The Death of a Royal

[Crona The Critic]

Chapter 1
___________________________

The crisp night air settled over the fields of the castle. The insects around the hills were chirping their songs, filling the air with sound. Two guards stood guard at the entrance to the gates, keeping their wings outstretched. On the back of both of their minds, they knew that there was no need to be so careful, as the thought of anypony trying to attack Celestia was never going to happen. The guard on the left slowly started to flutter is wings, slowly drifting off to sleep. The guard on the right repeated the action, and they both drifted to their dreams. The night was as silent as every other night, so what was the point of not getting some sleep?

Suddenly, the insects stopped their sweet song. The world seemed to freeze, as if it was taking its last breath. The shrill of the arrows flew out of the hills and hit both of the guards, directly on the chest. Blood began to flow from their wounds, death taking them quickly. The insects began their sweet song again, as nothing had just happened.

"Nice shot." The pony behind me said.

"Don't I always?" I remarked, putting my bow back into the bag on my shoulder. From behind me, the biggest of the ponies broke through the ranks slowly.

"Don't get cocky, Orphan. We still have to capture the princess." She exclaimed, handing me a dagger using her magic. Using my magic as well, I put the dagger into my bad, along with my bow.

"Yes ma'am Splicer." I said, keeping back the tone of fear I always had in my voice.

Splicer showed the sign of a smile creeping on her face, but as quickly as it formed, it disappeared. She turned her head back to the castle.

"Everypony remember the plan?" She said sternly, her voice echoing across our ranks.

The group of ponies behind us began to yell with excitement, showing that they were ready for the night ahead. Splicer kept her cold gaze on the castle. I slowly walked up to her and whispered,

"Splicer... are we really going to kill Celestia?"

She slowly chuckled, obviously enjoying the thought.

"If it comes to that, yes." She said with joy in her tone. "Now come everpony, let our destiny's come together. Our rightful place on the throne will be ours. We will be the rules of Equestrian!"

The crowd behind us began to scream again, causing the excitement to rise.

Splicer looked back at the castle.

"Let the games begin."


My parents were killed when I was still a foal, so I never really knew them. Sometimes, I think it is more of a gift than a burden. I never have to experience the pain of knowing them and seeing them die. I used to be able to remember her face, but as the years pass; my mother is beginning to fade from my memory. Her sweet face that got me through all of these foster herd's was my world, now it is just darkness.


I have been through so many foster herds, that I have begun to lose count. For each herd, they keep using that same lame ass excuse.

"He just does not seem at home here. We know he will find the right family soon/"

Fuck them. They know the reason they keep giving me up. I don't follow commands by anyone who thinks they are better than me. They always call me "orphan" so much so, I just took it up as my own name. Might as well please the assholes, right?

It all changed by the mare of my dreams years ago. I was at the Adoption Stable, just waiting for the next stupid ass herd to walk in, to just give me up in a few weeks. But today was different. I could hear the front door opening several rooms away, but the sound was different, as if it was not pushed. I decided to ignore it, returning to my coloring of the picture of the teacher in Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle. I was just filling it the color of her mane, when I heard a scream come from the main room. A feeling of fear began to form inside of me as I thought what could have happened. I shook the thought away, thinking it was just nothing. I returned to my coloring, filling in the body. But I heard it again, the screaming. But this time it was closer. My ears perked up, realizing the sound came from right behind the door. The ponies behind me began to cower in the corner, but not me. I just stared at the door, expecting the Stable owner to come out and tell us,

"Everything is alright everypony."

I smiled at the thought, and returned to my coloring once again. As quick as I looked back down, I heard the loudest sound I have ever heard in my short life. I covered my ears as I looked back at the door, the sound continuing to crawl into my ears. It was worse than the shrieking of griffin’s claws on the chalk board, slowly scratching down. I started to yell for it to stop, and it just... stopped. I smiled at the door, feeling accomplished for causing the sound to stop. But suddenly, the door turned into millions of pieces, exploding in an instance.

Everypony in the room screamed as loud as they could, running to the back of the room. I just stared at the door, fear causing my nerves to lock. Suddenly, a figure began to walk through the remains of the door. My eyes instantly scanned her. She was the most beautiful mare I have ever seen in my life. Although she was massive, she had the look of the pony who owned the Apple Corporation, Applejack. Her skin was as blue as the ocean I had seen in my book, the texture of cream. Her blue mane reached down to the beginning of her legs, waving as she moved. I could not believe what I was looking at. Was this just a dream?

I could see she began to scan the room, looking at the colt's and filly's in the room. Her eyes suddenly locked on mine. If it was possible, it felt like my veins had turned to ice as she began to walk towards me. With each step she took, my fear became greater. Every fiber of my brain was saying to run, but I wanted to be closer to this mare. She looked down at me, her voice soft and sweet, but also stern.

