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BillyColt | 630 | 39 | Original Character,Crossover,Comedy,Dark,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Book of Friendship | Two ambiguously gay Mormon ponies. | incomplete | 239 | 20 | <p>What if Twilight Sparkle's letters to Princess Celestia started a religion?</p><p>This is the story of Brother White and Brother Scroll. One of them is an upstanding young unicorn eager to do whatever he can to make other ponies happy. The other is a shy little loner who's never had a real friend before. What do these two young stallions have in common? They are both members of the Fraternity of the Joyous Friends of Princess Celestia, an organization dedicated to teaching Equestria and the world about the magic of friendship. When Scroll and White are assigned to Earthquake Island, however, they find themselves in over their heads. Can the teachings of the Book of Friendship help them save an island run by a brutal warlord, wracked by war, poverty, and hatred?</p> | teen | 2017-01-22T01:31:09+00:00 | 2017-01-31T23:10:12+00:00 | 1,020 | Chapter 38
When Scroll’s vision cleared, he was dazed, and dizzy, and disoriented, and nauseous. He blinked, adjusting his top hat as the gray stone walls appeared. He looked at where, exactly, he was standing. A sterile, light-gray stall. It didn’t take him too long to guess that it was some sort of transporter dock; he’d read enough comic books to know it.
He took a step out, looking around, wondering which way to go, almost tripping over his cane. He was very glad for his disguise, and grateful for Brother White’s theatre experience. Cane in hoof, he set off down the hall, hoping he could find more unicorns to disappear into the crowd far enough away from the transporters to give him a good sense of deniability.
A dimly-lit shall gave way to a dimly-lit staircase, to a dimly-lit doorway, these features alternating in various combinations. He tried to get a look for landmarks to guide himself by. A piece of stone jutting out of the wall at an odd angle, a crystal light that looked like it was on the verge of giving out, a hinge on a door that was more rusty than the others. He tried to put one of these in his mind but they all blended together, until he lost count of doors.
When a full blast of cool night air hit him in the face, he nearly reared as though someone had kicked him in the face.
Scroll stood in the door, blinking a little dumbly as he looked out onto what seemed like a large open pathway on the outside. He stepped forward, down onto the cobblestone walkway. Above him he could see the towers of the fortress and an open, cloudless sky, and to the side, he saw sharp slopes down, careening into what seemed an endless drop into the ocean below. The full moon above bathed the whole walkway in a soft silvery glow. He didn’t look in either direction, instead focusing his gaze forward. There was another door at the end.
As he made his way through, he thought of Canterlot, and the fine elegance of its streets and turrets. This castle seemed like a crude imitation at best, though with how long he’d been gone from Equestria… How long had he been gone from Equestria? He wondered and thought back. He didn’t have his calendar on him at the moment, so he had to remember…
It wasn’t more than a couple of months. He blinked at that thought. Only a few months into a two-year mission. What had gone wrong?
Everything, he thought. He heard faint laughing on the edge of his hearing. He almost didn’t notice it, but he turned his head to look. He saw a small group a pair unicorns on a balcony, sitting around a table. Probably having lunch or having a tea party. That was odd, he thought. The earth ponies didn’t have tea parties on Earthquake Island. He wondered how the unicorns here were different. Maybe they were different on account of having a tea party so late at night. Maybe they were having decaf.
He thought about this as he watched from the distance, not noticing that the cobblestone path was turning up ahead. His hoof slipped, and he looked immediately in front of him. He saw a sheer drop below, and time seemed to freeze in a moment of dread as he stared at the dark watery abyss below.
He wondered when time would stop and he’d at last be done with it, and then he realized that he wasn’t falling. He blinked, looking from side to side, and he realized that a unicorn was holding him. He’d been caught. And judging by the uniform the unicorn was wearing, it was a soldier.
Scroll had never been so not relieved to not be falling to his death. He spun to face him. It was an aquamarine unicorn, and one who seemed to have bandages around his head. It might have been a comical sight, had Scroll been able to process it.
Okay, okay, okay, he thought. You got this. You’re gonna do great. Just wait for this guy to ask me if I’m okay, and then I’ll respond and be grateful and be on my way. Simple. I’ll wait for him to speak, and then I can respond back, knowing the proper syntax and speaking patterns…
The unicorn, however, did not say anything, and he just stared back.
Why isn’t he speaking? Is he suspicious? Am I looking stupid? Am I not supposed to be here?
Then, the unicorn levitated something… it looked like a whiteboard, followed by a marker, and he wrote out on it: 'Still in shock?'
He blinked.
'Hello?' the unicorn wrote out.
“W-well I say!” said Scroll, raising his cane. “I do believe that I owe you my life! Please, sir, you have earned the eternal gratitude of Toppington Von Monowinkle!”
The unicorn arched an eyebrow.
“I will make sure to inform your superior officer of your valiant efforts, my good chap!” He patted the unicorn on the shoulder. “Always good to see a fine upstanding handsome pony in uniform doing his duty! Cheerio, old fellow!” He said, taking off past him at a brisk stride.
Aced it!, he thought.
___________
“Oh yeah,” said a unicorn guard, looking himself in the mirror. He smiled at his reflection, flexing a foreleg. It was less impressive than he thought it was, but he was on a high. “Who’s a stud, Split Second? You’re a stud!”
He turned and walked back to his room, where his friend was fast asleep and the lovely earth pony mare from the night before was lying, awake but relaxing. “Mornin’,” she said. “Sleep well?”
“Well, not much, obviously,” said the unicorn, grinning. “That was amazing. I had no idea you earth ponies could do that. Tell the truth I… always kinda wanted to do that.”
“I never did it with a unicorn, either,” said Tap, sitting up. “A lot of fun, you two. Hope I got us off to a good start.”
“Oh, you bet!” said the guard.
A loud yawn came from his partner as he stretched, casting his sheets aside and rubbing his eyes. “Ughh, what was…” He turned and looked at Tap, who was smiling sultrily at him. “Oh… not a dream, huh?” he asked.
“No, but thanks for the compliment,” said Tap.
“So,” said Split Second. “You said you wanted some help with something?”
“Huh?” asked the first, seeming to finally come awake. “Wait, we’re what?”
“You heard me,” said Tap. “I wanted a little help with you on something.”
“But—” said the first guard, a panicking tone in his voice.
“Fair’s fair, First Response” said Split Second.
“But we’ll get in trouble!” said First Response.
“We haven’t even heard what she wants!” said Second. They both looked at her.
“Well,” said Tap, getting out of the bed and running a mane through her head. Now this was where the risky part came. “There’s a certain unicorn on this fortress that I’m looking for. He’s one of the missionaries. Brother White?”
“Brother White?” asked First, looking at the second. “I dunno who that is…”
“Wait, she say missionary? Like the guys the general’s got up in the tower?” asked Second. “I think he has them talking to the laborers.”
“Laborers?” asked Tap.
“Yeah, you know, the other, um…” Second’s eyes went a little shifty.
“Ah, right, them…” said Tap. “Well, I really, really need to find Brother White.”
First Response leaned forward. “Why should we help you? Why should we put our necks out to get you up to this Brother White. We’d be better off turning you in.”
Tap looked at him, her eyes wide and her lip curled into a pout. “But I wanted us to be friends,” she said, taking a step towards the bed. “Because if we’re friends, we can do fun things together… like we did last night.”
“Shemakesaverygoodpoint,” said Split Second.
First Response put a hoof to his chin, pondering it carefully. “Friends…” he muttered, looking at her. “Right.”
Second walked next to him and whispered. “Very good point.”
Tap chuckled, stroking the second guard’s cheek with a hoof. For all his attempts at playing the dutiful tough guy, a blush was starting to creep into his cheeks. Tap smiled, grateful that it seemed that some stallions were the same no matter what race they were.
___________
Every time the door opened, Barrel looked. It opened fairly frequently, being the morning breakfast rush. Still, he kept looking, hoping that he’d see Tap and Scroll and the others back from a successful mission. More likely, he felt in the pit of his stomach, General Quake would come in, angrily demanding to know where Tap had gone. And Barrel would sputter and say that he didn’t know and after that he had no clue what would happen.
He hoped that it would go alright. He heard a scraping on the wooden counter, looking to see Gwynna push a dirty plate to him.
“Oh, thanks,” he said, taking it and putting it away. When he looked up he saw Bottle Top smiling at him. He was as smelly as usual, though this time he seemed to be wearing a relatively clean hat. “Oh. Hi. Nice hat.” His eyes shifted from side to side as his nose scrunched. “How’s things?”
“Pretty good,” said Bottle Top. “I made it big at craps the other night so I’m in the mood for breakfast.”
“Right, right,” he said. “How’s potatoes?”
“You tell me, you’re the cook,” said Bottle Top, before noticing the bird. “Got a new pet?”
Gwynna grumbled indignantly. “She’s not a pet,” said Barrel, retreating to a small stove behind the counter. “She’s helping me with a few things.”
“Where’s your sister?” asked Bottle Top.
“So do you want me to fry your potatoes with butter?” he asked loudly. “It’s more expensive that way.”
“I said I made it big,” said Bottle Top.
“You got it! Here’s butter!”
The door opened again. This time, Barrel heard a voice calling his name.
“Barrel! Good, no—” It was Gunner’s voice. Barrel looked up and saw him making a beeline for the counter.
“Can’t talk, busy with butter.”
“But—”
Gunner went straight up to the counter, but was quieted by a ‘shh’ing gesture with Gwynna’s wing.
“Thank you, Gwynna,” said Barrel, stirring the contents of his pan. “Juuust hold off.”
“Look, just… read the note here,” said Gunner, placing a slip of paper on the counter. Gwynna prodded it suspiciously with her beak. “And we’ll be fine. Just want to let you know. It’s… you know, our thing.”
Barrel craned his neck. “Ahh, got it. Thanks.”
“Right, just brief notes,” said Gunner. “Feel free to work on the details yourself.”
“What’re you two talking about?” asked Bottle Top, sniffing in the hopes that some of the fumes from Barrel’s cooking could come over for a preview. Unfortunately, the way the tavern was, it would take a bloodhound to pick anything out amidst the damp stank.
“Nothing important,” said Gunner, practically ignoring him. “Anyway, good luck. See you later.”
“Alright, take care,” said Barrel. Gunner departed as he finished cooking, which he brought to Bottle Top. “So you’re absolutely sure you can pay for this, right?” he asked.
“Yup,” said the bum, triumphantly producing a large set of slips of paper. “Ration coupons!”
“Ration coupons?” asked Barrel. “We don’t need them, Tap does all the—”
Wait. Tap wasn’t here. That meant she couldn’t fuck Quake for things. Oh. Ohhhhh.
“Oh,” said Barrel. “Ohhhh, okay. I mean, generally we go for… money, but that’s good, yeah.”
“Alright,” said Bottle Top, slapping the coupons on the counter.
Barrel swept them up, along with Gunner’s note. That pit feeling in his stomach returned. Tap wasn’t here, and he had to fend for himself. He didn’t know how to do that. What would happen if the house burned down again? The house always burned down. What would he do then? He couldn’t build a house. Tap usually fucked some stallions to get them to help, but Barrel couldn’t do that. The other stallions didn’t want to fuck him ‘cause he was a fatass. He’d have to save money, but he’d never had to worry about saving money and then even if he did save up money what if it got lost when the place burned down
“Barrel?” asked Bottle Top. “You look like you’re gonna pass out.”
“Buh?” asked Barrel. Gwynna hopped onto his back and cooed softly, gently stroking the top of his head with a wing. “Y-yeah, I’m okay. I just remembered I’d forgotten something.”
“What was it?”
“I dunno,” said Barrel, blinking. “I forgot.”
“Figures. Ain’t that the worst?” asked Bottle Top, biting into his breakfast. “I tell ya, some hangovers I get…”
And Barrel found himself unable to relate to hangovers, as he himself wasn’t one for drinking. However, he let Bottle Top continue talking and enjoying his potatoes and butter as he served food at an easy enough pace. Gwynna stood by, eating bits of crumbs and leftovers as others finished their breakfasts and went about their day. Now all he had to do was wait for the inevitable appearance of General Quake when he found out that Tap wasn’t here.
He gulped.
___________
Thankfully for Barrel, Quake had other things on his mind at the moment. He stood in the grimy dark as engineers toiled beneath a mass of metal and bolts.
“G-general?” suggested his lieutenant. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to work on it in the light? I-I mean, after all it’s ex-extremely important, right?”
“It’s a surprise,” grunted Quake. “I want this to look like it’s come out of nowhere. First those fucking horners come in, thinking they can do whatever they want to us, and then BOOM!” He stomped on the ground, shaking the floors and rattling the machinery, making the engineers yell out in fright. His lieutenant, meanwhile, had sunk towards the wall. Quake looked at him with a disdainful snort. “How the fuck did you get promoted?”
“’Cause I’m pretty good at not dying?”
Quake grunted. That seemed to be good enough for him. “You keep working on it. Let me know how it’s going later. And it better actually be fucking going,” he said. With that, he turned and ascended the stairs, back into the light. “Surrounded by fucking wastes,” he muttered as he looked over the various milling soldiers around him. He grunted in annoyance. He needed something to drink, or something to break…
No, it was too early for alcohol. Something better. Coffee. There was coffee somewhere. He went to his private quarters and opened a large chest, full of bits of good stuff he had stashed from harvests or commandeering supplies from the missionaries. Some fresh bananas, apples, the special moonshine, a teddy bear…
What the fuck is this bear doing in here? he wondered. Must have been from that “Hearth’s Warming” thing the brothers had done. Briefly he wondered how Brother Scroll was doing, and then went back to looking for the coffee beans.
Then he remembered he’d have to actually make the coffee and decided ‘fuck that.’
He emerged from his tent, looking out, when he heard a loud wailing sound. “What was that?” he asked a group of confused soldiers.
“Sounded like it was coming from town, sir,” said Trigger Mark.
Quake grunted, exiting the camp with a group of soldiers. He grumbled to himself as he led the way, annoyed at the chattering of the soldiers behind him, until they came to the square.
There they saw Gunner, standing in the middle of a crowd, holding something in his hooves, though Quake couldn’t see what it is.
“Oh, tragic, tragic!” moaned Gunner, throwing his body from side to side.
“So horrible!” exclaimed Barrel’s voice, as he, too, emerged from the crowd, approaching him.
“Just look!” said Gunner, holding up the object. The sunlight glinted off of a pair of broken glasses.
Trigger Mark watched, an eyebrow raised.
“Oh, it was terrible, terrible!” said Gunner. “I daren’t say it…”
“But Gunner,” said Barrel. “The ponies here deserve to know the truth.”
“I… no, you’re right,” said Gunner, sniffing loudly. “Come, friends, gather around, while I tell you the tale of what happened.”
Quake turned his head as he could have sworn he heard violins off in the distance. And then, Gunner opened his mouth and began to sing.
“This morning I woke and I went to the shore,
Around a quarter to nine.
For I went to go visit my friend to implore
The goals with which we shall align.”
“The goals with which they would align,” sang the crowd. Then, Barrel sang.
“We looked far and wide for our friend to appear
But of Scroll Page there wasn’t a trace.
Then we stood and we thought and we tried for the pier
Oh yes, then was a furious race!”
“Oh yes, then was a furious race!”
“Did everyone rehearse this?” asked Quake, looking at Trigger Mark, his ear twitching at what he could swear was the sound of a small orchestra playing in the background.
“Well it’s not that complicated to just repeat the last line…” Trigger Mark reasoned.
Then, Gunner sang, a trombone seeming to rise with him.
“And then fin’ly we came to a cliff far on high and we saw our poor friend on the ledge.”
“He looked at the sea with a terrible sigh as he put his hoof over the edge.”
“And we cried, ‘Wait! Don’t leave us! For without you what are we to do?’”
“And he stopped…” sang Barrel, his face as if in a trance. “And he turned… and he said…”
Gunner stepped up onto a box and looked at over them as the music seemed to swell to a lyrical tune (Quake looked around furiously to see if he could find who the hell was playing the violin). “My friends, do not weep for me. For my sorrows will at last be o’er. Oh my friends, can’t you smile and see? For soon my heavy heart will lower.”
The chorus sang.
“For soon his heavy heart did lower.
Oh good friends, do not weep for the sorrows ended
As the dark night turns to the dawn.
For these sorrows shall fade,
and the deep wounds mended,
‘Till our hearts shall dance as a fawn…”
“Okay,” said Trigger Mark, “that’s a bit more elaborate.”
Barrel continued.
“Then with one last side smile he stepped over the edge
And he fell to the sea far below…
And I swear I saw him fly… Yes that’s what I will allege
When he fell he seemed, he seemed to—ohhhh...”
“Good friends, I’m sorry to say,” sang Gunner, “that our friend is with us no more.
Though we searched and searched for hours
This was all that we found on shore…” He finished, holding up the glasses.
“This was all they found on shore…” sang the crowd.
Quake grunted, turning to Trigger Mark and the lieutenant. “Well, guess the fucker’s gone. Don’t know if this is good or—”
“Oh good friends, do not weep for the sorrows ended…” sang the crowd.
Quake scowled.
“As the dark night turns to the dawn.
For these sorrows shall fade,
and the deep wounds mended,
‘Till our hearts shall dance as a fawn…”
“‘Till our hearts shall dance as a fawn…” finished Gunner and Barrel.
The song over, Gunner stood, wiping his eyes with a large hoofkerchief. “We stood at the edge and waited… he didn’t come up. So we gave him a burial at sea.”
“It’s what he would have wanted,” agreed Barrel, nodding solemnly.
General Quake stood and stared for a moment, then grunted, heading off as the crowd began to disperse, mostly without interest, though the Lieutenant could be heard sobbing faintly. Gunner and Barrel breathed heavy sighs of relief before parting ways, themselves.
Trigger Mark eyed Gunner suspiciously and followed him. As Gunner turned a corner into a less populated road, Mark approached him.
“So Scroll… killed himself, huh?” he asked in a probing tone of voice.
“Huh?” asked Gunner, surprised to find himself followed. “Oh, yeah. He just couldn’t take it anymore… his friend gone, the island not heeding his message.”
“So he died and you dumped him into the ocean?” asked Trigger Mark.
“Kkkkkkkinda?”
Trigger Mark grunted, walking alongside him. “Really, huh? So what are you going to do?”
“I am going to carry on his legacy,” said Gunner. “Continue his work. And maybe quietly slip back into the army. I really haven’t had much spending money lately…”
Trigger Mark looked him over, grunting slightly at the apparent change in demeanor and emotional reaction. “Well, good to see you’re holding up.”
“Uh-huh…” said Gunner, sitting down and apparently in his own world at the moment.
Trigger Mark rolled his eyes and went off down the road. Something was up, he was sure, but what exactly remained to be seen.
___________
As the crowd dispersed, Buzz stood there, shocked and numb. Brother Scroll was dead. That didn’t seem possible. Soon he was alone in the street, and the isolation crept in for real. One by one he’d lost every pony that might have cared about him. His Father. Brother White. And now, Brother Scroll.
He shook in that deep, icy terror that comes from realizing that there was nopony there to tell you that things would be okay. Right now, that was all he wanted. Somepony to tell him it was okay.
He didn’t go back to his house. He didn’t see the use of working. The prospect of making enough money to get more food didn’t seem like it was worth it. Not right now.
He trudged down the road, looking at all the houses. All with their doors shut to them, their inhabitants unkind, and uncaring. So lost was he in thought that he didn’t see when a dog leaped out at him, only stopped by the leash around his neck. Buzz leapt back into the street in alarm as he saw the dog snap at him, flicking froth and spit everywhere.
That seemed to snap him out of it, and he ran to the only place he could go: Tap’s tavern.
Barrel had set back up. With the lunch hour over, he had a bit of breathing room, with only himself and a now-unconscious Bottle Top occupying the tavern, Gwynna having gone off to her custody battle. He looked up when he heard the door open and saw the young colt scurry in.
“Buzz?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”
“It can’t be true,” said Buzz, approaching him and climbing onto a stool. “Tell, tell me it’s not true.”
“I…”
“Tell me Scroll isn’t dead!”
And Barrel looked at him. Barrel looked At Buzz with a pained expression, and Buzz looked at Barrel with a pleading expression.
Barrel was then faced with the most difficult choice of his life. He had to decide whether he was strong, or weak, enough to lie to a child in his hour of need. And time seemed to stop. Or maybe it didn’t and Barrel was very indecisive and Buzz very patient.
But he thought about what could happen. He could say yes, and Buzz would fall into despair. That lie would not help the colt, and could even make it worse. Or he could say no, and risk everything falling apart.
“Well…” he said.
He couldn’t say yes. But he couldn’t say no, either.
“We didn’t… see him die,” said Barrel. “Now that I think about it. He just… jumped off of the edge.”
Buzz looked up. “That… that’s right. You didn’t find a body.”
Barrel nodded. And this could work. After all, Scroll was supposed to return again, somehow. They could make up something else, maybe have a whole other musical number with Scroll joining in. After all, Barrel reasoned, Scroll had a very pleasant baritone…
“Buzz, I can’t imag… well, I can,” he said, thinking about how he’d grown up without his parents and the current uncertain state of his sister. He did not want to think about his sister. “But you know, while Scroll’s gone, Gunner and I are going to carry on his work.”
“How are you going to go door-knocking and run the tavern at the same time?” asked Buzz.
“That, that’s not the important part,” said Barrel, waving his hoof. “The important part is, uh…” He blinked. “It’s the thing that we’re here to help you out.” He smiled at him. “You can count on me!”
“Really?” Buzz asked. “Well, thanks, I guess.” He sighed. “I miss them,” he said. “I miss my dad. I miss White. I even miss Clip.”
Barrel patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. “I know. And it’s hard. Hey. Hey,” he said, raising his chin a little. “I’ll give you a sarsaparilla on the house.”
“Will Tap be okay with that?” asked Buzz.
“Ha!” Barrel turned and went to the counter behind him, counting out the bottles and looking for what little non-alcohol was there. “Hahahahahahaha! Ahahahaha.” He grabbed a bottle and a glass and set them in front of Buzz. “Ah. Ha hah ha ha.” He poured the drink and presented them to the colt, setting the counter before returning to his menial cleaning duties. “Hahahahahahaha… Yeah, she’ll be fine.”
“Well, thanks,” said Buzz, quietly drinking.
Barrel returned to working in a routine. He hoped that whatever Scroll was going to get done didn’t take too long, because he had no idea how long he could keep this routine up by himself. All he knew was he didn’t want to test it to find out.
Then the door opened.
“Hey, fatass,” said General Quake. “Get your sister down here.”
Barrel turned to face him, smiling painfully. Oh, fuck.
___________
Brother Scroll, of course, had not killed himself, though he wasn’t feeling quite as lively as he had before. His lack of sleep (unmitigated by tea) was starting to catch up on him, and the formerly flamboyant Toppington Von Monowinkle had lost a bit of the spring in his step.
He’d made his way into a large hallway lined with doorways, the stone carved to resemble elegant houses. Other unicorns were about, dressed much the same as he himself. He had gotten remarkably lucky with his choice in costume, for which he was grateful, as he didn’t have the energy or brainpower for more convincing bluffs.
Passing a group of chatty unicorns, he could pick up snatches of conversations.
“...and then I said, ‘Oh, Monty, you are just too much!’” Followed by subdued laughs from the unicorn’s friends.
Wrong Canterlot seems about right, Scroll thought. Like the time I went to the… He shook his head. Even his thoughts were becoming slurred and incoherent.
“I say, you don’t look quite so well,” said a passerby unicorn.
“Buh?” asked Scorn, looking at him.
“Are you sure you’re alright? You look as though you’ve come down with something.” The unicorn stepped away. “Oh dear, you haven’t come down with something, have you?”
“N-no,” said Scroll, a hoof moving towards his fake horn. “I just… haven’t gotten the best of rest.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Glad we don’t have to call in the guards to quarantine. Can’t have horrible diseases spreading and diluting us, can we?”
Scroll blinked. Okay, he thought, that sounds more like something… a little messed-up. “No we can’t, I suppose,” he said, walking off. On the edge of his hearing he heard the other group say something, what was it…
“Well, Monty is one of those second-floor unicorns. Of course he wouldn’t know better.”
“Are you absolutely certain you’re not under the weather?” asked the unicorn accosting Scroll.
“Yeah, pretty sure,” said Scroll, desperate to get away from this conversation. He needed to find White. But he needed a plan. He couldn’t very well just ask random ponies ‘hey where’s the unicorn with the dazzling smi—’ Oh, wait, I forgot. “I mean, indubitably.”
This, amazingly, seemed to satisfy the other unicorn, who went off to greet somepony else. He turned a corner and went down the hall, coming out into a large towering hub room, full of staircases and ledges, and much more brightly-lit. Scroll looked up at the ceiling. Rather than a dull crystal light, there was a large hole in the ceiling, letting the sunlight in, which seemed rather bright. He thought it reminded him of the large open spaces in shopping malls. Except this place didn't have a fountain or a ball pit.
What time is it? wondered Scroll. Is it like… afternoon now? Wow I’ve been up too late…
“So what are we looking for?” he heard a voice nearby.
“Name’s Brother White,” said a second.
Scroll’s ears pricked up. He turned and looked at them; they appeared to be guards, and they didn’t notice him. One of them was floating a map in front of his face.
“Live here for years and still get lost,” the guard muttered.
“That’s ‘cause you never go out of your loop.”
“Because everything’s boring.”
“Yeah, well, find out where he is.”
Once they’d gone a comfortable distance, Scroll followed them, trying to look casual and confident. Given that he hadn’t felt the former in some time and hadn’t felt the latter ever, it was a little difficult for him to do so.
Thankfully, whether he did it right or wrong didn’t really matter, as neither of them seemed to notice.
“I think he’s up in the towers,” said the guard without a map. “You know, where the really rich guy’s and the general’s inner circle live.”
“You think so? Lucky bastard,” said the one with the map. “Think we’ll get in trouble if we go there?”
“I dunno,” said the first. “I’ve never been there. I don’t think it’s a problem if we walk around, long as we don’t, like, break into anywhere.” He folded up the map. “The general has them doing stuff with the dirt ponies, right? Maybe we can catch him there?”
“Yeah,” said the other. “But then we don’t want to blow it if it’s in front of other guards. We’re risking enough trouble as it is…”
Scroll inched a little closer.What were they talking about? He wasn’t sure if it was good or not.
The first guard snorted. “I hate the work area. It’s depressing and smelly.”
“Well, whatever,” said the second. “Come on, let’s go.”
They walked off, the first one taking the map out again and the second one guiding him out of the way of a column. Scroll watched them for a moment, and then followed behind at a safe distance. Maybe these two would lead him where he needed to go.
___________
Work was cut short. Carpenter’s immediate response was to be glad to be out of the mind-numbing rut of thoughtless factory work, but he was too smart to not see that there was something wrong. The unicorns weren’t prone to giving days off just to be nice.
“What’s going on?” he asked the pony working next to him as the sounds stopped.
“No idea,” said the other pony, wringing and waggling his hooves to get some feeling back into them.
“Inspection!” boomed the voice of a unicorn that, if Carpenter could see, he’d probably like to punch in the face.
The ponies were moved from the factory lines into the halls, looking down the way towards their bunkers and quarters, watching as an assortment of unicorn guards filed in and out.
Aq stood there, holding up his whiteboard with instructions. ‘Search underneath the beds and check inside the vents.’
“What are they looking for?” asked one of the earth ponies.
Carpenter didn’t answer. “Well, shit…”
“Captain!” called a voice from inside. Aq went in and the earth ponies muttered nervously to each other.
Aq and two other unicorns emerged minutes later, carrying wooden planks, length of rope, pipes, and other materials. The earth ponies fell silent. Not all of them knew what was going on.
Carpenter, however, did.
Aq paced in front of them, his bandaged face surly as he could manage. The expression on his face, coupled with his injuries and juxtaposed with the serious and uncertain situation made Carpenter (and likely the other earth ponies) unsure whether or not they could laugh.
‘Well?’ asked Aq, writing out on his board. ‘Would anypony like to explain?’
Silence.
‘Anyone?’ Aq added.
“Yeah,” said Carpenter. “Arts and crafts night. Learned it from the missionary boys.”
Aq turned to look at him and slowly erased his message. ‘Arts and Crafts.’
“Yeah,” said Carpenter with a snide grin.
Aq turned the board to himself as though he were going to write again, and then swung it at Carpenter’s head. Carpenter was faster, however, and grabbed it. Wrenching it away from the unicorn’s telekinetic grip, he swung it back at Aq, striking him in the side of the mouth.
There was a mass of confusion. Some ponies started cheering. Others started shouting. Other unicorns raised their guns. Most clearly, Carpenter heard the unicorn captain howling in pain through his mouth.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” shouted a voice. Brother White emerged, looking at them, strength enough in his voice that the others quieted for a moment to notice him. His appearance was worn and hoary, and were it not for the strength in his voice one could be forgiven for thinking he was overdue for a nap. “What’s going on?”
“Ask them,” said Carpenter. “They started it.”
Aq’s howls of pain had subsided to angry, muffled whimpers as he pulled himself from the floor again, lifting his whiteboard. ‘Our inspections have uncovered stolen materials.’
“Stolen…” White looked at the materials gathered by the guards and he fell silent, frozen in shock.
Carpenter knew what was going through his head. The raft had been sunk. Even if they hadn’t discovered the exact nature of the plans, this inspection had set them back to square one. No, worse; they’d be on the lookout for missing materials again.
White turned and walked down the hall. Aq glared at him, then at the earth ponies.
‘Back to your quarters,’ he wrote. After a pause, he turned it too him and scribbled onto it before turning it back to them. ‘NOW!’
White walked down the wall at a slow pace, his mind in a dreamlike haze as it had been. He entered through a door, crossing the threshold out of the factory area. The noises of whirring and clanging machinery were faint, but the air was still the same, stilted and hot.
“Good afternoon, Brother White,” said a voice.
White turned and saw Monarch.
“You and Brother Shine really need to do a better job,” said the general, stepping towards him. “The earth ponies need to learn the rules better. I mean, a raft. Really. They could have gotten very hurt if they’d tried something like that.”
“Get away from me…” whispered White, taking a step back. He felt his butt hit the cold stone wall and his eyes shifted, looking for a way out.
“Oh?” asked Monarch, smirking as he took a larger step forward. “Is something wrong, White? Do you feel stressed? At your wit’s end? Alone?” He leaned into White as the smaller unicorn pressed back, as though hoping to fall through the wall altogether. “What ever are you going to do?”
Their faces were so close that White could feel the general’s breath on his muzzle. He stood there, transfixed… and then he darted down under Monarch’s chin, making a break down the hall as fast as his legs would carry him. Then he found that his legs weren’t carrying him. The hall wasn’t moving. Then he realized that his legs weren’t moving.
“Brother White,” Monarch chided.
White felt as his body floated in mid-air, turning to face Monarch, the general’s horn wrapped in a soft magic glow.
“I think that our problem here is that you have a serious misunderstanding of what’s going on here.”
White watched as he floated closer to Monarch.
“You seemed to think,” said Monarch, tilting his head in a sort of mocking consideration. “That you came here to help. You didn’t. You came here because I decided that you should come here.” He chuckled.
“That’s not…”
“Oh, but it is. You didn’t really have a choice. I mean… you could have chosen to just let General Quake do what he wanted to. But ponies like you don’t take chances like that. You like things to be neat and safe. And things are neat and safe for you up here. That’s why you won’t leave.”
“I don’t have options to leave…”
Monarch laughed again. “No, you don’t… well, I suppose you could go back to the island. We wouldn’t let you, of course, but you could try. But you’re not going to take that chance, are you?”
“How... “ White tried to speak up, but he found that his frozen position limited his breathing. “How do you know I won’t? Maybe things can’t get worse for me.”
“Oh, Brother White…” Monarch raised a hoof to his cheek. “Haven’t you learned anything on your mission? Things can always get worse.”
The horn stopped glowing and White collapsed to the floor. He looked up in fright at the grinning general.
“And now you’ll run.”
And White did so. He ran so fast that as he rushed past the doors he missed two unicorn guards with a map.
___________
To say that Aq had suffered indignities lately would be a bit of an understatement. He’d been outwitted by a foal. He’d been bested in a physical confrontation by a pacifist. And now he’d been sassed by a prisoner. Said prisoner had also made his jaw a living nightmare, and now he had the General’s daughter looking at it. In public.
“Oh, dear, dear…” said Princess, peeking at his bandages. “How bad does it hurt?”
‘Very,’ he wrote.
“You don’t think it’ll interfere with the healing, do you?”
‘No, probably not,’ he said.
A nearby guard snickered.
Aq glared at him, writing on the whiteboard and turning it to him. ‘Is something funny?’
The guard snorted. “Yeah. I mean, no offense, but that dirtclod has got some serious nerve.”
“Only because they are impulsive and don’t have an appreciation for consequences,” said Princess. “Some ponies mistake that for courage.”
‘Racism,’ Aq wrote on the whiteboard, a deadpan look on his face. Princess scoffed at it.
“Really, I don’t see why we even have contact with the earth ponies,” said Princess. “We could have them in a completely sealed separate area and use the assembly lines to have things delivered to us. But then I suppose we’d still need to maintain the machines.” She sighed. “Oh, there never are perfect solutions to anything, are there? I suppose if there were we wouldn’t need to go to war, then, would we?”
Aq erased his board and wrote again on it. ‘Something on your mind?’
“Oh, I’m just…” Princess chuckled. “Oh, I suppose I am rambling again. I just think about things. How they could be nicer. How they will be nicer.”
‘How do you think that will be?’
“Well,” said Princess. She sat up, thinking. “I think that I’d like to live someplace with fields. I remember back when I was a filly and I walked somewhere with grass beneath my hooves. It was morning once. The air was very cool and the blades were just a little wet. I didn’t notice at first, but after I walked a little I noticed that my hooves were damp, and I looked down closer and I saw little beads of water on the blades. I’d like to live somewhere like that again.”
‘That does sound nice.’
Princess read the message and smiled. “That’s where we’ll live someday. When I’m a real princess.”
‘But you are a real princess.’
She scoffed wryly. “I mean with a kingdom and everything. I don’t rule anything here. It’s just courtiers and sycophants. Not that those aren’t lovely in their own right, but…” She paused, her smile faltering. “Do you think I’d be a good ruler?”
‘You’ve asked me that before.’
“I know,” she said, nodding. “But I think about it a lot.”
‘I think that’s a sign that you will be.’
She smiled again. “Thank you, Aq. That means a lot to me.” She stood up, looking at the other guard, who was absorbed in a newspaper. “Don’t tell my father anything I said.”
“Huh?” asked the guard.
“Good,” said Princess, and satisfied, she turned to walk away.
“I don’t get it…” said the guard.
___________
Tap waited in the room, pacing back and forth. As she did so, her eyes scanned the room, making a note of everything in there in case something was important. A nightstand with an ill-sorted stack of papers gave her a good idea that the pony who normally used this room wasn’t any sort of neat-freak. Every time she looked to the wall and saw no windows she shuddered a little. It made the place seem claustrophobic.
But, she reasoned, she had a good hoof on the situation. As long as those two didn’t sell her out she was on her way to getting where she needed to be. All things considered, she’d made a good way for herself in a bad situation. The guards, hopefully, were enamored enough of her that they’d want to keep her from harm. And if White was here, then they could start to plan.
She heard hoofsteps. There was a clicking sound as the doorknob began to turn. Tap hid in the corner by the door, watching as the two guards entered.
“Hello?” asked First Response, stepping into the room.
Split Second shut the door behind him, seeing her as he turned around. “Oh there you are,” he said, smiling.
“Hello,” she said, smiling back. “So, what did you find out?”
“Well, I think we found the missionary,” said First. “He’s up in the general’s tower.”
“I’m guessing that means I should stay away from there if I don’t want to get caught,” said Tap.
“Riiiiight…” said Second, rubbing the back of his neck. “But there might be another option.”
Tap leaned against the wall. “Go on.”
“White doesn’t always stay in the tower,” said First. “They work with the other prisoners and they’re generally free to move around the fortress.”
“Sooooo,” Second mused. “We might be able to arrange a meeting.”
“Ahh,” said Tap. “So have him visit here and we’re in the clear.”
Split Second opened his mouth, then closed it again. “Oh, yeah, that’s a way better idea…”
First Response looked around nervously. “And then once you’ve met up with White…”
Tap looked at him. “I’ll be out of your manes,” she said, tossing her head. “Well, if you want it, that is.”
First Response gave a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s good.”
Split Second made his way to the nightstand, taking off his cap and starting to unbutton his shirt. “I gotta say, this has been fun,” he said. “Gotta be the most eventful week I’ve had in awhile. It can get… boring up here, sometimes.”
“I’ll bet,” said Tap. “I mean, it’s like being underground in here. No windows or anything.”
“It’s stable,” mumbled First, shrugging.
“Yeah,” said Second. “But I dunno… I like this. Don’t you?”
First Response pawed at the ground. “I guess I do. I’m not gonna forget it, that’s for sure.”
“Works for me,” said Tap with another toss of her mane. She looked at the second guard. “It’s nice to be unforgettable.” She chuckled as she saw the guard blush.
Split Second rubbed the back of his neck again. “I… I do admit it all makes me think it’d be nice if we weren’t in this whole messed-up thing, whatever you call it.”
___________
White threw himself onto the bed. His eyes were dry, and he felt numb all over. He hadn’t slept. He hadn’t eaten. He hadn’t done much of anything today.
There was nopony else in the room. Clip must’ve been over with Brother Shine right now… good. He could deal with that. He just needed to be alone. He closed his eyes. All he wanted was to be as far away from here as possible. Back home. Back in school. Back in Canterlot. Even Earthquake Island wouldn’t be so bad…
“Pearly?” asked a quiet voice.
White lifted his head slowly and turned, wide-eyed to the door. He saw standing there a dark blue pony in a ridiculous costume. That blue pony raised a hoof to the plastic horn on his head and slowly lowered it, along with a felt top hat, revealing just an earth pony.
He got up from the bed shakily, walking towards him, his expression almost disbelieving. “Scroll?” he asked.
Scroll took a step into the room. “White, it’s me…”
They met in the middle, White’s face one of shocked disbelief. White raised a hoof to touch his face, just to be sure. He saw Scroll smile bashfully, and he laughed. Tears started streaming down his face, and he threw his arms around Brother Scroll. It was real.
___________
Bright Idea took her usual midnight stroll around the weapons lab, humming to herself. “Oh, the ways you can tell an explosion, made from fire or from air…” and other cheerful ditties she couldn’t think of more than one or two lines of.
She examined the Plague of Nightmares. That was a creative work. Shame it worked better in theory than it did in practice. She heard a hissing behind her. The windigoes. She ignored them at first; them making noises wasn’t cause for alarm. But then she saw her shadow on the machine before her and looked behind.
There was a light in the windigoes enclosure, and the creatures were hissing and shrinking from it. Then, they started screaming. And then, lighting the entire room, there was a flaming heart. The light was so bright she had to shield her eyes, and when it finally dimmed enough for her to look, the tank was empty. The monsters were gone.
“Huh,” she said. “That… doesn’t make any sense.” |
Reik | 631 | 1 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T05:55:56+00:00 | 2012-04-26T05:55:56+00:00 | 5,617 | “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guildmaster and journeyman, in a word oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the struggling class.”
THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO, the small iron bound book rested at Reik's hooves. The words, practically memorized, flowed across the square in a perfectly rehearsed routine. “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need!” his strong voice carried across the square. As usual many a pony stared in utter confusion and awe and as usual, Reik was determined to continue. He was a revolutionary; He was in his element, this was his cause. “Celestia’s regime is the cause of stagnation in Equestria, why should the many feed the few? Why should the few profit and gain through the work and labor of the many? Think for a moment of a grand community, owned in common, where all ponies would be equal.” His grand address came to a sudden stop. Not due to fright or some other disability that he was well above. No it was the crowd. They stared at him with confusion, and barely suppressed embarrassment. Something suddenly snapped, his jaw clenched with suppressed anger. Without further words, address, and pause he closed the book, placed it into its tattered bag and began to follow the narrow stone street out of the village. As he left, many curious eyes followed him. They made no attempt to hide their stares, most of which were cast upon the red hammer and sickle that rested on his black flank.
REIK CONTINUED ALONG the dirt road, the sun slowly sank in the distance, casting long, claw like shadows across his path. He was used to this routine, attempting to inform the masses that current life, although good, could be so much better and then being ignored or laughed at. But today was different, he had never kept track of how many times he had been in this situation but this was the first time that he felt something other than humiliation and annoyance. The feelings of rage and malice were all that occupied his being. Since he was a colt, Reik had journeyed across this land, speaking in squares, homes and any other place where he could be heard. He had tried to help these ponies, tried to show them that the status quo could improve. In his vision for a new Equestria, workers could self-manage; there would be no classes, no superiors. He travelled across Equestria to arm his fellow pony with that most precious of weapons, knowledge, and what was he repaid with? What was his reward? Nothing, it sickened and angered him. But never once did he think to stop. His faith in his cause had always been strong. Stronger than any form of doubt or corruption: even his banishment had done nothing but strengthen his resolve. Reik continued along his path and quickly, he became lost in thought as he remembered the events that lead to his outcast.
REIK NEVER UNDERSTOOD why others needed to socialize. To him, it was a waste of time and energy. Why have others when you had yourself? His younger days were spent in his home studies, buried in books. Eventually, the writings ran out and he was forced to look elsewhere. His parents didn’t question or halt his departure, sometimes he doubted if they ever cared that he left. He traveled to one of the great cities that dotted Equestria. He didn’t bother to learn its name, or learn of the ponies that occupied it. All that mattered was its great library. Books and scrolls became his only companions. Reik never understood nor questioned where this lifestyle manifested; it had always just been a part of his life.
His lust for information was infinite; never did he dwell on one subject for too long. Science, history, math, he was familiar with each, but one particular subject had caught his attention. Social science and philosophy had taken up a large portion of his studies. Over time they became his only subject of interest. He was digging around in books regarding those subjects when she came for him; Celestia had requested in person that he become her political advisor for the royal castle. She apparently had been observing his progresses and studies. She said his skills and talent where unsurpassed by any other pony in the realm, and that his assistance would be greatly appreciated and benefiting. Reik could not remember a day where he had been happier. He must have smiled the entire trip to the castle.
The princess’s judgment had been impeccable. His skill in political science had proved invaluable, through negotiation and social organization, he helped Equestria flourish and thrive. But over the course of his occupation of office, after seeing the difficulties and problems that arouse under the current law, he began to feel the waters of doubt slowly rise.
Reik had seen a recurring problem in Equestria: the problem of classes. There were the oppressors, and the oppressed. The oppressor owned the means of production, the tools, the buildings, the products, and what have the oppressed? They were forced into poverty by the oppressor and where inevitably forced to rely upon the oppressor, else they fall into poverty. If only the many could work to feed the many, if they could manage themselves. Over time he began to design a new economic, social, and political system, a system that would solve all problems, where all would be equal. Over time, he wrote his observations into a small journal, one that he would soon dub, “The Communist Manifesto”. Over time, the notes became more and more heretical; especially the method of which his system would be established.
Revolution was the only option, the oppressor controlled all aspects of society, and the oppressed could never get their voices heard. The oppressed needed to be perfectly unified for the post revolution world, and what better way than in an armed organization? Revolution was the only road that led to a new Equestria that was run for the worker, and run by the worker. It was unfortunate but a necessity. But how to bring about the revolution? How to ensure its success? It was a curious task, to think of ways to bring about the downfall of the government he worked to uphold. But it had to be done, he loved his government but change was a must for it to properly serve the ponies under it. These where the problems he was contemplating when the guards came for him.
The royal guards where always suspicious of Reik ever since a small outburst of his regarding the current economy and possible, heretical, solutions. Over time, they became more and more direct about their suspicions. Eventually the guards felt it necessary to search his study; they came upon his journal and after seeing what was written upon its pages they charged him with inciting rebellion. His trial was short, the guard’s commander presented Reik with the journal and asked if the words within it where his. Reik proudly declared it was the truth, and was promptly forced outside the castle walls, banished and never to return. He demanded for an appeal to be heard by the princess, but his pleas where met with threats of imprisonment. With nothing but his small iron bound book he fled into hiding.
THE THUNDER BROUGHT Reik out of his sleep. It had been several hours since he stopped to make camp in the cave and the darkness of the night was at its denouement. The hastily built fire at the entrance of the cave was nearly exhausted. Reik felt a sudden spike of fear when he couldn’t locate the manifesto. He exhaled heavily when he found it a short distant from the mouth of the cave. He pulled the book into a tight embrace before drifting back to sleep. The book was dear to him, more than any other object or being, more than his own life. Someday it would change all of Equestria. |
Reik | 631 | 2 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T05:58:09+00:00 | 2012-04-26T05:58:09+00:00 | 5,646 | THE REVOLUTION HAD begun, though the time for conflict and battle was not yet at hand, the time for plans and placement was in effect. To a more unprepared soul, this would be an impossible task, luckily though, Reik had drawn plans for a projected revolution, but he had only enough time to hide them from prying eyes before the guards banished him. Reik now only hoped that his plans and writings had survived his absence. But why now? Reik asked himself this question fairly often. Why begin the war when he could simply bide his time and wait for allies to gather below his currently empty banner? To him the answer was simple: his current efforts were for naught. They gained nothing, and were nothing more than a waste of time. It saddened Reik to know that his time in exile had been for nothing, it angered him that no one listened, it angered him that they toiled away doing the bidding of those who had never laid hands upon a working tool in the time of their meaningless existence. It was only logical to move the next step. It was still a daunting task, to infiltrate Canterlot, move through its labyrinth of tunnels and hallways, steal several papers, and escape all under the Princesses nose. Regardless of these truths, it was his only choice. He could not falter, he could not fail, and he would be merciless, he would die or succeed.
THE DAYS OF fall were near their end, and winter was quickly approaching. A chilling cold that could pierce a pony’s very soul had engulfed the land. It had been four days since Reik left the last village and the cold paired with his exhausted rations, dulled his sense of directions. Reik had given up trying to track his movement on Equestria’s roads and trails. He had given up wondering why he continued to walk, not that it bothered him, for the cold had long since numbed the burning pain in his legs. He stopped repeatedly, almost ritualistically, to check on the manifesto. It was the only item that occupied the tattered bag slung across his back, the weathered straps breaking constantly forcing him to tie and mend them on the road. He was a miserable sight, drawing many pitiful stairs from the few travelers that crossed his path. At times he joked with himself with the thought that these events where trials meant to test his conviction, meant to test his conviction and faith. Suddenly, on the fifth day of his pilgrimage, a stream came into view, its waters where as clear as the purest crystal and its waters lapped and sloshed with a sound that seemed like a loving lullaby to Reik. He broke into a run and collapsed at the rivers banks, sending small stones splashing into its depth. He satisfied his thirst at the river in a primal frenzy, barley getting enough air between mouthfuls of water to remain conscious.
After gorging himself on the rivers bounty, he looked upon its surface to examine himself. His reflection was freighting, his once clean and brushed black mane was now a greasy, tangled mess, similar to looking at a once well tamed yard turn into a non traversable maze. His blue colored tail lay in tatters of his rear like a ruined flag. His blue eyes were deep and bottomless, where once they contained sparks of intuition and intelligence, they held cruelty and malice. A sea of anger quickly rose in Reik; they had driven him to this state, they had done this to him. Reik plunged a shaking hoof into the reflection, not wishing to see the sight again, his jaw shivered with barley controllable emotion. Reik felt a single burning drip of anger, sadness, and doubt flow down his cheek. Reik pulled his head up, hoping these feelings he viewed as weak below him. The sight before his eyes pulled him out of his sinking pool of misery. Before him was a village, not large, but at the same time not small, thatched roofs covered many of the structures along with overhanging platforms jutting out from second and third story rooms. A snaking river flowed through the heart of the village. A large pavilion in the towns square and an extensive apple farm resting on a gentle rise where all that existed in terms of landmarks, above all this, a Pegasus could be seen weaving and rolling in the sky, casting a colored stream behind it. Even though this was the first time he had laid eyes upon this settlement, Reik felt a sudden feeling of warmth and welcoming, as if this village was calling to him to join it. But all these where not what lifted his hopes, no it was what lay beyond it. In the nearby mountain, resting on the mountain side, as if placed there like a mother placed her young in a crib, lay Canterlot, its great spires of white stone seemed to compete with each other as climbed higher and higher above its mighty foundation. The clouds seem to part and halt as they approached save for a thin and foggy haze that drifted between the castle and its viewer, the effect was mystical. Had the premise of his departure been more favorable, Reik may have felt some form of happiness. But Reik was only reminded of the hate and pain he had felt when he had last set eyes upon the fortress. Perhaps it had been a stroke of luck that he mishandled and gave up on tracking his movement. Perhaps his past ordeals had been a trial to test his faith he thought… perhaps. His right ear exploded with a sudden high pitched voice, he yelped and jumped at the ambush.
“HIYA, WATCHA DOIN, are you new here, I’m Pinkie Pie, this is Ponyville, I’ve never seen you, what’s that cutie mark, it looks silly, oh, you know who loves silly things, gummy you should meet gummy, who are you anyway?” The words spilled out of the pink pony’s mouth like water over a cliff. Reik turned to get a better look at the speaker. She stood in sharp contrast to Reik and the surrounding forest. Where he was dark, bleak, she was uplifting and cheerful. The air and light seemed to intensify with positivity in a small aurora around her. Her mane hung in an organized, all most planned, disheveled mess. Three small balloons where embedded upon her flank.
“Soooooo, watch doin, hmmmmmm, you don’t look like any regular pony I’ve ever seen, why are you here? Why are you talking to me? Wait, you’re not talking to me, why aren’t you talking to me? Her face inched closer and closer to his, like an interrogator. Her eyes seemed to bulge with the last few words. Reik was at a lost. He could not remember when he had last engaged another being in conversation that wasn’t relevant to communism or the revolution and his skills in casual conversation where severely lacking. Pinkie pie stared at him waiting for a response, her head cocked sideways and a cartoony look of accusation on her face. He needed to remain unseen, his remarks would need to be satisfying but at the same time not too differentiable from the other phrases she would hear throughout the day. Reik needed to be just another face in her thoughts, nothing more.
“Err… I’m”. Reik paused, searching his mind for its categories of believable false names. “Simon, and your right I’m new to this, um” he verbally staggered. “Ponyville silly” Pinkie interrupted. “Yes, Ponyville”, he rolled the word across his tongue rendering and memorizing the phrase, he quickly created a history to go with his name. “I’m visiting from my home town to check up on my grandmother. She is very ill and thought she could use some company”. Behind his calm expression, Reik was panicking, mental systems began planning for the contingency where she didn’t buy his ruse, and he chose which method of disablement would be most efficient and silent. Reik shifted his stance slightly to prepare for the planned attack. Suddenly, against all calculations and assumptions, the pink pony withdrew with a smile. “Ooooooookay, hope your grandmother gets better, should I come with, I can be quite helpful, I remember the other day I helped fixed two dozen broken arms on half a dozen squirrels. Wait, what? No it was the other way around, or was it that way around. Uh, what was I talking about? Oh no! I forgot to feed gummy!” Pinkie Pie immediately broke into a sprint through the river. Reik cringed at the thought of plunging into such freezing waters himself. Pinkie Pie crossed the body of water at an athletic speed and soon disappeared over a mound, her cries about forgetting to feed gummy echoing in the distance. To Reik, the echo lasted for much longer than was naturally possible. Reik made a mental note to avoid that Pony before setting on a path around the river towards Canterlot.
GEORGE STRUGGLED WITH the weight of the cart. He was too old for this; his bones ached with each step. The unnaturally cold afternoon air sapped his strength and with each step, he felt as if the distance between his home and current location grew instead of shrank. Ever since his son left their small farm on the outskirts of Ponyville for his schooling in one of the cities in Equestria, things on the old man’s farm had quickly deteriorated. Since his wife stooped working to care for their home, things only got worse. George could barley meet his weekly quota of his employer and suffered payment deductions regularly. Over time his once extensive farm shrank and shrank, swallowed up by those with superior organization and status. Now with winter approaching, he was barely getting enough food from his miniscule fields to put on his plate. The weight of the wagon finally overcame his ebbing strength and George collapsed. Perhaps he should just lie there, he thought. Maybe the world would forget about him, forget about his troubles and obligations. He cursed himself for entertaining such ludicrous thoughts, he had to continue, he had to stand up. The straps and buckles around George’s body fell away with a clinking ring. Perfect, he thought, now my cart is breaking as well. George turned to gather up the harness but instead was shocked to find them tied and fixed to the body of another pony, one black and lean, with cold calculating eyes and a tattered back slung across his back, concealing his cutie mark. “Who are you?” the words stumbled over of George’s old and weathered lips. Apparently Georges question sounded accusatory, for the black pony responded like a child would respond to a parent who questioned their actions. “I’m sorry comrade, I saw you here lying on the ground and wanted to aid you. Ill carry this to its destination, please, lead the way comrade.” George was suspicious of this pony, no one came to anypony’s aid in this wilderness, it was unnatural, and that term ‘Comrade’ it was alien and unknown to George. But he was glad to have the burden lifted from his shoulders, so he continued along the beaten trail leading to his home; the black pony carried the cart without objection.
George urged the black pony to step inside his home so he could properly thank him, give him some food, and even let him stay for the night. The black pony politely accepted the offer for food but insisted he had important matters to attend to. Once inside George sat him at their table and asked his wife to prepare the last of their bread and vegetables for their guest. “Sorry if I’m being impolite, but why do you seem so” the guest paused as if planning his verbal moves with great care, “distressed”. “Well, it began after Applejack first began to annex our farm.” George began on the long chain of events that lead to his current state of his miserable excuse for a farm and yet the guest listened with great intensity, like a son listens to his father’s rambles. “We were forced into this state, there was no other option he.” he finished, his head dropping as if a weight was tied around his neck. The guest nodded and spoke, “Im sorry to hear that, very tragic.” The guest spoke in a tone that hinted he may have also been in a similar situation; it was a comforting yet powerful tone. “Yes very sad, but I believe I can help you with your problems.” The guest reached into a bag at his feet as Georges wife arrived with bread and cooked vegetables and withdrew a small iron bound book. “Tell me comrade" that odd phrase again thought George, "have you ever heard of socialism?” |
Reik | 631 | 3 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T05:59:47+00:00 | 2012-04-26T05:59:47+00:00 | 3,794 | THE SUN HUNG like an eternal fixture in the sky above, but the falls cold overwhelmed any warmth the floating orb might bring. Reik had genuinely enjoyed his visit with the farmer George; it stirred feelings of warmth and positivity he had long since thought dead to his being to see face enlightened and cheered by his teachings and philosophy. It was a look he rarely came upon in his travels. The farmer’s wife’s meal sat well in Reik’s stomach; it gave him renewed strength and energy. Since his past ordeals and troubles, the visit at George’s farm seemed to relight the flames of faith and hope in Reik. He was reminded of the severity of his aim. His cause was real; its effects would be real. Though they didn’t stand physically beside him, Reik could feel the hopes and aspirations of the workers across all of Equestria resting and relying on him and the revolution. He felt unstoppable; he felt as if he could stand hoof to hoof against Celestia and every tool at her disposal. His hoofs felt lighter with each new thought of defiance and he even began to contemplate what he would say when he and the princess came face to face. But this new feeling of impunity did not trump his understanding and paranoia of the real world, which is why he ducked into the tree line along the trails edge as two royal guards came into view.
Canterlot loomed in the distance; Reik had made good time throughout the day. The sun was just beginning to wane and Reik calculated he could scale one of the less conspicuous paths up the cliff and infiltrate the castle by sundown. The trees were beginning to recede from the trails edge and small patches of grass quickly formed a border between the civilized trail and the primal forest. Reik quickly lost faith in his position as the guards’ approached and began ducking and weaving through the thick brush to find a new position. Branches and grasses quickly accumulated across his mane and a wicked branch lashed across is side, breaking the first layer of skin. A small gated house in a clearing came into view, it was one level and surrounded by a lush collection of trees and bushes which must have been a small garden. Reik stormed towards the gates entrance, appearing in the open for only a second. He went to ground amid the dense wilderness, crawling through the branches seeking a proper refuge. The wound at Reik’s side screamed in agony as grasses and dirt washed across it. The guards continued along the path speaking in hushed tones. Reik judged their distance to be fairly close be their voices. He continued to swim in the greenery as leaves stuck to his sweating form. Reik suddenly encountered a wooden panel; he looked up and found himself parallel to the house, right next to the door. He stopped a second to examine the houses details. Its owner, if it still had one, had obviously lost interest in keeping the place clean. Cobwebs hung in every crevice and opening, added with the dust and filth along the surfaces. The house appeared to be abandoned. The front door creaked into life, sliding inward.
“Get off my property! This house isn’t abandoned just yet!” The female voice was harsh and annoyed; this had evidently occurred in the past. One of the guards spoke, his voice was hinted with boredom, as if he too had gone through this routine before. “Ma’am, you eviction notice is already posted, you have two days left and I’m not seeing much progress in your leaving. I don’t want to force you out but I will if it comes to that.” There was a pause before anyone spoke, Reik assumed the two speakers where staring each other down. “I’ll be out of your hair in good time” The tone was laced with defeat and sadness; Reik had trouble believing that the same woman who had just spoken with such command and fury to two royal guards was now succumbing to their will. “Just make sure you’re gone when we come back” the guards exiting footsteps where soon lost to the dampening effect on the garden. Reik realized he had been holding his breath and exhaled. Reik silently rose and found his way onto a small path cut through the foliage. “And who might you be?” Reik turned to see the female pony staring at him from atop the houses stoop. Her mane was red and sleek, her brown eyes where laced with repressed sadness, she had clearly been crying recently, and a pair of wings rested on her mane. A thread and needle stood as her cutie mark. Reik’s mind raced for an answer, he could not allow himself to be exposed. He put on a wide smile and spoke, shaky at first, but firm by at the end. “I’m here to, err, to fancy your wares,” It was the product of necessity and panic but Reik mentally kicked himself for such a stupid excuse. He could already imagine this pony calling out to the distant guards, they’d come running back and he’d be lucky if he spent the rest of his days in a dark, empty dungeon. The pony raised a suspicious eyebrow. Reik cringed away, afraid to turn his head to look for an escape route lest she suspect something. “Fancy my wares? What are you, some kind of elite pure blood?” Her eyes bored into Reik searching for any sign of lying, had she been any good at reading body language, perhaps she would have seen through Reik’s deception. Reik took a shaking step forward. He took a leap of faith based on her cutie mark. “I heard that you where seamstress? It’s rather cold out here and I was wondering if I could acquire a coat.” The pony regarded him with an icy stare for several heart pounding seconds. “Your information is a little outdated my friend, I quit that job long ago.” A flash of emotion crossed her face. Reik had it a tender spot. “I can pay, are you sure you can’t help me.” Reik took several steps forward, careful not to venture to far so as not to look intruding. The pony relaxed her stance and spoke. “I suppose I could help you. Come in.” She turned and walked into the house. Reik quickly stepped into the home, eager to escape the biting cold.
The house did little to slow the airs chill. Reik’s breath still turned to steam in front of him. The houses interior held little improvement from its exterior. Cloths racks lined many of the walls, most of which were occupied by molding and old cloths. Several dusty sewing machines rested on a table near the rear entrance. A three way mirror with one cracked face stood silently in a corner. Had it not been for the homey qualities like furniture and pictures, Reik would have mistaken the building for a clothing store. Reik could tell the house and its owner had seen better days. He could tell she had once been very successful. “Hey, would this work?” Reik turned from his examination to see the female pony standing in the doorway to another room, behind her where stacks off cloth and sewing utensils. The coat she had selected for him was a modest one. It was grey with a red trim and had many pockets. It was dusty and Reik wondered whether or not it was made in this century. To him it was beautiful. “It’s perfect.” Reik stepped forward, examining the clothing. “Good, try it on and see how it feels.”
Iris watched as the black pony stepped towards the three way mirror to examine the moth ridden piece of garbage she had chosen for him. It was trash but it was the best she had. A sudden memory floated to her attention, a memory of a better time, a time when ponies formed lines out the door to buy her clothes. She pushed that memory from her thoughts; she didn’t need another breakdown today. She had things to do, things to pack. The eviction noticed clawed at her from the back of her mind. Where will I go? The thought pierced her conciseness and again she suppressed it with false ideas and hopes. She had friends in other places, she knew people along the road. She repeated that over and over, to convince herself it wasn’t over but deep down she knew it was a lie. She would rot on the streets, forced to live in the squalor and muck. “Iris” she snapped out of her thoughts and pack into reality at the mention of her name, the black pony continued to speak as he examined himself in the mirror. “’Iris’s fine clothes and accessories’. I heard it was the pinnacle of pony fashion. A monument to all clothing endeavors. Every city and village that I’ve been to, at least one third the population knew of your work.” He turned his head to face her. “Are you the great Iris?” She stumbled over her words, wondering how this pony knew of such things. “Y-yes, how did you? Who are you?” she stopped in mid sentence, the black pony cut her off. “I am Reik, but tell me how a pony as successful as you, fell into such disarray.” Her words were brutal and cold, they held no compassion. “Competition. My work fell out of fashion, the spotlight fell on another.” Reik was unimpressed, as if he had heard this story a dozen times. “Fell out of fashion, to whom?” Iris went over her memory searching for the name of the pony that brought her to this ruin. “Rarity,” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Reik tilted his head sideways, as if he too was searching his memory for any relevance that name may have. He looked back at Iris. “So you just rolled over and succumbed to this problem.” Iris suddenly felt a pinch of anger. How dare he insult her? How dare he demean her? He was not their when Iris and all her work was deemed ‘dull’ or ‘out dated’. He was not their when they closed her store and informed her of an eviction notice. “Who are you to insult me!” she took a step forward. Reik’s expression and stance remained unchanged. “What was I supposed to do?” Her voice became shaky; she could feel the tears welling behind her eyes. Her head lowered, she didn’t want this stranger to see her in such a weak and pitiful state. “Resist.” The voice was quiet, almost a whisper, it was calm and soothing. The tears seemed to retreat at Reik’s sudden change in tone. Iris looked up to see the black pony standing in front of her, his head lowered to so that they where eye to eye. In his eyes she saw strength and courage.
“All you have to lose are your chains.” The words hung in the air like a storm cloud. Iris suddenly felt empowered. He was right, what had she too lose? What more could they take away? For the first time since her descent into squalor she felt like she mattered, like she had value. She felt as if, perhaps, things could be different. Power and strength surged through her being, but where to direct this energy she thought. Reik smiled and snapped his head up towards a corner of the room. “I think I’ll also take that peaked cap, the one with the visor.”
THE COAT BILLOWED behind Reik as he advanced down the road. He pulled the coats collar tight around his neck. The mountain towered above him; Reik could see glimpses of the mountain path cut into the rock through the tree cover. Canterlot loomed high above in the distance on the mountain side. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough time to fully explain and discuss communism. He did have enough time to persuade her to reconsider her departure. Somepony like her would be useful in a new Equestria. He even got a hold of some silk and fashioned a gold hammer and sickle on his black cap.
The trees where becoming less packed the closer he got to the mountains base and the temperature was slowly dropping. The sky was a bright orange, the sun hung just above the horizon like hawk above its prey. The trail became less defined as he ventured farther into the brush. Soon the only landmark guiding him was the mountain trail, it hovered above the trees and snaked its way down the cliff face. Reik finally came to a clearing. There was a small border running the length of the mountain’s base, forming a wide barrier between the forest and rock. Reik paused; his hoof hovered above just outside of the tree line. He withdrew it on impulse and sank back into the foliage scanning the twisting trail for any sign of occupation. Three guards suddenly appeared on the trail, as if materializing from thin air. Two pegasi and one Earth, they were slowly making their way down the mountain side along the trail. Reik gave a quiet moan at his hubris. He didn’t know the guard shifts. He gritted his teeth at the thought of his glorious revolutionary mission being foiled by one stray guard patrol. The trio stopped when they reached the bottom, the two pegasi guards turned on the earth pony. Although he could not hear their conversation, and although the earth pony towered above the two others, Reik could tell the pegasi where chewing him out. The earth pony lowered his head and shrank into the mountain side. He spoke very little and not very often, just yes and no. The two pegasi guards where vicious, their expressions and body language hinted deep frustration and anger. Eventually the conversation stopped and the two pegasi guards took flight, rising above the forest and soaring over Reik’s position. The earth pony hung his head and began marching up the trail again. When he was sure the earth pony was far enough up the trail he sprung from the tree line, running across the grass to get onto the trail and start he ascent. His eyes snapped up to the guard. He quickly turned his gaze forward again, what if he saw him? It didn’t matter thought Reik. Reik was soon on the trail, snaking his way up the mountain side. The path was only wide enough for one pony, a thin one at that. Out of fear he began hugging the wall, scraping the side of his coat against its face He was making good time at first, but soon the guard came into view and Reik’s heart sank. He immediately realized that the pony was too slow. It would be midnight by the time they made it to the top and by then another guard patrol might take this same path. Time was of the essence. The guard would have to be removed. It saddened Reik to do this. He wasn’t worried about the possibility of being caught, this far out, nopony would here a thing as Reik cast the guard over the edge and into eternity, no one would find his body either. No, it was the thought of taking a life to achieve his goals. Reik would to anything and everything in his power to topple Celestia but murder? Even to Reik that seemed cold and ruthless, he always knew a hostile takeover would be violent and he had gone over all the possibilities in his mind dozens of times, but now that the time had finally come, the decision to take this ponies life was at hand. For the good of the future it had to be done. Reik waited for them to reach the optimal height. He kept his distance until the final moment. Just as they came to a bend, he broke into a run. As the guard turned exposing his full flank Reik lowered his head like a ram and charged. Reik had heard stories of people freezing before they made a kill, he read extensively on those who had gone through a sudden soul searching before the final act. He felt nothing; it was all just another problem that needed a logical solution. His feet suddenly went out from under him. There was a loud crack and the ground around Reik crumpled away, falling into the trees below. Reik lashed out at the rocks surface, looking for purchase. His back hooves lost ground and where soon hanging over the edge, like the limbs of a limp doll. Reik found a small outcrop and clutched to it with an iron grip. For a moment everything stopped, all he could hear was the wind and his breath. Then a voice called out.
“Reik?” He looked up into the face of the guard he had aimed to kill. The guard looked down at him.
“Vladimir?” and then the outcrop too fell away, and he was cast into the cool evening air. |
Reik | 631 | 4 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T06:02:25+00:00 | 2012-04-26T06:02:25+00:00 | 3,535 | A SUDDEN PEACE fell over Reik. It was over, he had failed, and his mission was at an end. He would fall for several long seconds until he was smashed against the rocks below, he would be mangled beyond any form of recognition. It would be quick and painless. His body would probably be found by a random guard patrol and unceremoniously cast into an unmarked grave in the middle of some unnamed forest. Perhaps if he was lucky the manifesto would survive the fall, perhaps another pony would come across it and maybe his vision would endure. But such hopes where for naught, he knew it in his heart. The manifesto would, like Reik, be mutilated and destroyed in the plummet. He, his ideals, his work, and his revolution would end in the blink of an eye.
No that could not happen, it would not happen. This was a pointless death; his trials could not end here.
"Vladimir!" he cried out. His voice was full of desperation and pleading, but lacked fear or panic. Even on the brink of death his commanding voice still held supremacy over all other voices and sounds. The guard above him grunted and flung himself towards the edge, almost falling over the trail himself. He wrapped his legs around Reik's and bit down on the collar of his coat. Reik came to an immediate stop. His legs scratched at the rocks searching for something, anything to push up from. He quickly found a small outcrop and began pushing in an attempt to help the guard pull him back onto the trail. The guard growled, and began pulling as well. The two began to make progress, slowly inching their way back onto the trail. With one last groan, the guard pulled Reik from the edge, and back onto the mountain path. The pair collapsed on the narrow path, sweating and panting. Reik felt as his franticly beating heart would burst out of his chest. A sudden rush of euphoria overcame Reik and he spontaneously broke into sporadic giggles. The grey armor clad pony rose and towered above Reik; a shield cutie mark was proudly exposed on his flank.
"Reik… you idiot. What are you doing, sneaking up on me?" Vladimir's harsh accent gave his voice a cruel integrative tone. He towered above Reik, his armor adding to the image. "And what are you doing biting into my coat you dumb mule. It's already falling apart as it is." Reik said as he regained his footing, his tone was joking and dismissive. He brushed off his coat and looked at his old friend, grinning as he did so. "Good to see you too comrade, now tell me, why where you sneaking up on me?" Vladimir said with a grin. Reik spoke without pause, his grin growing into a wide smile. "I was trying to kill you I suppose." The two ponies held a long gaze before breaking into booming laughter.
REIK WAS DETERMINED to gain an ally, not a friend. He hated the term friend. It was associated with compassion, shared feelings, and other pointless terms Reik wanted to avoid. He needed some extra muscle if he was too move up on the social latter, yes he was political advisor to the princess but he rarely set hoof in the royal court. He spent most of his days shifting and digging through mountains of paper work. He lacked the intimidation factor, yes his mind was sharper than a unicorn’s horn but what use was that if no one would listen? He also needed somepony that could get rid of those pesky guards, they always met him at every corner, everyday, questioning and following him. Ever since his outburst at the economic advisor, that capitalist scumbag, the guards had been attracted to him like moths to a bonfire. He searched across Canterlot for a suitable candidate. By now his reputation as “that communist heretic with the strange cutie mark” might as well have been set in granite and no pony would answer his requests. He had all but given up and succumbed to the guards when he heard of the new arrival.
Vladimir stood apart from most royal guards. He was but an earth pony, but even so he passed boot camp with flying colors against his pegasi counter parts. He was a silent brute, answering few questions with short answers. When called into the quad for assembly he stood out like a giant among the guards. But what Reik liked most about him was that like himself, Vladimir was an outcast. Due to his lack of wings he became a focal point for abuse and insults. Reik would always watch from a distance analyzing and noting down his reactions. The data was not encouraging. Vladimir would always go about his business as if the insults didn’t matter, as if he didn’t hear them. One day that all changed. The guards cornered him, blocking his avenues of escape. Words quickly turned into physical attacks and a brawl broke out. Reik saw an opening, a chance to create a partnership. He jumped from his observation and charged into the fight. He quickly realized what a bad mistake that was, the political advisor had no place in a brawl between royal guards, and yet he stood by Vladimir’s side. A break in the fighting opened up, so the communist and the behemoth of a guard broke out of the fighting and fled through the streets of Canterlot. When the two finally stopped at a corner from complete exhaustion, Vladimir regarded Reik with a look of appreciation and suspicion. Reik smiled and extended a hoof, “Comrade?” The question hung in the air for several seconds. Vladimir smiled and bumped his own hoof against Reik’s. “Comrade” He said with a grin.
Vladimir fulfilled his purpose magnificently. Although their engagements with the guards became more sporadic, they left each fight with heads held up high, and one or two black eyes. Quickly the two became, and Reik was embarrassed to admit it, friends. The two soon reveled their pasts too each other. Reik told of his history of self-education and politics, while Vladimir told his tale of abandonment and sadness. Vladimir never knew his parents; he had lived in an orphanage in the far north for as long as he could remember. Soon, when he grew older, he left and became a worker in the northern factories. Life for Vladimir was difficult to say the least. Between roving bands of secret police and the unforgiving machinery, survival alone was a victory. Eventually, he escaped, a riot broke out across the town and he fled into the tundra. He walked south each day until his legs collapsed from under him. He didn’t know or cared where he was heading; all that mattered was that he was moving south away from the miserable excuse for a society behind him. He soon found himself at the gates of Canterlot and with no other path available; he turned to the royal guard. Soon Reik felt comfortable enough to show Vladimir his journal and the new plan for society on its pages. Vladimir, as a born worker, was enlightened by Reik’s plan. Without any aspirations or goals, he pledged to stand alongside Reik in the revolution. When Reik was banished, Vladimir felt as if he had lost a part of himself. Now seeing his old friend standing before him, he felt only elation.
“SO TELL ME, how has your vacation been? Did you get me a snow globe?” said Vladimir as they entered the guard house. The freezing wind was steadily increasing and Reik could see a storm brewing in the distance. The sun was just about to part from this side of the world, and a bright orange haze covered the sky. Reik and Vladimir had been walking for hours and they had finally reached the guard outpost. It was a small building meant for storage that rested on the edge of Canterlot. The wind billowed against the door as Reik tried to close it, with an annoyed grunt Vladimir bull rushed the portal and shut the door. As they entered the beginning of the massive snaking tunnels and hallways of Canterlot Reik felt a new sense of invigoration, he had made it into the castle. With each step he felt stronger; with each step Celestia looked weaker and weaker in his mind. He let Vladimir take the lead.
“Reik, that coat looks good on you, the hat as well.” Vladimir said “Yes comrade, I was thinking of making it the uniform of all officers in the revolution, imagine it, Commissar Reik, sounds official doesn’t it?” Reik responded. Vladimir chuckled and continued walking. Reik rushed to Vladimir’s side. “Excuse me comrade but did you remember to set the caches?” Vladimir rounded on Reik, a wicked grin set across his features. “Right this way comrade.”
SUGARCUBE CORNER ECHOED with the conversation of many ponies that had taken shelter under its roof against the blizzard. Pinkie Pie was busy giving a loud and vivid description of her day. Twilight looked over a paper strewn table, searching for important scrolls or books. Her head suddenly snapped up, she rose from her seat and advanced on Pinkie Pie. “What did you just say?” She said her face twisted into a grimace. The room fell silent at Twilights outburst, the billowing winds where all that could be heard. “Ummmmmm the part about feeding gummy, that part was interesting, you see feeding a toothless alligator is a lot harder than it sounds-“Twilight cut her off. “No, Pinkie the part about that pony by the river, the one with the odd cutie mark.” Pinkie cocked her head to one side, lost in deep thought.
“Mmmmmm, oh yeah, Sid, no it was Sam, wait no it was Simon, he was weird and that cutie mark of his was funny looking.” Twilight’s voice was filled with suppressed annoyance. “Yes what was his cutie mark?” Pinkie rolled her eyes in mock thought. “It was a hammer and some weird curvy thingy.” A note of panic seeped into Twilight’s voice. “A sickle?” Pinkie jumped slightly. “Yeah, yeah, how did you know, wait, where are you going?” Twilight raced across the room towards her table and started digging through the heaps of parchment mumbling frantic words of fear and warning as she did so. Spike stepped out of the slowly forming circle around Twilight. “Twilight, your freaking everypony out.” His words where slow and soft, like a mother speaking to its frantic child. Twilight shoved a quill and a blank piece of parchment at him. “Spike h-he’s back, we need to send a message to the princesses.” |
Reik | 631 | 5 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T06:13:03+00:00 | 2012-04-26T06:13:03+00:00 | 2,788 | REIK BUMPED HIS head on the doorway as he entered the storage closet. He and Vladimir had just left the guard house and where now moving through the intricate passageways of Canterlot, slowly making their way to Reik’s study. After being asked about the caches, Vladimir led Reik along the hallways to a small doorway. The air was musky and thick with the smell of sulfur; it was obvious the room hadn’t been open for some time. With its contents filling the majority of the space, there was only enough room for Reik to walk halfway inside. Barrels and boxes were stacked to the ceiling; each one had a small cord leading out of it. The cord, which to the untrained eye appeared as no more than simple cord, came to an apex at Reik’s hooves, one needle thin strand of cord lead out of the room and into the hallway. Reik gently lifted the lid to a nearby barrel to examine its contents. It was filled to the brim with black dust, a small piece of cord poking out of the centers like a lone tree in a barren field. He carefully laid the lid back into place; he then cautiously exited the room, moving so as not to disturb the cords on the floor. After shutting the door he turned to Vladimir. “Where is the timer mechanism?” he asked as he began to walk down the passageway following the small cord with his peripheral vision. “It is in the study, as instructed, but why these caches comrade?” Vladimir said as he followed Reik. The flickering candles along the wall casted curious shadows on the carpeted floor. “Because my friend, this castle is a monument to the bourgeois class, and it will be nice to see it go down in flames, symbolic to the new era of socialism you might say,” Reik said proudly. He suddenly stopped and turned to Vladimir with a concerned look on his face. “Shouldn’t we be neck deep in royal guards be now?” he said. Vladimir continued ahead of Reik. “No comrade, the princess is having a banquet in another village. The guards that didn’t go with her are most likely patrolling the perimeter. Reik gave a sigh of relief and began following Vladimir through the snaking hallways. Although Celestia’s absence was certainly a stroke of luck, Reik was saddened that she would not be here to see his ultimate triumph and her downfall. They continued through the innards of Canterlot
Over time, a steady roar could be heard outside from inside the walls. The storm Reik last saw in the distance was now upon them. Reik and Vladimir where forced to move through the internals of the massive complex for the city streets and alleys where buried in snow from the blizzard. Reik was suddenly flooded with memories of his time in the castle. He saw corners and stretches of walls, to any other pony just parts of the building but to him, moments of revelation. He passed by the bench where he had first coined the terms ‘communism’ and ‘socialism’. He passed by the window that overlooked Ponyville. He was reminded of the days when he would gaze at the small community through the lenses of a telescope and observe its inhabitants go about their daily lives. Reik and Vladimir continued to move unmolested through the network of hallways like ghosts.
In a dark empty corner at the top of one of Canterlot’s shorter spires, they came upon the study. The door had a heavy coat of dust on its face, cobwebs hung loosely on the doorknob and hinges. Reik’s hoof hovered above the handle, the knob looked brittle and weak, and Reik inexplicably felt that the slightest touch would crumble the small apparatus to dust. After several long seconds he finally discovered the courage to turn the handle and enter the simple room that had once been his study, home, and haven.
The room was small. Triangular with the entrance at its bottom, a desk still covered with moldy and dusty papers on one side, a legless bed, its blankest and mattress lying in disarray as Reik usually left it each morning, and a massive window at its point. Books and papers covered every surface. Some lay open and he could see some of the many notes he had written into the margins. Reik paused at the entrance, as if entering would somehow disturb and defile the room that lay unchanged from the time he last saw it. The floodgates in Reik’s mind burst and emotion flowed out in an unstoppable wave. The smell, appearance, and even the ‘feel’ of the room hadn’t change. It pained Reik to know that it would all be destroyed in the firestorm that would sweep through all of Canterlot. He wanted to save it, anything and everything, the books, papers, and mementos, he couldn’t stand to let it all be lost. Vladimir as if reading Reik’s mind, broke the silence and stepped into the study. “Possessions comrade, all of them.” Reik snapped out of his disturbance, wiped at his watery eyes, and stepped into the room searching for the plans. He scanned through his mental cabinets of memories, trying to remember that day. He stepped through the door, heart racing. He paced his steps, moving as he did so long ago. He pulled open a hollowed out book that held the journal of plans and contingencies. Reik stepped up to the desk; a large book with a small box cut into all the pages lay open on its face. He withdrew it and… His memory stopped their, lost to the sea that was his consciousness. Reik became frantic, his revolution started to unravel in his mind. It was over, he was finished, he was- *squeak*. Reik paused and looked down. The panel of wood he was stepping on sunk lower than the rest. He withdrew his hoof which brought another dusty squeak. He looked up to find the smiling face of Vladimir looking at him. “Be my guest?” Reik stepped back. Vladimir rose on his hind legs; he hovered in that pose for several short seconds, correcting his aim. With a quick whoosh Vladimir brought his form down upon the plank of wood. The panel practically disintegrated under the guards strike. Reik coughed and wiped the wooden particles from his face before looking into the cavity at the floor. An evil grin spread across his features as he lifted the worn collection of pages from its resting place. “Operation Last Contingency” was inscribed upon its cover. Reik greedily flipped through its pages, skimming its contents. The sparks of memory brought upon by skimming the book brought the flames of revolution into life in his mind. Vladimir still confused roomed over to the desk pulled a box out from underneath it. “What is this comrade?” Reik looked up and nearly jumped with elation. He pranced over and pulled the top of the box and peered into the container examining its contents. The box held a collection of cords similar to the ones running through the castle connecting the caches, they where detonation cords, their one and only purpose to carry a flame to the many explosive caches hidden over the castle. Each one lead out of the box, and into a small hole under the desk, leading to each respective cache. At the bottom of the box, where all the wires met, was a metal alarm clock, transformed from its once innocent construction into a weapon of destruction, connected to a small priming charge. Reik grinned at the mechanisms, marveling at his own creation. He reached in and pulled two watches out of the box and fixed one to his hoof, and the other to Vladimir’s. Finally, with all other step complete Reik pulled a small paper weight from a drawer in the desk. The paper weight was a small black stone, nearly weightless yet crucial to his plans. “Comrade, I think you should tell me the plan now.” Vladimir said. Reik looked at him, confused and disturbed that he had not already informed the northerner. He turned on Vladimir, placing the pages into his coat pocket, and began. “Well, after starting the timer and then escaping Canterlot. We shall proceed to capture the elements of harmony with this.” Reik presented the small black stone. Vladimir stared at it in confusion. “What is-“Reik cut him off. “A memento from a diplomacy trip to the far east. With it we can wield the Elements as one magical entity. After obtaining each element from its host, we will use it to take control of the guards, relieve the princess and other unicorns of their magic, and ultimately conquer Equestria. Of course we will have to start small so as not to over extend ourselves, so for now we will focus on Ponyville.” Reik finished the lecture with pride, proud that he remembered the plan. Vladimir stared in utter confusion for several seconds before shrugging and asking what to do now. Vladimir cleared his throat. “Comrade, are you sure that, by these means, we will achieve the socialist state we desire?” Reik snapped his head a Vladimir, confused and surprised to hear the guard speak so coherently. “We can only hope Vladimir, it is the only option.” He turned and approached the wooden box. “Now comrade, we start the timer.” Reik pushed down on a small button on the timing apparatus attached to the collection of cords, the mechanism sprang into life with a loud ticking noise. Reik did the same to his watch. Vladimir followed suit. Reik suddenly froze; it dawned on him that the situation had just escalated. He had just condemned all of Canterlot to annihilation. As of now, he and Vladimir were officially at war. Reik smiled at Vladimir, adjusted his cap and turned to exit the room. Vladimir kicked the box under the desk and pulled a cloth over it. Reik suddenly stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a creaking noise as the doorknob started to turn. He took several steps back beside Vladimir who had immediately taken a fighting stance. The pair’s jaws simultaneously dropped when Princess Celestia, in the flesh, flanked by two guards entered the room.
