Chapter 3: Weapons and Runaways
"Wait for my signal." Josh whispered. Several Day guards milled around the Royal Armory below, but they slouched, relaxed in their duty. One even napped under a tree.
"All teams in place." Midnight whispered. Josh nodded grimly and armed his crossbow. The weapon had been a gift from Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle's brother and the captain of the Royal Guard. It fired razor thin blades meant to pierce several targets at once. Josh had made a few... improvements. It was capable of semi automatic fire and could fire tranquilizer darts and firebombs. Unfortunately, it was uncomfortable to aim and still had a tendency to jam. Josh's A.I., Leonidas, had shut down for a recharge. Josh could not afford any distractions.
"Execute." Josh said in a normal voice. The finely tuned ears of the Night Guard, however, heard the command clears as day and launched their attack. Springing from alley ways and rooftops, the black clad soldiers subdued the lazy Day Guards in seconds. Not wanting to be seen as murderous insurgents, Josh had ordered nonlethal takedowns for the time being. Within moments, Josh, Midnight, and a half-dozen Night Guards had stacked up against the door to the armory while the others went back into hiding, taking the day guards with them.
"Breach and Clear." Midnight said. Most ponies would not recognize the phrase, but Luna had asked Josh to personally train her guards several months before.
"Yes sir." A unicorn mare replied. She charged a spell, then loosened it. The directed energy blew the door down, startling the ponies inside the armory. Josh was first in, loading tranquilizer darts into his cross bow. Two guards stumbled for their weapons, but Josh downed them in secnonds. Midnight began to move in, but was stopped when a purple bolt of magic streaked into his chest from the back of the armory. A white pony with a blue tail and silver armor stepped out from behind a crate as Midnight sailed into the guards behind him.
"Celestia knew you'd come here, traitor. I'm here to squash this rebellion, this evil act of defiance." Shining Armor spoke.
"This isn't a rebellion, its a liberation." Josh calmly replied. He turned to the night guards. "Grab what ever you can carry. Weapons and armor first."
"You'll take nothing!" Shining hissed. He ducked as a dart flew torwards him.
"You'll have to get through me before you can stop them." Josh stated, before drawing his sabre and charging Shining Armor. The captain rolled to the side, avoiding Josh completely. However, he did not expect five fingers to grab his tail and sling him to the wall.
Josh did not particularly like using his human form inside the building, as his head brushed the roof. He picked Shining Armor up by the throat, knocking off the silver helmet in the process. Josh brought the captain to eye level as the night Guards, including a sluggish Midnight, finished loading several crates with the target supplies.
"You are being used, old friend. If Celestia sees a hint of disloyalty in you, she will not hesitate to eliminate you. It happened to Luna, the Night Guards, and me. Tread carefully, little pony. I will not extend mercy once more." With that, Josh head butted Shining Armor, knocking the stallion out cold.
"Alrighy, troops. Get these supplies to the castle." Josh ordered. And with a flash, the Insurgents and their loot disappeared.
/-/
"For the last time, your father is a lying, cheating, backstabbing traitor. I don't want to here anymore of this mind control crap!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"Dad. Is. Not. The bad guy! Celestia is!" Skyler replied, her bright yellow eyes not recognizing the mare she called mom.
"What? Are you a traitor now? Go to your room and don't come out until I say!" Dash stomped her hoof and snorted, clearly angered by her daughter's statement.
Skyler stomped up the stairs to her room. The small space has heavily decorated with a mix of Wonderbolt and Equestrian Military knick knacks. A set of blades, meant to be attached to the leading edge of a pegasi's wing, hung on the wall above Skyler's bed. The young mare flopped down on her bed in frustration.
No matter how much she tried, she couldn't really be mad at her mom. She had been eavesdropping on the library when Twilight Sparkle, ever loyal to her former mentor, had cast a spell on the other Elements of Harmony that made them believe Celestia's lies about her father.
Dad.
He was out there somewhere, most likely trying to do something to stop Celestia before things could get any worse. Most ponies were ignorant of Celestia's plot.
That left only whomever Skyler's dad could find to fight her.
A plan began to form in Skyler's fifteen year old mind. She could imagine what her father would say, " Do you have any idea how dangerous and ludicrous that is?!... I've never been so proud!"
Skyler began packing a saddlebag, including the wing blades and emergency kit her father gave her last Hearth's Warming day. She opened the window that led out into the quite morning. Nopony hung around this part of Ponyville, as most had to go to school or work.
Skyler stretched her wings and relished the fact that she was now, officially, a rebel.
She took to the skys in search of the rebellion.