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Author notes: Forsaken 2.0351 words
Author notes: additions and changes689 words

He who lives by the sword

*Clippity-clop, clippity-clop,clippity-clop* the Imperial Guard stampeded through Foggy Bottom Bog, Commander Storm Chaser in the lead, their hoofsteps echoing through the landscape like death knells.

*SPLASH* murky water flew everywhere as Twilight jumped into the swamp, barely ahead of the soldiers. She didn't dare look back as she heard the small platoon following her jumped in after her. The wind rushed through her mane as she ventured deeper and deeper into the swamplands. Her head was spinning from the lack of oxygen, her lungs throbbed painfully on her sides, and her vision was getting cloudy as she felt her consciousness slip away for a second. A sea of white descended upon them as she burst into the thick fog, the vapor gently enveloping her like sheet of fine linen. She could no longer see a thing in front of her as she struggled through the murky water which was getting thicker by the minute, until....

*Schlomp!* she widened her eyes in surprise as her legs sank into a patch of mud, sending a mildly surprised Spike flying headfirst into the water. 'It's over! We're done for!" she thought to herself as she turned around to face her enemies. For a minute, that seemed to stretch into eternity, she stood there waiting for her pursuers to burst through the fog like a funeral procession, and yet she waited in vain as nopony came. Her joints aching in pain, she pulled herself free as she made her way towards Spike, who was now spitting out bits of mud with disgust. Her sweat, pouring from every inch of her body, mixed with the filthy water on her as she straightened her ears to listen. She could barely make out the muffled sounds of shouting and and angry screams over the croaking of the frogs: they'd done it, they had escaped certain death at the hooves of Commander Storm Chaser yet again. They looked at each other in silence, their outlines blurred by a sea of white, and slowly began walking forward, their destination unknown.

They walked for what seemed like hours, not daring to speak a word to each other, fearing the sound of their voice would guide their pursuers through the fog. They thought themselves lost until suddenly, the fog began to disperse, and the thick mud turned into solid ground. The howling of the wind whistled past the gnarled swamp cypress trees as they stood still against the darkness, their thick twisted branches held high in front of them as if waiting to snatch unsuspecting prey, like feral beasts. Twilight led the way through the misty road, followed closely by Spike, as it started to bend upward. His eyes darting from one side to the other, he began rubbing his forearms, his teeth chattering with nervousness. He trudged up the steep hill, his limbs getting heavier by the minute, his head nodding as his eyelids began to close. *BONK* his snout contracted with the impact as he fell on his rear, suddenly coming to a halt. He rubbed his snout delicately as his blurry eyes tried to make sense of what had made Twilight suddenly stop in front him. His eyes widened in apprehension as he surveyed the enormous rocky formation in front of them, stretching endlessly into the sky and past the clouds.

"Dragon mountain," spoke Twilight at last, as some distant memories involving a large crimson dragon with a bad sleeping habit flashed across her mind. She turned around, her eyes full of encouragement, only to see her partner curled up on the ground, merrily sucking his thumb. She smiled with sweetness as she lifted him and placed him on her back, making her way up into a nearby crack upon the rocky walls of the mountain. She squeezed her way into the dark and humid corridor, laying Spike on the ground, and then slumped against the wall as she curled right next to him.

******

The sudden urge to "go" woke her up the next morning. Twilight stretched her legs as she came out of the cavern, looking for someplace secretive. She finally settled for some nearby bushes and promptly hid behind them as she did her business. Her joints still ached from all that galloping she'd done the day before, and her eyelids still felt heavy like boulders as she let out a huge yawn. She poked her messy head, hairs sticking out everywhere, inside the crack and confirmed that Spike was still sound asleep. Squinting at the sky, she tried to check for the sun's position but quickly gave up as she noticed a fluffy mass of white over their heads. She guessed it must be around 6 or 7 am and figured she could sleep for another hour or so, as she laid herself right next to Spike. No such luck.

"Commander! I've found tracks!" announced a soldier, his voice carried by the wind to Twilight's hiding place.

She stood up in alarm and quickly made her way out of the cave to check for the source of the sound. In the distance she saw small white and golden dots, as they slowly made their ascent up the hill they'd climbed the day before. She quickly pulled back and shook Spike awake, who blinked a couple of times and let out a yawn as he stretched his arms.

"Whazzrong?" mumbled the dragon as he scratched the back of his head, Twilight's face coming in and out of focus in his eyes.

"They're coming this way, hurry we gotta go," whispered Twilight as she strapped on her twin set of backpacks.

"Aww, shucks," groaned the dragon as he slowly got up and flung the satchel over his back, following Twilight out of the cavern.

Twilight poked her head out of the ridge a second time to scout her surroundings: they were closer, too close. There was no choice, she'd have to put some distance between them and resort to teleportation magic again. Screwing up her face in concentration, she focused on the ridge several feet above them and POOF! Her eyes slowly slid in and out of focus as she stretched her neck once more to check for the soldiers' location: there was now plenty of distance between them, it'd take them an hour worth of hiking to reach her location.

