Anon in Pre-Equestria: Disharmony - Chapter 2

>Your heart beats violently in your chest.

>The continued shouting and banging coming from the floors above you do nothing to help calm you down.

>You have a strong desire to run and hide, or help the guards upstairs, anything but continuing to stand out in the open doing nothing, but all you can do is remain firmly in the center of the room, clutching the spear and staring at the unconscious pegasus on the floor.

>She is definitely unconscious; you hit her pretty hard. The dent in her helmet can attest to that.

>But the lack of blood and her regular breathing seem to indicate that no real harm was done.

>You’re not sure if that’s a good thing.

 

>The sound of someone quickly descending the stairs pulls you back to reality. You spin around with your weapon at the ready, but the new arrival is a familiar face.

>”Anonymous!” Clover the Clever breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of you. You are also relieved.

“Clover! Are you all right?”

>”Yes, I’m fine.”

>You both glance over to the staircase as the captain and several of his guards come down in succession. He’s out of breath and has a bad open cut below his right eye. All of the commotion upstairs has ended, even the thunderous storm outside has completely subsided, replaced now by an eerie silence.

“What the hell is going on?”

>The captain hesitates.

>”We were attacked by the pegasi. They used the thunder and the fog to mask their approach.”

“Clover told me you were at peace with the pegasi.”

>”We are. We haven’t had violent conflict in years…” He trails off.

“I take it they’re gone?”

>”Yes. They left as soon as we gained the upper hand. They had the element of surprise, but lacked the coordination to overpower us. It was an easy victor-“ The captain cuts himself off as he finally notices the unconscious pegasus. “Anonymous, what happened here?”

“She came through the door and I had enough time to knock her out. I guess she was surprised to see me and not a unicorn.”

>Clover steps forward, studying the pegasus carefully. Her mouth drops open in surprise.

>She notices you watching her and clears her throat before speaking up.

>”I-I think I recognize this pegasus from the councils we would have in years past. Before we migrated south to escape the winter, unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies would gather to discuss issues and negotiate trades. I could be wrong, but I think this is the leader of the pegasi. I think this is Commander Hurricane.”

>The guards mutter amongst themselves, before being silenced when their captain raises his hoof. He nods thoughtfully.

>”She does match the description.” He motions to two of the guards. “Tie her up. As soon as the sun is raised, she’ll be brought to Canterlot to stand trial.”

>The guards come forward, and one conjures a rope out of thin air.

>As they bind Hurricanes legs together, the captain turns to Clover. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to cut your studies short. It’s not safe here anymore, and I don’t want to deal with the princess if something happens to you. You’ll be leaving first thing in the morning with the rest of them.”

>She bows her head. “Understood, captain.”

 

>The room gets a lot louder after that. There’s a lot of heated discussion among the soldiers about the preceding events. You can’t help but notice some mentions of yourself mixed in, but you do your best to ignore it.

>Clover hasn’t moved. She’s deep in thought.

>You took some time to stoke the fire and get it going again. You sit down, and before long you’re joined by a few others.

>You see a familiar shade of purple moving closer, and Clover takes the seat next to you. She shifts over to sit a little closer, and looks up at you.

>”Are you- I mean… Will you be joining us when we leave, Anonymous?” She yawns. “I’d love to show you my personal library in Canterlot. I mean, if-if you’re really interested in history you could look through some of the records I’ve written.”

>Clover’s huge purple eyes shine in the light of the fire. She struggles to keep them open; even after the night’s excitement it’s hard to stay awake.

“Yes, I’ll join you. I don’t have much incentive to stay.”

>It’s hard to not notice Clover’s delight at your answer.

 

>The room’s atmosphere calms down considerably as the night goes on.

>Speculation about the reason behind the attack can only go so far, so everyone who isn’t keeping watch eventually settles down and either returns upstairs to sleep, or sits by the fire downstairs.

>Clover’s feeble attempt to fight off sleep is doomed to fail, and she now snores peacefully with her head resting on your shoulder. A young stallion with a yellow coat winks at you when you meet his gaze.

 

>Time passes quickly, and before you know it the sun is rising and your small party is getting ready to depart.

>Commander Hurricane is being contained in a little wagon with barred windows, pulled by the two guards from last night: A stern looking mare, and the yellow stallion you saw by the fire. They both wear their customary heavy suits of armour.

>Other than them, it is only you and Clover, who wears a simple brown travelling cloak.

>There are some very brief goodbyes, then the five of you set off down the winding path on the hill.

>The outpost tower disappears into the distance as you follow the muddy road that stretches out far from the bottom of the hill.

>You’re all silent as you march, from sleep deprivation and, more significantly, from fear.

>There’s a possibility that the pegasi will make some attempt to rescue their commander. It’s a risk you’re all aware of, and prepared for.

>If all goes well, the journey to Canterlot will be quick and uneventful, but as you make your way into the rough and untamed wilderness of Unicornia, you get an eerie feeling that sends shivers down your spine.

>Could be from the lack of sleep, but it’s unnerving all the same.

 

>It’s the feeling that you’re being watched.