Chapter I: The Last Princess
Journal Entry #562 January 13, 1973:
It appears that this ‘futuristic’ city as gone to crap. Freaking ‘Utopia’ my flank, this is more like a dystopia if anything.
For twenty long years this city has lived under unity and preservation after the fall of Me, Celestia, Luna, and Cadence. I don’t even get why they couldn’t even stay in their own freaking world and had to walk right into our own and conquer us all!
Humans, nasty and war like creatures. Their dumbasses had to blow up their own world with these so called “Atomic Bombs”. I don’t even know how they got into our own world, but they did. They freaking tore all of Equestria to rubble and calmed it as their own. I don’t even know what they call this city now and quite honestly, I could care less.
After slaughtering Celestia and Luna, they left me and Cadence alive being that we were the only ponies that knew how to keep order among the ponies here in Equestria. After we tried the humans started killing anypony that didn’t obey by their command.
Hell, I’ve written over five-hundred journal entries and I bet you I’m going to be the only one that goes back and reads them after I finally take back what should be mine. I am the only Princess left after all. They killed Cadence not too long after they started killing our subjects and she tried to rebel.
I bet you the pony race is going to go extinct within the next couple of years if somepony, hell if somebody doesn’t start an anarchy. I don’t know if I can afford to do so, the humans already know so much about me, maybe too much about me.
My friends have already joined them in this totalitarian government for reasons I still can’t figure out to this day. This abandoned me and left me for dead basically. I had multiple opportunities in my lift to revolt against this government.
For example become a runner, at the time it wasn’t a good idea purely because the human president relied of me for information but now it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. May 1954 is when the humans came into our world, after the United States and the Soviet Union bombed the mess out of each other and had to find refuge somewhere else. Like I said, how they got to our world, I’ll never know, the damn president never tells you this kinds of stuff.
I don’t even know how many journal entries I write a year. In 1963 I wrote like a hundred because that was when an anarchy was rising up and I wanted to document all their actions, but they were slaughtered within weeks so it didn’t matter. Now I’m just being random as hell, like Pinkie Pie.
Oh Pinkie Pie, you were my favourite friend out of our group ‘the mane six’. You always knew how to brighten up my day when I was feeling down before the humans invaded. Even after they came to rule you still kept me going.
But nope, on November, 1958, you, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity left me for dead during the November Riot. The only respect I have for the current ruler is that she saved my life that day, after my friends abandoned me for reasons I’m still curious about to this day.
I haven’t seen them in since the day they left me so why should I care anyhow. For all I know they could be gathering a rebellion to fight against the government, but I highly doubt that. Whatever, I’m done with this.
The last Princess closed her journal and set it on the table to the right of her. When she tried to stand up, she quickly found out it was quite hard to being that her hoof ached with pain.
“Twilight! Get down here now, if you’re done writing your journal entry!”
“Okay Mayor Callaghan!” Twilight called back. She walked out of her chamber on the top floor of the presidential building. The mayor’s office wasn’t too far from her chamber but it took a little longer being that she was limping with every step.
“Are you okay Twilight? Is your leg still bothering you?” Callaghan asked her.
She wasn’t speaking English, but Twilight could translate in her head. “Yeah I’m fine and unfortunately yes it is. It would be okay if one of your freaking officers didn’t shoot me that day!”
“We had that guy put to death that day Twilight, please stop talking about it,” Callaghan started getting annoyed.
“Like you did with the rest of my kind, whatever as long as I’m still alive,” Twilight regretted saying those words, but she knew that’s what Callaghan wanted to hear.
“I know I wiped out almost all of your kind Twilight and I’m sorry. What’s done must be done. And haven’t we had this conversation like a million times in the last decade?”
“If I were to wipe out almost all of humanity wouldn’t you feel the same way?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.
“Well, you do have a point. Thankfully I don’t have to worry about that, do I?”
“No Callaghan you don’t,” Twilight started having second thoughts.
“Good mare, anyways you’re probably wondering why I called you down here today. Even though today is your day off!”
Twilight started gripping her leg. “That would indeed be nice to know.”
“We have suspicion of a rogue running about these parts and I don’t approve. None of my jackass soldiers can catch her so I’m putting the assignment on you. Apparently she’s something called ‘A Runner’. A rogue group that raised after the November Riot. Sorry I know that’s a sensitive topic for you Twilight but it wasn’t my decision.”
Twilight wanted to clobber the mayor right there and then, parsley because she suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from that day alone. But she was able to control herself. “Just give me a name and where she was last seen.”
“Her name is Kate Connors. She’s an Asian Female roughly about six foot, black hair. She shouldn’t be too hard to track down. She is primarily being tracked down for murder of Robert Pope. She was last seen by Aleyue Square right across from the church.”
“Will do, I’ll report back when the job is done,” Twilight started limping towards the exit.
“By the way one more thing Twilight,” Callaghan got up from her seat.
Twilight turned around with an annoyed look, she knew what he was going to say already. “I just wanted to say, I’m sorry.”