THE WORLD HELD its breath. The greatest comparison took place in that tiny room atop the stump of a spire. On one side stood the revolutionaries, Reik and Vladimir, dirty and worn, who were ready to do battle against the status quo’s regime. On the other side stood Princess Celestia, wings outstretched in perfect symmetry, guards gleaming in ceremonial armor at her flanks, ready to defend their order’s civilization against those who’d wish its annihilation. The two sides stared at each other, each party just as surprised to see the other. Its over thought Reik, it’s all over. Celestia towered above all other occupants, her expression one of both shock and, Reik dared to think he saw, a hint of fear. Her appearance was contrary to the revolutionaries, pure and unblemished, the very air seemed to lose its grit and brighten around her. She seemed to have an aurora of command around her and Reik felt the urge to spontaneously bow at her presence. Her guards stood in silence at her side, unforgiving expressions of malice under their helms. Vladimir took a step backwards, the mere presence of the princess proving an effective form of physiological torture. Reik’s brain was working in over gear. He searched, judged, and planned numerous responses, attack, surrender, and flee. He went over each thought with great care in just a few seconds. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, the words staying in his head as if they too were afraid of her. Celestia took a single, nearly nonexistent, step forward. Vladimir cried out “Flee comrade, flee!” He turned and jumped at the window. The glass shattered at his impact and Vladimir disappeared over the edge. For a second there was only silence, the rooms occupants shocked at the sudden turn of events. Snow and wind immediately swept through the room, sending the princess and her guards into disarray. Reik immediately took advantage of his opponent’s weakness and fled to the shattered window, shards of glass stuck around its edge giving it the appearance of a monsters gaping maw. He suddenly stopped, as if a string was pulling at his throat. He couldn’t leave like this; he was Reik the revolutionary, not some cowardly simpleton. He turned to find the princess practically upon him, her guards close behind her. “Reik” She spoke, her voice elegant and smooth, Reik suddenly felt a calmness rush over him. The short phrase was quiet barley a whisper but still the phrase commanded attention, even the mighty storm outside seemed to hush at her speech. With a mix of fear, courage, and pure insanity Reik puffed out his bony chest and roared.
“Pray to your vanity Celestia, the workers revolution is upon you!” With that he leapt over the edge after Vladimir. |
Reik | 631 | 6 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T21:46:20+00:00 | 2012-04-26T21:46:20+00:00 | 2,493 | ONCE AGAIN REIK plummeted. He didn’t doubt his decision to jump, it was the only way. Attacking head on was flat out suicide and surrender was not an option.
His cap immediately flew off his head, unfortunate he thought. The ground could not be seen through the blizzard and Reik guessed he had been falling too long for it to be survivable, he didn’t fully register that once again he was at deaths door, or was it that he simply didn’t care? He didn’t dwell on that thought. Suddenly, it was as if the center of the storm had embraced him in a freezing cold.
The snow cushioned Reik’s fall. He quickly began to sink in the white ocean and paddled franticly to avoid being lost in its depths. He came out of the mound onto a cobblestone path, snow filling the gaps in the masonry. Vladimir appeared at his side and pulled the black pony to his hooves. Reik looked up into the night sky in a daze. The worst of the storm was upon them, and visibility was reduced to barley one block. Snow was everywhere. Reik, after such a quick transition from the warm interior to the freezing exterior of the spire, broke into sporadic shivers. His bones rattled in their sockets. Vladimir, immune to all but the worst of winter’s arsenal pushed Reik forward. “Come on comrade, we are leaving!” Reik snapped out of his daze and fell back into reality. “Y-yes c-comrade, let u-us m-m-make our escape.” The words passed over chattering teeth. Reik glanced at his hooves. A black cap with a hammer and sickle sewed to its front lay, half buried on a pile of snow. He gathered it up, brushed off some excess snow and continued following Vladimir. The revolutionaries ran down the road against the storm, neither knew where they where or where they were going, escaping was their only objective.
“STUPID, STUPID, STUPID” Reik repeated the phrase in-between mumbles and chattering. “Pray to your vanity? That’s terrible, all the time I had to think about it and that’s what I come up with.” Reik and Vladimir made a sharp turn into an alley; the three pursuing guards overshot them and continued down the main road. “Comrade, it was fine, if they catch us we’ll be lucky to peel potatoes’ for the rest of our days.” Vladimir’s tone was one of urgency and annoyance. The pair slowed as the alley came to a dead end, as he ran Reik franticly scanned the walls for a ladder or staircase they could use to escape. Vladimir, instead of slowing, increased his velocity and crashed through a wooden door at the end of the alley. Seeing as all of these buildings will be rubble and ashes in a few hours it doesn’t really matter anymore thought Reik. He followed the grey pony through the splintered doorway. The building was small, just a straight hallway leading to another door with one staircase along a wall. Vladimir could be seen at the end of the hallways ramming the lock on the door, sparks flew as he smashed his armored head against the metal. Voices and hoofsteps could be heard up the stairs. “Who are you, why are you in my house?” roared an elderly pony as she stepped down the staircase. “I’ll call the guards on you robbers!” Reik was in little mood for subtlety. “Where might one find a flyer?” his casual tone was brimming with urgency. “Did you just break down my door? Why is that guard destroying my door?” Reik turned to Vladimir who had just finished his task, the lock lay in scrap at his hoofs. “Vladimir, would you be so kind?” Reik asked. Vladimir grunted and advanced on the old pony, she cowered against his towering form. “We are in a hurry you old mule.” His tone was dark. Reik had no doubt that his grizzled partner would snap the old pony in two if given the command. The old pony shrank under Vladimir’s withering gaze. “T-there’s one in a guard post down the street, o-on 3rd street. Please d-don’t hurt me.” Vladimir turned to Reik, awaiting an order. “Well, times-a wasting.” Reik said as he began to walk out the door and into the freezing street. “Oh you may want to leave this building seeing as the whole castle will be a bonfire in a few hours,” Said Vladimir with a cheery smile as he followed Reik out the portal.
Sirens were ringing up and down street and echoing across all of Canterlot as the pair raced down the narrow road. The snow fall was slowly decreasing but the visibility was still next to nothing. Reik’s coat dragged through the snow. “Comrade, I think we made a wrong turn at the last intersection.” Vladimir roared over the wind. “That was an intersection?” Reik responded. The blizzard quickly became attributed to at least three wrong turns since they left the old pony’s house. Reik pulled his watch close to his face and wiped away a quickly forming film of fog. The timer read nine fifty five. The operation had started around nine o’clock and they had been running for nearly an hour. Reik grinned. His plan was on schedule.
The timers were a crucial aspect of the operation. Every moment and aspect of the operation was planned by the hour and minute. Guard patrol schedules, cache detonations, optimal darkness for stealth, and guard response times, each one planned and accounted for. Reik was not fazed for their predicament in the city. He had given the plan schedule two hours In case of unexpected difficulties. But what scared Reik was that they were making no progress through the blizzard. The way things were going, they would have to continue banging on doors and interrogating civilians. Vladimir’s sudden cry of warning brought Reik out of his thoughts.
REIK GROANED AS a pair of guards descended from above and blocked their path. He eased his pace until he was behind Vladimir. The guard ordered them to halt, Reik wondered to himself if they ever honestly believed criminals would follow that command. Vladimir lowered his head exposing his pickelhaube helm he had acquired in Reik’s study. His old standard issue helm was, in a small act of defiance, cast aside. For a second Reik was overcome with nostalgia, he was reminded of those days long past where he and Vladimir would run through the roads of Canterlot, fleeing from guards no different than the ones pursuing them now. Reik grinned broadly, relishing the kind memory. Only one guard fully registered the threat the charging pony posed. Only one guard scrambled out of his path, the other was caught in his rampage. Vladimir ran the guard through; the spike on his helm made a mockery out of the guard’s armor and lacerated into his flesh. With a quick jerk of his neck, Vladimir casted the guard to the side of the road and continued down the street, specks of blood flying off his helm and staining Reik’s coat. As they turned down another alley Reik glanced at the downed guard, his ally was at his side pulling him towards an open door. Reik noted that the guard’s wounds were light, the pony would live. They disappeared as the revolutionaries turned around the corner.
“There, comrade.” Vladimir groaned as he made his way towards a section of wall along the road. As Reik followed he could make out a wooden sign attached to the stone wall. At first glance the sign appeared to be a crudely drawn grid pattern, but quickly began to make out labels, structures, and levels; he was looking at a map of Canterlot.
Reik scanned the map. His sudden stop brought an end to his endorphins and the piercing cold returned to his joints. His vision became shaky and his breaths became short and frequent. He closed his eyes and manually controlled his breathing. When he opened his eyes his vision stabilized enough for him to register the map. The city had gone through many alterations since his departure and where he expected to find alleys and courtyards he found walls and homes. Reik found 3rd street; it stood on the third level of the massive city. Due to Canterlot’s construction on the side of a mountain, the city was split into three levels. Each level was walled off from one another except for roadblocks constantly manned by guards. Their fall from the study sent them down to the second level and the main road leading to 3rd street was only two blocks from their current position. But how to remove the guards thought Reik. Sirens continued to echo throughout Canterlot, once the guards organized they would be finished.
“They must not be allowed to gather their numbers.” Said Vladimir as he pointed to a large structure on the third level marked on the map. “That is the guard’s headquarters. If we can knock it out they will fall into disarray.” Reik nodded in agreement. “But how?” he questioned. The two stood in silence, each formulating and scrapping plans to destroy to great building. Reik turned and looked up, in search of their target. The storm had subsided significantly and while snow was still falling from the heavens visibility was just enough to make out some of the towering spires of Canterlot. The guard headquarters stood as the second tallest spire, it tore into the sky before breaking off into two smaller spires connected via walkways. Windows began blinking with lights as the headquarters rumbled into life in response to the revolutionaries’ presence. Reik formed a plan and rounded on Vladimir, “Is there a cache nearby?” Vladimir looked at Reik, a look of curiosity on his face. “Yes, its-“He looked to the map for guidance, he pointed to a corner a block past their current location. “Here, but why?” Reik’s voice quickened. “Are there rockets or fireworks in it?” Vladimir thought for a moment, the majority of the explosives in the caches where either scratch built or stolen. He remembered when secretly raided Canterlot’s storage of celebratory fireworks. “I suppose some might be in their but-“A light bulb in Vladimir’s head flickered into life. A murderous grin spread across his face, “Yes, I think I stored some there.” Reik nodded and looked back at the map. “Take out the building and meet me at the guard post on 3rd street and remember” He fixed a threatening glare on Vladimir. “Try as hard as you can to not kill anypony, I’d hate to start a new society with someponys blood already on my hooves.” Vladimir gave a grunt that Reik assumed was some form of conformation. “With haste my friend.” Reik said before breaking into a run down the street. Vladimir was alone. He glanced back at the map, memorizing the layout one last time and charged down the road towards the cache. He relished the thought of destroying the guard headquarters. |
Reik | 631 | 7 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T21:47:29+00:00 | 2012-04-26T21:47:29+00:00 | 2,525 | REIK LOST FEELING in his legs. The numbing cold regained its lost ground. He was moving though the alleys of Canterlot and his lungs burned with each labored breath. He was drifting in and out of reality, the cold was claiming him. He remembered his task, and forgot it, then remembered it again. He had just passed another guard patrol and his heart pounded with fear, without Vladimir he felt a strong sense of vulnerability. He stopped in the alley and slumped against a wall. If his memory was correct, and he doubted it was, then the guarded entrance into the third level was just beyond the exit of the alley. He withdrew the black talisman from one of his coat pockets and glared at it. He knew that until it held the elements of harmony it was nothing more than a simple rock, but Reik still found calmness in the thought that he still held it. He relished the coming hour when he would acquire the elements, and then unveil the true power of the now simple stone that lay before him. He felt a sudden rush of sentiment between himself and the inanimate stone. It was much like him in a sense, simple, unthreatening, and cast aside. But if given time, then they both could blossom into an existence that would rival nations.
“Who are you? Show yourself!” Reik half understood, half disregarded the command, he didn’t care anymore. He suddenly realized that he was running with the guards in close pursuit. He turned quickly came to the exit of the alley and was greeted with a sudden rush of freezing wind. He was in a courtyard, no he thought, a street, a big one. By the looks of the architecture, the road he was on now must have been a well used highway. He heard voices, distant at first over the sound of his beating heart. He turned to find a massive wall reaching high above all other structures built in its wake. Reik gazed in awe of the massive construction before discerning its purpose. It was one of the walls that separated the levels of Canterlot. At its base was a small gap, a beautifully decorated hallway leading to the third level, tall and wide enough for two carriages to pass each other without hindrance. Its smooth walls where carved with the likeliness of many heroic figures in proud poses, and one other. Who was that one Reik thought, tall, both unicorn and pegasi? Reik suddenly remembered again, then he forgot again, but with every ounce of mental power he latched on to a few crucial memories: Celestia, the caches, and then escape. He was warmed with a rising feeling of determination. Reik registered several beings on the road, crowding around a large gate that cut the tunnel in two. The ponies, Reik’s dulled reflexes now realized them to be guards where shouting at him. Reik stepped towards the roadblock empowered, by what he could not tell, but he walked as if Canterlot was his, and death to any that defied that claim. Slowly, Reik decrypted their voices.
“Halt” cried one.
“Who are you?” yelled another. At least twenty guards stood before him, one he remembered as the one that aided the fallen warrior Vladimir had dispatched. Their armor was crusted with sheets of frost; they stood in unnatural positions due to the restricted movement. They stood in an awkward position, apparently their superior had taken the day off, another fault with this backward society we live in thought Reik. Without their precious leader, all resemblance of society and order will come crashing down. A lone guard took a step forward as if he intended to apprehend him. Reik’s grin widened. If you capture me then I’ll just die a horrible and fiery death a few hours later, so what’s the point he thought to himself. He took a casual step forward. A short giggle drifted through the air.
“Stop, who are you, answer me now!” The guard was almost hysterical, he knew that a great shadow had fallen over Canterlot, but evidently his superiors had hidden the full truth. Reik thanked his gullibility. He displayed the talisman almost with a swagger. He smiled wide, much to the distaste of the guards who cringed with fear at the disturbing display.
“I am Reik, revolutionary, founder of communism, destroyer of fascism and racism. But you my frozen friend can call me the angel of death, for death is the only gift I will bestow upon you and the bourgeois class you devote your worthless lives to uphold.” Reik noted out of the corner of his eye the smoke trail hurtling across the dark sky. He looked up, holding the talisman above his head. Reik looked to a large spire, he didn’t remember its significance or its operation, all he knew was that it had something to do with his predicament. He also knew that it was the destination of the peculiar smoke trail.
“Death” the phrase hung in the air, unopposed, for several short seconds. Almost immediately, the sound of thunder rocked Canterlot. The roads, buildings and even the very air reverberated with the earsplitting roar. For a moment it seemed that the whole city would tear itself apart in a frenzy of chaos and madness. One of the two spires atop the guard’s headquarters disappeared in a shower of flame and rubble. Fire and brimstone raced across the sky, casting bright slashes into the horizon like a paintbrush on a black canvas. The falling snow closest to the explosion condensed and fell as water to the ground. The structure of the building groaned with exertion, the remaining tower listed to one side, poised to collapse itself. Stampedes of smoke and debris raced down the surrounding streets and alleyways. Flames residing in the ravaged stump of the severed spire flickered through the smoke. In the air, smoke mixed with snow and a gentle haze of soot enveloped the city. The smoke had only just begun to gather as Reik raced through the mob of stunned ponies, all of whom gawked at the annihilation of the monument to the royal guard’s invincibility and power.
VLADIMIR RACED DOWN the narrow road, searching for the cache, scanning walls and door for any form of anomaly that could hint the location of a cache. The snow fall had subsided to a more manageable level and Vladimir’s vision was now unaffected by the elements. But almost in a tradeoff, the freezing winds where whipping at him from every direction. Vladimir cursed reality, he cursed the bourgeois, he cursed nature, and he cursed the royal guards. He relished his rage, drawing strength and warmth from the burning emotion. He skidded to a halt, almost losing his balance on the slick ground. A small storage room lay before him. Old and unused, its entrance was barricaded with planks o wood and warning signs. Vladimir cursed again to the fools that had just made his task slightly harder. He turned and kicked at the door, his legs nearly broke as they missed and struck against the white stone of an adjacent wall. Vladimir roared into the freezing winds curse after curse in his native tongue. On a second try his back legs passed almost unfettered through the decaying wood. Vladimir stormed into the room, searching for the cursed rocket he had laid there so long ago. He tossed barrel after barrel aside in his search. Vladimir chuckled at the thought of what Reik would say, should he ever know how he had just treated the precious and delicate explosives. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a long thin tube tumble out from under a crate. He ceased his current assault on a locked container to examine the new item. It was stone grey, almost invisible in the damp storage room. It tip was rounded, its other end a gaping maw with a thin cord running out its mouth. Vladimir nudged the explosive to examine it further. He immediately withdrew his hoof when three fins extended from the side of the tube with an audible crack. Vladimir gazed at the odd contraption at his feet. He searched his stores of knowledge for any bit of information that might justify and explain such a reaction.
Almost instantly he remembered. Fins, yes that’s what they are called, thought Vladimir. He remembered one of the many celebrations he had attended in Canterlot. It was those fins that kept the fireworks traveling strait, and not hurtling out of control. He dragged the missile out of the room, disregarding any thoughts of caution. He laid the rocket in the snow and raced to the shattered remains of the door in search of planks that could be used to form some kind of stand or rack. He returned to the missile with a bundle of wood and began setting up his firing position. Vladimir dug two planks into the snow, forming an X styled rack, and gathered snow around the planks base for further support. He gently laid the rocket on the rack, not for fear of damaging the weapon but for fear of damaging his creation. Vladimir took in a sharp breath as the stand groaned slightly under the rockets weight. He waited several seconds, hoping the jumble of wood wouldn’t tumble down. The stand succeeded against the rockets weight and stood firm. Vladimir sighed lightly and looked up to examine his target. The tower was close, just four blocks away. Hitting the structure would be easy, doing so without taking lives though was different task altogether. Vladimir closed his eyes and consulted his memory for guidance. The tower broke off into two minor spires near its peak; Vladimir searched his memory for their significance. One he remembered was the quarters of the master of the guards. Vladimir repressed the urge to fire the weapon at that tempting target. The other, his memory strained for this last bit of knowledge. The archives, yes thought Vladimir, the records of all arrests, employees, and other legal records of the royal guard. Vladimir suddenly remembered how empty they were. The records where never occupied, maybe by one or two ponies a month visited the building. Vladimir turned to adjust the position, bobbing his head up and down, tracing imaginary lines from his position to the target; he adjusted for drop and wind. He rose, convinced of his works completion, and took one more satisfied look at his creation. His grinned suddenly dropped into a frown and he roared into the freezing wind. How will I light the fuse? He thought.
Vladimir tore at his armor, he was tired, he was angry, and he was annoyed. Every ounce of patience was gone. He ripped of a bolt from his armor; several pieces of the harness fell off in response. Vladimir tore is helmet of and held it close to the fuse. He began bashing the bolt against the side of the helmet, sounds of impact carried down the street. Vladimir shouted curses at the rocket as he assaulted the helmet. Sparks flew in every direction each time the bolt struck the helmets metal. On the fifth strike, a lone spark flew onto the rockets fuse; the spark caught flame and rushed up the cord. It was immediately snuffed out by a gust of frozen wind just as the cord entered the tube. With another cry of anguish Vladimir adjusted his body to a pointy where his form would serve as a shield against the biting wind. With a cry of defiance he set upon the helmet with a vicious gusto. The helmet groaned and bent under his unrelenting attacks, soon the headgear looked more of scrap than of some tool of protection. On the eighth assault the helmet finally came apart in a shower of sparks. Vladimir turned the broken, collection of metal near the fuse entrance. Suddenly Vladimir’s vision went white.
He rotated quickly and ran. The sounds of thunder and fire where booming behind him. The rocket had launched this he knew. He slammed into something hard and grunted in pain. His world was spinning, his ears where ringing and his vision were disabled, he wanted to cry out, lash out at whatever had done this too him, he was in chaos. Vladimir’s vision began to steadily return as he regained his footing, pushing up against the wall for support. The world just began to clear when another blinding light enveloped. Vladimir averted his eyes from its source, and began running. The ground shook, had he not been the one that caused such a disturbance, Vladimir would have guessed Canterlot had been dropped kicked by a monster. Added to his disoriented state, he stumbled and fell again. His lip split as his head connected with the ground. With the metallic taste of blood in his mouth and a sharp ringing in his ears, Vladimir’s crawled into an alley, desperate to escape, the madness he had wrought. |
Reik | 631 | 8 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T21:48:36+00:00 | 2012-04-26T21:48:36+00:00 | 4,445 | CELESTIA PAUSED AS the castle shook. Her retinue of five guards stopped as well. Celestia’s attempts at magically assessing the situation, to locate Reik and the rouge guard she needed her magic, but that odd talisman the revolutionaries had when they escaped the castle was disrupting her attempts. It was as if a dark cloud hung over the entire city, where once she knew what was happening across her domain in every nook and cranny at all times, she was now virtually blind. The shacking subsided and Celestia’s guards looked to her for guidance, their eyes and expressions where laced with fear.
“The castle is under attack, have no doubt that that is the reality, but this city will not be undone by two of my stray subjects.” The guards nodded, their chests puffed with some sense of bravado. Celestia smiled, attempting to kindle some sense of courage in her subjects. Underneath the false mask Celestia was in panic.
Reik was back, he was finally waging his long sought after revolution. Celestia always knew he was attempting to gain followers, she hadn’t just sent him out of the castle and into the world without somepony to keep an eye on him. She assumed he would eventually give up and fall back into line with the rest of society, perhaps he might even be allowed after some time back into the royal court. She cursed herself for the way she dealt with the entire situation; she treated him like a mother would treat a wayward child, lost in phase. Celestia cursed herself again when she realized how much she was dwelling on the past. Reik did not understand the damage he was about to unleash, Equestria was about to fall into an era of darkness and repression and reminiscing about the past would bear no fruit. She gathered her thoughts. Two ponies appeared at the side of the travelling parade, one old and clad in an intricately woven night gown, Eric, the economic advisor. Beside him was a tall pony, bristling with muscle and armor, Max, the master of the guards. Both where flanked by the guards Celestia had dispatched for them.
“What is happening? Are we under attack?” Blurted Eric, he trembled with fear. Max flashed a look of annoyance at the shriveled pony. “Of course we’re under attack you old mule!” The two officials stared at each other, daring the other to make the first move. Celestia stepped between the two.
“Officials, the stability of Equestria is at stake, the only reason I called upon you two is because a veil has been cast over Canterlot, diminishing all forms of magic. Time is of the essence, the castle will be destroyed in only a few hours, I have already commanded that all guards that are not in pursuit of the revolutionaries to begin evacuations. Now be silent and listen.” The officials shrank with each word until each was but a sullen husk of its former state. Eventually Max cleared his throat and spoke.
“Who are we facing precisely?” Unlike Eric and Celestia, Max was employed after Reik’s banishment. Celestia answered, her voice was solemn. “My old political advisor, Reik. He was banished long ago for inciting rebellion, it was a forced decision that I regret.” Max’s expression sank, he had heard of this pony from the other ponies in the castle. He also knew who was with him. “Vladimir, one of my guards has gone missing an-” Celestia cut him off. “That is already established, since Reik’s banishment that guard has successfully arranged multiple caches of explosives across the city and they will be detonated in about two hours.” Max shrank at the response, slightly ashamed that one of his own had committed such an act. Eric regained his composure and stepped forward.
“Well, how far are we along in the evacuation efforts?” Celestia faced him. “The city will be cleared before the bombs detonate, of that I am sure.” Eric nodded and continued. “And what will become of Ponyville?” Celestia paused. She had gone over the situation multiple times, each time she hated her conclusion more and more. “They will have to endure. We do not have enough resources to evacuate them, and by the time we reach full strength, Reik’s plan will have reached fruition.” The three strongest figures in Canterlot stood in silence, a party of guards forming a circle around them. No pony objected, no pony even took a breath. It had been decided, they had just condemned an entire village to Reik’s wrath. The rolling wind outside the castles walls where all that could be heard. The guards along one edge of the defensive circle parted, bowing low as they stepped apart. The small purple form of Princess Luna stepped forward.
“Who is this Reik and why is he waging war against the castle?” her voice was similar to her older sisters, it commanded attention and recognition. Celestia approached her sister, comforted to see a kinder face than those who surrounded her. “He and his revolution are the ramifications of my mistakes. But you my sister will make the decisions for now; you will lead the citizens of Canterlot to saftey.” Every pony in the vicinity took in a sharp breath. Max advanced on Celestia. “What? Why will you not lead us, what is this?” His voice was shaky. “I will not abandon my subjects; I will not let them drown in my wrongdoings.” She waved away Max and Eric’s coming objections and continued to address her sister. “Can you accept these responsibilities Luna?” The princess’s younger sister wore a look of fear and confusion. Luna took a trembling step back. “Luna, we must all go through trials to prove our conviction and potential, I know you can do this.” Luna immediately removed her grimace and replaced it with a look of conviction, more in an effort to convince herself than for any actual reason. “Y-yes, I will do this, it will be done sister.” Celestia breathed a sigh of relief, happy to have at least one victory to be proud of. She approached one of the many stained glass windows that rested along the wall. She unlocked the mechanism attached the window and flung the panel open. A massive gust of freezing wind rushed into the hallway, causing many guards to break into sporadic shivers. “Guards, officials, sister, it has been wonderful having this conversation but unfortunately I must prepare for the occupation of Ponyville. Good luck to you all.” Celestia flung herself out the window and into the frigid winds. She fell for several seconds, relishing the freedom of falling. Her wings extended and caught the wind; she was flying, over, under, and around the twisting spires of Canterlot. She passed the burning ruin that was the guard’s headquarters. From above the city she saw ponies leaving their homes, guards ushering them along the avenues leading out of the doomed city. |
Reik | 631 | 9 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T21:50:24+00:00 | 2012-04-26T21:50:24+00:00 | 2,281 | REIK CURSED LOUDLY and sharply drew his hoof away from the engine bloc of the flier. The unconscious owner of the dwelling groaned where he laid, several paces away near the door, right where Reik had left him. Reik, wanting both to keep his stealth maintained and to release some of his anger, scurried over to the pony’s prone form and gave him a sharp kick to the back of his head. The owners grew silent but Reik noted his continued breathing as he walked back to the flier. The air in the small garage was practically frozen and the moaning wind radiating from the bottom of the large retracting door taking up the garages back wall only added to the frigid motif. Reik continued his work on the flier’s engine, the vertical prop driven aircraft had three broken pistons out of its six. Reik had successfully replaced two of the pistons, which now lay in a hatefully discarded pile in a corner of the garage. Now he was working on removing the third piston. As he jerked and pulled at the cylinder, long ago forfeiting the old and broken tools, he heard the roar of a crowd outside. Quiet at first but growing in pitch. Reik froze in fear; visions of a massive mob dragging him through the streets of Canterlot to the steps of the keep filled his mind. The door was forcibly flung open as Reik rushed to hide his peaked cap. In the doorway stood a guard, young by his appearance and state of his shining armor hinted a recent recruit. Behind the guard Reik could see a massive parade of ponies marching down the street, Reik realized the city was being evacuated. Reik felt a small amount of warmth in his being, everything was going according to plan, but what of Vladimir, and he should have arrived by now.
“Sir, the city is being evacuated, gather what you need and follow the guards out of the city.” Reik suddenly registered that the guard was talking. He nodded sincerely. “Yes, thank you, err, you may leave I’ll only be a minute.” He casually stepped over to the workbench and pretended to gather the tools into a pile. The guard immediately turned to leave but stopped when his gaze fell upon the unconscious form of the houses true owner.
“What’s wrong with him?” The guard snapped, with both fear and suspicion in his voice. Reik turned from the workbench and stifled a gasp. He walked over to the sleeping pony, feigning concern. “Oh the poor old man must have drifted off; this new medicine he’s on really puts him out.” Reik spoke the planned back-story with ease; he had gone over the projected conversation in his head multiple times. The pony groaned slightly and twisted his limbs, Reik made a mental note of the infectivity of his non-lethal attacks. Reik, with the help of the young guard, pulled the pony to his shaking feet. Reik gave the guard an innocent and convincing tone. “Would you be so kind as to help him out of the city, I have things to prepare and he is in such a weak state.” Behind his mask of compassion, Reik was virtually radiating panic. Get out, get out, get out, his mind screamed, he glanced at his watch. Ten-twenty, the bombs were set to detonate at roughly midnight, Reik heavily doubted Vladimir’s skills in demolitions, so his life was not in immediate jeopardy but he was supposed to be on the ground by now, gathering the elements of harmony. To his relief the guard gave a crisp nod and took the old pony’s weight and began lifting him out the door. He turned to Reik before leaving and spoke. “Be quick, we need to escape, err, leave the city as soon as possible, oh, excuse me sir.” Reik grumbled to himself as he moved to shut the door. If the guards are that bad at hiding their own fear then it is a mystery how they would deal with a full on mass panic. Another issue with the status quo he thought to himself. As Reik closed the portal, a massive hoof shot out of the doors corner and blocked His attempt. Reik backed away as the door flung inwards. In the doorway stood a giant, Reik backed up to the tool bench, searching out of the corner of his eye for weapon to use against the intruder. The giant stepped into the dwelling and turned to shut the door. Reik took advantage of the giants pause and launched himself at him, more as a sign of defiance than a legitimate attack. The giant, still turned around, extended his back hoof to meet Reik’s charge. He was thrust back from the blow and sprawled out upon the floor. The giant turned and advanced on the prone pony. Reik breathed a sudden sigh of relief as his suspected attacker entered the light.
Vladimir gazed down at Reik, a confused look on his face. Reik chuckled and rose to his feet. The cold numbed his being.
“Sorry comrade, you frightened me.” He smiled and looked at his friend. Vladimir still held a confused look on his face. Reik paused and examined his friend. Vladimir was a mess. His helmet was gone and several aspects of his armor where either torn asunder or missing entirely. His front was covered in soot and he reeked of black powder. The black substance hung in clumps onto his mane. The area in and around his ears where caked in dried blood. Reik, immediately understanding the problem rushed to Vladimir’s side. He produced a stolen magnified monocle from his coat pocket. Before his passion for politics, Reik prided himself on the vast expanse of medical books in his study as a young colt. Although the ears were not specifically his forte, Reik had a decent understanding of what his comrade was experiencing. Reik peeled away flakes of the dark red crust and gazed into the ear canal. A ruptured eardrum became easily apparent. Evidently Vladimir had been a tad too close to the rocket during launch. The damage did not seem too severe, the damage would heal and Vladimir would hear again, but not after at least three weeks. Reik shook his head and looked to Vladimir.
“What is the damage comrade?” Reik cringed at his friends booming voice. Seeing this, Vladimir lowered his volume. “Will I be ok?” Reik nodded and told the grey pony that it would be at least three weeks, making sure to exaggerate lip movement so Vladimir could understand. The two stood in solemn silence, once again the revolution had hit a brick wall. Reik returned to his work on the flyer, lost in his own form of denial. Vladimir's head snapped up. He walked over to Reik and spoke, silently and loudly due to his impaired senses. "The aspects of harmony." Reik didn't break his gaze with the machine in front of him, the piston clicked as it left the engine block. "Elements, my friend, elements." Vladimir continued, unable to hear the remark. "They are magic, so could we possibly repair my ears." Reik paused. He looked to his friend grinning widely. "Vladimir, where would I be without you?" Vladimir looked at his friend oddly, Reik remembered his disability. He pointed to the flyer, signaling its functionality and the completion of his work. Vladimir climbed into the aircraft; his training in this particular vehicle during his stay in the royal guard would now prove its worth. Reik marched over to the far end of the garage and flipped a small switch located on the side of a control panel bolted to the wall. Upon his action the metal garage door creaked into life. It pulled above the entrance and disappeared into the ceiling’s framework.
The first thing to hit Reik was the wind, not nearly as strong as what it once was but still causing his bones to shake and rattle. But as if in some hidden exchange, in absence of the wind there was snow, it rained down on Canterlot in a slow motion monsoon. The garage sat on the outskirts of the third level, across a few blocks worth of roofs, Reik could see the great wall that represented the barrier between the great capital and the unforgiving fury of nature. Reik felt a twinge of sorrow at the coming destruction of the great city. He began to hope that the capital of his new nation would be even half as great as the one that spanned out before him.
“Comrade, time is a luxury we don’t have.” Vladimir’s remark pulled Reik from his thoughts and he reluctantly walked back into the garage. He pushed the machine out of the garage, just barley clipping the rotor blades on the exit as he did so. As Vladimir adjusted the controls and mumbled to himself in his own foreign language, Reik walked back into the garage to gather up his possessions he left on the workbench. The talisman sank into his coat pocket swiftly and was followed by a small dagger he had relived the old home owner of, served him right for attacking me with Reik thought. The design of the blade was vaguely familiar to Reik, it had popped up numerous times in his studies and the curved design shared by both the hilt and blade where interesting to him. A ‘Karambit’ they called it, a very common farming tool in the east. Reik gently placed the weapon into its sheath before placing it into his coat pocket. The door suddenly blew off its hinges and fell to the wooden floor as Reik placed the peaked cap on his head.
Apparently the old pony had come to his senses for the young guard Reik had left the old one with was standing behind the tall brute that broke down the door.
“Yes, that’s him, that’s the communist!” the young guard shouted, his voice cracked with suppressed panic, the secret was now officially out. Reik looked back at Vladimir, the grey pony had already started the engine and the rotor where spinning with such force that the shook the aircrafts frame. His comrade’s face pleaded with him to board the flyer. Reik didn’t take a single step backwards; he wouldn’t leave this city without giving his opponents something to legitimately fear. He was not acting out of hatred, every movement and thought was as precise as the gears of a watch. The karambit hissed as it left the protective sheath and the blade shined in the dim lighting. The brute charged Reik, roaring at the top of his lunges. Reik searched his memory for some ounce of useful knowledge. The memorized techniques and movements of the weapon he was armed with responded to the mental call. He mechanically sidestepped to the left and brought the curved blade into a slashing motion, Reik was pleasantly surprised as the blade made a mockery of the guard’s armor. Wanting to avoid unnecessary death, Reik targeted his enemies leg tendons, a wet tearing followed by a deep scream filled the room. The revolutionary had successfully severed the tendons in the guard’s forward and back legs along his right flank and the brute fell into a screaming heap onto the floor. Reik, disregarding the gasps of the guard’s allies, turned and fled to the flyer. Vladimir pulled hard on a cord next to the pilot seat as his comrade jumped onto the aircraft. Immediately, the machine quickly rose into the air, shedding the falling snow with its rotating blades.
The flyer zoomed across the buildings, nearly crashing into numerous smoke stacks or spires. The wind whipped at Reik’s face forcing him to turn his head away from the oncoming snow. In-between blinks and rubbing his eyes Reik could have almost make out a large white pegesus flying far off in the distance. Before they made it far enough out and it disappeared behind the snow and clouds, Reik looked back at the massive city he had once called home. The snow and clouds parted momentarily like strangers would part when coming upon a photographer in mid shoot. From where they flew, all three levels of the city stood out against the mountain, without the clouds and storm blocking the sight, intricate streets, widow, walkways, and buildings could be seen as clear as if it was mid day. For a moment he forgot the monuments imperialistic significance, all the memories of his past in the great city became devoid of anger and sadness until only happens and joy remained. The vision was magnificent and Reik committed the sight to memory. |
Reik | 631 | 10 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T21:51:44+00:00 | 2012-04-26T21:51:44+00:00 | 2,980 | THE FREZZING WIND and the shaking aircraft was all that Vladimir registered. His ears stopped throbbing a few hours ago, or at least he assumed it was hours, maybe it was minutes, Vladimir had lost track of time since he lost his watch. Whether it was lost in the escape or during the flight he didn’t dwell on the subject for long. The world moved around him in a silent ballet, the snow fell in hushed rhythm with the vehicles vibrations and he soon found a sense of beauty in his new silent world. Vladimir didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his friend's work, if you could call it work, on the flyer's engine. Only five out of the six pistons had been replaced, the sixth merely vented smoke and fire and the other five groaned with friction due to limited lubrication. Vladimir could hear the old machine groan with pain. He secretly lamented for the collection of scrap they were flying on, it cried out for aid, for a pause in the unrelenting labor of flight.
"Quiet my dear, I promise I'll lubricate you and repair your pistons once we land." Vladimir felt a tap on his shoulder and reluctantly turned to see Reik staring at him with a look of concern on his expression. Vladimir felt his face redden. "Sorry to disturb you comrade, just err, talking to the machine." Reik nodded in understanding, this was not the first time the two had caught the other in extra ordinary behaviors and they had both become aquatinted with each other’s quirks. The black pony's attention flashed to his documents. Reik lashed out at the collection of papers occupying half of his seat. He pinned several pages with his hooves and continued his work, fumbling to himself as he did so.
Ever since their journey started, Reik had been studying the handbook for the operation. Vladimir saw Reik scratch out everything from short sentences to entire paragraphs and begin writing crooked notes in the margins. This practice brought great unease to Vladimir's thoughts. The mission was still a mystery to him; Reik's rather miserable description of operation last contingency did nothing to satisfy Vladimir's questions. As he went over this topic of doubt, his mind soon shifted to thoughts about his lack of hearing. When he first realized the disability he was lost in panic, he felt lonely and scared of this sudden turn of events and wanted nothing more than to cry out in anguish. He no longer cared about the mission; he knew it was doomed as he panicked over his ringing ears. When he made it to through the swallowing crowd and into the garage he was immediately comforted by Reik's diagnosis. His hearing would return in time and the thought of repairing them further with the talisman filled Vladimir with relief and comfort. Yes the mission was still on the brink of failure and his damaged ears only increased the scales against them but Vladimir’s relief would not be stemmed. The grey pony had a sudden thought as he examined their predicament. They were in the middle of a revolution, the likes of which would shape all of Equestria. They had just invoked the wrath of one of the most powerful beings in existence, and their so-called master plan was being re written this very moment but in spite of all these overwhelming factors, a deaf guard and an anti social politician had a legitimate chance at victory. If that one had told me that we might be situation like this when, I probably would have dismissed that little pony as insane, thought Vladimir. With a short chuckle, Vladimir focused on the task before him.
The dark sky spread out before him, endless and barren like being lost in the deepest cave. The snowfall had lessened significantly and visibility was beyond what Vladimir had expected. Vladimir peered over the edge of the flyer to get some sort of bearing. Below the duo, the ground raced past them, Vladimir piloted the machine along a twisting path, hoping it would lead him to whatever their destination was. As they moved above a snow covered field, the empty ground turned to foliage and the path they where tracking disappeared below a tree line. Vladimir was scanning the empty forest for a landmark or any other form of guidance as the engine bloc detonated in a haze of sparks and smoke.
It had lessened significantly since their departure, and visibility was much better than Vladimir had anticipated. He carefully leaned over to observe the land below him, below the flyer laid a dense forest, the top canopy of which covered by a thin layer of snow. A snaking trail moved along the terrain and the lamps and torches of weary travelers dotted the trail. The engine bloc detonated in a cloud of smoke and sparks as Vladimir wondered to himself why any pony would be out in such weather.
REIK JAMMED THE pieces of parchment into his coat pocket as he stared in surprise at the smoking engine. Three pistons had been immediately ejected from the machine and black smoke billowed out of the empty cavities. The remaining two pistons screeched in their sockets, metal scrapped against metal, sparks spat out of the wrecked machine in and singed Reik’s hat. The black pony looked to Vladimir in outraged shock as his comrade peered over the flyers edge, starring in bliss at the forest beneath them. Reik lashed at Vladimir, alerting him of the disaster.
“The engine just exploded you deaf fool!” He roared, disregarding his friend’s inability to register the insult. Reik stuck his comrade across the back of his head sharply. Vladimir’s head turned quickly, a look of anger suddenly turning to fear as he realized the status of the stricken craft. Vladimir and Reik shared a looked of pure, uncorrupted horror as the rotor blades came apart and was casted from the sky and into the dark forest. |
Reik | 631 | 11 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T21:54:42+00:00 | 2012-04-26T21:54:42+00:00 | 2,382 | TWILIGHT’S THROAT BURNED as she charged through the Everfree forest, her hoofs screamed as they were assaulted by thorns and pitfalls. Zecora’s hut, the location of an emergency tribunal, appeared through gaps in the dark foliage. Twilight came to a slow stop, her chest rising and falling franticly. She tore the message from her bag and examined it for what she assumed must have been the hundredth time.
“Twilight, come to Zecora’s hut immediately, come alone.”
The words where scratched onto the parchment, enhancing the gravity of the situation. Twilight read the one line three times before replacing it back in her bag, she approached the dark hut. The darkness and freezing winds swallowed her. Twilight was afraid, terror held her in its firm embrace. She was no stranger to danger or harm, she had always placed the well being of her friends and Equestria before her own without question, but in those trials she knew what faced her. She knew her enemy, her knowledge of the threat was defined her strength. But this time her mind was blank, Twilight had known of the black pony that threatened Equestria, she had even spoken with him on some occasions, but she knew nothing of his strategies, his tendencies, his allies, or even the strange theory he created during his time in the castle. Twilight knew nothing, and the sudden lapses in her magical ability only added to her panic. Twilight felt as if she had already failed the task Celestia would charge her with. Twilight felt useless. She steadied her breathing, attempting to maintain some form of sense in her being, and stepped into the hut.
The air in the cramped hut was boiling, not in the sense of heat but in power, Twilight immediately felt a surge of energy. It was as if the veil that hung over ponyville had suddenly been lifted, Twilight sensed her magical potential rising, she felt lighter, and stronger, the sensation was intoxicating. Twilight, her mind still fixed upon the room’s aura, tripped over a bucket, announcing her presence to the huts two other occupants.
"Twilight, come here, I need to explain some things to you." Celestia's voice was solemnly calm, like she had just made a regretful decision. Twilight approached the princess, now noticing the hunched form of the zebra Zecora. The zebra sat at the base of a large cauldron that bubbled with an ever changing hue of colors. Zecora tossed random bones, rocks, and grasses into the container in-between incoherent mumbling in her foreign language. As Twilight approached the dark cauldron she saw Celestia casually toss a scroll into the liquid, the parchment burst into a blue colored inferno as it touched the pots contents, disappearing instantly. Celestia turned to Twilight, her eyes were devoid of the compassion and understanding they once held, instead they held only a grim determination and sorrow.
“Did you know a pony named Reik?” Celestia’s gaze was bolted to the small purple pony before her. Twilight gave a quick bow and cleared her throat. “Not really, I, err, we weren’t, uh.” Twilight’s shaking voice was cut off by Celestia’s “He was my political advisor for many years; during his time in office he created a new system of government which also included plans to overthrow me. Without my consent he was expelled from Canterlot and declared an outlaw. Now he is back to put those plans into action.” The cauldron let out a low grumble and in a flash of orange light, a small scroll was flung from the mix. The scroll drifted lazily in the air before being quickly snatched by the princess who read it quickly before letting out a long sigh. Celestia once again turned to twilight. “But tonight he not only infiltrated the castle, he escaped with documents and a magical talisman.” Celestia turned to a small desk along a wall of the hut and began writing on a piece of parchment, leaving her student to her own thoughts.
Twilight stood motionless, her mind applied her knowledge to the situation, holes where filled, questions answered, but more quickly where they replaced by more questions. “Why can’t I use my magic?” Celestia answered without breaking concentration on the parchment or the worn quill levitating over it. “Zecora tells me the talisman belonged to her kind. They locked it away in a temple but Reik must have acquired it during our visit to that land. I believe he is using the talisman to dampen any and all forms of magic in the vicinity of ponyville, luckily Zecora created this portal that counter acts the talisman and allows me to keep in contact with the outside world.” Twilight spoke as soon as the princess finished. “Do we know what Reik is planning?” Celestia finished writing the message and quickly tossed it into the cauldron. “No, we can only wait at this time.” Twilight continued her curiosity insatiable. “Why did you call me here?” Celestia didn’t face the purple pony, instead reaching for another scroll. “Because, my magic is limited outside of this hut, and even in here I don’t fully know what is going on. I will need you to return here as often as possible and keep me updated on the situation in Ponyville. Now go, warn the ponies in the village.” Twilight nodded proudly and turned to exit, eager to aid her distressing princess. She stopped in the doorway, one question remained. “Why did you stay, it’s incredibly dangerous for you to be anywhere near here.” Celestia faced Twilight, turning away from the cauldron and bringing herself to full stature. Even in such unremarkable conditions, to Twilight the sight was inspiring. “This was my mistake, I forced my kingdom into this strife, I will lead it out, I will not leave and subject my subjects to his wrath.” The words hung in the air, unopposed save for Zecora’s quiet chants.
IT IS ALWAYS easier to die, to succumb to fate and the choices of others. These where Reik’s first thoughts as he regained consciousness, he groaned loudly and tried to rise. The air, contrary to his assumption, although cold, was nowhere near the freezing winds he expected. The wooden floorboards creaked as he tried to get a decent footing.
“Welcome back to the realm of the living.” The female tone was calm and positive. Reik opened his eyes for the first time but they were immediately overwhelmed by light, he shut them in agony. “Let your eyes adjust.” The voice was closer, right next to him. For the second time, Reik opened his eyes, although not completely adjusted; they brought him back into the world. The room was familiar, cloths and silks hung in tatters everywhere. Dresses and coats lay in heaps across the floor. Sewing machines rested on a desk, covered in cobwebs and dust. A flare shot up in his memory. This was the home of Iris, the seamstress. Reik shifted his gaze to the female pony before him. She stood at his side; a slight grin on her face, her mane was red, a pair of wings rested on her flank, and a golden tail rested on her rear. A gear wheel was her cutie mark and a set of brass goggles concealed her eyes. Her mane was dotted with black spots and powder burns, she reeked of coal. To Reik she was a stranger. “You are not Iris.” The red pony removed her goggles, exposing her unblemished brown eyes. “I am Iris, you’re not one for remembering ponies are you?” Her tone was playful, as if they had known each other for a lifetime. “Iris had a different cutie mark; it was a thread and needle.” The red pony turned and began walking down a hallway. Reik followed at a distance, his caution took precedence over his curiosity. “A little bit of makeup can go a long way my friend.” Reik continued to follow Iris, the hallway ended at a wooden door. Iris began clearing piles of dresses from the doorway. “I didn’t know we were friends, and while we’re on the topic of questions, why is a pony with a cog for a cutie mark the owner of one of the most successful clothing shops?” Reik didn’t bother with subtlety, paranoia had saved him numerous times in the past and he was not about to abandon it in the midst of revolution. Iris responded with mock hurt. “For one that speaks of equality for all, you’re not very friendly.” She finished clearing the debris and rounded on Reik, her tone suddenly aggressive. “I saved you and your friend’s lives so be a little bit more respectful when you speak to me in my house.” She starred Reik down, Reik remained resolute. “I apologize, but in this situation, you must understand my caution.” Iris’s expression changed again to one of friendliness. “Better, now with regards to my cutie mark, I hate my profession, dresses, sewing, I hate it.” Reik looked upon Iris with curiosity. “Then why dedicate your life to it?” Iris turned towards the door, fumbling with a complex system of locks. “My mother was a seamstress, her mother was seamstress, and her mother was a seamstress. I don’t think a pony from my family would be welcome in any other profession.” Her tone was dismissive, as if this reality no longer fazed her. Reik continued his questioning. “Then what do you like? What is your calling?” Iris finished with the assortment of locks on the door and with a hoof on the doorknob, faced Reik, a subtle grin on her features. “Machines, I have more compassion for a single locking mechanism than a newborn.” With a small chuckle, Iris opened the portal and stepped through, Reik quickly following.
“No, no, no the government owns the means of production, and since the workers are the government, it is the workers that own the means of production.” Vladimir said with an irritated voice. The farmer George sat across from him at the small table in what Reik assumed was once the living room. Iris motioned for Reik to join the others as she went to inspect a pair of broken clocks. “Well Vladimir, I see you’ve regained your hearing.” Reik said calmly as he approached the two ponies; the sight of the large grey pony arguing with the small brown farmer made Reik chuckle. “Comrade, that talisman, it cured me, I don’t know how but it works!” Reik took his place at the wooden table. “That is good news, George; I didn’t expect to see you here.” The brown farmer shrank slightly at Reik’s attention.
“T-thank you, um, I found you and Vladimir next to the crashed flyer and, well, I couldn’t just take you into town, so I went to Iris, I knew she would have a solution.” Reik nodded in appreciation, bringing a proud grin from George. “How is your wife?” Reik asked. “I told her to leave Ponyville, I didn’t want her to be here if things go bad, but don’t worry she is safe.” George said, half mumbling. Reik turned to Vladimir. ”Well my friend, we’ve escaped the clutches of death, and our stealth is still intact.” Immediately remembering the plan, Reik checked his watch, eleven-thirty one. Reik’s heart virtually stopped.
“Comrade, is something wrong?” Vladimir asked, noticing his friend’s forlorn expression. “We’re out of time, we’re out of time, the revolution is failing, how long where we unconscious, no wait, that doesn’t matter.” Reik began pacing the room, panic slowly gaining more ground in his being. “Calm down, what’s wrong?” Iris had abandoned her work on the machines and entered the conversation. “The bombs, the caches, Canterlot will be a bonfire at midnight, its thirty minutes till midnight!” Reik practically screamed. Vladimir rose. “Canterlot is quite a ways away, there’s a blizzard out there and everypony except us is asleep, control yourself.” Reik was overcome with reason, they were right, the night had just begun and they still held the advantage. He must maintain composure, his strength was his mind, without it, he was doomed. “Yes, thank you comrade.” Vladimir sat, satisfied that his friend was once again calm. “But I must ask, Reik.” Vladimir’s tone was casual. “Where are our reinforcements?” Reik looked at Vladimir with pained confusion. “Our what?” he asked. Vladimir continued. “The army of revolutionaries you where busy gathering since your exile, when will they come into play?” Reik knew this moment would come eventually; better now than later he thought. “We’re it Vladimir.” The grey pony didn’t register the reality. “What?” he murmured. Reik tried, for naught unfortunately, to keep an inspiring and uplifting tone. “The four ponies assembled here are all that exists of the Communist party of Equestria.” |
Reik | 631 | 12 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T21:56:01+00:00 | 2012-04-26T21:56:01+00:00 | 2,932 | “WHAT DO YOU mean this is all we have!” Vladimir roared. The room fell silent; George and Iris shrank slightly at the grey pony’s enraged voice. Reik remained resolute. “We got this far with just two and once we acquire-” Vladimir interrupted. “Once the evacuation is complete, and it probably is, the entire royal guard will be back for our heads!” Reik advanced on Vladimir, undeterred by his friends boiling rage. “The symbol of royal might will be a crater at midnight, no pony knows of our presence, and with this.” Reik gathered the small black talisman and presented it to his grey comrade. “With this tool of immeasurable power, we cannot fail, we will not fail." Iris and George's expression brightened slightly at the bold statement. Vladimir remained unmoved. "Inspiring words comrade, but words will not protect me from an axe to the back of the neck." Reik stuck the talisman into one of his dark pockets. He was tired of his friend’s negativity, they had already passed the point of no return, and now that the farmer and inventor had joined them, two more lives would be ruined if they stopped now. But he could not voice these thoughts; they would only lower the devotion that currently balanced on the edge of a knife. "Ah, so words will do no good, is that it?" The black pony said as he made his way to the nearest window. "Well in that case, action seems the only logical motivator, wouldn't you agree." He gently nudged the shades aside, checking the outside world for any signs of unnatural disturbance. He giggled at his own paranoia when his vision revealed only the empty, snow covered forest. Behind him, Vladimir groaned. "Well I suppose we're in too deep to quit anyway, but before we continue on this suicidal trek you call a revolution, I want to hear your full plan and in detail this time." The other occupants of the room nodded in silent agreement. Reik turned from the windowsill and walked towards the table, withdrawing several papers from the deep pockets of his coat, the papers seemed to multiply as he dug them out of the pits. "Well my friends, here is operation last contingency." In a short, fluid motion, Reik cast the assortment papers on the table. The papers spilled across the wooden table, some went over the edge and slowly drifted to the floor. Reik grinned as the three other ponies gawked at the pile of papers resting on the table. There was a long silence before anypony spoke.
"All this is for the operation?" George mumbled, lifting a single scroll, inspecting it with a child like curiosity. Reik, eager to recite his well rehearsed plan spoke. "No my friend, a few are examinations of Celestia's regime, others are blueprints for the post revolution Equestria, and these." Reik gathered what seemed to the others as random papers from random locations. "Are the plan itself, from start to finish, but seeing as we've already escaped Canterlot, we won't need these." The black pony discarded several of the papers in front of him casually and organized the few that remained. "Now, in summary, at this point in the revolution, I planned to enter Ponyville, while its inhabitants slept, and capture the elements of harmony, and- “Vladimir cut in abruptly. "And how exactly will we do that, and what purpose will that be." Reik, happy to deploy his canned answer at the expected question, spoke immediately. "The talisman, although powerful, is nothing compared to the elements, and combined with the talisman, we will be nigh unstoppable.” Vladimir nodded reluctantly. “But how exactly will we capture the elements?” Reik’s mental process stopped at his friend’s question. He never really got to that step; he assumed that the talisman would somehow work on its own. Actually thinking about the subject directly, Reik realized how many holes there really were in his ‘master plan’. Iris spoke suddenly, stepping between the two revolutionaries.
“It works telepathically.” Both Reik and Vladimir stared at the red pony in confusion. “Tele-whaticly?” questioned Vladimir. Iris spoke clearly, proud to express her own cache of knowledge as well. “When you told me about the talismans power, I held it to your head and imagined curing your hearing, and with that it was done.” Iris addressed Vladimir directly. Reik interjected immediately, eager to get to an opposite topic. “There you have it, and while Ponyville falls into disarray, we can capture all the elements.” Vladimir chimed in quickly; the grey pony must have thought this one would hit the hammer on the head. “Do we even know who holds the elements?” Reik had seen this argument repeated a thousand times and felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. One of them would make a point, the other would make a counter argument, thinking it would utterly crush the others point. Yet the other would have a prepared defense against his opponents point and the process would repeat all over again. If Celestia knew how truly predicable we were, we’d both be rotting in a cell about now, Reik thought. Papers rustled as the black pony fished out a single, small scroll out of the disorderly pile covering the table. He tossed it to Vladimir, smiling wickedly as he did so. “Names, addresses, friends, and everything on the holders of the elements of harmony.” A cruel grin spread across Vladimir’s features as he scanned the parchment. “Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle.” Vladimir gave the paper to Iris who extended a monocle attachment from her goggles and proceeded to look over the paper closely with George edging beside her. “Now my memory may be a little fuzzy.” Said Vladimir, his tone was devious. “But I think I saw a fairly large apple farm through the trees right before our flyer crashed.
THE DOOR SLAMMED loudly behind Reik and Vladimir as they exited Iris’s dwelling. The wind lashed at the pair as they made their way off her property and into the forest. The biting winds and falling snow slowly lessened as the forest swallowed them. Against George and Iris’s wishes, Reik insisted that he and Vladimir travel alone. He urged that the other two remain together and draw plans for agricultural machinery. Or at least that’s the meaningless task he thought he had charged them with. As they ventured through the forest Reik observed his surroundings with a newfound sense of curiosity, as opposed to his caution and suspicion. Moonlight reflected of patches of white snow, illuminating junctions and sections of the forest, creating a majestic vision. Reik made a mental note to revisit this place in the future; it would be a lovely place to philosophize about his troubles. The forest grew quiet, as did the black pony’s comrade. It was not an honest silence. Reik could tell some doubt remained behind his friends tongue. It unnerved Reik to see his friend in such a state.
*You always where such a boring and dull pony, Reik.*
**You’ve been unusually quiet since this whole thing began, you must have at least one theory on how I’m going to screw this all up in the end?**
*My friend, are you saying that you have started to lack faith in my most excellent ability to describe the flaws that you knowingly and unknowingly allow to fill your life? Or better yet, have you begun to doubt me doubting you?*
The conversation was all in his head. Reik never talked to himself, to him that was a habit of the troubled or insane. But it was in times of loneliness, when he would spend hours on end contemplating his own philosophical conundrums that he would speak with Franz. Imaginary friend wasn't the most politically correct to Reik. Franz wasn't created, he simply manifested from the loneliness, inadequacy, and stress that came with his secluded lifestyle. Even in Canterlot, the two held numerous debates. Although the habit seemed childish to Reik, Franz was always there to question his every move.
*I mean honestly my socialistic friend, have I ever let you have even an ounce of self-confidence without first and foremost trying to demolish, degrade, or demote in some fashion?*
**Off the top of my head, nope, can’t name a single time you Discord wannabe.**
*I find that both ignorant and offensive, we’ve been over this twenty three and a dozen times.*
**Oh this should be good.**
*It will, Discord not only holds no respect for but he also actively rages directly or indirectly, conflict with order or civilization and his actions result in the harm and, or repression of the masses, I on the other hoof, hold great distaste for the nation, or state, and seeing as I am but a figment of your dull imagination can take no actions against the state or nation but if I could a supreme physical form my actions would result in the ultimate freedom and liberation for the masses, am I going too fast for you?*
**Oh don’t worry, I’m still following.**
*Well in simple terms Discord is the embodiment of chaos, while I represent anarchy, we are from completely different schools of thought.*
**Whatever helps you sleep at night.**
*You know very well I don’t sleep, oh, and your friends talking.*
“Reik, are you okay?” Vladimir had stopped walking and stared blankly at the black pony. The air was frigid and their breath turned to fog in front of them. Reik stopped walking and looked back at his friend calmly.
“Sorry comrade, I was just thinking.” The pair continued walking through the dark forest. Vladimir regained his pace and continued alongside Reik. To his relief the grey pony spoke his long contained thoughts.
“I’m troubled Reik, I could use some of your… wisdom” There was a short pause before he said wisdom. Reik could tell what lay behind his friend’s deceitfully calm expression.
“Speak your mind comrade; I will do my best to answer them.” Vladimir took no pause to blurt out his curiosity. “Do you really think that all of this will end the perfect world we envision?” Reik was both relieved and troubled to finally have the controversial question finally come to light. “That is a big question Vladimir; try to break it down for me, could you?” Reik’s tone was unlike what Vladimir had heard in the past. It was kind and tolerant; it was the kind of tone a teacher would use to correct a student, or a mother to kindly scold her child. Vladimir thought for several seconds, breaking the question down in to more manageable conundrums. Vladimir spoke, his tone, although harsh and strong, curious and full of doubt. “This revolution is motivated by a wish to better the conditions for the average worker right?” Reik nodded. Vladimir continued hastily, the ambient sounds of the wilderness died away as they spoke. “But it is not motivated by a hatred for princess Celestia, right.” The black pony took several long seconds before confirming his friends question with a reluctant nod. “Ok, but if that is so, then why are we sneaking around like rats and not rallying the workers, and why destroy Canterlot, why?” Reik took slightly longer to answer this time, this topic had troubled him. Troubled him to the point where he had repressed and suppressed the topic and now that it was in the open, he was strained to properly handle it.
“I tried to rally the ponies Vladimir, I tried, but they did not listen, but that is only in their nature, when you see crime in the street, when I lived in the castle and we were pestered at every corner by guards, when you see an injustice in general, can you think of words to stop these acts my friend, the masses do not listen to words alone, they must be shown action.”
*Reik, I’d expect such ignorance from Celestia, but you, you of all ponies in this land must understand the power and potential of words. Remember all those days you spent speakin-*
**Shut up.**
Vladimir brought Reik out of his internal conflict with another question. “Well then what’s the deal with Celestia, If we do not hate her, then why is she the target of all your negativity, isn’t it her class that we seek to abolish?” The black pony suddenly felt a massive weight fall upon his shoulders, he doesn’t hate Celestia, that was not the cause for his great revolution, but, if that is the truth then-
*Then why do you curse her name every day, you blame her for your outcast, you blame her for your misery, her destruction is the motiva-*
**Shut up, shut up, shut up!**
“An enemy must have a face comrade; you can’t wage a war with a concept.” Vladimir fell silent, Reik knew it was not out of reason; he had not answered his question, at least not precisely. Vladimir remained silent for several long minutes before speaking.
“What if they want to leave?” Reik, slightly surprised by the question, took a short pause before responding. “What do you mean?” Vladimir sighed heavily. “What if, after we lay out the rules and structure for our society, how will we make sure they follow them, and what if they try to escape?” Reik once again felt a surge of pressure at inquiry. “Anypony that does not follow the rules of society will be punished, how, I do not know at this time, and as for escape attempts.” Reik swallowed hard. “I suppose we could use the talisman's magic to create a wall or barrier of some sorts.”
*You're mad, do you even know what you’re fighting for anym-*
“So we’re terrorists?” Vladimir blurted out, his tone and expression hinted his immediate regret at the remark. Reik responded quickly. “No, we do not terrorize the masses, radicals would be more correct.” Vladimir nodded and spoke again. “But is that much of an improvement?” Before Reik could respond the ground shook gently, like a mother would rock the cradle of her offspring. Reik and Vladimir stood silently, in both a state of awe and horror. The gentle hum of thunder reached the forest. Vladimir looked to Reik who looked back with an expression of both glee and terror. The shaking continued for several minutes. After the shaking stopped and the ground lay still, the air, like everything else in the forest, hung frozen in the revolutionaries’ lungs. Reik, with a shaking hoof, raised his watch into the light. After wiping away snow and dirt the clock face shined against the moon light. Twelve o’clock, midnight. Reik broke into a run, a run inspired by both euphoria and dread at the ticking clock. Vladimir quickly followed, no further words where shared between the two ponies. The crooked, scattered, and black trees son turned into organized and groomed apple trees. |
Reik | 631 | 13 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-04-26T21:56:51+00:00 | 2012-04-26T21:56:51+00:00 | 2,825 | THIRTY MINUTES AGO: The cache located under the observatory was the first to detonate. The crumbling building was soon engulfed by the debris and dust caused by several minor caches around the great structure. Five seconds later, halfway across the Castle, what remained of the royal guards headquarters quickly disappeared in an artistic display of pure, fiery chaos. The falling masonry destroyed multiple, undetonated caches, disrupting the carefully planned network of annihilation. Within twenty seconds, the entire castle was shrouded in dust; it filled the air like a plague. If anypony remained within the doomed fortress, their lungs would quickly have shriveled and failed in such an environment. The empty and vacant streets away from the epicenter hummed with the distant explosions in an ironic orchestra.
Twenty Minutes ago: Although disrupted, the smaller chains of connection shared by the small caches continued. The great school of magic disintegrated as multiple explosives detonated simultaneously within the confines of its great structure. Several flying chunks of burning debris flew away from the school and into random parts of the city, like chunks of burning rock flung from a fierce volcano. Combined with the constant explosions from minor caches and the burning husks that where once magnificent buildings, a roaring symphony of destruction washed across the city, unending, eternal, and without any hint of dissipation. Thirty seconds later, the royal library was engulfed in flames. The red haze washed over the masonry and any texts the building previous occupants had been unable to save, soon the writings, desks, stairs, and bookcases disappeared and all that remained was the stone skeleton. The fires thirst for oxygen caused a massive updraft across the streets of Canterlot, air was swept towards the bonfire and small fire tornados appeared in the streets. The sudden rush of oxygen intensified the already massive fire. The city soon became engulfed in a firestorm, it rushed through the narrow roads and streets of the city, destroying all things in its path. The great gardens and forest scattered amongst the buildings disappeared in a great wave of red and orange. The great hedge maze was swallowed by a chocking black wave as the greenery slowly burned.
Ten minutes ago: The royal throne room and its surrounding extensions where the last to be destroyed, the fire alone could not breach the buildings stone defenses, and was kept at bay until the burning firestorm swept the city. The holocaust broke through the doors and windows in a grand tsunami of fire and smoke. Stained glass shattered, tapestries shriveled into ash, and the masonry of the great hall cracked magnificently. Nothing survived its indifferent rampage. Monuments, shops, shrines, homes, not one structure was sparred as the once great city blew itself apart. Smoke drifted above the pyre that was once Canterlot and the small black pillars born from fire united into one great cloud of smoke and darkness. The dark pillar climbed higher and higher into the sky, like an automaton, bent on achieving its objective. Soon, the black shroud blocked the generous light of the moon out completely and the surrounding area was cast into a further state of darkness.
APPLEJACK SNAPED OUT of her daze, she quickly scanned the surrounding area, cautious to anypony that may have seen her slacking. Applejack breathed a short sigh of relief when her search returned no cause for alarm. It must have been midnight and she had sitting on the outskirts of her farm for what she assumed, had been three hours. A few chickens had escaped their cope five days ago and where the culprits of numerous cases of stolen grain. She had eagerly volunteered to stay up and watch for the culprits for reasons she had long since lost recollection of to the cold. The weather looked to be the most frigid she had ever seen, and winter had just begun. With a quick shiver, Applejack adjusted her hat and continued along the path leading through the perimeter of her family’s farm. The apple trees seemed to mold together into an impenetrable wall whenever the tired earth pony tried to see beyond what lie directly ahead of her and Applejack soon lost faith in her search and turned around to begin the trek home. Applejack cursed her endurance. If I can’t find a few lost chickens, how can I manage to make it through the winter? She thought. With that last thought, her mind was full of problems, the chickens, Applebloom, the house, her friends; stress began to build up, as it usually did when her mind shifted into such a state of stress. But these occasions where common and just like all the other times, she calmed herself with the usual remark.
“Now you’ve been through worse, you’ve always faced it with courage and what not and there’s absolutely no reason I can’t do it again. Applejack realized she had spoken aloud and quickly turned her head to check for anypony that may have seen such an embarrassing act. Slowly realizing the silliness of searching for a witness in the middle of a frozen apple farm, the orange pony chuckled softly and continued on her way. The trail cut its way through the trees like a stake through dirt and the Apple family residence soon came into view through the brush, the structure seemed to glow with perceived warmth and Applejack felt a rush of calmness and comfort at its sight. With a gentle sigh of relief, she let her pace slacken. She stopped, her ears sharpened.
“NO, THAT IS not her, Apple-whatever it is, is yellow.” Vladimir said as he peaked over the boulder. The orange pony they had been stalking for the past ten minutes stood still a few feet from their refuge. Almost immediately he was kicked into submission by Reik.
“Quiet you fool, and get down before she see’s you.” Reik whispered sharply. Vladimir turned on him sharply and gave him a questioning look, adjusting his form as not to expose himself as he did so.
“Applejack is orange comrade; did you even read the manifest I gave you?” Reik’s tone had become increasingly urgent and easily annoyed since the destruction of Canterlot and his patience for the grey pony was being severely strained. With a mumbled curse he dug around in one of his coats pocket and produced the odd blade he had previously stole from the flyer owner and had used to mangle one of the royal guards. The black pony inched across the ground, dragging his chest across the snow covered dirt as he did so. Reik fumbled with the blade as he tried to find his preys reflection on the blades metal. Vladimir watched with a look of disgust until his patience could no longer be restrained. He rose to full height and marched ahead of his comrade, towards the orange pony.
“You would not last a day in the royal guard friend.” The grey pony whispered to Reik’s prone form as he trotted away from him, his hooves crunching the thin layer of snow beneath them. Silently, Reik replaced the blade to its pocket and closely followed Vladimir towards Applejack, mumbling to himself as he went.
APPLEJACK WATCHED SUSPICIOUSLY as a grey pony rose from behind a boulder, no, she discovered a second; a shorter, black pony following the larger one. Applejack was unnerved to see other ponies, ponies she had never seen, out in such weather and viewed them with warranted doubt. As they approached, Applejack could make out more and more details about the strangers. The grey one wore a worn and incomplete set of armor that had clearly gone through some trauma. A large cut ran down the, what Applejack assumed to be guards, lower lip and dried blood was collected around his ears. The Black one wore a large, similarly worn, great coat and a cap covered his head obscuring his eyes. Both of them where shivering and as they advanced, each expressed some kind of limp or similar restricted movement. While their appearance was crude and worn, they still brought about a great feeling of unease in Applejack. The orange pony realized they were advancing without sign of relent and with a short, instinctive adjustment of her stance, Applejack called out.
“That’s close enough partners.” She immediately regretted the fearful tone her statement but regardless, she held her ground. The pair immediately stopped at the command, they stood silently several yards from Applejack. After a short pause the two became lost in whispers to one another. The grey one spoke quickly but with purpose while they black one talked much quicker and with obvious concern. Applejack watched with a slowly growing sense of curiosity, she took a slow step forward and called out again, the frigid wind made her jaw shiver, slowing her speech. “Anything important you fell’ers wanted to talk about?” The two strangers snapped out of their personal argument and eyed the orange pony as if for the first time. The grey opened and closed his mouth as if to say something, yet no voice was heard. With an audible grunt, the shorter black pony pushed his partner aside and advanced ahead of him. The black pony called out in a grim tone full of urgency and devoid of positivity.
“Would you happen to know a pony by the name of Applejack comrade?” The last word caught Applejack of guard, she had never heard the phrase and although the black ponies accent was similar to other ponies of the region, the way he spoke hinted at a foreign lifestyle, as if he’d traveled to many places, seen many things. Remembering he had just asked a question, Applejack answered hastily.
“I’m Applejack, can I help you with anything.” The grey pony’s eyes widened and snapped to his partner. The black pony lifted his head, exposing a thin grin, the kind of grin you’d see on a mischievous colt after a successful plot, and a pair of cold, calculating blue eyes. A sudden feeling of dread overcame Applejack, subconsciously, her mind outlined escape routes behind her, her heart rate quickened, and she extended a shivering hoof backwards. The black pony took a step forward, a still and sly step forward, his form stopped shivering, as if the cold lost all control over him. The black pony called out in an unforgiving tone as his ally cantered up next to him.
“None of that comrade, we’re on the clock if you didn’t know and running would only ruin it more so.” His voice was strong and assured, like that of a dictator. He dug deeply around his coat pocket until he produced a small stone. With his grin growing into a broad smile, he extended the stone towards Applejack. Silence, there was only silence as the freezing wind whipped across the farm and over the three ponies. The black pony stood for several seconds until his smile slowly formed into a grimace. He violently shook the stone and brought it close to his eye for some kind of inspection. Applejack, seeing a break in the stranger’s concentration, took manual control of her legs and ran. The last thing she saw before breaking into an all out charge, a pointless charge not meant for reaching a destination but for simply fleeing the villain before her, was the black ponies partner marching up and snatching the stone from the others hoof. Applejack ran franticly for several short seconds before collapsing to the ground in an unconscious heap.
“I-I’VE K-KILLED HER, I just killed h-her.” Vladimir said between incoherent mumblings. The smoking talisman that had just shot a blue beam of electricity at the fleeing earth pony sat in on his extended hoof Reik raced up to the collapsed pony and checked for signs of life. “What is this thing Reik, I just killed somepony!” Reik, after prodding Applejack in several locations snatched the talisman from the shaking hooves of Vladimir and examined it with much more interest than he had done with the prone being before him. “She isn’t dead comrade; the extraction must have either exhausted her or caused enough damage to force unconsciousness, most likely the former.” Reik said with a nearly positive tone. Vladimir exhaled strongly and sat next to his friend, who cradled the talisman in his hooves, the talisman that Vladimir now realized that was emitting small claws of orange lightning. “What just happened comrade?” Vladimir said quietly, eyeing the rock with wonder and awe. Reik rose quickly, his fatigue and injuries forgotten, he looked upon Vladimir with a broad grin. “We just captured the element of honesty my friend.” Before Vladimir could look upon the stone further, Reik pocketed the instrument; a faint glow could be seen through the fading fabric of the black pony’s coat. Reik immediately spoke with a tone Vladimir had not heard for quite some time, one of glee and determination. “the time for celebration will come my friend, but we still have work to do, one down five to go, do away with your fatigue for this revolution has only just begun, but first, help me with the body.” |
Reik | 631 | 14 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:38:16+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:38:16+00:00 | 2,829 | *No pony is going to take you seriously if you don’t get your hooves dirty my ignorant friend*
**So leaving an innocent bystander to freeze will somehow benefit my reputation, you’d make a brilliant advisor**
*I thought we agreed that there was no innocence in Equestria, just varying degrees of guilt.*
**I was pulled from the burning wreckage of a flyer a few hours ago so pardon me if I can’t recall a few of our conversations**
*Excuses, excuses, excuses, I was in that crash too and I remember it, but then again I can remember a lot of things you evidently cant*
**Like what?**
*Hmmmmm, Hermmmmm, how aboooout, a time when you weren’t a radical maniac that forgot what he’s fighting for.*
**You’re false assumption aside, I thought you always wanted me to fail, what’s with the sudden change of heart**
*Nothing in our physical and metaphysical world would please me more than to see you fail but this mess you’ve dug yourself into isn’t the kind of mess one can bounce back from.*
**If I wanted a mother I would’ve stayed at home**
Reik immediately repressed several memories of his parents and the short time he had spent in their home to the back of his mind.
*I saw that, don’t go suppressing memories just because you can’t deal with them, you’ve changed my friend*
**And this is coming from the pony-**
*Pony? And I thought I was the one who had no grip on reality*
**Metaphysical pony who can’t stay on one subject for more than ten seconds**
*For a pony so quick to call me on logical errors you just committed tu quoque, wait, so did I, or did I, watch out for that rock*
VLADIMIR STOPPED AS the black pony following him lost his footing and fell into the snow. His friend quickly regained his footing and marched into the lead. The grey pony noted the sudden reddening of his friend’s face, through embarrassment or the cold he could not determine. The wind lashed at the pair as they made their way away from the Apple farm and towards Ponyville. Vladimir’s voice broke the frigid silence.
“I don’t think that red pony at the farm bought my story Reik, I don’t like the way he looked at me.” Upon returning the unconscious Applejack to the Apple farm residence, Reik and Vladimir where met with the suspicious gaze of Big Macintosh, Vladimir despite Reik’s reassurance, was convinced their ‘Knocked out by a falling branch’ lie had been as effective as planned. Reik remained silent, as if locking out his friend. The grey pony worried for his smaller ally, his silence was foreboding and his constant references to his watch where unnerving. The grand scheme entered Vladimir’s thoughts and his voice sounded again.
“Comrade, which pony is next?” Reik nodded quickly and dug the manifest out of his coat pocket and unraveled it, his hooves failing to cooperate fully due to the cold. He spoke quickly, taking practically no breath between phrases.
“With Applejack we have five to go, unless the layout for this village has changed during my absence, and it most likely has, we should be near the residence of the dress maker Rarity, afterwards, the pony Pinkie Pie lives at the Sugar cube corner establishment, she would be the next logical point, anything to add friend?” Vladimir took several seconds to take in the quickly dealt information before responding. A few buildings began to appear through the wind as the pair entered Ponyville.
“Good my friend, but I think from now on we should stick to the shadows instead of marching down the streets, if we are to maintain our advantage.” Reik nodded as he returned the parchment to its pocket. He pulled his cap down to cover his features as the pair disappeared into one of many darkened alleyways.
“IM A DRESSMAKER not a coat factory, no pony buys dresses in the winter, this is a catastrophe!” Rarity moaned, as she lay huddled under her work desk. Her purple hair had become a tattered mess and her mane had become grimy during her time in this state of emergency. Fluttershy stood beside the desk, her head poking under the table every few minutes to calm her fearful friend.
“Everything is going to be fine, um, you’ll just-” Her hushed tone was cut off by another fit of misery.
“I don’t know what I’ll do, I can’t make coats, but I have to do something!” Another fit of tears followed this particular outburst and Fluttershy stood silently to the side, ignorant of how to deal with such a situation. Rarity had been in this state for the past week and no improvements had been made since but while others had written it off as but another phase of hers, Fluttershy had risen to comfort her friend in a time of discomfort. Now it seemed that the small act of kindness had been for naught. It was late, the weather outside looked less and less hospitable with each minute and her friends outbursts where the only thing keeping the silent pony from dozing off. Fluttershy slowly leaned under the desk and began humming a soothing tune she hoped, more out of desperation than practicality, would aid the miserable form of Rarity. The white pony’s cries only intensified as her friend sung the tune. Fluttershy abruptly stopped and rose from her kneeling position. Leaving her friend to her quiet whimpering, the Pegasus moved away from the desk and towards one of the large windows that occupied the buildings walls. Upon drawing back the curtain hanging above the portal, Fluttershy was met with the dark image of midnight in Ponyville. Snow was heaped in piles along the road and street lamps created pillars of light in the darkness illuminating the falling snow. Was it not for the context of her predicament, Fluttershy would have felt calm and relaxed. The falling snow had a peculiar effect on her; it was easing, almost like a silent lullaby. Fluttershy's head began to slowly lower until the whole frame collapsed and her mind drifted into the realm of sleep.
A sharp knocking tore Fluttershy from her slumber. Upon closer examination the room appeared empty. The yellow pony assumed that her friend had since gone upstairs. The sharp knocking resumed and Fluttershy scanned the room for its source. The timid pony sprang from her pose towards the door, fumbling with the knob as she tried to open the portal. Once the bolt was relived of its placement, the door swung open with the force of the wind. Fluttershy winced at the sudden rush of cold air but upon a short change of stance, the blast of wind became blocked by some unseen force. As her eyes readjusted, the small pony noticed the two ponies standing before her. A large one clad in broken, half complete armor, the one that was currently protecting her from the winters wrath and another shrouded in a dark cloak with a cap concealing his features. The two where shivering and said nothing. Fluttershy was at a lost. These ponies were clearly lost and in need of shelter but at the same time, they had an air about them of unease. Choosing kindness over caution, Fluttershy motioned the strangers to enter, which they complied with. As the pair entered the dwelling Fluttershy overheard them in deep conference with each other. They spoke in sinister whispers and flashed suspicious glances towards her as they advanced to the center of the room. When the pair stopped, so too did their conversation, the two parties faced off, staring blankly at each other. Fluttershy sunk under their gaze and the silence only added to the awkward motif. Finally the smaller of the two strangers stepped forward, he cleared his throat and spoke. Expecting a harsh, weathered, and smaller tone, Fluttershy was surprised to hear a strong, commanding, and determined voice. He was calm, his tone in no way reflected his appearance and the cold appeared to have no power over him.
"Is this the residence of the one named Rarity?" Asked the black pony. Fluttershy, shrinking under his intimidation, answered slowly and quietly.
"Y-yes, um, are-" The black pony quickly interrupted.
"My apologies, but where is miss Rarity, and if you don't mind, who are you?" Fluttershy whimpered quietly before answering. To her, the wind outside seemed to halt, intensifying the conversation.
"She is, um, up stairs and, I'm, F-Fluttershy." Before she even had time to wince at her own timidness, the two ponies shared a brief conversation before the shorter one parting from his friend. He walked past Fluttershy, as she was not there, or even if she was that she was just an obstacle. As Fluttershy watched the black pony continue away from her and towards the stairs, she noted out of the corner of her vision, the larger pony withdrawing a small stone from his possession.
