> Acolyte > by AdaConda > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Infiltration > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The night sky is glorious at this time in which this story takes place. Luna gazes down from her marble balcony examining the beautiful moonlit city of Canterlot. ‘Twas a sight to behold however she didn’t enjoy a second of it. What she see's down below has shocked her every time she ever sets her hooves on that balcony. Her eyes always lay upon humans and ponies wearing torn cloths, have burnt skin and other injuries in a chain gang being lashed at furiously by a large man in golden armour with a nine tail whip. Down below a woman in short hazel hair tripped on a stone and fell face first into the concrete. Her torturer pulls her up from her backside with the chain attached and gives her a harsh slap across her face, the metal gauntlet leaves a large bruise on her cheek. "Keep moving you dirty wench!" He commands in a cockney accent. The woman looked terrified. She looks as if she's seen a ghost. "I-I-I'm so sorry... I-It wont happen aga-" The woman's sentence was cut-off as the same gauntlet strikes across her face. "SHUT IT AND KEEP MOVING!" The woman says nothing more and continues walking. A single tear drops from her eye, and in five seconds that turns into a quite weep. The man just kept lashing. The ones straying a bit off the EXACT direction were whipped at instantly without mercy or remorse. Luna looks back up at the sky, trying to rid the memories of those poor ponies and humans being treated like maggots writhing in dirt. She lowers her head on the balcony and small water droplets form in her eyes. “Why must I live like this? Is she hiding something from me?" Luna whispered to herself glumly. Not far away from Canterlot, there was a man slowly walking to the gates of the majestic city. He wears a cavalier hat, a black balaclava (only exposing the eyes) a dashing looking brown swordsman doublet with gold trims and buttons neatly aligned in the middle. He also wears renaissance themed black leather gloves and boots with a tight belt around his waist. He had a rapier attached to his belt. The hat he wears covers his red eyes as he approaches the gate, the grass he treads shrivels and dies at the touch of his leather soles. Each step he took his shadow appeared to cover him more and more. Four other men join him side by his side. They wore dirty black robes with Greek scale armour covering up most of the clothe. Same with the leader of the group they wore leather boots and gloves of renaissance. They wear red leather single pauldrons on there left shoulder bearing the NLR’s coat of arms. For their face they wore ragged clothe wrapped around their head similar to what an Egyptian Pharaoh would wear after death. They had small daggers with a dark blue plumage at the hilt of them, the blades bear markings of stars and dark shades with a single moon to accompany it. “Remember your orders” the leader, said to his company in a deepish voice in what sounds a bit like an Australian accent. The group behind him responded "Yes m'lord" With that as soon as they reached the gate the two guardstallions infront stopped them in their tracks “Halt!” one of them said broadly and aggressively with a frightening look across his face. “What business do you have at Canterlot at this time of night!?” "I'm here for Luna" The leader says as he raises his hands pointing them directly at the two guards. The guard on the left was curious and whispered to his mate "What's he doing?" With a quick flick of his wrists, sharp needles of metal shot out from his sleeves, and came into contact with the guards exposed neck. Nothing else was heard from the two poor ponies but gurgles and chokes as they fell to the ground dead… The leader examined the tall gates which stood before him. One of his company stood next to him. "M'lord? Change of plan?" he asked. "Yes... I'm sure you know what to do." the leader responded. He raised his open palm to his left. In almost lighting quick speed closed his hand making a fist. His company leaped onto the walls and started scaling them in a slow pace, each time they laid their hands on the stone wall, chips crackled off but didn't seem to make any noise. The leader followed, he was moving a lot more faster then his counterparts scaling the walls as if it were child play. His men reached the top of the wall and lifted themselves up. Each one's robes rippled with noise. All four of them simultaneously turned their heads to the left to see what ahead that way. The guardstallions on the left scout tower were sitting with a few humans in gold armour chatting and eating tofu. The men jumped down the wall, their feet hitting the concrete making a loud THUD noise. The leader was already beside them his rapier unsheathed and gleaming with a blue aura with markings of dragons and snakes on it. The leader gestured his men to go on ahead, the men so obedient to follow orders did as they were told and sprinted forward disappearing into the shadows. Back on Luna's balcony she lies in her bed, cold and bitter tears sink out from her eyelids as she weeps silently. She stares at a picture of her and her sister. "No! I do not love you sister!" she hisses while the photo burns in dark blue flames emitting from the dark aura from which she held the photo. The photo was completely disintegrated, what's left of it was ash. The remains are swept out of Luna's bed with her left hoof. The man went to his right, his blade still gleaming with blue chi. He was swift on his feet, sprinting past alleyways of thugs, smokers, and drug addicts both human and pony. His scuttle led him to an assortment of cages filled with ponies of all races and colours all beaten up and wore ragged and torn cloths. Among the cages laid Twilight Sparkle with a huge scar on her face, tears spill onto the cages floor as she stares at it. A horde of rats swarm behind her nibbling her tail. Her horn was also missing half of it's original self and had burn marks all over her body. The man treads toward Twilights cage, his hat still covering his eyes. Twilight suddenly caught attention of him and looked straight up to see the man standing above her, a glowing blade by his side. "ahem!" the man started off as he kneels to Twilights level. "You are... Twilight Sparkle of Canterlot? Twilights face changed from a sad look into a grimace, a few drops of blood spills from her horn. "What does it matter to you? I'm just a criminal scum in a place she deserves to be." Twilight replies grimly. "Who are you anyway!? Why are you here!?" The man stood up and started pacing from one end of the cage to the opposite end whilst speaking with his hands interlocked behind his back. "I have been named by many as the harbinger of peace. Others tend to call me the sign of terror. Few name me as John, but I am... Johannes Azad." With his last word he slowly bows and scrapes respectfully towards Twilights direction. "Tis quite the pleasure to meet you my dear Twilight." "Keep your courtesies to yourself." Twilight replied rudely, rarely something she'd say in front of anyone. "Well then... It seems you have lost your manners no?" Johannes says mockingly, adding a little chuckle to it. "If you are here to taunt me do so quickly." "Taunt you?" Johannes chuckles at what Twilight just said. "I'm here to free you" Twilight all of a sudden shot up with delight. "F-free me?" Now that I've edited it a lot, please tell me what you think.