Twilight almost went into shock. “Wha-What?”
“I’m sorry. For basically ruining your life. I’ve ruled this utopia for almost twenty years and I figured it was time for an apology. I killed your mother, your father, your brother, your Princess Sisters, and I nor the previous mayors ever really said sorry. So, I’m coming out and saying it.”
Twilight was starting to wonder if she was understanding her or not.
“And we can’t forget about the November Riot, but I won’t talk about that.”
Twilight’s eyes started to tear. She whipped them from her face and got back to being serious. “Apology, accepted,” she said as she walked out the door.
Callaghan sat back down, for once in his life he felt, rather, sorrow. “I should have never turned her friends against her.”
After getting back to her room, Twilight put on a leg brace and opened her journal.
Journal Entry #563 same date as last entry
Well Callaghan has another job for me, but it looks like this one is a lot more serious than the last one. This time, it’s a MURDER CASE!
This Kate Connors seems like she must know what she’s doing being that she was able to assassinate someone of high authority like Robert Pope. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was a runner. I’m also surprised she hasn’t been caught yet being that Callaghan’s Project Icarus is actually pretty successful.
Celeste probably not doing a good job tracking the runners down being that Callaghan had to call upon me to do his dirty work for her. As I was saying in the previous entry, this ‘utopia’ is falling to the worst end very quickly.
I bet you sooner or later I’m going to have to take charge and the Runners are going to assassinate Callaghan. Pretty much the only reason why Callaghan still alive is because of Project Icarus and its intense parkour training after all.
Hell, it’s probably the reason I’M still alive. I haven’t given up on my life yet, but I think I’m heading in that direction. Callaghan has granted me more freedom than the other citizens of this godforsaken place, but not as much as I like. I guess that’s what you get for being an officer of the head council after all.
Unfortunately I have to cut this entry short, I have to go on my fun, fun mission yay!
Twilight closed her journal and walked over to the window. She looked at all the freelancing ponies and humans just going about their business and such. After gazing for several seconds, Twilight put on her uniform which consisted of: a black leather jacket with an officer’s badge, and a pair of goggles.
“Excuse me Twilight Sparkle,” one of Callaghan’s servants peeked into her room.
“Yes Lyra?”
“Callaghan is ready for you,” Lyra seemed to be extremely depressed mood.
“Thank you, you okay Lyra by the way?” Twilight walked over close to her.
Lyra looked down at Twilight’s injured leg. “Today’s the five year anniversary if Bon Bon being killed right in front of me, and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
Twilight walked up to Lyra and hugged her. “I know how you feel. I lost my entire family and my friends at the November Riot almost an entire decade ago.”
Lyra looked up from her sorrow. “I’m so sorry Twilight, is, is there anything I can do?”
“If you really want to you can read my journal. I’ve been pretty much documenting my entire life since Princess Celestia and Luna were killed. Almost twenty years of writing. I also have multiple journals that you can find in those trunks over there. Just feel free to slip in anytime and read them.”
“Thank you so much Twilight,” Lyra walked past Twilight into her room.
“I have to go now, get well soon Lyra,” Twilight waved good-bye.
“Bye Twilight!” Lyra did the same.
Twilight closed the door behind her and walked to the nearest elevator. To her surprise she was alone on the elevator rather with someone random. This is a rather rare occasion for Twilight being that there were so many people always going around in the building, but she didn't question it.
After reaching the very bottom floor, Mayor Callaghan was waiting for her with a file in his hand.
“Here is the full report on our target Twilight. You know what to do and good luck,” Callaghan handed her a file.
“Thank you Callaghan, when I return the target should be dead,” Twilight took the file and slipped it into her saddlebag.
“Better be, now go, you know what to do,” the mayor trotted towards the entrance towards the building.
Twilight nodded and flew off, flying over the ten feet tall gates. She hasn’t gone flying over the city in a long time and had forgotten how beautiful it was. Most of the city was a couple of high skyscrapers and millions of regular business buildings.
She touched down on one of the builds and decided to review the file that Callaghan gave her. Her age was redacted, however everything else was still visible. She has a sister named Faith Connors. Her parents died in the November Riot just like Twilight’s. And most importantly, she was indeed a runner.
Twilight slipped the file back into her bag and darted towards Aleyue Square. It didn’t take long for her to get there, and there was already a commotion going on. Ponies and People were behind police tape screaming their heads off in rage about the pope.
After touching down right next to the on duty sheriff, Twilight could see things were looking too good at the moment.
“What’s the good word Sheriff?” Twilight asked him.
“Well we have good news and bad news. The good news is we think we know who killed Robert Pope, the bad news however is that we don’t know where she is in the city.”
“That is indeed very bad news. Let me take a look at the body,” the two could barely hear each other with the irritable crowed.
Twilight grew tired of the crowed and decided to conjure a magic force field to silence all sound around the crime scene. The crowd grew angry and started pounding on the force field but even they knew that it wouldn’t work.