Reik disregarded the sudden flash of light, the short squeal of terror, and the thump of a collapsing pony as he made his way up the stairs. The black pony smiled broadly on their stroke of luck, time was now just a lesser enemy in his grand plan. Reik's mind rested upon his current state of mind, he expected to feel a rush, perhaps a robotic form of efficiency when he stepped into this peculiar house, yet he felt nothing. He felt almost bored with the whole predicament. He compared it to arguing with someone you knew was but was still required to argue with.
*Funny thing about those arguments, because you're not as committed and devoted to the argument, you are already inclined to lose, but hey, you're the political mastermind*
Disregarding the internal thought. Reik rounded on the door he assumed to be Rarity's. The warrant for which was the sounds of dismay emanating from within. Tired of dealing with the ridiculous paradigms of his fellow ponies, Reik opened the door to its full extent and marched into the room.
The room was the definition of bourgeois idiocy to Reik. A fine crafted bed, an elaborate coach, and small aspects of her class strewn about the room. Then again, this is Rarity, who aside from Applejack is the embodiment of Capitalism in Ponyville. The white pony sprung from her position of misery on her couch and faced Reik. Her tone was well bred but, as Reik noticed, contained no reason to be respected.
"Who are you, who let you in, can't you see I'm in an emotional cataclysm!" Eager to put an end to the already annoying tone of his opponent and upon hearing the hoof steps of Vladimir approaching from behind, Reik asked the same question he had dispatched to all his past prey.
"Would you happen to be Rarity?" |
Reik | 631 | 15 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:40:30+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:40:30+00:00 | 2,250 | TWILIGHT CURSED HER quickly fatiguing frame as she ran through Ponyville, stray citizens, street lamps, and other aspects of the village raced by in her peripheral vision as she fled into the settlements center. Only minutes ago, returning from her discussion with the princess and stopping at the apple farm, she had come upon the weakened form of Applejack. Once her friend awoke from what Macintosh described as an accident involving a fallen branch, the orange pony refuted the story as a lie and spoke of an attack, rather than an accident. She related the ordeal in detail to Twilight. The two strangers, the strange conversation, and ultimately, the enchanted stone they had used to strike her. Twilight listened with a grim interest, her hope dropping with each sentence until, upon confirmation that the two strangers were her strangers, she cried out in anguish.
As Twilight ran through Ponyville, she searched for some kind of purpose for Reik's actions. The details of the attack seemed pointless. What had he gained from it? What was the strange stone, and why was the rest of Ponyville aware of it all? Every other villain that had threatened Equestria had flaunted their superiority, success or some other aspect, but this 'communalist' or whatever he had declared himself to be, was different. Sugar cube corner snapped into view through the cold, its windows burned through the darkness with an orange haze. With lack of any better destination, Twilight was soon upon the door of Sugar cube corner, practically ripping the door from its hinges as she entered the establishment.
Every pony stopped their conversations, consumptions, and observations when the shivering form of Twilight stumbled thought the threshold. The purple pony gathered herself rather quickly and poked her head outside the door, as if searching for some kind of unseen threat, before slamming it shut. When she turned to face the building occupants, she was faced with a dozen ponies gaping in both confusion and fear. Suddenly conscious of her appearance, Twilight quickly brushed the mud and dirt and advanced into the crowd. She looked among the faces surrounding her for some kind of familiarity. Her small green assistant, Spike pushed between two observers to her side.
"Twilight, calm down. Now tell me, where have you been?" His voice was one of concern and disregarding his inquiry, Twilight spun around, her voice laced with urgency, and said.
"Spike, where is Pinkie Pie, and Dash, wasn't she here?" Stopping suddenly, Twilight realized how vulnerable they really where, if the attack was in any way coordinated then Ponyville had already fallen, Celestia was right, they would have to endure. Pushing the grim vision of failure from her thoughts, Twilight focused on the young dragon before her. He stuttered as he spoke, obviously confused and concerned.
“They’re both still here, where have you been, what’s wrong?” Twilight quickly moved to one of the buildings windows, scanning the outside world for this unseen enemy, mumbling incoherent phrases to herself. Spike stared at the purple pony, perplexed by her actions. Ever since she stormed out of Sugar cube corner some time ago, things had gone from weird, to just strange. The tremors, the sudden blanket of darkness, and now Twilight’s sudden state of panic. None of it made sense. Spike had tried coming up with some kind of explanation with the few details he had observed but nothing came up. A gleeful squeak from behind signified the approach of Pinkie Pie, flinching slightly at the surprising entrance, Spike turned to the pink pony. Pinkie, a noisemaker poking out the side of her mouth, had a look of positivity across her features, contrary to the expressions of those around her. She looked to Spike, then to Twilight, to Spike again, to Twilight once more, and back to Spike.
“Hey, why is she all in a rut?” Pinkie cocked her head to one side as she spoke, at an almost unnatural angle. Had he not been used to such oddities, Spike would have been disturbed. He looked at the pink pony with an expression of concern, one she did not share and evidently did not register. “Sooooo, why is Twilight all, um, hello Twilight?” Spike turned around to find a disturbed Twilight standing several inches from Pinkie, their faces virtually touching. She was breathing heavily and blinking inconsistently. Her voice was in a similar state of unease and disarray as the rest of her. “Where is Dash?” She asked, Pinkie cocked her head again, this time at a less extreme angle, hinting that the gravity of the situation was finally becoming apparent to her or maybe not, Spike had given up on determining what floated around in that mind of hers. “She’s over there in the corner, what’s with all the hubbub?” Pinkie responded, motioning to the far corner of the room. Before she could continue though, Twilight moved away, speaking to Pinkie between mumbling. “Don’t move, this is very important, stay put.” She moved through the crowd silently, towards Rainbow Dash. Pinkie looked to Spike, who in turn looked back to her with an expression of pure confusion. Pinkie shrugged and snapped her attention to the front door, her eyes and expression perked up suddenly.
“Oh look, someponys at the door!”
SCOOTALOO GRUNTED AS she struck the ground, her two friends Apple loom and Sweetie Belle looking down at her from atop the wooden platform in the dark courtyard she had fallen from. The young ponies still atop the short wooden tower called down to their friend if she had been hurt. The small, orange pony regained her ground and groaned.
“What are we even doing out here, I’m freezing my wings of!” Scootaloo cried out, the words drifting out in between shivers. Apple Bloom grinned widely and responded, her voice almost indistinguishable from the freezing wind.
“We’re trying predicting the weather!” Sweetie Belle immediately turned on the yellow pony.
“Wait, how exactly do we do that when we’re in the blizzard, and don’t we need some equipment for that?” Sweetie Belled said. Apple Bloom looked to the white pony, taking a short pause before responding. “Well, um, I don’t, err, you can’t go criticizing the plan during the actual plan, you have to wait till it’s over Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie Belle shook her head with a sense of annoyance, speaking after several frozen seconds. “Is it just me, or do we never think these things through?” Apple Bloom responded immediately, speaking quickly despite the cold. “We think these things through plenty, they just aren’t right for us.” The two quickly became lost in argument as Scootaloo looked on from below wondering whether it was annoyance or the frigid cold that had a greater grip on her.
“Pardon me little one.”
Surprised, Scootaloo jumped slightly and spun around to identify the voice. The orange pony was shocked to see such odd ponies, the shortest of the pair black and cloaked and the larger grey and clad in a sad excuse for armor, but even more so that they were able to approach without her knowing. The large grey pony swiveled his head from side to side, like a weasel sticking its head out of its hole. Scootaloo suddenly became aware that the ponies before her were strangers; she had never seen them around Ponyville, this and other disturbing aspects only added to her unease. The black pony shifted his stance and lowered his gaze on Scootaloo; his stare was one of condemnation and grimness. He spoke again, his tone one of command.
“Where is Sugar cube corner?” He spoke at a brisk pace and his speech was trained, like that of a bureaucrat. Scootaloo froze under his gaze, mumbling and digging her hoof into the ground. The large grey pony stepped forward, leveling his gaze at the young pony as well.
“We are in a hurry young one, where is Sugar cube corner?” His voice was dark and threatening, his intimidation snapped some form of sense into Scootaloo, who responded quickly at the statement. “D-down the street, it’s on the corner, c-can’t miss it.” Her words flowed over chattering teeth and with a grunt of acknowledgement, the grey pony marched away, towards edge of the courtyard and nearing the street, the fallen snow crunching under his hooves. As he did this, the black pony smiled, although the usually kind act only added to the stranger’s unusual theme. After a modest bow, he quickly moved off to pursue his partner, leaving Scootaloo alone to ponder the strange event that had just transpired. The freezing winds lashed at her flank, sudden shivers rocked her small frame. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, their debate concluded, called down to their friend. “Who was that?” Scootaloo took several seconds to register that a question had just been said, instead only standing in the snow dumfounded. Once realizing the inquiry, Scootaloo responded in a near inaudible whisper.
“I don’t know.”
*WOW, YOU’D BE great with kids, forget about revolution, and give teaching a try friend*
**Its late, I’m tired, and we will most likely be dead in the next few hours**
*Nah, Celestia would just dump you in a dungeon cell for the rest of your days, where you’d peel potatoes and count the cobwebs*
Disregarding the pointless remarks of the maniac lenity in his subconscious, Reik focused on the reality of the situation. The orange pony had been correct; Sugar cube corner grew as he approached it and Vladimir was already at the buildings front door. The wind died down for what Reik assumed to be the fourth time. The odd weather anomalies annoyed Reik at the most, and the activity of the talisman, which was now glowing slightly with the elements of honesty, kindness, was what the black pony assumed to be the epicenter of such oddities.
The wind intensified once more as Reik approached his larger friend, they stopped at the door, silently wondering what move to make.
“I heard voices, a lot of them, I don’t think a few villagers would be much of an issue but I assume that you would want to avoid a scuffle, correct?” Vladimir asked, moving his head closer to a window, trying to look beyond its frozen outer surface.
“Yes comrade, scuffles are ill advisable, let me do the talking but if things do turn sour, I will not be felled by a party of villagers.” Reik responded, adjusting his cap and coat into a more presentable appearance. Vladimir nodded but continued. “Talking, is there some elaborate back story I should be aware of?” Vladimir said casually. Reik grinned. “Oh no, the time for ruses is done, I will not hide our cause but if I can talk my way out of another fight, I’m taking it.” Vladimir nodded once more and opened his mouth to make a response but was silenced by the sudden opening of the front door of Sugar cube corner. At first the sudden increase of light blinded the pair, but in seconds their vision adjusted and they stood silently staring at the pink pony standing in the door way. Reik recognized her as the pony Pinkie Pie he had spoken with many hours ago. She stood smiling at the two before extending her head outside the building practically into Reik’s face and said.
“Hi ya, don’t I know you, um, yes, you’re that pony I met today by the river, Twilights been looking for you and-” Her high pitched speech was cut short by Reik. Although already knowing her identity, Reik felt he had to ask the obvious. More so for principles and showman ship than really for tactical purpose.
“Would you happen to be, or know a pony named pinkie Pie?” His voice was, like all the other times, calm and collected, like that of a confident predator. Pinkie smiled broadly, her ears flicked up and down in some random pattern and her tail twitched at its base but evidently the act went unnoticed by the pony. She spoke loudly and with a tone of curious positivity.
“Im pinkie Pie silly, don’t you remember me, but is that tall guy your frie-” Three seconds later, Reik casually stepped over the unconscious body of Pinkie Pie, a smoking talisman held by the grey pony at his side. |
Reik | 631 | 16 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:41:40+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:41:40+00:00 | 2,374 | “PLEASE, EVERYPONY REMAIN calm, we are professionals.” Reik said as he stepped over Pinkie Pie’s prone form, Vladimir at his side still holding the smoking talisman. All the activity within Sugar cube corner ground to a halt as the pair entered, not a single voice was heard, and every pony near the revolutionaries took a step back until a large circle formed around the intruders. Reik looked over the face of every occupant, he didn’t know what either of his targets looked like but he figured that a dose of intimidation never hurt anypony. A few whimpers could be heard and a small grin spread across Reik’s face.
*Pleasure at the terror of innocents, you’re such a hero of the masses Reik*
**Their terror is a given, but soon they will see it was all necessary**
“Princess Celestia has fled, Canterlot is destroyed, and the rein of the bourgeois is at an end.” Reik took great pleasure in his speech. All those years, all those years of pain and suffering, all those storms he had faced; now they would all rain down this night. Franz was right for once, he did take a small essence of pleasure at the terror of the ponies before him, not enough to deem him a sadist he thought but enough to make him grin. Let them tremble Reik thought, if there was an honest worker among them then they would have joined him like George, Vladimir, and Iris, they wouldn’t have stood by silently as he was forced into exile, they wouldn’t have just watched as such a great injustice took place. Let this rabble of blind ponies tremble at the revolution, let them be afraid, for their entire existence is about to be turned upside down. Reik brought himself to full height, puffing out his chest.
“Now, where is-” Reik suddenly stopped, the names escaped him. He dug though the pockets of his coat until he found the manifest, lifting it out of its place and scanning its face, Reik cleared his throat and spoke again. “Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, no harm will come to them I assure you all, I just require something they happen to have.”
TWILIGHT PANICKED AS she struggled to keep Rainbow Dash grounded. The blue pony squirmed under Twilights form, struggling to escape her grasp and lash out at the one who had attacked Pinkie.
“Let me go!” Rainbow Dash cried out. “Did you see what he did to her!?” Twilight wrapped her leg around Dashes abdomen, trying to keep her friend away from the ponies she knew very well where beyond what anypony here could possibly hope to combat. Dash struggled against the protective measure.
“Yes, but you can’t win this fight, none of us can, we have to-” Twilight was stopped in mid-speech by a sharp kick to her lower jaw. Dash escaped her friends grasp and raced over the crowd towards the intruders.
REIK SIDESTEPPED THE blue pony’s attack. Her hoof, extended in an aggressive assault, flew past his head, missing him by barley an inch. She swung around for another assault but before she could pull herself into a more advantageous position, she was on the ground. Her wings would not cooperate, they were numb and as she turned her head to examine the now useless appendages, she could make out a small incision along her back; it was just a small inch long cut between her wings. She turned her head to the black pony standing before her. The black pony didn’t address her immediately, instead wiping the crimson blood from a strange looking curved blade onto his coat. It was only after a very thorough cleaning that he finally pocketed the weapon and looked down upon the crippled pegasus.
“It’s been awhile since I looked over pony anatomy so my sincerest apologies if the cut was too deep.” Reik lowered his head until his and hers where but inches apart, he looked at her as if expecting an answer yet the blue pony lied before him motionless, a shocked grimace on her face. “Oh, it’s not permanent if you’re wondering; just a few cut tendons, nothing that won’t heal in a few weeks but now I’m getting a tad off topic, would your name happen to be Rainbow Dash?” Reik spoke in a kind and nurturing tone, ironic for the context of the situation. When the blue pony just opened and closed her mouth for several seconds, surprised and insensible he spoke again in the same kind tone. “Please, time is very much against me and my comrade, what is your name?” Rainbow Dash finally recovered some sense, in a state of shock and fear she answered, all thoughts of resistance cowered under the dominating emotion of fear. “Rainbow Dash, I-I’m R-Rainbow Dash.” Nodding with a smile, Reik brought his head up and looked to the tall form of Vladimir who had until now been standing near the door, keeping at bay any would be escapes. With a long nod, Reik turned his back to his comrade and faced the crowd. He spoke quickly and with a slightly threatening tone. “Where is Twilight Sparkle, I would like to avoid hunting her down, and I’m starting to think that is what I’ll have to, but if you’d like to spare us all the pain, please step forward.” A bright flash quickly followed the bold statement, after which the room fell into an even greater sense of despair. Some had a look of terror and disgust, some looked away, and some simply broke into tears. A sudden feeling of remorse overcame Reik’s mind.
*Having second thoughts are we?*
**Perhaps I was a little hasty, let’s put an end to this.**
Reik looked to Vladimir, who was currently checking the unconscious blue pony for extensive injury. With a short glare that efficiently transferred the message, Vladimir rose and tossed Reik the talisman. Catching it between his teeth, Reik felt a sudden surge of power; it cooked his internal organs and made his hair stand up. Nothing was beyond his grasp, everything was at his mercy, and the world was his. The stone filled him with a sense of invincibility,.
*No.*
The subconscious phrase caught Reik off guard; it pulled him out of his delusion and back into reality. Yes he thought, I will not sink to the level of tyrants, its power is only borrowed, borrowed so that I may better this world, not cast it into darkness. Reik suddenly became aware of how tired he really was, his limbs screamed in frozen agony and the cold assaulted his form. The previous surge of anger and hate was smothered by the gripping cold. The revolutionary pushed thoughts of doubt and fear to the back of his head, yes they would come to light in the future he knew that much but now was no time for such emotions. As the black pony broke into a run towards the back of the room, he called out to his friend, his voice was shaking and exhausted.
“Get the others, and make your way to the town’s center.” Vladimir nodded and quickly disappeared through the front door of Sugar cube corner.
TWILIGHT GASPED AS the cold assaulted her. She charged out the back door of Sugarcube corner and into the freezing landscape of Ponyville. Her mind raced, answers, plans, options, they all seemed to disappear as reason was overwhelmed by fear. Soon she was no longer looking for a destination; she was simply trying to flee the doomed village. It was over, Ponyville was lost, and they would have to retreat, regroup. No, it was pointless; she would freeze before she escaped. Her pace slowly stopped until finally she collapsed into the snow. It was over for Twilight, she lay in the snow, tears welling behind her closed eyes. Acknowledging her failure and the darkness that had now descended upon her home and friends, Twilight silently wept. The world grew dark around her, intensifying her misery.
“I’m sorry things have to be this way.” The voice was distant and estranged. Twilight slowly looked up to see the black pony that held a glowing talisman between his teeth. It still made no sense, nothing made sense, so many questions, so much she did not know. Twilight lowered her head into the snow, accepting her fate.
“Please, soon things will be better, better than they ever where and you will see that it was all necessary.” The voice was sad and mournful. When Twilight did not respond, when she only continued to lie in the dark snow, Reik gripped the talisman and shut his eyes. The flash was not as intense as when Vladimir had utilized the stone. Through closed eyes, Reik could tell the flash was small and minimal. When the light dissipated, the stone felt as if it would nearly explode with power. It felt as if at any moment the power the black pony held between his jaws would rush out and annihilate all of Ponyville and even Equestria. Yet despite that power, Reik felt distant from it, as if it really wasn’t his. He felt like tossing the corrupt item away, yet in his mind he knew that such a thing would be madness. A gentle sigh could be heard under the rush of the freezing wind.
“I’m sorry.” The words came out in a whisper, unlike all the other grand addresses Reik had dealt the inhabitants of Ponyville and Canterlot, the phrase came out as if it had come from the maw of a doubtful child. Raising his head and pocketing the small talisman, Reik looked down the empty street. The wind suddenly slowed, lessening until finally stopping altogether. A distant sound could be heard, like the roar of a crumbling mountain. As Reik pulled the stone once more out of its place, he narrowed his vision, trying to make out the source of the sound. Like a ghost out of a child’s nightmare, a hundred royal guardsmen roared out of the darkness. They charged down the street in a mob of disharmony. Reik could make out no evidence of rule in the mob, no officers, no ring leader, perhaps a last ditch effort by the guardsmen left behind to save Ponyville. Reik looked upon the warriors with a sense of envy. How it is to be a follower, how simple and easy, and how terrible it is to lead.
“And now the greatest crime of all.” Reik mumbled as he raised the talisman above his head. The guards came closer and closer until they where upon him. He waited until the last second to unleash the power of the stone, wanting to stall the inevitable for just a few seconds more. Looking back on all the actions, both his and the ones he had caused, instead of pride he felt only shame. As the stone activated and illuminated the surrounding area, bathing the buildings in a shower of light, Reik mentally begged forgiveness from his conscience and his peers yet deep down already knew he would never have it.
IRIS STARRED AT the trembling ground with a look of curiosity while the brown pony George stood behind her, looking around in fear. They had just exited the home when the ground started shaking, as the stood in the cold; Iris noted the peculiar nature of her surroundings. The wind had slowed to a halt, the cold increased to a level unknown this early in the winter, and all sounds of nature, the birds, bears, and trees, they made no sounds, as if they had all been simultaneously silenced. The ground suddenly parted a few feet from the pair. A mound of earth grew out of the split, and as the mound grew, so too did the crack. The mound grew taller and wider, until, on both sides it stretched into the distant night beyond. The bound grew until it stood twelve feet high. Once the wall had stopped it growth and when the earth stopped shaking, a net, made up of the outlines of massive geometric shapes illuminated the sky. The net appeared for only a second, but Iris could tell it still stood, invisible to the eyes of the average pony, but as solid and impenetrable as granite. George started shaking uncontrollably once the whole ordeal had climaxed, he looked as if he would collapse from shock and fear. Iris looked to the small pony and spoke in a casual tone.
“Unless I’m mistaken, I think we won.” George looked to the red pegasus with pleading eyes. His voice was shaking and cautious.
“What d-do you mean?” Iris shook her head and smiled. “Breathe you old colt, you’ll work yourself into a heart attack.” George regained some of his sense at the remark and silently stood beside Iris, looking at the great wall that stretched far beyond his peripheral vision. Until now the two had resided in Iris’s home, Iris looking over and drawing plans for great machines of industry and agriculture and George watching and pretending to understand. A sudden roar brought the two out of their pause.
“Comrades, we go to the village square, the town is ours!” Vladimir roared as he stormed out of the forest. Despite several large cuts across his flank, the twigs and branches sticking out of his armor, the grey pony wore of an expression of glee. Iris, waiting for this moment for the past few hours, ran into her home and quickly returned with a bag with scrolls sticking out of its opening and a set of goggles, with an odd assortment of lenses, some flipped into few and other not, hanging around her neck. The three ponies where quickly rushing into the forest, towards the town and their leader.
REIK MUMBLED TO himself as he rested on the steps of the pavilion at the center of Ponyville. The communist manifesto rested at his hooves, a pencil griped between his teeth racing across its blank pages. Satisfied with his work, he closed the book and pocketed the pencil. The black pony raised his head, looking to the large pony, clad in the golden armor of the royal guards that stood before him.
“Not much of a talker are you comrade.” Reik said casually. The guards, like all the others around him, simply stood in place, his eyes glazed over and pitch black. The cold had slowly lessened to a more manageable level and Reik savored the low temperature, he had always loved the cold, while others would hide in their homes, he would dance in the freezing winter like one would dance in the falling rain. Looking across the ocean of motionless soldiers, Reik thought of the whole situation as kind of ironic, he really hadn’t changed anything drastic. They were zombies under Celestia, now they were zombies under him. It was all just a simple change of hooves really. He thought of the term ‘under’ with distaste, this was all just a transition period, soon they would be free and all of Equestria would be unified under the banner of love and peace. But that was in the future, and if it were to become a reality Reik would have to focus on the present. The black pony shoved the journal into its large pocket and rose. Looking over the ocean of guardsmen, Reik had since dismissed any feelings of regret, it was a necessity, and within a short time, it would all be worth it. The stone felt heavy in Reik’s coat pocket, it begged his attention, and it called out to him. Cursing the stone, Reik pushed the talisman out of his thoughts, instead thinking of how to go about managing the new Ponyville, according to the operation handbook, upon completion of the revolution, all further actions should be done according to the manifesto, yet the manifesto was a tad sketchy on establishing a legitimate government. Reik drew mental plans for an election, an election for officers in the new government. A commune he would call it, the Ponyville Commune, yes that would do nicely. Looking up from his thoughts, Reik was pleased to see three ponies walking down the snow covered street towards the pavilion. At first they wore expressions of suspicion upon seeing so many guards, yet after looking upon Reik amidst the warriors, casually holding the talisman in his hooves, they broke out into cheers and smiles. Reik admired their enthusiasm, secretly wishing his own could somehow match theirs. |
Reik | 631 | 17 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2011-11-22T05:27:13+00:00 | 2011-11-22T05:27:13+00:00 | 2,254 | Constitution of the Socialist Territory of Ponyville
It is in the best wishes of the workers of Equestia that we, as the proletariat that has until now supported the wishes of the bourgeois, release ourselves from the chains of oppression and seize political power from the few that would wish to keep us in poverty. It is according to those best wishes that we establish our own society, economy, and government, which will, until such times as it proves to be unnecessary, safe guard and support, the will of the worker.
Article One
A: The Ponyville Commune, the supreme governing body within the Socialist Territory of Ponyville, shall be composed of the following seats that will be occupied by ponies, democratically elected by a two thirds majority vote.
Commissar for Defense, Commissar for Industry, Commissar for Agriculture, Commissar for Logistics, Commissar for Infrastructure, Commissar for Public Relations, Commissar for Education, Chairman.
The duties of the Commune are to establish laws and serve the general wishes of the masses, or to create sub communes which are required to fulfill equivalent duties.
B: All bills, resolutions, or similar suggestions brought up within any Commune, be it supreme or below the supreme, shall be ratified by a majority vote but is then to be vetoed or accepted by the chairman.
In such times that a veto has occurred, a complete affirmative vote is required to veto the chairman’s decision.
All periods of voting are to be followed by a period of debate held at the discretion of the Commune.
Article Two
A: The following actions are too occur and are beyond the ability of the Commune to alter.
1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes.
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6. Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State.
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
8. Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country. 10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.
Article Three
In such times that a seat in the Commune has shown that it is unfit or unable to fulfill its duty, a majority vote, held by the Commune, shall be required to remove the occupant of said seat.
Let it be known that it is by these laws, standards, and rules that the Socialist Territory of Ponyville shall be governed. |
Reik | 631 | 18 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:42:59+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:42:59+00:00 | 2,320 | THE AIR THAT filled Twilights lungs when she awoke was cold and thick. She kept her eyes closed as she regained her thoughts. She pieced together events and moments until she had a decent timeline of what had transpired before she was cast into her unconscious state. The chase, the revolutionaries, Celestia, the talisman, it came in unrecognizable bits and pieces until, as a whole, the grim picture became complete. Returning to reality, Twilight opened her eyes. She first realized that she was resting on a pile of cushions and blankets.
The room was small; Twilight remembered it as a storage room in Sugarcube corner but devoid of its usual contents of boxes and sacks. A small flickering candle was the room’s only source of light and a pony, shrouded in a dark coat and hat, stood in the corner, head hanging low in silence. The pony stood silently in the corner, swaying side to side slowly. Suddenly remembering the dark, cloaked pony that had brought strife to Ponyville and harmed her friends, Twilight was overcome by fear, why was she here? Who was this mysterious figure? And what had happened while she was asleep? Her mind filled with speculation and fear, her breath became ragged and her body began to shiver, both from fear and the biting cold. The pony in the corner of the room shook violently and snorted, suddenly awoken. The pony raised its head and cocked its head to the side. The ponies face was hidden both by a small cap and the rooms creeping darkness. The pony took a step forward and moved to remove the cap; the cap that Twilight noticed had a crossed hammer and sickle upon it. Upon removal of the cap, a large bundle of golden blonde hair swept into view.
“Applejack?” Twilight mumbled quietly. The cloaked pony smiled awkwardly and took another step forward.
“Gave us quiet a scare sugar cube, and stop staring, I know I look ridiculous.” AppleJack said as she pulled Twilight from her prone position. The purple pony nearly lost her balance upon putting weight on her hooves and had to be supported by her friend. Twilight groaned in agony as her stiff legs flexed and stretched. “How long was I asleep?” She mumbled through clenched teeth. Applejack hesitated before answering. “Uh, I’d say about.” She paused and pulled a small watch from one of the pockets in her coat. After a short period of consultation and mumbling that Twilight overheard as rudimentary math, Applejack continued. “About three day’s hun, but I could be wrong.” Twilight shook her head. “How could you be wrong, why are you wearing that, and what-”Applejack gave Twilight a stern look signaling her to stop. Letting her bear her own weight, the orange pony stepped aside and looked over her friend. “Let me explain Twilight, a lot has happened in the past, well, hours ‘cause we can’t really say days.” Twilight wore a look of utter confusion. Applejack sighed deeply. “The moon hasn’t gone down and the sun hasn’t come up, it’s been midnight for the past seventy-two hours by my watch.” Twilight took the information in slowly, slowly finding reason for it. “Celestia, she can’t raise the sun, It’s the talisman, its” Twilight stopped as Applejacks face contorted into a questioning expression similar to Twilights. With a deep breath, Twilight related the events that had occurred from perspective the night of the revolution. Upon completion of the tail, Applejack nodded and continued her own explanation. “Well, like I said, things have changed, and, well, I think it would be best if you saw for yourself.” Applejack turned and walked towards the rooms back wall while Twilight stood alone in the darkness. She took in a shaking breath and approached her friend, so many questions; they would have to wait she thought. The door opened what seemed like an inch yet the room was quickly swarmed by a rush of freezing air and the lone candle was extinguished. With a quiet grunt, Applejack pushed the large door aside, Twilight followed her orange friend out of the portal. For a second, Twilight did not believe she was still in Ponyville, the world before her was strange and alien.
The first aspect she registered were the banners. They hung from balconies, street lamps, windowsills, and almost every other surface above ground level. Each banner was the same, a red hammer and sickle crossed over a black plane and when combined with the flickering light of the streetlamps, foreboding shadows were cast upon the street like black lacerations. They shifted gently in the cold lacking any breeze to alter them, they were ominous and brought a sense of paranoia to Twilight, she felt as if whatever had invaded her village spoke through the banners, as if each one had an attentive ear. On the street level, the same symbol was painted on every blank surface. Twilight looked up and observed the sky. The moon hung in the sky in virtually the same place she had seen it the night of the attack and the sight struck a sense of dread into the purple pony. Pulling her gaze from the moon and back to street level, Twilight registered the numerous ponies moving through the streets.
Most of them were guards; they marched in groups, the largest of which had six. They all were clad in what first appeared to be black armor, but upon closer inspections the metal was gold in origin yet had been painted over in a crusting black coat. The specks of gold dotting the armor shined brightly as the ponies passed under the street lamps, many of which Twilight assumed had been newly installed since she had never known Ponyville to have so many. The guards roomed the streets in the same manner one would room the Everfree forest, paranoid, turning their heads at increasingly odd angles, scrutinizing every aspect of their surroundings. Wondering what such warriors were doing in the village, Twilight turned to Applejack.
“Who are they” She mumbled in a fearful tone. Applejack turned to her friend, a grim expression on her features. “Ya know them royal guards at Canterlot?” Twilight nodded slowly. “Well, that fancy rock can do strange things, put all those ponies in some kinda trance, they take orders from him now.” Twilight shivered with a new sense of cold, not due to the weather but to her grim reality. Seeing the expression on Applejack change to one of anger and her eyes shift to focus on something behind Applejack, Twilight turned to see a large brown pony, clad in the same black armor as the others but with a red star painted over the plate concealing his cutie mark. The one feature that legitimately disturbed Twilight was his eyes. A grey haze hung over his blue iris and it looked as if, although staring right at her, he was looking at some other far away object. He spoke slowly, his tone inquisitive but threatening.
“Who are you, and where exactly are you going?” Applejack shoved Twilight aside and stepped hoof to hoof with the guard. She spoke quickly with an annoyed tone. “She’s with me ya hear, not a spy, not a conspirator, not a traitor, now buzz off and bother some other pony.” The guard looked at Applejack quickly, shifting his gaze across her entire figure as if looking for an expression to give her away. Failing in his attempt, he nodded and stepped away. Grumbling, Applejack grabbed Twilight and pushed her along the sidewalk, down the street. As they moved away, the guard called out to them. “Goodnight, comrade commissar, and stay alert!”
The wind picked up quickly and the snow crunched under their hooves as the pair moved down the street, where, Twilight could only guess. Twilights home, the town’s library came into view as they rounded a corner. As the moved in the open, Applejack increased her pace, further worrying Twilight. The cold air lashed at their manes when they came upon the door, the locking mechanism for which had been torn out. After sending Twilight through the portal and shutting the door, Applejack leaned against the door, releasing a muffled moan.
Slumping down onto a couch, Twilight examined her surroundings. Despite being in her own home, Twilight still felt as if the building she now occupied was one of alienation and estrangement. The purple pony looked to her friend with an inquisitive expression, deciding that over an arsenal of questions. Applejack rose from her position and began pacing the room, mumbling to herself as she did so. Twilight sighed deeply and spoke firmly to her orange friend.
“Applejack, what is going on around here, where is everypony?” There was slightly more panic in her tone than she would have like but Applejack acknowledged the question and responded, never ceasing in her random pacing. “If they have a brain then they’re in their homes.” Twilight shook her head, annoyed and frustrated. “But why are you dressed that way and why would they be in their homes, what did he do?” Applejack continued pacing, her voice was tired and fatigued. “That pony, reek or whatever, took over Ponyville, he keeps blabbin on about class’s n’ labor, he took away all our bits, an he cut us all of from the rest of Eque-”Applejack paused as a sudden knocking rang throughout the building. Rising from her seat, Twilight watched as her friend moved to one of the walls windows and gently pushed the shades aside. Cursing under her breath, Applejack walked to the door and pulled it open as the knocking resumed. Twilight was surprised to recognize the same pony standing just outside the doorway as the one who had questioned them once they left the storage room. Twilight deduced he had been following them for it was impossible he would know their location otherwise. He casually extended a hoof forward, deterring any attempt to close the portal.
“Comrade commissar, an emergency meeting has been convened, you are needed.” He said with a broad smile, as if happy to give her orders. Applejack turned to Twilight, her expression the enunciation of sorrow before walking past the guard and into the darkness.
The guard turned his head, his gaze following Applejack until he was satisfied with her distance. He quickly walked through the door and looked to Twilight, retaining his broad grin. “So this is your residence?” He said as he approached Twilight. Unnerved by his actions, Twilight took an involuntary step back. The guard moved past Twilight, towards a bookshelf along the wall. “You are Twilight, correct?” He stressed the last word as if demanding an answer. Twilight murmured an affirmation to which the guard nodded and continued his examination. His horn glowed slightly as several books were pulled from the shelf and opened. “You manage the library too?” He said as he flipped through each books pages, replacing some and withdrawing up others. Again Twilight murmured an affirmation, she slowly moved towards the door, fearful and eager to escape. “What kind of books do you have here?” The guard said as he finished with the last book, gently sliding it back into the shelf. Twilight, nervous and fearful, stumbled over her words.
“Um, anything really, err, science, history, and um.” Twilight trailed off as the guard marched towards her, obviously uninterested. He stopped before her, examining her appearance. Twilight cringed under his scrutinizing stare; the stranger’s uncaring eyes were devoid of emotion, like a machine. Suddenly ending his search, the guard nodded kindly and marched out the doorway, leaving the door open behind him. Twilight remained rooted in her spot, thinking the guard might still be watching and would disapprove of any other movement. After what seemed like several minutes of silent terror, Twilight was brought back to reality by a sudden rush of freezing air coming from the open door. Rushing to the portal and poking her head out in search of the lone guard, Twilight slammed the door. For a split second, as the door closed, Twilight could make out the silhouette of a lone pony under a street lamp down the avenue, staring at the library. Twilight slid down the doors face, collecting on the floor in a shivering heap. Her mind overflowed with questions, speculation, and exclamations. She attempted to organize her thoughts, prioritizing issues and finding logical solutions to questions she could answer without material evidence. She constructed a mental chain of events, filling in holes where she could, yet leaving too many for the thought to be believable. Quickly lost in thought, Twilight didn’t realize the exhaustion that slowly crept over her. Eventually, snores and dreams replaced frantic whispers and controversial thoughts. |
Reik | 631 | 19 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:44:24+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:44:24+00:00 | 2,019 | TWILIGHT SNAPPED AWAKE, her head slamming against the door she was slumped against as she did so. After rubbing her head to ease the resulting pain, she realized somepony was knocking at the door. With stiff limbs, the purple pony regained hoofing and, leaning against the wall for support, the knocking continued. She examined her surroundings, slightly calmed to know that she was still in the safety in her home but quickly disturbed by the lighting. As Applejack had said, it was still dark outside, the only lighting in the room coming from a single candle fixed to the wall. Twilight moaned quietly, the frightening reality of her world returning. She was terrified, not that her world had changed but how quickly it had changed, how little she knew about it and how little she had done to stop it. She felt departed, alienated from her surroundings, as if they weren’t really hers. Twilight once again felt the urge to flee, to escape and never return. There was no other option in her mind, she had no place anymore, and trying to stop a foe she knew nothing about was pointless. Twilight began eyeing the nearby window with a growing sense of longing.
Twilight was pulled from her mental throes by another wave of knocking. The sudden stop to her thoughts of sadness and depression brought her back to reality and delivered a realization. This is my reality, and I’m going to deal with it. The thought was short and barley any thought process or brain power to comprehend, yet it resonated within the purple pony. This was reality, there were others here too, and she was not alone. Celestia was still in the forest in need of an informant. Her friends where still either injured or scattered. Ponyville was still trapped under darkness. She still had a purpose. This is my reality, and I’m going to deal with it. Twilight repeated the phrase in her head again and again; it brought strength to her limbs and fortitude to her thoughts. With a shaking breath, Twilight turned to open the portal.
The door swung inward and Twilight quickly shut her eyes as a gust of frozen air swept through the breach. After the wind quickly died away, she slowly opened her eyes.
The first object she registered was the armor clad stallion, he stood silently before her, unmoving in contrast to Twilights shivering form. His armor was less complete than that of others she had seen, consisting only of a modest helm and single piece chest plate. He stared emotionlessly at the purple pony with the same cold, unfeeling eyes of the other guards. He did not speak and Twilight was once again unnerved by the silent figure, a figure that was once the symbol of royal prowess and strength but was now but a perversion of that noble cause. Inching to the side, Twilight examined the now bustling, yet still darkened, Ponyville.
Unlike several hours ago, the village was buzzing with activity, much like it would before the black pony had come, yet more organized. Groups of ponies Twilight recognized as citizens moved in large groups through the streets, escorted by guards as they went. Surprisingly, even the pegasi where walking among their wingless brethren, they sky being occupied only by winged guards. It was difficult to distinguish the silent flyers from the night sky but the illumination from the street lamps reflected off of the low flying guard’s armor. Twilight felt disorganized when she once again noticed the night sky and the unmoving moon. She was wide awake and was accustomed to the sensation usually when the sun was cresting the horizon but to feel this awake in what looked like the middle of the night was simply confusing. Turning her gaze back to the ground, Twilight further examined the crowds. They moved in large clumps of what she guessed was fifteen, each guided by a pair of guards that shouted and herded the group onward. The ponies following did little to contradict the automatons, obeying their instructions with little to no sign of defiance. It was saddening to see her fellow ponies in such a pitiful and disgraceful state. The guard suddenly moved to block her view and spoke quickly; if his tone wasn’t devoid of emotion perhaps he would have sounded annoyed thought Twilight.
“Are you Twilight Sparkle?” Twilight paused briefly, surprised by the direct question.
“Yes, what is everypo-” The guard cut her off. “The work day has begun, you will be directed to your station, please follow me.” He stepped back, nodded to another pony outside of Twilights view and motioned for her to step forward. Inching forward slowly at first, Twilight saw a small collection of townsfolk arranged near the library, shifting silently in the cold, led by a much larger guard who was now ushering them forward. Sensing the guard behind her, the she fell into cohesion with the group and began marching down the street.
“I DON’T CARE about deadlines; this project will not get finished simply because Reik wills it.” Iris said to the guard as she hovered over the blueprints sprawled across the wooden table. Multiple stones rested on the paper in order to keep them from being lost to the wind and the red pony nudged the rocks this way and that as she went over the incoherent collection of numbers and drawings. She raised a hoof to her goggles and flicked a lever, lowering one of the specialized lenses over her eyes as she examined the parchment with greater interest. The guard retained his tone and continued. “Whether or not you care is beside the point engineer.” The guard rolled the term ‘engineer’ off his tongue as if it were a disgusting phrase. “We have deadlines, and if they are not met, the repercussions of the failure of this project will harm the entire territory.” The guard stopped as Iris spun around and fixed him with a glare that pierced her goggles. “That’s Commissar of Industry comrade, and that deadline is unreasonable, I cannot give him a functioning plant without time which I have yet to be given.” She tried to make herself sound and appear intimidating yet as she spoke, and as she looked into the unmoving guard before her, she felt herself shrink. He spoke slowly and with a foreboding tone. “And that’s Commissar for Public Relations to you, I did not set the deadline, but it will be met, with or without your cooperation.” His tone was triumphant. For several seconds the still air in the empty barn that would soon become the plant grew dense and freezing. Iris hated this pony, no different from the other guards except for the red star painted over the armor on his rear. Iris could find no reason for why Reik had made one of the guards this…she didn’t want to call it intelligent, perhaps free thinking or rude would fit better. He had done nothing but pester and annoy, shoving his nose in everypony’s business. He even asked pointless questions about the workings of her machines that she knew he could never hope to understand. It was not just her; she had seen him questioning the citizens, going into homes, going through possessions. Magnus, that was his name or “Mad-Magnus” as she had heard the townsfolk begin to call him. Iris, beginning to shake with anger, chuckled. “You think a project like this has ever been done in Equestria on this big of a scale, do you honestly believe that something like that, something that the mere drawings for, only exist in my head and parchment, can be done by anypony else?” She said, taking a step forward. “Nothing will be done unless it is done on my terms and according to my rules.” Magnus sneered. “For now comrade, good day.” He said before stalking out of the barn. Iris, eager to push the incident from her thoughts, extended her wings and flew to the rafters. Checking the supports and beams to make sure that they were prepared for the load they would soon bare. As she poked and prodded, another entered the barn. She noticed him first and was instantly relieved to see the large form of Vladimir standing before her. She flew down quietly, planning to surprise the oblivious soldier. Stifling a breath, she was just several inches above him when he looked up, forcing the red Pegasus to gasp in surprise and fall to the ground.
“You don’t get to be Commissar for defense being gullible comrade Iris.” He said in his commanding but gentle tone. Iris collected herself and stood before the large stallion, although being clad in a new set of ornate armor, black with a red trim, and standing above her, she looked upon the pony as an equal. “Sorry, it just things can get quite boring around here.” Vladimir nodded and began stepping near the work bench. “Tell me friend, I noticed Mad-Magnus leaving in a sour mood, did something occur?” He stopped at the table, looking over the confused collection of parchment; Iris quickly moved to organize the papers, suddenly self conscious. “He was just being the nosey jerk he is, why did Reik, well, make a guard like that?” She responded as she removed her goggles, leaving them to hang around her neck. Vladimir shrugged. “It’s his job, I admit he could be less rude, but it’s his business to know everypony’s business.” Iris sighed and twisted her neck to one side until a muffled crack could be heard. “I suppose, but it isn’t helping anything, at least I can’t see any benefit.” Vladimir, finished looking over her drawings, began to leave. “Don’t worry, in time we will not need him, but Reik says he is a necessity and I’m not about to start doubting his wisdom yet, good luck comrade but I must be leaving.” Iris nodded and fixed the goggles back into place, Vladimir’s words shifting among the equations and mechanics in her head as she did so. |
Reik | 631 | 20 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:46:13+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:46:13+00:00 | 1,556 | THE COLD WAS not of a kind Twilight was accustomed to. She had known cold in the past but that kind was brought upon by the snow, the bright snow, and the cooling wind. It was a filling cold while this one was an empty cold. There was no coolness, only frigid and more frigid. The cold weathered the senses instead of delighting them and the warm sense of positivity normally hung in the air had been snuffed out. The darkness only added to the disturbing nature of Ponyville, long claw like slashes cast across the streets and buildings. Twilight was surprised that even with increased number of street lamps, there were still several shadows and shrouded corners of the urban environment.
As the congregation continued through Ponyville, minor groups broke off from the majority and advanced to their own destinations until Twilight was accompanied by only 18 ponies and two guards.
The guards, in their black armor, faded in and out of vision each time the party passed a shrouded section of street, creating an eerie aura of dread that caused the few ponies near the guards to cringe with distaste. The large stallions made no communication to their followers other than shouts to increase their pace. Eventually, their urgings became so frequent and without justification that Twilight began to think that the guards would be punished if they failed to shout something at the citizens every few minutes.
As Twilight looked over the members of her group, she saw no familiar faces; Nopony for whom she could call upon for comfort or reassurance. They all either hung their heads solemnly or stared ahead aimlessly with the same expression Twilight had seen in the guards. All except for one, a small brown stallion of old age. He was spry, he moved with a sense of purpose and vigor Twilight had thought had all but died out in her short time in occupied Ponyville. He wore an expression of elation and bore a pickaxe as a cutie mark. Curious of this happy stranger, Twilight moved to his side. He noticed her approach and smiled broadly. Twilight became slightly disturbed by this stranger, not that he was happy, but that he was happy when those around him where lost in indifference and sorrow.
“Hello, um, who are you?” Twilight questioned quietly, leaning close to the old stallion. Turning his head slightly, the Stallion gave Twilight an inquisitor look.
“Why do you whisper dear, we are not prisoners, give your thoughts mouth.” He said cheerily, a broad grin on his face. Twilight snapped her head up and turned to one of the guards, she could already imagine one of the armored brutes screaming at her to be silent. To her surprise the guard acknowledged her, not fully but from the corner of his eye, a brief stare that was quickly repealed and cast back upon the unfolding path ahead of them.
Twilight could not understand this action, not that she was unhappy with it but that it made no sense for ruthless guards to put up with this, at least that’s what she had assumed. Noticing the elderly pony to still be staring at her with his peculiar smile, Twilight returned to the conversation. “Yes, sorry, but who are you?” Twilight repeated. The stallion answered quickly, retaining his upbeat attitude. “My name is George, George the second actually, and who are you if I may ask?” Twilight responded, with a slightly louder, normal sounding, tone of voice. “Twilight Sparkle, sorry if this comes off as weird but, why are you so…Happy?” George gave the purple pony another peculiar look and Twilight noticed that their conversation was beginning to attract observers, from both the guards and the citizens. “Well why wouldn’t I be, yes the constant darkness is a little disturbing.” He chuckled. “But the street lights take good care of that, I really don’t see why everypony is in such a rut.” He casted his gaze away from Twilight and over the surrounding ponies as he finished the last sentence. Twilight was surprised by such a remark; she could see no cause for joy or happiness in the new Ponyville. “What do you mean you don’t see why everypony is in a rut, its, everything is-” She paused slightly in her speech and the sudden silence was removed by the brown stallion. “Everything is what, different?” His smile faded and his expression hinted that he expected an answer. “Fear of change is natural my dear but honestly, do you see ponies being carted off to asylums or prisons, what’s happening that’s so bad?”
Twilight mentally scrambled for an answer, trying to fish logic and reason out of doubt and theory. “Well, everypony isn’t doing their job anymore; we don’t even know where we’re going.” The stallion took no pause and answered slowly, a smile returning to his face, a joyous one devoid of condescension. “Well why did they do those jobs, to gain for themselves, there is no need, everything we can need is given but without fear of unemployment or poverty.” Twilight shifted her argument, suddenly realizing she knew little about her new world and its system compared to the pony before her. “Well, um, those ponies enjoyed their jobs, and they had plenty to begin with.” George’s face turned into a sneer and he responded with a sudden tone of distaste. “Who had plenty, the upper class, the bourgeois? Because I can assure you, I had nothing, and what little I did have came from the sweat of my own back, not the royalty. As for their jobs, Ponyville has just gone through a massive change, let the council get a little to work with, then they can distribute better jobs to the appropriate ponies. Besides, let those ponies that enjoyed their position carry it out during their recreation time.”
The purple pony opened her mouth to speak yet no rebuttals came to mind, she was speechless. George, without further address, turned and increased his pace, moving to the head of the congregation. In Twilights mind, gears rolled into life, gears she never thought she had. The purple pony had never devoted much of her studies to politics, economics, or sociology; those subjects brought little interest to her. Yet now, she kicked herself for never even cracking a book on any of those subjects. It was only now that Twilight truly realized what Applejack had meant when she said everything had changed.
APPLEJACK’S JAW TIGHTENED on her commissar’s cap as she watched the guards roaming in and out of the Apple families’ residence. It was the only action she could do to keep herself from roaring at the intruders to cease their invasion of her property. A ‘headquarters’ she had called it, Iris, that stupid mare had barged in hours after the whole area had been cut off from Equestria and laid claim to the whole house. Now her guards were walking all about the place, carrying letters, blueprints, and tools. Behind her, Applejack heard the distinctive cracking and resulting crash of a fallen tree. The familiar sound sent a spasm of rage through her frame. Half the Apple trees in her farm where nothing but stumps. The once great trunks lay out in large triangular stacks near the barn. The sight was disgusting and repulsive Applejack, but appealing and inspiring to the mare Iris. Now shivering with suppressed hate, Applejack felt Big Mac extend his hoof around her shoulders. The pair had been sitting on one of the stumps closest to the farm for several minutes.
“Calm yerself Applejack.” He said in a lowered tone.
“Easier said than done Big Mac,” Applejack mumbled through clenched teeth. As another tree collapse with a resounding crash, an armored guard, his mane white under his armor, approached Applejack. The orange pony hated the guards, regardless of what the revolutionaries said, these so called ‘guards’ where glorified prison wardens to Applejack. Fixing the guard with a hateful stare, the stallion stopped several feet from the orange pony. His black armor showed signs of frost and the joints refused to cooperate, leaving him in an awkward pose.
“You are needed comrade commissar.” The stallion said in the same emotionless, robotic tone as all the rest. Placing the cap upon her head and with a heavy sigh, Applejack rose from the stump. The guard walked off, motioning for her to follow. Before embarking, Applejack spared a glance at her brother, for some kind of reassurance or comfort. He smiled weakly at her, yet the small act of compassion lifted her spirits slightly.
The orange pony and her silent guide moved away from the farm and down one of the paths leading into town. They passed many crowds of citizens being herded to their designated workplaces. The sight angered Applejack. They called it a workers’ paradise but all she could call it was slavery. Soon they reached the town square, if all the locations and landmarks, the square bore the most flags and banners. The whole area seemed to be covered in black and red. Applejack’s mind momentarily shifted to her friend Rarity, she could only guess how close the mare would be to madness by now after being forced to make so many of those annoying banners.
Upon entering the pavilion, Applejack moved up the stairs until she reached a small, rarely used room. Passing through the portal, she was met with the familiar sight of the Ponyville commune. A large round table occupied the center room, unlike all other aspects of the village, there were no banners within the room. Only a small iron hammer and sickle pinned over the doorway stood as a reminder that they lived in an occupied Equestria. Sitting around the table where the seven officials of the commune. Commissar for Education (Cheerilee), Commissar for Logistics (Derpy), Commissar for Infrastructure,( Fluttershy), Commissar for Public Relations, (Mad-Magnus), Commissar for Defense, (Vladimir ,Reik’s lapdog), Commissar for Industry( Iris), and Chairman, Reik. All arrayed in the Commissars cloak and cap except for Magnus and Vladimir, who wore their own sets of armor.
Derpy stood with her head resting on the table, eyes shut or, ‘resting’ as she had put it. There never really is much use for a logistics officer in a territory spanning only a single village. Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably in her place as Iris questioned her about the conditions within Ponyville, it was an obviously forced conversation. Cheerilee watched silently with a miserable expression as the two mares went back and forth. Vladimir was in deep discussion with Magnus, the two whispering to each other in near silent tones. Reik, staring off into space with a blank expression, breaking the statue like pose to shiver violently for half a second before returning to the pose. It was a familiar sight that had been repeated in every meeting. As Applejack took her place at the table, Magnus broke off his conversation with Vladimir and addressed the room. “Ah, the Commissar for Agriculture has joined us, let us begin.” He said in a tone Applejack would expect to hear from a snake, or similar sinister being. “This wasn’t scheduled.” Applejack said blatantly. “Why did you call me here?” She finished. Magnus smiled broadly. “Well it has come to my attention that there are some complaints among the commissariat and I think we should clear things up as soon as possible. “Are we going to have to go through the normal procedure for discussion?” questioned Iris. Magnus, still smiling, shook his head.
The room exploded into typhoon of argumentation. |
Reik | 631 | 21 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:46:53+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:46:53+00:00 | 1,528 | FOR SEVERAL SECONDS the room was lost in a clamor of voices. Applejack roared at Iris, Iris yelled at Magnus, Magnus spat at Applejack, and Vladimir barked at all the ponies independently. Derpy shuffled slightly and began to snore softly; Fluttershy shrank slowly and squeaked for the arguing ponies to lower their voices, Cheerilee stared sadly at the warring officials, and Reik continued to stare blankly into space.
Realizing the futility of the conversation, the ponies abruptly fell silent. The room, devoid of sound, became disturbingly peaceful. There was only one window within the room, normally it would allow a great view of the village with several mountains along the horizon, but now all that could be seen where several dark structures illuminated by the numerous street lamps. There was a single makeshift fireplace in the room’s comer. Despite her welling anger, Applejack had to commend the engineer pony Iris on her work, a small iron stove built into the wall, several links of metal tubing guiding the smoke through a hole in the wall and into the sky. Although the room was still dimly lit, several hanging candles saved the ponies from utter darkness.
As the silence dragged on, Applejack looked to the large stallion known as Vladimir. She had seen him around town often, leading packs of guards through the streets and through the forest, searching for threats that obviously weren’t there. Although holding contempt for all of the odd ponies that had ruined the village and threatened Equestria, she viewed Vladimir more as a puppet than an actual puppeteer for her friend’s misery.
Eyes refocusing at the collection before him, Reik turned his gaze to Magnus and spoke in an annoyed tone.
“Magnus, why did you call this meeting?” It was sudden and shocked everypony for the previously silent pony to speak in such a commanding tone. Applejack had seen little of Reik over the past few ‘days’. The only times she had seen him was during the commissariat meetings and even then, he had missed several of them. Remembering the time, Applejack looked down at her watch; it had been 80 hours since the revolution. Her thoughts drifted to Twilight and how she was coping with the new Ponyville as Magnus responded. He spoke in a surprised tone, in contrast to his calculating and scheming tone.
“Well, I’ve heard some arguments between commissars, and, err, I don’t want dissent.” Reik glared at the armored pony for several seconds before speaking again, retaining his annoyed tone. “Fluttershy has building alterations to oversee, Cheerilee has a class to teach, Iris and Applejack have a joint operation to oversee, Vladimir has security forces to organize, Derpy-” Looking over to the commissar for logistics, Reik sighed heavily and continued. “And I have all of you to keep in order, and you have public relations to improve, now tell me, how can we all go about those tasks if you are calling meetings each time officials have a shouting match?” Magnus stood silently and glanced at everypony in the room, as if they would come to his aid. The silence was painful, Applejack was both happy to see misfortune on the side of Magnus, but also fearful of conflict between these ‘communists’. She wondered how a village could possibly be run by a disorganized group. Reik, without breaking his gaze on Magnus, spoke quickly. “Meeting adjourned, if you have an issue with any other commissar, take it up with me or the commissar themselves, I will not micromanage this commissariat, good luck comrades.”
Derpy, Fluttershy, and Cheerilee dashed out of the room first, nearly shoving each other in their charge toward the door. After the general rout, Magnus inched his way towards the door, attempting to escape Reik’s piercing gaze, he left silently, pace increasing once exiting the room. After a brief exchange with the black pony, Vladimir too took his leave. Realizing how much time she was wasting, Applejack sighed heavily and moved to leave the room as well, only to be caught and pulled aside by Vladimir after exiting the portal.
IRIS STARRED AT Reik, knowing he was aware of the gaze even though he shifted his sight away. For several seconds they were alone, without a word. Reik reached into one of his coat pockets and withdrew the small black stone, it pulsed and small multi colored glowing cracks scarred its surface. Iris hated the object, she knew it pained Reik to hold it, he knew it was against everything he had written down in that little book, and she knew the longer he held it, the harder it would be to let it go.
“Where did you find that masterpiece?” Iris said in her tone casual. Reik remained silent for some time, responding only after several seconds of silence. “I for one like Derpy, her simplicity reminds me of better times.” Iris chuckled slightly, but continued in the casual tone. “Magnus, where did you dig that rotten piece of work up?” Reik removed his cap and dusted off the brim, Iris had known this to become an odd habit for the black pony. “Magnus, wanted for theft, assault, and fraud, found by one of the expeditions to Canterlot.” Iris was unsurprised by the origin, she responded quickly. “Did he require any ‘convincing’?” She quickly regretted saying such, she knew Reik hated controlling the guards with the talisman. “Yes, however” there was a brief pause during which Reik lowered his head. Iris remembered Vladimir informing her that such an action indicated that he was contemplating whether or not to reveal a piece of information. After the brief silence, Reik spoke once more. “How is the farm coming along?” Iris was annoyed at the sudden change in subject yet responded. “The additions to the original structure are proceeding as planned, the lighting has yet to be transported, and civilian workers are proving reluctant, now, what is wrong with Magnus?” Iris felt strong as she spoke, displaying both fortitude and intelligence. Reik spoke quickly. “Excellent, however we will have to risk civilian sabotage if we are to complete the farm in time.” Iris quickly cut in. “And Magnus?” Pausing quickly, the black pony spoke in a quieter tone. “As of now it is not an issue, if it becomes an issue, you will be the first to know.” As he finished, silence took the room. Iris was angered by his secrecy. It made no sense to her to withhold information, right now, when so much was at stake. Reik began to pocket the talisman.
“I don’t like that stone Reik.” Iris said sternly, advancing towards the stallion. Halting in his action and lazily tossing the stone onto the wooden table, the black pony sighed sadly. “I don’t need this Iris; I swear I don’t need this.” The red Pegasus groaned quietly, stopping several feet away from the slouching chairman. “You will have to face it at some point, you can’t just ignore this.” Iris tried to maintain a strong, official tone, but little expressions of soft kindness slipped through. To her surprise, snatching at the stone and sending it hurtling towards a wall, which it bounced off of with a resounding ‘crack’, Reik exploded. “I have an entire village to take care of, I haven’t been outside, let alone seen the sun in days, I can’t remember the last time I bathed, the artificial farm isn’t even started and the entire territory will starve without it, this council is a joke, and on top of that-” His outburst was silenced by a sudden embrace by Iris. It was sudden and without pause, bringing an expression of surprise to the black ponies features. The hug was peculiar, Reik was unfamiliar with the action and debated whether to return the action, or remain motionless. Iris wanted to speak, to voice some form of reassurance, but as her mind went blank, she released the black pony and moved to gather the talisman, its dim pulsing light casting odd shadows across the floor, from the corner of her eye; she noticed a slight reddening of the black ponies features. Upon reaching the talisman, Iris was reluctant in touching it, it made her eyes itch just to look at it this close and she wondered what untold power might be contained within its small stature. Shutting her eyes, she gathered the stone, upon touching it, she felt as if her hoof would melt, not with pain, but with an odd sensation she was unaccustomed to. Wanting to rid herself of the terrible burden, she rose quickly and tossed it recklessly onto the table. After bouncing several times it rested on the wood, to her surprise, the wood did nit singe or smoke upon contact with the enchanted object. Noticing that Reik was still in his position, Iris was overcome with sadness, she knew he was in misery, yet she felt helpless. He was always so secluded, so alone; it pained her to see a pony in such a state. If only he would speak, give voice to his conundrum, then she could help, yet he remained silent, no matter the intensity of her mental pleas. After a gentle sigh, Iris spoke. “We’ve gone far Reik, just a few days ago I was an evicted seamstress, But now.” Without knowing how to end the phrase, she started anew. “We are all behind you, and your friends will follow you to whatever end.” Reik smiled weakly at the comment and advanced to the window, casting his gaze over the shadow covered territory of Ponyville. It was a miserable sight, the leader of the revolutionary party, one who had done in the space of one evening, done what had taken countless others years to attempt. Cursing herself and already thinking of ten ways she could have acted and spoken in a more supportive tone, Iris turned to leave, floorboards creaking under her hooves.
Upon exiting the chamber, she was approached by Vladimir, who shoved the obviously angered Applejack at her. The orange pony spun around and fired an enraged stare at the grey stallion, who glared angrily at the two of them. He spoke in a deep foreboding tone that immediately suppressed the orange pony’s anger and caused her to take a fearful step backwards.
"Make nice.” It was a short phrase, but it left no room for refusal. |
Reik | 631 | 22 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:48:30+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:48:30+00:00 | 1,315 | NEITHER PONY SPOKE, a brutal silence overtook the dark and empty corridor inside the pavilion. Despite the cool temperatures, Applejack could feel only the warming grip of malice, as she noticed the similar unfading look in the red Pegasus standing still before her; she concluded her opponent felt the same sense of raw anger.
Sighing deeply, the grey stallion Vladimir voiced his disapproval. “What are you, Fillies?” The silence was quick to encircle the trio once more yet Vladimir drove it back with another statement. “You hate each other, fine, but in case you didn't notice, the food stores are nearly empty, if this little project gets finished on schedule, no mouth will go unfed, however if you two cannot learn to tolerate each other, we will not survive the winter." The weight of the situation finally fell on Applejack, she hated to admit it, but the stallion was right. Most of the ponies in Ponyville didn't know, but the village was already on the brink of starvation, the last harvest before winter had been next to nothing and the isolation from the rest of Equestria meant they were on their own. Applejack wanted shout that it was their fault, not hers, that things where the way they were. She wanted to roar that if Reik had never come to Ponyville, if Iris had just left, Vladimir had just stayed in the guard, if George had just stayed a farmer, if everypony had just enjoyed where they already where, things would never have turned sour. It wouldn't be the middle of the night for the past three days, ponies wouldn't be scared to leave their homes, nothing bad would have happened. Yet voicing such a thought would be pointless, too much had happened, she couldn't change things overnight, Applejack sighed as she realized she would have to make do with what she was given.
Iris glanced at the orange pony, her expression softening slightly, and then looked to Vladimir. If she hopped to find some kind of compassion in his glare, there was none. He simply stared back at her with the same look of annoyed anger that had painted his features for the past few days. She shrunk under his gaze. With a last glance at both mares, the armored stallion turned around and moved to exit the pavilion, joints and buckles sounding off with each movement.
As the stallion left, a sickly silence enveloped the room once more. Across the floor of the pavilion, that was swept in darkness save for the stray candle or open window allowing light to sweep across the stone face, Applejack could hear the chatter of a mouse somewhere off in the shadowy darkness. Applejack, continued to observe the grey stallion as he exited the pavilion, wanting to avoid contact with the red Pegasus for as long as possible. It was with a quiet groan that she turned to Iris once Vladimir had disappeared completely. Iris had evidently been doing a similar thing, her vision turned towards the stars leading up to the council chamber. Applejack wondered to herself what red Pegasus had wanted with the black pony that could not have been shared during the meeting. It was only after a forced cough from the orange pony that caused Iris to snap her head towards Applejack. There was a brief period of several seconds before Iris spoke. "I need your cooperation in this comrade." Applejack responded quickly, trying to make her tone less belligerent. "Ya gonna need to be a tad more specific partner." Iris groaned verbally. "Stop under mining me, be friendly, don't argue every five seconds-" Applejack quickly cut in. "Wouldn't need to argue if you wasn't provoken me at every turn." The red mare gave a sarcastic inquisitive look. "Case in point, now how exactly am I provoking you at every turn them?" Applejack, feeling her face grow warm from the stress and anger, responded immediately. "How about parkin yer goons on my property?" Iris physically flinched at this and spoke in a calm tone that obviously tried to hide an enraged one. "Do I need to explain the basics of socialism again or are you just trying to make me pop a blood vessel?"
Applejack felt a cruel sense of satisfaction to cause this annoying mare discomfort, however she remembered their predicament. Ponyville could no longer afford their squabbling. Her tone changing to one of reconciliation, Applejack spoke slowly, searching for words as she went. "Never mind, sorry, I agree this has to stop, what do ya need me to do specifically partner." Iris rose on eyebrow at the orange ponies sudden change in attitude, yet responded in kind. "At least act like you want to help, the other ponies respect you, a lot, and if they see you actually helping instead of resisting, things will get done faster." Applejack cringed at the concept of helping these communists with their backward plans. Yet she remembered her obligation, Ponyville would not last the winter if this issue wasn't settled here and now.
'Sure… whatever… anything else?" Applejack spat quickly, eager to end her submission and leave. The wind howled through the pavilion, causing both mares to pull their coats closer around their frames. Iris starred into the orange ponies eyes, as if searching for sincerity or bluff. Applejack could tell Iris didn't want to push the subject, she didn't intend to question her on every grievance. Both ponies stood in another round of silence, starring down one another, officially the tension would be put to rest for the sake of the village, but the conflict between them was still burning out of the public's sight.
Deciding the conversation to be well enough over, Applejack broke her gaze on the red pony and moved to leave the pavilion. As she neared the structures exit and began to feel the icy touch of the outside air, she could feel Iris's eyes tracking her. She maintained a calm, collected pace as her hooves moved over the stone floor, however, once her hooves connected with the dirt and cobblestone of the Ponyville streets, she increased her pace into a slow run. |
Reik | 631 | 23 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:49:25+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:49:25+00:00 | 1,287 | TWILIGHT BEGAN TO regret not brining any form of coat or scarf as she followed the silent parade. The wind had picked up heavily once the group reached the outskirts of Ponyville, and the purple pony clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering. She was not alone in her suffering, the ponies around her succumbing to bursts of shivers or shaking jaws. All except the guards showed signs of distaste for the cold; the silent beings moved quietly and swiftly in their black plates, with so little observable responses to the low temperature, Twilight began to wonder if the mute warriors actually liked this new environment.
Eventually, the stray, lonely buildings that leeched onto their path where replaced by dense forestry. The trees had grown dull and grey instead of bright and brown, where once lush branches full of leaves bright with fading autumn rested, now rested sharp, cruel claws reaching skywards. The dirt was black and lifeless; an epidemic of dead bushes and limp flowerbeds infected the once vibrant environment.
There was no wildlife; there were no chirping birds, no bounding bunnies, and no flying insects. The black trees where no longer home to life, merely husks serving no purpose than future firewood. Had one not seen the forest in its former glory, they would have thought the place had always existed in such a sad manner, never home to life or color.
Whenever the whipping wind tore into the forest, across a particularly barren and concentrated area of branches, a cold screech sounded across the land. It was as if one could actually hear the forest dying, its last gasps escaping for all to hear.
Twilight had known this forest. She had mental stores full of memories from this area; memories of color and noise, and of happiness and love. She could not believe that such a wonderful place could be torn down to such a state. The forest she had come to love was now an alien monstrosity, a crude insult to its own rich history. Eventually, she could feel tears begin to well behind her vision and shifted her vision to the snow covered ground, away from the ruined forest.
As they moved through the dead collection of wooden pillars, Twilight could hear, during short lapses in the wind, the sound of industry. Roaring voices, groaning wood, splitting planks, crashing hammers, it was a rarely heard collection of sounds to the purple unicorn, and it frightened her to be near such things this deep into the forest. As they drew nearer to the noises, a faint glow could be seen above the barren branches, a sickly orange glow that touched the clouds and glinted off the armor of the Pegasus guards who lead them nearer to this estranged location.
They party passed through a thin barrier of dense brush, which Twilight noticed could not have occurred naturally. It was when they picked their way through, over, and under in some occasions the collection of dead branches, that Twilight noticed the stumps. Hundreds of them, covering every space, like a silent army of flat topped, wooden warriors, standing at a solemn attention. Like their journey through the dead forest only moments ago, the purple pony was sickened by this image.
A sharp command from a guard marching past her brought Twilight's attention from the stumps, to their now clearly present destination. Past the snow and the stumps, the Apple family ranch stood alone on a low hill. It was bizarre to see the structure without its usual compliment of surrounding apple trees, and even more bizarre to see the numerous ponies rushing around about its premise.
Near the great barn, the skeletons of two similarly sized constructs where being built be its side; a compliment of guards and regular citizens working on the project. Snaking a path away from the farm and towards Ponyville, a large caravan, much larger than Twilights, could be seen, aside from individual ponies, Twilight could make out large wagons, hauled by both guards and citizens. Twilight noted that, unlike the town, every square inch of building space was not covered in banners; instead, the apple top wind vain that usually topped the barn was replaced with the barley visible flag of the invaders.
Noticing that her group was moving, Twilight extended a hoof to begin following, however, a split second thought of doubt stayed her movement.
She could flee. Twilight was right next to the forest, they were moving away, counting on the bizarre weather, a storm could come in and mask her movements even more than the ever present darkness. They wouldn't be able to catch her, she knew the forest, despite its present state, she would surely be able to avoid these autonomous machines. Unlike the others, she would even have a destination, Zecora's hut, in the Everfree forest, it was perfect. Swallowing hard, Twilight took a shaking step backwards, yet once again, her mind was filled with a new thought.
She would be fleeing, leaving her friends and everypony behind. Once they realized she was gone, she would never be able to return, she would be of no use to Celestia or Ponyville. Twilights mind was filled by a mental war, flee or stay. Abandon your friends or save yourself. Escape or join the machine.
Her decision was abruptly made. Not by her, but by the emotionless glare of a motionless construct. The guard glared at her from his position behind the, now slowly moving away group. Although she was quite far from the stallion, and the slowly quickening wind was pushing her towards the forest, she felt as if her hooves where bound by iron. Twilight hung her head in silent defeat and began to advance back into formation with the group.
The guard waited for her, he waited until she had passed well in front of him before picking up a pace of his own. Twilight could not hear any form of hoofsteps, yet she knew he was only just behind her the entire trip back into cohesion with the group. She thought of it as degrading, being coerced into a pack like an animal.
APPLEJACK COULD FIND no other being to compare Iris to than herself. Although the red pegasus snatched, scanned, and discarded papers faster than Applejack could even read what they where titled, she was far from a secluded bookworm. When they came upon the farm, after leaving the meeting separately, they decided together that it would be best to enter the zone as a pair. As they walked among the little ponies, rushing about on their own tasks, Iris would stop constantly, moving to question each worker, asking if they knew what they were doing, dispensing her own orders if they couldn't reply. She examined the numerous supply carrying carts, checking not only their contents, but also the carts themselves, axles, wheels, and carriage. She even questioned ever stray guard that crossed their path, sometimes on the status of the construction project, sometimes about their armor, if it was in any way hindered by the frost or some other factor.
Yes, Applejack thought, in an industrial sense, Iris wasn't that different from herself, an industrious farmer so to speak. Applejack smirked at that last thought. It was odd to mentally compare herself to the communist but Applejack found it helped lessened her anger towards the Pegasus. Celestia knows she would need some method of stemming her anger if both of them where to survive the few weeks.
When they came upon her home and the numerous ponies rushing in and out of it, Applejack gritted her teeth, but reminded herself that it was all necessary for now. The guards rushing in and out parted as the pair entered with no bows or nodding, they simply allowed them to pass. Applejack found this odd, subordinates showing no sign of respect to their officials didn't really coincide with her mental image of a dictatorship.
The two passed through the front entrance, and made their way to the dining room, as they moved through the house, they passed numerous stacks of paper, and a wide assortment of mechanical constructs, if one had no prior knowledge, they would have thought the Apple family farm to be the headquarters of the territory instead of the pavilion.
Upon entering the dining room, Applejack noted the two guards standing silently near the doorway. Returning her gaze to the room, she was unsurprised to see the room had changed little from the last time she viewed it. Papers everywhere, maps, schematics, books, all cast on the long table like leaves on the ground during autumn. Two candles placed at opposite ends of the table served as the rooms only source of light, and aside from the guards and the two commissars, only one other pony acted as the room’s occupant.
It was not a guard, instead of an armored shell, it adorned a simple cloak. Its coat was grey, and its tail and hair where a bright green, a pair of orange goggles concealed its eyes.. The pony was at the farthest edge of the table, holding a small piece of parchment dangerously close to one of the table’s candles. Applejack could not guess the pony’s’ gender and, upon noticing the orange ponies curiosity, Iris spoke.
"My assistant, comrade Applejack, meet Horus." The comment provoked no other sound from the room, only a freezing silence occupied the space. Suddenly, as if just realizing its name had been mentioned, Horus spoke quickly. Its voice was panicky and low, he was a stallion.
"Comrade Iris, if everything goes as planned, we will not have enough materials left to make the windmills, we will not be able to generate power, and we wo-" Iris snatched the scroll from his hooves and began looking over it. Horus looked shocked to have his paper taken so abruptly from him and began pacing the room oddly. As he walked, he removed his goggles, exposing two green eyes, two lifeless, mechanical eyes. Applejack realized that he was not different from Magnus, a brainwashed guard with a little bit more liberty.
Upon noticing Applejack, Horus froze, looking her up and down and then back to Iris, his gaze kept snapping from the orange pony to the red Pegasus. Annoyed at the stallions action, Applejack moved closer to the table and began looking thought papers, she barley understood what half of them meant but it was better than standing around doing nothing.
After giving up on deciphering some schematics, Applejack noticed that Horus was still staring at her.
"Uh, can ah help you with somethin’ partner?" Her tone was commanding and annoying. Horus yelped slightly at the comment and took several steps backwards. Lifting her head from the parchment, Iris spoke calmly to Horus."Comrade, we will be requiring Applejacks assistance for the next few days, now please, bring me the master plans for the windmills." Horus nodded quickly and began rummaging through the scrolls on the table, mumbling as he did so. Once he withdrew himself from the table, a large scroll clasped in his hooves, he rushed over to Iris, who had tossed her own scroll back onto the table.
Taking the scroll, Iris splayed it across the table before a candle, Applejack noted that the light source was nearing its end, only several inches of the stick still stood, a white mass of wax forming at its base. "What are we going to do about the mater-" Iris silenced his comment with a raised hoof and looked to Applejack, unlike past glares, her new gaze held no malice, only camaraderie. "Comrade, I'm not fully aware of our resources, and I would appreciate your input." Applejack found the comment oddly worded, yet advanced beside the Pegasus and gazed at the scroll.
At first glance, Applejack was overwhelmed. She could make out the basic structure, a simple windmill, tripod setup, yet instead of a milling station or a water pump at its base, there was an odd looking machine. the numerous arrows, numbers, and notes written upon the paper made it difficult for Applejack to understand what exactly she was supposed to help with.
As if reading her mind, Iris clarified. "This is an electricity generating windmill, we will need many of these to help power the artificial farm however, we will be using many resources to build the farm itself and I'm afraid we won't have the materials needed to build this version of the windmill, we will need to alter the construction somehow, but woodworks are not my specialty, any thoughts". Applejack thought for a moment. Her mind slowly worked around the concept and she quickly began creating and dismissing ideas. They couldn't make the blades smaller, because that would generate less power. They didn't have access to metals as far as Applejack knew, they surrounding wood was all dead and therefore couldn't really be used.
Applejack blinked suddenly as a metaphorical light bulb popped over her head. "Do we have rope?" She asked quickly. Iris gave her a look of curiosity at first, but nodded. "Then couldn't we just make one leg and support it with cables?" Iris's grin appeared in the darkness. "Excellent, Horus, draw up some plans for me following that design." The silent stallion nodded crookedly and rushed over to a table against the wall full of blank papers and several ink wells. Stepping away from the table and towards the room's exit and motioning for Applejack to follow, Iris spoke in a friendly tone. "It's time we got to our other posts; I think you should help with the main barns construction." Applejack spared another glance at the windmill schematic before nodding and moving to follow the commissar out the door. The sound of a quill scratching against parchment could be heard as the pair left the room. |
Reik | 631 | 24 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-05-04T05:50:23+00:00 | 2012-05-04T05:50:23+00:00 | 1,185 | TORCHES, THEY WERE everywhere, along every path, attached to every wall, one out of five guards carried one. Despite the lazy moon hanging just above their heads, it might as well have been mid day on the Apple family farm. The brutal wind had picked up just as Twilight entered the farm, its rigid sweep forcing everypony to brace against the cold. The civilians were the worst off, only a token few actually having any form of clothing to protect them against the weathers assault.
Casting her gaze to the ground, Twilight saw that the snow she traversed was far from white. The constant hoofsteps created trenches along the white ground, wood chippings crunched underhoof, and soot formed in areas under torches.
What was the point? Twilight wondered this over and over again. Why where they tearing down the forest, why where they utilizing practically everypony in Ponyville for whatever it was? Normally, Twilight was no stranger to confusion or inquiry. Her studies began and ended with many questions. Not knowing something was but a reason to look for something to the purple pony. But this was different. This, whatever it was, had an ominous feeling about it. Even though all of this was happening within the confines of Ponyville, and even then, only parts of Ponyville, Twilight felt as if she would soon be helping to stir a giant.
Twilight was brought from her thoughts by the sudden impact with a guard, he had been standing motionless and she had not noticed him. The armored guard didn't budge an inch when Twilight bumped into him; the only acknowledgment he offered her was a short glance out of his peripheral vision in her direction. Twilight was surprised to see such little response the stallion, yet his gaze on her that must have lasted only a second was terrifying, those grey eyes that starred seemed to stare through her kept her in a sitting position even after he turned away.
Regaining her sense, Twilight rose and examined her surroundings. The group had stopped along with several other groups. They had all congregated around the front of the Apple family house, despite the battle between the creeping darkness and sea of torches, the house looked just as it did before the takeover.
The ponies around her where silent, like before they hung their heads and shuffled their hooves uneasily. As before, they all had a look of forlorn exhaustion about them, any attempt to communicate was met with a threatening glare from a nearby guard. Around her, the sound of the wind mixed with the sound of construction. Above the ambient clamor, Twilight could hear a voice, not a deep commanding one used by the guards; this was the voice of a mare. However she could not pick up any specific words, just the sound that somepony was speaking.
As the voice continued, sections of the congregation broke off, moving in separate directions around the farm, each accompanied by a pair of guards like they had in the town center, shouting and directing to whatever destination they were given.
When the ponies around her began moving off to one direction, Twilight caught a sense of fearful confusion. She didn't understand a single bit of what was going on; everypony seemed ignorant of her existence. Deciding it better to mix with the closest party and move with them, Twilight caught up to the group that had just departed and moved with them across the farm.
Their trip was short, instead of venturing into the forest or back towards town as others had, Twilight found herself before the great barn, its silhouette fading with the black backdrop due to a decrease in the frequency of torches. Despite the darkness though, the barn was still its old red self subject to little overall change, despite the new flag flying over its roof.
From within, Twilight heard a large crash. The crash was one of both wood and metal and its report was quickly followed by an uproar of voices.
Around her, Twilight was encircled by other working ponies, rushing about their tasks to and fro. To each side of the great barn, two equally large expansions where taking shape. Only skeletons now, but Twilight could see that the endeavor would triple the size and capacity of the barn, but for what purpose, she could only guess.
Poking her head above the party, Twilight saw, albeit when a stray head was not blocking her view, Twilight could see their two escort guards fumbling with the doors, the locking mechanism for which had shattered; a swift kick from one of them solving the problem. Stepping back, the guards pulled the doors apart, exposing the inner structure.
The first thing Twilight noticed was the metal mess covering the ceiling which she assumed had been the source of the crash. It was a tangle of metal bar and wooden planks, the purpose for which she could not devise. Around the mess, Twilight saw a mix of guards and civilian ponies simply staring at the collection of scrap.
"Second things done go according ta plan, they're as useful as a screen door on a submarine." A familiar voice sounded to Twilight's side. Recognizing the sounds owner immediately, Twilight spun around and embraced the orange coat of her friend Applejack. Applejack jumped slightly at the embrace, surprised by the embrace. "Calm down hun, you ok?" She asked reassuringly. Twilight broke the hug reluctantly, but was still happy to see such a familiar friend. "Yeah, fine, I'm just happy to see a familiar face today." Applejack smiled in response and started to move into the barn, motioning for Twilight to follow. Unlike the armored guards, Twilight was more than happy to follow her friend, as she entered the barn Twilight examined her friend. The coat she wore, tattered at its ends, and her cap, a light coat of snow resting on it, were such a contradiction to her true self. Twilight found it odd to find somepony like Applejack adorning the colors of the occupation but reminded herself that Applejack was not doing it by choice. What Twilight had also noticed about her friend was her expression. It was a weathered one, a tired one, the kind you'd see on a pony who hadn't slept for days.
Applejack continued into the barn until she reached the collection around the metal spaghetti now occupying the center of the building. With but only a few shouts and a tone of authority, Applejack had everypony around her rushing about, some grabbing planks of wood and metal, others grabbing wheelbarrows which were quickly loaded with the materials. Turning away from the production she had just produced, the orange pony moved towards the new congregation, addressing them with the same tone of command.
First demanding the barn doors to be shut, and continuing only once the task was complete and the frigid outside air was kept at bay, Applejack described their task. They were building a farm, an artificial one, inside the barn, the barn that was quickly being expanded. The barn would utilize special lighting, mimicking that of the sun, to induce food growth, and the survival of Ponyville rested on its completion on schedule. The lighting equipment was on its way from Ponyville and the metal chassis that would hold it, the same one a section of which had just fallen, would need adjustment and repairs before the lights could be mounted.