"You are not cowering in fear. Why is that?"

I slowly opened my mouth, fear trying to
hold me back.

"You... you do not scare me!" I said, trying my best to keep the tone of fear in my voice back.

The mare looked like she smiled for a second, but it was quickly gone.

"Do you want to come with me little one? I can take you away from this dreadful place." She said no trace of jokes in her voice.

My mouth opened in complete awe. She wanted me to go with her? What could she possibly want from me? But of course, wanting to be closer to her, I shook my head up and down. She slowly turned her body, and started to walk away. She looked back at me, and nudged her head at the door. I kept my smile back, and slowly started to follow her.

[Crona The Critic]

Blood. There is so much of it
inside of us, just waiting to be spilled. A single wound will causes the blood
to show its nasty little form, slowly ebbing away your life. When the mare led
us out of the room, I saw the owner’s blood on the wall. I looked down and
discovered her body. Well, what was left of her. Her mangled body was against
the wall, blood still flowing around her. I realized the screaming I had heard
was the owner all along. I stared into her eyes, and her eyes looked back. They
were still full of terror, not expecting the fate she had received. But for
some reason, I did not feel sad that she was dead, or that Splicer had killed
her. What is wrong with me?


I quickly turned my head, catching
up with the mare, who had gotten quite a ways ahead of me. When we got to the
main room of the stable, she looked at the door. We both stood still for a
second. I looked over at her, and was close to saying “Are you going to open
the door?”


Suddenly, her head began to glow a
strange tint of red. I started to cower back, terrified what was happening to
her. I almost cried out, when the front door opened. I stared at the door, realizing
that she had used magic to open the door. But she did not have a horn!


“How did you just use magic without
a horn..?” I quietly asked, fearing the answer.


The mare did not answer, as she
continued her slow pace where she was taking us. I put aside my question and
quickly ran up to her, enjoying the site of her again. As we walked away from
the stable, I began to realize what had happened today.


“If she killed the owner of the
Stable, what is she planning on doing with me?”


I nervously ran this thought
through my head, running scenerios of what she could do with me. “


“If she killed her without any
reason… why has she not killed me?”


I quickly shook my head, turning
away the thought. As we walked farther and farther away from the town, I began
to think again.


“This mare saved me from the stable…
that is worth something, right?”


After about an hour of walking, my
little town went closer and closer into the distance. I looked at the path
ahead of us, noticing the massive forest
that was looming over us. My eyes opened with shock. She was taking us to
Everfree forest! The towering trees of the forest began to reach higher and
higher in the sky, as high of the buildings in Canterlot I have seen in my
book.


The mare slowly turned her head to
face me.


“What is wrong child?” She said,
seeing the fear that was painted on my face.


I looked down at the ground, embarrassed
of my emotions.


“Nothing… By the way, my name is
Orphan!” I said, slowly added my name without thinking.


The mare turned her head and looked
into the forest. She said without turning around,


“You can call me Splicer.” She responded,
and began to walk again.


I almost blurted out,


“What kind of name is that!?”


But I quickly caught my tongue,
remembering the body of the stable owner. If she did that to her, she could do
it easily to me! We slowly came up to the entrance to the sea of trees, the
darkness now seemingly everywhere inside of it. She walked into the forest
without looking back to me.


I turned away and looked back at
the town I was born in. I realized that I would never see this place ever
again. All of my memories are over, my past life is now done. It is time for
the new me to take over. I looked into the forest, my new future looming. I
took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and walked into the forest.

[Crona The Critic]

Chapter 4-
The darkness around me





All around me the darkness seemed to
be everywhere. I could barely see a few feet in front of my face, fumbling
around on the rocks on the ground. The trees above me shielded any rays of
sunlight from coming down onto the ground before me. I had to move quickly to
keep up with Splicer, who moved quickly through the forest, as if she had been
through here before. She continuously scanned her eyes through the forest, as
if she was looking for something in particular. I kept myself quiet, fearing to
make any sounds that might have agitated Splicer.





After an hour of walking, or how
much time seemed to pass, my mind began to wander again.





“How would anypony get the name
Splicer?”





Began to echo in my mind, playing
out any scenes that came to mind. I could see her splitting open the head of a
pony, like she did with the stable owner. Once again, I violently shook my
head, trying to get the idea out of my
mind. When I looked up, I discovered Splicer was watching me the entire time.





“What is on your mind Orphan?” She
asked with annoyance flashing over her face.





“Nothing ma’am. I am just wondering
where you are taking me, my mind started to wander, and whenever it does-“





Splicer raised her hoof to silence
me.





“Your mouth also wanders as well.”





