Escapade

by Essbie

All A Game

1: All A Game

“You all know what I expect of you. Only one team will come back, and they will be rewarded for their success. Find the escapist, bring them to me, and when all is done, I will grant your prize.”

“…”

“You. Come with me.”

~~~

He stood before the massive gate, steeling himself for what he would encounter in the building beyond. All signs pointed him to here: the incessant grinding from within the place, the newspapers scattered about despite the lack of readers and writers, and then there were the literal signs themselves. They were faded, but the arrow shape was obvious, constantly directing him to this edifice.

It looked like a factory, yet it was a castle, but felt like neither. It was a box; one that contained something terrible. It would probably kill him, but he didn’t heed these thoughts.

He had to go inside.

~~~

Time Turner stumbled into the bathroom. His head was throbbing and his stomach was doing backflips. “Oh Celestia…” he muttered, throwing his face into the toilet. For better or for worse he did not vomit, but the feeling of nausea remained. Heart pounding, he tried to gather his thoughts as he collapsed in a heap on the floor.

It was a nightmare, yet it wasn’t. An all-too-familiar feeling welled in his chest. It was so real, but it never happened… or did it? It felt like a memory he never had, or had long forgotten. That what it had to be – a memory, it gave him that itching in the back of his mind that screamed something close to nostalgia while being the exact opposite. It was something he feared and something best left forgotten.

The bathroom door creaked open, and the sound of rushed hooves came to a halt next to him. “Time! What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing, Ditzy,” the stallion said. “Just… a nightmare.”

The pegasus laid a hoof on her spouse. “Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I’m fine, luv.” Carefully lifting himself to his hooves and steadying, he looked into her face. “Let’s just get back to bed.”

“M-mm.” Ditzy shook her head. “It’s almost seven.”

“It’s a Saturday.”

“Friday.”

The Doctor groaned. “I know too much about time to be losing track of it!” he chastised himself.

“You okay, muffin? Anything I can do to help?” At Ditzy’s words, Time Turner’s hoof dragged down his face before falling away. She was being serious; He bit his tongue and reminded himself of that. Despite his effort to respond seriously, he couldn’t keep a straight face for too long. He didn’t laugh, but his face kept twisting into and out of a grin, much to Ditzy’s delight.

The sound of the front door opening and closing reached their ears. Sparkler was the only other pony in the house that got up this early. She started work early at the local jeweler’s. Her job wasn’t grand; she simply kept tabs on the front of the store unless the manager’s expertise was truly needed. It wasn’t what she had in mind for the long run, but it was within her interest and it was a convenient way to get bits for what she had in mind. No one knew what exactly that was but herself, but it wasn’t hard to guess at.

“What do you say we get some breakfast?” Time Turner suggested with a smile, pushing the nightmare away.

~~~

Sparkler’s eyes scanned the article. Short as it was, it was strange enough to garner attention and become the major headline. Nothing like this had happened recently – nothing this grim:

ROYAL GUARD FOUND DEAD, FOUL PLAY?

CANTERLOT -- Last night, Royal Night Guards responded to a commotion at the entrance of the Royal Palace to discover one of their own was dead.

The fallen was identified as Corporal Cavern Shade, who was posted above the entrance. Initial statement by the Lieutenant Commander of his unit declared that the cause of death was a mystery.

"It seems that he had fallen to his death," Lt. Cmnd. Wall Flower stated. "Which is very suspicious given that he could fly."

Evidence referred to at the time was said to have suggested the Corporal had been murdered. "We've ordered an immediate autopsy in case we missed something," Wall Flower added. "We've also tightened our patrols. We didn't find any intruders after the incident, but that doesn't mean there weren't any."

The autopsy results should be released by tomorrow.

“Weird.”

“What’s weird, Spark?”

She looked up from the paper to see her father coming into the kitchen. “The headline? What’s happening in dear old Equestria today, eh?”

Sparkler sighed. “Read for yourself,” she said, levitating the paper over to him in a magical glow. She watched her father’s face change to that of confusion as he sat down across from her and read the article. “Now you know.”

“Huh.” The subject changed there. “So, how close are you?”

Again, she froze mid-bite. “What?” she asked through a mouthful of bread.

“To your goal? Bits? You’re not staying a cashier, are you?” Time Turner elaborated. Her mom nodded in agreement, taking a seat between them.

“Oh! Not close enough,” Sparkler answered. “I’m still saving u– Dad, I’m not a cashier!”

"Oh really?" Ditzy chimed in. "What's your job then? 'cause it looks a LOT like being a cashier!"

Sparkler clenched her teeth. There was no point in arguing anymore – she was a cashier, much to her dismay. However, small steps were better than no steps at all, and she was getting paid.

“Whatever, I gotta go now anyway.” Sparkler stood up and hugged both of her parents. “See you later,” she said after opening the door. As she closed it, she added: “Don’t go anywhere.”

Those words meant nothing to anypony else.