Twilight was intrigued be such an audacious construction. She had heard and read about such forms of farming, but never in depth, artificial forms of farming never being a big issue in Equestria. Finishing her address, Applejack directed groups of ponies to their guard handlers and sent them off to work. She directed Twilight personally to help her organize all the workers go about their tasks in the most productive and efficient order. Happy to be of assistance to her friend and in a way she was most proficient with, Twilight happily directed the whole operation. The metal and wood strips that had one littered the floor where quickly repaired and put back into place alongside their brethren on the ceiling. Twilight still marveled at the prospect of an artificial farm, in contrast to her fearful ignorance that defined her not a couple hours ago, she now wanted only to be a part of this great and production. She even felt a little tinge of sadness when the final bolt was put into place and work had come to an abrupt pause. The chassis repaired but the equipment still on its way to the barn.
As the ponies around them pointed blank stares at one another, some going so far as to whisper to one another, Twilight and Applejack took a seat on several planks of unused wood. For several seconds, they simply starred at each other, so much needed to be asked and said, yet there was no proper place to start. Twilight, still sifting through her thoughts and organizing her armory of questions, turned her gaze to the silent ponies around her, both guard and civilian, just standing silently, as if oblivious to each other's existence. Reminded of an inquiry she had, Twilight abruptly blurted out. "Remember when you told me they were as useful as a screen, uh." applejack interjected at Twilights verbal stumble. "Screen door on a submarine?" Twilight nodded and continued. "Yeah, uh, who where you talking about, the guards? Or ponies?" Applejack gave Twilight an odd stare; in such a situation she probably thought it odd to inquire such a thing when Twilight clearly had many other important questions. "Uh, I, err." The orange pony started to chuckle as she continued. "Ah guess both of em." |
Reik | 631 | 25 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-06-09T20:09:07+00:00 | 2012-06-09T20:09:07+00:00 | 1,097 | AN AURA OF fog covered the glass of the cold window with each expended breath. Only to retreat several seconds later. Reik's head was placed firmly against the small window in the conference room for the past few minutes. Ignoring the numbing cold on his forehead, he gazed out the window at his world, if he could really call it his world.
Aside from the token guard patrol, or the rare charge of a wagon off to gather or deliver goods, the square of Ponyville expanded before him in a dark and empty expanse. Even though he had ordered numerous lamps be constructed throughout the territory, shadows still lapped at every nook and cranny, like missed corners of a poorly painted toy. Peeping over the black horizon, which was exposed only due to the numerous lights built on its surface, stood the Apple family farm, though calling it that would be far from correct. What little hill that was exposed by the artificial light was barren and snow covered. Although he felt no remorse for its removal, the black pony could feel a small nibble of sadness at the sight of the destroyed wilderness: having walked through it only days ago, he knew that the destruction of such a great wonder would torment those who had known it well.
As he looked on and examined the world through the thin layer of glass, his spirit continued to drop, sinking deeper into the sea of doubt at the pit of his mind.
*Is this not what you wanted?*
That voice. A constant torment, the product of a faulty mind that never once ceased to remind him that his cherished intellect was blemished, damaged: Imaginary friends where for colts and fillys, not revolutionaries.
**This is the price of change**
*Will you still say that when this picture stays the same for weeks, months, and years?**
With a short recoil and sharp thrust into the window, the voice was expelled from his mind, at the expense of a sharp spike of pain, bringing about a low grunt from the black pony. Although it was gone, the phrased echoed in his mind. What if it lasted forever? Little advances had been made and the ponies where in a worse state than they were before. No, he corrected himself quickly. The end goal was invaluable. Agriculture was not reliant upon seasonal changes, but controlled completely by the farmers. The eternal darkness was an unforeseen flaw, the critically small territory was unexpected, and the revolution was both rushed and undermanned. Things where not going according to plan, that was all.
For the situation at hoof, things had been going quite well. The loyalty of his comrades was strong and unwavering. The farm was almost on schedule, all that was needed was the cooperation of the citizens of Ponyville.
Reik never planned to march into Canterlot on the shoulders of thousands of followers, embraced with acceptance, or understood with perfect clarity. He had expected difficulties with the local populace converting to a socialist system and ultimately a communistic one. But he had not planned for this level of incompatibility. Although the followed directions and marched without resistance, this was not to last. The efficiency and brutality of the takeover and the dominating stature of the guards was the only thing keeping the citizens marching. Once they fully recovered from the shock and came to grips with their predicament, they would revolt. Worse still, repercussions for aggression for the change where nigh impossible. Control over the guards was thin, and further coercion attempts on the populace would only increase antagonisms. The sudden thought train was halted as it passed over the topic of guard control.
The talisman was a cruel, unusual thing. It made his teeth itch to be near it, and the few times he had utilized it, he didn't feel complete control over it, as if some aspects of its operation where independent of his command. The device seemed to have a mind of its own, an agenda of its own. It was heavy in his hoof and its glow seemed increasingly sickly with each passing hour.
Feeling its weight in his pocket increase, Reik withdrew it from his coat and gazed at its surface. Indeed, it glowed with a cruel green that conveyed the essence of insidiousness and deviancy. Shivering slightly and pulling his gaze from it, a task he found oddly difficult, the black stallion paced the room to its corner, where a short stool laid, and deposited the stone on its face. Keeping himself from looking at it, he removed his cap and dumped it onto the stool, so as to conceal the talisman.
Immediately he felt relieved, moving sluggishly over to the center table and occupying one of its chairs. Reik was tired. He had not slept for more than an hour at a time, he had not slept in a bed, and he was in near constant activity with the management of the territory. This moment was one of few where he could simply relax, withdraw, and rest. His head began to feel heavy, his breathing slowed. Without thought, his head dropped to the table, eyes slowly blinking shut. All issues, predicaments, plans, all worldly responsibilities began to fade as tiredness swept over him. The world grew quiet and peaceful; the embrace of sleep was at hoof.
"We had an appointment comrade commissar?"
His realm of peace fell away in an instant as the cold voice sounded in the room. His head shot up in an instant, eyes fluttering open. The voice quickly registered as belonging to Magnus. Mental cogs spun and a memory was fished out. Yes, he remembered, they were due to meet and discuss the public's cooperation with the party.
"If you would like me to come at another time comrade..." His voice once unnerved Reik, it still did to others, but with constant interaction, he had since grown accustomed to the monotone voice. "No, no, I'm fine, take a seat." rubbing his forehead, the black stallion adjusted himself in his seat to a more presentable position and awaited Magnus to start the discussion. While it would have been a better choice to appoint a native of Ponyville for the job of public relations, the job needed one of cunning, and intelligence. Although Reik had ensured his higher level of intelligence than the rest of the drones, he considered himself fortunate to have found such a pony like Magnus. A criminal, but a clever one at that. This one had been locked away within the dungeons of Canterlot, and for just reason. This one had infiltrated Ponyville, and started an expansive criminal network in Canterlot. He had escaped the law numerous times, manipulated crooked guards and other ponies, and gathered a small fortune within several months. His skills in manipulation and control were tried and tested, they would be needed if the masses of Ponyville where to be properly directed for their own survival.
"Go ahead comrade." Reik groaned. With a nod, Magnus spoke quickly. "We are at a crucial point in the operation, progress has been made, and this is beneficial to our primary goal: the completion of the artificial farm. However, the public views us with distaste, not only due to the general notion of change, but radical change at that, and due to the violent upheaval of their past system. They view us as a violent invasive force using them for our own gains." Reik held up a hoof to stop him, at which he immediately paused. "How do you know this comrade?" Magnus responded quickly in the same monotone voice. " I have overheard several conversations and have discussed with other commissars on the subject. We are viewed as an invasive force. Until we can provide that we are superior to the past system, their cooperation will no longer be guaranteed. We must appeal to them."
This Reik already knew and with a nod, Magnus continued. "So, we need to get the farm in operation as soon as possible, the sooner they are fed, the sooner we can move forward. Until then, we need to show our superiority to the past in another way. We need to demonize the past system. Point out its flaws while at the same time pointing where we have improved on it." Reik reclined in his seat. "And how should we go about this exactly?" Magnus responded while taking a step closer. "Time is against us, so until we can more accurately gauge the system, I propose the use of propaganda images, and addresses to the public." A headache began to throb in his head and Reik nodded in agreement with a false smile. "Good comrade, I assume you can handle the images?" Magnus stiffened his posture and nodded. "Of course comrade commissar." Reik wanted this to be over, it could all be handled by Magnus easily, right now, fatigue was taking its toll, he needed rest. "Good, now could we cut this meeting short, I need you to continue with the operation on the farm."
"Of course comrade commissar." With the a short nod, Magnus stepped out of the room, his hoofs sounding like a metronome as they moved out the door. Slapping his head onto the table once the stallion had left the room. Reik let himself slip into unconsciousness once more, this time, uninterrupted. |
Reik | 631 | 26 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-06-12T05:46:33+00:00 | 2012-06-12T05:46:33+00:00 | 949 | IT HAD BEEN only a few days since they had been talking blissfully speaking to each other in town over some forgotten silly subject. Now, after so little time had passed. It felt as if they had been separated for months. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack conversed rapidly, at first with questions on the new world, they told of each other's experiences and positions. Then the conversation drifted to the subject of their friends and their positions in the new Ponyville.
Twilight learned of Fluttershy's admission into the commissariat along with Applejack, Rarity's mission of creating the numerous flags and banners that covered the town. Twilight offered some thought to the mental image of Rarity in an ocean of red and black cloth creating dozens upon dozens of banners in a frenzy. She felt a tinge of guilt at the thought afterword's. Rainbow Dashes inability to fly came as frightening news to the purple pony, but it was eased when Applejack assured her of Dash's recovery and admission into the work force under Fluttershy. What came as a somewhat foreseeable shock was Pinkie Pies admission into a makeshift detention area in the ruins of Canterlot. Evidently Pinkie had learned of commissars Magnus's lack of humor after creating a gauntlet of confetti cannons in his office.
"Have you seen her, I mean, you're an official, have you been there." Twilight said, a concerned look on her features.
"Well, I've seen it, but I wasn't allowed inside." Applejack said, an equally concerned look on her face. "I don't think she's hurt or nothin, I think Magnus just wanted her outa his hair." Twilight looked away from her friend, turning her gaze instead to the barn floor. Most of the hay had been cleared away leaving only wood. Around her, some of the ponies and guards where clearing out the hay. Upon rediscovering her curiosity, she spoke without raising her head. "What are they doing with the barn?" Applejack gave the purple pony an inquisitive look. She hadn't expected such a question and found that she expected her friend to know by now. "A farm, they're makin a farm." Twilight pulled her head up and glanced around the barn, cold wooden structure as a lush green farm full of corn, watermelon, and lettuce. Her face contorted into a confused stare with the thought. "Uh, I don't see that happening Applejack." The orange pony beside her chuckled slightly. "Yeah, me neither, but Iris is so sure about it, an she's the one in charge ah this big party, so don't be askin me the details." Twilight turned her gaze back to her friend. Again, the dark coat and peaked cap forced her mind to make a double take to assure her she was talking to Applejack. "Iris, who's Iris?" She questioned. "Reik's right hoof mare, red coat, some kind ah circle cutie mark." applejack said with malice, Twilight took that her friend didn't like this mare. "Reik's right hand mare?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, one of his goons."
Twilight was aware that Reik was not alone, she had seen him with another stallion in Sugarcube corner but she had not known of others in his circle. "How many goons does he have?" She asked. Applejack spent a few seconds getting the names in her head. "Iris, Vladimir, George, and Magnus."
Upon hearing the names, Twilight inquired about each of these ponies. Applejack gave what she knew about each one. After disclosing what she knew on each one, Twilight nodded and went back to another thought. "How are they going to make a farm in here?" Applejack grew a grimace as she tried to remember the details of the construction. "The lights are gonna take the place uh the sun, an they're gonna have rows of plants, in pots or somthin, I don't know much 'bout it, not my kind ah farmin for sure."
Twilight cast her vision around the building once more. Envisioning the picture Applejack described. At first, it seemed odd. But as she imagined the orderly rows of plants sustained constantly by natural lighting in place of the now absent sun, it was an ingenious plan. No longer would they need to rely on the sun, no longer would food growth rely upon the seasons. This was a small example though, built in desperation, but if it could be made on a grand scale, Twilights mind swam with possibilities. How could Applejack hold this pony, this Iris in such low regard? The creator of this construct was an innovator, a great mind she wanted to meet. No more food shortages. No more fear of a great drought or massive rainstorm. Twilight could not understand how such an inventive idea could come from those she viewed as invasive and evil. A gentle sigh broke from Applejack and pulled Twilight from her thoughts.
"Ah really miss Celestia, she'd know what to do, she would pull us out of this, I wonder where she is."
Celestia.
The word echoed in Twilights mind for a second. She could tell it meant something important. She knew that the alicorn had spoken with her before the invasion an something important. The importance of the conversation drifted just on the edges of her mind. Unable to be fully understood. As Applejack lamented over Celestia's absence Twilight struck her head with her hoof in frustration. Applejack looked to her friend in confusion. Twilight sifted through her thoughts for the answer. Coming upon it in a brief moment of beautiful clarity.
The Everfree forest. She needed to meet with Celestia. Meet and tell her what she had seen. Twilgiht lashed out and grabbed Applejack pulling her close and speaking in a frantic whisper. "The forest, I need to get into the forest, Celestia is there, I need to get there now." For a second, Applejack stared at her now franticly breathing friend, allowing the words to pool in her thoughts. Finally they sank in wholly and the mare broke into a broad grin. "She's in the forest! Where, tell me, she can help us right?" Twilgiht shook her head rapidly before speaking. "No, only me, they'll get curios if any other pony goes with me, and you need to stay behind and make sure nopony follows me, can you do this?" At first Applejack was saddened to hear this but her sadness was overtaken by conviction.
"Ya, now, before more come to put the lights in, you go and talk to Celestia, plan to get these reds outa Ponyville, I'll make sure none notice, ok?" Twilight smiled broadly at her friend nodding.
The pair silently went to the back of the barn, avoiding the stares of any curios pony. Near the back, behind a stack of crates and a pile of scrap metal cleared from the floor, Applejack gently eased open a small door that led outside the barn.
Checking the outside for any guards, Applejack eased it closed and looked back at Twilgiht, whispering. "Ya know where yer headin?" Twilgiht nodded quickly and whispered back. "Zecora's hut, I know the way." Applejack smiled and quickly removed her coat, it was heavy and caused the Orange pony to rise slightly higher in stature upon removing it. Trimmed with red, Twilight recognized the work of Rarity.
"Here, ah don't want y'all to freeze, and if you stay low, it'll help ya blend in." Twilight took the coat and adorned it, already feeling its warmth and weight. She smiled back to her friend and, quickly regretting not giving some other form of compassion or friendship, broke into a run out the back of the barn. Into a freezing world slightly lessened by the coat and darkened by the sunless sky.
IRIS WAS AT the head of the line, one of both guards, citizens, and her assistant Horus. They carried the lights required for the barn and several bags of dirt that where to serve as the soil for the plants in the farm. The wind whipped at her coat and the mare had her goggles down over her eyes to protect them from the chilling cold. At her side, Horus and a guard had no such protection and showed no sign of distaste for the cold. Only herself and the normal ponies around her seemed deterred by the weather. Again, the odd zombie state of these brainwashed ponies unnerved her and she cast her vision away from them towards her destination.
The barn loomed in the distance and she called to a guard next to her to advance ahead and open the doors for them. He immediately obeyed and in with a quick sprint, the armor clad stallion was at the entrance hefting the doors apart. Iris stopped at the door and motioned for the parade to enter. She glanced at every pony, noting each individual and item and crossing examining it with her memory of the line when they left the supply wagon at the other end of the farm. No missing individuals and no missing equipment. Efficiency at its finest in these conditions.
Being the last in, with the help of a guard, she pulled the barn doors shut, confused by the ease with which just one guard was able to open them and how difficult she found it herself. The mare quickly spun around and brushed the snow from her coat. The unpredictable weather was turning nasty again and she was happy to be inside away from it, yet the winds pounded on the barns walls and where clear for all to hear. Turing her gaze around the barn she scanned her new workplace, examining what and who she had to work with. Her eyes finally fell on Applejack, she wanted to question the orange ponies lack of a commissars coat but instead decided it best to not make a scene and move forward with the operation. The two paced towards each other and exchanged awkward greetings, more for show of mutual kindness than of sincerity.
"Ready to make history comrade?" Iris questioned with a grin. Applejack gave no return smile and spoke. "I'm ready to work." |
Reik | 631 | 27 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-06-14T06:09:08+00:00 | 2012-06-14T06:09:08+00:00 | 1,064 | THE SCHOOLHOUSE WAS relatively untouched by the red wave that engulfed the rest of the village. There were no banners or other insignia, guard patrols rarely came by, and the class schedule continued as it would on any other day. Fillies and colts converged unescorted towards the building as they would any other day. Cheerilee stood at the head of the class, watching her young students enter and take their place, as it would be any other day.
But it was not any other day. If not in the sky, the buildings, the citizens, then in their eyes, it was certainly not, any other day. These young ones did not fully understand what had happened or what new world they lived in, and despite her efforts to explain to them what had happened, Cheerilee's students still didn't understand why their world had become regimented and dark. It saddened the teacher to see the looks on their faces. The sad, depressed and forlorn expressions painted on each face. Especially young Applebloom, the poor filly had to endure the setting of industrial construction and robotic guards with each journey to and from home, hers was a look of deep despair.
Reik had no real plan for the youth of Ponyville beyond the repetition of their usual schedule. He refused to put them to work; he made that point especially clear during the commissariat meetings. Although he had spent several long moments of discussion on the importance of education, Cheerilee was familiar with the sound of a report where the speaker had little interest of knowledge of the subject. He was quick to thrust the issue of education into her hooves and she accepted it happily.
Where Applejack held only disgust for their new socialist system, Cheerilee found herself indifferent to the new surroundings. She was a teacher, her job was of no large part in the past and it was no large part in the present. Perhaps it was denial, as Applejack had called it when conversing in whispers, perhaps it was faith, but Cheerilee held firm that this was but a passing storm. Celestia would return and cast out this storm like any other problem that had plagued Equestria. The only duty she felt was truly hers was the education and if it required it, protection of these young ponies.
Because to her this was all but a passing storm, she had continued her lesson plan without falter. She discarded the commissar’s cloak and cap in a corner and began the lesson. Scratching chalk on the board and speaking with the same happy tone she had every other day, the class listened intently and she took small comfort in this small island of calm in the ocean of cold, darkened, madness.
AFTER ABOUT AN hour into the lesson, Cheerilee paused in her speech, stopping mid sentence with her back to the class. The cause of such an interruption sounded again, a gentle knock on the door located on the opposite end of the room. Amid the howling wind and whispering class, the knock rang a total of three times before Cheerilee moved. She called for the newcomer to enter, curious of the pony on the other side of the entrance, ponies where seldom late to her class and if her count was correct, everypony was accounted for in the class. The door creaked as it opened and shut almost instantly, the newcomer sliding into the room quickly. All whispering among the young ponies ended abruptly, as if they had all disappeared in an instant, even the wind seemed to lessen with the entrance of this individual. Cheerilee turned, casting her vision over the young ones; they were gawking at the newcomer, who was just out of her field of vision while turning. Had she been in their position, she would have done the same as her vision fell on a cloaked commissar standing at the opposite end of the class room.
The commissar was fully hidden under the cloak and the peaked cap was pulled over their face and masked their identity. Cheerilee's mind went to work on this individual. The height ruled out Vladimir, Applejack and Iris would not be far from the farm and had no reason to be here. Fluttershy was similarly occupied with her own duties and Derpy was probably asleep as usual. Her conclusion was that only two ponies could be standing before her now, and the low but commanding voice answered the question.
"You are not wearing your commissar's coat and cap, why comrade commissar Cheerilee?" Reik said in a tone that demanded the attention of all the rooms’ occupants. Some young ponies cast their vision down, for many this was the first time any had laid eyes on the orchestrator of the new Ponyville. Lifting his head and exposing his features, more ponies cast their eyes away. His face was gaunt and ghostly, malnourishment clearly evident. He looked tired, exhausted, and close to collapse, all from just the look on his face; yet his eyes where a complete contrast to this. Within those blue orbs was a deep power, a sense of faith and conviction that Cheerilee expected on the face of a warrior. In his eyes she saw the mighty faith of ideology. It was unwavering and unstoppable. This one would never lose faith in this endeavor. Cheerilee felt a tinge of doubt in the pit of her stomach. She knew Celestia would come, she knew the Alicorn would come to their rescue. But if pitted against the one who stood before her, she could only imagine the chaos that would ensue when the two great forces met.
Cheerilee could not blame the ponies in her midst that shied away from the dark figure and after a long pause; he spoke again in the same low tone, this time tinged with annoyance. "You are not wearing your commissar's co-" Cheerilee cut off the stallion with a short forward step. Outside, everything was his; he commanded the routine of every being on Ponyville. Outside, but in this small schoolhouse, in her realm, she was the one and only ruler, no other pony could except the princesses themselves could overrule her in her own classroom and this one was not about to tell her what she could and could not wear.
"I found it distasteful for this setting Reik, is that a problem?" The use of his name instead of title or that peculiar phrase 'comrade' may have pushed the stallion further in his state of annoyance but if it did he did not show any sign of wavering or increase in anger. There was only silence in the room and she could not help but wonder why he had come.
*COME TO CORRUPT the youth you sickly dog?* the stallion silently cursed his thoughts.
**I came to see what is being taught in the schoolhouses of Equestria**
*Had I a body I would strike you, you liar*
Reik rolled his eyes and stumbled towards an empty seat in the far corner of the class, exchanging silent curses the voice in his head. Cheerilee kept her eyes on him as he took his seat and cast his withering gaze back on her. The two shared a moment of mutual distaste before the stallion spoke, meanwhile the students remained silent and frozen in place, the stubbornness of their teacher raising a few heads.
"My apologies for interrupting, please, continue." The sentence came out differently than its predecessors; it was withdrawn and lacked the commanding nature of the past conversation. Cheerilee looked the stallion up and down before nodding and turning back to the chalk board. She continued the lesson as normal; they were on the subject of history, before the reign of the princesses but shortly after the foundation of Equestria. Cheerilee recited the lesson she had drawn up, speaking on the new found unity that came with their new land and the slow expansion of the territory, the dissolution of the three tribes into one union. When she mentioned the unification of the tribes, a hoof rose into the cold and still air. Cheerilee opened her mouth instinctively to ask for the question but paused when she noticed its owner to be the cloaked pony in the corner of the room. His hoof hovered in silence for a few seconds before Cheerilee asked. "You have a question Reik?" The stallion dropped his hoof and spoke, not in a condescending manner she expected, but in an inquisitive one shared by a curious student.
"Would you say these unified tribes still acted as a tribe at this point?" The question was followed by another from Cheerilee. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean?"
"This was before the princesses I assume so the ponies were on their own right?" Cheerilee reluctantly nodded. "So, did they still act as a tribe, no currency, no clearly identified leader, a council perhaps?" The mare could sense where he was going with this inquiry. She held distaste for leading questions and her tone reflected such.
"Yes, I suppose they still acted in that fashion." The cloaked pony nodded and sank deeper into the chair, silent. Having expected him to push on, Cheerilee paused before continuing the lesson. She discussed the hardships the ponies had to go through and be what means they overcame them and remained unified as a great whole. Again, Reik's hoof shot into the air and Cheerilee nodded for him to speak.
"So there was still no form of currency at this point, and ponies where cooperative, yes?" Cheerilee formed the answer in her head, not wanting to blurt out the first thing to come to mind. "Yes, there was no currency and ponies were very cooperative." Reik's hand went into the air again, causing Cheerilee to nod once more for him to speak. "If there was no currency, how where commodities exchanged, err, how where-" Cheerilee cut him off again. "I know what a commodity is, and they were given where needed."
"So, if one needed food, it was given to them and if one needed a home it was built for them, all before the advent of currency?"
"What are you getting at?" Cheerilee retorted, slightly annoyed. Reik continued unimpeded.
"How did things change, why do we hassle over coin unlike our predecessors?" Cheerilee spoke again with little pause.
"With the expansion of Equestria, currency made things easier to manage."
"For who?"
"For everypony." Reik continued and rose in his chair.
"But with currency came the creation of those with much of it and those with little, yes?" Cheerilee did not answer but the stallion continued, his voice growing in volume.
"How can it be easier for those with little when they are at the bottom rung of society and how is it easier for those with much when they must fight and scrape to keep what they have?" Cheerilee now glared at the stallion that quickly rose from his seat and cast his eyes over the fillies and colts before him, picking out one and speaking directly to her. "Sweetie Belle, you are sister of the boutique owner Rarity, how often do you see her slave over her work, constantly worried that she may miss a sale or lose profits, does she look truly eased and happy?" He then shifted his gaze to another. "Applebloom, you are sister of the farmer Applejack, how many cooperative operations has she done with others in her work, how often does she work with others instead of against them?" His now maniacal eyes shifted to Cheerilee, he was now marching through the center row of desks towards her. "If our Equestria was built on, and survived by mutual cooperation, then please, tell me, why is it now that we strive, or claim to strive due to competition over capital in place of cooperation for the sake of survival?"
He ended his words right as his frame stood only a step away from Cheerilee's. |
Reik | 631 | 28 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-08-09T08:30:54+00:00 | 2012-08-09T08:30:54+00:00 | 1,093 | IT WAS THE fourth day. For the few that where still keeping track of time, it would have been the fourth day. For the others it was ninety-six hours. Ninety-six hours of perpetual darkness, unexplained manual labor, and unspeaking warriors clad in black at every corner.
The air grew still and the clouds parted in the sky, casting the moon's glow over the Socialist Territory of Ponyville. The flags and banners slowly came to a halt and hung limp, and snow reflected a dull glow onto the buildings. Where wind would rush through ranks of leafless trees and create an ominous symphony, only the report of snow crushed underhoof sounded through the area.
The working day was done. Hordes moved from their station towards the town, much like they had hours ago, yet in reverse. Shepherded by the armor clad drones, they marched in silence save for the token whisper. Vladimir casted his gaze across the masses from the steps of the Apple Family home with curiosity. He had lived in similar conditions as a colt, watched day and night, forced to work for some unnamed cause. Of course they weren't being forced necessarily. Where he would think to see the harsh tone of a guard silencing whispers or sharp report of a beating, there was no interaction between the ponies and guards.
The guards marched without command and the ponies followed without question. The sight perplexed Vladimir. How could these ponies so willingly accept the leash? Never a voice of defiance, all except for the blue pegasus. Never a word against the Commissariat. Not a word. Where he in such a situation, he would be latching on to his wardens with teeth and hoof. At first he credited this to the ponies before him, weak and spineless he would call them, without the courage to defend what they believed in. Or perhaps they had never believed in the first place? Perhaps so long as they had full bellies and a being to call "leader" they were happy? Perhaps.
Reik on the other hoof had assured him of the latter. It was fear that kept these ponies in check. Not the sight, there had never been any form of retribution against the citizens, but the prospect. The efficiency of the takeover and the nature of their new world had instilled a sense of overwhelming superiority. A sense. Not a reality. In whispers, Reik had explained that the control over the guards was fragile, and that it was in no way a permanent solution. 'Hearts and Minds' he had said. In time they would be won and all barriers would fall. Real progress could be made.
Yet behind the invisible barrier that closed off the territory from the rest of Equestria. Stuck among the dead trees and dark stumps, lost in eternal darkness, progress looked like an idealist dream as opposed to a legitimate reality to Vladimir. It was not that he had lost hope in their cause, in fact he saw great potential in the territory, the talisman, and the ideology. Great potential that only required a wider berth. It was a mistake to launch the operation this early, with so few allies. So much was incomplete or unplanned, their leader continued to seclude himself and the Commissariat was a joke. The mental shift to the council brought a bad taste to Vladimir's tongue.
He knew not why Reik had chosen to establish such a miserable committee. Not only did it serve no real purpose, its decisions always at his whim, but its occupants were split between the indigenous ponies and the communists only creating a series of meaningless argument sessions known as meetings.
The grey stallion groaned to himself. Had Reik listened to him they would have kept moving. They would have destroyed the castle, controlled the guards, and moved on. Cut out the oppositions heart and establish an insurgency. It would have been perfect. But instead they had sat in this village, cut themselves off from the rest of civilization, and assumed control. As if the populace would accept them as saviors upon arrival. Vladimir leaned his head back to glance at the stars as he hoped that the reaming Celestial forces outside the barrier where in chaos and not collecting against them.
FOR WHAT MUST have been the hundredth time, Twilight slipped behind a tree and cast her gaze across the forest. Scanning for any followers. Despite finding no trace to prove she was, the purple pony still had a creeping sense that she was being watched. Without looking, Twilight a hoof forward and was punished with a scraping pain. Looking down, she saw that a stray branch from a shrub had cut a thin crimson line several inches up from the bottom of her hoof. The pain was not severe and faded quickly. The purple pony pushed on.
Had it not been for the moon, Twilight would have been lost, darkness filling her vision and stalling her trek. Soon, the trees began to change. Skeletal leafless ones where replaced by the drooping trees commonly found in a swamp. She knew that Zecora's hut was close. Again she tried illuminating her surroundings with a simple spell, but only a single spark flew from the tip of her horn. Even when she strained herself to the point of exhaustion, her magic failed her. It was like nothing she had experienced, it was as if somepony had pulled the plug, deactivating her abilities.
As she continued into the forest, an odd calm overcame her. She felt at ease in the forest, away from the prying eyes of the commissariat and its routine of labor. The air became cool instead of rigid, the frightening overbearing nature of her past surroundings gave way to a kind reminiscent of a better time.
She cleared a gap over an empty riverbed, and the welcoming sight of Zecora's hut came into view. The small structure glowed against the backdrop, still alive as it was whenever she visited. Her pace slowed towards it and her calm increased. Around the hut, the tree cover was thick enough to block out the moonlight. Though the increased darkness did not unnerve Twilight.
She turned and took a last glance around the trees in case she had been followed before nudging the door open.
MANY CANDLES ONE would have seen lit where gone, only a dim lantern hung from the ceiling provided the room with light. In the center of the hut, a small circle was drawn in chalk with several multi colored gems collected at random points around it. In the center was a rock, an ordinary rock that seemed misplaced around the sparkling jewels. Beside the circle, was the hunched for of Zecora, much of her appearance was shrouded by shadow but Twilight could still make out the markings on her coat and the peculiar cutie mark. The zebra was silent though her lips moved quickly and seemingly without pause. She rocked slowly back and forth while doing so. Twilight recognized magical purpose of the act, the circle radiated magical power, but could not guess the meaning.
"It is good to see you Twilight." The purple pony knew the voice of Celestia even before she began to turn. The alicorn sat in the hut along an empty wall, her smile was unblemished by the circumstances. Twilight smiled broadly, a surge of hope filled her being and she felt a new sense of purpose, her cause was a living, breathing reality. She wanted to reach out and hug her mentor, but only managed a short bow and a quick mess of words that was supposed to be 'It's good to see you!'.
Celestia smiled warmly again and motioned towards Zecora. "I don't think I'll be able to thank her enough when this is over." Twilight looked again at the Zebra but could infer nothing as to what exactly she was looking at. As if sensing her confusion, Celestia began to explain. "His talisman dampens all magic within the area, I can't beat that and half the royal guards, not on my own at least." Twilight looked closer at the circle. The lines pulsed gently, the jewels glowed, and if she focused on the rock in the center, her eyes began to itch.
"She's creating a second talisman?" She found herself mumbling.
"Yes, but for what purpose, I was hoping you could tell me." Twilight faced the alicorn again and gave her a look of confusion. Celestia leaned in closely and spoke, her smile diminishing. "What has become of my ponies?"
Twilight recounted her experiences, the villagers, guards, Commissars, and labor, in detail when requested and summary if not. As she spoke she found that there was still very little that she knew and felt as if her task had not been complete because of it. Upon completing the tale, Celestia lowered her head and grew silent. For at least a minute, no words were exchanged."The talisman must be destroyed, that's all that matters." |
Reik | 631 | 29 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-10-26T05:53:49+00:00 | 2012-10-26T05:53:49+00:00 | 1,035 | Iris weaved through the throng of ponies. Horus had since lag behind and was long gone, but the pegasus paid little thought to the loss of her assistant. Again the idea of stretching her wings and gliding over the masses surfaced and again it was reminded of the strict law set up by the guards overhead. Flying was strictly off-limits, even for a Commissar. Fortunately her destination was not far, after a few minutes she found herself in the still foreign Apple Family house. Although she had moved her own possessions into the home and had her writings covering every flat surface, it was still not hers. It was for this among other reasons that she had spent much time outside in the workplaces. As she moved through the door and into her own workplace, she casted her coat and hat in a pile in the corner. The door slid open once more and the small form of Apple Bloom swept pass the pegasus and up the stairs without a word. Although it was not as active as her sisters, Iris could tell Apple Bloom hated her as much as Applejack. But this meant little to her, Iris had never cared for the opinions of those other than herself. She replaced the train of thought with reality and moved into the next room, her sanctuary. The gentle crackle from a lantern was soothing, the smell of parchment and ink was easing. The red pegasus stumbled over to a chair and collapsed into its embrace. From nowhere her limbs became weak, her thoughts began to slow, sleep was soon to overtake her.
"How much do you know about computers?" She snapped back to the world with a jerk to see the hunched form of Reik stepping over the threshold. Her eyes fluttered and she stretched her neck.
"What?" she mumbled, still recovering from the period of rest. "Computers, how much do you know about computers?" He said in the exact same tone, sounding uninterested but not lazy. Iris gave the stallion a peculiar gaze and asked. "Not much, why are we talking about computers?" Reik sighed gently and moved over to the table that was buried in scrolls, he looked the collection as he spoke. "I had a thought, things have changed, I need a pony who knows things about computers." Iris rose from the chair and continued.
"Why are we suddenly in need of computers?" Reik didn't appear to be looking specifically at any one schematic, just gazing over the entire mass, moving papers here and there to get a better look at others. "Our method of distribution is no longer sustainable or preferable. I had an idea that will make things easier, but to do this I need computers, are you sure you're not suited for computers?" Iris paused before responding. Why was this happening, not the change, but the conversation. What was the point of some official council if one could just voice ideas and plans unofficially? Rarely did he contribute to the meetings but now he was before her altering their entire plan in a casual conversation. It was as if he operated independently of the commissariat he himself had established.
"I'm an engineer, you're going to have to find another specialist." A quiet sigh from the stallion led to the next question. "What's changed, is something wrong." Still looking at the parchment, Reik explained, but not directly to her, he sounded distant, speaking to the air. "No no, nothing wrong, just a thought, tell me Iris, have you ever worked on an air-conditioning apparatus, oh, I forgot to say hello." Iris's confusion was mounting, yet he had not failed them in the past so she went along.
"Uh, hello, and yes, a while ago I toyed with something like that." Reik left no pause and responded with a quicker tone.
"And did this apparatus change the temperature of the room according to a set plan or according to temperature signals?" Iris didn't completely understand the inquiry and kept silent with a greater expression of confusion. Reik looked up from the table and leveled his gaze on Iris. It was now that the pegasus noticed that he wore a thin smile. "Did it make the room hot when it was cold and cold when hot or did it have a set schedule for when it would change the temperature." Iris nodded, following now. "The first, it wasn't that automated."
"Why?"
"Such a design would require a more complex mechanism." Nodding, Reik moved his vision back to the table. "I had a thought, about how similar economics and air conditioners are. The one you toyed with, all it could do was respond, not predict, and so will be subject to instabilities when the room gets too hot or too cold, but the system that already knows the room, the one that is automated, knows how heat is dissipated, will eliminate overheating, and does not operate by trial and error. So similar." Iris took a step closer, hoping to move into his field of vision and get her attention. "And? what's so similar?"
"The systems." His tone was quick. "The market system can only respond to the stimulus of cost and demand. not only that, but unlike the machine that has a common goal, the system is made up of competing firms all with different goals, but our planned replacement for that madness, to be any better, must be like the perfect air conditioner, it must know its environment, its subjects, its tools. I thought of this and began reevaluating the economic plan, I found that to decide and objects value requires more than was determined, much more must be done, more than I or another can do." He looked back at Iris, a great enthusiasm she had not known for some time came out with voice. "I need a computer, and not just for the algorithms, but for keeping track of the workers, their share, tokens, yes, those can be incorporated, whatever it is it must be heavily automated." Economics where not her realm, she was recruited to build its foundations, but it became clear to the pegasus that this was groundbreaking, something that was essential if they where to maximize efficiency.
"I DONT KNOW where it is." twilight mumbled after the princess's proclamation. "The stone, I don't know where it is." she elaborated upon seeing the expression of confusion worn by the alicorn before her. Celestia cast her vision back towards the still mumbling Zecora. "I want this over, now." She paused and Twilight saw her eyes slowly lose focus, gazing lazily at the ceremony. "But I will not have the entire force of Equestria brought down upon him and have the talisman used against us." Her tone was losing its strength, Twilight could tell the presence of her princess was not enough to end the occupation. There would still be work and struggle to be had. "We must wait, assemble our power, and when the conditions are right, we will end this, but." She said the last word with emphasis and turned her gaze, now refocused, on Twilight. "I need you go back, and return, often, tell me of the village, what is happening, what Reik's plans may be, and anything else that could bring this to a swifter end." She lifted her head and spoke with a refound tone of command. "Good luck my student, the fate of Equestria may lie in the balance of this conflict."
The command was simple and said with speed, but it filled the purple unicorn's chest with fire. She nodded quickly and dashed out of the hut, nearly tripping on her way out. 'Good luck', the words repeated in her mind. There was work, and struggle to be had, but with the Princess of the sun at their head, the forces of Equestria could not falter. Her warming pride seemed to melt the snow that stretched before her. |
Reik | 631 | 30 | Applejack,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP | The story of Reik. A pony trying to spread Communism across Equestria. | incomplete | 63 | 2 | <p>"How can an idea be great if it remains locked in ones mind?"<br/>Reik, a pony that's been at the top and bottom of the social ladder, has created a new system of society and government. Despite being forced into exile he is ready to wage revolution against Celestia. But sometimes it is all to easy to lose sight of what's right and wrong, and will his revolution really be one of peace or is it all just a veil for revenge?</p> | everyone | 2012-11-01T06:16:03+00:00 | 2012-11-01T06:16:03+00:00 | 1,348 | LUNA STOOD ATOP the small rise and looked across the plain now full of tents that rested just outside the farthest reaches of Ponyville. Before her was the amassed military force Equestria had to offer. Clad in differing armor, speaking in different tongues, and from nearly every region in Equestria. They had collected in a tight circle around the impenetrable barrier surrounding the village of Ponyville. The darkness shrouded the camp, however the multitude of campfires and torches made it comparable to a city. Along the impassable ring, a small flare of light would spark every few minutes, denoting an attempt to destroy the barrier by an audacious unicorn.
The rolling mountains around her vision compressed the scene, usually this place was wide and empty, occupied only by nature and a token traveler. But now it was a frozen wasteland, stripped of resources and a shadow of its former self. Populated by a force called in desperation, doing nothing other than staring into the eyes of a beast it could not stop. While many tried to conceal it, none could deny the sense of confusion that filled the air. Some thought it a magical disaster, or quarantine, or another one of the tall tales ponies could think up around a campfire. Only a few at the very top knew the true nature of their predicament, and even then, their vision was limited. Some aspects of the kingdom didn’t even know anything had gone awry. Luna was sure to keep that ignorance as long as possible; a mass panic at the destruction of the capital and possible loss of their leader was to be avoided for as long as possible. Her head sunk slightly as her thoughts moved to her sister. As much as she ignored it, she felt true fear for her sibling. They had never come across a problem they couldn’t solve together, and Celestia’s wish to split up and sacrifice Ponyville was only testament to the dire circumstances.
Luna cast her gaze across the massive camp before her and towards the barrier. The barrier was invisible, but the perfect circle of tents and campfires clearly marked out its expanse. Above the forest within the barrier, Luna could make out the formation of several unicorns, flying just above the trees, clad in black armor. They soon disappeared back under the trees after several seconds of flight.
"Their commander isn't very subtle with his scouts." Luna kept her vision on the barrier as Shinning Armor made his remark. He stepped beside the princess, the snow crunching under his hooves. Since the destruction of Canterlot, Shining Armor had been working around the clock, gathering and organizing their forces. His exhaustion was evident in his tone. "Do you think we should be concerned, it's not like we are trying to conceal our forces." Responded Luna, scanning the tree line for the scouts to appear again. For the past few days this had happened, patrols appearing at the edge of the barrier and leapfrogging over the trees to see what lay outside. "No, we have amassed a force the likes of which they can't hope to match."
Luna flicked her eyes upwards, towards the sky. Amidst the falling snow and clouds, one could just make out the moon, hanging lazily in the night sky. Had she the power, she would have turned the heavens and brought about the sun, but such an act was beyond her. Where they in different circumstances, she would have enjoyed the night sky, but they were in a crisis her sister and many of their subjects were trapped, and they knew so little about the threat that faced them.
"Do you think you may be a little overconfident?" She said, turning away and stepping towards the command tent that was pitched atop the hill. Shinning armor moved to follow, responding as he did so. "He's cornered himself, it's over, all we have to do is wait until the barrier falls."
The command tent was one large square tent, containing three tables. Two in the center and the last against the wall. The two in the center occupied the most space and held two separate maps, one of the general area, including Ponyville, Canterlot, and the whole encampment, while the other was a detailed map of Ponyville. The third held a wide assortment of scrolls, books, and several helmets. The tent was just large enough for a group to crowd around the tables but not much larger, Luna's head barley cleared the ceiling. The two gathered around the map of Ponyville. "You speak of him as if he's some ignorant insurgent." Luna said, looking to Shinning Armor. The stallion continued to scan the map, not looking to meet her gaze. "Are you saying he isn't?"
"I'm saying that he destroyed the Royal Castle, that's not an easy feat." Shinning armor snapped his vision up to meet hers.
"He got lucky, but his luck has run out, if he had the numbers he would have used them, he hasn't, so he doesn't, like I said, it's over, we can't you see this?." His tone was harsh and he immediately cast his head down in silent apology. Luna disregarded the outburst, his stress was justified, he knew very well that his sister was behind the barrier and knowing that she was at the mercy of some invaders was tormenting. Before Luna could respond, the huffing, slumped form of a guard staggered into the tent. His armor was crusted with mud and the once golden metal had dulled considerably. He gave a weak bow and attempted a salute but his fatigue slowed his movements. Shinning armor stepped away from the table and faced the scout. "Any news to report?" He asked.
The guard nodded and took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. "Y-yes, we flew over the center of the village, the barrier is tall, we couldn't get a good look, but it seemed they are still conducting some kind of mass operation near the farm, the main barn is being expanded, and the forest is being cut down at an increased rate, aside from that, nothing new has developed."
Luna’s gaze on the guard fell out of focus and she son starred off into space. They were not taking any military action, aside from the scouts; it seems as if they hadn’t even noticed the outside world. It quickly became apparent that they had no intention of moving, they were digging in. She refocused and looked to Shinning Armor, he met her gaze and she sensed they had come to the same conclusion. “There's no way in and they're not planning on coming out.” Luna murmured. Shinning Armor nodded, the princess of the night cocked her head to one side. "And what do you plan to do about this?"
.Turning towards the map of Ponyville, Shinning armor stood silent for a moment, lost in thought. “Gather the engineers, we’ll have to force our way in." He said, his tone now commanding and assured.
Twilight had latched on to one of the parties going back into Ponyville on her journey from the forest. She had done so quickly, dashing from the cover of the tries into the midst of the crowd. Nopony revealed her and she had passed under the guards vision. She was now just another worker on her way home. Yet she still trembled at the sight of every guard, worrying that somehow they would discover her plot and take her away.
The farther into the village they went the more at ease the unicorn became, she sensed the near proximity of her home and wanted to break off and dash home but knew doing so would bring suspicious looks from the guards, whom she wanted to keep as ignorant as possible. The parade snaked through Ponyville at a painfully slow pace and Twilight began to feel, for the first time in a while, how tired she was. Her limbs ached and her hooves began to bark with fatigue. The expanse of her actions today became apparent. She had marched through Ponyville, too the Apple family farm, through the Everfree forest, and back again, all with little to no rest. She was amazed that she had done so much in a day and that this would most likely not be the last time she made an equivalent journey.
"Twilight?" Came a voice from her side. Twilight turned her head to find a familiar blue pegasus standing beside her. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle stopped walking and quickly embraced in silence. The contact elevated Twilight greatly, to find another friend in this mockery of Equestria was like finding a light house in a hurricane. The embrace went unnoticed by the other ponies, who simply parted between the two, paying them no heed. It was only when a guard called for them to continue in the march did they break contact. The two began walking side by side, sparking conversation immediately. Trading greetings, Twilight began to tell her tale, speaking in a quieter tone as the story went on, until she was speaking directly into her friends ear about the meeting with Celestia. This last part seemed to brighten Dash's face. The pegasus then began telling her tale. As she spoke, Twilight noticed her exhaustion, the bandages that covered her back and wings, and her tone. Despite being under the care of doctors and then rushed into the workforce due to a shortage of labor, being unable to fly and still expected to do as much, and being separated from her friends as Twilight was, the blue pony still retained a rebellious tone. She sounded as if ready to lash out, just waiting for the time, she never missed a chance to demean the guards, even if they were within earshot, something that unnerved Twilight. Dash was still her old self, despite the change in scenery.
"So, what do you plan to do?" she said in a suddenly hushed tone. Twilight gave her a curious look.
"About what?" She mumbled. Dash rolled her eyes. "Reek'er whatever his name is, you're doing some spying right?" Twilight nodded.
"Well how are you going to do it?" Dash said, her eyes wide with intrigue. Twilight thought for a moment. she had not offered the subject much thought, she had been too held up with getting back to Ponyville and talking to her friend to give the dwell on the idea. "I actually don't know, I don't know where to start." The crippling reality of this made Twilight hang her head low. She had no idea where to start, perhaps her task was over before it began. Dash suffered no similar dilemmas and began speaking quickly. "I know what you gotta do, find Applejack or Fluttershy, they're on the inside, they're camissors or something, they can get you on the inside." she said the last part a little too loud and made Twilight flinch unknowingly. "Quiet Dash, the guards will take us both away if they hear you." Dash grew a grimace on her features and continued.
"Whatever, but this is gonna be great, well get you on the inside, well take his precious pebble, and bring the commie down, I can picture it already." Again her voice carried and Twilight flashed her vision around, checking to see any suspicious glares. She sighed gently upon finding none. along with finding none, Twilight found her home coming around the corner. Her chest swelled with comfort, the library looked like a fortress of comfort bekoning her. she turned to Dash and whispered.
"Dash, I'm sorry but I need o go, my home's around the corner, I'll see you again tomorrow, I promise." Rainbow nodded. "Don't sweat it egghead, they're gonna pay for all this, I swear it." With a nod of agreement, Twilight moved to the outskirts of the group. she told the nearest guard that her home was only a block away from them, doing so in a much more timid tone than she would have preferred. The guard looked at her, then toward her home, and then cast his gaze back to his front, paying her no further attention. Pausing briefly, then guessing that to be an act of affirmation, broke away and dashed to her home. The memory of Magnus interrogating her and Applejack in a much similar setting entered her thoughts. Thinking for a second that the intimidating stallion was just behind her, the dash turned into an all out sprint that brought new pain to her limbs. she endured the pain and crashed through the door, slamming it shut behind her.
The unicorn rested her frame on the door, laying her forehead on the door face. Breathing heavily and elated to finally be in the comfort of her home.
After several seconds of heavy breathing she turned her gaze to her side and saw another familiar form. The site of her assistant brought a new sense of comfort to her, but closer examination took this comfort away. Spike was slouched against the wall. She noticed his rapidly moving chest and the beads of sweat coming down his head. He looked as if he was watching a specter.
She sensed another body in the room behind her and slowly moved away from the wall and spun around to meet the silent guest. The purple pony's spine stiffened and a rapid shiver moved down her back. She swallowed hard upon seeing Reik at the far end of the library, rapidly flipping through the pages of a book. Memories of the takeover flashed through her vision, of this pony crippling Rainbow, stealing the elements of harmony, and the ruthless nature with which he dealt with them all. Being so close tested her nerves, she felt herself weaken slightly, and yet he wasn't even looking at her.
She shook her head, he was just a pony, like her, and soon the forces of good would tear down his leadership and defeat him, he was just another enemy of Equestria that she must deal with. This rationalization calmed her and brought a renewed sense of resistance to her.
"What are doing here?" she said, trying to gather her voice to make it powerful. Reik paid her no attention, instead finishing skimming the book and replacing it back to its origin. Spinning around, he moved to the small table in the center of the room where Twilight noticed a small stack of four books had been made. she quickly recognized them as from the technology section of her library, specifically on the subject of computer science upon examining the titles on the spines. The black stallion stopped at the table and placed a hoof on top of the stack. He brought his eyes to meet hers, and the stare renewed the sense of intimidation Twilight had thought eliminated. She squirmed from side to side, but did not break the stare. He remained silent, maintaining the emotionless glare fixed on the unicorn, waiting for her to look away and admit silent defeat. There was a brief silence where neither spoke or moved, only starring at one another. Finally Twilight spoke again.
"What are you doing here?" She said, this time stronger and more assured.
"I need your help." The stallion responded. |
Raot | 632 | 1 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Begining of the end | An evil in born, and a fortress destroyed. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>Allot of the the story of Lunas rebellion was lost in a thousand years.</p> | everyone | 2012-07-08T22:20:41+00:00 | 2012-07-08T22:20:41+00:00 | 1,111 | The walls of the castle had stood strong for millennia. Celestia had never known any force that could threaten them. Not since her parents still ruled. If there was one thing in the world that she could rely on, it was the strength of these walls, and their steadfast, and immovable nature. The magic that bound them was ancient and strong, stronger then any other magic Celestia knew. No force, no dragon, could ever dent the bastion of harmony.
But when Celestia saw the look in Luna’s eyes that day she felt the ground beneath her feet begin to shake and quiver.
“Are you okay?” she asked, genuinely concerned. Luna’s heart was filled with a kind of darkness that could only be seen by a sister.
“…No.” Luna said. “No I’m not. I know…. I know I should be. But I’m not.” As she spoke, coolness entered the chambers. A kind of void that Celestia did not recognize. “I have heard a voice… inside my head… ever since I rose the moon the first time. And at first he comforted me… he was my only friend…”
“Is that what this is about?” Celestia said dismissively. “I’m your friend Luna, you know that…”
“You’re my sister, but you have never been a friend of mine.” Celestia was taken aback, and she felt something stronger pull at her heart. “You have always been too good for that. You are always up when the sun rises, and you always leave me in the dark…”
“Sister… We rule this place together. This is how it is meant to be…” Celestia started. She tried to comfort the young filly, but she then saw a blue mist form around her sister… an evil mist.
“No.” Luna interrupted with a pained expression. “You rule Equestria sister, we have never ruled anything together, and we have never been equal.” She raised her voice… she never raised her voice. And darkness began to crawl up her legs from the very shadow she cast upon the stone below her. “You’re inheritance was a bright world of beauty, while mine was a world where nothing moves except the cruel creatures of the night, and everyone sleeps, and those who cannot sleep and do not hunt are afraid to come out of their homes…”
“The night is beautiful!” Celestia tried to calm her. “And equal to the day, you posses the stars in the night, and the sacred moon….
“Stop your lies!” Luna screamed, her voice cracking and her eyes watering. Celestia had never seen her like this, and was at a loss for words. “You control the sun! And what do I have? A meer reflection of your glory! That is all I have ever been. I have always tried to shine as bright as you, and to be like you! But you were always loved more then me. Don’t deny it. By Mom and dad, and by the people! You were always the favorite, you where always the “good” sister. You always shined brighter then any star I could ever create! And even now your subjects celebrate the summer sun, and wrap up the winter moon!” Luna ended her rant, and looked away from her sister. Celestia was still speechless, and cold… the room had begun to loss all heat, and light became scarce as her sister began to become engulfed in the blackness eating away at her hooves.
“…When your cutie mark appeared…” Luna smiled, and tears began to fall from her face and onto the floor. “I was so happy for you… everyone knew what you would be doing in your life… you would be next in line…” She lost her composure for a moment, and tried to wipe her eyes, and speak through the lump in her throat.
“But I also knew my destiny… always last. Always weaker. Always second best. Never to be shown in the light. Always following after you like the moon after the sun. When my destiny was revealed, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. I would forever be in your shadow, forever try to imitate your light.” She spat her spiteful words with anger once more, the darkness covered all but a few sparse patches of her pale blue coat.
“But no more. I shall no longer toil to keep up with you. I shall no longer live in your shadow. If I am to be a shadow to your light, a moon to your sun, and a dream to your reality,” Celestia felt all warmth, and light, begin to funnel into the creature that had once been her sister. The blackness traveled across her body, lengthening, and transforming her shape, and her voice cracked up and down until it began to settle on a mature, and disheartening age “Then let me be pitch black,” Her mane became a mist of star filled blue, and from the darkness of her skin came armor fit for war “Let me be a new moon,” The walls, those powerful walls of harmony, bound together with the most powerful magic in the land, shook at their foundations, just as Celestias own mind began to quake with fear and disbelief. “Let me be you're nightmare!”
And the ancient bastion of harmony came crashing down. The earth shook and the foundations crumbled. The candles went out and the fur on Celestias coat began to freeze. The ceiling began to fall in chunks, as well as the floors and walls. Brick by brick the monument fell, taking with it all the gold and treasure that meant so little, and the memories that no longer mattered. Celestia found that all the magic in her body was gone. Sucked out by the dark presence in her sister. In fact… there was no magic anywhere. Her heart began to pound and her eyes went wide and wild with panic.
“Whats wrong sister?” Nightmare moon asked. “Afraid of the dark?” |
Raot | 632 | 2 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Begining of the end | An evil in born, and a fortress destroyed. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>Allot of the the story of Lunas rebellion was lost in a thousand years.</p> | everyone | 2012-07-08T22:24:55+00:00 | 2012-07-08T22:24:55+00:00 | 890 | Some time ago,
The moment was to be known as the first day. The official rise of Celestia and Luna to the throne, and the first time they both rose the sun and the moon on their own. But as the power shifted from light to dark and the festivities began to die down, three figures trotted towards the Bastion of Harmony in the twilight.
The guards let them in, but watched the small female and her guards carefully. They where nether black nor white, but striped, and their manes stood stiff above their heads. Their brown cloaks served to cover their eyes and shield their bodies from the elements, and signified their magical knowledge.
When told of their arrival, Celestia quickly let them in.
The Zebras where dim and dirty, and seamed to cool the demeanor of all present. Two of them were large, and male, and the third that stood between them lifted her hood to show a bandage around her eyes.
“Delphi, the soothsayer.” Celestia said, motioning her sister beside her to show respect. “It’s good of you to come at this hour of celebration, though, I’m sorry, but you seam to have arrived a little late.”
The blind zebra turned her head this way and that, but said nothing. One of her guards said, in a very deep voice, “She brings a prophesy. And we have walked many miles to give you this warning.”
Celestia nodded in all seriousness. “Of course.”
The soothsayer walked a few steps towards the two princess, and spoke in a thick accent, as if trying to speak another language,
“The Bastion of harmony is to be destroyed,
by no creature of The Nova and no creature of The Void.
And the castle stands, and shall never fall
To one who lies outside it’s walls
Built upon freedom, unity and power,
As the monarchs stand tall, so will the towers.”
At first it seamed like a blessing, but Celestia could understand the hidden implications,
“But a darkened heart can steal any magic
So keep your true friends close, or times shall be tragic.”
“And what does this mean?” Celestia asked, after the final echos of the words faded into nothingness.
“I can see no more.” Delphi said. Celestia pondered over the warning.
“Oath keeper,” she said, and a large, strong royal guard with a golden ring as a cutie mark bowed his head. “Make sure our guests find a room and are comfortable. Then I want you to double security, and have nopony walk alone on the grounds.”
“Your highness.” He bowed once more and began to lead the zebras into another room.
“Thank you for your kindness princess.” The blind soothsayer spoke, following between her two guards, and leaving the chambers.
After the guard left Celestia stood, and all other ponies present bowed their heads once more.
“And now, to end the festivities, my sister shall raise the moon on her own, for the first time.” There was a cheer from the crowd, and Luna blushed. “I understand some of you are disheartened by the warnings we have been given, but remember.” Celestia smiled and knowing smile. “Friendship is magic. And so long as we continue to love one another, we shall always live in peace and harmony.”
As the castle came crumbling down,
Celestia fell to her hooves and ran. She had never felt such a pain in her heart, and such an icy coolness in her blood. She galloped from the throne room, where Luna had first raised the moon so long ago, tears streaming from her immaculate, alabaster face. The stone that had supported her for so many a year cracked like a diamond under an iron hammer. Her bedrock was snapping like rotten wood in a fire, and she felt such a sinking feeling in her heart. She wondered if the very castle was sinking into the underworld and dragging her down with it.
“Run.” She heard that dark thing say in her sister’s bastardized voice. “Run and cry like a little filly in the dark.” |
Raot | 632 | 3 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Begining of the end | An evil in born, and a fortress destroyed. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>Allot of the the story of Lunas rebellion was lost in a thousand years.</p> | everyone | 2011-08-30T18:19:07+00:00 | 2011-08-30T18:19:07+00:00 | 689 | After the celebrations
“Just rest.” Celestia bade Luna.
“But I just raised the moon. All on my own…” Luna said in her bed, eyes half closed already.
“Your exhausted. And like it or not, your still a little filly.” She nuzzled her sister. “Just rest.” Luna looked away for a moment, There was something in her eye akin to sadness,
“I miss mom and dad.” She said quietly.
“I do to.” Celestia said knowingly, closing her eyes. “But now it’s our turn to rule. So just rest. You will make them proud one day.” Half of a smile appeared on Lunas face for a moment, and then she closed her eyes. “Good night.” Celestia said, leaving her sisters chambers.
“Full house.” Grumbled a white colt.
“Horseapples!” a black pony with Cyan colored hair threw her cards down on the table.
“Why aren’t you two helping clean up?” Both ponies looked back to see Celesta herself entering the throne room.
“Er, Candy Cane said she had everything under control.” Said the Black filly, shrugging guiltily.
“That filly is going to work herself to death.” Celestia shook her head. “High Noon, go ahead and help her. Tell her Celestia sent you herself.”
“Like she’d believe it.” The white colt said, rolling his eyes. He left the two, showing his cutie mark, which was a playing card with a joker on it. “She’ll just think it’s another joke.”
“Cyan Star.” Celestia said to the black filly as High Noon left eyesight. “I see you have been trying new things…” Cyan looked down and away.
“They… they don’t tease me as much anymore.” She said. “Probably because they know I live in the castle now…”
“Cyan…” Celestia stepped closer to the pony with a smile. “I know Ponies usually get their cutie marks when they are… younger then you.” She said. Cyans face showed visible shame. “But every pony has a talent.” Celesia continued. “Just keep trying new things. And know that, above all else, you are one of my friends.” Cyan star was taken aback.
“Th, Thank you princess.” She said happily.
“Good, now, I have to go see a dragon about some bits.” Celestia giggled.
“Switch owes you again?” Cyan asked.
“Yes, those dragons aren’t usually business types.” She said. “But I’m pleased to say that they are more kind then they look once you get to know them.”
“Good luck with that.” Cyan said. “I’ll go help out candy cane…”
“Actually, I have a different task for you.” Celestia said. Cyan Star waited anxiously for the order. “Earthheart was not at the festivities today, and I am worried for her, could you check on her…”
“I’ll do my best.” She said. Celestia smiled and left the young, markless pony.
In the halls of the breaking bastion
Celestia ran as fast as her hooves would let her, and speed through the halls, narrowly avoiding falling debris and trying to find an exit. But it was so dark, and half the doors had caved in… Celestia had never ran so much, and her sides her heaving and burning with exertion.
“Oh, you look exhausted.” She heard the evil words echo and boom. “Like a little filly.” Celestia fought the urge to scream as she finally found an open doorway. She dashed through, but found a pony lying on the ground…
“Candy Cane!” Celestia shouted in shock. The white and red pony lay there on the ground, eyes wide in fear. Celestia took a few precious moments to catch her breath before shouting, “Get up! We have to go!”
“Its too late.” Celestia racing heart skipped a beat. The royal party planer continued to lay there, in the dark, caved in room. “Cyan was just here… she said Every door, every window is covered. And outside… there’s no moon, no stars… just black.” Her beady eyes, once filled with so much joy, now shot icy tendrils around Celesta’s soul. Tears flowed freely from the windows into her mind, and hopelessness filled the room. “The way is shut. The magic is gone.” Celestia had been frozen to her spot as the castle began to quake with new found vigor. “It’s too late,” she closed her beady eyes and weeped openly as the castle shook. “There’s no way out.”
“Then we make a way.” Celestias head turned to see High Noon gallop in from the other side of the room. “The walls are made of paper round here, I can buck us a way out, come on…”
Celestia was still stuck. Frozen solid by fear…
“So scared.” She heard the voice again in her ear, that evil voice, like a whispering foe, sending greater chills down her spine. “What would mom and dad think of you if they saw you now? Too scared to even run away. You think they would be proud…”
“Who are you?” High Noon said, taking up a fighting posture.
“Don’t you recognize my voice?” Celestia heard her possessed sister say. “I’m Luna. Your princess. Your new, singular, queen…”
“Buck you!” High noon cursed. Celestia was taken aback. “Whoever you are, you ain’t Luna no more.” He smiled. “If you’re so high an mighty, why don’t you show yourself so I can knock some sense into you.”
A wall burst open and Celestia turned her head in shock to find the Black mare from before, with armor and a mane of stars.
“Waoh” High Noon said. “I thought you’d be… I don’t know.”
“What?” Nightmare Moon asked.
“I don’t know… prettier?” High noon shrugged.
“What?”
“Yea, I mean, sure your taller but… boy howdy, only a mother could love that face.” Celestia couldn’t help but wryly smile a bit.
“I’m Nightmare moon! Respect your new queen!” she shouted, causing more quakes in the ground below them.
“An, you know, no offense, but I don’t see how those tiny wings of yours can lift up something so heavy.” High noon continued. “I know the armor isn’t exactly slimming but, I’m sorry, I ain’t never seen something as fat as you manage to fly more then a few inches.” Celestia giggled, and lifted a hoof to her face to try and stifle her laughing.
“Stop it!” Nightmare Moon screamed, her horn glowing. “Shut your mouth or I’ll…”
“What? Sit on me?” High noon asked. Nightmare Moon screamed and charged forward at the Earth Pony with her horn aglow. He then quickly sidestepped and avoided the charging alicorn as she ran headlock into the stone. Her powerful charge ripped through the wall and made a portal to the outside world.
“We got ourselves an escape route.” He looked back to Celestia who found that she could once again move her hooves. “Lets go.” |
Raot | 632 | 4 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Begining of the end | An evil in born, and a fortress destroyed. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>Allot of the the story of Lunas rebellion was lost in a thousand years.</p> | everyone | 2011-09-03T01:50:59+00:00 | 2011-09-03T01:50:59+00:00 | 768 | The night after the festival was bright. Celestia’s chariot was drawn and they began their flight into the sky as she spotted a small pony, alone in one of the streets outside the castle.
With memories of warnings of doom from the inside, Celestia thought it best to order the guards to pull up next to the nocturnal pony, and question him.
“Excuse me.” Celestia spoke, leaving her chariot, “What are you doing out so late at night? Shouldn’t you be at home?”
“Shoulden’t y…” he responded sourly as he looked up, but quickly stopped himself when he saw who he was talking to, “M, My apologies, I didn’t realize…”
“It’s fine.” Celestia calmed him. The colt was small, and covered in rags. He was red, but most other features where covered, he stood up strait when he realized who’s presence he shared.
“Well, Your majesty, this is my home.” He explained. “I’ve been begging here for a few months now…”
“Surly there is some place else to stay?” Celestia asked in surprised. She had not realized that the very capital had too many ponies to house and feed.
“I ain’t got the money or the skill to get any.” He said. He shook his hood free of his head and showed that he was a unicorn, but just barely. Half the horn had snapped, leaving a blunted stump. “See this cutie mark,” he showed his flank, on it was the picture of a red, orange, and yellow ball. “An explosion.” He chucked. “That’s what happened to my horn. It’s a bit funny ain’t it?”
“I’m sure there is a job for you out there somewhere.” Celestia continued.
“Nah, I can’t use magic no more, half the time I try I just blow stuff up.” He rolled his eyes. “But I get enough to eat. And my home has the best view in all Equestria.”
“…Well, I do apologize, but the castle is on high alert right now, and you should keep your distance from the grounds.” She tried to tell him delicately. “But please, what is your name? I’ll be sure to find you if I have a job for you.”
“The names Red Dwarf.” He said.
“I’m pleased to meet you Red Dwarf.” Celestia smiled. “Here…” she took a diamond from her chariot and gave it to the beggar. “Use it wisely.”
“No, I can’t accept that.” Red dwarf said with his eyes wide.
“Then you can give it back to me when I have found a job for you.” Celestia said with a smile.
“…Thank you.” Red dwarf said, taking the gem into his rags.
Cyan star had walked for many a mile before seeing a dark cloud in the distance… it seamed to come out from the earth, right above Earthhearts garden…
And then she saw flickering flames in the distance.
She bolted, fast enough for her hooves to sound like thunder, and she quickly saw that that fires in the garden were dyeing out… they had been burning for quite some time.
And there, in front of the last bit’s of flame, sat Earthheart. An orange Pegasus with a mountain for a cutie mark.
“Earthheart!” Cyan started as she slowed down next to the pony. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes were wide, and her half dried cheeks flickered in reflection to the embers. “I… I knew some of them needed water. I just went out to get some.” She started. “But… but when I came back…” she had to stop to keep herself from crying again. “All day… I tried to stop it all day… I screamed for people to help, but everyone was gone. They were at the party…” her eyes shut tight as the last of the fires burned out and a glowing pile of heat and ash was all that was left of the once beautiful area. “They couldn’t take the heat.” She continued. “Too much sun.”
“…You know… Celestia is new at this.” Cyan started. “It might not be your fault.”
“W… What?” Earthheart looked at Cyan.
“I said if there is anyone to blame, it’s Celestia.” Cyan continued. What was she doing? She felt some kind of power in saying these things… it felt right. She felt a voice whisper in her ear, urging her to go on, “Her days are longer then the nights, and when you needed help, everyone was at the festival.”
“Y… yea…” Earthheart agreed. “But… But it was an accident.”
Cyan felt a dark presence in her soul, and eerie discord filled her body as she lips spoke, “Yea. An accident.”
Earthheart showed a visible surprise at the comment. “Wh… What do you mean by that?”
“I mean…” Her id spoke through Cyan, “It’s too much of a coincidence isn’t it? Drying out your garden, making sure nobody helps you”… and then she lied, “unveiling the royal gardens…”
“What?” Earthheart said in confusion.
“Right, you weren’t there. Celestia had royal gardens planted inside the castle walls, unveiled them at the festival.” Cyan forged. “She actually said she was going to build some new housing too, right nearby here.” She continued, “This is a good spot for some mansions.”
Earthhearts eyes narrowed. “She… she said this?”
“Well, not publicly. But she had always wanted to build here…” Earthhearts eyes began to show signs of rage behind the grief. Why was Cyan doing this? It felt so good… she felt a kind of perverse power set upon both her and Earthheart, a kind of sinful glee. Cyan felt… in control.
“There were animals in there… they lived in those trees.” Earthehart began.
“A pony can’t live in a tree, and pay more for an apartment, what can I say.” Cyan shrugged.
“The birds… and the mice…” Earthheart failed to contain a grimace of anger on her face. “They could have been hurt.”
“You think she cares? She lives on top of the world.” Cyan spouted. “And you and your garden were just getting in the way of progress.” Earthheart screamed and pounded at the ground with surprising force.
“Where is she?!” She spoke like a pony possessed.
“Speaking with a dragon now, but she will be back at the castle shortly.” Cyan said. Earthheart sped off, galloping towards the doomed castle…
Cyan struggled for a moment, confused and disoriented from her experience… but then, magic… she felt something. She quickly turned and looked at her flank in surprise and awe…
Her cutie mark was beautiful. |
Raot | 632 | 5 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Begining of the end | An evil in born, and a fortress destroyed. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>Allot of the the story of Lunas rebellion was lost in a thousand years.</p> | everyone | 2012-07-09T13:47:16+00:00 | 2012-07-09T13:47:16+00:00 | 605 | The castle gates, after the celebrations.
Oath Keeper kept guard tonight. He was a large stallion, with heavy armor and a massive array of magical spells for combat. He felt that even alone he could fend off any threat, no matter what kind of attacker came…
But in the distance, he saw a light coming towards the walls. He squinted and made out an orange Pegasus. Earthheart.
“Hey!” he waved to the pony.
“Get out of my way!” he heard her scream as she charged towards the wall. He noticed now, in horror, that the light he saw was coming from her hooves… they were red hot from the friction. He stood his ground.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but you can’t enter…” he created a ethereal magical shield in front of himself. It was so powerful, it was even capable of keeping a dragons fire at bay.
As Earthheart charged, she slammed into the shield with such force that it sent Oath Keeper flying back, smashing him up against the wall behind him.
“What?!” he gasped as the small Pegasus pony continued forward, slamming her hot, flaming hoof into Oathkeepers flank and smashing him to the ground. He yelled in pain, the hoof burned and buried into him, but he looked up at the Pegasus, regaining his hooves, and planned to strike down the diminutive mare…
But then he saw her eyes, wet with tears and hot with fury. She slammed her hooves into the stone with no effect on the Ivory gates. Sadness eventually overwhelmed the small ones anger and her legs gave way, leaving her to cry into the dirt below her. Oath Keeper lost all of his fighting spirit as he saw the great force of nature simmer down to ashes before him.
“…Whats wrong?” he asked, forgetting all of his stately duties. As high up as he was on the military ladder, he still had a soft spot in his heart for mares in distress.
It was hard to understand her. But eventually, after laying by her side she calmed down enough to say, “She burned it… she burned it all…”
“Your garden?” he asked. “Who?”
Her rage appeared for another millisecond as she spat, “You know who!” she developed back into sobs. “She burned it… Celestia burned it…”
“The Princess?” the treasonous thought struck a nerve, but he kept his seat. “Why would the princess do such a thing…”
Earthheart looked up in a swelling rage. “Greed. Pride. Power, Corruption, Cruelty!” she stood up once more. “I have heard things Oath Keeper… things you would not believe. Celestia isn’t who you think she is.”
“…Who told you these things?” Oath Keeper asked, humoring the Pegasus.
“Me.” He turned to see the new voice. Cyan star was standing before them. “I know her better then most. And let me tell you…” she looked into Oath Keepers eyes. “You don’t know who you serve.”
Oath keeper had served with the royal family all his life… but what reasons would Celestia have for burning Earthhearts garden?...
With sorrow in his heart, and a feeling of rebellion festering in his mind, he pleaded, “Tell me more Cyan Star.”
Cyan smiled and responded. “Please… this is a time of change… I think you should call me by my new name.” She looked down at her flank, and then back to Oath Keeper. “Cyanide.” A silence filled the air.
He could have called for help. He could have said no, he could have denied it all… but instead, he asked, “What is the plan.”
“We wait… for now.” Cyanide commanded. “Hold your rage for later… the time will come…” She led Earthheart away, and Oath Keeper stood back at his post. The wall was spotless from the attack. The only evidence that anything had ever gone amiss that night, was a burnt wound on Oath Keepers flank that broke the solemn golden ring on his cutie mark.
“Lord KillSwitch McDeathengine?” Celestia asked before entering the cave.
“Yes.” The voice responded. A Red dragon head lowered to meet her eyes in the dark cave.
“Did I pronounce that correctly?” Celestia asked cordially. “I’m still trying to learn dragon names…”
“Yes, very good Princess.” The Dragon responded. “But Switch works fine as well.”
“Then you can simply call me Celestia, if we are ignoring titles.”
“It would make things quicker.” He responded. “Now to business…”
“Yes, quite…” Celestia nodded. “I’ve come to ask for my winnings”
“Wha… oh, right.” The Dragons eyes rolled as he continued, “How much was that?”
“The bet was 20 bits.” She said, counting. “20 bits against my sister raising the moon on her own…” he threw 20 bits in her direction. “Dragons don’t like losing bets do they?”
“No, No we don’t.” he grumbled.
“For a race who hates losing, you sure like to gamble though…” she added, carrying her winnings into her carriage.
Switch laughed softly, “Yes, we have our share of faults… we do tend to bite off more then we can chew.” His eyes then lost some humor. “But you ponies have your own faults.”
“Really?” Celestia asked. “Like what?”
Switch had his claws around a small Pegasus that he dropped to the ground next to the princess. “The largest being curiosity. I found this street urchin buzzing around my cave this morning, trying to make off with as much gold as she could carry. She says her name is ‘Sparks’… you ponies and your strange names…”
Celestia looked down at the poor thing. She was a thin, dirty yellow Pegasus with an electric blue mane. She was quite small, and must have just been a filly.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Sparks seamed much more afraid of Celestia then the dragon.
“It’s all right young one… did he hurt you?” she asked. The Pegasus looked up and shook her head. “Well you must be hungry, if he kept you in here all day…”
“No, actually, he fed me.” She said, nodding.
“Really?” she asked.
“Well… I couldn’t let her… it… starve.” Switch shrugged.
“Well, it’s alright, you can leave now.” The Princess said, trying to comfort the filly.
“Actually, he said I could come back and play tomorrow if I wanted!” she said with a smile. “That is, if you aren’t mad…”
“Did he?” she asked, wryly smiling at the dragon.
“Oh, no, I, she…” Switch blushed. “…Please don’t tell anyone.” He asked.
“Not a soul.” She winked. “You can go.” She said to the Pegasus. Sparks giggled and flew off the mountain.
“The other dragons wouldn’t let me live it down if they found out…you know.” Switch said.
“Found out that The Dragon Lord Killswitch McDeathEngine offers playtime and lollipops little fillies?” she said. He looked away in embarrassment.
“…You know what?” Celestia started. “Dragons have a greater flaw then greed.”
“Really?” Switch responded. “Please, do tell.”
“Kindness.” She whispered.
The Dragon groaned, “You can’t imagine how much those words hurt me, as a Dragon, Celestia.” He scoffed. “I should be kidnapping princess like you, not losing bets.”
Celestia laughed, “Speaking with you is always a pleasure.” She bowed. “Until we meet again.”
The dragon bowed his head, and said, with sarcasm, “Buy yourself something nice.” Celestia giggled, walking back into her carriage.
“I will.”
Falling from the crumbling castle walls
Celestia hit the ground hard, but softened the blow for High Noon by catching him on her back. Debris was falling down like stone rain. She tried to dodge all she could, following High Noon towards the gates…
But right there before them was a figure, blocking their path…
“…Oath Keeper!” Celestia exclaimed. But after a moment, she noticed that he just, stood there…
“He does not go by that name anymore sister.” Celestia turned to see her younger sibling, engulfed in darkness. “His new name is Oath Breaker. It has been since his Cutie mark changed.” Celestia looked back in shock realizing that it was true, the golden ring had a mark slashed through it, breaking the circle.
“You are not fit to lead anymore Celestia.” Oath Breaker said solemnly.
Celestia could feel coldness creeping up on her again.
“You are inept, and blind. This empire of sun has gone on for long enough… it is time for you to give rise to the moon.”
“Don’t listen to him!” High Noon started. He tried to find away through Oath Breaker, but the stallion was too big and too strong.
“You think your citizens love you?” he asked. “Their crops burn, the homeless fill the streets, beggars starve for scraps, and here you are crying about the sun going down.”
Celestia wiped away the tears on her check, suddenly being reminded of them.
“Should it really surprise you?” Luna asked, “That even your most loyal subjects turns against you? You are incompetent! Delusional! No one wants you here!” Celestia fell to the ground again.
“Just close your eyes.” She heard. “Harmony is gone.” She heard. She could not keep from sobbing, and High Noon seamed to be a whole world away… “This is how friendship dies. This is how the spark goes black…”
“Not this spark!” Celestias eyes opened suddenly as a yellow and blue dot buzzed down from the sky, tackling the huge Stallion and making him stumble like he was hit with a bolt of lighting.
“Now’s your chance!” It was Sparks. The little filly was out of breath, but still kicking.
“Get back here!” Luna sent a bolt of magic through her horn at the small filly, but Sparks dodged it easily.
“Na na na na na boo boo!” She stuck out her tongue “Bleh!”.
“Why you little…!” Oath Breaker charged at the impudent whelp, missing, and not even remotely keeping up with her movements…
But the way was open.
“No you fool!” Luna yelled as Celestia charged through with newfound purpose. High Noon and Sparks followed quickly behind her.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.” Sparks said, quickly leading the way with her speed. |
Scriber | 633 | 1 | Adventure,Slice of Life,Tragedy | Granny Smith's Farewell | Granny Smith, now in the last days of her golden years, visits her hometown. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>Desiring to return to her hometown - for reasons yet unknown to the Apple family - Granny Smith boards a train, embarking on a solo journey to Appleoosa.</p> | everyone | null | 2011-08-26T03:27:41+00:00 | 1,152 | Dawn broke over the sprawling, earthen landscape. Celestia’s sun cast brilliant, shimmering beams of light that crested over the hills, shadows dancing in tandem with the softened pink-gold hues that stretched across the sky. The seasoned light-green mare looked out upon the sight and smiled, head swaying ever so slightly in rhythm with the occasional bumps and dips of the train tracks. It had been quite some time since Granny Smith had visited Appleloosa: the last time she had been, it had been nothing more than a shambling collection of the odd settler’s hut or two strewn about haphazardly, not entirely unlike random pebbles littering the orange dust that the settlement had resided upon. She was younger then - a middle-aged mare, to be precise - and thought fondly of those days, reminiscing on memories of shin-digs around crackling log fires and dancing with strapping young stallions under crystal-clear moonlit skies.
“But Granny -” the orange earth pony had begun, eyes still uncertain.
“-T’ain’t no buts about it, Applejack. This here’s just summat I oughta do.” Most of the Apple family had gathered in the aged red barn, hay strewn about, to hear Granny speak.
“Ah’m gettin’ up in years, Applejack. Ah ain’t no young filly any longer. This here’s…well, it’s just summat I oughta do. Ah reckon Ah still know a few pony-folk out’n them parts, and Ah hain’t seen most of ‘em fer a long time.” Granny was met with a mixture of looks on her kin’s eyes as she spoke those words - from Applejack, confusion and reluctance - from Applebloom, sadness and perhaps a bit of understanding - from Big Macintosh, a knowing look with a heap of concern.
“As much as Ah ain’t too keen on admittin’ it, yer ol’ Granny ain’t got too much time left. Mah days in Equestria…they’re…-” Tears began to well up in the weathered old mare’s eyes, making her looks years older than she really was. Applebloom was already weeping silently, trying her best not to make her sobs audible. Applejack was in second, a single tear streaming down her bright orange coat, glistening on the pale freckles that dotted her face. Even Big Macintosh’s eyes were bigger than usual, but he shed no tears.
Reluctantly, Applejack simply closed her eyes and nodded. The orange earth pony had grown into the role of the family’s spokes-pony fabulously, though Granny wasn’t sure if Applejack realized it. It would have done her parents proud to see her the way she was that day - strong, yet relenting. A gentle but firm leader.
Looking out the dust-covered window, Granny Smith could just begin to make out the outskirts of Appleloosa in the distance - small, humble homesteads and farms cropping up here and there, with dozens of earth ponies already hard at work in the fields, some still shaking the sleep from their tired eyes. Her heart ached for Sweet Apple Acres - farming was the only life she had ever known. Growing up on Apple Family farm was no picnic - it had been hard work, but every single night after an honest day’s work bucking apples, she drifted off to sleep on her thatched hay mattress with a smile on her face, knowing that she wouldn’t have traded it for the world.
“When do ya reckon you’ll be back, Granny?” Big Macintosh had asked her, as she knew she would. Holding back the deluge of emotion that threatened to burst forth like a broken dam, she plastered a benevolent, stoic look on her face and said,
“Well, Big Mac, Ah cain’t be sure of that just yet. Ah’ve been fixin’ to get to Appleloosa fer quite a spell now. Ah reckon Ah’ll be back…” - she tried to breathe deeply, the earthen air hitching in her chest - “…Ah reckon about a week or two.”
“You be sure to write, now, y’hear?” Applejack insisted. “Derpy’s got a lady-friend ‘round those parts with the courier service, and Ah’m sure if you jus’ tell’er who you are, she’ll be sure to a letter out our way lickety-split!” Granny smiled.
“Don’t you worry yer pretty little head, AJ. Ah’ll be sure to write. And you, little miss filly!” she said, turning to a now openly weeping Applebloom. Using her rickety old walker, she trotted over on shaky legs to the young pony, her lip now trembling as she tried to stifle the sobs. “Don’t you go cryin’ on mah account, now. Yer ol’ Granny’s just goin’ on a little trip, s’all.” The filly looked up at her elder with glimmering round eyes and weakly smiled, nodding slightly. Granny Smith bent down and nuzzled her - no small feat, given her limited mobility - and the smile grew, so infectious that almost everypony in the barn ended up smiling as well.