“The body wasn’t mutilated or anything, it was a quick and painless shot to the head. We currently have someone trying to track down Kate Connors but I don’t know what their progress is at the very moment,” the sheriff told Twilight.
“Celeste I’m guessing?”
“Indeed you’re right,” the sheriff bent down next to the body.
Twilight walked over to the body and inspected it closely. To her surprise there was a little note sticking out of his jacket pocket, when Twilight took it out to read it, she soon foldout she couldn't because it was in a different language.
“Hey Sheriff, what does this note say, I can’t read it,” Twilight handed the note to the sheriff.
“It appears to be in English. I can read a little bit of English so let’s see what I can decipher,” the sheriff took a closer look at the note.
Twilight was confused on why that note was written in English. English was dead for as long as the humans have been around. Russian is the main language of this utopia, do people still know English?
“Most of it is not readable, damn people/ponies and their bad handwriting. However there is a name on here. It reads out ‘Travis Burfield’ who to my knowledge the pope’s head of security.”
“I have never heard of this man, could you tell me a little bit about him?” Twilight was slightly confused.
“I don’t know much about him other than for the fact that he was a mean wrestler and he his wrestling name was ‘Ropeburn’.”
“Interesting, for all we know this could have been a set up to frame Kate Connors,” Twilight was just thinking out loud.
“I guess it’s all possible, but I guess we’ll never know now,” he and Twilight started looking down at the body.
“Well, I got myself a runner to find, talk to you later sheriff,” Twilight started to fade the bubble away and fly away.
“Bye Twilight!” the sheriff was waving to her.
Twilight decided to trot towards her home very quick to pick up something. She was glancing from building to building just in case she happens to stumble upon the runner. Unfortunately she had no luck in doing so.
After reaching her home, she noticed that Lyra was still reading her old journals. She didn’t want to disturb her so she just quickly grabbed her utility belt that she had forgot and started making her way towards the door.
Lyra heard the footsteps and turned around at Twilight. “Hey Twilight!”
Twilight turned around with a curious face. “Yes Lyra?”
“Why do your journals go from English to Kurphic?” Lyra looked puzzled at the book in front of her.
“You mean Russian? Overtime English stopped being used here and Russian became the new native language, you should know this by now Lyra. Furthermore you still call it Kurphic, since when as anypony called it that in the last ten years?”
“Well ever since Bon Bon and many of my other close friend’s deaths, I have drained myself from this world. Decided to become a useless servant to the mayor, only learning full Kur- Russian so I can somewhat communicate with the word.”
“I understand completely. Now that I think about it I wish I was like you Lyra, never really had to worry about huge deals, crap that goes down in the city. That would indeed be nice. But unfortunately, I am a Princess, and I am one of the right hand mans of the mayor herself. It has its benefits, but more drawbacks.”
Lyra nodded, she obviously didn’t want to continue this conversation for it is starting to get to her emotionally. How it did Twilight didn’t know but she didn’t question it and just trotted towards the door.
“Hey Twilight!” Lyra said right before Twilight vanished from her view.
Twilight turned around. “Yes Lyra?”
“How old are you?”
Twilight didn’t know why she was asking this but she didn’t care. “Thirty-five.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Twilight shrugged and walked out the door. It was rude for a servant to ask someone of high authority something like their age. But not only did Twilight really give a crap, she trusted Lyra.
Twilight only had two things on her mind: Who killed Robert Pope, and where to find this Kate Connors and Travis Burfield. Travis Burfield might be a dangerous man and she isn’t doubting that Kate Connors is dangerous one too.
Callaghan happen to run into Twilight as she was about to fly off, Callaghan quickly stopped her.
“Hey Twilight, how did the investigation go?”
Twilight turned around. “We found out that someone else might be linked to the death of Robert Pope.”
“Who is it?”
“His agent of high security, Travis Burfield.”
Callaghan almost went into shock. “What? They have worked so closely with each other for years! Why would Travis assassinate his own client?”
“Well it’s only a guess. And they reason why Travis is on the table for possible suspects is because we found a note in Pope’s pocket that was in English and it had his name on it.”
“Who speaks English anymore? Anyways what did the note say?”
“Apparently is was really awful written and it wasn’t readable. Whoever wrote it had really bad handwriting.
“This is all starting to make my head spin. First we think it’s the runners and now this? What’s going to happen next?” Callaghan wanted to rip all her hair out.
Twilight put on a face of determination. “We’re going to find out whoever killed Robert Pope! He was a good man and of high authority so we can’t let this one slide.”
Callaghan was brought back to her senses. “You’re right Twilight. Well I got to get back to work, I have too much drama I have to deal with right now. I wish you the best of luck Twilight.”
“Thank you Mayor Callaghan, I’m going to need it,” Twilight tighten her best and flew off right out of a nearby window.
Twilight didn’t know where to look or where to even start for clues! She was on her own for this one, however, she knew she could do it.