> The Last Cursade
>  by Si1verHunter
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> Prolog: The Escape
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Robben Banks sat in a 2 x 2 x 2 square cage. In a strait jacket. Dangling over a lava pit. His yellow main flowed around him, completely uncared-for.  There was a drained look in his eyes, like one who had the life sucked out of them. 

This pony was supposed to go on trial again for murder. This time it had been the guards around his cell. There was little proof that it was Robben Banks, but Celestia, had tried to keep him in prison for as long as possible. She still held onto the vain hope that he would confess to committing a different crime. At this point any crime would do. Unfortunately all the lawyers that were assigned to the case had been transferred to checking the law related to Luna's return. The simple little slip up had ensure that Robin Banks had be able to escape justice or so Celestia had told everyone who would listen. 

Luna entered slowly, unknowingly and spoke softly "You'll never get away with it." After all the talk of the one that got away with it by Celestia, Luna had been driven to meet this terrible villain for herself.

"Get away with what?" Robben replied in but a hushed whisper, " I haven't done anything wrong. If I had commented crime, I would've been taken to trial and charge but I wasn't. Out now, please leave. I'm waiting for my lawyer. I plan on suing  you and your sister for all I can. You cost me 10 years of my life, even more importantly, 10 years with my little filly's, with my family. My wife died and I wasn't even allowed to attend the bucking funeral. I will do whatever it takes to get justice."

" Justice," said Luna laughing, "and what sort of justice is that."

"I'm not sure," Robin replied as anger seeped into his voice, "but I do know this much, I get out in a few hours and there's nothing you can say or do to change that now. The first thing I'm going to do is to visit my children. I wonder how Big Macintosh and Applejack are going to react?" he muttered the last part to himself. "I have  never had a propped chat with my poor sweet dear Applebloom. I can't wait to meet her for the first time. She can speak already, or so I heard. I sure some my friends have been keeping a very close eye on her after I left. " He looked her in the eyes, life poring out of his own and projecting rightful indentation into his voice,  "I will do whatever it takes to protect my family."

Luna sat there knowing at least  some of what he had said must've been the truth. It was partially her fault that he gotten away with all these crimes but she was going to make sure that the very least her friends in Ponyville arrest heads up about what was coming. As Luna's thoughts flowed thought her mind there was a small nagging sensation. The same nagging sensation that hadn't felt ever since Celestia  ...

Robin Banks sat there smiling slightly at Luna, watching the gears in her head turn. "Luna dear," he said joyfully sound to his voice.  The thought of making her life harder making his smile all the more real. "I have heard recently that is going to be a bunches robberies in some place called Appaloosa in the next six hours," he paused briefly for a dramatic affect. "Or was that Manhattan. I really can't seem to get to strait right now. Maybe it was is in Philadelphia. Something about a string of bank robbery is happening all the same time every every major bank, all are going to be emptied."

'Let him talk,' thought Luna calculatingly, 'he might finally slip up. Or at least you can regain your composure.'

"That would make you and your sister look rather foolish now wouldn't it. But I do know this much certain, they can't break into the Catalogue Vaults. There far to impenetrable after all your sister got me to test them and test them I did. There is virtually impenetrable. Why you would need ..."

Luna waited for Robben to continue. He's pause was sudden and very unexpected. The few seconds that past felt longer and longer. Luna was about to break when Robben started to speak about a forbidden topic. "You know that I did work for your Lancers, right? Wait, no, if you did you would have never accused me of acutely being guilty. You would have sheltered me. You would have set me free. But I will keep my promise to them and pass on two messages. First being: please find your missing uncle. Second being: Wind Da-"

"You know," Luna cut in "Celestia was right about one thing, you really do like to talk."

Luna turned away slowly, as a creaking sound came echoing along. Robben's horn glowed softly. The next second Luna was covered in dust.

"I never miss with my magic," he said plainly. "If I had wanted to escape I could have already, but Odin Star stated that I would be released with no conviction and I will get the contract of my dreams. Break into Guiding Light's Vault."