I felt my body turn hot, and I
looked down to the ground embarrassed once again. Splicer sighed and turned
away from me and continued to walk. I slowly followed behind her, being cautious
to follow her as fast as I could.





Suddenly, my ears perked up. I
looked out into the forest, and saw a dark figure moving. My mouth opened to
say a warning to Splicer, but felt my consciousness slowly ebb away. My entire
body felt warm, and I started to stagger around, the last thing I saw was
Splicer watching me as I dropped to the ground.





Splicer looked down at the small
colt that now had an arrow in his side. She walked over to the small sight, and
tore the arrow out of her side. She shook her head and looked out into the
forest.





“Feather, Dane, come out. You just
shot our new recruit.”

[Crona The Critic]

Chapter
5- Rude awakening





The feeling of sleep is a wonderful
thing. All of one’s problems disappear in the land of your imagination, and
anything you want can happen. I felt like I was floating over my body, watching
myself cower in the Everfree forest. Suddenly I was lurched downwards and
landed in my own body. I looked up and could see red eyes staring me down,
white teeth showing in the shadows. I was on the floor completely shaking, not
wanting to move.





Suddenly, as if the world stopped in
fear of killing me, the terrible feelings disappeared. I slowly looked up to
see what had happened, and Splicer was standing over me. She was smiling bigger
than I have ever seen, and I became very nervous.





“Rise child.” She said in a soothing
voice that melted my body, causing me to turn completely red.





I rose to my hooves, terrified of
what she was going to do to me. She whispered something inaudible, and her lips
lowered to mine.





And, as everything good in my life,
the dream ended. My eyes slowly opened, angered that I was torn from my dream
land. It was such a good dream too…





I could feel my body sweating,
soaking the bed completely. I then realized that I was in an unfamiliar place. I
was in some sort of tent. The panic rose through my body, and I quickly jumped
up. I fell to the ground, wincing in pain. I felt the source of the pain, and
felt bandages. I looked down at my side, and I almost fell over. There was a
giant bandage on my side, and in the middle there was a massive blood stain. My
mind went blank, and I fell back on the bed.





“I was shot!”





Echoed through my mind, causing my
panic to skyrocket. I slowly started to heavily breathe, trying to calm myself
down. Trying as careful as I could, I slowly got out of the bad, ignoring the
massive amount of pain that was on my side. I walked over to the entrance of
the tent and slowly opened the flap. I realized that I was now in a camp of
some sorts. But in Everfree forest?





I started to walk forwards, gaining
stares from many ponies in the camp. Their eyes locked with mine, as if judging
me without even saying a word. I put my head down and used my peripheral vision
to see, scared of the ponies around me. I heard footsteps in front of me, and
looked up. Splicer was staring down at me, just like in my dream.





My body turned hot, and I stared up
at her, half expecting for my dream to come to reality.





“Finally awake I see?” She said,
turning her head to the forest.





I lowered my head, disappointed that
she did not kiss me. I shook my head and told myself that is was just a dream,
it would never happened. I noticed that she was looking out into the forest,
and I raised my eyebrow. What was she looking at?





“Feather, Dane, come to me.” She
said, her voice gliding through the trees easily.





A small brown pony stepped away from
a tree directly in front of me, making me jump. It seemed as if she walked
right out of the tree! Her coat must camouflage her in the forest…





“Sorry about last night kid. We
thought somepony was trailing Splicer here. So we took our precautions.” She
said this without a hint of remorse in her voice.





I stared at her, and looked back at
my wound. She did this to me?





Splicer slowly shook her head.





“Dane, now you come out. He needs to
know both of the ponies who attacked him.”





I could feel eyes now plant on me
from an unknown source. I began to feel very uncomfortable, moving closer to
Splicer, as if she would give me comfort. Suddenly, I felt a hoof touch my
shoulder, and it took all of my might to keep from screaming. I turned around
quickly, and large orange colt was there. But there was something off about
this pony.





His face was horribly disfigured.
His left pupil was grayed out, and it stared at something, while at nothing.
His left cheek had a deep scar that reached from the corner of his lip to his
neck.





I held back my disgust and muttered
out,





“So you are the other pony that
attacked me?”





The disfigured pony flashed a toothy
grin, his scar on his cheek opening up as he did so. The mixture of the scar
opening and the misplacing of his teeth turned my stomach around, and I had to
stop myself from gagging.





His voice sounding like a raspy
pirate, he muttered,





“Sorry bout’ that mate. Thought you
wer’ gonna kill our Splicer here. Did what we must I did.”





He smiled again, obviously knowing
his scar was killing me.





Splicer looked down at me.





“Now that introductions are over, we
must introduce you to our leader. By the way, welcome to the league of thieves.”

[Sponsored content]