The narrow road twisted itself around the mountain like a snake, the sky was beginning to get dark as a mass of storm clouds slowly made their way towards the mountain ridge. Twilight poked her head out of the ridge for what was the dozenth time to confirm her pursuers' position: they were slowly starting to gain on them. She bit her lips as the drizzle slowly started showering them, she hadn't taken into account that these were highly trained soldiers, accustomed to demanding physical activities like trotting and hiking. It wouldn't be long now before they caught up to them and, having used up most of her energy, she couldn't keep relying on teleportation magic or she'd risk collapsing from exhaustion.

The sky started coming down on them as the drizzle gradually turned into a downpour. Having finally sighted his prey, Commander Storm Chaser abandoned all pretense and began galloping up the slippery slope, closely followed by his soldiers. Twilight glanced back a saw with horror that they were no more than 50 feet away from her, she took off galloping as she swept Spike off the ground.

"C'mon! We've got her cornered!" barked the commander as he picked up the pace, huge raindrops sliding down his face.

"Twilight!" called out the dragon in alarm, as the soldiers gained on them.

"I know, I know!" yelled Twilight, trying to speed up as her lungs started failing her again.

"No! ahead of you! It's a precipice!" Spike warned her as they approached a wide gap in front of them.

"Hold on!" said Twilight as she strained her eyes with concentration. 'Hop, skip, and...'

"JUMP!" she yelled triumphantly as she took off from the ground aiming for the ridge on the other side of the precipice. Twilight soared through the air for an instant before landing heavily on the other side, water flying everywhere as she momentarily slipped on a puddle that had formed. She recovered and glanced back once more to see the commander galloping rapidly toward her, his hooves striking the ground with fury.

"HAH!" yelled the commander as he took of the ground after her, the muddy road collapsing under his weight.

"Careful!" called out one guard as he slid on the mud and came to a stop inches away from a certain and painful death.

"What are you doing, you imbeciles?!" called back the commander, as he landed on the opposite ridge and turned back to check on his troop across the gap.

"The ground is unstable sir! We're gonna have to find a way around!" explained one of the guards from across the chasm.

"Useless fools!" muttered the commander as he took off and charged after Twilight, the icy wind swishing past him. His chest swelled with excitement, his eyes strained with concentration, he closed in on her. She was now barely a few feet away, as they galloped through a wide dirt road, the rocky walls drenched with water as streams flowed down them. She was now just a couple of feet away, only a foot away, his head was right next to her flank, they were head to head....

*WHAM!* Twilight yelped in pain as Commander Storm Chaser slammed her hard against the rocks, suddenly coming to a halt.

"Hahh, hahh, where are you going in such a hurry Sparkle?" asked the commander maliciously as he lowered his head on level with hers, breathing hard on her neck.

"Ugh," Twilight winced with pain, the commander's face swimming in and out of focus, as she slowly opened her eyes.

"You know, it hasn't exactly been easy. You've certainly prolonged this more than we expected, but no matter.... I have you now...." said the commander as stopped in front of her and lowered his hoof toward his hilt.

"Get away from her!" fangs bared, Spike pounced on the commander.

"Stand aside, punk," said the commander as he raised his foreleg and swatted him away. Spike hit the rocks with a mighty THUD, and slumped down unconscious.

"Spike!" called Twilight as she tried to get up, her legs trembling under her weight.

"Don't worry, he'll follow after you," said the commander as he pulled out his sword.

"Why are you doing this?! Soldiers are supposed to protect and serve, not take justice into their own hooves!" yelled Twilight as she backed away slowly, trying to reason with the hotheaded commander.

"Justice? Who said anything about justice? I'm just following orders," replied the commander with amusement, his face momentarily illuminated by lightning.

"Orders?" asked Twilight, frowning as she tried to take in what her foe had just said.

"That's right Sparkle: orders. You're a threat and one that has to be eliminated," explained the commander as he approached her.

"A threat? But I didn't do anything! I'm innocent!" protested Twilight as she glared back at him.

"Precisely," said the commander suddenly coming to a halt.

"Huh?" Twilight felt her jaw drop as her eyes widened with shock.

"You know, for Celestia's favorite stooge you really are slow at catching up. Did you seriously think I would consider an egghead like you to have the ability, or the guts to pull off that coup? Don't be conceited now," he said as he rested the blade on his shoulder.

"You mean, you were the one behind that attack on the Princess?!" demanded Twilight, her stomach boiling with rage.

"Yes, and no. You see, I was merely hired to make sure you didn't run around messing things up for my client," explained the commander, his yellowish grin etching its way from ear to ear.

"You would sell your soul and betray your Princess.... FOR GOLD?!" yelled Twilight her chest swelling rapidly, her head pounding with anger.

"Oh no, not gold Sparkle. WAR," breathed the commander, his eyes widening as he stared off into the distance, his eyes filled with the fire of madness.