Luna turned slowly towards the prisoner, her mind placing some pieces together. "Does this have anything to do with last years Grand Galloping Galore, our missing memories or are, ... are  you placing us on a red hearing." She needed information. 'Odin Star was not one to make an uncalculated move. He has a plan.' she thought to herself, 'and this criminal is a part of it.'

"From what I heard the reason that everyone lost there memories was very simple." Robben  stated quiet plainly, the joy now flowing from his whole body, "You are the one who had the memories erased to and I quote 'Protect all the ponies of Equestrian.' Your Lancers obeyed your orders. I know this may be out of place but you really should visit them. They await there princess. They await there leader. They await you."  

"Alright, I will meet my Lancers later but first thing I mast do is finish talking to you. About that contract ..."







At that exact moment in The Lancer's Headquarters 


"Your majesty, what is it? Is there a problem with the torture?" The elder Pegasus asked concerning. "Is there something that I can do to make it better?"

The ancient Alicorn  shifted slowly in his seat. He was moving closer to the roaring fire the provided the room with light, providing warmth to his aging bones. As he moved closer to the flames the blanket slipped off revealing a large black stallion. His wings glimmered a dulled silver, sliding from black to silver towards the tips of the wings. His mane was the same silver as at the tip of his wings. If one was to take a closer look at his mane then it was said that you could see a faint rainbow flowing though. 

"Please make sure Starlight Glimmer is suffering, not just in pain please. I need the name of her Master sooner rather than later Phantom." The old king whispered slowly. "I am starting to thing that she doesn't remember her own name at this rate."

"You know that she may not know what she knows." The elderly pegasus slid off the chair, slowly approaching the old king. "I have a different theory as to why she will not talk, you know she may have, well you know, had her memories altered. Just lik-"

A hoof appeared in Phantom's mouth, cutting him off in mid sentence. The king rose quickly, with a speed that worried Phantom. 'This is not a good sign.' Thought Phantom to himself. 'Not good at all. It is almost like... No, it's not time yet. We are not ready to fight her yet. Our princess would lose that fight now or she may not even have it in her at all.'

"Phantom, please tell my apprentice that I need to see Weiss right now. Also you should go and see your grandnephew in the Crystal Empire. Or send 15 of your comrades to act as ambassadors on your behalf. If I was you I would send my apprentice to keep an eye on my family, you know if I was you." The king turned to face the elder pegasus only for him to have dispersed into nothingness. " Or maybe I will do so myself. Guard come in here."





 3 minutes later


A pony entered into the Kings room, slowly, quietly as almost to be stealthy. The silver clock covering her whole body helped her to hide in the background no matter where she was. The pony was sneaking up to the king. Step by step the young pony went. All the way until the little pony was just a few hoofs away. When pounce went the king, catching the little pony in a tight hug.

"It is time for you to return to Ponyville, my dear apprentice. There are things there that only you can do. I think you should go as Weiss again. Granny Smith is going to die soon, very soon. You will need to replace her until Phantom has pleased the ethereal bastards. "

"Yes master." Replied Weiss.

"You will be needed on the job that Banks has planed. You can buy your way onto the team by selling info about the distraction. He just got Luna's blessing"

"What about the team? Who will we be working with?"

The old king laughed and levitated over some papers. "This is the list of ponies that you will be with."

"An Adventurer, AN Opportunist, a Thief and three Perpetual Foals.  This sounds the start of a bad joke." Wiess continued to flick though the pages, "I'm guessing that Strumming helped arrange this crew, it is her style." Wiess looked away from the pages and finally plucked up the courage to ask,"Is this my final test Master? Will this show that I don't need you anymore?"

"No, that test has come and gone and you passed with flying colors. You don't need me anymore, you are more than ready to replace me. If I didn't think that you where ready I never would have let you leave my side for more than a single month." He squeezed Wiess a little harder and whisperer, "I love you."