" asked the Lieutenant.

"We should... but that'll have to wait," the Captain replied after a moment's thought. She turned and nodded towards her pegasus adjutant who saluted and produced a scroll from one of his saddlebags. He handed it to Iron Heart who took it and unrolled it as she spoke, "we've got new orders from the top, insta-shipped by the Princess herself."

"Understood, but..." Lieutenant Coal hesitated, "is it really okay for us to simply let them go, Ma'am? I've heard that the filly is—"

"Never mind what you've heard Lieutenant Coal," Iron Heart cut in, her voice curt, "it doesn't sit right with me either, but if what the old stallion says is true, they'll be headed for the capital anyway. We can simply inform the Princess in our reply."

Frigid Gale's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no. No... Nononono...

"Yes, her retrieval is classified as a high priority, but by Princess Celestia's decree, these new orders are to be carried out immediately."

This is it, isn't it?

Nightmare Moon didn't reply, but once again, she didn't have to. They both knew this new development was the source of their trepidation. It had to be, and the next words out of Iron Heart's mouth as she read summarized the orders she was given confirmed what Gale had feared deep down.

"The Princess has long suspected that there might be a resistance of some kind hiding out somewhere in Equestria, and it seems somepony finally managed to sniff them out," Iron Heart said in a voice loud enough for all to hear, "our orders are to gather all available Royal Guards and march on the Ruined Castle deep in the Everfree."

Her eyes grew cold and her tone grew heavy with the weight of her final statement.

"Once there, we're to find and tear this resistance out at the roots. That means a complete sweep. No prisoners... no survivors."

Comments

[midnight arrow]

i love the new chapter

[RegMoDII]

Duty or dishonor... Gale's priority should be Shining Armor and the immediate evacuation of all NLR militia forces to offshore shelters. Perhaps Farandaway or some similar border town could serve as a suitable base of operations. I would suggest NMM warn Trixie however her ultimate plan seems to rely on Twilight falling into Celestia's hooves and being a sleeper agent to be awakened by Trixie on the day of her return.

[Venerable Ro]

Oh dear. Quickly, we must save Shining!

[badninja]

Well things are coming to a head. I wonder what the next move will be?

[Kevin shough]

New one ya

[Vylune]

Wooooo! New chapter!

[Gboyd]

Welp, problems arise on both sides. Big problems. I strongly suggest, Captain Heart, not to proceed any further. You do NOT want to open that can of worms.

Oh, and Celestia? You need to figure what the f**k you're going to do.

But you both will continue on your way, and I will have no choice but to sit here and silently scream. *moves to next chapter* Let the torture begin.

[The Cynical One]

"Once there, we're to find and tear this resistance out at the roots. That means a complete sweep. No prisoners... no survivors."

oh no

Onwards to dubious at best justice!

[LegacyMine]

This story is pretty good. It drags a bit at times but I'm definitely interested seeing what happens next. I hope we see more chapters soon.

[TheCommunistDog]

Well at this point Discord almost sound like the best bet towards a new leader...

[midnight arrow]

Is this story on hiatus or do u have other stories to work on?

[the7Saviors]

11181291
Other stories at the moment but I've been thinking about this one.

[midnight arrow]

11181383
ok

[Zeprto678]

Frigid Gale is going to have to decide. Will she go and warn the group, or will she go after Ancient Scroll and the others?