"You're crazy...." whispered Twilight as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Oh, I wouldn't expect you to understand it Sparkle, after all you're not a soldier. You don't know what it's like: galloping till your hooves bleed, sleeping in the dirt in nights as cold as this one, years of preparation... only to spend an entire lifetime watching over some bratty Princess as she makes merry with stuck-up useless aristocrats at her bucking tea parties! And all of that for what? TO BE DISMISSED AND FORCED INTO RETIREMENT WITH A SIMPLE 'Thank you, for your long years of service'! HOW DARE SHE?!" he bellowed like a wounded animal, brandishing the sword high above his head, his facial features blurred by the rain and the scars disfiguring him.

Twilight had no retort for this, she stood there as if rooted to the spot, her eyes filled with a feeling closely resembling pity as she fully appreciated him for the first time.

Princess Celestia was a wonderful pony, and a kind and gentle ruler: she had probably wished for her most dedicated servant to enjoy a better life, to live a peaceful and quiet retirement away from the hazards of battle and hellish training. She had probably wanted for the uptight, weather beaten pony to rest easy, having earned the right after long years of dedication. However, the commander appreciated none of this: he lusted for the blood of the innocent only to satisfy his selfish need for cruel and senseless battle.

A sick feeling welled up inside her stomach at the though of somepony who'd speak and regard her mentor in such low esteem, all for the sake of violence.

"It was an outrage, after so many years of service, being so easily discarded like a tool. So when I was approached, late one night at the bar, by someone who seemed to understand and sympathize with my hatred for the princess, I was all ears when they let me in on their plan to kill her. It was simple enough, they'd provide the ingredients for the bomb and I was to turn a blind eye to all the illegal gunpowder shipments coming in from Manehattan. After the explosion I was to order the Imperial Guard out on the streets to hunt for the culprit, and allow my client to sneak into Canterlot Castle, during the ensuing commotion, to plant the evidence in your room. With dear Celestia out of the way, all we had to do was send assassins to dispose of Luna during her diplomatic trip to Griffin land and put the blame on them. War would break out as all the grieved and distressed ponies of Equestria would turn to me to avenge their beloved, benevolent rulers. And I... I would become the greatest commander in Equestrian history, as I beat down the barbarians and ravaged their lands! It was the perfect plan...." said the commander his eyes, filled with smoke and fire, staring off into the distance; his ears full of battle cries and the clashing of swords; the stench of blood and gunpowder in his nose.

"You're deranged!" Twilight spoke finally, as she she backed away, shaking her head in disgust.

"You've lived long enough Sparkle, and after I've taken care of you, I'll tend to the princess," said the commander, ignoring her as he drew closer.

"Who's behind this?!" asked Twilight, her eyes darting all over the place in search for a way out.

"I don't see why bother you with the information, seeing how you're going to die anyway," replied the commander as he lifted his sword once more, his outline suddenly sharpened by lightning. "Good-bye, Sparkle,"

*SCHLING* he swung down his sword, missing Twilight's head by a hair, as she crouched just in time to avoid it. *CLUNK* she charged against the commander's chest, sending him toppling backwards towards the edge of the ridge. Sky and ground seemed to invert, as she tried to shake her dizziness away, her head throbbing with pain. Snorting fire out of his nostrils, the commander charged against her. Momentarily frozen with fear, Twilight jumped out of the way at the last second, sending the commander crashing against the rocky walls of the mountain. *CLANG* the commander stumbled about dizzily as he dropped his sword, Twilight dove in after it. She was a second too late as he stepped on it right before Twilight could lift it from the ground, and smacked her away hard. *SPLASH* she hit the ground and slid sideways, nearly unconscious, as the icy mud covered her body. The commander lifted the sword and walked towards her, the rain bathing them both.

"It's over," the commander sentenced as he raised the sword for the last time, Twilight laying defenseless on the floor as her whole life flashed in front of her eyes.

At that moment several things happened at once: the rumbling sound of the rocks rolling down the mountain was eclipsed by the cracking sound of thunder, Twilight's warning was deafened by the commander's scream of fury as Spike pulled her out of the way, the ground turned to mud and collapsed as the commander struck it with his sword. The rocks rushed past the place where they'd stood momentarily, as they bounced on the mountain's surface, taking everything in their paths.

Lightning, a scream, followed by a sickening *crack*; the commander's blood oozed through the remains of the avalanche, his body crushed beneath the rocks.

Her body heavy like iron, her stomach slightly nauseous, Twilight got up and walked over the the edge to witness the sad spectacle. Her heart fell as she saw the rain washing down the commander's blood: she felt bad for him, despite him having been her enemy.

"He had it coming, there was nothing you could've done," said Spike as he stood next to her. They exchanged a solemn look, as they sat there, waiting for the rain the stop.

"So what now?" asked Spike, as the lasts drops of rain fell on them.

"We go to Manehattan Spike, there is something we have to check," replied Twilight as she moved on closely followed by Spike, the sun's rays playfully poking through the clouds, as a huge rainbow stretched over the sky above them.

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