The train began to slow as it approached the town proper, metal wheels clacking over wooden tracks at a decreasing tempo. The dust kicked up from the pull-ponies’ hooves decreased little by little, and the train gently came to a stop. The conductor pony climbed on board, announcing - “Last stop, Appleloosa! All passengers, please retrieve your luggage and make your way to the front of the train.” With a contented sigh, Granny Smith gingerly pulled on her faded cloth saddlebags and slowly rose to her hooves, her walker leading the way to the front.
As she approached the steps that led to the wooden platform outdoors, the conductor pony sprang to action and assisted the old mare down the steps.
“Why, thankya kindly, sonny,” Granny said.
“No trouble ‘t’all, ma’am. Are you staying in town? Would you like me to call a carriage for you?” the conductor pony asked.
“Ah thank ya, but no, Ah’ll be fine. Ah’ve just…Ah’m just gonna set a spell. Get mah bearings.” The conductor pony looked as though he was about to protest, but upon seeing the sincerity in the old mare’s eyes, he merely nodded and stepped back on board to assist the other passengers who were disembarking.
The light-green mare made her way to a series of benches on the train station’s platform, just on the edge. They overlooked the mane drag of Appleloosa - the sun was shining brightly over the frontier town, reflecting off of the brown-gold dust strewn about the ground, almost giving the various shops and inns a sort of earthen luminescence that put a grin on Granny’s wrinkled face. She breathed in deeply through her muzzle, the scents and smells of the place bringing decades-old memories bubbling forth. Settler ponies went about their morning routines, contentedly trotting to and fro; some were setting up shop for the day, making sure that their wares were on proper display for any passer-by to see; some were affixing themselves to the several horse-drawn carriage services that the town had to offer; others still were setting up their easels and supplies for their daily horse-drawn horse-drawn carriage businesses, making sure to get the framing just right.
As the carriage that would take her to Ponyville’s train station arrived at the gates, Granny was accompanied by all present members of the Apple family, keeping pace with the determined - yet somber - mare as she hobbled in that direction. Applebloom was the first to hug her, wanting to be reassured that Granny would be home soon.
“Ah promise. You take good care’a yer sister, now, y’hear?” The filly nodded vigorously.
“Applejack, you watch after the farm while I’m gone. Big Macintosh, you look after yer sisters.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the colt replied courteously.
“Be safe, Granny,” Applejack told the Apple family’s matriarch as the carriage stallions helped her into her seat.
“Ah’ll be fine, Ah tells ya!” Granny reassured cheerily, trying her best not to burst into tears. “Everypony’ll get along just fine without me around, I reckon.” With that, Applejack’s worst fears were confirmed - she was the Element of Honesty, after all. She had always had a keen ability to sniff out lies; though Granny wasn’t so much lying as she was…well…embellishing the truth, for lack of a better term. Teary-eyed, Applejack gave her Granny a hug goodbye, whispering something that nopony else could quite make out into her ear. Granny’s eyes widened just so - but only for a brief moment as she quickly recovered and stroked her granddaughter’s mane.
As the carriage pulled out of the gate, the Apple family just stared until it crested over the hill and disappeared below the horizon. A sullen, almost palpable funk hung about the air like a damp cloth.
“Applejack?” the young filly began, looking up at her big sister. She almost didn’t say anything, looking at the expression that was on the orange earth pony’s face; the strangest mixture of conflicting emotions, each one battling with the other markedly in the most minute details. When Applejack remained silent, she tried again - “D’ya reckon Grany’ll be back soon?”
The proud pony, normally a pillar in the family for others to lean on in times of need, simply turned and began to trot toward the orchard, walking in no particular direction in no particular hurry, leaving Applebloom confused and perhaps just a bit more upset than before. Had the little filly been able to see her sister’s face, though, she would have seen a look that could have only served to make matters worse.
Granny looked out upon the scene that lay before her. A few moments passed, and with the slightest of grunts, she once again got to her hooves and began to hobble toward the mane drag, headed in the direction of the local watering hole. |
Sturm Panzer | 634 | 1 | Adventure,Dark,Tragedy | To Do Our Duty | The clouds of war come to Equestria. Everyone's lives will be changed forever. | incomplete | 21 | 4 | <p>A war begins between the Buffalo tribes and the ponys of Equestria.<br /><br />Told from the viewpoint of Twilight Sparkle. How she sees the war, and how it affects her home, and everyone she knows and cares for.</p> | teen | null | 2011-09-20T06:52:42+00:00 | 1,281 | To Do Our Duty
Chapter One -- The Gathering Clouds
By Sturm Panzer
Ahh, the wonderful sounds of a glorious spring morning. The chirping and singing of birds calling out to each other. The laugher of fillies and colts at play. The murmuring of ponies talking, and even the occasional soft laugh of a joke shared between friends. The jarring crash of things falling to the floor. Wait, what?
Twilight lifted her head up, poking it out from under the light sheet that she'd pulled over herself when she went to bed the night before. “That came from downstairs. Spike?” she said to herself before kicking the sheet off and then getting out of bed.
As Twilight made her way down the stairs, she could hear Spike muttering to himself, the words indistinct at first, then getting more clear. “ 'Who' yourself, Owlowiscious. Don't startle me like that..”
Another few steps and she was able to peer down at the pile of books that ended up on the floor, along with the ladder and one small dragon, who was in the process of picking up the fallen books. “Spike, what happened? Did Owlowiscious startle you again?”
“Oh! Twilight!” Spike exclaimed, turning around suddenly to see her coming down the stairs. “Yeah, he was sitting on the top shelf as I was climbing up to get that book you said you wanted for today and then he 'who'd at me, and... Well, I kinda fell. I'm ok, though. No harm, no foul, right?”
“That's good, I'm glad you weren't hurt, Spike,” Twilight said with a smile, using her magic to help pick the remaining books off the ground and set them into a neat stack beside the shelf.
A sudden rapid knocking at the door came. “Who could that be?” Twilight mused, leaving the books stacked and then magically opening to door to admit Rarity, who came in looking a mix of excited, anxious and a little worried. Hot on her tail was Applejack, wearing a frown on her face.
Twilight was quick to pick up on their expressions, “Rarity, Applejack, what's going on? Is something wrong?”
“Well sure as rain, there's something wrong,” drawled Applejack,” haven't y’all heard the news yet? It's already all over town.” Rarity just laughed softly, tossing her head, “Applejack, dear. Why isn't obvious she's just gotten out of bed. Look, her mane's in dire need of brushing,” while floating a brush over to Twilight.
“Oh, thank you Rarity. Please, Applejack, what's this big news you're talking about?” the half-distracted Twilight said as she started brushing her mane.
Applejack's face was certainly on the dour side, “War, that's what is.”
“Pfff,” was Rarity's answer to that, “War? Oh come on, it's been 300 years since the last battle was fought in Equestria. There isn't going to be a war.”
“Wait? You said a war?” Twilight looked very concerned all of a sudden, her brushing paused and entirely forgotten.
“Hmmm-hmm,” Applejack nodded. “Looks like there's some new Buffalo chief out west of Appleloosa. An he's been pulling all the other buffalo tribes together under him.”
“Well, a unified leadership is good for them,” Twilight mused, resuming the brushing of her mane, “Stronger leadership will make them more cohesive, and then be easier to make treaties with. Not to mention the economic benefits of expanded trade.”
With a quick shake of her head, Applejack went on, “Oh he ain't using words like 'peace' 'talk' and 'trade'. He's using words like 'our land', 'fight' and 'destroy'.”
Rarity simply rolled her eyes as she listened to Applejack, “Oh really. He's just posturing. Trying to talk all tough and macho, so the other buffalo will listen to him. 'Oh look at how big and strong I am',” Rarity mimicked in parody.
“You know Applejack, I think I have to agree with Rarity. The buffalo would have to be crazier than Pinkie Pie to actually think that Princess Celestia would actually let them go to war with us.” Twilight paused for a moment before continuing, “I mean, the Appleloosa problem was nicely settled and everypony was happy. Why would they want to stir up more trouble now? It just doesn't make any sense.”
“You mark my words, there'll be war before this is over. Sure as rain, there'll be war.” Applejack turned to take a step toward the door and then paused, “I heard that the griffins were raiding some of the outlying settlements up near Fillydelphia. Stealing food, tools, petty stuff like that. Word on the trails that the griffins might throw their lot in with the buffalo. If it comes to that….” She just shook her head.
“Oh come now, Applejack, the griffin's are even less organized than the buffalo are. If you put 10 griffins in a room, they would all use a different door to leave,” Rarity joked. “Anyway, I should be getting back to the shop, I have some work to finish up on.”
“The last battle was 300 years ago, the Manehattan 'uprising'. And that was just a couple of dozen ponies having a squabble over taxes,” said Twilight, “so I can't imagine this would be a bigger deal.”
Turning and looking back over her shoulder at Twilight, Applejack just looked at her for a few seconds. “What? The Manehattan revolt was a big deal. Hundreds of ponies. They squared off against the Royal Guard, and they got creamed like corn. If I remember right, there was over a hundred fatally injured in the battle. There's a monument to it in one of the parks, I saw it when I was a filly visiting.”
A rather confused looking Twilight Sparkle looked at Applejack. “Where did you learn that from? It wasn't in ANY history book I read, and I read a lot of them.”
A sardonic smile was quite prominent on Applejack's face. “I guess they tell the story a little different up there. Maybe you should read a history book that wasn't written in Canterlot, and see what it says about it.” And with that, Applejack and Rarity headed out and off on their own business.
Later that day, Twilight was wandering about Ponyville's market, looking at some of the fresh fruits on sale, contemplating dinner options, when she overheard a conversation:
“I got a letter from my cousin in Hoofington this morning.”
“Oh, how is he doing?”
“Pretty good. He was telling me that things are a little tense down there. The buffalo have been acting really weird lately.”
“Weird? In what way?”
“Weird in that they hardly ever come into town any more. And when they do, they never trade any more, they just look around, don't talk to anypony and leave. Ponies over there are getting nervous about it.”
“I bet, I would too. What are they doing?”
“Some are just packing up and leaving town. Rumors that griffins have been sighted near there aren't helping things. My cousin's thinking of packing up and leaving town too, but he said the mayor told him that a company of Royal Guard are going to be dispatched down there, to keep the peace.”
“I think I'd still move…”
On her return home, Twilight paced back and forth a little bit, thinking out loud more than anything else. “Ok, so if the buffalo are thinking of causing some trouble, and they're led by a single powerful chief, then that means the buffalo are doing that under orders from the chief. They obviously think that they don't have anything to fear, but the Royal Guard are a lot tougher than the settlers at Appleloosa. I think that once they see that the Princess is serious about this, they'll quiet down. It's the ONLY logical way to go. I mean…” She laughed softly, rolling her eyes, “They don't seriously think that they'd be able to openly defy the royal authority of Princess Celestia and get away with it, do they?” Then after a moment with her looking not so certain, “Do they?.....” A vigorous shake of her head later, “No, of course not. Princess Celestia is a Goddess. Of COURSE they wouldn't be able to defy her.”
Twilight started sorting through some of the books on her desk, ”Now where did that book that Applejack lent me go? Ahh, there it is…” And she sat down to read a book on history, written by an Earth Pony living in Ponyville.
It was getting well into the evening, Spike since tucked away in his bed to sleep, while Twilight was still up, reading her book. She also had one of the Canterlot books written by a Unicorn beside it to directly compare them together. “It's kind of amazing how different ponies can tell totally different stories about the same event. The 'Summer Sickness' a hundred years ago barely made a ripple in Ponyville, but in Canterlot, it was a huge problem.”
With practically no warning a blue Pegasus pony with a multi-coloured mane swooped in through the open window. “Alright!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, beaming a wide grin as she landed beside Twilight.
“Hey Dash, you're up late, I was just thinking of knocking off for bed.” Twilight set down her book and turned to face her friend. “ And you seem to be in a really good mood, too. What's up?”
Dash strutted around in the room a little, head and tail held high. “Oh nuu-thing,” she said in that proud, boastful voice. “Oh wait! There was this one MINOR little thing….” Her smile getting even wider.
“Go on Dash, don't keep me in suspense,” Twilight had a hard time not smiling at Rainbow Dash's high mood and manner.
“Well,” Dash paused and looked up thoughtfully. “There is this little thing, that maybe.. Juuuust maybe.. I may have received a written invitation to join….. THE WONDERBOLTS?!” Dash's wings unfurled to full size as she stood proud. “They called me a 'hero'! Praised me for my courage! Can you believe it? Me! Me being one of the Wonderbolts! Me, getting invited to go to their super-awesome, super-secret training center in Canterlot!”
“Oh my goodness Dash, that's awesome news,” Twilight beamed. “You've been wanting to join them forever. And now you've finally gotten your chance. Your dream's come true, Congratulations. When are you leaving?”
Rainbow Dash pulled a scroll out of her saddle bag with her teeth, tossing it on to the table with a broad smile. “It says 'immediately', and I just got it, so I'm going right now. Ohmigosh Ohmigosh Ohmigosh, this going to be so awesome!”
“That's great. I hope you'll be flying with them in the Summer Sun celebration, I think everypony would be thrilled to see you in it,” Twilight said, lifting the scroll with her horn's magic and opening it to read.
Rainbow Dash
Your courage and dedication have not gone unnoticed. Your heroic deeds have shown your character and bravery many times. Your dedication to your comrades in arms and compassion are of the highest caliber.
Therefore, by the authority granted to me by Her Royal Majesty, Princess Celestia, you are hereby commanded to immediately appear at The Royal Guard's induction center in Canterlot to be assessed. I have every confidence that you will pass your assessment with sufficient grades required to qualify you for service with Her Royal Majesty's Royal Guard: Special Operations Group, also referred to as 'The Wonderbolts'.
In the service of Her Royal Majesty you will be required to serve a term of service and duty to be determined, with operational directives to be determined.
Her Royal Majesty Expects all ponies to do their duty.
Captain Firehoof
“Oh my gosh!” exclaimed a rather alarmed Twilight. “Dash, this isn't an invitation to join the Wonderbolts! This is a letter of Conscription! Dash?”
Twilight dropped the scroll and quickly looked around the room, and then ran to the window, looking around. “Dash!” The faint smear of colour in the distance being the only sign of Rainbow Dash, as she was already flying high and fast, well on her way.
“Oh Dash…. Please be careful…” |
Sturm Panzer | 634 | 2 | Adventure,Dark,Tragedy | To Do Our Duty | The clouds of war come to Equestria. Everyone's lives will be changed forever. | incomplete | 21 | 4 | <p>A war begins between the Buffalo tribes and the ponys of Equestria.<br /><br />Told from the viewpoint of Twilight Sparkle. How she sees the war, and how it affects her home, and everyone she knows and cares for.</p> | teen | null | 2011-09-20T06:53:46+00:00 | 1,149 | To Do Our Duty
Chapter 2 – The Ponies Came Marching Two By Two
By: Sturm Panzer
Twilight Sparkle stood there at the window, looking out into the night sky, gazing off into the direction that Rainbow Dash had flown when she left. Toward Canterlot. The Pegasus has long since vanished into the darkness, but still Twilight stood there, worry written clear on her face. “Please come back safe, Dash,” she whispered softly into the wind.
It was still some time before she was finally able to turn away from the window, and then make her way up the stairs and crawl into bed. But sleep was a long time coming for Twilight, as she just couldn't shake the bad premonition that had come to settle in the back of her mind.
It wasn't until late morning when she finally woke up, her sleep being fitful, with her tossing and turning much of the night. By the time Twilight finally made it out of bed and down the stairs, she was greeted by a rather surprised looking Spike. “Whoa, Twilight, you look you just came off a 3-day bender. Did you run off to some amazing party after I went to bed last night?
“What? No, Spike,” she said slightly incredulously, and sounding somewhat offended by the implication that she'd be off to some wild party in the middle of the night. With a slight shake of her head, she walked over to her desk, “I just didn't sleep that well, was all. Err, do I really look that bad?” she asked the dragon, magically picking up a small mirror and floating it over to look in it. “Oh, yikes!” was her instant response to the image that greeted her. “I guess I really do look that bad. Have you seen my brush, Spike?”
The dragon's reply was preempted by a knock on the door, along with Rarity's voice, muffled by the door to the library “Oh Twilight, are you up yet?”
“Come on in, Rarity,” Twilight answered, opening the door for her friend, “Although you might not like what you're going to see…”
“Hell-ooo,” Rarity cheerily beamed as she walked in, then immediately got a shocked look on her face before running right over to Twilight and taking the brush from her. “Oh my stars! You look like you just did an all-nighter with the entire offensive line of Canterlot Chargers. You're going to need a lot more than what this brush alone can do,” she stated flatly, magically taking the brush that Twilight had just picked up off the desk. “Now sit down and allow me to get some semblance of style back into that mane of yours, my dear.”
Twilight sheepishly sat down on one of the cushions while Rarity started walking around her, comb and brush starting to work, along with a small bottle of spray from one of Rarity's saddlebags to help undo the knots. “Now what in Equestria were you doing yesterday to get your mane and tail all mussed up like this?”
Twilight draw in a slow breath, then let it out in a soft sigh, taking the moment to gather her thoughts together. “Well. Remember how we were talking about the possibility of war yesterday? I was reading that history book that Applejack lent me, when Rainbow Dash flew in.”
“Oh really? And is she what kept you up all night?” the other unicorn teased, while carefully working a rather large knot out of Twilights purple mane.
Rolling her eyes, Twilight sighed and then shook her head slightly, “Very funny Rarity. No. She came in with what she thought was an invitation to join the Wonderbolts.”
“How wonderful!, I'll bet that she was absolutely thrilled to get that. Hold still, dear, this knot will take a bit of work…”
“That's just it, Rarity. It wasn't actually an invitation. It was a Conscription order! Rainbow Dash was drafted into the Royal Guard. She just didn't realize that at the time, and might not until it's too late for her to do anything about it. And also, the letter called the Wonderbolts the 'Special Operations Group', whatever that is.”
Rarity paused in her tending to Twilight's mane to mull that over for a few moments. “'Special Operations Group'? I've never heard of that before. It does sound kind of.. Ominous? Ok, dear, almost done with getting your mane into some kind of order. Not fabulous, unfortunately, but at least it's much better than what it was like before.”
“Oh thank you, Rarity. Frankly, I'm more than a little worried. If they're starting to conscript ponies into the Royal Guard, then things could escalate into a real war very easily. Ponies will get hurt, or killed.”
Once Rarity had tucked her things away once more, she gave a slight toss of her mane. “Come, let's go get a bit of breakfast. Closer to brunch, really, but I think you have yet to eat.”
“Ok, twist my rubber hoof. Coming Spike?”
The small dragon hopped onto Twilight's back, “Oh you bet. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day.”
With a soft laugh, Twilight led the way out, “Every meal is your favorite, Spike.”
It would be nearly three weeks before more news made it's way to Ponyville, and it came from an unlikely source.
Twilight was up early, organizing some notes for an upcoming meeting with the mayor to plan for a late spring festival when there was a knock at the door. “Hey, Twilight. Mail!”
“Oh, hello Derpy. What have you got for me today?”
The gray Pegasus paused at the door, rummaging around in her bags and finally pulling out a few things. “Your Equestria Daily. Also, the new Canterlot Journal of Magic came in.” she handed them over to Twilight, who magically floated them over to a table. “Your latest from your 'Tome Of The Month Club' subscription. And a couple of letters. That's it.”
Twilight settled everything on her desk and then called to Derpy just as the Pegasus was about to leave,” Thanks Derpy. Say, have you heard anything new about the war? News about it's been kind of scarce and I was hoping you might have heard something in Cloudsdale.”
“As a matter of fact, I did. Over the past few days, a number of Pegasus in Cloudsdale have gotten letters from the Royal Guard Induction Center. I'm guessing they're calling up ponies into service.”
“That's kind of worrisome. If they bring so many of them into the Royal Guard, then the weather control will suffer. There could be crop failures.” Twilight frowned a little as she thought that over.
“That's not all, a few unicorns have gotten them, too. And there's more.” Derpy looked around a little before leaning in closer to Twilight. “I talked to a Royal Guard courier the other day, and he said that there was already some fighting going on between the Royal Guard and the buffaloes. From the sound of things, the buffalo definitely got the worst of it.”
Twilight was a little surprised that there was already fighting going on. “That fast? Do you know what happened to cause the fighting to start?”
“No, but the courier seemed to think the Buffalo had provoked it by having the griffins set fire to one of Appleloosa's warehouses.”
“What?!” exclaimed Twilight. “Why would the griffins do something like that? They had to know it would cause tensions to flare and maybe even cause a retaliation.”
“I dunno,” shrugged Derpy. “Supposedly somepony saw some griffins flying away just after the fire started. Guess they were stealing stuff and then set the fire to cover their tracks? I should get going, I still have lots of mail to drop off.”
“Ok Derpy, thank you for the information. It's a lot for me to think over.”
Once the gray Pegasus left, Twilight brought her mail over to the desk to sort through. “Hmm, 'Tome of Fire Elementalism'. I was wondering when the fourth one in the series would arrive! Hey, what's this?...” One of the letter was addressed to Twilight Sparkle, and was marked as being sent from the Canterlot Royal Guard Headquarters, but the sender's name was.. 'Twilight Sparkle'? Opening the letter, she found it written in a rough scrawl, and it took a moment before she recognized it as Rainbow Dash's writing.
Hey Twilight!
It's Rainbow Dash. We're not really supposed to be writing letters right now. Secret training stuff we aren't supposed to talk to anyone about. So I snuck off and wrote this letter. I had to use your name to get them to actually mail it. I guess being the Princess' pupil gets you some perks, huh?
Whew, training is a lot tougher than I thought. I thought I was in good shape before I got here, it took Spitfire just one day to show me I still had stuff to learn. But now, I'm the one on top of her! They're really trying to pack in as much as they can, so it's basically non-stop training, practice and drills. We're doing stuff all hours of day and night. Actually, there's probably more night flying than daytime, but I'm not sure why.
Of course, I'm doing awesome. Was there ever any doubt? All the other trainees can't even come close to matching my awesomeness. Soarin said that I could be a Flight Leader by the time I finish training. It's gonna be so awesome!
I gotta get going, tell everypony I'll visit as soon as I can, and I miss them.
Rainbow Dash
“It sure sound like Rainbow Dash is doing well,” Rarity commented later that day as the five ponies and single dragon sat in Twilight's library.
Fluttershy just smiled as she nodded slowly. “Oh, I hope she finishes training soon. It would be nice to see how nice she looks all dressed up in the Wonderbolts uniform.”
“Ohh! Ohh! We’ll have to throw a big party when she gets back! We can invite everypony over, and Dash and the other Wonderbolts. With lots of yummy food! Cakes and pies, and especially cupcakes!” Pinky Pie squealed happily, clapping her hooves together eagerly.
“Oh, I'm getting hungry just thinking about all that food, Pinky,” Spike leaned back against Twilight's side, rubbing his belly dreamily.
Fluttershy raised her head up, “um, hey…” she said softly.
“Sure she's doing fine an' all, but it's what happening in Appleloosa that worries me. Sure they've got a bunch of Royal Guard over there, but it sure the hay means that things could go to from bad to worse in a hurry,” muttered Applejack, who cast a look over at Twilight. “Sure as rain, things'll get darker before they get brighter.”
“It's like I said last time, Applejack. This is all just a show of force. The buffalo aren't really going to try to take on the Royal Guard, they wouldn't have a chance,” Twilight took a sip from her tea before adding, “They just want the best deal they can get by making themselves look strong.”
“… Um.. did somepony… hear something?” Fluttershy asked, looking around a little.
“Oh yeah? If the buffalo are so gosh-darn set on peace, then why did they have the griffins light fire to that warehouse?” was Applejack's retort.
“I don't think the Buffalo ordered the griffins to do that at all. Trying to make griffins do anything is like trying to herd cats. I think they just saw it as an opportunity and did it on their own.” Twilight poured some more tea for Rarity and herself. “Besides, maybe the fire was an accident?”
“Pffa!” Applejack snorted dismissively. “They griffins would never have been there if it wasn't for the buffalo goading them. And before you ask, yes, I'm sure that they were stupid enough to set that fire.”
“Oh, does anypony hear that?” Rarity quipped, tilting her head slightly.
With a soft sigh, Fluttershy nodded her head, “I was trying to tell you…”
“Sounds like.. Many ponies marching?” Applejack looked at Twilight uneasily. “And I can only think of one thing it could be….”
The lot of them dashed out the main door of the library, and looked up the road, toward where the sound was coming from.
And coming down the road toward them was a column of Royal Guard marching in double-file, their armor gleaming as they marched into Ponyville. Most of the Royal Guard soldiers were lightly armored Pegasus ponies, with a smaller group of Unicorn ponies accounting for about a quarter of the force, with the unicorns wearing much heavier armor than their Pegasus counterparts.
More striking was the handful of ponies leading the formation. A trio of unicorns, and a single Pegasus, wearing armor that looked much more ornate, clearly indicating their status as officers in the Royal Guard.
Most striking of all was the large unicorn in the very front of them all. His lush golden-brown mane fluttering in the breeze as he led the Royal Guard contingent into Ponyville. All clad in golden armor, which has the marks of battle on it, including a noticeable indent on one side of the chest piece. A grim visage on his face, and the steely look of a determined warrior.
Rarity gasped, causing Twilight to look at her. Rarity's jaw hung open as she stared at the Royal Guard's leader with a look of shock, amazement, and maybe a little desire. It took a few moments for Rarity to find her voice, “PRINCE BLUEBLOOD?!?” |
Sturm Panzer | 634 | 3 | Adventure,Dark,Tragedy | To Do Our Duty | The clouds of war come to Equestria. Everyone's lives will be changed forever. | incomplete | 21 | 4 | <p>A war begins between the Buffalo tribes and the ponys of Equestria.<br /><br />Told from the viewpoint of Twilight Sparkle. How she sees the war, and how it affects her home, and everyone she knows and cares for.</p> | teen | null | 2011-09-27T23:02:34+00:00 | 1,028 | To Do Our Duty
Chapter Three – Not all Wounds Bleed
By: Sturm Panzer
It's hard to tell who was more shocked by the appearance of Prince Blueblood leading the Royal Guard detachment: Twilight, or Rarity. Certainly Rarity's memories of him as the self-absorbed fop back at last year's grand Galloping Gala weren't exactly kind, but compared to the confident, battle-tested leader that was walking up the road into town, he seemed like a totally different pony. And there was no denying how handsome he looked in that armour, very much a true prince now as he led his troops.
As the column of Guardsponies made it's way into town, they seemed to be headed directly for the Town Hall, and they were in fact met in front of it by a middle-aged tan coloured pony, “Mayor Mare, for sure”, Twilight thought.
By the time that the they made it over there, the Royal Guardsponies were separating into different groups. Some were entering the Town Hall itself, while others were separating to move out in different directions. The Unicorn ponies were all filing into the spacious Hall along with about a third of the Pegasus ponies. The rest of the Pegasus Guards were heading mostly east, with a few flying off to the north-east and south-east.
Twilight found Prince Blueblood talking to the Mayor, discussing the use of the Town Hall. “The necessary improvements will be taken care of by Her Majesty's workers. Thus the long-term improvements that will be made to the Hall will be quite adequate as compensation for the use of it that we will need.”
“I'm more concerned about the presence of the Guardponies here in town,” stated Mayor, in her typically dignified manner. “Their presence will be disruptive to the residents of Ponyville, as nopony is really used to having armed soldiers patrolling the town at all hours of day and night. Furthermore, there's the question about the weather. With so many Pegasus ponies having been recruited into the Royal Guard, there's not enough around Ponyville for taking care of the weather. We've already seen some problems occurring, and if we get another hot, dry summer, then it will just get worse..
The Prince thought it over for a few moments before answering her. “There won't be that many around in the actual town. Enough to make a show of arms in case the griffins decide to launch a raid down here. Most of the others will be setting up a camp to the east.”
“How long are your Guardponies going to be here in Ponyville? And what do you mean by 'not that many'? replied Mayor.
“That depends on how the war goes. If things go well, 3rd Century, along with 8th Century will be moving east to support the 5th and 6th companies as they advance. If things don't go as well, then we might be sitting here for a while. If things go badly, as if they would,” Prince Blueblood added with a dismissive snort, “Then they will regroup to the east with 3rd Century. In any case, we should be pushing these uncivilized brigands out in short order.”
“That is all well and good, Prince Blueblood, but Ponyville may not be able to supply all your ponies. With the Pegasus shortage such as it is, things are already starting to get a little tighter than usual. If you could spare some of your Pegasus ponies to help with the weather then it would make the citizens happier about having them around, as well as make it much easier to meet the demands of feeding your Guardponies,” Mayor reasoned.
“Hrrmph. Well.. You do make a good point,” the Prince reluctantly agreed. “I suppose I could spare a few of my trainee scouts to help out now and then. Strictly on a temporary, short-term basis, you understand.”
Thank you, your Highness,” Mayor said with a graceful nod of her head.”
“Guardponies stationed here in town?” Applejack looked more enthusiastic by the prospect, “That means more business for the farm! It could mean a lot of bits coming in, which we could use for that new barn we were planning on. I gotta go Twilight, there'll be work to be done.”
“Ok Applejack. What do you think, Rarity? Rarity?” Twilight looked back and saw Rarity was nowhere to be seen. “Pinky, did you see where Rarity went?”
Pinky Pie was looking over the line of Pegasus ponies in armour as they filed past on their way through town. “Oh, she said she had to go back to her shop because there was something she urgently had to take care of or something like that. I wasn't paying too much attention because I was looking at all the shiny stuff those ponies are wearing. So pretty.”
Taking a deep breath, Twilight trotted up to the Prince, who was talking quietly with his four other officers. “Excuse me, Prince Blueblood? I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess...”
“Princess Celestia's pupil,” the prince interrupted her, turning his head to look at Twilight. “Yes, the Princess mentioned that you would be here in Ponyville." Prince Blueblood took a couple of steps up closer to Twilight, who was feeling a little… Well, overwhelmed by his size. The Prince was at least the size of Big Mac, if not a little bigger. And then there was his heavy battle armour on top of that. Up close, Twilight could see the marks of fighting that were left in the plates of his armour. And the scar along his snout that followed the jawline from nose to cheek just made him look even more ruggedly handsome. “The Princess failed to mention how attractive you were, though,” the Prince said with a smile that gave Twilight butterflies in her belly and a warm tingle in her haunches.
“Um, thank you, Prince Blueblood.” Twilight took a couple of steps back, starting to blush, and her confidence thoroughly deflated. “I, um, just popped by to say hello…”
Lowering his head to being it more eye level with Twilight, the prince just made a soft chuckle, “You're quite pretty when you blush.”
Of course this just make Twilight blush even more, with that tingling warmth in her haunches getting a little stronger, she took a couple of steps back, her knees feeling a little shaky. “I, uh. I hear my laundry calling!” she said, turning and kiting back to the sanctum of the Library.
By the time Twilight made it back to the tree that the library was made from, she slammed the door shut behind her and then braced her back up against it, panting heavily and her face flushed.
Spike looked over from where he was sitting at the table, reading a book. “Twilight? Are you ok, what happened? You look all red in the face.”
“I’mfinenothinghappened!I’llbeokIjustneedaminute!” she replied in a rush, dashing past Spike and up the stairs to bury herself under the covers of her bed. “Oh why would Prince Blueblood ever be attracted to me? After the story Rarity told me, I can't imagine ever being attracted to a pony like that. So... So why Is my heart still racing? Ok, calm down Twilight. Just use your head. You got all flustered by him because he's handsome, powerful, AND related to Princess Celestia. Nothing special, right? Right!”
Lifting her head up and looked in a mirror that she floated over to her, Twilight could see the remains of a blush still on her face. “Damn it…”
A few days later, Twilight was on her way to the town hall to talk to the Prince, when she saw Rarity had already beaten her there. The white unicorn pony was all decked out in a simply stunning outfit, “Something she must have spent all night working on”, Twilight thought, and paused to see what would happen, more out of morbid curiosity than anything else.
Rarity was arguing with one of the Royal Guardponies to let her in to talk to the Prince. Eventually, the Pegasus ducked inside for a moment and the Prince was fairly quick to emerge from the hall. “I'm told you wanted to speak with me? Ah, Miss Rarity, he said your name was? How can I help you?”
Bowing her head graciously, she replied, “Oh yes, Prince Blueblood. It's simply wonderful that you remember me. It's been... A while since we met last” she paused, obviously trying not to mention the events at the Galloping Gala.
Instead the Prince ended up throwing her a curve ball. “The last time we met? He paused for a moment before continuing. “I'm sorry but I don't really recall meeting you before.”
Stunned, it took a moment for Rarity to recover, though she hid it well, with only a slight fluttering of her eyelashes. “Oh, well. You really don't remember that time that we met, in the Palace Garden?”
“Technically true” thought Twilight.
No, I'm afraid I don't recall you at all, when did that happen?” The Prince actually looked slightly taken aback, and even a little uncertain. “I'm afraid that ever since my battle injury last month, some of my memories have gotten a little mixed up.”
“Oh my goodness my dear Prince, I dearly hope your injury wasn't too dreadful. What happened to you?” Rarity was playing her role to the hilt, fluttering her eyelashes at the Prince.
Prince Blueblood turned his head slightly, and Twilight was able to see a rather vicious scar that ran along the side of his head, almost from ear to jaw. “It was the one of the first battled we fought. One of those savage buffalo bandits knocked me down, then kicked my head into a tree. Thankfully, my helmet took the worst of it, but it took several days before I was able to recover. As a result, my memory of past events is a little scrambled. So I apologize for not remembering you at all.”
Twilight was simply stunned by the change in the princes behaviour, as a result of his grievous injury. Rarity, however just smiled slightly, and then played her role on. Twilight watched on with even a slight bit of perverse amusement as Rarity seemed to pounce on the Prince with an almost predatory zeal. “Oh my dear Prince, so wounded in protecting all the ponies from those ruffians. And what's more, those terrible dullards even stole from you the sweet memories of the time you and I spent together.”
“Also technically true. With Rarity taking a cake in the face and then spraying it all over the then-pompous Prince.” Twilight thought with an amused smile. Quite willing to let Rarity take the Prince's attention away from her.
Prince Blueblood pondered that for a couple of seconds, then settled his helmet on his head once more. “Perhaps sometime we should have dinner, and see if any of my memories of that come back,” he mused, much to Rarity's pleased expression. “That sounds like a wonderful Idea.”
Twilight shook her head as she trotted away from the Town Hall. Silently kind of thankful that she wouldn't have to deal with the Prince's attention centred on her. But was she really that pleased about it?... Deep down, she actually felt a little envious of Rarity.
I would be nearly two weeks later before things took a sudden turn. Twilight was at a Cafe with Rarity and Applejack when there was a sudden common at the Town Hall. Rushing over to see what was going on, the trio saw all the Unicorn Guardponies and most of the Pegasus Guardponies forming up into a column, in preparation to move out.
After issuing some curt order to the officers, he turned to where Mayor Mare was walking over, Twilight following close behind her. “We're moving out. They need support from us to help with a buffalo counter-attack. I'm leaving 8th Century here to secure Ponyville, and act as a contingency reserve for us, while 3rd Century and 7th Century move out.”
Rarity was slightly aghast, “Oh dear, please be careful, dear Prince!” she exclaimed.
Nodding his head to Rarity, he simply replied. “We are called to do our duty.” Turning to look over his shoulder, he called out, “Everypony.. MOVE OUT!”. And then started down the road at a swift trot, followed by the Unicorn and then Pegasus ponies in formation. A gleaming wall of armour that passed by them.
Barely a week later, some of the Guardponies had returned. Mostly towing carts loaded with the injured and wounded. After asking some questions, Twilight found out that the buffalo had formed some very stiff opposition, but with the added forces the Prince had brought, they were able to decisively defeat them, but not without casualties.
She had also heard from one of the Pegasus Guardponies that the Wonderbolts had been in action in that battle, which only made her worry even more for Rainbow Dash's safety.
The injured easily would have overwhelmed Ponyville's small hospital, so they were housed in the barracks instead, with Nurse Redheart and others taking care of them. In fact, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinky Pie and Applejack all came by to see how they were. Knowing that these ponies were injured while fighting to protect them and everyone else in Equestria made it hard for them to shirk their duties to help them.
It was a few days later that Twilight was walking along back to the Library, just as true night was about to fall. It was a wonderful, warm summer's night, only a few scattered clouds, but a row of grey had been seen on the horizon. “Looks like rain before dawn. Something that the fields and flowers could use. With all the Pegasus ponies that have been drafted, Ponyville’s really short on weather control.”
She opened the door to the library and headed inside. Just missing seeing a group of Pegasus ponies flying overhead in tight formation. One of them peeled off suddenly, spiraling downward toward the library.
Once inside the library, Twilight headed upstairs quietly. Noting on the way that Spike was already asleep on the chair. She paused only long enough to pull a light blanket over him and then continued up, being careful not to wake him.
“I better close the balcony doors, if it rains, then I don't want things getting wet.” But just as Twilight was about to close them, she heard something. A slight fluttering. “Owlowiscious?” she said, stepping over to the balcony.
Instead of the owl, a black pony suddenly entered. It was covered all over by some tight-fitting black body-suit, it's face covered by both a matching mask and goggles. A helmet and hood totally covering the rest of it's head. Even the pony's wings were painted with some kind of black dye, while it's tail was bundled into a sleeve built into the suit. It looked like a pony-shaped piece of shadow had stepped out of a black pit.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Twilight challenged the intruder, her horn glowing as she started gathering some magical energy for a spell.
“Hey Twilight. Is that anyway to greet a friend?” came a very familiar voice, and then one of it's black hooves pushed up the goggles, exposing a pair of rose-coloured eyes with a bit of pale cyan around the eyes.
“RAINBOW DASH!” Twilight exclaimed, running over and throwing her hooves around the Pegasus. “By Celestia, it's good to see you again, I was so worried for you.”
“Hey, I'm doing great, of course,” Rainbow Dash said as she hugged the unicorn back. Though to Twilight's ears there was something distinctly off in the tone of her voice, and an unusual bit of stiffness in the embrace.
“Are you ok?” Twilight asked Dash, with a slightly concerned tone, “It's been two months since your letter, we haven't heard from you, and I was worried.”
“I'm ok, Twi',” Dash answered with an unusual quietness. “Just been really busy is all. Lots of missions that they need me for, I'm a Flight Leader after all.”
Twilight looked in Rainbow Dash's face. Normally, The Pegasus' bright eyes would shine with enthusiasm and spirit. But now Dash's eyes were dull, lackluster, absent of the vitality of spirit that she knew Rainbow Dash had so much of. Dash wasn't looking at Twilight, so much as she was looking through her.
Twilight cupped Rainbow Dash's cheeks with her hooves and looked her straight in the eyes. Her own voice echoed the hurt she could easily feel in the Pegasus. “Oh Dash… What've they been making you do?”
A bit of a tear could be seen in the corner of Rainbow Dash's eyes before she closed them tightly and suddenly pulling her head away from Twilight, and turning toward the balcony. “I.. I'm not supposed to be here right now, “ her voice was tight, the hurt easily heard in it. "Look, I gotta go..” she said before vaulting out the door and into the night.
Running out onto the balcony, Twilight searched the sky for her friend, but it was inky black after the light of indoors. “Dash! Rainbow Dash!” she called out. But there was only the soft whisper of the wind in the tree's branches to answer her.
Twilight thundered down the stairs calling out “Spike! Spike! I need you to take a letter!”
“Wha? Huh?” the sleepy dragon mumbled, starting to sit up. “What, now? In the middle of the night?”
“Yes now!” Twilight urged, floating a pen and a scroll to Spike who was rubbing his eyes. “It's really urgent!”
“Dear Princess Celestia…..” |
Sturm Panzer | 634 | 4 | Adventure,Dark,Tragedy | To Do Our Duty | The clouds of war come to Equestria. Everyone's lives will be changed forever. | incomplete | 21 | 4 | <p>A war begins between the Buffalo tribes and the ponys of Equestria.<br /><br />Told from the viewpoint of Twilight Sparkle. How she sees the war, and how it affects her home, and everyone she knows and cares for.</p> | teen | null | 2011-09-20T06:57:11+00:00 | 1,362 | To Do Our Duty
Chapter Four – Shades of Grey
By: Sturm Panzer
“Well come on, it's only been a couple of days since you sent that letter. Maybe she's just busy and all.” Applejack commented to Twilight Sparkle.
With a brief shake of her head, Twilight took a moment to look over at the cart that was bringing the latest bunch of wounded and injured Guardponies to the temporary barracks set up in Ponyville's Town Hall. “It's not like Princess Celestia. Usually she replies to my letters right away. I've never seen her take this long to answer, and that worries me.”
Rarity looked over the handful of Pegasus ponies in the cart as they were brought in. Fortunately the injuries didn't look too bad for these ones. They were lucky enough to have all their pieces, at least. “The Princess has a lot on her mind right now, so give her some time to get the affairs of Equestria in order. I'm sure she'll reply as soon as she can.”
Twilight let out a soft sigh, then turned away from the Town Hall and started back for the Library. She'd been coming out here every time some of the injured Guardponies were brought in. Each time, she felt her heart leap into her throat. Each time she silently prayed to Celestia that Rainbow Dash would not be amongst the wounded. And then she felt shame and guilt on wishing some other pony would be hurt instead of her friend.
“Come on, Twi, don't be all down in the dumps like that,” Applejack commented quietly as she nudged her shoulder against Twilight's side, “Look at it this way, Dash was alive and well last you saw her, right? So that means she's been able to take care of herself this long.”
“Applejack's right,” sniffed Rarity, still looking dignified, though she was taking a look over the injured with just as much concern as Twilight was. “Other ponies look at you as a leader, at least of sorts. If you look all down and depressed, others will feel the same way.”
“Thanks. Both of you. I'm… I'm just all anxious about this whole mess.” Twilight let out a soft sigh, opening the door to the Library and then paused at the door. “I'll be ok. I'm going to do some studying. I was reading about a far-seeing spell that might let me look in on Rainbow Dash. I'd at least feel a little better if I knew she was ok right now.”
“All right dear,” Rarity said, looking over back toward the Hall. “I'm going to take a wander back over and see if I can get any information from the Guardponies about what's going on. Come by my boutique later and well have some tea.”
“While you're at it, can you see if they can spare any Pegasus for weather duty? The crops need some more rain, and the sooner, the better.” One of Applejack's hooves lightly kicked at the dry ground. “We're looking at a smaller harvest as is, I don't want to see it getting worse.”
“I'll try asking them, but I don't know how much help they can give us,” commented Rarity as she started walking back toward the Hall.
Twilight had noticed that Rarity was dressing up more than usual, and today's extravagance was in an outfit that would have been more appropriate for Canterlot court than for walking around Ponyville. “Maybe she's just waiting for Prince Blueblood to show up?” thought Twilight. She then ruthlessly suppressed the flash of heat that surged through her belly at the memory of how the Prince has looked at her.
Once inside the Library, Twilight wandered over to her desk, noting that Spike was still not back yet. He was supposed to be out helping Fluttershy with her animals.
The purple unicorn had barely opened the tome she was researching when a loud, piercing cry sounded that nearly made Twilight jump as she was startled. “What?!” looking around quickly, she saw a brilliant red and orange bird perched on the sill of the opened window. Somehow she'd totally missed seeing it when she came in, unless it just arrived…
Twilight blinked at the bird a few times, and it took those seconds before she realized who it was. “Philomena? What are you doing here?”
With a sharp cry the bird took wing and glided across the room to Twilight's desk. She was now certain that it was indeed Philomena, Princess Celestia's pet phoenix. Although what it was doing in Ponyville, so far from Canterlot, was a complete mystery.
Once Philomena had landed on a pile of books, Twilight could see that it was carrying a small bundle wrapped up in green silk, which the bird dropped and pushed toward Twilight with one foot.
“What's this?...” The unicorn lifted up the bundle and carefully opened it. Inside there was another, smaller, bundle, along with a carefully folded piece of paper. Inside the smaller bundle was a small trapezoid made of some kind of pale green rock, and well polished.
To my Faithful Student,
There is much that I need to say, but a written letter is a poor medium for saying those words.
I have not forgotten or ignored your letter. Instead I will give you the answers to your questions in person, since I know you would prefer to hear me give them, rather than read a mere letter.
Philomena has delivered to you a Keystone with this letter. Unlock the power of the Keystone and I will be able to speak to you personally.
Your proud mentor, Princess Celestia
“A Keystone?” Twilight muttered to herself, looking at Philomena, who was perched expectantly on the pile of books still. “I know I've heard of that term before, now where did?......” Turning, the unicorn wandered over to the one of the bookcases, looking up along the shelves, squinting a bit as she looked over the tomes. Then with a soft sigh, a handful of the books floated over to the desk, where Twilight could start reading them. “Ok, Philomena. Let's see what you brought me…”
Twilight was awoken by a loud knocking on the door, followed by Rarity's voice, “Oh Twilight, are you home?”
Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Twilight walked over to the door, realizing the sun was setting outside. “Oh, Hi Rarity. I'd kind of fallen asleep while studying. I'm sorry, I forgot all about having tea with you.”
“Oh that's quite alright, dear. You're had a lot on your mind, and I have to say that you seem a little better now than you did this morning. ” Rarity glanced over at the Town Hall briefly, then back. “I heard that Prince Blueblood will be coming back tonight, but he hasn't arrived yet, so I thought I'd stop by and see how you are. What were you studying?”
“Philomena brought me something from the Princess. It's something called a 'Keystone',” Twilight nodded to the phoenix, who was curled up on top of a pillow on a chair and was sleeping with it's beak tucked under one wing. “I haven't figured out how it works, though.”
Both unicorns turned toward the Town Hall as some kind of commotion was happening over there. Then they both left the Library and ran over, to see what was going on.
It only took a few minutes to cover the distance at a full gallop, with Rarity taking a slower pace because of her dress that she didn't want to mess up, and getting left behind by the purple unicorn. But once there, it took Twilight a moment to figure out what she was looking at.
A trio of Pegasus ponies, all decked out in the same kind of black outfits that Twilight had seen Rainbow Dash wearing a few nights ago, were standing around a single griffin, who looked much worse for wear. It had obviously been roughed up a fair bit, and it's limbs were securely tied up. A unicorn officer, along with a couple of other Guardponies were present, just as another black Pegasus came out from the Hall, her mask was off and some of her yellow coat could be seen underneath.
The Unicorn officer nodded to another Unicorn, then toward the griffin. “Take it inside and down to the basement for interrogation.”
The lone black Pegasus nodded to the trio, “Good work,” she said, then softly, “I'm sorry to hear about Bluetip, Dash. She'll be missed.”
Pushing up her goggles, Twilight could see Rainbow Dash's eyes, and the hurt inside them briefly before the Pegasus looked up at the sky. “Yeah, thanks.. She and I.. We went to flight school together, we were in the same class…”
“Dash!” Twilight called out as she ran over to her friend. “Are you ok? What happened? What are they doing with that griffin?”
“Twilight?” Rainbow Dash said, looking a little confused for a moment, then taking the look of a filly that's caught red handed by her mother doing something they know they shouldn't be. “Uh, I just got back here from doing a mission..”
“That's enough, Miss Sparkle,” the lone Pegasus stated flatly. “Dash, take the rest of your Flight back to the forward camp.”
Looking at the other Pegasus, Dash nodded slightly, ”Ok..“ but she was interrupted by Twilight.
“Wait, what's going on? Why are you capturing griffins?” demanded Twilight, looking mainly at Dash, as if trying to divine an answer from her friend's face.
Instead of getting a clear answer, Dash's face took on a haunted look, as if she was witnessing some atrocity and was helpless to stop it.
It was the other Pegasus that spoke first with a commanding tone. “Rainbow Dash. Take your Flight back to the forward camp. I'll talk to miss Sparkle. Now go.”
“Yes, Spitfire.” Dash replied reluctantly, then vaulted upward into the night sky, along with the other two black-clad Pegasus ponies.
Whirling to face Spitfire, who she remembered as one of the original members of the Wonderbolts, Twilight stood form as she faced off with her. “What's going on? Interrogating prisoners secretly? How many do you have locked up down there? Why wasn't anyone told about this?”
Spitfire didn't shy away, instead she took an aggressive pace forward. “Yes. We're capturing prisoners for interrogation. Information is what's saving lives out there. If we have to be rough on a few savages to bring this war to a close, then that's what we'll do.” Turning her head, the yellow Pegasus looked at the griffin who was being carried inside by a unicorn. “Anyway, it's not like they're ponies or anything, so why are you worried about what happens to them? Why should you care if some of them suffer an unpleasant death?”
Twilight was stunned, she couldn't believe what she'd just heard! Standing there with her mouth hanging open, it took her a few seconds before she found her voice, “What?! They're not ponies, but they're still living, thinking creatures, deserving of at least some respect!”
Wrong,” stated Spitfire in a fat, uncompromising tone. “They are dangerous savages, willing to kill us in a moment if they see the chance. The Buffalo are even worse, as they are trying to crush all of Equestria under their hooves until they rule everything. To stop them, I will do whatever is required.”
“No, they aren't like that,” protested Twilight,” we dealt with the buffalo a couple of years ago, and were able to resolve things peacefully. It can be done again, I'm sure of it!”
With a soft sigh, Spitfire shook her head. “Miss Sparkle, I know that you are Her Majesty's pupil, but you have led a far too sheltered life. I guess I have to show you the ugly reality.” The Pegasus paused a moment to muster her thoughts before continuing. “We are the ones that are fighting and dying to protect you from the barbarians that want to enslave us all. War is not pretty, or fun. It's brutal and ugly. It is our sworn duty to serve the Princess and fight for her to protect you all. In the course of doing our duty, sometimes we have to get our hooves dirty, be it mud or blood. We all know that we may not make it back home after this is over. Rainbow Dash lost one of her teammates tonight, she knows very well the price of duty. As do us all.”
Turning around, Spitfire looked over her shoulder at Twilight, “The Princess may have taught you everything about magic, but it's clear she didn't teach you anything about duty and honour. Good night, Miss Sparkle.” And then she headed back inside.
“Why the nerve of her,” Rarity admonished, shaking her head as she came up beside Twilight. “How dare she speak to you like that.”
Twilight just hung her head down a little as she turned and headed back to the Library. “Come on, Rarity. Let's just go. “ Slowly, she raised her head back up, “I need to figure out how the Keystone works, then I can talk to the Princess.”
It wouldn't be until the following day when Twilight was finally able to get a breakthrough with the Keystone. After trying various methods to activate it, her hard work was finally rewarded with the stone lighting up with a soft tone. It floated up into the air, and a trail of small motes of green light trailed down from the sides, forming first an arch, then a doorway. Once the motes touched the floor, a clear, soft chime was heard, getting a startled squawk from Philomena. The space in the doorway turned opaque, then transparent, like she was looking through slightly green-tinted water.
On the other side was Princess Celestia, and a room from the Palace in Canterlot. The Princess smiled as she stepped up to and then slowly passed through the shimmering field and into Twilight's Library.
“Princess Celestia!” Twilight Exclaimed. “It's so good to see you again, Princess.”
Stepping over to lightly touch her nose against Twilight's cheek in greeting, Celestia smiled. “It's very good to see you again, my faithful student. I wish it was over better reasons though.” The Princess lifted her head and stepped over to the window, looking out over the town for a moment, then motioning Twilight over to join her at the window. “You have questions that you want answered.”
Taking a bit of a breath, bracing herself for the inevitable, Twilight stepped over beside Celestia, looking out with her. “Yes, and with what happened last night, I have even more.”
Princess Celestia lightly folded one wing around Twilight's side, drawing the smaller unicorn in against the bigger mare's body as she and Twilight settled on the floor. “When Captain Firehoof brought me the list of ponies that he wanted to induct in to the Wonderbolts, I saw that your friend's name was on that list. It wasn't an easy decision to make, in fact I agonized over it for days before I finally gave approval to him to go ahead.”
There was a brief pause as Celestia sighed and then continued. “There was three reasons that I had for allowing Rainbow Dash to join. First, each one of the Wonderbolts are ponies who's loyalty is above reproach. Each one is sworn to serve, no matter what the cost. Rainbow Dash, as the Element of Loyalty, is one who will always be without question in my mind.”
“Second,” there was another pause before the Princess spoke again, “When I met Rainbow Dash for the first time, I saw into her heart, and I knew what she was capable of.” Celestia's eyes closed as she continued, “She's hurting inside, I know. Her spirit is battered and bent, but it is not broken. Her ties of Friendship with you all here in Ponyville are still with her, and held dear in her heart. The memories of the one she loves are all that sustain her right now. Those bonds are so strong, they will not break, no matter how much her spirit bends. She suffers from a grievous wound deep inside her, but it, like all wounds, will heal with time. When she returns back home, she will need all of you to make her whole again.”
The silence lasted for several long moments, both of them just sitting there, looking out the window. Finally, Twilight broke the silence, “You said there was three reasons. What's the third?”
Opening her eyes, Celestia looked at Twilight for a moment. “The third reason is that the Wonderbolts are bring led by my dear sister.”
“Princes Luna?” Twilight said softly, more than a little surprised by that revelation. “Princess Luna's leading the Wonderbolts?
The Princess looked up at the sky for several seconds. “Yes, Luna's leading them. But more than just that, she's taking care of them. She's with them now, giving them the strength to carry on, even when they must do difficult things. And there to be a shoulder for them when they suffer losses. I know that dear Luna's keeping a special eye on Rainbow Dash.”
“Do difficult things…” Twilight said softly. “You mean like torture the griffins they captured?”
Celestia closed her eyes once more, taking a few soft breaths before she answered her pupil. “This is an ugly time for us. To save Equestria, many things must be done. Some of those things are ugly, but they must be done. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
There was another silence that dragged on for a few minutes before Twilight could get the courage to ask what was also bothering her. “Why can't you just end the war?”
Slowly, Celestia's eyes opened and she looked down at Twilight. “It's not that simple, my dear pupil. It's not like I can just wave my horn, cast a spell, and make the war end.”
“But you raise the sun! You're all-powerful! Why can't you just make the buffalo stop fighting? Why can't you…” Twilight choked a bit , tears welling up and running down her cheeks as she found herself astonished that she could ask this of her Princess, “Why can't you just kill the leaders of the buffalo or something, to stop them?!”
Princess Celestia just smiled to Twilight, like a mother would when tending to a young foal with a skinned knee. Using her hair, she lightly wiped the tears from Twilight's cheeks as she explained. “It doesn't work that way, my cherished pupil . There are Rules that even I must follow. The matters of the lives of ponies must be decided by ponies. I am not allowed to directly intervene. Such are the Rules. Whether you think the Rules are fair or not, they are the Rules that Luna and I are bound to.”
“But, Nightmare Moon!....” started Twilight, but was interrupted by the Princess.
“Nightmare Moon did not directly interfere with the lives and affairs of Ponies. She used her powers to control the Night and the Moon, to which she's tied. Her control of the Night would affect ponies, as was her due, just as my power over the Sun and the Day affects them. In both cases, it's not directly. There are Rules even Nightmare Moon can not break.”
“I.. I think I understand…” Twilight said with a soft sniffle.
“This was something I had hoped to shield you from until you were older, but knowing this is more important right now.” Slowly Celestia rose back up and turned toward the portal.
“How long will this war last?” Twilight asked as she followed her Princess.
“Look inside yourself and you may learn that answer. Remember, you have the power within you to be able to see the future,” Celestia said with a smile. “Of the four ponies that can, only you are aware of your potential.”
“But how? I've tried and failed each time! What do I have to do?”
Celestia shook her mane slightly as she walked to the portal. “You're trying too hard. The future is like the truth. Neither black nor white. Both can change, depending on what questions you are asking. When you can finally see the truth for what it is, you can see the future.”
And with that the Princess stepped through the portal, which closed with a soft tone behind her, leaving the Keystone floating in the air, and slowly settling to the floor. |
Sturm Panzer | 634 | 5 | Adventure,Dark,Tragedy | To Do Our Duty | The clouds of war come to Equestria. Everyone's lives will be changed forever. | incomplete | 21 | 4 | <p>A war begins between the Buffalo tribes and the ponys of Equestria.<br /><br />Told from the viewpoint of Twilight Sparkle. How she sees the war, and how it affects her home, and everyone she knows and cares for.</p> | teen | null | 2011-10-25T11:34:47+00:00 | 1,179 | To Do Our Duty
Chapter Five – Blood and Tears
By: Sturm Panzer
Twilight Sparkle had spent most of the next few days in her library, pouring over the books that she had that covered scrying and distance-viewing, but it was difficult to make much progress. “I don't know, Spike,” she sighed at the end of another frustrating day. “What little information there is about scrying doesn't seem to yield much in the way of results when I try to put it into practice. I must be missing something. If I had access to Celestia's library, then I know I could find something to help me with this.”
“Why don't you just use the Keystone to open a portal to Canterlot, then?” Spike asked as he carried a stack of books back to one of the shelves.
“Because…” Twilight sighed softly. “Because I think Celestia wants me to figure this out on my own. I can't go running to her for help every time I get stuck on something.” She flipped the book closed and set it aside. “I know I'm close! There's something missing, but I can't figure it out. I know there must be just one vital thing that's causing the spells to fail."
Suddenly Twilight sat upright. “Something's missing? Of course!” she face-hoofed for a moment. “How could I have been so sloppy?" She quickly wrote down a few notes on a piece of paper, shoving it into her saddlebags and putting them on. "I need to go out for a while, Spike.” She said, running out the door.
Twilight made her way along through Ponyville, by way of the Town Hall. One of the Pegasus officers was outside, talking to a couple of the other Guardponies. Blueblood still hadn't shown up yet. She'd heard that he was delayed because of some more fighting that was going on. Everything seemed to be quiet there, so Twilight continued on.
Presently, she made her way along one of the paths that led out of town, and to Fluttershy's cottage. Seeing that there was still lights on inside, Twilight trotted up to the door and knocked on it lightly.
“Oh hello, Twilight.” Fluttershy smiled to her after opening the door. “It's getting dark, what brings you out here this late?”
“Hello, Fluttershy. I need to ask a favour, and you're the only one that I can think of that can do it. I'm working on a spell that will let me see what's happening to Rainbow Dash. I'm worried about her.” Twilight pulled the small slip of paper from her saddlebag and showed it to the yellow Pegasus. “Do you think you can help me?”
It only took Fluttershy a few seconds to scan the paper, and then a few more seconds to think about it. “I think I can do that. I mean, it's to help Rainbow Dash, right?”
Nodding, Twilight tucked the paper away once more. “Yes. I'm hoping so, if my plan works.”
It was not quite noon the next day when Twilight found herself outside the Town Hall, talking with Mayor Mare and the newly arrived Prince Blueblood. The prince looked like he hadn't slept in a couple of days, and the Guardponies that had come back to Ponyville with him didn't look to be in any better shape, though fortunately, there was few injuries this time.
“It was probably the largest concentration of buffalo that I've seen so far. And it would have been quite a decisive engagement if they decided to make a full-on attack. The odd thing, though…” The Prince looked back the way they had come when they arrived back in Ponyville. "The odd thing is that they didn't seem to really want to get into a large battle, despite their numbers. Oh sure there was some intense clashes along the edges where their forces and our's contacted, but nothing like the pitched battle we saw back up in Appleloosa. It was almost like they were unsure about why they were there.”
Twilight spoke up, “Maybe the buffalo are getting tired of fighting?”
“I wish it was that simple,” the Prince said, shaking his head slightly. “No, I don't think we've seen the last of the fighting. But for the moment, I think things may be a little quiet. Which is good, we could all use some rest.”
"Prince Blueblood. I've been getting some reports from the farmers.” Mayor spoke, “They need more rain to prevent the possibility of a general crop failure. The problem is that we just don't have enough Pegasus ponies around to bring the clouds in to get the rain they need.”
"I agree with Mayor Mare, Prince," Twilight added in. "Ponyville and the surrounding fields desperately need rain. If we don't get it soon, we could see crop failures."
Rubbing his hoof over the side of his neck, the Prince nodded slowly. “Very well, if things continue to stay quiet, I can free up a dozen or so Pegasus scouts to help with the weather for a little while. Will that be enough?”
“They will be an immense help, your Highness, thank you.” Bowing her head, Mayor Mare backed up and then headed to her house, where the town's offices were now based out of.
“Prince Blueblood, I was wondering if Spitfire was around,” Twilight asked in a mostly casual tone.
“Squadron Leader Spitfire? No, she's… Elsewhere,” the Prince commented, censoring himself. “I can have a message passed onto her that you're looking for her.”
“No, no. that’s ok, Prince Blueblood. It's nothing that can't wait.” Inwardly, Twilight grumbled at being denied a chance to have words with Spitfire. Bowing, she started back toward the Library.
Twilight didn't even make it halfway there before Fluttershy found her. “Oh there you are Twilight, I was on my way back to your Library.”
“Oh hello, Fluttershy.” Twilight leaned in closer to her and asked “How did it go? Any luck?”
The Pegasus nodding, “Oh yes, I think I found exactly what you wanted.” Then produced a small green cloth that was folded up neatly, and showing it to Twilight.
Opening one corner of the cloth with her mouth instead of her magic, Twilight smiled as soon as she caught a glimpse of what was inside it. “I think this is exactly what I need, thank you so much. Can you put it in my saddlebag?”
Carefully, Fluttershy tucked the folded cloth into Twilight's bag, then looked up at the sky. “I hope Rainbow Dash is ok. I'm worried about her.”
“We all are. She seemed ok when I saw her last.” “Physically at least…” Twilight added in her own mind, choosing to keep quiet for fear of causing Fluttershy the unnecessary suffering she knew the Pegasus would feel if she knew how much Dash was hurting inside.
It would be another two days before the sky finally started clouding over above Ponyville. Twilight had spent almost as much time looking out at the sky as she was going over one of the books she had be engrossed in. “Looks like it's about to rain, Spike. Did you finish with the preparations yet?”
The short dragon came over, holding a stone bowl in his hand. “How's this?” he asked as he showed Twilight what was inside.
“That's perfect, Spike. Good work.” Twilight beamed the first real smile she'd felt in days. “The threads of my plan were quickly drawing together. Once it starts raining, then I'll be able to get the final ingredient the spell requires.”
“Speaking of rain,” Spike said, looking and pointing out the window. “It's starting to come down now.”
“Quick Spike, get the bowl,” Twilight said, flipping through the paces of her book to find the one she wanted.
The dragon had already picked up a wide, shallow crystal bowl, using a cloth to hold it, and then headed outside. “I know. Don't touch the bowl, and it needs to be the beginning of the rain. I'm on it.”
“Excellent, Spike. This final part needed to cast the spell is at hand.”
Spike held the bowl over his head, being careful to only touch the light blue cloth that was wrapped around the bottom of the bowl. It helped to keep him dry as the rain started spattering down, lightly at first, but then coming down heavier. “The Royal Guardponies don't know anything about weather,” grumbled Spike. “It shouldn't have taken them two days to get it to rain.”
It didn't take too long with the heavy rain to fill the bowl up enough for Twilight's needs. Spike then brought it back inside and carefully set it on the table that Twilight used as a workspace. “Now what?”
“Ok, now slowly pour in the ground crystal while I stir.” Twilight picked up a short wooden stick with her mouth and started carefully stirring the bowl while Spike slowly poured the ground powder into it from the bowl he'd used to grind it up.
“Why couldn't you use your magic to prepare this stuff?” Spike asked, tapping the bowl to dump the last little bit into the water.
Twilight set the stick aside and watched the swirling water carefully. “Because for the spell to work, the materials can't have even a trace of either magical residue, or even any other pony's contact left in them. That would taint the spell, and it would only let me see myself or the pony that touched it. That's the mistake I was making before.” Twilight was watching the clear crystals vanishing into the water. “Ok Spike, the last part.”
Spike opened Twilight's saddlebag and pulled out the folded green cloth that Fluttershy had given Twilight. Opening it carefully, they both saw a single fine thread curled up. “Not a thread,” Twilight thought, ”a hair.”
The hair was fine and almost prismatic. It was breathtaking how the colour seemed to change as it moved, and as the light hit it from different angles. “I never really took that close a look at Rainbow Dash’s mane before,” Twilight said softly. “Ok Spike, add it to the water.”
Twilight started focusing the magical energy, in exactly the same manner that the book described. When Rainbow Dash's hair touched the water, she released the magic, and the ripples from the hair turned into waves of colour.
The colours swirled around and around, then became a chaotic mess as Twilight focused on them. Then a final ripple spread outward from centre, leaving a clear scene visible in the bowl.
Rainbow Dash was flying along through some low-lying clouds, with another Pegasus close beside her. They were both clad in the same black outfits that Twilight had seen her wearing before, with nothing of her normal cyan showing. They were just black shadows cut out of the clouds. Silently, Dash pointed down at a single griffon that was flying along low to the ground. The other Pegasus nodded, and then they both readied the spears they carried before diving down out of the cloud.
Like silent ghosts of wrath they descended on the lone griffon. Trimming their wings slightly to adjust the speed and angle of their descent. They flattened out a bit from the steep dive to a gliding angle with the pair of them just gliding silently. There was no sound and no warning for the griffon before the two of them slammed into it.
The three of them quickly fell down the short distance to a heavy landing on the grass, with Dash and the other Pegasus being on top of the griffon when they hit the ground, heavily stunning it on landing. Quickly, Dash and the other pulled out some ropes and bound the griffon with practiced ease.
“Ok Red Dawn, I'll stay here while you go get the others, so we can bring this one back,” Dash ordered the other Pegasus and then leaned on her spear, the blunt end of it resting on the ground.
“Got it, I'll be back in a few minutes,” Red Dawn replied, and then leapt up into the air and sped off.
The griffon was just starting to recover from it's heavy landing, and looked over at Dash and then spat out a curse. “Damn you, Nightmare. Why not just kill me and get it over with?”
Dash looked like she'd just been hit by a physical blow as she stared at the griffon, taking a step toward her. It took a moment before she found her voice. “Gilda?...”
The griffon jerked like she'd had an icicle shoved under her tail. “Dash?” she said incredulously. “Is that you, Dash?”
Dash pushed her goggles up, and pulled her mask down to show her face. “Gilda. What are you doing here?”
Gilda took on fierce look as she looked at Rainbow Dash. “Dash, I'm shocked that you're a Nightmare. I would have thought you had more self respect than be a murderer,” she spat at Dash, who flinched from Gilda's verbal assault.
“Gilda, it's not like that.” Dash shook her head, “I'm just trying to stop the war.”
“Stop the war? How many griffons did you kill, Dash?”
“Gilda…” Dash said, the hurt in her voice being clear.
“And those ponies that dared to defy the trade embargo with us? How many of them did you personally kill?” Gilda spat in her anger.
“No!” Dash cried out. “That wasn't me! I wasn't even there! It was…” she choked on her answer with a sob, tears starting to run down her cheeks.
So, now you're going to take me in, Dash?” Gilda's voice was flat and without emotion.
“Gilda. Why are you even here?” Rainbow dash was trying hard not to cry as she clutched her spear. “You should have been up north, far from here.”
“You know the answer to that, don't you Dash?...”
Dumbly, Dash just nodded her head, tears rolling down her cheeks and muzzle.
“How many villages did you destroy, Dash? How many homes did you put to the torch in your midnight raids?” Gilda's words were soft in tone, but stung like acid. “How many griffons did you kill, Dash?”
Dash just rubbed one hoof over her face, wiping off some of the tears. “Gilda…”
“Dash. Do me just one favour. Please?” The griffon looked Dash in the eyes as she said “Kill me.”
“Gilda! I-I cant! You can't ask me to do something like that!”
“Dash!” Gilda snapped back. “You and I both know what's going to happen when the rest of your Nightmares return. They're going to take me off somewhere, and torture me. At least give me a clean death, Dash!”
“I-I can't… What you're asking… I can't do it!” Dash cried out. "Look, I have some pull. I can try to get you transfered to a jail somewhere. Some place safe where you can sit and wait until the war's over..." The words sounded hollow and desperate.
“Dash! Don't you dare wuss out on me this time! If you still care for me at all, then give me a clean death before they come back and take me off to torture me to death.”
“Gilda…” Dash said in a soft voice, lifting her spear up over her head with both hooves holding it.
“Do it Dash,” Gilda said in a flat voice, the look In her eyes showing no emotion. “If you still love me, then give me this release.”
Rainbow Dash blinked several times, but the tears kept singing her eyes and wet her face. “Gilda…” she said softly, gripping the spear over her head tightly. Then in a soft whisper that probably only Twilight heard “I love you…”
There was only a moment's delay before the metal tip of Dash's spear flashed downward in a vicious blur of silver.
“DASH!” Twilight cried out. She jerked violently when she realized what Rainbow Dash was about to do, causing the bowl of water to slide across the table and shatter on the floor. At least that spared her from having to see Dash do the evil deed.
Twilight collapsed to the floor and curled up into a shuddering ball as she battled her emotions, trying desperately not to cry. “Oh Dash…” she said in a soft whimper.
Spike came over and leaned against Twilight, trying to comfort her at least to some degree.
Abruptly, Twilight froze, her head jerking up with the tears still wetting her cheeks. A look of horror was written large on her face as she remembered what Celestia had told her.
“The memories of the one she loves are all that sustain her right now.” |
Squeak-anon | 635 | 1 | Fluttershy,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Gaia | Fluttershy finds someone in the woods. And finds that things come in threes Sun, Moon, Earth | incomplete | 247 | 4 | <p>The earth spun through space. Basking in the light of the sun on one side, and of the moon on the other. The eternal dance playing out as it had for untold years. The sun roaring and bright, the moon cold and aloof, while the earth sat in between, bustling with life and growth. Below on the expansive surface of the world, in a country, in a village, in a house by the forest a yellow pegasus walked out the door to check on her animals. She was not particularly brash, nor brave, or all that strong of will. And the day was not of particular importance. Still, on that unimportant day, the unassuming pony would uncover a long held secret. </p><p>Comments and stars appreciated.</p> | everyone | 2011-09-12T03:33:41+00:00 | 2011-09-12T03:33:41+00:00 | 8,676 | The earth spun through space. Basking in the light of the sun on one side, and of the moon on the other. The eternal dance playing out as it had for untold years. The sun roaring and bright, the moon cold and aloof, while the earth sat in between, bustling with life and growth.
Below on the expansive surface of the world, in a country, in a village, in a house by the forest a yellow pegasus walked out the door to check on her animals. She was not particularly brash, nor brave, or all that strong of will. And the day was not of particular importance. Still, on that unimportant day, the unassuming pony would uncover a long held secret.
She headed toward the trees, her pink mane bouncing behind her, twin baskets draped across her back, humming merrily as she walked through the forest entrance. The two tallest trees standing on either side, like sentries, she thought, watching over all that lived there.
It was a pleasant day, few clouds hung in the sky and it was not too hot or cold, spring had recently begun. It was her favorite time of year, the fresh shoots of grass peaking up through the newly damp earth after they had cleared the snow. The flowers beginning to poke out from the dense foliage, the air smelled of nature and life. She inhaled deeply.
A squirrel scampered down from a nearby tree and situated itself in front of her curiously. It was young, she had not met this one the previous year. It was one of the forests numerous new inhabitants. She reached into her basket and pulled out a nut, placing it gently on the ground.
“Hello little squirrel,” she said softly. “My name is Fluttershy, it’s very nice to meet you.”
It sniffed at her for a moment, turning it’s head to the side. Then it quickly grabbed the nut and dashed back up into the trees. Fluttershy chuckled to herself as she watched it jump nimbly from tree to tree. She loved animals more than almost anything else.
Fluttershy continued her work, laying specific foods in front of the burrows and nests of every animal. The rabbits got lettuce, the birds got seed and the squirrels got nuts among others. She went about her day until the work was done. The animals of the forest chirped and squeaked happily as they ate. She sat for a moment, just listening. Wind rustled the leaves and moles dug through the soil, all of it added to the music of the forest. She sighed contentedly, eyes closed.
After a moment, she reached into her basket a final time. “I’ve got one more mouth to feed,” she said smiling. “Mine.”
Fluttershy laid out a blanket, on which she placed a daisy sandwich, some spring water and a cookie. She ate methodically, two bites of the sandwich, a drink of water, and repeat. As she had her breakfast, something sparkled among the bushes. It caught her eye, she paused, trying to make out what it was. She couldn’t see it clearly in the shadow of the bushes, still it seemed to glow vaguely in the patches of sun the broke through the leaves. She finished her sandwich and her water. Getting up, she walked cautiously forwards, the object sparkled brighter as she approached.
Peering downwards, she saw it was a small glass ball. It looked as though it’d been there for a while. It was dirty, only a small bit of it’s surface shining under the grime. Inside, small slivers of green hung suspended in the clear glass. It was beautiful.
“Oh my...” Fluttershy said under her breath.
She went back to her baskets to grab a napkin, then carefully gripped the small object. She pulled, but nothing happened.
“You’re stubborn, aren’t you?” she muttered to herself, trying again.
Fluttershy pulled, she tugged and she heaved with all her might, but still it stayed stuck in the ground.
“I bet a strong pony like Rainbow Dash could get you out.” She sighed. “Now, what am I going to do?” She sat back on her haunches, staring at the stubborn thing. Her efforts had knocked some more of the dirt away, but otherwise did nothing. It looked even prettier in the light, almost glowing in the sun.
Fluttershy had an idea. She got up and walked towards the tree line. Searching carefully, she selected a sturdy branch and returned with it clenched between her teeth. “This should work,” she said hopefully.
The yellow pony pushed the stick into the soil, making sure to position it beneath the ball. Carefully,she placed both her forehooves on the high end up the branch and pushed downwards.
The ball budged slightly.
Encouraged, she pushed harder. Placing all of her rather small weight onto the branch.
Many things happened at once, most of which Fluttershy was unaware off. From her perspective, the ground began to shake, and the ball came free with a loud ‘pop!’.
Outside of her perspective, a magic old and strong began to unravel, like a dress gripped by a single thread. The world slowed on its axis and something was sent hurtling out from the core like a rocket of light, up through the crust and into the forest behind her.
Fluttershy fell onto her haunches as the shaking stopped. She looked around confused. What had happened? Was that an earthquake? She worriedly got to her hooves and dashed around, checking to see if any burrows had collapsed, or trees had fallen. Seeing no damage, she sighed with relief. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the glass ball sitting in a pile of leaves. Completely free of soil. She could see even more clearly the slivers of green suspended inside, they looked like leaves. She wandered over, picking it up, she gently brought it back to her blanket, where she poked it with a hoof.
“Oh how lovely,” she said happily. “I wonder who left you in there? Are you lost?” she asked it. “I hope you’re not important to anypony, I bet they’d miss you.”
As she rolled it, the ball moved with an odd grace along the uneven surface of the blanket. The leaves inside almost seemed to spin and dance in the sun.
“I can’t wait to show you to Angel and the others.”
Suddenly, a loud boom rang out from behind her. She jumped with a yelp, quickly running to the nearest tree and hiding behind it, leaving the ball on the blanket. Fluttershy’s heart hammered in her chest as she peeked out to see what’d happened.
The earth was loose and shaken in a heap around where the sound had come from. Beside it stood an earth pony. Fluttershy let out another yelp and pressed herself back against the trunk of the tree, breathing heavily.
The earth pony, a mare by the looks of it, looked around bleary eyed and opened her mouth to say something. All she managed was a few squeaks before she gave up. Fluttershy looked out again, wondering if perhaps she’d been hurt. Looking at her the second time, Fluttershy couldn’t help being stunned at how beautiful she was.
It was a strange sort of beauty. She was taller and more slender than the average earth pony, standing a good head higher than Fluttershy. She was dirty, but that didn’t seem to change much. Her coat was a deep brown color, offset by a light green mane and tail, which were tangled and matted, almost dragging along the ground. Her eyes were a deep green as well, and they looked curiously out from under her dirty mess of a mane. She spied Fluttershy’s blanket sitting by the tree. Trying to walk over, her legs collapsed sending her tumbling onto the ground.
Fluttershy was at her side before she knew what was happening.
“Oh my!” she said worriedly. “Are you okay?” She looked the strange mare up and down, trying to see any injuries.
“Ahhh, ahhh,” rasped the mare.
“You can’t speak? Do you need water?”
The mare nodded.
Fluttershy quickly walked over to her saddlebag, grabbing an extra bottle of water and a few handkerchiefs she’d used to wrap the food. She bundled them together and placed them under the mare’s head, gently placing the bottle up to her lips. She drank lightly for a long time, emptying the bottle before she took a breath.
“Better?”
The mare nodded again.
“Can you speak now?” Fluttershy asked, concerned.
“I...I..” she tried. The mare looked confused for a moment, her eyes looking down at her
snout oddly. She worked her jaw back and forth a few times. “I...can...” she said, sounding almost surprised. “I can...speak...”
“Good!” Fluttershy said happily. Suddenly, she remembered herself and backed up a few paces. “I’m...um...very happy you seem alright,” she said softly.
“Alright” said the mare, trying the word out on her tongue. “I am...alright.”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “What’s, well....excuse my asking if it’s rude, we’ve only just met but...what’s your name?”
“Name,” said the mare, smiling at the word. “Name is alright.”
“Your name is....Name?” asked Fluttershy. “Not that it’s a bad name if it is!” she added quickly. “It’s just...well....oh dear...”
“Oh dear, oh dear!” said the mare happily, trying to get to her hooves. “Speaking is....” She looked up at the sky for a moment, trying to figure out a word. Her eyes shot wide for a moment, as though she were surprised to see it was there.
“Fun?” Fluttershy offered.
“Fun!” the mare echoed, forgetting about the sky. “Language, it’s...familiar....fun!”
Fluttershy squeaked, and backed away from the mare’s exuberance. She seemed to get stranger the more she spoke. “Do....you have a home?” she asked quietly.
“Home?” asked the mare. She looked around the forest, still shakily trying to stand. She
appeared disoriented until she looked at the soil below her. The mare stomped a hoof resolutely. “Home!” She grinned at Fluttershy as though she had just solved a complicated puzzle. Her stomping threw her off balance, she teetered almost falling again before Fluttershy ran over to support her. The smaller pony strained under the weight.
“I am small...” said the mare in wonderment. “There’s so little to move....” she looked down at her rather slender frame.
This was the longest sentence Fluttershy had heard her put together on her own. Perhaps she would get some answers out of her after all. “You live in the forest?”
The mare shook her head. Looking at the ground, she stomped her hoof into the dirt again, leaning heavily against Fluttershy. “Home!”
Fluttershy yelped at this declaration. Her strange visitor’s excitement unsettled her slightly, she always fretted about meeting new ponies. Fluttershy felt far out of her depth. She decided to try another route. “Um...do you have any family?”
The mare tried to stand on her own again. “Do I...have family?” she asked, tilting her head. She looked again to the sky. “Yes!” she said. “Family!”
Fluttershy waited for her to continue, but she remained standing there, neck craned up in the air. The yellow mare sighed, quite unsure what to do. This wasn’t her area of expertise, she dealt with animals, not ponies, but she was concerned about the mare, whose name may or may not have been Name. Still, she could apparently stand on her own now and seemed fairly alright. She’d been out too long, if she didn’t get home soon, Angle would be worried.
“Okay...um....Name. I really need to get home, do you need some help finding your way out of the forest?...um...I can help if you want me too...but if you don’t that’s fine too, if you can make it back alone.”
“Alone....” the mare repeated, looking back down at Fluttershy, her smile was gone. “Alone....”
“Um...I’m sorry, is something wrong?”
The mare sniffed. “I don’t want to be...” she said softly, tears at the corners of her eyes.
“Oh! Um...I sorry! Did I do something wrong? I didn’t mean to!” Fluttershy floundered at the sudden change of tone.
“I don’t want to be....alone.” The mare sniffed again, looking at Fluttershy, her green eyes burning into hers. “Please?”
The yellow pegasus didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even fully comprehend what had just happened. This was too much, all she’d wanted to do was feed the animals. She wasn’t cut out for this. This was a job for a more outgoing pony, like her friend Twilight or Applejack, not her. But she knew one thing, she couldn’t leave a pony in need. The mare looked as though she were on the verge of tears. Fluttershy couldn’t just leave her in the woods,.
“It’s okay, don’t cry.” She put a reassuring hoof on the mare’s back, at least as far as she could reach. “Come with me, I have a house just this way. We can sort this whole thing out...if you want.”
The mare nodded.
“Now, before we go, I don’t think I can call you Name....” said Fluttershy softly. “If it’s alright, I need something to call you.”