~~~

Dinky lay in her bed, eyes wide open. It wasn't the restlessness of a filly that kept her awake, nor was it the fact that she was ready to wake up. On the contrary, she was as tired as somepony who had been woken in the middle of the night, which was what happened.

She woke up to be gripped with fear.

There was somepony in her room, staring at her as she tried her best to disappear under the blanket. She doubled her efforts by facing the other way, but she didn't scream. Only foals screamed, and she was a big filly – one who could handle this herself, without her parents. It was just a matter of working up the courage to turn around and face them and, if it came to them, give the intruder a good wallop.

Yes, that's what she would do! Give them a whack! Dinky finally caught her shaking breath and put on her war face as she lifted herself up to face the corner.

Only the intruder was closer now – at the foot of her bed. Her war face disappeared with the shock of seeing the monster.

No... it wasn't a monster; it was an old unicorn stallion. His features could be seen through an eerie blue glow around him, showing squinting eyes and a rather long beard. She couldn't tell what his mane and coat looked like, nor could she see a cutie mark, but she could make out a cape with hood draped across his back.

The stallion peered at her as the two sat in silence, letting it settle thicker than cement. Finally, a voice broke the silence.

"A picture is worth a thousand words," he said in a wizened voice. "And words are said to be weapons. Do you understand, Dinky Hooves?"

Dinky couldn't move, and she didn't dare make a sound. How did he know her name?

"My dear filly, why are you so frightened?" the stallion asked. "I'm here to help you."

"H-help me?" Dinky repeated. "H-how are you g-going to help me?"

"As I was saying..." he began to explain. "If a picture is worth a thousand words and words are said to be weapons, what is the picture?"

A riddle. That was how he was going to "help her"? What a crock! What use was that riddle to her, she could barely remember her times tables! "Is this a joke?" she asked.

"Of course not, Miss Hooves." The glow around the stallion slowly dimmed. "I'm not here to make folly. I'm here... to warn you. Be vigilant of what you and others see, but take care not to look too closely!"

"What does that mean?" Dinky asked, crawling to the foot of the bed. "Who are you?"

“A spectator.” The last of the glow disappeared, and the stallion with it. “You must go now. Until we meet again, may the Sun and Moon guide your hooves!”

Dinky stared into the space the stallion once stood. A light suddenly shone through the window – light coming from a set of lanterns, but she knew there were no lanterns near her window. There was no stone either, yet she saw a lot of it. It looked familiar...

Canterlot! This was the entrance to the castle – right above it, actually. The stone was darker because of the night and previous rain, but she knew it was the home of the Princesses.

"I'm definitely dreaming," she said to herself. The view unexpectedly reversed, turning 180 degrees and moving slowly in that direction, only to shift down at a puddle. Yellow eyes stared back at her from it, startling her. The puddle was reflecting the image of one of those night ponies in armor. It wasn't hard to realize what was with the turning from there; she was seeing from the eyes of another pony. How was this possible?

Well, it was a dream, so she was probably having some fantasy of... whatever this was.

While she pondered, a shape appeared in the reflection behind the stallion. This caught his attention. "Who's there?" he said as he turned quickly.

Dinky blinked.

A terrible sound struck her – like a breaking glass along with ripping pages and hooves dragging across a chalkboard. She shuddered, clamping her hooves over her ears as she witnessed what happened next.

The guard was stumbling as he tried to stabilize himself while trying to keep an eye on whoever was with him. He lifted his front hooves onto the stone barrier that kept clumsy ponies from falling off the ledge and grunted in pain. Even with blurry vision, the guard managed to focus on his hind legs as a clawed hand grabbed one. Dinky had seen a similar looking limb from pictures of Griffins, but this was very different. She thought she could see fur.

The creature lifted the guard's hind leg and pushed it – causing the guard to flip over the ledge. Dinky could see the perpetrator through his eyes – but it was so blurred she couldn't make out anything more than the fact that it was big. Bigger than a pony.

