Endeavorance. part VI

Part VI
>Back in Canterlot
>Luna steps into the royal chamber
>Luna: “Sister?”
>the chamber is empty
>she looks around before calling louder
>Luna: “Sister?”
>Luna looks at the window
>Sees her sister outside
>Luna steps out
>Approaches Celestia
>She’s staring down Discord’s petrified remains in deep contemplation
>Luna: “Sister?”
>Celestia turns to Luna with an almost startled response
>Luna: “The away team has returned from their investigation of the bodies found in the Everfree forest”
>Celestia: “What do they have to report?”
>Luna hesitates to continue
>Luna: “…After lengthy inspection…they have determined that the victims were killed by a Basilisk”
>Celestia looses her focused demeanor
>Luna: “They are labeling the entire event as ‘An adventure gone wrong’…”
>Celestia’s face turns even paler than her normal complexion
>Luna: “…and concluded that it was out of pure happenstance that Anon stumbled across the victims”
>Celestia: “…so this entire Endeavorance with Anon could have been avoided!?”
>Luna: “I do not believe ‘Endeavorance’ is a word, but that seems so.”
>Celestia stands Indifferent to her sister’s quip.
>storms back inside Trying to refigure out what to do

>Shining and Dash are still searching the neighboring towns
>Now searching in the fourth town over from ponyville
>Dash: “Does hunting for criminals always take this long?”
>Shining “I don’t know, I’ve never had to do it before”
>Dash: “I’m getting bored”
>Shining: “At this point, I‘m wondering if there really is a criminal out there”
>Dash starts flying around in circles slowly, trying to keep herself occupied
>Dash: “I can’t believe Anon has been able to stay on the run this long”
>Shining: “Why’s that?”
>Dash: “I’ve never known him as a very impressive creature in any way. The only thing remotely impressive about him is that he’s probably the only being who ever lived that could out-talk Pinkie Pie”
>Shining: “maybe you don’t know him too well”
>Dash lands down next to shining to ask a serious question
>Dash: “Is this what YOU thought your life would be like in the guard?”
>Shining: “Of course not, I thought it would all be adventure, excitement, Status, rewards. Probably like you did not too long ago.”
>Dash responds without even attempting to hide her disappointment
>Dash: “Yeah, this is definitely not what I had in mind.”
>Shining: “This isn’t a job to take if you want a life of thrills. Being a guard is about sitting through long periods of boredom with VERY occasional moments of stark terror along the way. Its best you know that before getting into any commitments with the force”
>Dash: “Thanks for being honest, I‘m thinking its not for me”
>Shining: “Your welcome. Since you are a volunteer, you can leave whenever you want. But I’d appreciate it if you could stay until this is solved”
>shrugs in indifference
>Dash: “Okay, I’ll stick around”
>A guard approaches Shining
>“Captain!”
>Shining turns to greet his caller
>Shining: “Lieutenant?  Did the princess send you to assist?”
>Lieutenant: “No sir! There‘s a situation in ponyville!”
>Shining: “Whats going on?”
>Lieutenant: “Code red! Situation extreme!”
>Shining looks at the Lieutenant in worry
>Lieutenant: “we need you on the scene immediately”
>Shining: “A-Alright, hold on. I’ll try and teleport us there”
>Shining closes his eyes in focus
>within a moment, the three evaporate from the area

>Back in Canterlot
>its night time
>approach the Royal chamber door
>turn around
>look at the trail of dead guards behind you
>inhale deeply
>load up the gun
>Feel on the silencer to make sure its on tight
>rest a hand on the door
>barge it open
>Celestia is conversing with two of her guards frantically
>she looks up and sees you closing fast with the gun
>take aim
>pull the trigger in two rapid successions
>the guard to her side cry out in agony as the bullets pierce their bodies
>Celestia looks over her shoulders hastily at each of the dying guards in shock
>looks back at you
>her eyes go unfocused as you take aim
>pull the trigger
>see the blood splatter on the throne behind her
>her body sinks down onto the floor
>step over to her
>stare down
>she looks at you
>Celestia: “I’m sorry, Anon”
>look back at her confused
>take a few steps back to avoid standing in the blood pooling on the floor
>continue watching as her body falls completely lifeless
>step over to the window
>shoot it open
>leap out
>leave

