Choices (Adventure, AU)

As far as Anja, Shadow, and Dusk could tell, the stage seemed utterly devoid of escape routes. The soldiers searching the rooms seemed to come to the same conclusion, returning to the commander with various reports of failure. Any route there may have been had to have been hidden, perhaps very well. The commander issued various barked orders at the remainder of his squad, who returned to the rooms for a second check and began a thorough re-examination of the stage, pushing aside tables and unbinding the anti-magic barrier generators from their lashings.

---

"I am not familiar with Archduke Blueblood or his late son," she said. "I simply served Duchess Pie, who patronised my store a few days ago." She was about to say more, but the door swung open suddenly and a pegasus mare walked in.

"Hey, Eufy, is something wr-" She suddenly noticed Accentria and Sacred. Her eyes fixed on the former. And then she absconded rapidly, fleeing through the door of the shop very, very quickly.

---

A swirling miasma of shadow suddenly materialised in front of Sonata, leaking from the walls of her bathroom and coalescing into a single mass. Then, with a sudden burst, the shadow took form, shaping into the ghostly shape of a dark, towering alicorn mare, clad in blue-silver armour and staring at Sonata through slitted eyes. Her mouth moved carefully and deliberately, betraying the effort in her every movement, as she spoke.

"Do you know who I am, my child?" she asked. "It has been an eternity since I have seen this world, or my children. I need your help to keep it whole."

To say that Sonata wasn't expecting this for a response was a severe understatement. Her own slit pupil, multifaceted golden eyes widened in shock and surprise, her mouth hung agape in disbelief, and she took a few steps backwards subconsciously as the shadows leaked from the walls and congealed into their owner's form. "N-no," she answered hesitantly lying as she continued to study the shadow alicorn. Sure at first she assumed it'd been the sovereign of the sleeping world, but then she remembered that she was in Canterlot of all places, a city filled with unicorns who could all probably magic up this kind of shenanigan. "And if this is some kind of prank I'm not amused," Sonata replied trying to reign in her facial expression to something a little calmer.

"In fact I'm not sure if your timing could be worse because I'm not sure if you're aware but I've just played witness to a murder and will no doubt be brought in for questioning. Something that's never been a pleasant experience for me. So who are you, how'd you do that," Sonata asked back.