"Fly!" she pleaded the guard. "Call for help! Do something!"

The view shifted, looking straight at the fast-approaching stone walkway as the guard plummeted head-first.

The guard screamed. So did Dinky. The window went dark.

~~~

Somewhere, a figure rubbed its dew-covered head as it crouched in a large garden.

~~~

Somewhere else, another figure stared into the eyes of creatures that seemed to be made of wood. The Timber Wolves snarled at what they perceived to be their prey. The victim in question remained stoic as he raised his arms. If he was going to die, he would not be alone.

One at a time, the wolves met his weapon until none remained. Their efforts were not in vain, however, as the figure lurched as he grasped a bite wound in his side, blood leaking through his gloved fingers. It was severe, but he had a duty to fulfill.

He would not die until it was finished. He was not allowed to.

~~~

Two guards stood at a table, opposite from a unicorn mare in a lab coat. On the table lay a guard – dead by mysterious circumstance. Finally, the Captain of the Guard and Lieutenant Commander would find out what killed this soldier.

“What are the results?” the Captain – also a prince – asked. “Murder?”

“Well…” the Doctor started. “It’s complicated.”

“You mean you don’t know,” Wall Flower guessed.

“Oh, I do know, but… it’s just… complicated. Simple, but–“

“Complicated,” the Night Guard interrupted. “Just let us have it.”

The mare sighed. “Well, it was the fall that killed him but... he had a heart attack.”

“What?” Shining Armor began pacing. “A young stallion with Royal Guard training – physically and mentally fit – is dead from a heart attack?” Wall Flower's expression matched what his Captain summarized.

"The nature of it seems to be magical or... well, you said it yourself so it's not possible, but mental. There were signs that indicated he was put under sudden and violent stress to the point his heart couldn't take it. Also, another unusual sign were his eyes."

"With all the blood I saw I swear his eyes were..." Wall Flower trailed off from there, looking at the pony shaped mass that lay under a white sheet before him.

"That was... ah... his nose. His eyes were intact and bloodshot... too bloodshot, like they were extremely strained."

"What does it mean, Doc Willow?" Shining Armor asked. "Your best guess? What killed Cavern Shade?"

The mare shrugged. "I really don't know, the evidence goes all over the place. He had a heart attack caused by an outside stimulus. My best guess?" Again she shrugged. "Fear."

"Absurd," Wall Flower said.

"I think so too," Willow said, stepping around the table, facing the two guard directly. "Like I said, it's all over the place."

The two guards took a deep breath. "What do I say?" the Lieutenant Commander asked.

"To the press or the family?"

~~~

A pair of shadows lingered in an alleyway. One was notably taller than the other and, as such, spoke with authority.

“It was unnecessary,” he said, as if scolding the other figure, which remained silent. “You’re a fool! A death is a mystery, but a cause even more! They’ll find out how he died and become suspicious!”

Again, the one he spoke to stayed silent.

“We must hurry.” The figure turned away and walked. “The others will be ahead of us by now, and we mustn't attract more attention. Let's hope our 'peers' have more tact than to leave evidence of our 'game'."

Finally, the other spoke as he followed his leader. “A game it is.”

“Yes,” the leader sighed. “All a game.”

Author's Note:

Here it is, the psychedelic (...????????) first chapter! The next chapters will focus on individuals more, so there won't be many switches between scenes. I would compare this with chess, but this is more like TF2 with this kind of set up stage. Consider it as such, we won't be focusing on all these characters at once.

The Sparkler part was supposed to be longer, but it digressed from everything going on. It was more... "Sitcommy" is the only thing I can say about it. I didn't like it, and that probably caused it to get a little clunky.

I'm writing this kind of oddly. I'm starting in Microsoft Word and transferring text to the editor here, typing a bit there, and transferring it back to Word to see if it needs grammatical editing. Kinda takes a while but it works.

Doctor Willow's name is Willow Bark (because Willow Bark as medicinal qualities). I pulled her character out of my ass. That sounds wrong, but I said what I meant.

Also to make things clear right now: It's not furries. They have fur, but they're not furries.

EDIT: I want to see if I can get away with giving every chapter a musical theme. To test, I've put a link to The Engine City (Bioshock soundtrack) in the chapter title.

Comments

[Screw]

Interesting... 'Fingers', I have to assume it must be a Minotaur since there isn't a Human or Anthro tag. I'd like to see where this is going.