>Back in ponyville
>Shining, Dash and the Lieutenant have all reappeared outside of Twilight’s house
>Shining gasps for air
>Twilight catches sight of the arrivals outside her window
>She steps out
>Twilight: “Big brother, is that you?”
>Shining: “Twili! Which way is Anon’s house!?”
>Twilight gestures to the northwest
>Shining motions for Dash and the Lieutenant to follow
>Shinings: “Lets just gallop there, I don’t know if I can do another teleportation spell”
>as the three are about to leave, a Pegasus guard swoops down
>“Captain! There you Are! We need you in Canterlot!
>Shining: “It’ll have to wait, I’m responding to a code red!”
>“Code black in Canterlot! We need you there now!”
>Shining: “Code Black!?! You don’t mean…”
>The guard nods sharply
>Shining: “Oh no…”
>Shining looks around frantically, trying to formulate a reaction
>Shining: “Lieutenant, Go to Anon’s house, I’ll meet you there later”
>Shining closes his eyes and performs another teleportation
>Hes gone with a bright flash
>Twilight: “What happened at Anon’s house?”
>Dash: “Code red”
>Twilight: “What does that mean?”
>The lieutenant looks away in worry
>Lieutenant: “It means…uh…”
>He motions for Dash
>Lieutenant: “Lets go, rookie”
>Dash and the Lieutenant leave for the house
>Twilight follows behind them
>they enter the house
>Dash slowly moves in deeper
>stops at the dead guard in the living room
>stares at him briefly to take in what she’s seeing
>moves around to the one in the kitchen and responds in a similar fashion
>peers down into the basement to see the blood trailing down the steps
>and the dead guard at the bottom
>she reenters the kitchen
>Twilight is there, holding the exact same reaction
>Dash looks at Twilight in a state of shock
>Twilight Turns to the guard
>Twilight: “Lieutenant?”
>Lieutenant: “Yes?”
>Twilight: “Is this what code red means?”
>The lieutenant nods
>Twilight: “What does code black mean?”
>the Lieutenant looks toward Canterlot

>Shining arrives in Canterlot gasping for air
>A guard steps next to him
>“this way, Captain!”
>the guard takes shining to the path leading to the royal chamber
>shining slowly starts moving toward the chamber door
>moves across the trail of bodies
>looks down at his fallen comrades
>stepping over them one by one
>observing their entry and exit wounds
>the blood splatter on the walls
>the pooling on the floor
>the lifeless eyes
>counting which ones he knows personally
>moving slower and slower with each step he takes
>each one he passes over dealing a debilitating blow to his sense of stability
>completely wobbly, both physically and mentally, by the time he reaches the chamber door
>hasn’t counted a single guard he doesn’t know yet
>stops at the door for a breather
>takes a gulp
>stares it down
>presses into it slowly
>it creeks as it opens
>steps inside in an almost crippled fashion
>looks across the light and shadows cast by the moonlight striking the windows
>moves the to the shadow in the very back of the room
>steps into it
>pauses for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dark
>and another moment to absorb what he’s seeing
>stares down at the dead Celestia
>finally collapses from fully realizing the weight of the sight
>backs into a wall
>rests on it
>lowers his head the ground in a shortness of breath
>turns to the broken window and stares at the outside
>repositions his hoof on his forehead
>Looks up
>sees Luna standing on the balcony looking down at him
>looks back at her for a moment
>Shining shoots her an morose expression
>She mirrors Shining’s demeanor
>Looks out the window to give him directions
>he stands up
>leaves the chamber
>passes by the guard who lead him
>“Captain, what are you’re orders?”
>keeps moving, as if the guard hadn’t said anything
>“Captain?”
>still moving
>“Captain!?”
>Shining leaves