The mare looked around for a moment until her eyes fell on a daisy. “Flower!” she announced, drying her eyes. “Call me flower.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Flower, that’s a lovely name.”
She looked curiously at the yellow mare. “You?”
“Oh!” Fluttershy turned red for a minute. “I never told you my name. That’s rude isn’t it? I’m sorry. My name is Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy!” Flower echoed, another smile breaking out over her face. She grabbed the startled pegasus in a hug. “Lovely name.”
Fluttershy turned several shades redder in the larger pony’s grip. “Um....please let go of me...not that I don’t appreciate it. It’s just....we should go. Angel will be worried.”
Flower released the flustered mare. “Angel?” she asked quizzically.
“Oh, that’s my friend. He’s a bunny, he gets terribly worried if I’m out too late.”
“We don’t want to worry Angel,” Flower said, looking rather pleased with herself. “we have to get home.”
Fluttershy stared for a moment. “You must be feeling better,” she remarked quietly. “You’re speech is much clearer now.”
Flower blinked. “I am....unskilled. I have not spoken in a...” She thought for a moment. “long time.”
Fluttershy looked worried. “Have you been out here alone that long?”
“Alone....” Flower said that word again, seeming to sag under it’s weight.
“Oh! Don’t worry! I-I’m not going to leave you alone,” Fluttershy added quickly. “Here, lets get home, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want too.” She sat the mare down. “Um...if you’ll just wait a moment. I have to get my things.”
Fluttershy collected the handkerchiefs she’d made into a makeshift pillow, folding each one before gently placing them back into her basket. Once she had finished, she turned to fold up the blanket, only to find Flower standing next to it warily eyeing the cookie she’d left sitting there.
“Um...I’m sorry, did you want that?” asked Fluttershy. “You can have it, I’m not hungry.”
Flower sniffed at it. “What is it?” she asked warily.
“It’s...well...it’s a cookie. You’ve never had one?”
Flower shook her head. “What is a cookie?” she asked.
Fluttershy had promised not to pry, but her curiosity was steadily growing. “Well...It’s a small baked piece of dough, with things inside to make it sweet,” she explained. “This is oatmeal...I think it’s good, bu-”
The cookie vanished, Flower chewed greedily as she ate, crumbs spilling down her face as her teeth worked oddly together.
“Do you....Like it?” Fluttershy hazarded.
Flower smiled, bits of cookie stuck in her teeth. “Have you tried this!?” she asked. “It’s....” She paused. “Lovely!”
“Well...I made it this morning...” Fluttershy admitted, blushing.
“Made this?” Flower cocked her head to the side. “There’s more?”
“Yes, I made a tray of them. You can have some more....I always make far too many, but Angle likes them so yo-”
“We have to get home!” Flower jerked up suddenly. “We don’t want to worry Angel!”
“Well yes but-” Fluttershy found herself being shoved towards the forest path. “Oh, but my blanket...Flower please wait....My house is that way!!...”
Flower had apparently found her legs. She quickly shoved in the direction Fluttershy pointed. The yellow pony protested meekly as she was pushed forwards. Though she eventually gave up and offered the occasional bit of direction to Flower’s exuberant pushing.
Behind them, in the forest, the fresh green leaves of spring began to turn a sickly brown. Something dark slithered out from the hole in the earth. It quickly shifted and squirmed getting its barrings. Beneath it the grass turned dull and grey. The forest became deathly quiet, no birds sang, and no squirrels chattered. The thing quickly slithered out of sight, into the darkness of the trees, leaving decay in its wake. |
Squeak-anon | 635 | 2 | Fluttershy,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Gaia | Fluttershy finds someone in the woods. And finds that things come in threes Sun, Moon, Earth | incomplete | 247 | 4 | <p>The earth spun through space. Basking in the light of the sun on one side, and of the moon on the other. The eternal dance playing out as it had for untold years. The sun roaring and bright, the moon cold and aloof, while the earth sat in between, bustling with life and growth. Below on the expansive surface of the world, in a country, in a village, in a house by the forest a yellow pegasus walked out the door to check on her animals. She was not particularly brash, nor brave, or all that strong of will. And the day was not of particular importance. Still, on that unimportant day, the unassuming pony would uncover a long held secret. </p><p>Comments and stars appreciated.</p> | everyone | 2012-05-31T01:11:39+00:00 | 2012-05-31T01:11:39+00:00 | 5,991 | There was a crash in the library.
The earth shuddered as a purple unicorn wobbled out of her study and into the library proper. She looked around in confusion as books tumbled from their shelves. Leaves fell like rain from outside, littering the floor. She quickly ran over to a small basket in the corner, nudging its contents with a hoof.
“Spike! Spike wake up! Something’s happening!”
“Huh? What is it?” the basket mumbled.
A small statue of Adam Doulasso fell from a nearby shelf onto the head of the sleeping dragon inside. He sat up with a start, rubbing his head.
“I don’t know!” yelled Twilight.
“Is it an earthquake?” asked Spike.
“I thought about that, but Ponyville isn’t anywhere near a fault line.”
Spike paused. “Does Ponyville know that?”
“This is no time for jokes!” Twilight tried to keep her balance as the shaking got worse. “This is serious!”
As she spoke the earth stopped shaking. Outside a few stray leaves rained to the ground, floating gently through the air.
“See, it fixed itself, now back to napping!”
“Spike!” Twilight jerked the blanket away from the lazy dragon. “It may be over now, but we have to figure out what caused that tectonic impaction!”
“The what?”
Twilight sighed. “The earthquake. It could be important. It’s not everyday the ground shakes beneath your hooves. What if it happens again? Who knows what could be causing it! We need to investigate.” She grabbed a pair of saddlebags from a coat by the door. “Spike, take a letter.”
********************
They eventually made it to the house. Flower’s sense of direction left much to be desired. Fluttershy had discovered that ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ were out of the question and had to resort to squeaking out landmarks and pointing the way as Flower’s boundless energy propelled them around the forest. They skidded to a stop as they crossed the gate onto Fluttershy’s land. A cross looking rabbit emerged from inside the house. He marched up to them tapping his foot angrily.
“Angel, I’m sorry I’m late...I didn’t want to worry you....but I met someone in the forest.” She nodded to the tall brown earth pony behind her. “This is Flower.”
Flower looked down at the small rodent curiously. “Angel?” she asked.
“Yes.” Fluttershy said quietly. “He’s my asista-...well...not really....he’s my pe-...no not that I suppose......He’s my friend. Yes, that’s it, my friend.” She nodded to herself.
“Hello, Angel.” said Flower.
Angel’s eyes shot wide, he looked between Fluttershy and the earth pony, bewildered, before making various high pitched squeaking noises.
Fluttershy looked on, confused. “Is something wrong?”
Angel pointed to the brown and green pony, who smiled in amusement.
“Flower?” Fluttershy guessed.
Angel poked his nose twice, signaling she was correct. He lowered one ear and waggled the other. He and Fluttershy did this often, this signal meant ‘Is’.
“Flower is....” Fluttershy continued.
Angel touched his nose again. He raised both paws above his head and brought them down around him meeting at the bottom.
“Circle?” Flower attempted. “This is...fun!”
The small rabbit shook his head. He made the gesture again.
“Flower is....big?” Fluttershy guessed. “Well she is rather tall...but um...that’s not very nice.”
Angel slapped his forehead in exasperation. He hopped over to a nearby stream, quickly returning with a pile of mud, some grass, and a walnut shell filled with water. He pointed insistently towards each, then to Flower.
“Flower....needs a bath?” Fluttershy looked at the rather bedraggled mare. “Well, yes, she is kind of dirty....Um...I’m sorry...no offence,” she added quickly
Flower just smiled.
Angel shook his head, squeaking angrily. He picked up the mud and patted it into a circle, layering the grass on top, and pouring water over it. The small rabbit pointed urgently at the small display then again to Flower.
Flower looked down at the mixture, her smile grew even wider. “Home,” she said fondly.
Fluttershy was more confused than ever. “I’m sorry Angel, but I really don’t know what you’re trying to tell me...” She squinted at the circular pile of mud, which was slowly crumbling on the ground. “It’s very pretty though. It looks kind of like a cookie.”
Fluttershy squeaked as she found herself once again being exuberantly shoved towards the door. Angel jumped out of the way as Flower dashed into the house. The word “Cookies!” echoed back as the door slammed behind them.
Fluttershy stumbled into the kitchen, trying not to fall head over tail onto the tiled floor. She fumbled for a minute trying to keep her balance. Flower stood in the doorway smiling expectantly. “Are they in here?” she asked.
Fluttershy stood there for a moment. It’d always taken her a while to let anyone in, it was her nature. Yet in the last hour or so somepony had gone from random stranger in the woods to over for cookies before she had time to register what happened. She fretted internally, her mind turning to the thousand little things it always did in the presence of new ponies. What must the mare think of her? Her house, her kitchen, her animals, this was far too fast. But she couldn’t lose focus of the main point. It was obvious the Flower needed some help, Fluttershy couldn’t just turn her out.
She would simply figure out where Flower had come from and perhaps get one of the braver ponies to take her home, Fluttershy decided. Simple as that. Then she’d be back to feeding her animals and tending the garden as usual. She worried momentarily how to pose such questions without sounding rude, but what better start than cookies? Flower’s speech seemed to be getting better by the second, so if she could just find the right words she could get back to her routine.
“Um...yes, they’re right over there on the counter.” she nodded. “So...how about I-...well...I could put some tea on....I have some lavender and chai in the kitchen....if you like tea. If you don’t I have some milk. But, if you just want cookies that’s fine too.” Said Fluttershy, twiddling her hooves.
Flower turned her head to the side. “Tea?”
“Well, yes, tea...do you like tea?” Fluttershy asked.
“Like tea....” Flower said experimentally. “Do I like tea?” she looked at Fluttershy curiously.
“Oh...well..” Fluttershy was at a loss. “I don’t know...do you?”
Flower looked at the ceiling for a minute, her face scrunched up in thought. “Do I like tea?...” she said again. Her face grew resolute. “Yes!” she announced, stomping a hoof. “I like tea!”
“That’s....good...” Fluttershy said, unsure. “I’ll just fetch the kettle...if you’ll wait a moment.” She walked over to one of the many cabinets that adorned the walls. After some shuffling she returned with a small white kettle with a sunflower on the side. Fluttershy walked over to the sink, filled it with water and sat it over the fireplace.
A small pair of bellows were attached to the floor at the front of the hearth. She stepped on it gently with a hoof. The small embers left over from breakfast sprang to life, roaring and smoking as the fire started.
Flower’s face turned white. She jumped backwards, shaking terribly. “Fire!” she yelled. “Fire!” Flower tried to back under the kitchen table though she was far too big. Cups and saucers went tumbling onto the floor shattering. Flower hunched against the wall shaking like a leaf.
Fluttershy reared back in shock. Looking at the shattered plates, Flower lay huddled beneath the table, it shook as she moved, barely managing to cover her body. Fluttershy leaned under the table near Flower’s side. She tried to suppress her surprise and calm the frightened mare. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “It’s alright, nothing’s going to hurt you see?” She pointed to the fireplace. “I’m just making tea. It’ll be alright.” Flower’s eyes were closed tight, she still shook, trying to inch closer to the wall. Fluttershy reached out a hoof, placing it gently against the her side.
“I don’t like fire...” said Flower quietly. “I don’t like it...” Her voice began to shake.
“That’s fine,” She gently patted her side. “But we’re perfectly safe. Okay?”
Flower nodded, her eyes still tightly shut.
“There now, ” Fluttershy helped Flower out from under the table. “If you don’t like fire you can wait in the living room.” She gently walked her out of the kitchen. Sitting her on the couch. “Wait here alright? I’ll bring the tea when it’s ready.”
Flower nodded, still visibly shaken.
Fluttershy tried to smile encouragingly before she returned to the kitchen and sat down to wait on the tea. Things were getting strange, Flower had reacted so fearfully to a simple cooking fire. Fluttershy knew a few ponies who weren’t all that fond of fire, but none of them reacted quite like that. She looked desperately for some way to ask Flower about it. Finding nothing, she busied herself sweeping up pieces of the plates and cups that had fallen during the scare.
The kettle whistled plaintively from the fireplace. Fluttershy quickly grabbed a pot holder in her mouth gently removed it, setting it on a silver tray she had sitting on the counter. She then walked over to the glass cabinet in the corner and returned with two tea cups, each with a matching blue flower on the side. She sat them across from each other on the tray and brought it to the living room, sitting it on the table in the corner. Flower watched with interest as she set a small bag of tea in each. “You can sit down if you like....or you could stand...whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Flower attempted to sit in the rather small chair at the opposite end of the table. Placing her hind legs in various positions in an effort to get comfortable. Failing this, she opted to simply sit on the floor, being more than tall enough to be able to reach her tea. She smiled at Fluttershy, who smiled awkwardly in turn.
“Thank you,” said Flower. “It has been very nice to meet you.” She looked away for a moment. “I am sorry about the kitchen.”
The yellow pegasus blushed slightly. “Well..um..thank you...It’s been nice meeting you too..Don’t worry about the kitchen...really, It’s alright.”
Flower’s smile returned. “I am glad.”
Fluttershy sipped her tea. “So....if you don’t mind my asking...what were you doing in the woods?”
“Doing?” Flower’s face scrunched up for a moment. “I do not know. I suppose I was...sleeping.”
Now Fluttershy was getting somewhere. “So you took a nap and got lost?”
“No, not lost. Found.” Flower grinned.
“Oh...” said Fluttershy. “What do you mean?”
“I have been lost.” Flower looked at her tea, admiring her reflection in the dark brown surface.
Fluttershy was more confused than ever. “Yes, you were lost in the forest. Lucky I found you I suppose.” She smiled awkwardly.
“No, I was not lost in the forest, I was found in the forest.” The slender mare poked at her tea cup experimentally.
Fluttershy decided to try a different approach. “So...then...where were you lost?”
Flower stopped looking at her tea cup and thought for a moment. “I am not sure. I was there a very long time. But now,” she clicked her hooves together happily, “I am here!”
This wasn’t getting Fluttershy anywhere. She felt happy that Flower seemed to be enjoying herself, but she really needed more to go on. Sipping her tea thoughtfully, she noticed that Flower had yet to take a sip.
“Do you..um...not like this kind? I have others.” she offered.
Flower sniffed at the cup. “I like tea.” she said. “It smells nice.”
Fluttershy nodded. A silence fell over the table. Fluttershy looked for something to say. Finding nothing, she continued to sip her tea, while Flower sat there sniffing the warm smoke as it rose from her cup. Finally, after several minutes, Flower bowed her head to take a sip.
The cup went clattering to the floor as she jerked backward, her tongue hanging out.
“Hot! Hot! Hot!”
In the forest, the ooze lay in wait. The grass around it lay dead or dying in pale, browning patches, the trees it brushed against turned a sickly grey, withering as their leaves fell onto the forest floor. It had slithered to the edge of the small village and watched as the ponies there went about their business, going into shops, playing in the evening light.
It quivered and bubbled. It did not like this place.
An acorn fell from one of the rotted trees. The ooze shrank away from it quickly, hiding beneath a nearby bush.
It waited.
A squirrel scampered down from the branches. It squeaked, jumping nimbly over to retrieve its lost nut. Before it reached its destination the ooze struck.
It wrapped itself around the small creature. It struggled against the thing holding it, but the ooze covered its face, soon its struggles grew weak then stopped all together. The ooze sat for a moment, before slithering back under the bush. There was a faint sound, then a squirrel emerged. It looked normal in all respects, except that its left paw was dark purple.
The Squirrel looked towards the village, its eyes glinted against the fading light. Then it
leapt nimbly towards the nearest shop, its movements were quick and efficient. It dashed through the streets without anypony taking the slightest notice.
It hid.
It waited.
Mr.Breezy hummed to himself as he walked towards his store. He sold fans and business had been slow over the winter. But he had a good feeling things would pick up now that spring had started. The second the heat began to rise he would have a line out the door, he was sure of it. Perhaps he’d be able to buy that new vest he’d been eyeing in the shop down the street. But before any of that, he’d have to make sure his store was well stocked. It would be terrible to run out if a heat wave popped up early.
As he walked up the steps towards the door his ears twitched. He turned around, thinking somepony was behind him.
The road was empty besides a few ponies getting in some last minute shopping before the stores closed. He was alone.
He shrugged; he must have been hearing things. But as he turned back to open the door he heard the sound of claws scrabbling at the stairs behind him. He whirled back around, tense and ready to face what might be there.
He relaxed when he saw a squirrel sitting there looking at him with its large beady eyes.
“Oh, well it’s just’a wee little squirrel!” He said, exhaling with relief. “You gave me a bit of’a scare there little beastie.” Mr.Breezy chuckled. “What’re you doing out and about? You ought to be getting ready for bed.”
The squirrel cocked its head to the side, still staring.
“Well, aren’t you friendly?” Mr.Breezy remarked. “I’m sorry I can’t stay and chat, little beastie, but I must be off to check my fans.” He turned, pushing open the door with a hoof. “You run along no-”
It struck. The squirrel leapt at Mr. Breezy’s face, its body turning to liquid mid flight. He tried to scream, but found the thing oozing into his mouth. It quickly covered his face snaking its way down his neck and over the rest of the body. He thrashed and fought violently but soon tired, falling to the ground. His legs still kicked and jerked, trying to gain purchase to fight back, but it was useless, he may as well have been kicking at thin air.
The ooze was cold, so unbearably cold.
Mr.Breezy suddenly felt sleepy. He tried to struggle more, but eventually his resistance ended. The ooze dragged him into the shop, the door slamming shut behind it.
There was silence for several minutes. The wind whistled through ponyville as the night continued its march. It was cold, colder than usual. The ponies climbing into their beds to prepare for sleep drew their covers up to their chins against the sudden chill.
As the night drew on the shop door opened. Mr.Breezy peered out. He looked the same besides a pair of shoes he was suddenly wearing. He smiled, looking around the sleeping village then turned, went back inside and closed the door.
He waited.
To Be continued. |
Squeak-anon | 635 | 3 | Fluttershy,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Gaia | Fluttershy finds someone in the woods. And finds that things come in threes Sun, Moon, Earth | incomplete | 247 | 4 | <p>The earth spun through space. Basking in the light of the sun on one side, and of the moon on the other. The eternal dance playing out as it had for untold years. The sun roaring and bright, the moon cold and aloof, while the earth sat in between, bustling with life and growth. Below on the expansive surface of the world, in a country, in a village, in a house by the forest a yellow pegasus walked out the door to check on her animals. She was not particularly brash, nor brave, or all that strong of will. And the day was not of particular importance. Still, on that unimportant day, the unassuming pony would uncover a long held secret. </p><p>Comments and stars appreciated.</p> | everyone | 2012-01-29T17:43:57+00:00 | 2012-01-29T17:43:57+00:00 | 7,041 | Princess Luna was uneasy as she ushered the moon into place for the night. Something didn’t feel right. This was different. Her task was harder than it had been in previous nights, she was sure of it.
The Princess of the moon stood on the castle balcony willing the heavenly body into place. Luna planted her hooves on the cold stone and focused heavily on the task at hoof, straining as her concentration increased to compensate.
The moon finally came to rest. Luna slumped, exhausted. It shouldn’t be this hard. She thought, It’s never been this hard.
She needed to talk to Celestia right away.
The castle’s hallways echoed with the sound of her hooves as Luna ran. She still hadn’t quite learned the layout of the large structure, having only been there a short time. But she knew it well enough to find her sister.
She arrived at the large door, skidding to a stop. She lifted a hoof and knocked sharply on the ornate wood. Luna tried not to interrupt her sister when she could, but she had a feeling this was important. After waiting several minutes she heard no answer answer. Luna knocked again, this time with more urgency. The sound echoed through the hallway. Still she heard nothing in return.
“Celestia?” she called. A hint of worry creeping into her voice. “Sister, I have something to tell you!” Luna knocked yet again.
Hearing no answer for the third time, she tried the door. It opened easily, swinging inwards without so much as a faint creak. Luna peeked cautiously inwards. Her sister’s quarters were neat as usual, her bed perfectly made in the corner, and her books all sitting in alphabetical order on the shelves by her writing desk.
“Sister?” Luna asked, walking slowly inside. Not seeing her immediately, she walked deeper into the room. Out the corner of her eye noticed one thing was out of place, the balcony door was open. She looked down towards the floor and saw a single pale white leg was sticking out from the doorway.
“Celestia!” Luna was quickly at her side. The Princess of the sun lay on the stone balcony, eyes wide open, staring at something.
“Do you feel it?” Celestia looked blearily at her sister.
“Celestia! Are you hurt?” Luna tried to help her to her hooves.
“No...I’m fine...but tell me Luna, do you feel it?”
Luna paused, biting her bottom lip. “Yes...something’s different.”
“There’s a chill in the air,” said Celestia, attempting to stand on her own. “I’ve lowered the sun, but it has never taken so much. Something is wrong.” She walked unsteadily into the castle. “The balance is off.”
In front of Celestia there appeared a green ball of flame. It shrank, and with a burst
of magic, became a scroll of parchment. Her horn glowed as she grabbed it and sat carefully on the bed.
“...Are you sure you’re alright?” asked Luna, obviously worried.
“Don’t worry. I just need some time to rest.” She smiled weakly. “That’s all.” She squinted at the letter. “And apparently we’re not the only ones who have noticed things aren’t quite right.”
Luna looked at the scroll briefly. “Earthquakes? In Ponyville?
Celestia nodded slowly. “Have the guards ready a carriage.” She looked towards the sky, where the moon slowly turned above. “We need to see my student.”
-------------------------------
Fluttershy lifted the washbucket over Flower’s head, dumping its contents into her mane. The brown mare sat rather morosely in the bathtub staring at her burnt tongue.
“It’ll feel better soon, it’s not that bad of a burn.” Fluttershy assured.
Flower nodded. Poking at her tongue with her hooves.
“Um....Don’t do that please...we haven’t washed those yet.” Fluttershy grabbed a bush. Flower had been dirtier than she had previously thought. Her coat being the same shade as the soil, it had been hard to judge just how much of it was there. But now that she had her in the tub she could see that it had been a long time since Flower had gotten any kind of bath. Fluttershy looked briefly out of the window above the tub. It was dark outside. She had hoped to seek help from her friends in finding out where Flower lived. But it looked as though it would have to wait till morning.
Flower swung her hooves lazily through the water as Fluttershy combed through her mane. It was terribly tangled, but Flower did not complain much as she drew the brush slowly through the knotted loops and soon Fluttershy had it straightened.
“You can step out now,” said Fluttershy laying out a towel on the floor.
Flower hopped happily from the tub and shook herself, spraying water in all directions. Fluttershy squeaked, and threw up her hooves in an effort to stay dry. When she opened her eyes she found Flower standing there, smiling at her. Fluttershy was struck by how much better she looked now that she was clean. Flower’s light green mane hung smoothly over her back, her tail reaching a small ways onto the floor. Her eyes looked even brighter unhidden by her tangled mane. “Beautiful...” she whispered.
“Yes.” said Flower, her smile turning into a grin. “You look beautiful.”
Fluttershy’s face reddened. “Oh..oh no! Not me. I-I’m not. I mean....” She lapsed into silence.
Flower’s smile dimmed, she looked curiously at the yellow Pegasus. “You look beautiful.” she repeated.
Fluttershy floundered. “Well...not...I mean I don’t-..” She sighed, unable to keep an embarrassed smile from creeping onto her face. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” said Flower, her smile returning in full force.
Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to say next, silence fell heavily into the room. Flower yawned loudly, and it suddenly dawned on Fluttershy that since she could not find out where the mare had come from, Flower would have to sleep here.
“Oh dear...” she said under her breath.
“Is something wrong?” asked Flower.
“Oh, oh no, nothing is wrong,” Fluttershy replied quickly. “It’s just that it’s that it’s nearing bedtime.”
“Bedtime...” Flower tested the word on her tongue. “It’s time to sleep?”
Fluttershy nodded. “Yes.....I suppose you’ll be staying here.”
Flower nodded in turn. “I would like that very much.”
“Alright...You’re a guest, I only have one bed. You can take it...I’ll sleep on the couch.” Fluttershy pointed to the small sofa in the living room. “Sit there. I’ll get the bed ready.”
Flower obediently did as she was told while Fluttershy walked into the bedroom. She got some fresh sheets from the bottom shelf of the wardrobe in the corner, carefully shaking it out before layering it across the mattress. Though spring had begun, she noticed there was a chill in the air, so she decided to fetch the winter blankets from the trunk on the side of her nightstand. She had two, just enough. Fluttershy layed the heavier of them over the matress, she really didn’t mind the cold all that much, she would make do with the lighter one. After the pillows were fluffed and the creases rubbed out, she returned to the living room.
“You can go in no-”
Flower’s snoring cut her off. She’d fallen asleep on the couch, her long limbs splayed loosely off the sides of the small piece of furniture.
“Oh...” Fluttershy whispered.
She quietly grabbed the blanket she’d brought with her and draped it carefully over Flower. The mare stirred slightly, but didn’t wake up.
“Goodnight...” Fluttershy walked softly back into her bedroom.
It had been a strange day to say the least. she could hear Flower softly snoring in the living room. The yellow Pegasus was oddly comforted by this. She honestly hoped she could find Flower’s home soon, and found herself wondering if her family was nice, or, if she in fact lived on her own. How long had she been lost? Fluttershy had found out very little during their tea earlier that afternoon. It remained a mystery. Still, she was quite confidant her friends would know what to do. Twilight would probably come up with something right away. She was always level headed about such things.
------------------------------------------------
“Uhg!!” yelled Twilight Sparkle, stomping her way through the library door. “I haven’t been able to find anything!”
“Well, we found out that there wasn’t any damage from the quake. That’s good right?” said Spike closing the door.
Twilight sighed. “Yes, I suppose that’s good at least. I’m glad everypony was alright.” She took off her saddlebag and walked over to a large book propped open in the corner. “But none of my readings even show the slightest disturbance! It’s like it never happened! How is that possible!?”
Spike shrugged. “Maybe it’s a shy earthquake?”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yeah, Spike, I’m sure that’s it. Perhaps it’s just sh-” She paused. “Shy....”
“Huh?”
“Fluttershy!” Twilight whirled around. “If anypony noticed anything strange about this it would be her! She knows everything about nature. She might have noticed something we missed.”
“Good idea.” Spike peered out the window. “But it’s a bit late to go knocking on her door, don’t you think?”
“Good point.” Twilight conceded. “It’ll have to wait till morning I suppose. Did Celestia ever send a reply to the letter I sent this morning?”
Spike shook his head. “No reply so far.”
“Well, she’s probably busy.” Twilight frowned. “Looks like it’s up to us to get to the bottom of this.”
“Like detectives!?” asked Spike excitedly.
Twilight smiled. “I suppose so. In anycase, we’ll head to Fluttershy’s house first thing in the morning.”
Spike stifled a yawn. “Yeah. Tomorrow, goodnight Twilight.”
Twilight headed to her room. “Goodnight Spike” A chill blew in through the open window. They both shivered. “It’s awfully cold for spring...” Twilight remarked.
-----------------------------------------------------
It liked the night, it was dark, and nopony was looking. Wearing Mr.Breezy’s face it peeked out the door. The moon was full, it didn’t like that, but it would have to do. It avoided what little light the moon offered and slunk towards the forest. It didn’t walk like a regular pony, its steps were choppy and irregular.
It wasn’t used to this shape.
The thing that wasn’t Mr.Breezy quietly made its way under the trees, winding through the thick foliage. It knew something was coming. They would try to stop it. It needed more power. There wasn’t much time.
The thing that wasn’t Mr.Breezy stopped in the middle of a clearing and scrunched up Mr.Breezy’s face in concentration. The grass around its hooves withered and died. It spread further, brown shriveled leaves fell from the trees, littering the ground. Woodland creatures scattered in all directions, shrieking in terror.
Soon it was done. The thing that wasn’t Mr.Breezy smiled. It would need more, but this would do for now. It turned and walked back towards the shop its face currently owned. The dead leaves crunched satisfyingly under its hooves.
It would be ready.
The air became colder.
To Be continued. |
Squeak-anon | 635 | 4 | Fluttershy,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Gaia | Fluttershy finds someone in the woods. And finds that things come in threes Sun, Moon, Earth | incomplete | 247 | 4 | <p>The earth spun through space. Basking in the light of the sun on one side, and of the moon on the other. The eternal dance playing out as it had for untold years. The sun roaring and bright, the moon cold and aloof, while the earth sat in between, bustling with life and growth. Below on the expansive surface of the world, in a country, in a village, in a house by the forest a yellow pegasus walked out the door to check on her animals. She was not particularly brash, nor brave, or all that strong of will. And the day was not of particular importance. Still, on that unimportant day, the unassuming pony would uncover a long held secret. </p><p>Comments and stars appreciated.</p> | everyone | 2011-10-20T05:15:52+00:00 | 2011-10-20T05:15:52+00:00 | 6,296 | Twilight shivered in her bed, pulling the covers tightly to her chin. The morning light streamed in through a crack in the curtains. It was oddly quiet outside, the general chatter of ponies and singing of birds usually there to greet her in the morning was nowhere to be heard. The town was silent.
It was this, not any noise in particular but the complete lack thereof that made her decide to get up. For a moment she thought she was dreaming. Then perhaps that she had gone deaf.
Twilight climbed cautiously from bed, the click of her hooves on the wooden floor told her that she could still hear, the sound echoed oddly through the silent library. She felt uneasy.
“Spike?” she asked looking around warily.
The small dragon stirred in his basket at the front of her bed. Twilight prodded him gently.
“Spike?”
“...Wah?” he muttered, his eyes fluttering open. Upon waking he quickly pulled his blanket closer to his body. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure...” Twilight said quietly. The silence seemed invasive, less a lack of noise and more of a sound of its own, invading and smothering every other sound in the room.
Spike sat up, looking around slowly. “Why’s it so cold?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight whispered. She looked towards the window, the sky was a pale grey, it made the buildings and fixtures of the town look muted and bleached. The trees looked ill, their leaves turning brown on the ends of sagging branches. Very few ponies walked through the square. They looked tired and bedraggled, as though something were weighing them down.
“Something is definitely wrong...” she whispered. “Spike, get out of bed. We’re going to see Fluttershy right now.”
“Huh? But it’s so early. Do you think she’s even awake yet?”
Twilight surveyed the landscape outside. She felt heavy. Something felt different.
“I don’t know, but If she isn’t....I think we’d better wake her up.”
-----------------------------------------------
Something tickled the edge of Fluttershy’s nose. She turned, mumbling in her sleep, but it persisted. She twisted and wiggled in an attempt to get it off, but it clung stubbornly, tickling her nostrils. Eventually she sneezed, this knocked what little sleep that was left away and Fluttershy opened her eyes.
A large flower had flown in from the open window and landed on her bed.
“Oh my...” she said curiously. “It’s a bit early for blooms. But aren’t you lovely.” Fluttershy got out of bed and shook herself a bit. The flower was bight yellow with red speckles throughout the center. She picked it up and tucked it under her wing. “Wait till Angel sees you. We weren’t expecting flowers for at least a fe-”
Fluttershy suddenly remembered something.
“Flower!” she yelled. All of yesterday came flooding back. Finding the strange mare in the woods, taking her home, the tea, the bath, everything. She realized that right at this moment the brown earth pony was sleeping on her couch.
“Oh dear.”
Fluttershy still needed to find out where Flower had come from and get her back home as quickly as possible. Once the daily chores were finished she’d head out to find her friends, bring them in and get this sorted out.
She walked softly into the living room. Flower lay softly snoring on the couch, the blanket Fluttershy had given her tucked under her chin to chase away the unseasonably cold weather. Fluttershy made her way to the kitchen, grabbing a pair of buckets, and her saddlebag. Being very careful, she draped them across her back, and headed towards the door, the buckets clicking slightly against her flanks, despite her best efforts to silence them.
Slowly she reached for the door, grabbing the handle in her mouth, she pulled it open. It creaked slightly. Fluttershy froze.
Behind her Flower stirred on the couch, but did not wake.
Being extra careful, Fluttershy stepped outside and closed the door. She exhaled, now all she had to do was finish her chores, then they could get this mess sorted out.
Behind her she heard a buzzing sound, this was odd as the bumble bees shouldn’t have come until at least mid-spring. A small one hovered in front of her nose, zig zagging through the air, she followed it with her eyes, inspecting it closely.
“Oh...hello Mr.Bee.” said Fluttershy. “You’re awfully early, where are you off...” her eyes came across the outside of her house. “to...”
The small hillock that made up her home was covered in flowers. It seemed as though everything had taken the chance to bloom all at once, there was hardly a speck that wasn't covered in colorful blossoms. The speckled flower she’d found in her bed was only one of many growing on her windowsill, vines clung and claimed over the walls and awnings, coiling around everything in sight, the air was thick with the smell of lavender which grew in patches along the ground, stretching all the way into the forest.
Fluttershy stood in awe. This was impossible, she could accept a few early blooms, there were always at least a couple, but she had never seen anything like this even in the most fertile seasons.
Something squeaked at her left hoof. She looked down to see Angel tapping her insistently with a hind leg.
“I know...” she said distantly “This....this is amazing...”
He squeaked a bit more incessantly, pointing towards the door.
Fluttershy came out of her daze. “Oh..excuse me, are you trying to tell me something?”
Angel pointed to the house.
“Yes, it does look beautiful doesn’t it?...it’s very strange though, I’ll have to check the soil...there must be something going on..”
Angel shook his head. He pointed to the house once more, then placed his paws under his head and made snoring noises.
“Flower?” Fluttershy guessed.
Angel nodded enthusiastically.
“Oh! You’re right!”
Angel jumped up and down with joy.
“I can worry about this later, right now I need to finish the daily chores so we can get her home. I can ask Twilight about the blooms while we’re at it.”
Angel slapped his forehead.
Fluttershy ran off towards the forest, buckets clanging as she went.
-----------------------------------------
The thing that wasn’t Mr.Breezy sat in the shop waiting for the sun to go down. It needed to save it’s energy. They would come soon. It would wait till dark, then it would strike, they wouldn’t see it coming, by the time they did it would be too late.
Mr.Breezy’s face smiled at the thought. It had been too long since it could move freely, far too long. It moved Mr.Breezy’s hooves walking through the store, various fans blew softly on their shelves, their gentle breezes ruffling Mr.Breezy’s mane. It smiled.
Soon the wind would stop, and things would be right, like they were before all this.
In the corner of the shop something scurried along the wall.
The thing that wasn’t Mr.Breezy moved faster than than any pony should have been able to. It reached out Mr.Breezy’s hoof, which was vaguely purple and in an instant the small creature was stuck like flypaper.
It raised the poor thing to Mr.Breezy’s eyes, examining the mouse’s struggling form. Slowly, very slowly, its struggles ceased. The mouse lay still, only the occasional twitch signalling it was still alive at all. With a pitiful squeak it began to sink. Purple ooze climbing over it’s body like living quicksand. Then it was gone.
The thing that wasn’t Mr.Breezy smiled wider, it enjoyed the chase. Soon it would have the world as it’s game.
It turned, looking towards the window. A few ponies milled about outside, it knew they could sense that something had changed. But they did not know what was coming, what was already here.
Its eyes locked on one pony in particular as it spied, a unicorn with a purple coat, a dragon riding on her back.
Mr.Breezy’s tongue licked the air. It could feel it, something coming from this one. There was power there. Power it could use, far more than it could gain from the forest.
It began to think new thoughts.
It began to move its plans forwards.
The thing that wasn’t Mr.Breezy slipped quietly out the back door.
The chase began.
--------------------
Flower opened her eyes, lifting her head from the couch with a yawn. She stretched, getting the cricks and creaks out of her long limbs. She looked around the house. She liked it here, it was warm and inviting. She hadn’t had anything like that in such a long time, she couldn’t remember when. Thinking further, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten a good night’s sleep...It couldn’t have been that long ago could it?
She banished this thought in favor of getting to her hooves. Flower looked around for the friendly mare, the one who had been so kind to her the previous day. She felt the need to do something for her in return, though she wasn’t sure what.
“Ahem,” said a voice.
She looked down to see the small bunny from earlier standing at her hooves frowning.
“Angel!” she said smiling. “Hello, Angel, good morning.”
“Can you hear me?” asked Angel
It didn’t occur to Flower that bunnies shouldn’t talk. She nodded.
Angel tapped a foot on the ground. “Good, then you’ve still got a bit of your old talent.....Do you know who you are?”
“I am Flower,” she said.
Angel swiveled his ears. “Besides that, you don’t remember?”
“Remember what?”
“This isn’t good...” Angel paced back and forth. “This really isn’t good.”
“What isn’t good?”
He stopped pacing and looked at her. “I can’t speak of it, we’re forbidden.”
Flower kneelled down to Angel’s level. “Who’s forbidden?”
“Everyone,” he said swinging his small paws around. “Everything. I can only hint.”
Flower stared at the small rabbit for a few moments. “If it is forbidden...then that means it is not good...Right?”
Angel sighed. “Yes...”
Flower bit her lip. “Have I done something that is not good?”
Angel looked her over. “No...it wasn’t you.” he rubbed his forehead.
Flower smiled. “Then that is good, right?” she got to her feet. “Where is Fluttershy?”
“She’s outside trying to get the chor--”
Angel was knocked off his feet as Flower dashed past him out the door, it banged against the wall as she barreled though. He stood there for several moments, staring at the flower petals that fell from the roof into the doorway.
He squeaked a few times, then hopped after her.
“Wait a minute!”
-----------------------------------
Twilight walked to the edge of town towards the forest where Fluttershy lived. Spike, who in his humble opinion had been woken up far too early, lay napping on her back.
She noticed that things began to look greener as she progressed and that the heaviness in her stride seemed to fade. Maybe she’d just been sleepy?
No, that wasn’t it, Twilight was a morning person, she’d always been, that might explain Spike, but not her, she was sure of it. Everything was far too strange, she’d never seen Ponyville in such a state and after the earthquake yesterday she was more than certain something was up. She just had to find out what...
A sound in the bushes caught her attention.
Twilight turned quickly towards the treeline. She’d had the odd feeling of being watched since leaving the library. At first she simply chalked it up to paranoia, but the feeling persisted and now she wasn’t so sure.
Seeing nothing she continued down the path, a bit more quickly than before.
A few minutes after she was gone, the rustling in the bushes followed.
--------------------------------
Fluttershy hurried from burrow to burrow, dropping food haphazardly in front of each entrance. She needed to get back as soon as possible, there would be little socialization today.
She couldn’t help but notice that the forest seemed to be under the same effect as her house. The trees were blooming terribly out of season and all manner of flowers and fruit blossomed and hung at all angles. Even the animals seemed to be acting unseasonably, she constantly apologized for stepping on a stray tail, or almost bumping into a small creature as they followed her happily from place to place. They were unaware of her hurry and while Fluttershy wished she could stay and enjoy this sudden rush of nature, she knew something wasn’t quite right. Whether it was for good or bad had yet to be seen.
Fluttershy made her way through a mental checklist as she went. She had already made it to skunks and was heading down to raccoons when she heard somepony coming up the forest path.
“Fluttershy!” was the last thing she heard before she was barreled over by an exuberant Flower. Fruits, vegetables and all manner of foods went flying into the air.
“Ow...” Fluttershy said quietly.
Angel hopped up the trail shortly. He stopped before stumbling into the pile of ponies on the forest floor, squeaking plaintively.
“Um...Flower....could you get off of me?” Fluttershy asked.
Flower untangled herself from the forest floor. “Good morning Fluttershy.”
“Um...Good morning, Flower.” she smiled awkwardly.
“I came to help you with your....” She paused looking for the word. “Chores.” She smiled having found it. “To say thank you.”
“Oh,” Fluttershy said, a little surprised. “Really...there’s no need to do that. I don’t mind, always happy to help.” she smiled slightly. Fluttershy was unsure what to say, she was happy Flower was grateful, but this was something she’d always done alone, a morning ritual. Just her and the animals. She also wasn’t sure how much help the mare would be in all honesty, and she wanted to get this done quickly. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Flower beat her to it.
“But...I want to. I want to do something. You have been so kind to me” Flower said with a small smile. “It is only right that I do something in return.”
Fluttershy closed her mouth and thought for a moment. She could tell Flower really did want to help.
She looked at her expectantly.
Fluttershy sighed. What harm could it do?
“Alright, you can help.” Fluttershy relented.
“I am glad!” Flower said with a small jump. “What is it that I can do?”
“Well...” Fluttershy gestured to the borrows behind her. “I’m giving the animals their breakfast. So, you can help me put the appropriate food in front of each borrow...If that’s fine with you.”
“Yes.” She nodded happily. “I can do that.”
“Wonderful.” Fluttershy smiled despite herself and placed a few bags of food on the forest floor. “I’ll take the raccoons, you feed the rabbits.”
“I will do that.” Flower grabbed the food and walked off towards the rabbit borrows.
Fluttershy continued hurriedly around the forest, occasionally checking on Flower to see how she was doing. The brown mare carefully doled out the food grinning as she went.
“Hello little bunny,” she said placing a carrot in front of a young rabbit. It stared at her for a moment, and twitched it’s nose twice. “You are welcome, I am Flower. It is nice to meet you Twitch-Twitch.”
Fluttershy chuckled. “Well...That’s a funny name to give a rabbit.”
Flower looked up, confused. “I did not give it to him. That is his name, he told me.”
“...Oh.” Fluttershy paused. She thought this was strange, but Flower had acted rather odd since they'd met. It was probably nothing. “That's nice.” Fluttershy went back to passing out food.
Flower watched her for a moment as she rushed around the forest. “You are in a hurry?” she asked.
Fluttershy nodded. “Yes,” she tossed a mouthful of acorns towards a crowd of squirrels. “I have some questions I wanted to ask my friends.”
“I can help!” Flower hopped over to Fluttershy, grabbing her saddlebag.
“...Flower? What are you doing?”
The brown earth pony shook the bag back and forth spilling food everywhere.
“Flower!...Oh no...oh dear...oh my...” Fluttershy fretted as animals dashed from all around the forest towards the piles of food. “No! Please...those are for the ferrets...Mr.Bird, don’t eat that it’s not..Wait!...please?...Oh...”
“I will help.” Flower watched the crowd of animals. She bent down to the nearest, a family of chipmunks. “Hello,” she said softly. “Please behave. Fluttershy does not like it when you are unruly.”
The small creatures froze, staring at her for a moment. Then quietly went over to a pile of nuts and began to eat.
Fluttershy watched in amazement. Flower went to every group of animals, spoke a few words, and one by one they ordered themselves in front of the proper food and ate, with no fuss or fight. Flower then turned to Fluttershy grinning. “See? I helped”
“I....I....Um...Flower...How did you do that?” Fluttershy stuttered.
She looked confused. “I asked them. It was not hard.” She turned her head slightly. “Are you happy?”
Fluttershy looked at the animals eating peacefully beside them. “Well...yes bu-”
She yelped as she was pulled into a hug. “Then I am glad.” said Flower.
------------------------------------
Twilight walked off the forest path and onto the Fluttershy’s land. The sudden burst of green almost hurt her eyes. As she neared the house the grey, dour atmosphere she’d felt since this morning slowly melted away. She felt lighter and more like her usual self as she progressed, even Spike began to stir on her back.
She paused as she came to the cottage. Her eyes growing wide at the sight. The clinging, climbing vines and flowers that covered the small structure striking them like a psychical blow after the dreary scenery from earlier.
This was not normal.
“Fluttershy!” Twilight called. “Fluttershy are you here? I really need to talk to you. Something’s not right...” She waited but there was no reply.
Spike rolled over on her back, yawning. “Are we there ye-” he paused. “Whoa...”
“I know Spike...Fluttershy’s got a green hoof, but I’ve never seen anything like this...”
“It’s amazing!” Spike jumped off of her back. “How do you think she did it?”
Twilight stared for a while more, her unease growing. “I don’t know Spike, but I intend to find out. She must be feeding the animals, come on, let’s find her.” She turned and headed down the forest trail.
“Alright! Wait up!” Spike ran after her.
--------------------------------
The thing that wasn’t Mr.Breeze leered at the purple unicorn from the edge of Fluttershy’s land. It did not like it here. This place was strong, healthy, alive.
Mr.Breezy’s face grimaced. It had gone too far as it was. It would have to wait for her to return to the path. Where it would have the upper hand. Then it would strike.
Then it would be ready.
------------------------------
The animals finished what little food was left, and returned to their borrows in single file. Flower smiled amiably as she watched them go, while Fluttershy looked on in amazement. When the last one had gone into its home Flower turned to her.
“Done!” she said, clicking her forehooves together.
“Um...thanks...” Fluttershy said, unsure of herself.
“You are welcome!” Flower stood up and looked towards the house. “You can look for your friends now that we are done correct?”
This shook Fluttershy from her daze. Flower was right, and she had more questions now than ever.
“Oh...yes, you’re right. Thanks again for your help, Flower...Please stay here at the house. I’ll be right back.” she headed down the path, with Flower in tow. The brown mare looked around the forest for a moment, not making eye contact.
“Um...Fluttershy?” she asked quietly.
“Yes?”
“I was wondering...if I could come with you to see your friends...” she shifted a bit on her hooves. “I have not met anyone for a very long time, and I would love to see them.”
Fluttershy hesitated for a moment. She didn’t fancy the idea of taking Flower into Ponyville, if anypony saw her she wouldn’t get a word in edgewise. Not without a large party before hand.
“Um...It would be better if you...”
Flower gave her an imploring look.
“Oh my...Well, I suppo-”
“Fluttershy!” called a voice from further down the trail. “There you are! Thank Celestia I found you.” Twilight raced breathlessly towards them, Spike not far behind. She stopped short when she saw Flower. The purples unicorn looked her over for a minute. “Who is this?”
Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but Flower got there first.
“I am Flower!” she walked over to Twilight, looking at her very closely. “It is nice to meet you! What is your name?”
Twilight backed up a few paces. “Um, hello, I’m Twilight Sparkle, nice to meet you too?...” she said, unsure what was happening.
“Twilight Sparkle,” Flower tried the name on her tongue. “Are you Fluttershy’s friend?”
Twilight cast a sideways glance at Fluttershy. “Yes?”
She gasped as Flower leaned over to hug her. “Then you are my friend as well, Twilight Sparkle.”
Spike caught up to the three of them, he froze when he saw the strange mare hugging Twilight.
Flower dropped her immediately, and bent down to examine the small dragon. She looked at him quizzically. “Hello?” she poked him with a hoof. “I am Flower, what are you?”
“Hey!” Spike pulled back in surprised. “Don’t poke me, I’m ticklish!”
Flower looked a bit more closely at Spike, examining him more warily than she had Twilight. “Lizard?” she guessed.
Spike snorted incredulously. “I’m no lizard! I’m a dragon, and the name’s Spike by the way.”
“Spike...” Flower’s face contorted a bit at the sound of the word. “No,” Flower placed a hoof on top of his head. “Lizard.”
Spike was about to reply, but Twilight cut him off.
“Fluttershy, is this a relative of yours?”
“Oh no, she’s not a relative. I found her in the forest yesterday.....I was actually going to talk to you about it...” Fluttershy looked back at Flower. “I was hoping you could help me find out where she came from.”
“She doesn’t know?” asked Spike.
Flower shook her head. “I know!” she stomped a hoof on the ground. “I am home!”
Fluttershy nodded. “I found her in the woods yesterday. She’s be staying with me since then...I’ve tried asking, but she doesn’t seem to know...”
Spike looked toward Twilight, spinning his finger in a circle around the side of his head.
Twilight nudged him sharply with a hoof, then turned to Fluttershy. “I’m sorry Fluttershy, but I think it’ll have to wait for a moment. I’d be happy help you find out later, but right now we have more important things to worry about.”
“Do you mean the early blooms?” asked Fluttershy. “It’s beautiful isn’t it? I wanted to ask you about that as well. I’m a bit worried you see, this isn’t normal.”
“It’s not just that.” Twilight pointed back towards ponyville. “Back in town it doesn’t look like early spring, it looks like late winter! Everything is dying, the trees are wilted....it just feels...wrong. You house must have the only flowers for miles.”
Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth in worry. “What?...How is that possible?”
“I was hoping you could tell me.” Twilight frowned. “Something is happening. I don’t know what, but I can feel it. Can’t you?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “I’m sorry Twilight, but I feel fine.”
“Hmm, and this is the only place in ponyville that seems to be okay...more than okay in fact.” Twilight looked around the forest. “There must be some correlation...” Her eyes stopped when they landed on Flower. Who was still examining Spike. “You said you found her...Yesterday morning?”
“Oh yes, while I was feeding the animals,” said Fluttershy.
“That was around the same time as the earthquake that hit Ponyville. Tell me, did you notice anything strange?”
Spike yelped as Flower poked him in the belly. Favoring this reaction, she did it again.
“Besides her.”
Fluttershy thought back to the previous day. “Well...besides Flower nothing really. I was having breakfast like I always do. Then I saw something in the bushes, it was a small glass ball. I thought it was pretty, so I went to pick it up. Right after that the earthquake hit, I checked to see if the animals were okay and after that I found Flower.”
Twilight thought for a moment. “You said that right after you picked up the glass ball the earthquake started?”
“Yes, that’s what happened.” Fluttershy said softly.
“What did it look like?”
“Well, it was clear all the way through, with a few green leaves inside. It was lovely. In all the commotion I think I left it in the forest.”
“That might be it! Or at least give us a clue as to what’s going on. You live so close to the Everfree Forest I wouldn’t be surprised if what you found was more than what it appeared to be. Can you take me to it?”
Fluttershy nodded.
As they were about to head off, Twilight froze.
“What is it?” asked Fluttershy.
“Do you hear that?” Twilight’s ears twitched.
Fluttershy strained for a minute, trying to hear anything over the chirping birds andchittering animals. “A....horn?”
“Not just any horn! That’s the Princess’s procession she’s in town!” Twilight spun in place. “Oh my! She probably got my letter! She’ll want a full report, I’m sure of it! Oh, I’m not ready for this! I thought I’d at least get a reply before she decided to come. This is such short notice!” She turned to Fluttershy, shifting back and forth on her hooves. “I need to dash to the library and get some notes. I’ll bring the Princess back, we can work on this together. You might even be able to ask her about Flower. Alright?”
Fluttershy nodded.
“Good, Spike?” Twilight looked down to find the small dragon in stitches from Flower’s constant exploratory prodding. “Go with Fluttershy to find that glass ball, it might be of importance.
Spike tried his best to get away from the curious mare. “Okay! I’m a lizard! What ever you want! Just stop!” Satisfied, Flower sat back on her haunches smiling. “Geeze. Alright Twilight.”
“Good. Back in a second!” Twilight turned, and raced down the path back to town.
“Goodbye Twilight Sparkle! Very nice to meet you!” Flower yelled after her. “She is very busy...” she remarked.
-----------------------------------
Twilight hurried to the library, her hooves pounding against the dirt trail. She needed to be fast if she wanted to get her notes and catch the Princess in time. Celestia would know how to sort this all out, she was sure of it.
Suddenly, somepony came out of the bushes ahead She almost tripped trying to stop. Dust flying around her hooves as she skidded. She turned to find a light brown earth pony with an orange mane in front of her. She knew him, he owned the fan shop in town.
““What’s your hurry, lassie?” He said slowly.
“Oh, hello Mr.Breezy, I’m sorry, I don’t have time to stop and chat. I need to talk to the Princess. She’ll be landing any minute now. So if you excuse me...”
She tried to go around him, but he sidestepped and blocked her path.
“Aw, now that won’t do, you need to slow down. Enjoy life, it’s far too short you know.” Mr.Breezy smiled.
The hair on the back of Twilight’s neck stood on end. Something was wrong.
“Um...I really need to be going now...Good advice, though. Nice to see you bye!” She raced past him down the trail before he could stop her. She looked back over her shoulder to see him staring after her, that smile still plastered on his face.
As she turned back around she ran into something solid.
She yelled as she bounced off it onto the ground. Twilight looked up to see Mr.Breezy standing in front of her, his smile somehow wider, almost unnaturally so.
“And I really must insist you be stayin’ miss. I really insist.”
Twilight’s blood ran cold. “B-but how is that possi-”
“Shhhhh.” Mr.Breezy put a hoof to his lips. “Don’t look so scared, everything’ll be fine. Just relax.”
Twilight scrambled to her hooves, and tried to run in the opposite direction, back to Fluttershy’s house. But Mr.Breezy reached forward and touched his hoof to her side.
Twilight struggled but found she couldn’t move.
“Everything’ll be fine.” Mr. Breezy said again, his smile growing yet wider, almost splitting his face in half. “It’ll all be over soon.”
His hoof lost it’s shape, and oozed it’s way over Twilight coat, making its way to her torso before she knew what was happening. She opened her mouth to scream, but the stuff covered her face in seconds. Soon she was lost beneath the living ooze, Mr.Breezy’s shape completely melting onto her.
She felt cold. So unbearably cold.
She struggled and thrashed with all her might. She tried to cast spells to free herself, but found she could do nothing.
Twilight began to feel tired, her struggles weakening, but then she thought of Ponyville, of Fluttershy and Spike just a ways down the road. And she renewed her attempts.
Still the stuff slithered and melded around her body, she couldn’t gain an inch.
Soon she found she no longer had the strength to move. All she wanted to do was sleep.
She closed her eyes, and let the darkness take her.
-------------------------
There was a rustle in the bushes. Something stirred for a moment. There was a strange sound, and then silence.
The thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle walked out of the woods. It smiled, then turned and headed back towards Fluttershy’s house. |
Squeak-anon | 635 | 5 | Fluttershy,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Gaia | Fluttershy finds someone in the woods. And finds that things come in threes Sun, Moon, Earth | incomplete | 247 | 4 | <p>The earth spun through space. Basking in the light of the sun on one side, and of the moon on the other. The eternal dance playing out as it had for untold years. The sun roaring and bright, the moon cold and aloof, while the earth sat in between, bustling with life and growth. Below on the expansive surface of the world, in a country, in a village, in a house by the forest a yellow pegasus walked out the door to check on her animals. She was not particularly brash, nor brave, or all that strong of will. And the day was not of particular importance. Still, on that unimportant day, the unassuming pony would uncover a long held secret. </p><p>Comments and stars appreciated.</p> | everyone | 2012-03-04T09:14:10+00:00 | 2012-03-04T09:14:10+00:00 | 3,794 | Fluttershy paused as she headed deeper into the forest. For a moment something felt strange, but she couldn’t quite place what it was. It was only for a moment, then it passed as quickly as it had come.
She yelled as Flower bumped into her from behind. This was followed by Flower’s yelp as Spike bumped into her.
“Hey! Slow moving traffic to the left!” Spike complained.
Flower looked at him for a moment, then looked quizzically at Fluttershy. “Traffic?”
Fluttershy righted herself, brushing the dirt from her coat. “I’ll explain it later....if that’s alright. We need to find that glass ball. Twilight said it might be important. And the Princesses are coming soon, I’d hate to keep them waiting.”
“Right!” Flower nodded. “We cannot keep the princesses waiting.”
She picked Spike up by the scruff of his neck and set off at a gallop leaving Fluttershy standing alone on the path.
Despite herself she smiled a bit, the raced to catch up. Following Spike’s protest as they echoed through the forest.
-------------
Back in town an orange pony fell out of bed in a tangle of covers and legs. She had never been particularly clumsy, quite the opposite in fact, but today something felt different. For a moment something felt odd. Like there was a terrible urgency, something she had to do, but she couldn’t quite place what it was.
She was superstitious, and knew better than to ignore such a feeling, but not knowing what else to do at the moment, she simply disentangled herself from her bedsheets. Nothing could be done before breakfast in anycase.
Still feeling strange she descended the stairs into the kitchen, finding her brother was already awake. He was sitting at the table staring out the window. It was a grey day, clouds obscuring the sky in such a way that no trace of blue could be seen, muting the regular greens of the apple trees outside. He looked troubled.
“Big Mac?” she asked, taping him on the shoulder.
He turned to her, just now noticing her presence. “Good mornin’ Applejack.” he said slowly.
“Are you alright?”
He looked out the window again, his eyes faraway. “I don’t rightly know. But somethin’ don’t seem quite right. Can you feel it?”
Applejack paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I felt it this mornin’ too. Like...something’s changed...”
Big Mac shook his head. “There’s somethin’ coming I think. But I don’t know what.”
Applejack frowned. “I think I know someone who might.”
She grabbed her hat from its hook by the door. It looked as though breakfast would have to wait. “I’m going to see Twilight, if anypony knows what’s happening it’s her.”
Big Mac turned, and continued to look out the window. “Be careful.”
Applejack managed a smile. “Ah no worries, I’ll be back in a two shakes’a that stubby tail or yours.”
Big Mac nodded as Applejack headed out the door and into the gloom. She shivered slightly. The was a chill in the air.
She quickly shook it off and headed towards town.
Twilight would know what to do.
------------------------
The thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle stood at the end of the path leading to Fluttershy’s house, pacing back and forth. It was wary of crossing the threshold into an area of such abundant life. It knew that what it wanted was close and forces that threatened to oppose it drew near, it could feel it
But it had power now, this one, its newest acquisition, had power. So much power that it tingled through every inch of its body. The sheer magical ability inside would be more than it needed to break the threshold. But as it tried to use this strength to pursue it’s goals it found something holding it back, like a wall blocking it’s access.
Internally it threw itself against this wall. It could feel the mental construct shudder and shake, but it did not break.
Yet.
It would have to work with this one. She had strong will, far stronger than the last. But It did not like being held back, and it had ways of breaking down walls.
Still, as it finally attempted to cross, pain shot through it’s body. There was still too much life to overcome here. Too much green. The wall was blocking its full potential. Until it had this power it could do nothing. It could not go forwards, nor could it hope to face the threat descending into ponyville at this very moment.
Twilight Sparkle’s face grimaced horribly at the thought of being delayed. But there was nothing for it. It closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, looking at what she knew, what could help it. Inside that mind, so filled with fear and worry, It saw a small dragon, away from her now, but coming back soon. He would be useful in breaking down this wall.
So, as it had done since arriving back to the world, it ever so patiently sat at the end of the path, and the thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle waited, and the thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle came up with a plan.
---------------------
The trio arrived in the center of the forest. Flower skidded to a stop, finally letting a struggling Spike fall to the ground. Fluttershy trotted up behind them breathing heavily. It was no easy task to keep up with the exuberant Flower as she had learned.
The mare sat on her haunches and looked down at Spike smiling. “We’re here!” she announced, then her face clouded with confusion. She turned to Fluttershy. “What are we looking for?”
The yellow pegasus needed a moment to catch her breath.
“Well...right before I found you I was looking at a small glass ball I found on the ground. Twilight thinks it might be important.”
Flower’s confusion deepened. “Important?”
“Um...” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “Well, it could be magic.”
“Magic?”
“Wow,” said Spike dusting himself off. “This one’s a regular scholar. Is she always like this?”
“Spike,” Fluttershy said as reproachfully as she could manage. “Flower is...well...um curious. Please don’t be mean to her.”
“Mean!?” said Spike, affronted. “Where were you when she was attacking me!?”
“I think that was tickling....”
“Same thing, I’m very delicate!” Spike crossed his arms and turned his back to Flower, who was more confused than ever. “And she called me lizard!”
Fluttershy sighed and leaned down so she was eye level with Spike.
“Spike,” she said gently. “I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm...”
Spike huffed stubbornly.
Fluttershy turned to Flower, who was observing the two of them with great interest.. “Um....Flower, if you wouldn’t mind. I think you hurt Spike’s feeli-”
“Caused grievous bodily harm!” Spike interjected.
“Oh...um...yes...Do you think....you could apologize?”
Flower looked at Spike for a moment. “To the lizard?”
“Dragon!”
Fluttershy nodded. “Um...yes.”
Flower leaned over to look at Spike. “You do not like the name?”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Do you think?”
She raised an eyebrow. “I think that I think...”
Fluttershy nudged Spike aside. “Please, excuse me Spike.” She stood in front of Flower, she had to look up slightly since the mare was so tall. “Flower, please apologize to Spike, he would really appreciate it.”
Flower tilted her head. “Would that make you happy?”
Fluttershy nodded. “Yes.”
Flower grinned happily. “Then I shall do it.” She bent down to Spike level. “I am sorry lizard.”
Spike opened his mouth to say something, but found his voice muffled by Fluttershy’s tail.
“Um...that’ll do for the time being... Now may we please continue searching? I’d really like to find it as soon as possible.”
Flower nodded. “Yes!” she got to her hooves and started forwards. “We can’t keep the princesses waiting!”
Spike glared at Fluttershy.
“I’m sorry...” she said, twiddling a hood. “She really didn’t mean any harm...She’s really very nice, if a bit strange...Please go easy on her.”
Spike glared at her for a few more moments before he gave in and sighed. “Fine, but you owe a ruby.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Deal.”
Spike jumped on her back. “Now come on, we’ve got to catch up.”
Fluttershy trotted forwards, it didn’t take long to catch up to Flower, she’d stopped apparently in mid-stride a few yards away from where she’d started.
“Flower?” asked Fluttershy.
The tall mare turned her head slightly, arching an eyebrow. “A question, you never answered,” she said slowly. “What’s, magic? The word seems...familiar...”
“Wow, she really doesn’t know does she?” said Spike.
“Um...well.” Flutteshy thought for a moment. “Magic is...well it’s....something unicorns are able to do. I’m a pegasus...I don’t know very much about it, Spike?” she looked at the small dragon on her back. “You’re Twilight’s assistant, perhaps you could explain it a little better?”
“Explain magic?” Spike put a claw to his chin. “Well, it’s...it’s like using your will to make things happen. As far as I know anyway, you’re asking the wrong dragon to be honest.”
“I still do not understand...” Flower’s face clouded for a moment. “Magic is...will?”
Spike shrugged. “Not exactly...it’s more like...using the energy inside you to interact wtih energies.....not...inside you?...” He attempted.
“Oh!” Flower jumped suddenly. “I think I understand!” She bent down to a nearby pebble and nosed it gently forwards. “Magic!”
Spike pressed a claw to his forehead. “Um....no...”
Flower frowned. “No?”
“It’s a...well....it’s....a more complicated than that...”
“Complicated?”
Spike sighed. “I don’t know! I suppose to be magic it has to be....out of the ordinary, amazing!”
“Amazing...” Flower looked around the forest for a moment. With a gasp she ran to a tall oak tree. “I know!” she gestured with a hoof to one of the low hanging vines clinging to it’s branches, a few flower buds were spaced along it’s length, not far from blooming. “Amazing!”
Spike was quiet for a few moments.
“That’s a vine.” he said simply.
Flower gestured more insistently. “Amazing!”
Spike looked at Fluttershy. “I don’t think she’s getting it.”
“Well...It is a rather lovely vine,” said Fluttershy, examining it. “I can’t wait to see it when it blooms.”
Flower grinned. “Would that make you happy?”
Fluttershy nodded. “Oh yes. But by the looks of it they’ll be a least another day or two. Perhaps we could come back then.”
Flower’s grin grew a bit wider. “Come back? I am, welcome to come back?”
Fluttershy looked at her hoof for a moment. “Oh...well, sure....If you want to. Once we find out where you came from...I’d actually be...well...very happy if you would.”
Flower’s grin almost split her face in half. “I would like that! I would like that very much!” She grabbed Fluttershy in a hug. “Magic!” she yelled. She turned to look at Spike. “Magic?”
“Um...no.”
Flower shook her head. “But it’s Amazing!” she hugged Fluttershy even more tightly.
“Um...girls?” said Spike raising a claw. “Shouldn’t we get back on-” Spike was interrupted as a flower fell on the end of his snout. He stared at it for a moment, then looked up. “Track...”
The canopy above their heads was exploding with flowers of all colors, they burst forth like fireworks, before falling to the forest floor in a multicolored rain. Below Spike’s feet fresh green saplings shot up, threatening to throw the small dragon of balance. “Along the oak tree, the vine’s buds bloomed in abundance, twice the size they normally would be, filling the air with the smell of fresh flowers and earth.
“Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!” yelled Flower,oblivious to everything, a stunned Fluttershy being jostled about in her grasp. She held her in the air with her forehooves, smiling. “Thank you.”
Fluttershy looked from the brown mare to then at the forest around them. The path they’d come down was covered in fresh shoots of grass, occasional flowers poking up gently every now and again. The entire forest floor was covered in fallen blooms like a thick carpet. Spike lay a few feet away, struggling to disentangle himself from a series of vines that had wrapped around his legs.
She turned back to Flower, wide eyed.
Flower’s smile was replaced by a look of confusion.
“Is something wrong?”
-----------------
Luna peaked over the rim of the royal carriage as it descended into ponyville. Celestia lay sleeping next to her. She’d never known her sister to rest during the day and was growing more worried by the second.
Below them was a sea of grey, all the leaves drooped and withered, blowing to and fro by a cold harsh wind. It shouldn’t have looked this way so soon after the Winter Wrap Up. It should have been bright, and colorful, with ponies out and about to enjoy the new spring.
But instead the town square was empty as the carriage came to a stop in front of the library. The usual crowd of ponies there to great them was nowhere to be found.
Luna felt a sudden wave of tiredness wash over her. She wobbled a bit in her seat, struggling to remain upright. She gritted her teeth and held out until it passed.
Celestia was obviously worse for wear. She moaned softly in her sleep. Luna leaned over and shook her gently with her hooves.
“Sister.” she said softly. “Sister we have arrived. Please wake up.”
Celestia groaned, but did not wake.
Luna shook her more urgently. “Celestia! You need to wake up! Please!”
Celestia stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. “Luna?” she asked weakly.
Luna leaned down to look at her face. She was pale, her normally glowing white taking on a grey pallor, her eyes seemed distant.
“Yes, I’m here.” said Luna.
“Good...good...of course,” said Celestia lucidly. “You always tended to wander off.” She smiled. “Remember? When we were fillies, you always used to get lost, and you cry til somepony found you.” Celestia paused. “That was...such a very long time ago.”
Luna leaned in, pressed her head against her sister’s side. “I was very small.”
“Yes...I suppose you were. Too young perhaps. It was after all that...”
Luna pulled back a bit. “After all what?”
Celestia looked at her sister, her nostalgic smile slowly turning into something else, something sad and faraway. “Oh, that poor thing....” she said softly.
“What are yo-”
Celestia suddenly went stiff, her eyes darting around the carriage.
“No...” she said slowly. “Oh no...”
“What? What is it!?”
“We must...act quickly...I can feel it. Right now, she’s in danger...”
“Who’s in danger?”
Celestia took a breath, straining herself. “My student...We may already be too
late...She’s fading...” Celestia attempted to get up, but simply collapsed into Luna. “Hurry...”
Luna strained under her sister’s weight. Her legs felt weak, but still she was better off than her sister. It was beginning to look like Celestia would be of little help. Luna felt a growing dread in the pit of her stomach. She’d hardly been free for a year, and had almost never been on her own since then. Now, suddenly she felt very vulnerable.
“I will, you just rest.” she said softly, laying her sister down onto the soft cushions of the carriage.
“Hurry...in danger...I can feel her...in the forest.”
Luna looked out a the dreary landscape of ponyville, eyes full of fear, but face resolute.
“I will.”
“Landsakes!” said a voice.
Luna turned sharply, preparing a spell to defend he sister if neccecary. Applejack threw up a hoof in meager defence as her horn started to glow. Seeing who it was, she quickly lowered her horn. She recognized the pony, the orange one, who always wore the large brown hat. She The element of honesty if she remembered correctly.
“Oh...I am sorry.” Luna apologized.
“Apologize later!” The cowpony hopped up onto the carriage, examining Celestia. “What’s wrong with the princess?”
“Something is wrong, Element of Honesty. The balance is off, It is effecting my sister far more than I. I fear that if we do not find out what has thrown things into such a state...” Luna bit her lip. “We must hurry.”
“Twilight...” Celestia whispered.
Applejack looked down at the sickly princess. “What about Twilight? I was just going to see her. She’ll know what to do!”
Luna stood as straight as she could manage, her legs wobbling slightly. “Celestia thinks she is in danger. We must hurry. To the forest!”
“Alright.” Applejack nodded. “Can you run? You’re not looking too hot.”
“I shall manage. Come.”
The two of them set off at a gallop, dust from suddenly dry earth flying up around their hooves. Luna looked back over her shoulder at her sister, who had fallen back into a fitful sleep. She knew that if something wasn’t done soon, things would not end well.
She swallowed her fear, and tried to focus on the task ahead of her. She knew that whatever was causes this was powerful, and now, despite the company of the orange pony beside her, she felt terribly alone. |
Squeak-anon | 635 | 6 | Fluttershy,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Adventure,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Gaia | Fluttershy finds someone in the woods. And finds that things come in threes Sun, Moon, Earth | incomplete | 247 | 4 | <p>The earth spun through space. Basking in the light of the sun on one side, and of the moon on the other. The eternal dance playing out as it had for untold years. The sun roaring and bright, the moon cold and aloof, while the earth sat in between, bustling with life and growth. Below on the expansive surface of the world, in a country, in a village, in a house by the forest a yellow pegasus walked out the door to check on her animals. She was not particularly brash, nor brave, or all that strong of will. And the day was not of particular importance. Still, on that unimportant day, the unassuming pony would uncover a long held secret. </p><p>Comments and stars appreciated.</p> | everyone | 2012-05-12T16:46:47+00:00 | 2012-05-12T16:46:47+00:00 | 3,842 | Flower examined a large, blue bloom sticking up amongst the greenery, and smiled happily as it bounced back and forth in the breeze. Fluttershy and Spike stood a little ways off, the small dragon eyed her warily.
“Well how do you explain it?” He asked.
“I...Well...I don’t know. Maybe it was just a coincidence?” said Fluttershy, a note of hope in her voice.
Spike shook his head. “When she got happy just now the forest practically exploded. That’s no coincidence.”
“Well yes bu-”
“The rest of Ponyville is dead from the neck up. Except here, what’s the only difference?”
Fluttershy was quiet. She looked at Flower, who turned and waved excitedly. The yellow Pegasus smiled a bit despite herself and waved back.
“What if she’s the cause?” Spike whispered
Fluttershy turned to Spike, she opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. She glanced again at the brown mare playing happily, and thought of the previous day when they’d met, of the mares boundless exuberance and gentle, if at times naive, kindness.
“It can’t be her...” Fluttershy whispered.
“What’s that?” asked Spike.
“It can’t be her...I don’t believe it...”
Spike placed a claw on his forehead. “Come on Shy! It’s the only thing that makes sense. Ponyville was fine yesterday. Suddenly BAM! Strange mare in the woods with freaky powers and now the place is a wasteland! You can’t ignore that! I don’t think some glass ball sitting in the woods has anything to do with it!”
Fluttershy took a step back.
Spike sighed. “Look, I know you like her, but you can’t ignore the facts. What she just did? It wasn’t normal, earth ponies shouldn’t be able to do that. Some unicorns shouldn’t be able to do that.”
Fluttershy bit her lip. “Well...that’s true...but she’s not evil, I’ve spent time with her Spike...She’d never hurt anypony on purpose.”
“On purpose or not, things are getting bad out there, and we need to get to the bottom of it. The princesses are in town, we have to take her to them at the very least. They might know what’s going on.”
Fluttershy was quiet for a moment, then she nodded. “Alright.”
She turned to find Flower standing a few inches away looking at the two of them quizzically. “Have I done something wrong?” she asked.
Spike jumped, tumbling into a pile of nearby vines.
Fluttershy stared at her for a moment, Flower’s deep green eyes searched her face. The brown mare’s ears lowered as she sat back on her haunches.
“I-If I have done something wrong then I am sorry...” she said quietly.
“No, no!” Fluttershy said quickly. “You haven’t done anything wrong...we’re just... curious. That’s all.”
Flower’s ears perked up. “Curious?”
“Yes...” Fluttershy looked out at the fresh greenery which covered the forest. “Did you...do this?”
Flower’s face clouded for a moment. “Do this?”
Fluttershy gently pointed to a daisy which bloomed at their hooves. “The flowers...all this growth in the forest?”
“Growth?” Flower bent down to the daisy’s level. Her face broke out in a wide grin as she watched it sway in the breeze. “Magic.”
“You can do magic?”
Flower’s smile faded, she looked distant as she thought. “I still do not understand...”
Spike got up, brushing himself off. “Did you, or did you not make this stuff grow?”
Flower stared at nothing in particular for a moment. “Make...stuff...grow.”
Her eyes focused suddenly on the daisy in front of her. It shuddered, it’s leaves bouncing and jerking before several more shot from the ground . Growing from tiny sprouts into fresh yellow blooms in seconds, they burst forward like tiny fireworks.
Flower smiled to herself. “Make...stuff...” She paused to pick one.
She gripped it carefully by the stem between to hooves. Sitting on her haunches, she offered it to Fluttershy, a grin painting her features again. “Grow!” she said proudly. “Yes.”
There was silence for a moment as Fluttershy stared at the flower. A ladybug fluttered from the nearby trees and landed gently on its petals skittering about on the freshly grown bloom.
“Woah...” said Spike.
Flower nudged Fluttershy with her hooves. “For you.”
“Oh.” Fluttershy snapped out of her daze. “Um...thank you.” She gently took the flower and tucked it under a wing. “Um...how long have you been able to do that?”
Flower paused, looking back down at the patch of daisies. “How...long?” she tilted her head in thought. “Always, I think...always. I had...forgotten.” She looked at Fluttershy. “But now I remember. It is nice...to remember.” She smiled. “Thank you.”
“Huh...for what?” asked Fluttershy.
Flower took the daisy from Fluttershy wing and placed it gently in her mane.
“Magic.”
Spike looked from Flower to Fluttershy, then at the vibrant foliage around them. “I’m sorry to ruin the moment. But we really need to see the princesses now. They need to know about this.”
Fluttershy sighed. She knew he was right. She could only hope that Flower wasn’t the cause of what was happening, and that perhaps the princesses would know what to do.
“Alright Spike,” she said getting up. “Flower, follow us. I’d like to introduce you to some more of my friends.”
Flower’s ears perked up up at the word. Her smile grew. “I would like that.”
“Alright.” Fluttershy started down the path back towards her cottage, Spike hopped on her back. “Follow me.”
----------------------------
The thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle was growing tired of waiting. A nearby tree began to shrivel and wilt as its impatience grew. Internally it could feel the life beyond the path growing. That worried it. It needed to move faster. It needed to hurry, it needed to strike. It needed access to this power. Mentally, it threw itself against against the wall again, knowing it was pointless, but reminding its most recent charge who she was dealing with. It would not be stopped long. It could hear her, deep down, struggling, fighting. She knew its plans, what it was willing to do to get what it wanted, and it terrified her. The thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle grinned at the thought.
The smile almost reached its ears.
It sensed movement further up the trail. Something was coming. Probably a pony judging by how it felt. A snack would do it some good, it thought. It needed all the strength it could get, all the might it could manage. It put on a friendly face, smiling cheerfully as it waited for whoever was coming to round the bed. To get close.
“It’s right this way!” It heard them call.
Inside, it felt a flash of memory. It picked through the thoughts of the pony who’s face it wore. There was a farm pony with a ridiculous hat in this mind. A friend. An ally...
It’s friendly smile took on a slightly crueler tone. This could be useful. It threw itself against the mental wall again with extra force to let her know it meant business. It could feel the wall beginning to crack, if it threatened this new pony, she might bend to save her. How quaint. It might not need the dragon.
It searched for a name in the haze of memories. One floated to the top after a bit of a struggle.
“Applejack...” It said with a bubbly, not quite equine chuckle. “This should be entertaining.”
The orange pony came into view, it quickly hid the harsh edges of its smile and waved Twilight Sparkle’s hoof in her direction.
“Hello Applejack!” it said. “It’s nice to see you.”
The farmpony skidded to a stop. “Twilight! You’re alright!”
“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be, Applejack?” it asked, tilting Twilight Sparkle’s head.
“The princess...she said you were in danger. Are you okay? Did anything happen?”
The thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle paused. This one knew those who wished to stop it? Were they on their way? They had located it far too quickly. It would need to strike fast, it took a step towards the farm pony, its false smile syrupy sweet.
“Well, they must simply be over worried again. You know how they are my dear Applejack. Calm yourself.You must have been so worried. Let me give you a hug.”
It opened Twilight Sparkles hooves in a friendly gesture.
“Aw, shucks.” Applejack smiled. “I’m just glad you’re okay. You had us a might worried.”
The thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle could feel her as she got closer, it allowed itself an internal grin as it felt its charge struggle fiercely, trying desperately to warn her friend of a danger she could not know. The grin spread to its face.
“Goodbye Applejack,” it whispered.
“You have found her!” called a voice.
The grin vanished, Twilight Sparkle’s body froze as Applejack completed the hug.
That voice.
“You are unharmed Twilight Sparkle!” Luna came to a stop next to the them.
It did not dare move, it didn’t so much as breath.
But she smiled at it.
Did she not recognize it? The thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle quickly regained its composure.
Of course...this was the younger sister...she’d been too little. She wouldn’t have remembered. This was a stroke of luck. Still, she was too powerful for it to reveal itself now. It would have to wait. Inside, it could feel the pony whose face it contorted into a false smile let out a sigh of relief. It would not last long.
It released the farm pony.
“Luna!” it said. “Yes, I am fine.”
“Celestia said she sensed danger. What has happened?” she asked, bending down to its level.
“Oh..” Of course She would know something was wrong. It cursed itself for being careless. Still, it could turn this to its advantage. Twilight Sparkle’s eyes went wide in panic. “Oh yes! Yes I was! There was a terrible creature on the path! I barely fought it off! It must have run when it heard you coming! I’m so glad you have good timing.”
Applejack stared at it oddly for a moment. “I thought you said the princesses were just being over worried?”
“Oh, they were!” it said quickly. “I can handle myself. They have no need to worry about me.” It puffed out Twilight Sparkle’s chest.
“That a girl.” Applejack clapped it on the back with a hoof. “Now, where’d it go? We need to find out what’s goin’ on around here, and quick. Celestia’s in an awful state.”
It forced Twilight Sparkle’s face to show concern. “Oh my! That’s terrible!, It went into the forest. That way!” It pointed further down the path. “You two should go search for it. Why don’t I see how Celestia’s doing?”
Applejack nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s g-”
“Twilight! Applejack!” Called another voice. It turned around, to see Fluttershy coming up the path.
----------------------
Fluttershy heard talking up ahead, she sped to a trot with Flower in tow, Spike bouncing along on her back. As she cleared the treeline, she saw Twilight talking to Applejack. She called out to them before she noticed Luna. She paused, turning to Flower before continuing.
The brown mare looked past her at the small group.
“More friends?” she asked.
“Yes,” Fluttershy nodded. “I want you to show them what you can do. They’re going to have questions....can you answer them for me? Just do the best you can...”
Flower smiled and nodded.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Fluttershy walked over to the group, bowing slightly in front of Luna.
“Fluttershy!” Applejack cried. The yellow pegasus quickly found herself in a hug. “I don’t know what’s goin’ on today, but Twilight says there’s a monster about. Glad to see you’re alright.”
“Oh yes, I’m fine.” Fluttershy returned the hug. “We didn’t see any creature...But there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” She nodded to the tall mare holding back a few paces. Flower waved happily, and walked over.
“Hello, I am Flower.” She looked closely at Applejack. “You are Fluttershy’s friend?”
Applejack leaned back a bit. “Um...yes...” She offered her a hoof. “Applejack, pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Flower eyed the hoof oddly.
“Shake it.” Fluttershy whispered.
“Shake it.” Flower repeated. She grasped Applejack’s hoof between her forelegs and shook vigorously. “It is nice to meet you Applejack!” She shook her hoof faster. “This is fun!”
Applejack was almost lifted entirely off the ground as Flower continued the hoofshake. Fluttershy tapped her on the side, and she reluctantly released the orange mare’s leg.
“Thanks...” Applejack replied, working the limb back and forth in an attempt to recover. As she did she examined the new mare. Her face clouded for a moment.
“Is something wrong?” Asked Flower.
“No...not wrong..” Applejack put a hoof to her chin. “It just...it feels like we’ve met before...”
Fluttershy meekly raised a hoof. “Flower’s having trouble remembering things...but she has something she wants to show you...Princess?” She turned to Luna to find her, staring wide eyed, at the brown mare.
Flower’s eyes met hers, and the two stared at eachother for a moment.
“You...” Luna started. “You also seem familiar to me...”
A breeze blew past as the two looked at one another. Flower raised an eyebrow, tilting her head to one side, then another.
“We...have met...” she said slowly. “I...remember?” Her eyebrows knitted together in thought. “A very long time ago....Luna?”
Fluttershy looked at Flower in surprise. This was the first time she’d shown this concrete of a memory.
As Flower thought, her eyes shifted down to Twilight. She jerked stock still, her own eyes widening.
“Hello Flower,” said Twilight with a smile. “So nice to see you again.”
Fluttershy looked between them. Flower looked terrified.
“Are you alr-”
She was interrupted as Flower started screaming.
All four ponies reared back in shock as the sound echoed through the forest, filled with unbridled terror. Flower whirled around, almost tripping over herself a she raced back down the path towards the forest.
“Flower!” Fluttershy called.
“What’s wrong!?” Applejack asked bewildered.
“She just bolted...” said Spike from Fluttershy’s back.
“Flower” Fluttershy turned. “Flower come back!”
She started down the path, only to have Twilight step in front of her. “Leave Spike, he and I need to go to the library and get to the bottom of what’s going on here. You and Luna hunt down Flower. I’m sure she’s got something to do with what’s going on here. She ran when she remembered the princess.”
“But sh-”
“You saw it!” Twilight yelled. “That’s not something an innocent pony would do. What was it you wanted to show us? Hmm? Everything was fine before she showed up, now Ponyville is a wasteland.”
Spike hopped off of Fluttershy’s back. “She’s right Fluttershy. I think she’s got more to do with this than she’s letting on.”
Fluttershy stared at them for a moment. “I....she...she’s not...”
“Find her,” Twilight said shortly.
Luna stepped up between them. “That is sensible. We shall ascertain what she has to do with this. “Come Fluttershy, Applejack.”
Fluttershy stood there for a moment. Unsure what to say. “...Okay...but when we find her...let me talk to her...Please?”
Luna nodded. “I will allow this. Now come, Twilight, meet us back here if you discover anything.”
“I certainly will. Come along Spike.”
Spike hopped onto Twilight’s back, and they started off towards the library. Behind them, Applejack and Luna galloped after Flower. Fluttershy hung back, looking at where the trees ended, and the grey began. She noted, very briefly, at the back of her mind, that it started exactly where Twilight had been standing.
She chalked this up to coincidence and raced to catch up.
In the grey, heading towards Ponyville, Spike couldn’t see the thing that wasn’t Twilight Sparkle grinning.
To Be Continued. |
Katherine | 637 | 1 | Applejack,Fluttershy,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Trembling | (Applejack/Fluttershy, or "Appleshy" relationship) Fluttershy scares easy. | complete | 43 | 8 | <p>(Applejack/Fluttershy, or "Appleshy" relationship)</p><p>Fluttershy scares easy, and that's awful when her friends are pulling her on adventures while she's trembling, hanging back and wanting to be home.</p><p>Fluttershy scares easy, and that's wonderful when Applejack is against her, pushing her and making her breathless. Fluttershy likes her own trembling then.</p> | teen | 2011-08-26T06:58:42+00:00 | 2011-08-26T06:58:42+00:00 | 4,622 | Fluttershy scares easy, and that's awful when her friends are pulling her on adventures while she's trembling, hanging back and wanting to be home.
Fluttershy scares easy, and that's wonderful when Applejack is against her, pushing her and making her breathless. Fluttershy likes her own trembling then.
There's another kind of trembling, stemming from anxiety and the rush of effort, when she is bringing herself to say something at last. Such as on the day when she had finally whispered to Applejack, "I like you wearing your hat."
Applejack had tipped her head to show the hat off better and winked a wordless answer that left Fluttershy unsure what would come of having spoken. But the next time they were together Applejack kept the hat on and that was perfect.
Tonight Applejack can't stay: there's too much to do in the orchard tomorrow. But, after, she tucks Fluttershy in. She makes sure the blanket is smooth, not caught on Fluttershy's wings. An earth pony herself but she still is careful of these things.
Applejack can be so gentle. She hums a snatch of lullaby that carries Fluttershy towards sleep, thinking of how Applejack once read a bedtime story to a transplanted tree.
When Fluttershy wakes in the morning she finds Applejack has left her a pitcher of sweet apple juice to soothe her throat.
She floats right through the day. |
Czar Crystal | 645 | 1 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Dawn of the New World | When a young colt wishes to leave his home behind, he seeks a new place to live. | incomplete | 7 | 3 | everyone | 2011-08-27T23:24:47+00:00 | 2011-08-27T23:24:47+00:00 | 1,193 | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VUBnTzy_zsztVjOMagkMPnZKQNYPzMGwL-MXmZn5kOg/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1
(complete version)
Disclaimer: this is a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfic created by Hungarian Bronies. We did everything we could to make this as well as possible. Please don’t be too harsh on grammar or other errors.
Written by: HunBrony (a.k.a Czar Crystal)
Artwork and idea by: Füst Hoovekinz
Additional support by: MetalHooves, Stygian Bolt, ShyTales, Winged Justice Noi & Crosshair (thank you very much everypony!)
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is © Hasbro & Lauren Faust, 2010
All OCs are used with their creators’ permission.
The Dawn of the New World
The Sun was rising over Equestria as Celestia and Luna were standing on a balcony in Canterlot. The elder princess was doing her usual job of raising the sun watched by her eager sister. As soon as the sun was at the perfect position, Celestia turned around to walk into the castle, but her sister stopped her.
‘Hey sis, what’s the matter?’
‘What do you mean Luna?’
‘Are you crying?’
Celestia was surprised, but she realized that a tear has dropped on the floor of the balcony.
‘I can only think about how close we have been to extinction. But those dark times are over now. I should not mourn the past any longer.’
‘Celestia, it happened ten years ago. Look around, everything is alright. And it will be.’
Celestia said nothing. She turned her head around to look at the sun – her sun. She thought,
‘After all these years, it seems like it just happened yesterday…’
Chapter 1 – Beast within
Dusk. It was the best part of the day for him. He was trotting on the road from Ponyville to the Ever free forest. ‘Useless foal’ echoed the voice of his father in his mind, adding another painful memory. ‘This is the last time you ever spoke with me like that’ he thought. ‘One day I shall return and show you how powerful I really am.’
As he was thinking about this, he reached the edge of the forest. It was dark and intimidating for most ponies, but for him, it seemed like the beginning of a better life. ‘You wanted me to leave my home, to leave mom behind with you. I will never forgive you dad. Never. Useless? Pathetic? A shame to the family? One day you will regret all of this.’
The lonely earth pony was wondering aimlessly in the darkness. His green coat, his grey mane and his cutie mark – a yellow hookah – were already dirty. But he wanted not to give up, although he didn’t know where to go now. Without a home, family, friends, he wanted to find a place where he can be himself. No more playacting. No more useless quarrel with his father. No more tears in his mother’s eyes. He had to leave. But where to? He only packed some food and water, not enough to stay in the forest for too long. As he trotted deeper and deeper into the forest, he heard a loud roar nearby. As he was looking around, he spotted something he never thought to see: a Manticore. The beast was watching him since he entered the forest, following him silently among the trees. But now it was ready to kill the prey. The young colt’s instincts told him to run away as fast as he can, but he was still standing there, looking right into the eyes of the monster. ‘No more running! Time to stand up for myself!’ he thought. The Manticore started to run towards him roaring, readying it’s claws and stinger to deal with the bold colt.
‘Come on you monstrosity! Come and get me!’ he shouted, and he felt like he was burning from inside. ‘That’s it, just a little longer…’. He concentrated on his rage against his father. The anger he felt every time when he saw her mother crying. The days when he was lying in his bed, beaten by his father. He could feel every slap of his father, adding more fire to his burning soul. The monster almost reached him, but suddenly, just before it could strike, an immense flash lightened the entire area. As the light faded, only the echoes of a terrifying howl remained among the trees, dying away into the darkness of Luna’s night.
‘… wake up… please don’t die now… focus… doc, do something, he’s going to black out again…wake up damn it, don’t close your eyes…oh no…’
He was lying in a bed. The morning sun was shining through the windows as he opened his eyes. He didn’t know this place, but it looked like some kind of hospital. But not like the one in Ponyville. He tried to raise his head, but every part of his body ached.
‘Rise and shine, my friend’ said an unknown voice. He looked up, and saw a white colt with deep blue mane and a red cross as his cutie mark. ‘You really gave us a lot of trouble. How are you? And what were you doing in the Ever free forest in the middle of the night?’
‘Wh-where… where am I? And who are you?’
‘I am doctor Specter, and you are in the ‘New hope’ hospital in Mochaar. We’ve found you in the forest, right next to a Manticore’s burnt corpse. You are lucky to be alive. There must have been some kind of gas explosion. It’s rare, but not unknown in this part of the land. However, I still don’t know how you survived. The light of the explosion was bright enough to turn the night into day. And that sound… but enough of this. Who are you, my friend?
‘My name is…’
‘He’s awake at last!’ shouted a filly who just entered the room. She had a nurse cap, and was smiling widely. She was a unicorn with grey coat, white mane with a darker streak, and her eyes were shining like gold. As he turned his head to look at her, he saw her cutie mark: a bright silver star.
‘Nurse, our patient needs to rest. His wounds are not as bad as they were. Just a couple of hours and he will be able to leave. Let him rest now.’
‘No, I’m fine. Thanks for the help, but I should go.’
‘Not yet. Where do you live, Mr. …?’
‘Füst. My name is Füst. And I have nowhere to live.’
‘Why would you say that? Your parents must be worried about you by now.’
‘No. They don’t. And don’t even think about it doc, you won’t persuade me to change my mind. They left me, so I left them too.’
‘How could you even think of something like that!?’ the nurse asked angrily. ‘There is nothing as important as the family! How dare you…!’
‘Nurse, please. He is still a bit dazed. He needs more rest. We shall leave now. Have a good day Mr. Füst.’
When they left the room, Füst tried to get up, but even moving his head was painful. He could do nothing, but lay down. Moments later, he was sleeping again.
Next day, Füst has been released from the hospital. Doctor Specter had been questioning him about his home and family, but Füst didn’t want to answer. He wanted to know what happened to his stuff, because he had something important in it: a picture of his mother. It was his most precious posession. The doc told him they found nothing nearby, and that saddened him. That picture was his only link to his family. ‘As soon as I get out of here, I’ll start looking for it. I can’t leave it behind.’ While he was standing at the door, a grey unicorn pony stepped next to him. ‘She was the nurse who was so… happy to see me ok. Maybe I should talk to her.’
‘Hi Füst, I hope everything is alright with you.’
‘Yeah. I’m fine. By the way, what’s your name?’
‘Silver Star. You, on the other hand, have a really exciting name! Füst… I’ve never heard a name like that before. Where are you from?’
‘Nowhere. I don’t have a home.’
‘So… are you some kind of wanderer? I heard some stories about ponies who lived like this. They had no home, no family, no friends, nothing. A sad way of life if you ask me.’
‘Well, I may go now. I would like to see the rest of this place.’
‘I would be happy to escort you, but I still have to work. Maybe we could meet later. If you don’t mind of course.’
‘It would be great Silver. Goodbye.’ he replied with a smile.
‘Goodbye Füst! See you soon!’ Silver said to the leaving colt. ‘He looks so nice. Sure he is a little strange, but… can he be… can he be the one? Why do I like him that much? I think I’ll need to think about this…’ she thought as she walked back to work.
Having nothing better to do, he decided to explore the small town. It town was located near a great swamp, in a yet uncharted part of the Everfree forest. The buildings were built mainly from wood, but at the town center he discovered stone structures like the town hall, the blockhouse and the barracks. ‘Barracks? Why do they need a building like that?’ he thought. He became curious and walked to the building. The gates were open, so he peeked inside. He saw at least a dozen earth ponies practicing hoof-to-hoof combat, pegasus ponies exercising flight maneuvers and unicorns practicing magical attacks. He was so amused by the sight he didn’t notice one of the guards was trotting towards him.
‘Back off!’ he shouted, ‘No outsiders allowed here! Move along!’
‘Ok-ok, got it.’ Füst said. He turned around, but somepony collided with him hard. Both of them fell to the ground, rolling a few meters before they finally stopped at the docks nearby. As soon as he was able to get up – but he was still a bit dazed – he looked at the other pony. He was a blue earth pony with light brown mane and blue eyes. His cutie mark was rather unusual: it was a gear wheel.
‘Ooopsie. Sorry bro, I didn’t see you’ said the blue pony.’
‘How was that even possible you stupid foal, I…!’ Füst wanted to argue more, but he couldn’t. The other pony was staring at him with those big blue eyes; he looked so innocent that Füst started to feel guilty.
‘Oh Celestia please don’t look at me like that! Apology accepted ok? No harm done.’
‘Gee thanks bro. My name is Gear by the way. What’s your name?’
‘Füst.’
‘Füst? Cool. Where are you from?’
‘Why does everypony ask this?’ Füst thought. But soon he found a good answer.
‘The last thing I remember is a bright light, and then I woke up in the hospital.’
‘So you are the one, everypony is talking about! Is it true that you defeated a Manticore with your bare hooves?’
‘Maybe. Maybe not. I can’t remember.’ Füst looked away.
‘Awesome dude! Did you know that Manticore claws are strong enough to penetrate a basic magical shield? Or that their poison is used in black magic? Or…’ he tried to list, but Füst interrupted him.
‘Got it. Manticores are deadly. Don’t you know a place where I can eat? Because the ‘food’ in the hospital was barely edible.’
‘Why don’t you come with me? I’m a bit hungry too. We could eat in my lab!’ his face brightened up.
‘Your… what?’ Füst looked puzzlingly.
‘My lab! It’s also a workshop where I can work on new gadgets and things like that. I’m a bit of an inventor you know. ‘ his voice was full of pride.
‘Fine. Let’s go.’
They trotted through the town, and arrived at a secluded building at the edge of the swamp. Füst has never seen anything like it. It was a fairly large, wooden house with a water wheel and a small pier. Half of it was standing on poles, keeping it slightly above the water. Gear opened the door, and they walked in. Instantly, Füst spotted a large hole on the roof.
‘What about the roof? What happened here?’
‘Umm… I was working on a new machine which would help refining the water. But I… uhh… I think I’ve used more explosive gel than I should.’
‘Why the hay would somepony need explosive gel to get clean water?’ Füst raised an eyebrow.
‘I don’t now, but at first I thought it was a good idea.’
‘But… you know what, never mind. I’m too hungry to think about it now.’
‘Then let’s eat, shall we?’
With that Gear disappeared to the kitchen to find some food, leaving Füst alone in the lab. There he saw various machines, mechanical parts, metal and wooden pieces, work tools, bottles full of chemicals, potions and some books. Some of them were heavily modified versions of usual equipment, but there were a few experimental items with unknown functions. ‘I’ve never seen anypony like him’ he thought. ‘He created all these things without magic. He must be a very talented mechanic.’
‘Hey bro, the food is ready!’ came a happy voice from the kitchen.
Füst had to admit, Gear really was a great cook. After the delicious meal, he wanted to thank him and leave, but Gear stopped him.
‘Just where do you think you’re going?’ he asked.
‘Look, thanks for the food but I should go now. I don’t want to keep you up with your work. Besides, I’m not even your friend. I don’t deserve your kindness.’
Instead of answering him, Gear rushed to the other pony and gave him a big hug.
‘Ewww, what are you doing?!’ Füst was trying to free himself, but he had to give up. When Gear released him, he was confused, shocked but – awkwardly – happy. After all those years of fear and indignity, somepony (except his mom) showed him caring.
‘Ok. I’ll be your friend. And… thanks.’ Füst said with a faint smile.
‘No problem bro! We will be the best friends ever! Woohoo!’ Gear said with a big grin.
‘You know what? I think I kinda like this place. What would you say if I decide to live in this town?’
‘That would be the best idea ever! But you have to talk to our leader, Blackmane. You can find him at the town center.’
‘I’ll go then and see if I can be a resident here.’
‘See you later bro! I hope you’ll succeed!’ Gear said still smiling.
The sky was dark and the town was very quiet as Füst was trotting towards the town hall. Only a few ponies were on the streets, mostly guards and members of the local militia. ‘Strange. Why would they have so tight security? I should have asked Gear about it.’ Suddenly, he saw a familiar pony walking towards him. ‘Silver! Maybe she could explain this...’ As he was thinking about this, the grey unicorn already spotted him. She stopped immediately, having a mixed look of disbelief and curiosity in her eyes.
‘Hi Füst! How are you?’
‘I’m fine thanks. How is it going in the hospital?’
‘Not bad this time. But what about you? Why are you still here? Don’t you have a home to return to?’
‘Look, I left my past behind. I don’t have a home anymore.’
‘Then what about your family? I was there when you said they have left you. How could you say that?’
‘Because it’s the truth. I don’t want to argue with you about it.’
‘As you wish. Besides, we don’t have time for it, because…’
‘Get into your houses everypony! The curfew will begin in ten minutes! Anypony found on the streets without valid authorization will be brought in for questioning!’
‘Quickly, let’s go!’ the pony said waving to Füst, starting to gallop home.
‘Hey, wait! What’s going on? Where should I go?’ Füst asked while galloping after the grey filly.
‘Come on, follow me! I can explain all but we have to get to my home!’
A Pegasus pony flew over them, repeating the same warning they heard before. Other ponies wearing black capes were patrolling the streets, forcing everypony to go home without hesitation. They had no choice, but to run as fast as they could.
Luna’s night had already fallen on Mochaar when the two ponies reached their destination. They entered the house and the filly shut the door behind them. For a minute or so they were panting heavily, exhausted by the long sprint. Finally, Füst started to talk,
‘What is going on out there? Why do they need a curfew?’
‘Let me get something to eat first. Talking can wait.’
‘Anyway, thank you for getting me out of trouble, Silver Star.’
‘Don’t thank me Füst. My job is to take care of everypony in need.’
Again, Füst was alone in a foreign place. He decided to sit on a couch to have some rest. All the new experiences and events of the day took their toll on his stamina, and the long sprint from the guards was even more tiring. A couple minutes later, he was fast asleep.
He awake in the middle of the night. He had a nightmare again, but he was getting used to it. Whenever he had one, it was always about his father. At first, he felt like yesterday was just the pleasant part of the dream, but he was still in that couch. But he was not alone. On his left, he saw Silver Star, sleeping peacefully. It felt strange. Füst could not allow anypony to sleep with him. In fact, his father simply chased his friends away. The moon was shining through the window, embracing the filly in a beam of silver light. As Füst was looking at her, he had to admit that Silver Star was simply lovely. But at his first move, she woke up, slowly opening her eyes.
‘Mmmh… what… oh dear, I’m sorry Füst, I don’t now what came to me, I…’
‘Please calm down, Silver. No problem.’
‘I have a bed upstairs, but… I… I felt lonely. You know, I don’t have a partner and my parents are dead. I have nopony else to share my life with. All of my relatives gave their lives to protect Mochaar.’ she said with a sad tone, looking away.
‘From what?’
‘Gnolls.’ she said with disgust in her voice.
‘What are those things?’
‘They are savage, dog-like bandits living in the swamp. We have been fighting them ever since our ancestors came here and founded the town. That is why we need so many warriors. They never left the area, and are constantly attacking us. Mostly small raiding bands, but there is far more of them out in the wilderness.’
‘And what about the curfew? Why would they think that somepony is supporting your mortal enemy?’
‘Because a traitor was responsible for the battle where my parents were killed.’ she looked at Füst with a tear in her eye.
‘Who was it? Who could have done such a thing?’
‘We don’t exactly know who it was. He was a newcomer, just like you.’
‘If he was a newcomer, why do you care for me? I’m a stranger to you too.’
‘Because I was on patrol with some of the town militia at the time of the explosion. When I found you, you were barely breathing. I am a nurse and a field medic, and my duty is to protect and heal the wounded, the weak and all in need.’ Star said firmly.
They were silent for some time. Nor Füst, neither Silver could say a thing. Finally Füst broke the silence.
‘Were your parents warriors too?’
‘My father was a frontline fighter and my mother was a unicorn mage. A healer to be exact. They were both killed six months earlier, in an unusually vicious battle. The survivors told me that they fought bravely, until they met with the gnoll shaman. They told me their death was quick, worthy of any warrior. But still... as a fighter, I’m proud of them... but as a daughter, I miss them... I miss them so much...’
As she was telling the story, tears started to fall from her eyes. Moments later, she was sobbing inconsolably. Füst tried to calm her down by hugging her, letting her tears fall on his coat. Silver hugged him hard, and a few more minutes had to pass before the heavy sobbing became silent crying. She looked up with eyes reddened from tears and in the moonlight, it was like her eyes were sparkling like pure gold. Füst was unsure what to do. He could only remember how her mother comforted him when he was like this. He tried to give a small kiss to Silver’s cheek, but before he could react, Silver turned her face and pressed her lips to his mouth, hard. The kiss was unsure, but long and passionate; Füst’s eyes went wide as he felt a strange heat building up in his body. He was hesitant and shocked first, and then he closed his eyes, fully giving in for this new feeling of love. They held the kiss until they ran out of breath, and when their lips parted, both of them were blushing heavily.
‘Oh… well… I didn’t expected that’ Füst said, breaking the awkward silence.
‘I… heh… I think this was not bad. Was that your first time too?’
‘Well, it was’ Füst said shyly.
‘Then, do you mind if we… do it again?’ Silver asked. Füst said nothing, just gave her a wide smile and leaned forward.
As their lips met again, the whole world disappeared for the two lovers, and for them, the moon was shining brighter than ever that night.
The morning sun found its way through the room where Füst and Silver were sleeping. What happened last night was like a dream came true for both of them. Füst woke up first. He couldn’t remember how they ended up in Silver’s bed, but he didn’t care. He tried to sit up, but he remained where he was, because Silver was still hugging him. He felt better than ever and looking at his new lover, he knew he had to stay here. The painful memories of his past were fading away, the voice of his father became more and more silent in his mind with every passing moment.
‘I see you’re awake, darling’ Silver Star said after a yawn. She caressed Füst with her hooves while smiling at him. He blushed heavily, remembering the night that changed his life forever.
‘How are you?’
‘I feel better than ever. It was a wonderful night. I want you to stay with me. I don’t want to be alone anymore.’
‘Of course dear, I will be with you.’
Füst rolled onto his stomach trying to get up, but he couldn’t move any further. He was just lying there, and a sad thought appeared in his mind. ‘She is so kind to me… I want to spend the rest of my life with her. But what if anything happens to her? And if it happens because of me? How could I tell her what I really am? I don’t want to scare her, but… maybe she should know. Or not?’
He suddenly felt the touch of Silver’s body on his back. The filly of his dreams climbed on him, creating a loving, yet a bit awkward pose.
‘What’s wrong, pumpkin?’ she asked with a worried look.
Füst was close to telling her. To tell her everything. ‘Come on, it’s now or never! You can do it! You can…’
‘Nothing dear. Nothing at all.
‘Then don’t look so sad! Here, let me cheer you up!’
Silver gave a small kiss to Füst’s cheek as she rolled down from him, and after she was out of the bed, she walked to the bathroom to refresh herself. The young colt stayed in the bed for a while. He was smiling happily, but the sadness was still in his eyes.
He got up and walked downstairs into the kitchen to make some breakfast. As he was preparing everything he needed, he thought he should pay a visit in the town hall. He could not allow himself to be a stranger in this town after all.
After a short goodbye kiss and a tight hug, Füst and Silver went on their own way. Silver headed to work in the hospital, while Füst was walking towards the town hall. It was almost noon, and the town was full of ponies who were trotting about, going to their work, or shopping food and stuff for their families. Halfway there, he felt bitterness in his heart. He should have been happier then ever, because he wasn’t here for a long time, and he already gained a friend and a partner. ‘How long can I enjoy this? How long will it take for them to realize what I really am? I don’t want to break their hearts. Maybe staying here wasn’t such a great idea.’ He suddenly heard another voice in his head. ‘No. This is a great opportunity for you to have a great life! You can’t throw this away!’ It was his mother’s voice. She always wanted to grant her only foal a chance to have a better life. He could not deny her will. Füst suddenly remembered the lost picture, her mother’s smile crept in his mind. ‘I will find it. No matter the cost.’ As Füst was thinking, he did not realize that he already reached the town hall. He almost collided with the door, but he came to his senses, and trotted into the building.
The inner part of the town hall was magnificent. It was decorated with paintings and carpets, portraying famous ponies and events of the history of Mochaar. He found the door leading to the leader’s office closed, and it was guarded by two earth ponies wearing black armor and capes.
‘Hold it! No one can see our leader without authorization! State your business!’
‘I am Füst and I came here to inform your leader about…’
‘About my greatest invention!’ came a familiar voice from behind.
‘Gear? What are you doing here?’ Füst asked surprised, turning around.
‘Please forgive him, he is a bit lost in thought. We headed here together but I had to stop to grab some snack. Will you be so kind to let us in?’
The guards shared an all-knowing look, and one of them started to knock on the door.
‘Sir, Gear and his ‘friend’ want to speak with you. Should we let them in?’
‘Oh no, I wonder what he brought this time. *sigh* Alright let them in!’
‘As you wish’ said the guard and opened the door. ‘You can proceed, but don’t do anything stupid. And Gear, if you destroy the roof one more time…’
‘I know, I know, you will throw me out and I can never return here.’
‘Also watch for your friend, we don’t like trouble makers.’
‘Will do! Let’s go bro!’ Gear said happily.
The two friends walked into the office. It was a large, round room with bookshelves, lamps and a large desk. Behind it were a big window, and the banner of Mochaar. The flag was yellow, adorn with an image of a black alicorn with a red cape fighting with dog-like creatures. Then they saw the leader, and Füst began to tremble in fear. He was like a legendary hero of the distant past: a huge, strong pegasus stallion with a black coat, red mane and had a red lightning bolt cutie mark. Even his always enthusiastic friend had the smile frozen on his face. But for Füst, he looked like his father.
‘What do you want, my faithful servants?’
‘Greetings to you, great Blackmane. I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I have something new to ease the lives of your people. With this device, anypony can make better use of weapons and precise equipment.’
Blackmane raised an eyebrow ‘Show me.’
‘Here it is!’ he shouted happily, holding a little plastic thing which looked like two adjustable rings.
‘What is this?’ asked Blackmane.
‘I call it the Click-switch! Umm, let’s see… Do you have a stick or something?’
Blackmane said nothing. He walked to the door, where he had a wall mount full of weapons. He took a spear in his mouth and threw it to Gear. The spear landed on the floor, and after the first shock, Gear began to work. He pulled the click-switch on his right foreleg, picked up the spear with his mouth and pulled it into the other ring. He slightly adjusted it with his mouth, and a moment later he was holding the weapon tightly.
‘Tadaa! Would you like me to show you how skilled I am?’
‘Don’t even think about it Gear! Last time you said that, I’ve lost my ceiling!’
‘Ok. Hey bro, what do you think? Isn’t this awesome?’
Füst did not respond. He was still trembling and sweating. When Blackmane stepped closer, it only intensified.
‘Do you have a problem, son?’ he asked.
‘Do you have a problem, son?... Do you have a problem, son?... Do you have a problem, son?... the question echoed in Füst’s mind – in his father’s voice. ‘You will have problems soon, pathetic foal! Do you hear me, idiot? No one will save you this time! After this, you will regret you’ve even born...!’
Not being able to keep himself together, Füst fainted, hitting the floor. All he was able to hear is a mess of scrambled voices, and then the darkness absorbed him.
When he woke up, he was still in the leader’s office. Gear was still with him, but he couldn’t see Blackmane or any of the guards. When he tried to sit up, his friend was already there to help him,
‘Boy am I glad to see you’re ok, bro! What happened?’
‘I don’t know.’ (‘He must not know it! I can’t tell him yet!)
‘Well, whatever it was, get yourself ready! The town is under attack, and Blackmane needs everypony to aid the defenders!’
‘I’m not a warrior, I don’t know what I could do out there!’
‘This is some real action bro! We can’t miss it! Besides, you still don’t live here. If they find you here when the fight is done, even your blackout won’t be a good reason to save yourself.’
‘Alright then, lead the way Gear!’
The two earth ponies rushed out of the building, searching for the battlefield. Without warning, a pegasus pony in the clothes of the militia flew over them, shouting:
‘The enemy has breached the walls near the silos! I repeat: the walls near the silos have been breached! All ponies able to fight on must get there without hesitation!’
‘You heard him, let’s go!’ Gear said while galloping towards the silos.
They made their way to the silos, guided by the smoke clouds rising from the area. When they reached the end of the road, they stopped and watched in awe: ponies and stallions, earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi were fighting large dog-like creatures. Those things were fighting with makeshift weaponry, rocks, or bare hooves and teeth. There wasn’t too many of them, but as soon as one of them was killed or incapacitated, another one appeared, jumping through the hole in the palisade. The field was dotted with corpses and they heard death screams and painful wailing. Some of the gnolls had bows and poisoned arrows, and were shooting the pegasi ponies who were flying above them. As they were watching, one of them was hit by an arrow and the poor creature fell to the ground.
‘Don’t just stand there, come on and fight!’ said a pony who ran past them, leading a new squad of earth ponies and unicorns into the battle. ‘Into the fray my fellow warriors! Teach those beasts a lesson they will never forget!’
‘Come on Füst, we have to help!’
‘But I… I…’
‘You’ve beaten a Manticore remember? These dogs are nothing for you!’
Gear galloped towards the battle, and Füst noticed his legs have their own will. He was running behind his friend, right into the fight.
A gnoll with a spear was his first victim. The creature wanted to stab him, but he was faster, and bucked it hard. The kick hit the gnoll’s head and the beast collapsed to the ground. As he was looking at the immobile body, another gnoll appeared. It must have been some kind of leader, because it was wearing a pony’s skull and some bones as trophies. The beast ran towards him with a terrifying war cry, and Füst was so afraid he couldn’t do anything. But luck was on his side today: a unicorn pony sliced the gnoll with a magic sword. Right after his victory, an arrow hit his chest, killing him immediately. Füst shook his head and headed to the breach where he last saw Gear. Instead, he found Blackmane. The leader of Mochaar was surrounded by at least ten gnolls, his bodyguards were either slain or scattered throughout the battlefield. Then he spotted Gear, who was charging right towards the beasts encircling the lone warrior.
‘Gear, watch out, I’m coming too!’ he shouted while sprinting there. Together they were able to distract the gnolls, leaving Blackmane time to take them out one by one.
‘Thanks for your help. Now go and show these abominations some real fight!’
The two gave a loud war cry, and galloped into the midst of the battle. They worked as one, kicking and smashing through the enemy. Füst’s body was full of adrenaline; he wanted nothing but to fight and to prove. His power. His worth. But then he saw something. A very familiar unicorn was lying on the ground, the grey coat was covered with scars. He saw a growing pool of blood at the body. Füst stopped dead on his track. ‘Can this be… no… no… it can’t be her…’
‘Sil…Sil…Silver? Silver!? Noooooo!’
While Füst was making his way to the unicorn, a gnoll jumped at the body, readying it’s curved knife to cut the bleeding pony.
‘Don’t dare to touch her!’ Füst shouted, trembling with rage. He felt the intense heat of his anger filling his body. His wrath was consuming him. He could feel the change.
He was always cautious. He knew where to stop. But this time, the fear of death and the intense rush of adrenaline were almost too much for him to handle. However, he was able to control it.
Until now.
‘Silver… what have they done to you? Why wasn’t I here to protect you? Please don’t die my love, please don’t do this to me… They will suffer for this! All of them will die!’ Seeing her beloved Silver Star like this was the last straw. He shouted like a monster, and his body began to change. He started to grow, and soon he was bigger then the tallest stallions. His green coat disappeared, turned into a dark, black coat of fur. Simultaneously his white mane and tail burst into flames, his brown eyes were now raging with elemental fire. Even his cutie mark changed: the yellow hookah became a triangle, with an eye in it. The very earth itself vaporized under his flaming hooves. He looked at the gnoll, who was already shaking with fear, the blade fell from it’s hand, and it was kneeling on the ground. The new creature stepped closer.
‘I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH HER! TIME TO DIE WEAKLING!’ he raised his head, opened his mouth, and sprayed flame towards the gnoll. The beast had no time to scream or run away. A moment later, all that was left from it was a small pile of ash.
Gear stood shocked. He saw everything. He knew his friend was not a common pony, but this… this was way beyond his wildest suspicions. Back in his lab, he read about an extremely rare pony species who were part pony and part fire. They called themselves…
Dreads. They were monstrous beings roaming Equestria in the ancient times, long before the leadership of the two princesses. Everypony thought they were extinct. But now, one of them was standing in front of him. Gear slowly walked to him asking,
‘Füst? Is that you? What happened with you?’
The Dread lowered his head and said,
‘MY NAME IS VOLTUROUS. BUT THERE IS NO TIME TO TALK LITTLE PONY’ the Dread looked at the gnolls. ‘MANY BEASTS NEED TO BE VANQUISHED TODAY!’
The Dread stepped forward again, and the gnolls before him began to slowly retreat. He smiled at the sight of the intimidated enemy. He shouted his wrath into the smoke-filled sky, and sprinted towards them like an inferno. Screams of dying gnolls filled the battlefield, and the surviving pony warriors stood mesmerized at the sight. They only saw a demon appearing from nowhere, and now it was scorching the entire gnoll army.
‘Yes… he is perfect… he will be the chosen one… time to take the first step… Equality shall be… perfect…’
End of Chapter 1. |
|
Kamaete | 646 | 1 | Braeburn,Soarin,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Thunderstruck | He might even admit that he's keen on the buck, but he has responsibilities other then himself. | hiatus | 85 | 6 | <p>Soarin' doesn't mind the stallion taking care of him and he might even admit that he's keen on the buck. It's a respite from the starstruck life he's become accustomed to, and he enjoys some of the best pies he's ever had, but, with all things, there's always things that come up. A collection of chapters based on novel prompts.</p><p>[on hiatus do to several things but not abandoned]</p> | teen | 2012-02-20T21:34:55+00:00 | 2012-02-20T21:34:55+00:00 | 5,992 | [ Starstruck ]
by Kamaete
[Romance M/M]
Prompt: Take a novel, and use the first full sentence on every tenth page as a prompt.
Afraid of loosing her, I hurried down the last of the steps and followed the girl.
--Odd Thomas, pg 10
Like some kind of whisper, he flutters his wings and lets himself get carried on the breeze using the thermals for an easy ride. Wings spread out as far as they can go, feathers tickling in the winds, he loops lazily over the sky carriage the rest of his team are resting in. The landscape around him is beautiful, in a different way then he's used to. It's filled with russet and copper and orange and he's never seen a beauty like this before. Flat open spaces, in the far, far distance he can barely make out mountains. There are crags and canyons and cacti here and there but it's nothing like the crowded architecture of Canterlot or the billowing soft white of Cloudsdale, it's not even like the industrial Fillydelphia.
When the barest outlines of a town eases over the horizon he drops back down to the carriage and pokes his head inside. Thunder Rush is lazing, resting maybe. Her yellow mane is frizzed and flopped over her head. Spitfire, on the other hand, is looking intently out a window, possibly trying to make out Appleoosa. He whistles lowly, enough to catch Spitfire's attention.
“Soarin'.” She greets and plods over to his window. He likes looking into Spitfire's eyes. Despite her name and her daring acrobatic aerial tricks she's a very mellow mare. A soft hazel under glassy lids, often filled with lazy amusement or a mothering type of concern.
“I can see the town now.” He says instead of answering. His voice is eager, he can't hide his excitement. Even his wings are trembling faintly.
Spitfire smiles wryly and gestures towards at a small door separating the main carriage from the resting area. Behind the door lay the Wonderbolt Manager, who, though she means well, often set tight restrictions on their collective lives. Spitfire won't forbid him from leaving, but it did her conscious good by acting like his conscious.
“Ya know she never lets me go nowhere fun. I'm not even in uniform, no pony'll even recognize me,” He reasons.
“It's true, you don't immediately bring to mind The Wonderbolts Superstar when you're not in costume. You don't look very remarkable,” She teased.
“Well! I'm not bringing pie back for you, so there!” He sticks out his tongue foalishly, a childish pout, “I'll probably be back before you know it,” He reassures, then, as a last retaliations: “Bye Spitball!”
After speeding away from the sky carriage and Spitfire's huff of amusement, he makes a gentle dive towards the town. Going faster then the leisurely pace the Sky Carriage is taking, he makes it to the town rather quickly and stops near the edge, finding the abrupt transition of desert and bustling frontier village odd. In one step he is out of the barren plains and suddenly among busy ponies. He shuffles his wings and presses them tight against his body before trotting among the other ponies and taking in the sights.
He finds that the town isn't all that large but it's rather easy getting lost. Don't misunderstand, he has an excellent sense of direction, but that applies almost exclusively to the skies and pie stands. A bird's eye view—or, as the case may be a pegasi's view—is the way he's used to looking at things. He chooses to walk, however, because it's easier to be a tourist looking at stuff walking then it is flying above everything.
Wandering around the town easily occupies him and he's struck by a thought, watching the wagons and studying the architecture, that he feels like he's on a movie set, and it's such a weird thought that he finds himself looking around for cameras. He notices the various Appleoosans studying him with a curious look as well, and he wonders why and unconsciously shuffles his wings. It's during this movement that he the slight breeze brings him the smell of a delicious apple pie. His eyes flutter shut as he breathes the scent in deeply enough to taste the thick apple syrup and warm slices on his tongue. When he opens them, it is with a determination to find this apple pie.
The smell leads him around the town and through it, past carts and houses and carriages and what looks like a saloon. He trots as fast as he can without running into any pony, his eyes half closed in bliss at just the smell alone, previous thoughts buried. He quickly finds himself in a forest of apple trees without him knowing how he got there, but he doesn't really register that fact because the apple pie is so close it's making him want to drool.
A strange gust of wind blows the scent away and, afraid of loosing his sweet temptress, Soarin's leans into a gallop and races through uniform trees then back into a canyon before he's forced to stop. It's a dead end that his nose has lead him to, though the smell of the pie is so close. He flicks an ear and looks around, like his pie will pop into existence if he looks at the canyon wall hard enough.
It doesn't and he frowns and, for all the world looking like a put out foal, he sits down and stares at the sky like it had wronged him. Then it hits him: the pie has to be just ahead of him. Just not in the canyon. He squints and focuses on the edge of the wall so up high. The only question is, how does he get up there? He pouts and shifts his wings.
It takes him a moment, but once he realizes the answer he's glad that Spitfire isn't around to make fun of him. In his defense, pies make him giddy.
A hop, skip and a jump later he stands on high ground—which doesn't look any higher because everything is so flat—and he resumes tracing his lovely pie. He doesn't realize that he's closed his eyes a long time ago and is completely relying on his sense of smell to lead him until he hits a wall. Quite literally.
His head smacks into a wall, bouncing him off completely, sending his light body tumbling head over hooves. He groans, contemplates opening his eyes, and then does so. For some reason he feels thoroughly rejected by his sweet apple pie. Soarin' huffs as he takes a moment to focus on the ground and then gets up. Or attempts to. As soon as he's on all four hooves his head starts ringing quite loudly and he topples over again.
“Oooww. Oh, Cash Box is not going to like this,” He mumbles to himself and rubs his head.
“Ah, you all right there, stranger?”
Soarin' jumps, making his head ring more, at the sound of the voice. He groans and lays back down.
“Yeah, I'm fine. I just ran into something, is all,” He hears hoof-steps make their way closer to him and he feels a shadow cast across him. His eyes are closed again.
“That was you? Ah heard somethin' hit muh window, but Ah thought it was a bird, not a pegasus,”
“A window?” He frowns and opens his eyes, squinting against the sky's contrast and the pony leaning over him. “I hit a window?”
“Ah reckon t'was you. Ah mean, yer the only thing 'round here with a head ache,”
He eyes focus finally and he can see the pony is an earth pony, carmal toned with some sort of hat on. The pony continues.
“Ah dun't know how you managed ta actually hit muh house, though,” A hoof extends and Soarin' takes it, allowing himself to be helped up and steadied when his head threatens to topple him. Blinking away spots from the motion, his vision finally clears enough so that he can look around.
“If you don't mind me askin', why did you hit muh house?” Soarin's attention is drawn back to the earth pony and he finds himself embarrassed. His brief scan of his surroundings showed him that the house was the only prominent thing in the desert. He managed to hit the only thing that was in his way.
“Uh, well. I was kind of walking with my eyes closed,” The caramel pony briefly looks puzzled so he rushes to explain, “I smelled a pie and pies are my favorite food in the world,” The pony laughs. Soarin' finds himself thinking it's not too bad of a laugh.
“That's a story. Muh name's Braeburn, stranger,”
Soarin' takes the offered hoof, “My name's Soarin',” |
Kamaete | 646 | 2 | Braeburn,Soarin,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Thunderstruck | He might even admit that he's keen on the buck, but he has responsibilities other then himself. | hiatus | 85 | 6 | <p>Soarin' doesn't mind the stallion taking care of him and he might even admit that he's keen on the buck. It's a respite from the starstruck life he's become accustomed to, and he enjoys some of the best pies he's ever had, but, with all things, there's always things that come up. A collection of chapters based on novel prompts.</p><p>[on hiatus do to several things but not abandoned]</p> | teen | 2012-02-20T21:34:19+00:00 | 2012-02-20T21:34:19+00:00 | 5,387 | [ Starstruck ]
by Kamaete
[Note]: Time's really fluid, but, because of certain events, I have to say that this is before Rainbow saves the Wonderbolts. And obviously before the Galla.
Prime hostage material.
--Odd Thomas, pg 20
Braeburn helps him into his small house, offering a shoulder to lean on when his headache gets a bit too much. Soarin' thanks him, a bit embarrassed but genuinely grateful for the help. He really can't imagine why the small knock to his head has him so disorientated. He's a stunt pegasus, injuries are part of the job. He really should be used to these kind of things. But he's not, so he leans against Braeburn and lets himself be led inside the stallion's home.
It's a nice home, Soarin' thinks as he enters it. The colors are earthy and there are a few books laying around but he doesn't notice anymore because his head is clouded by that smell. So delicious, he can feel the light crust crumble in his mouth and release an explosion of fresh apple confection spill onto his tongue.
“Uh, Soarin'?”
“That pie.”
Braeburn looks at him funny, and he's sure he makes a funny picture. He doesn't have to look in a mirror to know his wings are stiff and spread out and he's nearly in a hunting dog point position, facing the direction he knows that pie is hiding. The delicious aroma is enough to make him forget his headache.
“Uh. Would you like a sample? Of the pie?”
“Yes.”
“All righty then,” Braeburn walks forward and disappears through a doorway. Soarin' can hear him moving around. “Well, are you gonna get some?”
He nearly busts down things not even in his way at the invitation. He thinks he might be drooling in anticipation.
Despite how much he wants to dive into the pie Braeburn expertly handles—and how is it that earth ponies can carry things like that with their hooves?—he remembers his manners and manages to find a seat. He can't, however, stop staring at the pie and he's fairly positive it's wierding Braeburn out.
He watches Braeburn bustle over at a cabinet, retrieving two plates—that means he's going to have to share doesn't it?—and again with that hoof thing—before asking a vague question about milk that he hmms to. He swears that pie is laughing evilly at him. The only reason it hasn't been totally massacred is because Braeburn is toting it around. The pie is smart. It knows that the cowpony is prime hostage material.
Finally his host sets the pie and tin onto the table accompanied by two plates and using a pie cutter—with his hoof, he's never spent much time around earth ponies, do they do everything like that, he'll Spitfire later—to slice two fairly large pieces for them both. Politely, Braeburn serves him and he waits, barely, for Braeburn to seat himself before asking a question.
“Can I have seconds?”
Braeburn looks askance at him, but he has fairly complicated ways of eating pies. There's a tried and proved technique for every pie-related situation, though the actually eating is, in itself simple. Braeburn's answer affects the way he will show this pie who exactly is boss.
“Uh, sure, Ah don't see why—”
Before the he can even get the words out, Soarin' is halfway through his pie, licking around the plate and lapping up the amber syrup like he's been poisoned and its the antidote. When he finishes the last drop on his plate and looks up expectantly at his host, he finds Braeburn wearing the most confused expression ever. It's almost as though his face can't decide whether to be bemused, awed or disgusted and instead settled for a combination of all three.
“Ah don't think Ah've ever seen something disappear that fast,” he says and smiles and seves Soarin' another slice.
“Sorry, I can't seem to help it,” he says, a little more bashful now that he's slated the pie demon nestled in his stomach. This time, however, he goes about eating his pie a bit more reverently.
He takes a bite and lets himself savor the flavor considerably happy at the decidedly fabulous taste. He finds himself asking, after a good thirty seconds of just savoring that bite, “Which kind of apples? They taste homegrown,”
Braeburn smiles enthusiastically, “You can tell that just by eatin' 'em?” Soarin' nods. “It's not 'xactly homegrown unless yer of the mind that orchard is muh backyard. But Ah'm the one ta take care of 'em so Ah guess it's'all the same. As ta the kind of apples: it's truly a blend. Pink Lady an' Braeburn,” The admission seems to embarrass him.
“A blend?” Soarin' repeats after swallowing another savored bite, “I've never thought of that,”
“Do you bake?” Braeburn asks half-way through his slice with his moderate eating pace. He eyes Soarin's curiously, half-expecting it to pull a disappearing act as well.
“No, no. I can't bake or even make a hay sandwich right.” He's never had much time to learn, really. He got accepted into the Wonderbolts at quite a young age, he'd barely moved out of his parent's home. And with the Wonderbolts they don't really cook their own food. They go out as a group a lot, and often times he crashes at Spitfire's or Thunder Rush's place and bum their food. “But I think I've always been a pie connoisseur. Really, my cutie mark should be a pie,”
At the mention of cutie marks Braeburn twists his head to get a peek at it, and Soarin' shifts so he can. It's a lightning bolt, streaking out of a cloud with outspread wings. He supposes it's rather large, and kind of showy, actually.
“That looks familiar,” Braeburn mumbles, “Mahn's an apple,” He turns so Soarin' can see it fully, Soarin' raises a brow. He's not quite sure how a pony goes about getting an apple cutie mark.
“It's a braeburn, right?” he asks, just to be obvious. Braeburn smirks.
“Yup. It's a sign of family, really. Most anyone you see with an apple cutie mark is part of the Apple family. We're spread all over Equestria, makin' apple products and confectioneries,”
“The apple family? That's why you make such a perfect apple pie, isn't it? It's in your genes,” Soarin' takes another bite of his pie.
“Ahaheh. Well, if yer impressed by muh pies you need ta try muh cousin Applejack's. She's the best baker in the Apple family. Course, if you're at Ponyville at all—that's where she lives by the way, or at least near 'nough in Sweet Apple Acres—you might as well try the pies and Sugar Cube Corner, too. Muh cousin grows the apples they use in their pies and the ponies there are very skilled bakers, at least that's what AJ told me,”
Ponyville, Soarin' thinks that name is familiar but he doesn't really remember it. It conjures flashes of rainbows when he thinks of it, but nothing more. He'll ask Spitfire later, she's better with remembering these things.
“I can't believe that a pie can be much better then yours. Anything more and you're going beyond the divine,” he punctuates with another bite, his fourth so far. He's done with flavor and now focuses on the texture of the pie, thick, almost creamy with the crust being just the right kind of sturdiness that it didn't just fold but almost flaked. And the apples. They were hot but he could still crunch into them.
“Uh, well, thanks,”
Braeburn serves himself another slice and they eat in a comfortable silence and finish at about the same time as each other. Braeburn stands and gathers his plate and reaches for Soarin's.
“I can take care of it,” He says, standing.
“No way, Ah'm the host. 'Sides it's nearly spotless already,” Braeburn's lips twitch up in a smirk.
It's true, after Soarin' had finished his sliced he'd gone and licked the plate clean, catching every crumb and wiping the apple syrup away. Soarin' shrugs and mutters thanks, still standing because he'll feel awkward if he sits while Braeburn cleans his—considerably less than most times he eats pies because even he can't really and truly finish an entire pie tin—mess.
“Thanks,” He says when Braeburn finishes and the pony just shrugs and gives him a short welcome back. “So,” He feels awkward still, “I've got friends coming into town today. They're probably almost here, and I said I'd be there to meet them...” He trails off.
Braeburn looks at him with an interest, “Ah'm meetin' some folks down there anyways. We've got some guests coming. We can walk together,” Soarin' nods amiably, feeling less awkward now. He really hates eating and flying unless it's at a restaurant, where that's expected. Besides, now that the scent of pie isn't leading him, he doubts he can make it back to the town on his own even flying.
He follows Braeburn out of the kitchen and watches him shrug on a vest like he does it every day, and with his hat he strikes the very picture of a western pony straight out of a classic film, and he figures that Braeburn will fit into the rustic vision he has of Appleoosa without a seam. They leave the house and Soarin' trots to keep up with the golden pony's brisk pace. He wonders about Braeburn's ability to scale the canyon walls without wings but he's surprised at the deftness he shows while picking his way down the steep, near vertical wall on a narrow winding path. Soarin' tries following but gives up and flaps his way down, keeping pace with Braeburn out of a courtesy.
Braeburn eyes his wings like it's the first time he's seen them.
“It's weird, getting so many pegasi at once,”
Soarin' raises his brow, “Not many pegasi here?”
Braeburn hops off a final rock and lands at the floor of the canyon. “Nope. Aaaaapppleooosa—” And here Soarin' raises an eyebrow as Braeburn raises his forelegs and happily shouts the name “—is a fairly new town, founded by earth ponies. We don't have many pegasi or unicorns. Ah suppose it's cause we're so far from Canterlot and Cloudsdayle,”
Soarin' shrugs, “Well, the weather here doesn't seem to need much controlling, either. Most of what pegasi do is keeping the weather on schedule for towns, or doing air deliveries, or other such stuff. It doesn't really look like there's a niche here for many pegasi,”
Braeburn also shrugs, “Maybe. But that just makes it a mite weirder for a group of pegasi arrivin' here all coincidentally,”
Soarin' flicks an ear, “So they're more pegasi in town then just me?”
“Well, not yet,” they enter the orchard and Braeburn switches the topic excitedly, “Ya know, all this might've not been here taday if'n t'weren't fer muh cousin' an' her friends,”
“Really?”
“Yup, ya see, this land ain't real friendly to towns livin', 'cause there's a surprisin' amount of obstacles that get in the way of farmin' and there jus' t'ain't enough growin' naturally ta feed a town. So the sheriff got in touch with the Apple Family an' Ah got sent here ta set up an orchard,”
“You're the one who set all this up?” Soarin' didn't really take Braeburn for such an industrialist at first.
“With a lot of help, yeah. 'Course, Ah'm the one who picked this here spot, which got all of Appleoosa in trouble,” Soarin' thinks Braeburn looks a bit embarrassed or shameful.
“How so?”
“Wull, this passage is part of the local Buffalo stampeding grounds, an' we—Ah—jus' planted an orchard without their permission,”
“But doesn't this lead to a dead end?”
“It forks off and levels out farther down,” Braeburn explains, “Anywho. The buffalo were right set to stampede our orchard down 'cause we earth ponies are a little stubborn. Muh cousin so happens to be comin' down fer a visit with her friends. They ended up helpin' settle things between the Appleoosans and the Buffalo, but not 'fore a huge fight. At first Applejack was on our side, o' course but her friend Rainbow Dash was with the Buffalo and I s'pose the two've got a natural rivalry goin' on—”
“Rainbow Dash?”
“Oh yeah, she's one o' AJ's friends. She's a pegasus pony, like you. Spunky filly, with a rainbow mane, know her?”
And now Soarin' remembers Ponyville, at least in name. It's the place that Rainbow Dash lives. Cash Box has been thinking about recruiting and briefly mentioned the filly. Now she's a saver of towns? He thinks he might have to put a good word in for her.
“I've heard of her. Go on,”
“Okay. Wull, we were almost at an agreement then Pinkie Pie starts singing and it wasn't that bad of a song, really, but it wasn't the right time and the Appleoosans and Buffalos ended up fighting it out. So many pies were lost that day,”
They both gave a silent moment for the forever gone pies.
“But then Chief Thunderhooves tasted one of our pies and a compromise was agreed upon,”
“And that agreement was?”
“When the buffalos came by for their annual stampede, instead of trampling the orchard, they'd settle for some pies instead,”
Soarin' laughs, “Of course, pies solve everything,” He says with an assured nod.
“Of course,” Braeburn shares the smile, then gestures at the town they've come upon. “Welcome to...” he sucks in a breath of air and rears up again, “Appleooosa!” |
Kamaete | 646 | 3 | Braeburn,Soarin,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Thunderstruck | He might even admit that he's keen on the buck, but he has responsibilities other then himself. | hiatus | 85 | 6 | <p>Soarin' doesn't mind the stallion taking care of him and he might even admit that he's keen on the buck. It's a respite from the starstruck life he's become accustomed to, and he enjoys some of the best pies he's ever had, but, with all things, there's always things that come up. A collection of chapters based on novel prompts.</p><p>[on hiatus do to several things but not abandoned]</p> | teen | 2012-02-20T21:33:46+00:00 | 2012-02-20T21:33:46+00:00 | 4,352 | [ Starstruck ]
by Kamaete
[Note] She knows he's had pie because she's Spirfire. /vague. And I'm not a professional in the medical field so don't take any recording here as text book.
'No sir. I've been thinking about a career change to tires.'
Odd Thomas, pg 30
Braeburn watches as Soarin's eyes widen a bit. Surprised that they're at Appleoosa already. He grins and starts forward, about to enter the town when a shadow crosses over him. He looks up to find himself staring at the underbelly of a carriage, wondering in the back of his mind how does a carriage get above a pony? while backing out of its shadow. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Soarin' flap his wings and land beside him, also out of danger of being crushed by the wagon.
It's when the blue and white carriage actually lands that he sees that it's pulled by a pair of pegasi this must be the arrival of our guests, then and the carriage door opens to reveal a pretty yellow mare, with glassy copper eyes and a wild, fiery mane. She steps easily out of the carriage and following her is a white mare, mane a sun-bright yellow. They stand, squinting their eyes at the brightness surrounding them.
The first mare spots him and Soarin' and her eyes widen, in recognition he thinks but he's never seen her before and she trots up to them with a look in her eye he's not to fond of. He takes a step back before he hears what she's saying and realizes it's not directed at him.
“Soarin'! You said you'd be back! You know how difficult it is hearing that mare nag and nag and nag because you've decided to take an unscheduled flight?”
Soarin' looks only a bit sorry, “I can imagine, Spits,” then he leans in and whispers, “she's not out of the coach just yet,”
The mare grins, “I hope you found your pie worth it, because Cash is pretty upset one of her Wonderbolts went MIA,”
This is news to Braeburn. Not that the mares are Wonderbolts, because he was expecting them, but because Soarin' is and he didn't say so. Without any reason, Braeburn feels slighted, though he knows it's got no logic to it. He supposes it's because he and Soarin' seemed to get along well and he'd divulged many facts about himself. He shrugs it off.
“Spits, you know pie is always worth it! Which reminds me!” Soarin' turns suddenly and faces Braeburn. “This is Braeburn, he's the one with the pie!”
The mare turns to him and smiles, half-lidding her copper eyes. “Stallion with the pies, huh? My name's Spitfire, it's nice to meet you,”
“Mighty fine ta meet you, too, m'am,” He gives a polite bow to her and also the white mare behind her, “This actually works out fine, 'cause Ah'm s'posed ta be yer guide around here. Which reminds me: Welcome to...” He rears up, enthusiasm spilling out of him as he smiles broadly, “Appleooosa!”
“Is that because you're happy to see us, or do you do that for every pony?” Spitfire asks, eyebrow raised. He hears Soarin' chuckle next to him. He cracks a grin as well.
“He does that for everypony, I've been thinking about making him our official Appleoosa Slogan Sayer,” Braeburn starts at the Sheriff's voice, gives a sheepish smile and jumps to introduce him.
“This is Sheriff Silverstar, the fine sheriff of our humble town. Sheriff, this is Soarin', Spitfire and...” He trails off. The white mare opens her mouth to fill in but is interrupted by another pony—this time a unicorn, not a pegasus—jumping out of the wagon. Her frizzy orange mane bobs with her movements.
“Thunder Rush, and I'm Cash Box, the Wonderbolt's manager. Please excuse me for I must rage against one of my compatriots,” Cash Box turns to frown at Soarin' before unleashing a torrent. “What were you thinking? Going on an unauthorized flight like that? It's all fun and games giving me a heart attack but what if you strained a muscle? You didn't strain a muscle did you? We have a show in a week, Soarin', Celestia help you if you strained a muscle—”
“I didn't strain a muscle, Cash. I'm fine. I just stopped for a bite to eat with my buddy Braeburn here,” Braeburn looks slightly aghast as Soarin' practically dives behind him. It doesn't work.
“Hi there Braeburn. And what exactly did you eat, Soarin'? You know you're on a diet because of the shows! You need to watch your calories. You didn't eat any of those sweets did you? Not a pie?” She stepped closer, pointing her horn at Soarin' and therefore Braeburn, “You had a pie! Soarin', you know how bad those things are for you! You aren't built like Spitfire and Thunder Rush here, you need to keep yourself slim or you'll fall behind in the formation,”
Soarin's ears were folded down as he nods at his manager's words sullenly, “I know Cash, I know.” Braeburn sees fit to step in.
“Miss Cash Box, is it?”
“Huh, oh, yes. And you are?”
“Braeburn and Ah'm your assigned guide for yer stay in Appleooosa!” Complete with rampant action and all, “Ah'm sure ye'r all tired right about now so why don't Ah show you to your rooms?”
“That sounds, quite fine, actually,” Spitfire agrees and Braeburn sends her a thankful smile.
He leads the way confidently, because there's only one inn suitable for the Wonderbolts in Appleoosa and he felt that if he didn't he'd be looked down upon, though he's not sure why he feels that as the Wonderbolts seem fairly agreeable ponies. Not like they would look down on anypony at all. Still, he walks confidently and talks confidently as he gives the Wonderbolts and Soarin' a short tour on their way to the Inn. They pass the Salt Block and Artist Alley, but the wild and mild west dances are clear across town as well as most other attractions, so he fills in blanks with cute anecdotes that just spring to mind.
Thanks to his cousin's visit he has plenty of stories to tell about certain places and their time spent here. Being from Ponyville they weren't all used to life in Appleoosa and some funny things happened and he enjoys sharing the stories with other ponies. It all reminds him how wonderful Appleoosa is and how much he loves living there.
The group nearly gets to the inn when it happens.
Braeburn was chuckling softly while he recalls and tells of the time Rainbow Dash goaded Little Strongheart into a race that circled and crossed through Appleoosa. It wasn't long before cousin Applejack joined in, too, and the entire town had been in an a happy mood. Rainbow and AJ had ended up somehow wrecking the entire artist alley, but they'd helped rebuild and established the annual Appleoosan Fair.
Anyways, he is telling the Wonderbolts this story when he hears Soarin' moan and then the soft collapse of a pony. He stops midway through a sentence and whirls to face Soarin' who lies on the dusty ground unconscious.
“Soarin'!” Spitfire gallops the few steps to her friend and kneels next to him, gently pressing her nose to his neck. “Soarin', are you alright?” She looks fairly worried when the lump of pegasus doesn't respond.
“Braeburn, get Dr. Mendheart--” but Braeburn is already galloping down the road before Sheriff Silverstar can even finish his words.
Horseapples! he's thinking as his hooves leave a dust trail behind him. For some reason the incident feels like his fault. His head! He hit his head on muh window an' Ah didn't even check it. He neighs an excuse me as he whirls pass Cormana and her brother. Even Ah could see he was out o' sorts and a mite dizzy lookin'.
He turns in a doorway and nearly crashes into Dr. Mendheart's clinic, ears folded back. Mendheart looks up from her papers, eyes worried at his apparent rush. She stands, inquiring the problem as she starts gathering her supplies. He stumbles over his words.
“Muh friend just passed out in the middle of the road, Doctor,”
She grabs her bag and keeps pace with him even though he's galloping for all he's worth, worry gnawing at him like he's a salt block. It's easy to spot the group because everypony is crowded around Soarin' as if to protect him. Mendheart passes her bag to Braeburn and her sharp voice quickly clears a path to him.
“Everypony out of the way, please! Doctor coming through,” She stops near Soarin's head and Braeburn drops the bag next to her.
“Is he alright?” Cash Box asks, stepping near Mendheart.
“I don't know right now. It's ideal to move him but I don't know if he has a neck injury or not. Has any trauma happened recently?”
“He's a stunt pony, but he's surprisingly good at taking care of himself,” She says with a shake of her head, “Can you think of anything, Spitfire? Thunder?” The two mares shake their heads forlornly, wracking their brains for answers they don't have.
“He ran into a window,” Braeburn speaks up. The Doctor and the Wonderbolts look at him askance. “Ah mean, that's how Ah met up with him. He ran into muh house. Ah didn't think nuthin' of it 'cause he didn't act so bad, he was just a bit dizzy at first but got over it real quick like,”
The doctor frowns and reaches in her bag to bring out a penlight. She opens Soarin's eyes and flashes the light in both of them, looking for something, her frown not leaving her face or becoming worse. Braeburn doesn't know whether that's a good thing or not.
“He has a concussion. His should be fine, but I'm used ta earth ponies, not pegasi,” She shrugs, “In any case it's best ta move him off the street. He doesn't need ta stay at the clinic so he can stay wherever you were planning on staying,” Mendheart folds her penlight back into her bag and glances at the ponies next to her before settling on Silverstar, “Sheriff, you should go ta the office and file the injury reports. Braeburn can help me get him ta his room,” Silverstar offers a rudimentary argument in favor of staying to help out of concern, but the doctor insists that Braeburn is enough so Silverstar returns sullenly back to his office.
Braeburn and Mendheart work together to carefully lift Soarin' and place him on Braeburn's back. At once, he is surprised at how very light Soarin' is. The pegasus isn't a small pony, and looks like he should be solid with muscle but he feels almost the same, maybe just a bit heavier then Apple Jack, making him easy to haul around. Braeburn mentions this.
“He's a pegasus pony,” Mendheart says, matter of factly.
“He's an athlete,” Cash Box says at nearly the same time. The two mares look at each other, “What's being a pegasus got to do anything with that?” Cash Box asks.
“Pegasi have a naturally lighter build then other ponies. Our bones are also lightweight to accommodate flight,” Spitfire offers. She trots beside Braeburn, looking at Soarin', her brow furrowed, “But like Cash said, he's an athlete. Wonderbolts pack on muscle because of our training schedule. Soarin' shouldn't be too different in weight because of that,”
“He feels like a feather,” Braeburn comments as he starts up the flight of stairs to the Wonderbolts' rooms.
There's an uneasy but resigned silence as they finish the short journey to the rooms. Thunder Rush noses open the door and Braeburn makes his way to the bed before transferring Soarin' to the mattress. The pegasus lays sprawled out on the bed, looking like a doll tossed in the corner. It's wrong, or feels wrong, so Braeburn bites the corner of the sheet Soarin' lays on and works it out of under the pony and uses it to cover him.
“Braeburn, try waking him up, I want to keep him up for a couple of hours to see if it's really serious. You three, lets get a medical history on our patient, shall we?” Mendheart leads the mares into the adjacent room—in the back of Braeburn's mind he thinks that it's the filly's room and not just a random room the doctor decides to barge into—leaving the two stallions alone.
“Soarin',” Braeburn says softly, reluctant to really wake him up. But the doctor said it's for his own good, so he tries again, more firmly, “Soarin', ya'll need ta get up now. Doc says it's bad fer you if you sleep in,” He studies the pegasus before gently nosing him in the side. “Soarin'. Up an' at 'em, brony,” He pokes softly with his hoof. “Hey, Soarin'!” A twitch, but otherwise no response.
Braeburn frowns and looks around worriedly, like he'll spot Mendheart in the corner of the room disapproving of his frail attempts at waking Soarin'. Instead he spots a small cold box. His ears perk up. When he was sleepin' in, and he'd been stayin' at Granny Smith's, AJ had poured water on him to wake up, Maybe it wasn't the best idea in the world, but if sleeping wasn't the best thing to be doing, water definitely made a good alarm clock.
He plods over to the box and opens it. There isn't any water, maybe because it hasn't been stocked all the way, and he should remember to tell the Inn keeper that, but there is an apple. It's a braeburn, and he picks it up and shuts the cold box. His plan foiled, he finds himself back at the bedside, crunching into the apple. Apples are wise, maybe it'll give him an idea. He shakes his head with a silent laugh.
Surprisingly, the crunch of his apple makes Soarin's ears twitch. Or maybe it's a coincidence. He takes another loud bite of the apple and like they're attached to a string Soarin's ears twitch again. Braeburn leans forward with the apple and, right next to soft blue ears, he crunches. Soarin' starts awake. |
Kamaete | 646 | 4 | Braeburn,Soarin,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Thunderstruck | He might even admit that he's keen on the buck, but he has responsibilities other then himself. | hiatus | 85 | 6 | <p>Soarin' doesn't mind the stallion taking care of him and he might even admit that he's keen on the buck. It's a respite from the starstruck life he's become accustomed to, and he enjoys some of the best pies he's ever had, but, with all things, there's always things that come up. A collection of chapters based on novel prompts.</p><p>[on hiatus do to several things but not abandoned]</p> | teen | 2012-02-20T21:31:55+00:00 | 2012-02-20T21:31:55+00:00 | 4,539 | [ Starstruck ]
by Kamaete
I like being busy.
--Odd Thomas, pg 40
“Braeburn's braeburn apples again?” Soarin' asks.
“Yer up!” Braeburn lets the apple drop to speak with his excitement.
“Of course I'm up. I can't sleep with somepony sadistically eating a delicious apple when I'm famished,” There's sarcasm in his voice.
“Famished? You just had pie!” Soarin' just shrugs then winces, leading Braeburn to ask, “You alright?”
“Just a crick. How'd I get here?,” Soarin' reaches a hoof up to prod at his neck lightly, then, as if an afterthought, adds, “ And yes, I am hungry,” Braeburn fights a concerned frown and returns to the ice box to grab another apple.
“Doctor Mendheart says you have a concussion. You passed out in the middle of the street,” He grabs the apple by its stem and deposits it next to Soarin's head. Soarin' takes the apple and munches on it while Braeburn explains that he helped cart him up to the room, then woke him on the doctor's orders.
“Thanks,” is muttered between crunches.
“No problem,” is floated in the air.
Soarin' busies himself eating the apple, and demands another so Braeburn busies himself fetching apples and smiling at the pegasus's eating manners. He finds the trips to and from the cold box relaxing to his nerves. Keeping his hooves busy waiting on Soarin' also assuages the guilt for letting him pass out. He grabs another apple and tosses it on the bed. There's mumbling from the room next to them and Soarin' gives Braeburn an inquiring look.
“Yer teammates are talkin' to Doctor Mendheart. She's gettin' a medical history, er somethin'. She might want ta know yer up, actually. Ah'll jus' go tell her,” He says and backs a step away before turning and walking to the door connecting the two rooms. He knocks on the door and the conversation behind it halts so he nudges it open and peeks his head around.
Mendheart looks displeased at everything in general and Cash Box looks confused. He kind of wishes he'd just let the mares find out Soarin' is awake by themselves.
“Uh, Soarin's awake,” There's silence still, until Mendheart trots to the door nearly pushing him out of her way to look at Soarin'. Braeburn waits until the other mares enter Soarin's room before he shuts the door. When he finds a place near the bed he sees that Soarin' has already finished his apple.
Doctor Mendheart looks over him, sends a contemptuous glare at Cash Box, before speaking, “I don't believe your concussion is anything truly bad but I want you to take it easy for a few days. A week at least. That means no stunt flying—in fact, you might want to take a break from flying all together—and no more running into houses,”
“What do you mean, no flying?” Soarin' sits up in bed abnormally fast and winces, “I'm a pegasus, flying is in the blood,” He wiggles his wings.
“You should have thought of that before you ran into a house,” Mendheart shrugs, “I suggest resting. Lots of sleep and rest. And eating,” She stresses the word. Soarin's ears perk as she steps forward and prods a hoof at his ribs. “You're way too skinny! I don't care who--” more glaring at Cash Box, “--told you ta take a diet, you don't need it,”
Braeburn feels the conversation has taken a turn and maybe that he should excuse himself. But Mendheart keeps talking and he doesn't want to interrupt to draw attention to himself. She's not showing it now, but there's still a chance that she'll be upset with him for not bringing Soarin' directly to the clinic knowing that the pegasus had hit his head.
“Let me tell you how this sports thing works,” Mendheart says in response to a half-willed protest from Cash Box, “Athletes work out all the time. They exercise all the time. Exercising makes a diet a moot point. Athletes need the calories or else they'll burn out and their body will start eating their muscle for energy instead of their fat. So, no more diet. Lots more food,” She puts her hoof down as if to say end of conversation, and picks up her bag of doctor things. She gestures to Braeburn as she leaves the room.
Braeburn slips out of the tense room hesitantly. This is it, he thinks. She's going to berate him for being a stupid pony. His ears are drooping when he reaches her side, expecting the worst. She glances at him and stops in the hallway a few doors down from Soarin's room, dropping the bag. Braeburn stares at it and tentatively asks, “Why didn't'cha get yer saddle bags?”
“You said it was an emergency, I didn't want ta waste time fiddlin' with straps,”
He nods, sheepishly then, “Ah'm sorry,”
“For what?”
“Uh,” Was she going to make him say it? To absolutely embarrass himself? “Fer not bringin' him to ya sooner...”
“Silly pony,” She says and he braces himself, “Don't beat yourself up about it,” What? “Usually a bump on the head isn't anything to worry about, just happened ta be something this time,” She shrugs the comment off. “'Sides, I've got a favor to ask you,”
Braeburn perks up and smiles at her, “What can Ah do fer you?”
“Well, I don't trust that Cash Box pony ta not mess with Soarin's recovery. She has good intentions at heart, maybe, but she's really one minded,”
“What'd'ya want me ta do about it?” He asks, thinking maybe he can stop by every now and then to check up on them when the doctor can't.
“Play nurse,”
“What?” If they had been walking he would have stopped in his tracks. Mendheart chuckles lightly.
“I mean, I want you to be Soarin's personal attendant. Take the trip down here make sure he's feeling alright, that he's getting rest and that he eats, spend time with him if he wants, then you can leave,”
“What about the orchard? Ah can't just leave that sittin',”
“Of course not, get Toffee ta help. She's a hard workin' pony and you don't need ta harvest apples today,”
Braeburn thinks it over, but it's true. The orchard is doing fine and just needs somepony to look after it. He doubts that taking care of Soarin' will be all that time consuming so he can go back and take care of all the manual stuff. He finally nods.
“But Ah'm not wearing that nurse outfit you have hidden in yer closet,” Mendheart laughs and shakes her head.
Braeburn finds Toffee quickly, and explains to her his situation. He doesn't tell her that the patient in question is a Wonderbolt, the fact that Soarin' is a famous flier has actually escaped his mind, but Toffee is quick to comply and he finds himself running over a list of things to do with the caramel colored pony. Toffee learns quick enough and, after a quick tour and re-brief the next day, he feels a little better about leaving his orchard behind.
The streets of Appleoosa—and when he's feeling good like this he finds it hard not to let the enthusiasm show in a rampant pose—are bustling already and he smiles friendly-like at his fellow Appleoosans. His hooves quickly bring him to the Inn he'd left the Wonderbolts at and he enters it with a sort of anticipation. He nods to the innkeeper and clops up the wooden stairs to make his way to Soarin's room before knocking politely. He hears a muffled noise that he can't quite make out but assumes it is an invitation so he presses open the door slightly.
He peeks into the room to see the blue pony flopped on the bed with his wings splayed out. “Hey, Soarin'?”
He looks up with tired, frowning eyes. “What's up, Brae?” He pushes himself up into a sitting position, his wings still drooping but looking a bite less depressed.
Braeburn walks into the room and shuts the door before answering with a vague, “Just wanted ta see how yer fairin',”
“Well. Usually I'd be flying around right now, practicing our routine for the next show,” He says and flops his wings, “But I'm under orders to stay put,”
Braeburn snorts and trots up to the pegasus, “Yer under orders not ta do anythin' stressful. You don't need ta stay put,” He smiles widely when Soarin' perks up at the sentence.
“What did'ya have in mind?” Soarin' folds his wings against himself and pulls himself off the bed almost prancing in his place.
“Uh well,” In truth, Braeburn hasn't thought this far. But he's creative, or something, because he comes up with, “Have you eatin' yet?”
“No, but I'm starving!” He's already skipping to the door and Braeburn can feel the anticipation running off of him.
“What're'ya in the mood fer? The Salt Block's a cozy little saloon that serves some o' the best Hay Chips and sandwiches around. Then we have a few market stands that have anythin' from apples n' carrots ta cupcakes,”
“Not many options, huh?”
Braeburn shrugs and starts his way downstairs, keeping a keen eye on his friend, “Appleoosa is barely a year old. Most of us make our own food, grow our own crops in the backyard and sell 'em fer profit. The Salt Block is makin' some on tourism but we ain't had 'nuff o' that ta make buildin' restaurants worth it. Muh orchard is the only thing that's available ta anypony,”
“You don't sell your apples?” Soarin' looks surprised but makes in down the steps perfectly fine.
“'Course not. Everypony needs the apples ta live on. We're not 'xactly the richest town in Equestria. We're a community of salt miners and such. Ah mean, 'course Ah sell them in the market fer tourists and ta the Salt Block and sometimes Ah cover fer AJ when she can't get a shipment of apples somewhere but the orchard is Appleoosa's foundation. 'T'wouldn't be fair ta take that away fer profit,”
“You're a good pony, Braeburn,”
“Nah, Ah'm just doin' what's right,”
Soarin' let's the conversation go without an argument mostly because they've reached the Salt Block, which is where Braeburn's hooves took them. He finds this odd as usually he goes to the market and then just bakes at his home. The Salt Block is reserved for when he has time to be away from the orchard.
He bustles into the watering hole, immediately drawn into the atmosphere the Salt Block permeates. A piano pony plays a wistful tune in the a corner near a tiny stage and the burning oil lamps cast a flickering, home-y light across the wooden floors. There are a hoofful of tables and even less ponies sitting at them, eating or playing cards or a combination. He leads Soarin' to the bar.
The barhoof—Salt Shaker, founder of the Salt Block—stands imposingly behind the counter polishing a glass. The pony isn't as bad or stuffy as he looks, Braeburn has found out that the buck's slender build and incredible height is the root of his stand-offish demeanor. Once a pony gets to know him, he's alright, really.
After setting down his hat, Braeburn orders haychips and carrots because he really isn't that hungry and looks over to Soarin' for his order. The pegasus is looking at the racks behind Salt Shaker, filled with a fine selection of salts, various fermented juices and a small selection of donuts both plain and sprinkled. Catching his look, Soarin' shrugs and mumbles something under his breath that Braeburn can't quite hear. Then louder:
“What do you recommend?”
Braeburn takes a moment to think; he knows Soarin' is almost constantly hungry so maybe he'll appreciate something larger. He mentally runs through the menu—he's memorized it, not such a hard feat considering it takes up maybe a page at most—running through such possibilities as salads, chips, muffins, bread, carrots haychips like his, or even alfalfa, but he doesn't know if Soarin' even likes alfalfa. But he does know that he likes apples.
“Apple salad with uh... carrot fries?” He offers, a flutter in his stomach he realizes is nervousness. He shuts it down, being nervous is silly, there's nothing to be nervous about, and he grasps for the confidence that is second nature to him. He realizes, when he finds that confidence hiding in a corner, that he hasn't really been acting like himself at all and that's unusual. For the moment he'll attribute it to Soarin' being paramount to a superstar (even though he's hardly heard of the Wonderbolts, and never heard of Soarin' before).
“Sure,” Soarin' gives a nonchalant shrug—does he not like the choice?--before getting a quirk in his lips, “What kind of apple salad?” He asks.
“Granny Smith and Pink Lady,” He says, automatically, because he knows where his apples are at any given point in time as long as they stay in Appleoosa or on their delivery routes. He's not one to gush over his favorite tree—though Bloomburg is taking his translocation quite splendidly—but he does like to keep track of and make sure his apples are healthy and safe.
Soarin' smirks, self-satisfied, and Braeburn wonders if he had just walked straight into something that he can't quite see or deduce. Feeling like he's lost a battle he waves Salt Shaker over and orders a salt cube partly out of habit and partly because he doesn't like feeling out of his element and the salt may help, and nods towards Soarin'. For a moment it looks like Soarin' will refuse but then goes for donuts with extra sprinkles and jam filling. The salt dish and a plate of two donuts arrive before their meals and both refrain from them in favor of waiting for their food.
“So. Donuts,” Braeburn observes, not quite asking but inquiring none the less as he studies the confectioneries near the pegasus. Soarin' shrugs, defensive.
“Yeah. They're not any worse than salt,”
“What's wrong with salt?” Now it's Braeburn who is defensive.
“Nothing wrong with it, just what I said,” Soarin' teases, confident now that his preferred vice is defended, “Its just, you couldn't be more stereotypical if you tried,”
Braeburn frowns, raises an eyebrow, “What'd'ya mean by that?”
“I mean,” Soarin' gestures, “That every buck in Frontier towns are always nibblin' on their salts. At least, that's the stereotype where I come from,”
“Well, I don't usually have—” salt. Or any hard intoxicants. Being drunk and trying to buck apples and not injure yourself is more difficult then you'd imagine, but Soarin' interrupts before he can say any of that.
“And look!” Soarin' points to the counter and Braeburn does look, “You have a hat, too! Just like in the movies!”
Braeburn touches his hat in reflex, as if to shield it from scrutiny, “Hey, this is muh da's hat,”
Soarin' grins and raises his hooves in surrender before saying, “It's not as if it doesn't look good on you. I actually like cowpony hats. They're of the more sensible fashion statements you see around,”
Before Braeburn can say that his hat isn't a fashion statement, it's got sentimental value and it's functional to boot, Salt Shaker has set down their food, effectively ending the discussion. Braeburn turns his attention to the warm food in front of them, feeling his stomach clench in new found hunger.
His hay chips look crispy, and after months of eating here he knows that they have a satisfying crunch as well. He glances to Soarin's plate. The salad is an appetizing array of green and pale pinkish yellow slices of apples mixed with garden variety lettuce and draped with some kind of caramel sauce. The carrot fries might have been appealing before they disappeared into Soarin's black hole of a stomach, but he has his own carrots.
Speaking of, he takes a carrot and starts chewing. He doesn't hate carrots. He doesn't like them as much apples or even oranges, but he doesn't hate them. He'd ordered them because he hadn't been feeling hungry and carrots were as about filling as water, though slightly sweet tasting water. When he does eat carrots, he prefers them best at the Salt Block because, for some reason, they seem thicker and more satisfying then anywhere else. He attributes it to the atmosphere.
“These are... nice,” Soarin sayas, licking his lips clean of the bits of fries-flakes that settled there, and starts in on the salad, taking a crunching bite from an apple slice.
“Good nice? Or bad nice? Braeburn asks, finished with his carrots as well and stating on the crisps.
“Good nice. They taste different from the, uh, usual stuff I eat, but they're nice,”
Braeburn nods, accepting the answer. And takes another bite of his chips. He watches out of the corner of his eye as Soarin' eats the salad, and finds himself puzzled when the pegasus doesn't completely devour the apples. Instead he seems to be taking it slow, eyes closing after a bite, soft inhalation before he starts chewing, tongue swiping out occasionally to catch escaped juice, or lettuce or caramel drop.
He jerks his attention to his plate, a warm flush bleeding into his cheeks. He licks at his salt to give it a reason (an acceptable, explainable reason) for being there.
“Ah, these apples are from your orchard, right?” Soarin' startles him, but he feels he conceals it well enough.
“Appleoosa's orchard, but yeah,” He corrects automatically. He takes care of the apples, yes, but the orchard belongs to all of Appleoosa.
“I just knew that,” Soarin' smiles, “All of your apples have this certain... niceness. A good niceness,”
Braeburn feels that flush again, and again he takes a lick of his salt to explain it (or keep up with it) and thanks Soarin' before adding, “But really, all Ah do is help the trees grow. They do all the real hard work themselves,”
Soarin's reply is to take a bite of his donut. Braeburn watches as green eyes light up and he catches sight of a quirk of lips. He seems delightfully happy, for whatever reason, with the donut.
“Ah, Princesses, I haven't had a proper donut in ages,” Soarin's smile widens as he catches a sprinkle on his lips and licks it into his mouth.
“Why not?” Braeburn asks, to keep himself from thinking too hard about how a pony could possibly be jealous of a donut.
“Donuts aren't in Cash Box's diet plan and sprinkled donuts even less so,” Soarin' explains, taking another bite of the pastry, prompting Braeburn to take a healthy lick of his salt because the pegasus moans at the donut's taste this time and he's not sure he can stop his embarrassed flush without some crystalline courage dehydrating him.
Soarin' alternates between the donut and his salad haphazardly—Braeburn notices that Soarin' has gotten over eating delicately and is now taking bigger bites, faster, and it relieves the bubble of anxiety he didn't know he had—and Braeburn follows his example, licking his salt and chewing on his crisps. He finds the silence that lapses over them as they finish their meals to be companionable and friendly.
Soarin' takes it upon himself to order the pair of them a shared serving of hay fries, (”These are good, Brae,” Soarin' says after leaving his salad to taste them) to accompany them as they start on their respective salt and donuts in earnest. It's not too long before Braeburn is feeling a pleasant, body-warming buzz and he thinks that Soarin' has to be pretty tipsy, too because he laughs and then Soarin' laughs and then they start talking again.
“I've never been in a saloon before!” Soarin' starts.
“'S not 'xactly a saloon,” Braeburn points out, even though hes pretty sure that the Salt Block, is, in fact, a saloon.
Soarin' shrugs, “Close enough!” and takes another bite of his donut. A thought must strike him because he laughs out loud.
“What's so funny?” Braeburn thinks (worries) that it might be himself, but even on the chance that it's not he wants to know the joke.
“Well, I just remembered,” Soarin' chuckles, “It's kind of stupid,”
Braeburn shrugs, a silent invitation to continue without making commitments.
“Okay, well, when I just arrived in Appleoosa--” And here he is interrupted by Braeburn because the earth pony is getting drunk and happy and excited.
“Appleooosa!” And it's accompanied with front hooves pawing the air and a nicker. Soarin' smirks, indulges him and repeats himself.
“When I arrived in Appleooosa--” He does a pale imitation of Braeburn's excited movements, “--I was looking around at the wagons and all the wood and buildings and I thought This looks like a movie set,” And his eyes were sparkling like they must have when he thought that, Braeburn observes, as his friend looks around the Salt Block like he's in a memory and finding it wonderful.
“That's not stupid,” Braeburn defends, because he imagines that would be his reaction going to any big city, “But you're like, a movie star or somethin', shouldn't you be used ta movie sets?”
“Nah, I'm a Wonderbolt.” Soarin' says with obvious pride, shoulders straightening back, “I do stunts, that's all,” And Soarin' laughs again and Braeburn is glad the pegasus isn't mad at him for forgetting the obvious distinctions between a movie star and a athletic one.
“You've got the looks for it,” Braeburn offers.
“No, no! I mean, you'd look better on-screen then me,” He gestures vaguely at Braeburn's head, “You've even got a movie star-tier mane!”
Braeburn shakes his head, then stops when he feels his mane rustle around his shoulders, and fights the urge to put his hat on and cover the mess from sight. He doesn't want to talk about his mane, movie star-tier or (as he suspects) not, so he tries diverting the conversation with another round which Soarin' accepts as a defeat.
He will regret this later, probably the next morning, but for the moment he doesn't care because his head is deliciously light and he feels like he can float better then a pegasus. Braeburn doesn't remember the last time he got drunk on salt, but he does remember the morning after, and suffering through Promonotory's train team's extreme pleasure with the fact that he had been late instead of them despite them being just as knackered as he'd been.
It does cross his mind that getting a sugar high probably isn't the best possible thing for Soarin's head injury, but he supposes it can't be horrible for him as long as Soarin' doesn't get a hold of his salt or anything stronger. Right now, it's really hard for him to be concerned with Soarin's state of health because the pegasus is badgering him about his hat in a topic completely unrelated to stardom but completely related to farm-work and why the hat is necessary.
Braeburn slurs something he hopes sounds like “It keeps the sun outta muh eyes,” but even he can hear his accent muddy the words. Soarin' either understands it because of his extremely hyper senses or ignores it completely as he doesn't ask for a repeat, instead nabbing the hat from Braeburn's hooves to look at it close up.
“This is so cool!” The pegasus says through a smile, turning the hat around and around before getting a wicked grin on his face and slapping the five gallon on his head. “How do I look?”
Braeburn readies a genial reply, Like a pegasus playing cowpony, or some such but when his eyes actually pause and focus in his inebriated state the semi-witty phrase he'd prepared fluttered away. Soarin' doesn't look any different, physically. He's still a pony with a coat just lighter then the blue sky at the hottest point of day or, conversely, just bluer then an overcast morning. He still has a stormy blue mane with a striking sky-blue sheen. Apple green eyes. Wings. The difference is that he's wearing a cow pony hat.
Braeburn's cowpony hat.
Well. Of course he is, Braeburn saw him put it on. That doesn't change the fact that his throat feels dry and his face is too hot and Soarin' is wearing his hat that his pa gave him when he was still a colt and he didn't look too bad in it.
He blinks.
Soarin's eyebrow raises in what might be amusement of concern, he can't really tell, the world is kind of funny right now. Like. There shouldn't be two of Soarin', right? Because two of Soarin', somehow both in his pa's hat and looking back at his was too much and not fair.
“Since I don't think my face is that horrible looking, you've had too much salt,”
He groans in agreement and lets his head fall against the bar which, quite suddenly seems like the proper place to put his face. Besides cooling down his cheek, it has the added benefit of hiding his flush from Soarin'.
“Come on, uh, hey, Bar Pony—right, right, Mister Salt, sorry—can we get some water? Yeah, uh, please?” Braeburn has a vague thought that he should be able to focus on Salt Shaker's part of the conversation, but that would take too much effort so he resigns himself to only Soarin's part. Not that he thinks that's particularly horrible, Soarin's voice is very soothing.
“Brae took a bit too much salt, I guess,” How is it, he thinks, listening as Salt Shaker moves to get a glass of water, that Soarin's voice is fine. He Sugar-High shouldn't he be talking fast or something? A glass is set down beside him and he abandons his train of thought to slurp it down, feeling his head clear just a bit.
“We should get you back to your place. You're gonna need to sleep that off,” Braeburn gives a grunt of agreement before letting his head fall back down this time landing in something wet and smelling of apples and caramel. He jerks back up coughing and starts trying to wipe caramel and lettuce off his face. Out of the corner of his eye he catches Soarin' as he bursts into peals of laughter.
“Why? This is so gross!” Soarin' continues laughing at his misfortune, almost giggling, and practically falling off his seat—that he recovered from the dangerous tip leaves Braeburn feeling slighted, karma should've dictated that Soarin' fell on his flank for all that laughter—the laughter having to be fueled by the coma-inducing amounts of sugar he ingested because it takes forever for it to finally taper into quiet chuckles.
“You fell in my salad!” This sets off another bout of giggles that last until Braeburn pulls some bits out of his vest and sets them on the counter—not bothering with the exact amount, knowing Salt Shaker will reimburse him the next time he comes in—and hops off the seat to head out.
“Hey, wait up!” Braeburn does, because he remembers that Soarin's the one with the concussion, not him, and then promptly forgets that he's irked at the pegasus for the salad incident and the laughing uncontrollably once he catches sight of his hat on Soarin's head. Still.
The clear, hot air fights to clear his head but only serves to make him thirstier. He turns towards the Inn Soarin' is staying at and the pegasus walks next to him. Their shoulders almost brush, Braeburn's swagger sending him closer to Soarin' then strictly necessary, but salt does that to a pony.
There's an amiable silence in which Braeburn ponders his friend, concentrates on not tripping over his hooves, watches Soarin' nearly shiver with the pent up energy of sugar, and focuses on keeping in a semi-straight line.
In a lucid moment, about a block away from the inn he feels like he is hyper aware of everything, or at least of Soarin'. He can feel the heat of Soarin's body and the thrumming tenses of his muscles. When he turns his head he believes that he sees every feather on Soarin's wings vibrating with the need to move.
He blames Soarin' for tripping.
It couldn't be him, he doesn't even remember the transition from standing to lying on the dirt road with Soarin's face staring down at him.
“You alright?” He grins sheepishly (drunkenly) at Soarin's concern.
“Yeah, Ah'm fine,”
“I should probably make sure you get home alright,”
“But Ah'm s'posed ta make sure you get back fine,”
“A little role reversal should be good for you, then,”
Something about that sentence strikes Braeburn dumb (he's still wearing his hat), so he agrees with Soarin' and lets himself get pulled up and pushed in a direction away from the inn. He stays dumbstruck for a minute or two, but regains enough mental capability in time for Soarin's question.
“How exactly do we get you to your house again?”
It takes both of them to navigate to Braeburn's house (“I don't remember this being here.” “It's my house, I should know whether there's a shortcut or not,” “Didn't we pass this tree already?” “No, this one's Macerana, the other one was Macbeth,”) and they both stood at the base of the rocky cliff leading to Braeburn's house with more than a bit of trepidation.
“How are we getting up there?” Soarin' asks him.
“Ah have no clue,” Braeburn admits.
It, again, takes both of them to navigate up the cliff. Braeburn is, naturally, in front, picking the path mostly from muscle memory, and Soarin' is behind him, playing catcher. Braeburn doesn't slip, even half-drunk he's amazed by this. Soarin' does slip, but he catches Braeburn's tail between his teeth and flaps his wings instinctively there by keeping them both from tumbling down.
Braeburn has a head ache by the time they get to his house though Soarin's hasn't come down from his high just yet. He trudges through the front door and manages to get to an old sofa before he collapses. He blinks, sees Soarin' trot through the door, before he falls asleep.
He wakes up almost immediately, he thinks, and his head throbs. He lets out a groan and shuts his eyes again wishing the head ache away. The blood pounds so hard in his skull he nearly overlooks the clip-clopping of hooves in his kitchen but he's not stupid even suffering from a hang over. Blinking his eyes open, feeling his body tense in preparation for whatever came through the doorway from his kitchen, he feels blessedly lucid until the pony making the hoofsteps is visible.
“Yer still wearin' muh hat,”
“What? Oh, yeah. I guess I am,” Soarin' flushes, beneath Braeburn's hat, the blush a neat purple on his coat. “I can take it off, I mean, if you don't want me wearing it,”
“No! Ah mean. You can wear it. It's fine. Looks good on you, anyways,” Braeburn has no idea why he likes Soarin' wearing his hat, but he does and his headache has returned with a vengeance so he doesn't dwell on that too much.
“Oh, cool!” Soarin' resumes his trot and Braeburn notices that he's balancing a cup of water and an apple on his outstretched wings. When he's close enough, Soarin' kneels and offers the cup and apple to him.
“Thanks,” He manages the cup with his hooves and gulps down the water, the head ache receding a bit more, and also takes the offered apple. When he sets the glass aside and takes a bite of his apple he notices that Soarin' looks a bit strung out. He's surprised that the sugar lasted this long, Soarin' hadn't had an enormous amount of donuts. He moves over on the sofa and offers the empty end to Soarin' who flops into it neatly.
Braeburn crunches on his apple, his headache slipping into submission, and watches Soarin' who is watching him while awaiting his inevitable crash. Braeburn's almost finished with the apple when Soarin' groans and slumps in the couch. Braeburn resists laughing at the sullen face Soarin' makes.
“You should probably stay here until you even out,”
He takes Soarin's grunt as acceptance.
He intends to get up and maybe fix Soarin' some water for when he feels up to it, but Soarin's hoof stops his movement quite easily. He looks over at the pegasus, who has managed to wriggle over to his side of the couch.
“Stop movin' Brae,” He does so (Soarin' saying Brae in that gruff, annoyed and sleepy voice has got to be against the law or something) and Soarin' manages to use Braeburn's side as a pillow before Braeburn even realizes he'd stopped moving. He looks over at Soarin's head, finding that he can only see his hat and suddenly wishing he'd asked Soarin' to give it back.
He counts in his head to a reasonable number and asks, after realizing Soarin' apparently has no intentions of moving, “Are you tryin' ta fall asleep on me?”
“Yes,” Comes the reply.
“Why,”
A few seconds pass before Soarin' deigns to reply to him.
“'Cause you smell like apples,” A snort, “It's a conspiracy,”
And then Soarin' goes to sleep. |
Kamaete | 646 | 5 | Braeburn,Soarin,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Thunderstruck | He might even admit that he's keen on the buck, but he has responsibilities other then himself. | hiatus | 85 | 6 | <p>Soarin' doesn't mind the stallion taking care of him and he might even admit that he's keen on the buck. It's a respite from the starstruck life he's become accustomed to, and he enjoys some of the best pies he's ever had, but, with all things, there's always things that come up. A collection of chapters based on novel prompts.</p><p>[on hiatus do to several things but not abandoned]</p> | teen | 2012-02-20T21:32:16+00:00 | 2013-10-25T04:36:53+00:00 | 3,594 | [ Starstruck ]
by Kamaete
Although her eyes are neither golden nor heavenly blue, Terri Stambaugh has the vision of an angel, for she sees through you and knows your truest heart, but loves you anyway, in spite of all the ways that you are fallen from a state of grace.
--Odd Thomas, pg 50
“That's wonderful news!” Spitfire said as Dr. Tenderheart nudged open the door to leave.
“What's wonderful news?” Thunder Rush trots through the door that Tenderheart holds open, two glasses of water balanced on her outstretched wings.
“There's wonderful news?” Cash Box trots in after her, levitating two more glasses, floating them over to Spitfire and Soarin' before snatching one from Thunder for herself.
“The doctor proclaimed me fit and healthy. A tumble ain't gonna keep me down for long!” Soarin' spreads his wings and strikes a pose.
“That's great! You made it in time for the show!”
“And this means no more bed rest!”
“We should celebrate!” Thunder Rush's and Cash Box's voices melted together enough that Soarin' couldn't really tell which exclamation came from whom, but it doesn't really matter as they both agreed with each other and left the room, dragging the doctor with them.
Soarin' watches them disappear, faintly amused at their eagerness. Spitfire laughs and takes a drink from her water, glancing at him nonchalantly.
“So,” She starts, leaving the rest of her sentence hanging in the air for him to figure out.
“Yeah?” He asks, trotting to the coldbox in the corner of the room, he nudges it open and looks at the collection of apples neatly stacked inside. He picks a shiny red one and crunches into it, nearly missing Spitfire's question.
“Where were you all morning?”
“Hmmcrunchcrunch,” He swallows the bit of apple and clears his throat. “I was with Braeburn,”
“The cowpony?”
“Mm-hmm,” He takes another bite of the apple.
“What'd you guys do? We thought somepony had foalnapped you,”
He slowly finishes chewing, testing Spitfire's patience. She purses her lips in annoyance.
“Well, we ate breakfast. We should take Thunder and Cash to the Salt Block, it's got some good food,”
“The Salt Block? Isn't that the little saloon down the street?”
“Yup,” He nods, “It's got this really nice apple salad you should try,”
“You guys stayed at a bar for the whole morning?”
“Of course not,” He takes another bite, loudly crunching over her face of intrigue.
She waits until he finishes chewing before asking, “Then what happened?”
He shrugs and trots to the bed and jumps on it. “You gonna go over the moves with me? I need to catch up,”
“You don't need to catch up, you were out of commission for a day and a half,”
“But that's a day and a half without flying,” He whines. Spitfire rolls her eyes.
“Fine, I'll practice with you if you tell me what happened.”
He takes another bite of the apple and briefly closes his eyes before starting his story. When he's sure Spitfire is anxious with anticipation he starts.
“Well, Brae came over and offered breakfast, which I of course accepted, so he showed me to the Salt Block. I wasn't too sure about it, you know? I mean, it's a bar, so how can there be good food there? But Brae suggested this awesome salad—which was magnificent, you need to try it sometime Spit—and then he got some salt cubes so I got some donuts. With sprinkles. They have awesome donuts there. Not as good as Pony Joe's that time we went, but close enough,” He pauses to breath and Spitfire takes the moment to interrupt.
“You got sugar high when you had a concussion? Soarin'--”
“Well, nothing bad happened, Spits,”
“But that's bad for you, you could of made your concussion worse!”
“Well, Brae would of taken care of it,” He dismisses with an eye roll.
“He's a stranger, Soarin', you're giving him way too much trust. You said he was having salts? Well, how do you know he wouldn't be too intoxicated to do anything if something happened?”
“He's not like that, Spitfire. He was watchin' out for me,”
“Fine, go on,”
“Fine. Okay, well, we talked a lot. Did you know that those cowpony hats actually have a use? They've got a wide brim so the rain and sun don't get into anypony's eyes while they work! Anyways, I ended up stealing his hat and then Braeburn fell into my salad and I laughed really, really hard, and then we decided to get back here 'cause he was feeling a bit dizzy,” He pauses again and Spitfire gestures for him to continue.
“While we were on our way back to the Inn, he fell flat on his face, so I, being the gentlecolt I am, decided I should make sure he got home safely,”
“You're the one with the concussion, though,”
“That's what he said. Anyways, after an epic adventure to Braeburn's house he passed out on his couch and I decided to get him some water so his head didn't feel like a bronco bucked him. By the time he woke up I was crashing and he offered the other half of the couch to me, so I slept the sugar off. Then I woke up, Brae fixed some lunch and I came back.”
Spitfire stays suspiciously quiet, studying him through slightly narrowed eyes until he gets the shivers. He flicks his wing out to brush her shoulder.
“What, no comments on how I shouldn't have gone to a stranger's house, mom?”
“That was a sucky story,” She says, “I thought you guys, like, brought home some flappers or something,”
“Spitfire!” He slams his hooves against his ears.
“Maybe watched some Mares gone Wild, you know, buck stuff,”
“Stop it, my innocent ears!”
Spitfire snorts and pushes off the bed, “Well, as soon as your 'innocent ears' are finished being traumatized, I'll be at out practicing,” With that, she swishes her tail and leaves the room.
“Oh hey, wait up!” Soarin' stumbles off the bed after her, refusing to miss out on drills for another day.
As soon as the two exit the Inn, Spitfire snaps open her wings and jumps into the air. With little hesitation Soarin' follows, launching himself off the ground, startling an earth pony walking towards them. He barely pauses enough to apologize before racing after Spitfire's trail. A grin inches across his face, slowly widening in time to the beat of his wings. The wind rushes against him, yanking his hair back and tugging on his body, berating him, he thinks, for keeping it waiting so long.
Ahead, Spitfire's trajectory starts to incline, and he instinctively follows, pushing the himself harder, propelling him upwards into the bright, open sky. The slight protesting of his muscles only sharpens his drive as he climbs higher into the atmosphere. Ten yards ahead of him Spitfire reaches the apex of her climb and she folds her wings close to herself. Soarin' flares his wings, loosing as much speed as he can while Spitfire's body hangs at the height of her potential momentum.
A moment, and then Spitfire succumbs to gravity and starts falling, angling earthwards. She passes Soarin' and he dives after her, starting a spiral around Spitfire's forming contrail. He shifts so his spirals wind tighter and tighter as his teammate gets closer to the ground. His wings work hard to keep him only yards behind Spitfire's dive and tension builds in his chest with each forceful flap. He starts counting, slowly, in his head.
Ten. He fights against the wind resisting his dive. Nine. Sparks from Spitfire's contrail send electricity through him. Eight. His head is light from all the spinning but in a good way. Seven. He can see the coat colors of the Appleoosans below. Six. And now he can see their manes. Five. The epinephrine flooding his systems make him giddy. Four. Three seconds left. Three. He bites his lip and watches Spitfire carefully for his cue. Two. The knowledge that the dive will soon become a disaster if they didn't pull up floods him. One.
Spitfire spreads out her wings and sharply angles out of the dive. Soarin' snaps his close and carefully merges into the smoke contrail behind her, once hidden in the dense trail he resumes flight behind her. The crackling of lightning messes with his mane and, without his suit, dances lightly over his skin. Smirking, he speeds up, chasing after Spitfire.
Electricity builds up in his mane and his fur, he can nearly taste it on his tongue and see it sparking off of him. When he does see a flash of light he bursts out of Spitfire's cloud, pleased to see he's right behind her. She slows just enough and he rolls around her, brushing his wing against hers. The static electricity built up around him immediately jumps off him, leaping to her feathers and back to his. Slowly, they spin around each other, building the electricity between them until it reaches a spitting, crackling fury.
With a shared glance they both start another upward trek, carrying the electricity with them. When the town was out of their blast range they immediately stopped, forcefully reversing their trek, releasing the miniature storm they created between the two of them. The lightning snaps across the sky, flashing in bright, abstract shapes, arcing across the sky of Appleoosa before shimmering, then dissipating.
A cheer rises from below and Soarin' looks down to see a crowd of ponies in the town square, clapping at their spontaneous show. He meets Spitfire's gaze and laughs, exhilarated. How he'd managed to go a day without flying he wasn't entirely sure (hovering when stumbling off cliffs not withstanding), and he didn't plan on doing so again.
“Woohoo! Yeah! I'm on fire, today!” He pumps his wings and trots in his place, swishing his mane back and forth. “You hear that crowd, Spits? I can't wait for our next show!” He holds out his hoof, waving it in her general direction, wiggling it when she fails to understand its purpose immediately.
“You are such a foal,” She laughs and finally hits his hoof with her own.
“Yeah, but you love me anyway,”
“Now what would give you that idea?” She blinks innocently.
Soarin' pouts and turns his nose away, frowning at his friend's wit, and starting his way back down to Appleoosa. The group in the town square had started to disperse a bit, but a few were still waving and cheering at them. He raised a hoof at them and did a small loop-de-loop just because, smiling when another little cheer erupted.
Squinting, he could see a few of the ponies he recognized—the sheriff, though he looked like he was just walking, an old pony he thinks he remembers from the bar—but he finds himself disappointed for some reason. It takes him a bit before he realizes it's because he doesn't see Braeburn. A free show and he didn't even see it! He's only slightly surprised that feels like that, flying is his one true love (disregarding pies, of course) and of course he wants to share that.
He laughs as the epinephrine coils through his system and his heart races and his body quivers. A day, he decides, is much too long to avoid flying. He closes his eyes and feels the warmth of the sun, a gentle radiation and a warm, enthusiastic glow.
“I want to fly with Brae,” the words tumble, unbidden, from his mouth. He glances to the side, at Spitfire, and refuses to acknowledge the warmth in his cheeks. Her sly smile clearly said I knew it wasn't just hanging out at the saloon.
“You should invite him to our rehearsal,” she says.
“I should?” He smiles, “I mean, I should!” He prances a few feet, almost running into somepony. He apologizes meekly. Spitfire giggles and gestures with a flick of her wing to follow him into the Salt Block.
She doesn't look back to see if he does follow her, but Soarin' does anyway, of course. He passes through the threshold of the swinging doors and a warmth rushes through him as he imagines himself and Braeburn sitting at the bar earlier. He joins Spitfire at a small table and waits for Salt Shaker to ask for drink and leave before he continues their conversation.
“But, how should I ask him?” He peers up at his friend, suddenly shy.
“You,” She taps her chin and looks at him with sly eyes, “You're sweet on him, aren't you?”
“Spits!” Soarin' gapes at the yellow pegasus, “I'm not!”
“Come on Soar', you do nothing but talk about him and we just met,”
He firmly hides behind his wings and his hooves, briefly wondering if his head could catch fire from his embarrassment.
“I don't mind, you know. Colt-cuddling isn't an uncommon thing now-a-days,” He feels her hoof touch one of his and he peeks between the feathers of his wings to see a slightly concerned face. Her warm, amber eyes are honest and accepting.
“I just... I do like him, he's really— I feel like I'm a normal guy around him, not a Wonderbolt Star,” He pulls his wings back from his face before continuing. “I not ready... I don't think I'm a colt cuddler. I just like a colt,” He shifts in his seat.
Whenever he had caught Braeburn staring at him this morning, a rush of feelings would flood his head, but he'd though it was the sugar playing interference. Sugar that crossed some wires in his brain and gave him enough care-free attitude to enjoy hanging out with someone who didn't ask for his autograph or stare at him with the awe-worship that fans had. But even when the buzz wore off enough to think a bit clearer he'd liked taking care of Brae, even if it was a small thing, like getting water ready for him when he woke up.
His actions had been oddly similar to what he would do for Spitfire or any of his other teammates had the situation been different. Minus the using Brae for a pillow. And that is the difference, isn't it? He feels butterflies in his stomach, brushing gossamer wings against his insides whenever Brae opens his mouth. Or looks at him. Or when he could study Brae's features when the other was looking away from him.
It is confusing, of course it is. He's never had any interest in stallions before and the thought that he might be switching it up now scares him. It's a deviation, an unplanned flourish in the middle of a complicated but well-practiced routine. He doesn't even know the mechanics of a relationship between two stallions. Would it be similar to what he would do with a mare?
“What are you thinking?”
Soarin' blinks his eyes and focuses on Spitfire's sassy little smirk.
“Nothing, what do you think?”
She didn't say anything, but she did, not so subtly, point to his wings which, belatedly, he realized were stiff and spread. His flamed and he gasped like a fish out of water, staring wide-eyed at his traitorous wings. “I don't even...” He buries his face in his hooves and tries to force his wings back to his side.
“So, what were you thinking?” She prompts again.
“Just that...” He mumbles quietly and avoids her eyes, then adds, “I don't even know if he likes me. I don't know if I like him, like, really, really like him like that,”
“Invite him to our site rehearsal,” she said, “He'll see you flying, he'll see you at your best. And it's not suspicious, it's something a friend would do.”
“Can I just ask him that? Just, 'hey, Brae, come watch me fly?'” He looks at Spitfire, his brow in a confused furrow.
“You can,” She answers, “How would you ask me?”
“I wouldn't. You're flying with me,”
“She sighs and rolls her eyes. “How would you invite me to hang out? To go see a movie or dinner?”
“Dinner!” Soarin' shouts, and idea rustling in his brain, “That's it!”
“I don't follow...”
“We invite him to dinner first and then the team can ask him to the rehearsal! Absolutely no pressure on me!” He smiles brilliantly.
“But doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of you asking him out?”
“What if he refuses? At least it won't feel personal if he's rejecting the entire team,”
“But what if he accepts?” She counters with a sly eyebrow raised. “It won't feel personal if he's accepting the offer from the entire team.”
“I...” He falters and Spitfire laughs, waving that off.
“We'll invite him to dinner,” She says and he nods his head but there's a feeling in his chest that he doesn't know exactly what he's agreeing to.
They finish their meals and leave the saloon to head back to the Inn where they'd hopefully find Cash and Thunder. There is a silence around them, though it's not oppressing or awkward, just companionable as they both think of a reason to have a team dinner. Or, well, that's what Soarin' had been thinking about before he found himself looking at the Appleoosan scenery. It really was different from what he's used to. Usually the team puts on shows in bigger cities, but Appleoosa was large and had clear skies most of the year, which is surprisingly hard to find.
The weather isn't the only thing different, he notices. The very feeling of Appleoosa is different from the other cities.
Cloudsdayle, for example, is always lazy feeling. There is constant motion: the billowing clouds, pegasi flying in the sky, a unicorn or two trotting around, very rarely a griffon will visit. The residents who aren't working a shift in the Rainbow or Weather Factories are on the Weather Patrol, a field job that requires you to take a post on a cloud and scan the skies until you need to clear or position a weather formation. The only time there's really a commotion in Cloudsdayle is when there's a concert, or festival or Wonderbolt show.
Manehatten always feels busy, Canterlot always feels stuffy at least in the high society circles, Staliongrad is kind of rigid, Fillydelphia is industrial, Trottingham is mellow, but he hasn't ever really felt something like Appleoosa.
There's a unified harmony here, he thinks. Everypony has something to do, but he often sees one stop to help another, or greetings being called out. Everypony knows everypony and likes everypony, it seems. It's like a large family. He feels, as he walks through it at Spitfire's side, that he's on the outside of some window looking inside a home.
“Cash Box! Just the mare I wanted to see!” Spitfire's greeting pulls him back, and he focuses on his manager catching sight of them and trotting towards them, Thunder in tow.
“There you guy are!”
“Yeah, went back to the room and you weren't there, gave Cash a bit of a fright,” Thunder rolled her eyes.
“You two need to leave a note or something when you leave,” Cash Box chastised, “We can't afford to misplace you two! What if you'd been injured?” She gives a quick glance towards Soarin'.
“Cash, we were just practicing a bit, getting Soarin' back on his wings,” Spitfire appeases.
“Yeah, it's not like I'm made of glass,” He tells his manager, sniffing as if affronted.
“Well, even if you were glass I'm sure Spitfire wouldn't get you in any trouble,”
He shrugs.
“Anyway, Cash, do you know of any good restaurants around here?”
Cash box shrugs, “Not really, why?”
“We thought it'd be a good idea to have a team dinner now that I'm back in commission,” Soarin' offers.
“That's a good idea,” Thunder nudged Cash, “We should have a team dinner, Cashy!”
“It sounds nice, but where's a good place?”
Spitfire shrugs then lights up, like she's thought of something clever, “We can ask Braeburn,”
“Yeah, he knows this place the back of his hoof!” Soarin' puts in, nearly prancing. His idea was great!
“Who knows the place like the back of his hoof?”
Soarin' turns to see the very object of their conversation trotting towards them, carrying some saddle bags.
“You, of course,” He says, craning his head a bit to see that Braeburn's saddle bags had his red apple cutie mark embroidered on the clasps. They look sturdy.
“Yeah, we wanted to know if you could help with something,” Spitfire waves the cowpony towards the group with her wing.
“Well, how ken I be of service then?” Braeburn tips his hat to the girls and smiles at Soarin' as he comes towards them.
Spitfire explains the situation as Soarin' kind of just stares at Braeburn with his heart in his throat. The sunlight pours a dusty orange glow over Braeburn and casts a deep shadow from his hat onto his eyes. He glances over at Spitfire who looks like a living flame in the daylight, with rippling orange and yellow for her mane and brilliantly sharp coat. He looks back to Braeburn, a mellow sunbeam. Thunder Rush is bright against the landscape, bright white and electric yellow hair, a flair of lightning captured in pony form, even Cash Box looked nice with her green fur and sandy mane. What he can see of himself—his pale blue hoof—doesn't look nearly as flattering with the light around him. He kind of looks like a washed out marshmellow, he thinks.
“So do you know a nice place?” Spitfire asks.
“Oh, well, the only really nice place here is the Salt Block,” Braeburn says. “But it gets kind of full and loud sometimes.”
Soarin' frowns—pouts really—because if they don't have a place to eat dinner then they can't invite Braeburn to dinner and then they can't ask Braeburn to watch the show.
“Ah, well, I ken talk to Salt Shaker an' see if he can't set off the back room for you guys,” Braeburn hastily adds.
“Oh, that would be nice, if it's not too much trouble,” Cash says.
“T'ain't a drop of trouble. I'd love to, for you guys,” Braeburn assures.
“Well that's settled, then, thank you Braeburn,” Cash lifts her hoof to shake Braeburn's to set the deal.
“We were actually wondering,” Spitfire cuts in, “If you could join us.”
“We wer—?” Thunder receives a covert kick from Spitfire, “Oh, yes, we were. I mean, you've been so helpful,”
“Oh no, I really couldn't impose like that,”
“No, you wouldn't be imposing! I mean, you really helped yesterday and this morning,” Soarin' rushes in. He scrapes a hoof against the dirt, “It'd be really nice if you could join us,”
“Uh, well,” Soarin' avoids looking at Braeburn while he waits for a yes or no, “I guess I could, if it's no trouble to y'all, or anything,”
“No trouble at all,” Soarin' asserts.
“Would Friday work?” Spitfire asks, “That's not too soon, right?”
“I think that'll do. I'll ask Shaker today and get back to you guys later. I'm actually picking something up right now...”
“Oh, we didn't mean to keep you. We'll see you later,” Cash waves.
“Right, uh bye,” Braeburn returns the wave.
Soarin' takes a few steps from Braeburn with his team and manager before turning back around and asking, “Hey, Brae, do you need any help?”
Braeburn blinks and smiles at him, “Sure, Soar', that'd be great,”
“Cool, see ya later guys,” He waves to his teammates. He catches Spitfire's eyes and her knowing little smirk before he trots to Brae.
“So what'cha getting?”
“Just some stuff.” Soarin' keeps staring inquisitively at Braeburn's face so he adds, “Some of the tools have been worn down a bit so I decided I should start fixing them. I'm just picking up the stuff to do that.”
“Oh, cool,” Soarin' nods his head again. |
HeirApparent | 648 | 1 | Dark,Sad | Dusk | A mysterious darkness has fallen over Equestria, bringing with it revelations for several ponies | cancelled | 35 | 3 | <p>What lies in the fog, that covers Equestria?<br />What sleeps in the shadows, that lurk in one's soul?<br />What waits in the dark, that consumes all it touches?<br /><br />We are about to find out.<br /><br />Cover image used with permission of takaiwolf (<a href="http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/">http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/</a>)</p> | teen | null | 2011-11-18T20:03:22+00:00 | 1,449 | “The unique magic of Alicorns has long been a mystery to Ponykind. They are creatures of immense strength, capable of guiding celestial bodies with little more than a thought. Their power is unrivaled, even by the greatest Unicorn mages.
Where did all this power come from? Our two Princesses, Celestia of the Sun and Luna of the Night, refuse to speak of their youth, of the most developmental years of their existence. And as far as we know, there are no other Alicorns, or least there have not been any for the past millennia.
With no answers in sight, the studies of Alicorn magic have long been discarded…”
Luna sighed as the book thumped back onto her bed, her telekinetic grasp on it released. The tome’s binding snapped shut, revealing a beautifully engraved cover. Large, flowery script proudly proclaimed the title, Magical Mysteries and Arcane Ambiguities. The Princess had thought the book might make for an interesting read, but found that she simply could not continue.
“Ignorance is bliss,” she softly muttered to herself. Rising to her feet, she grimaced slightly as the muscles in her legs protested the movement, numb after resting under her body for the past few hours. Luna, however, welcomed the discomforting feeling. It was proof that she was back, that she was in control of her body. The Princess was back, the Nightmare was gone.
A few seconds later, the mattress adjusted itself as the Princess leapt off it, landing on the marble floor of her bedroom. Her hooves clacked lightly against the ground, the coolness exhilarating after lying on her warm bed for so long. Luna’s horn began to glow, and a glimmering shroud enveloped the book still resting on her bed. Lifting such a small object was nothing for the mistress of the moon; the volume soon rested on a bedside table, next to several other large manuscripts which Luna had selected for her nightly reading session. But, Luna knew that she wouldn’t find herself able to read for the rest of the night.
A short walk brought the Alicorn to a glass door. A light shove, and Luna was able to step out onto her balcony. Glancing down, the Princess was able to observe all of Canterlot, the illustrious capital of the nation she and her sister had helped create. A smile slowly spread across her face, as she examined her many subjects. Although most chose to rest during her night, there were a few ponies still wandering the streets. A group of adolescent stallions were raising a light ruckus a few miles away, their antics illuminated by the full moon. A pair of sweethearts nuzzled each other on a park bench, bathing in the starlight. Some Pegasus ponies on the night shift flew about, kicking or moving clouds, preparing for the next day’s weather forecast, sunny with a slight chance of rain. Luna’s night may have not held the crowds that gathered during her sister’s day, but the dark-blue Alicorn had decided that she preferred it this way.
Turning her gaze upward, Luna’s eyes searched the vast expanse of sky that was her canvas, her ever-shifting masterpiece. Stars twinkled brightly, far away planets slowly danced along their orbit, and the occasional comet flashed across the expanse of space. Most prominent by far, however, was the moon. Tonight, it was at its fullest and its brightest, shining its light all across Equestria. Smiling at the orb, Luna again wondered how she could ever have been jealous of her sister and her sun. Celestia may have the brighter sphere, but Luna’s was the more beautiful by far. Although the Princess knew its surface was ridden with craters and mountains, at this distance the celestial body seemed to be perfect, with nary a flaw to speak of.
Luna sighed, and slowly walked back into her bedroom. A slight flicker in the corner of her eye caused her to turn around with a start, head raised and wings outstretched. Another Alicorn looked back at her, equally startled, a navy coat and sky-blue mane perfectly accenting a cutie-mark of a crescent moon. Sighing with relief, Luna approached the mirror, examining her reflection. Although she’d never admit it, Luna knew that like her elder sister, she was quite beautiful. There were many stallions who would find themselves enchanted by her unearthly splendor, who would gladly fall in love with the newest Princess of Equestria. But, what did they know of beauty? What did they know of looking beyond the skin, of searching a pony’s heart?
All too well, Luna knew of the darkness that lurked inside her, the hatred and jealously that seethed and boiled beneath a layer of reason and love. Luna knew that she would never be free of these feelings, that the evil locked deep within her soul was just as timeless as she was. Even now, she could feel it gnawing at her, whispering in her ear…
“No!” Luna exclaimed forcefully, stamping her hoof against the cold floor. This was not going to happen again. Not now, not ever. She had walked down that path once, and found nothing but loneliness and despair. Shaking her head, Luna forced herself to turn away from the mirror, to ignore the whispers in her ears. She was stronger now, she had found something, no, somepony to stand by. Six ponies, to be precise.
A light smile again returned to Luna’s lips, as thoughts of her friends enveloped her mind. Twilight Sparkle, one of the brightest and most powerful unicorns in recorded history. Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer to come out Cloudsdale for centuries, and the only pony in recorded history to perform a Sonic Rainboom. Applejack, the hardworking farm horse, known for her boundless strength and eternal loyalty. Fluttershy, the kindest mare a pony could ever hope to meet, but strong as a dragon when called upon. Rarity, the most elegant unicorn in all of Ponyville, possibly all of Equestria. And Pinkie Pie, the… who… and Pinkie Pie.
A dark glow lit the Alicorn’s horn, as Luna summoned a quill and book from a nearby desk. Maybe tonight would finally be the night she wrote the letter.
Taking a deep breath, Luna began speaking aloud as she wrote. “Dearest Twilight Sparkle, I cannot thank you and your friends enough… No, too personal.
Celestia’s prized pupil, Twilight Sparkle. The Princess Luna, of the Night and all its Beauties, would like to extend her immense gratitude… No, no, far too formal.
Dear Twilight, I believe that my thanks are long overdue to you and your friends. Without your brave actions a year ago, I shudder to think… No, no, no!”
Luna ground her teeth in frustration, dropping the quill and book to the floor. How could she possibly be suffering from writers block! She had written dozens of scientific journals, hundreds of political treaties, and two biographies! Why was she unable to finish a simple letter?
Sighing, the Princess lifted the book again, her horn alight with magic. A few moments later, and a page was ripped from the binding, before being crumpled up and tossed into a corner, where it joined several hundred others. Staring at the pile of papers dejectedly, Luna decided that she really should get that cleaned up. Eventually.
Turning her attention back to the book floating before her, Luna flipped back a few hundred pages all of them blank, except for a small crescent moon in the upper right-hoof corner of each page. Finally, she reached the title page, upon which were written three words, in a simple, but elegant script. Despite being written several thousand years ago, the words were still perfectly legible. Scrawled across the middle of the page, two large words proclaimed, “My Diary.” Slightly below, and a bit smaller in size, “Password?”
The quill floated into the air again, once more under the influence of Luna’s spell. Directly below the prompt, Luna wrote, “Moon.” After a few moments, the new addition to the page faded away, the ink seemingly drawn into the page.
Scratching emitted from the quill, as more and more entries were written and rejected. “Night. Star. Friends. Celestia. Alicorn. Equestria. Sun. Cloud. Twilight.” Nothing remained upon the page besides its original content. Bowing her head, Luna returned the book and quill to their places on the desk. That was enough for tonight.
Slinking back to her bed, Luna ungraciously flopped across the mattress, slowly sinking into its feathery embrace. It wouldn’t be time to lower the moon for a few hours, and some rest would surely do her good. Allowing her eyes to slowly close, Luna felt herself drift off to sleep. As her last bits of consciousness slipped away, she found herself praying for an empty, restful sleep. She didn’t want to dream again…
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A couple hours later, Luna’s slumbering form kicked sheets and pillows off the bed, as the Princess twisted and turned. Suddenly, her erratic movement stopped. Luna lay perfectly still for a couple minutes, before slowly opening her eyes. If anypony had been there to watch the Alicorn, they would have noticed an unfamiliar emotion in her eyes. Fear.
Slowly rising to her feet, Luna walked towards her balcony. Feelings of exhaustion and muscles protesting were ignored. Nudging the glass door open yet again, Luna searched the sky, looking for the source of her unease. Her eyes suddenly stopped moving, and she rushed to the edge of the balcony, gaze locked onto a single spot, upon a lone star. A star that soon faded from existence. Luna backed away slowly, her mouth forming words that she barely registered.
“No… that’s not possible… Celly! Celly!”
Turning around, Luna raced across her room, slamming her door open with a burst of magic, one that almost tore it off its hinges. The Princess ran on, shouting for her sister, as far above her, in the reaches of the night sky, another star slowly disappeared. And then another. And another. |
HeirApparent | 648 | 2 | Dark,Sad | Dusk | A mysterious darkness has fallen over Equestria, bringing with it revelations for several ponies | cancelled | 35 | 3 | <p>What lies in the fog, that covers Equestria?<br />What sleeps in the shadows, that lurk in one's soul?<br />What waits in the dark, that consumes all it touches?<br /><br />We are about to find out.<br /><br />Cover image used with permission of takaiwolf (<a href="http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/">http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/</a>)</p> | teen | null | 2011-09-06T17:47:48+00:00 | 1,067 | Bong, bong, bong, bong. Startled by the sudden noise, a snow-white Pegasus garbed in golden armor suddenly stood at attention, his rapidly blinking eyes attempting to drive off the sleep that yearned to drag them shut. Glancing at a clock a few yards down the hall from him, the pony mentally groaned. “Only 4 o’clock? Well, I guess I can stand a couple more hours…” he muttered to himself.
Working the night shift at Canterlot’s palace was a duty that normally fell to the rookie Royal Guards, such as this less than exemplar colt. It was a boring, if easy job. Stand in the hallway, watch for anything suspicious, don’t fall asleep, blah blah blah. The pony sighed. Why did they even need a night guard? It wasn’t like anything ever happened around here anyway. Sure, there had been that whole issue with Nightmare Moon about a year ago, but now Princess Luna was back, and it wasn’t like there were any other enemies floating around out there. Hell, they could probably abolish the entire Royal Guard at this point.
Settling back into a more relaxed stance, the guard’s thoughts began to wander again. His shift ended at six; there might be some time to have some fun before he had to get to sleep. He could visit that donut shop downtown, according to some friends it was a favorite of Princess Celestia. Might be worth checking out.
Suddenly, the Pegasus pricked his ears up. Was that someone screamingOW MY RIBS. A navy-tinted blur had slammed into the colt, throwing him a few yards through the air. By the time the guard had picked himself up, the apparition had already vanished down the hallway, its echoes bouncing around the walls. The Pegasus stood in shock, staring in the direction the strange blur had disappeared in. After a moment, he glanced at his side, and mournfully noted the massive dents that now covered the right side of his armor. His captain was going to kill him…
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Luna wanted to stop and apologize to the confused (and likely unconscious) guard. It had been a long time since she had moved this fast, but the situation demanded it. Swerving around corners and dashing through hallways, Luna moved as fast as she could towards her sister’s quarters, shouting out Celestia’s name every few paces. This was a dire emergency; of this the Alicorn had no doubt.
After what felt like hours of travel, Luna finally skidded to a halt in front of her sister’s ornate bedroom door, panting and out of breath. The twin Pegasi guarding the room glanced at her with some worry. One of them began to ask what she wanted with Celestia, but was silenced by a flash from Luna’s horn.
Celestia’s door slammed open, jarring the taller Alicorn from her slumber. Bleary-eyed, she wearily turned her head towards her younger sister. “Luna? What are you…” Celestia’s question trailed off, as she noticed the terrified expression adorning her sister’s face. The bed sheet was quickly thrown off, and Celestia quickly embraced Luna, attempting to comfort the smaller pony.
“What is it? What’s wrong Luna?” The gentle whisper broke through Luna’s terror, and she wrapped her arms around her elder sister.
“Oh Celestia… I’m scared. I’m so scared.” Luna trembled in her sister’s embrace. Although she could not see the sky from her current vantage, she could still feel the strange presence spreading through it, obscuring her stars, stealing their light. It felt like her own life-force was slowly being drained away, slipping bit by bit. “Please, look outside. Something’s wrong.”
Gently releasing her sister, Celestia slowly walked towards a window on the far wall. Although she was not nearly as attached to the night as Luna, Celestia knew enough about the stars to realize that a few constellations were off. Orion’s hands were missing, and Ursa Minor was… Celestia stopped breathing as she saw a star vanish. Slowly at first, but then faster and faster, she began to tremble. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw more and more pricks of light vanish into nothingness. “No…”
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No one knew where the darkness had come from. If anypony had been awake at four that morning, they might have noticed a few oddly behaved stars. If they had been curious, and kept watching those stars, they would have eventually noticed them slowly peter out, as they faded into blackness. Then, they surely would have been able to trace a spread of darkness, as more and more of the celestial bodies disappeared from sight. They would have seen moon itself follow its smaller brethren, leaving the night sky lightless. Then at half past six, the moment the sun was meant to rise, the early riser would have been treated to a terrifying display: The darkness that had stolen the light, the presence that had taken away the beauty of the night sky, touched Equestria.
It spread faster than a wildfire in the dry season, more widespread than the largest fog in recorded history. Plains, roads, forests, lakes, rivers, towns, cities, anything and everything was swept up by the blackness.
As ponies began to rise from their slumber, they were at first merely confused by the strange conditions. Had they set their alarms too early? Was there a fog scheduled for today? However, these questions were laid to rest as they further examined the strange presence.
Every colt and filly is afraid of the dark at some point. It’s an unconscious fear, one of the unknown, the mysterious, the unfamiliar. When seen through a haze of darkness, friendly and familiar objects become perverted and twisted. An open closet is a gateway to another world, the shadows tell tales of strange and dangerous creatures. It’s a fear that every young pony must face and accept at some point in their lives. Most are able to adapt to the darkness, to learn to ignore this instinctive fear. They mature, and soon forget their adolescent fears.
This darkness brought it all back. Anypony who looked outside and saw their world through the veil of blackness could feel their sanity begin to slip away. Fears that had been laid to rest years ago were reawakened, long-forgotten nightmares were instantly recalled. Equestria began to go insane.
There had been panic. Cities like Manehatten and Fillydelphia were nearly destroyed by riots and looters, ponies who had been driven to the brink of madness in their terror. What few remnants of the Royal Guard who remained organized did what they could to maintain order, but found that they were outnumbered nearly a hundred to one by both civilians and their former comrades. Smaller towns, like Hoofington and Trottingham, were spared the riots, but suffered unbearable silence and isolation from all other areas. It seemed as though Equestria would fall apart.
Then, a miracle. The few who retained their sanity during the disaster in Canterlot would later talk of a great flash of light emitted from the highest tower of the Royal Palace. They found themselves blinded by the light, but thought it infinitely better than the darkness that had nearly stolen their vision. They swore that once they could see again, they saw the darkness sliding away, dispersed as though by some great wind. Waves of blackness faded away, leaving only small clouds, then wisps, then nothing. The sun was high in the sky. The light was back. It was 12 o’clock.
Across Equestria, things began to calm down. The few remaining rioters were quickly dispersed. Fires that had raged during the morning were quelled by the afternoon. Casualties were remarkably low, and by some miracle no deaths were recorded. It seemed that the nation had restored itself. One by one, settlements scattered across the land began to re-establish communication with each other, either via magical messages or simple mail-Pegasi. By that evening, everyone had been accounted for, every citizen of Equestria was known to be safe. All except for one small town, on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. All except for Ponyville.
Unlike the rest of Equestria, Ponyville was still trapped beneath a sea of dark. The late afternoon son failed to pierce it, and nopony was willing to venture into the smog a second time. With bated breath, the nation waited for any news to emerge from the small town, for any contact or hope to emerge from the shroud.
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In a hollow tree, stuffed full of tables and books, a purple librarian and a baby dragon curled together underneath a hoof-stitched blanket. In an elegant dress shop, rolls of fabric and mannequins knocked aside in a panic, three snow-white forms, two sisters and a companion huddled next to one another in a storage room. In a sweet-encrusted bakery, two older ponies tightly hugged each other, their forms further entwined by a pair of pink legs impossibly stretched around both the couple and a small, toothless alligator. In a hidden cellar, built into a hillside covered with apple-trees, a family of four embraced each other, a loyal farmhand growling at the intruding presence. In a small cottage on the outskirts of town, dozens of terrified eyes could be seen in the darkness, their cream-colored caretaker hyperventilating in a corner, a small, white rabbit attempting to comfort her. In the darkness floating above the town, reaching high into the sky, a cyan blur raced back and forth, clearly disoriented, frantically searching for an escape where none was to be found.
The darkness persisted long after the sun began its descent. Most of Ponyville’s citizens, weary from a day full of nothing but horror and blackness, found themselves falling into a fitful sleep, plagued by dreams of evil and despair. Six of the town’s residents were not so lucky. As night fell over the land, they remained painfully awake, perfectly aware of the terror that pounded in their minds, the fear that crept through the deepest cracks of their psyches.
“Let’s begin…” |
HeirApparent | 648 | 3 | Dark,Sad | Dusk | A mysterious darkness has fallen over Equestria, bringing with it revelations for several ponies | cancelled | 35 | 3 | <p>What lies in the fog, that covers Equestria?<br />What sleeps in the shadows, that lurk in one's soul?<br />What waits in the dark, that consumes all it touches?<br /><br />We are about to find out.<br /><br />Cover image used with permission of takaiwolf (<a href="http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/">http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/</a>)</p> | teen | null | 2011-10-18T10:57:39+00:00 | 911 | Bong.
If anypony had been paying attention, they would have noticed the seven notes that reverberated around the city square.
Bong.
Although six of the notes were rather routine, heard on a daily basis, they were by no means insignificant. The Manehatten clock tower was a marvelous feat of engineering, combining the arcane knowledge of Unicorn mathematicians with the solid craftsmanship of adroit Earth Pony mechanists. It was one of the city’s best known landmarks, proudly proclaiming the passage of time day after day, hour by hour.
Bong.
But today, nopony cared to listen to the sounds produced by the massive timepiece. Today, there was more to worry about then being late for an appointment, more to fear than a scolding by an irate boss, more to dread then the inevitable, unstoppable passage of time. Today, there was darkness in the air. Today, the city was plagued by madness and fear.
Bong.
The fog had appeared early in the morning, coating the landscape in its inky tendrils. It traveled through holes, it spread through cracks, it twisted throughout the entire city, leaving no corner untouched, casting the metropolis under an eerie twilight. But, the smog brought more than just an unnatural dusk. It brought madness.
Bong.
The citizens of Manehatten, normally so civilized, so dignified, forgot their extravagant mannerisms. They tossed aside their cultured nuances, preferring to wallow in fear and despair. To their terrified minds, around every corner lay a bloodthirsty shadow, behind every bin and crate crouched an unearthly assailant.
Bong.
When faced with such a primal terror, every pony reacts in their own way. Some cower in their beds. Some hide in the basement. Some are frightened to the point of rage, striking out at anything at moves. A few truly courageous ones attempt to withstand their fear, acting as bastions of reason and solace in a world gone mad.
And a few, a very select few, have the most unexpected reaction…
Bang.
They look for attention.
“Come one! Come all! Come witness the amazing magic of the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie!”
The Unicorn, stood atop a haphazard pile of refuse and debris, silhouetted from behind by the flames of a burning store, and lit from above by the fading light of a few sparkling fireworks. Clad in a star-covered hat and cloak, and with forehooves dramatically raised towards the heavens, the pony struck an imposing and inspiring figure. Her voice echoed around the area, just as it had in town centers and marketplaces all across Equestria. It was the voice of a show-pony, an entertainer, an artiste. Full of pride and aloofness, it spoke of an owner who had dedicated herself to her art. It told of a pony who had trained for years to reach her current standing. It was the voice of a pony from a league apart, greater by far than the lowly commoners that comprised her adoring audience.
And it was a voice that was ignored. The square, normally packed with carts and stands, stuffed with shoppers and travellers, bursting with colors and sounds, was empty. The storefronts that lined the plaza were devoid of life. A few small fires provided scant illumination, giving the surrounding fog the appearance of a thin smoke. It would have been appropriate, and comical, for a solitary tumbleweed to venture across the deserted arcade. However, the Unicorn, undiscouraged by the lack of an audience, continued her tirade.
“Watch in awe, as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic every witnessed by pony eyes!” The ivory upon her head blazed with light, easily seen despite the hat enshrouding it, producing another round of flashes and bangs. A somewhat standard show routine followed; magically appearing flowers, fabricating doves from thin air, juggling a set of flaming staves. Panting slightly, the performer glanced out at the still empty square. Rising to her hind legs, she began bowing.
“Thank you, thank you! But, do not applaud just yet; there is much more to be seen!” Falling back to all four hooves, scrunching her eyes shut in concentration, the mare’s horn began to glow with an unearthly light. Slowly, sparks began to sprinkle from the appendage, falling to the ground in a shower of light. Once a small pile of the flickering specks had been created, they began to shift and float, softly floating through the air.
The sparks, now numbering in the hundreds, followed their creator’s unspoken directions. They twisted and twirled, casting a faint glow back onto the Unicorn. No longer cloaked in the shadows produced by the flames behind her, the disheveled nature of the show-pony was revealed. Her once pristine hat and cloak were tattered and mud-stained. A foreleg was covered in oozing red gashes, as though it had been slashed by the claws of some cruel creature, and the mare’s right eye was black and swollen. Her azure coat and grayish-blue mane and tail were stained and tangled, had obviously gone untended for days.
However, the Unicorn’s ragged condition did nothing to hamper her magical abilities. The sparks began settling, forming into a transparent shape. First, hooved legs appeared, followed by a torso, neck, a flowing tail. Soon, the azure mare was faced by a Unicorn comprised of pure light, a glimmering companion. A mane and tail made of shimmering starlight swished through the air as the figure slowly circled its architect, its gleaming horn casting light over the pony that had given it form. When it had circled the show-pony, the shining figure bent its knee, bowing to the azure Unicorn.
“Yes, that’s it! Bow before the Great and Powerful Trixie! Bask in the glory of the most magical Unicorn the world has ever known!” Daintily, the flesh and blood Unicorn extended her hoof, pausing a few inches from the muzzle of the ethereal one. In response, the apparition lifted its head slightly, pressing the area where its mouth should be against the hoof offered to it. For a long moment, the two figures remained motionless, lit by the magical glow. Slowly, almost silently, the mare moved her mouth. “Love me…”
The world suddenly exploded in a shower of sparks, as a snow-white Pegasus landed on the debris pile. Startled, the show-pony released her spell, her creation fading away, darkness engulfing her once again. The newcomer, clad in the golden armor of the Royal Guard, glanced curiously at the cascade of disappearing lights, before returning his focus to the shocked mare before him.
“Ma’am, I need you to come with me. We’ve got a shelter set up a few blocks from here; if you could justOOF.” A wooden plank suddenly slammed into the Pegasus’ side, ringing off his armamants and driving the air from his lungs. The magical aura that surrounded the timber swung it again and again, mercilessly beating the disoriented pony, slamming into him with enough force to drive him to his knees. With one final blow, the board shattered upon the guard’s helmet, leaving him dazed and disoriented. As he slowly shook his now-bloodied head, the Unicorn approached him, her voice lacking it usual bravado, replaced by undisguised loathing. “Heckling will not be tolerated. How dare you criticize Trixie? How dare you? HOW DARE YOU?” She exclaimed, her terrifying shout ringing around the square.
The mare’s horn began to glow again, as another chunk of wood lifted from the ground. With alarming speed, it raced towards the Pegasus, who had finally regained his footing. Hearing the projectile whistle through the air, the soldier’s battle-trained reflexes took over, flinging him to the side just as the plank embedded itself in the ground. As his hooves hit the ground, the armored pony twisted his body, using his wings to propel himself towards his attacker. The Unicorn, already reaching for another weapon, was caught off guard by the sudden attack, and knocked to her side.
The guard brought an iron-shod hoof to the mare’s neck, applying pressure to a certain point. The aura surrounding the Unicorn’s horn flickered, and then faded, leaving the ivory blank and lifeless. Still grasping for breath, the Pegasus took a moment to analyze his opponent. His steely resolve softened, as he noticed the tears leaking from her eyes. Her body was trembling, as though the temperature had dropped several degrees in a few moments. Her mouth was barely moving, but a few snippets of sound escaped her lips. “Come back… I can do better. I’ll be the best, I promise. Please don’t go…” She repeated her plea; eyes clearly not noticing the smashed windows of the building in front her.
Sighing, the guard looked at his hoof, still pushing down on the show-pony’s neck. It was shuddering almost as much as the pony held beneath it. His gaze shifted to his other leg, and the bloodstains that covered it. He vaguely recalled the other stallion, lashing out at the rest of his squad. He remembered how it felt, slamming his hoof into the Earth Pony’s… he pushed the memory away. He could worry about it later.
Removing his hoof from her neck, the Pegasus bent his knees, crouching next to the shivering mare. Warily, he eyed the area around them, looking for any sign of movement. None could be found. Slowly, wincing in pain, he extended a wing, gingerly laying it over the Unicorn twitching next to him, whispers still slipping from her lips. Although he knew her murmurs were not directed at him, the guard still answered her, as he protectively pulled her closer. “I’m not going to leave you. I promise.”
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Author's Note: For the life of me, I just cannot bring myself to care about Trixie. I've seen some fanon versions of her that are absolutely brilliant, but her character pisses me off to no end. And I think my annoyance with her carried over to this chapter to a certain extent, so sorry if this isn't high quality writing.
As you can probably tell, I've taken UnderstatedHyperbole's suggestion, and am writing a few short stories about various background ponies and their experiences with the darkness. This was the first of at least three, possibly more if I feel like it. Expect the next one in about a week, give or take a few days. |
HeirApparent | 648 | 4 | Dark,Sad | Dusk | A mysterious darkness has fallen over Equestria, bringing with it revelations for several ponies | cancelled | 35 | 3 | <p>What lies in the fog, that covers Equestria?<br />What sleeps in the shadows, that lurk in one's soul?<br />What waits in the dark, that consumes all it touches?<br /><br />We are about to find out.<br /><br />Cover image used with permission of takaiwolf (<a href="http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/">http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/</a>)</p> | teen | null | 2011-11-08T01:25:59+00:00 | 705 | There are few more effective ways to shatter the dreaming realm than the piercing buzz of an alarm clock. An eternally repeating shriek, tearing through the haze and fog of a sleeping mind, wrenching its victim from fantastical lands, the likes of which may never be seen again. A destroyer of worlds, a crusher of imaginings. Such is the role of an alarm clock.
Then again, when its glowing numerals read 2 in the afternoon, it’s probably time to reenter the waking world.
An ivory-hued hoof and leg, enshrouded by cotton sheets, extended from an amorphous combination of bed and pony and began swiping at the plastic menace, seeking to silence its infernal cries. When the appendage fell short of its target, dropping into the gap between bed and nightstand, it was retracted, to be replaced by a bleary-eyed face. Spreading its lips in a cavernous yawn, the visage further extended itself, revealing a pair of ruby-red eyes, an elaborate spiral of bone, and a mane cast in shades of electric blue. For a moment, the newly awakened being simply sat there, eyes listlessly traveling around the room, taking in its surroundings.
A large room met her gaze; a chamber split into several sections by a series of chest-high walls and small staircases. A plethora of cans littered the floor of the large chamber, their aluminum casings bent and crumpled, faded labels boasting claims of energy and focus. The tops of counters and tables were strewn with old glow-sticks, their ambiguous contents still shining with hints of neon colors, providing slight lighting for the darkened room, as well as a few half empty bowls of stale potato chips, wilted flower petals, and liberally frosted cupcakes. Strands of tissue-thin paper hung from the rafters spanning the length of the room, intermixed with wires suspending iron lamps, trailing down to the floor far below. An alabaster board, hanging askew on one of the walls, was covered with scrawling words and notes, most of them various phrasings of, “Great Party Vinyl!” or, “Good luck cleaning up!” Sadly, most of these messages had spilled off the board as well, staining the white plaster with their cheery statements. The large windows that made up most of a wall were mostly unscathed, only despoiled by a series of salt encrusted hoofprints. The outside world was half-obscured by partially retracted blinds.
The only part of the room untouched by the clutter was a set of jet-black turntables, and the shelves of records stacked behind them. In stark contrast to the rest of the apartment, these items were set in perfect order, vinyl disks tucked gently within their sleeves, switches and dials free of dust and debris. The only thing out of place was a softly glowing red LED, providing scant illumination for the rest of the dim room.
Spin that record Vinyl Scratch and never stop the music.
Shaking her head, the Unicorn turned her attention to the plastic annoyance resting at her bedside, its attention-seeking shrieks tearing through her sleep-clouded thoughts. Face set in a glare of hatred, an alabaster aura emitted from the horn in the center of her forehead. The alarm clock was encased by a similarly-tinted glow, lifted into the air by some unseen force, flung across the room at a speed most Pegasi would envy, and embedded into the plaster of the far wall, next to several other clock-sized indentions. Its shrieks stopped.
Spin that record.
Wearily stumbling from her bed, the pony made her way towards the corner of the room, an area set with a small table, a few counters, several cabinets and drawers, a stove, and an icebox. Entering the kitchenette, the mare’s telekinetic magic grasped the refrigerator’s handle, yanking the metal door open. The light that accompanied this action was enough to momentarily blind the Unicorn, forcing her to rapidly blink her eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the sudden brightness before scanning the contents of the chilly shelves before her.
Spin that record tonight.
Bursts of magic, invisible to the naked eye, soared through the air, grabbing a pitcher from the icebox, a glass from the cabinet, a bowl and spoon from a nearby drawer. As she mentally snatched a cardboard box reading Tasty Oats!, the white Unicorn allowed her still-heavy eyelids to slowly slip close. Her mouth drooped open slightly, but, instead of a snore, a light humming buzzed from the mare’s lips. Accompanied by the sound of cereal being shaken into a bowl, her hoof began gently tapping against the tiled floor. As a glass of milk was carefully being poured, the pony’s head began to steadily dip and rise, nodding in time with some inaudible beat. By the time her meal was prepared, the Unicorn had thrown her entire body into the impromptu dance, obeying the sway of the music flowing through her thoughts and veins.
Spin that spin that record. Spin that record tonight.
Of course, behavior like this was hardly out of the ordinary for the ivory mare. Such was the life of a maestro of the electronic arts; her work never fully left her head. Inaudible beats and tempos accompanied her movements, unspoken lyrics dictated her actions, fantastical rhythms steered her thoughts. Some might call it the mark of a madmare, a condition to be treated by therapy and medication. Others, including most of Hoofington’s younger nightlife, called it the sign of a genius, a gift to praise and enjoy.
Spin that record Vinyl Scratch and never stop the music.
So, as Vinyl Scratch, disk jockey extraordinaire, sat down to enjoy her breakfast, the words pulsing through her mind did little to draw her attention. No, her focus was split and fractured, applying itself to a multitude of tasks. What was her schedule for tonight? Did she have enough food to last the rest of the week, or did she need to go shopping? Why was it so dark out? Who would be stopping by for the after… wait, what was that last one?
……………………
Granted, a pony who spends most of her nights being assaulted by flashes of strobe and neon blurs most likely wasn’t the best judge of how bright it should be at a given time, especially during the day. But, now that she thought about it, turning towards the wall of windows, wasn’t it awfully dark out for 2 in the afternoon? There was no telltale pitter-patter of rain against the windows, nor was it likely that Nightmare Moon had arisen again, bringing with her another nighttime eternal. So, what explanation could there be for the darkness outside her home?
……………………
The floor screeched in protest as Vinyl slowly slid her chair back, at the same time forcing her body to cease its habitual rhythmic movements. Gingerly rising to her hooves, she warily walked towards one of the large windows, pressing her muzzle against the oddly frigid glass. Crimson eyes flickered back and forth, scanning the view she’d seen a thousand times before. All the static features were still there, all the trees and buildings and lampposts and trashcans and sidewalks. However, there was an apparent lack of two things: first, there were no ponies wandering the streets, going about their daily business. The world outside the window was one barren, empty, devoid of life. However, Vinyl only dimly registered this particular absence. Her mind was confused, nonfunctional, stuck trying to explain the mysterious darkness. Unable to find an answer, Vinyl simply sat there, trying to rationalize the dearth of light.
…………………….Can you feel it?
It’s not that there wasn’t light at all; enough illumination fell from the sky for her to at least see. But this lack of brightness could only be considered normal on the cusp of nightfall, long after the sun had begun its daily descent. Something had to be blocking the sunlight, something that wasn’t storm clouds or vengeful goddesses or, or, or… that strange fog might do it.
OH AAHHH AAHHH AAHHH AAHHH!
Tendrils of the wispy material hung in the air, spreading their immaterial fingers across the horizon, tingeing the skyline black with their presence. Gazing at the abnormal mist, Vinyl felt a shudder tear cross her spine, sensed her heartbeat sporadically surge in its tempo.
OH AAHHH AAHHH AAHHH AAHHH!
The skin on Vinyl’s neck began to crawl, the hairs of her nape slowly rising up, accompanying her suddenly ragged breaths. For a moment, the polar-white Unicorn stood motionless, a haze of fear and paranoia slowly dripping through her mind, her thoughts becoming encased by their eldritch touch. Primal instincts, long-buried under layers of rationality and reason, screamed at her, pleaded with her, begged her to listen to them. There was danger, there was peril, there was something horribly, horribly wrong with the world.
Will you give it to me?
Vinyl’s mind quickly descended into a twisted lump of panicked impulses and hazardous thoughts. However, one concrete idea managed to rise above the turmoil, finally reaching what remained of the Unicorn’s rapidly degrading consciousness. A solitary notion, a single thought: What if that fog could come inside…
Will you give it to me?
There are few motivations stronger than life-threatening terror. Moving faster than she thought possible, Vinyl found herself sprinting across the room, hurtling past her kitchen, past her bed, desperately searching for the one thing that might provide some modicum of safety from the onslaught of darkness, some bastion of protection from the fear pounding through her skull. Slamming into the wall, she frantically brought up a trembling hoof, dashing it against the plaster until it finally connected with a nub of plastic. An audible click filled the room, accompanying the whir of electricity ripping through copper filaments. Light, blessed light, fell from the lamps hung from the ceiling, showering the panicked pony with their blinding rays, dispersing the waves of paranoia that consumed her thoughts. Gently laying her head against the wall, Vinyl felt her ragged breathing return to a more normal rhythm, her fluttering heart beginning to slow. She was safe now, nothing could touch her, the dark couldn’t break through the light. She was safe, she was fine, it was going to be okay…
When suddenly it changes!
Unable to speak, Vinyl stared in shock at the smoky tendril floating beneath her, a finger of dark mist gently tracing its way round her hooves. Ignoring the scratch her horn tore in the wall, she twisted her head, frantically gawking at the rest of the room. Her lungs stopped moving as she silently stared at the coils of fog wrapping their way around her apartment, encircling her bed, crawling into the kitchen, covering her turn tables. Her heart plummeted, descending into that unknown abyss between fear and sanity. Blindly rushing backwards, backpedaling away from the immaterial intruders, Vinyl fled from the fear, from the dark, from the madness. Her motion only faltered when she felt herself collide with something cold and unforgiving, a sharp crack tearing through her ears. Turning, Vinyl gazed into the splintered remains of the mirror behind her, fissures running through its previously flawless surface.
Violently it changes!
Crimson eyes were inexplicably drawn to the broken mirror, scanning the shattered reflection held within. Two blood-red eyes, each spread wide with fear. A single horn, unable to conjure a glow of magic in its time of need. A lone mouth, its corners twisted upwards in a smile… no. No, that wasn’t right. That was wrong. That was so, so wrong.
…In me!!!!!!!!!
Unable to move, unable to speak, unable to breathe, Vinyl stared at the pony in the mirror, its image split and fractured, its mouth spreading wider and wider, into some perverse facsimile of a grin. Splintered eyes flared wide, no longer clouded by fear, but filled with some unspeakable emotion, something like joy, something like anger, something like ecstasy, something like hatred. Incapable of blinking, of tearing her eyes away from the sight, Vinyl watched as the pony began bobbing her head, moving it in time with a hypnotic beat, her mouth tearing itself open, roaring something in a guttural, primal voice. Words that Vinyl had never heard before echoed through her ears, a harsh, grating chant.
GET UP, COME ON GET DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS!
It tore through her shroud of fear, resonating with something hidden deep within her soul.
GET UP, COME ON GET DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS!
Words that sounded so wrong, but that felt so good.
GET UP, COME ON GET DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS!
The pony in the mirror brought up her forehooves, reaching them towards the glass barrier between her and Vinyl. It barely registered to Vinyl that there was no way the appendages could have passed through the barrier, as they gently latched onto her shoulders. Her eyes were locked on those of the cracked and broken pony. They bobbed up and down in time with their master’s head, dancing with a forbidden light, shining with an unknowable energy.
Suddenly, their motion stopped. The pony in the mirror ceased her movements and closed her mouth, simply staring at Vinyl with those bloody, impossible eyes. For what might have been seconds, hours, or years, the two ponies stared at each other, neither moving a muscle, neither uttering a sound.
Finally, the pony in the mirror spoke again. The voice that wafted into Vinyl’s ears was not her own, nor some vile perversion of it. It was not some harsh cry, but an even, calculated tone. It was an ancient voice, one that spoke of millennia of life, that told a story of utter happiness and complete despair. It was a voice that Vinyl had never heard before, would never hear again, and would never, ever, forget.
“Take it.”
With a sudden jerk, the pony in the mirror yanked Vinyl towards her, pulling the Unicorn closer with hooves that should not have existed. As Vinyl slammed into the already cracked mirror, further shattering it, a burst of light erupted from her horn, tearing through the room, smashing windows and breaking lights. Suddenly released from her captor’s grip, Vinyl fell back, landing on her side as red streams ran down her ivory forehead, a few shards of glass stuck to her skin.
For a long moment, Vinyl lay there, a small puddle of crimson accruing between her cheek and the floor. Then, with an easy shifting of her limbs, the alabaster Unicorn rose to her hooves, staring once more at the irreparably damaged portal before her. A twisted shape looked back, a lopsided mouth set on a polar-white muzzle stained with drops of red, jagged holes where the eyes should have been. For a while, neither moved. Then, the pony in the mirror smiled, its mouth spreading into an impossibly wide grin.
Vinyl Scratch smiled back, words slipping from her mouth, tinged with a primal tone. “Madness is the gift that has been given to me.”
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A/N:
So, after writing this, it's become painfully clear that I need a pre-reader. Anyone interested? And, as always, comments, criticisms, and complaints are always welcome.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and the character DJ Pon3 are the property of Hasbro, the Hub, and Lauren Faust.
Spin that Record Vinyl Scratch is the property of KeepOnRockingBrony.
Get Down With the Sickness is the property of Disturbed. |
HeirApparent | 648 | 5 | Dark,Sad | Dusk | A mysterious darkness has fallen over Equestria, bringing with it revelations for several ponies | cancelled | 35 | 3 | <p>What lies in the fog, that covers Equestria?<br />What sleeps in the shadows, that lurk in one's soul?<br />What waits in the dark, that consumes all it touches?<br /><br />We are about to find out.<br /><br />Cover image used with permission of takaiwolf (<a href="http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/">http://takaiwolf.deviantart.com/</a>)</p> | teen | null | 2011-11-21T06:00:41+00:00 | 504 | That wasn’t Mommy, that wasn’t Mommy, that wasn’t Mommy, that wasn’t Mommy…
The three words looped through the filly’s mind, endlessly repeating. She couldn’t escape their grasp, no matter how fast she ran, her hooves clattering against Trotingham’s cobblestones. The words followed her, sinking their claws into her head, unrelenting and terrible. What was far worse than the words, however, was the image that accompanied them. That horrifying creature, dressed in her mother’s rosy coat and golden mane. That terrifying apparition, looking at her with those dead, dancing eyes, smiling at her with those gleaming, wickedly sharp fangsDon’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about it…
Her mind chanting this new mantra, the pink filly dashed on, struggling to blink away the tears that clouded her vision, ruby mane and tail flapping in the wind as her hooves slammed into the ground again and again. Thoughts consumed by terror, she cared little for where she ran, only that she left that thing in her house far, far behind. It was a twisted, rambling path she took, hurrying through streets and alleys, running, always running.
The fog made it hard to see, impairing her already tear-stained vision. It wisped about her, clutching at her with its immaterial grip, suffocating her with its overwhelming volume. But the fog was nothing, nothing, compared to what lay inside it. Shapes moving through the mist, looking, sounding, feeling just like ponies as they reached out for her, hooves tearing through the dark clouds that surrounded them.
But the filly knew better. There were no ponies in the streets today. There were only monsters, creatures like the one that wasn’t her mother. Today, she was alone. All alone.
On a sudden impulse, the foal turned into a particularly darkened alleyway, silently praying with every ragged breath that she would find safety, solitude in its embrace. He pleas went unanswered, however, as her hoof snagged on a loose stone, flying out from under her. The filly tumbled painfully to the street, legs and sides scrapping on the rough ground beneath her. As she finally slid to a stop, her exhaustion suddenly caught up to her, weighing down her limbs with its remorseless burden. Struggling against bonds of fatigue, the filly tried to rise to her feet, forcing herself halfway up before collapsing yet again, her meager strength abandoning her. So she lay there, in that dirty, dark alleyway, lost in her terror-filled world. Small rivulets of water ran down her cheeks as she struggled to hold back the sobs, her tiny body convulsing with shudders.
Tear-stained eyes are not the best tools for observing your surroundings, so the filly failed to notice the oddity that resided in the alleyway. Not the cluster of rubbish-bins, not the pile of half-rotted crates, nor the group of shattered bottles, but a large, deep-blue box. A box that, had the filly been looking at it, would have seemed to mysteriously repel the misty darkness, creating a small haven of air and light. A box, whose frosted windows, for a single, brief moment, glowed with a strange burst of golden light, before fading back to their off-white tint. A box that simply stood there, its scratched and worn surface seemingly beginning to repair itself. A box, whose doors suddenly slammed open, a dark silhouette emerging from within, haphazardly galloping towards the suddenly alert filly.
Panic forced the foal to find new strength; rising on legs that no longer screamed in protest, she prepared to resume her flight, to escape this new danger. But she was far, far too late. The shape had already reached her, grabbing at her with incredibly fast movements, catching her around the shoulders. A scream of terror tore from the filly’s lips as the monster wrapped its legs around her. Sobbing, she squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to feel razor fangs tearing through her flesh, serrated claws ripping her in two. She was not expecting, however, to feel an embrace of comfort, to hear gentle words whispered into her laid-back ears.
“Shh, shhhhhhhh. It’ll be alright, it’ll be alright. I promise.”
The filly found herself being pressed against a furry chest, felt a pair of legs protectively wrapped around her tiny body. Their grip was strong, but soft, the body tensed, but warm. As she slowly began to calm her struggles, the filly heard a gentle tone rumbling through her ears, a stallion’s whispering voice feeding her words of comfort. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you. It’s okay, no one’s going to hurt you. It’s going to be alright, I’ve got you.”
Trembling slightly, the filly opened her glistening eyes. Turning her gaze upward, she stared at the stallion that held her in his tight embrace. An amber form filled her vision, its touch warm and wholesome. A kind face smiled back at her, the visage ringed by a mane of chocolate hair. A pair of ice-blue orbs stared into her eyes, full of compassion and care. They were old eyes, eyes that spoke of peace, eyes that sang of hope, eyes that told a story both new and ancient. They were eyes that the filly trusted, eyes that she somehow knew would keep her safe. So, she buried her muzzle into the stallion’s shoulders, and let the tears fun free. She sobbed into her savior’s loving hold, gasping out words as she did.
“There w-was something wrong with Mo-Mommy when I woke up. And, and then, there were all these monsters, and they were all chasing me, and, and…”
“Hey, hey, shhhh. It’s okay, I won’t let the monsters get you. I’ve got you; you’re safe now.”
The freezing terror that still clawed at the filly’s heart told her that the stallion was lying, that he was tricking her, trying to trap her so he could get her. Horrible thoughts traipsed through her mind, images of her body broken and mangled, pictures of the stallion smiling at her with horrible fangs, just like her mommy. But, the words that the stallion spoke, the words that flowed through her ears woke something else within her, something warm, something strong, something bright. “Do you know what always helped me when I was scared? Stories. Would you like me to tell you one?”
Sniffing, the filly managed a small nod. The smile that crossed the stallion’s features seemed to glow brighter, a twinkle filling his ancient eyes. “Alright, here we go then. Now, a very, very long time ago, there was a, uh…” For a moment, the stallion seemed to lose his focus, glancing at both his own body and the filly still clutched in his hooves. Shrugging his shoulders, the stallion shook his head, and continued.
“There was a very clever, err, pony. Now, this pony was a special pony, because, you see, he had a very special box.” Glancing down at the filly, the stallion noted that her tears seemed to be slowing, her sobs growing less frequent. “Now, can you guess why it was so special?” The filly gave a small shake of her head, eliciting a chuckle from her chestnut guardian. “Well, you see, it was a magic box, with all kinds of amazing powers! It could jump across the land, soar through the sky, and, if the pony was really lucky, it would be able to carry a few friends as well. So, the clever pony and his magic box went on a grand adventure, dancing across the stars…”
The brown stallion told his story. He told of journeys to distant places, of battles lost and wars won, of friendships made and companions gained. He talked of impossible sights, of ferocious monsters and wicked creatures, of beautiful scenes and awe-inspiring voyages. For what felt like hours to the little filly, she listened as her guardian talked and talked, her imagination gorging itself on images of a handsome, heroic, clever stallion and his wonderful, impossible box. The terror that had ravaged her heart and mind, that had torn her away from her peaceful life, slowly began to fade away, gradually replaced by a sense of wonder and joy. For the most part, she was content to listen to her protector, to drink in his amazing tale. But, once, when the stallion had reached a particularly dramatic point (Involving several devious, ruthless enemies, a forsaken world, and a copy of the clever pony of all things), she asked a question in a trembling voice.
“B-but, wasn’t he scared? All those monsters, and it was only him and his friends, all alone. How did he stay brave?”
The stallion, poised to continue the story, was lost in thought for a moment. Then, his eyes brightened, and he gave the filly another small smile. “Tell me, do you know why the pony traveled with so many friends? Do you know why he didn’t just go by himself, on all those fantastic adventures?”
“Be-because he was lonely?”
An icy-blue eye winked at the filly, as the stallion continued. “Well, yes. Of course he was lonely. But, there was another reason he had all those friends. You see, everywhere the pony went, all of the ponies he met, all of the creatures he helped, they all trusted him. They all believed, with all their hearts, that he would save them, that he would stop the monster, fix the problem, rescue the little filly that needed saving,” he said as he lightly poked his audience on the tip of her nose. “But, that wasn’t enough for the pony. It wasn’t enough that everyone believed in him, he needed someone to believe in.
“And he found them. All his friends, all his companions and allies, he trusted them with every fiber of his being. They all believed in each other, helping each other, inspiring each other to reach higher and higher. They stuck together, and together they won.
“If there’s one lesson that the pony learned on all his travels, it was that friends make anything possible. You can fight against impossible odds, face ferocious foes, and always win. That’s what friends can do for you. That’s what the pony needed.”
As the stallion continued his story, the filly slowly felt her eyelids grow heavy. The exhaustion that had plagued her tiny body softly returned, lulling her into a gentle doze. As her eyes began to flutter shut, she asked the stallion a final question.
“Mister, will you be my friend?”
If the filly had possessed the energy to look up, she might have noticed the twinkling mist that filled the stallion’s eyes. Instead, she only heard his tender response, as she fell into sleep’s comfortable embrace. “Of course I will.” Arching his neck, the hazel colored stallion nuzzled the slumbering foal. “Dream well.”
And so, the filly dreamed. Not of sweetshops or dancing, not of games or playgrounds, not of dresses or crowns. She dreamed she was in an impossible box, dyed the most perfect shade of blue. She dreamed of a heroic stallion, leaping across the skies of a thousand worlds. She dreamed of herself, running alongside him, on a journey that lasted forever and a day.
The stallion, seeing that his charge was fast asleep, allowed his ever-present smile to fade away, replaced with a visage of grim resolve. His eyes, the orbs that had been so full of mirth and cheer, hardened, steeling themselves with untold measures of rage and fury. Determinedly, albeit somewhat unsteadily, he rose to his hooves, awkwardly locking his legs in place, leaning against the brick wall of the alleyway for support. His limbs finally positioned correctly, he glared at the dark fog that still flitted around the area, as though daring it to attack him. Harsh words fell from his lips, tinged with wrath and anger, in sharp contrast to his earlier tone.
“I know you’re there. I can feel you, trying to rip my mind apart. Let me tell you, that’s a very, VERY, bad idea. So, listen up. I have had an incredibly bad day. I’m tired, I’m lost, and for some strange reason, I’M A BLOODY PONY. So, come on, let’s get this over with. Where are you, and what do you want?”
Almost as though it were responding to his words, the fog shifted, flowing in strange patterns and arcane swirls. All the smog that had filled the alley smoothly folded itself into one incorporeal mass, a swirling pool of obsidian and ebony, blocking off the passage’s sole exit but leaving a small haven of clear air for the two ponies and the strange box. At least, it was clear until the cloud started moving forward, inching its way towards the equine figures.
Stumbling slightly, the stallion pushed off the wall, coming to an awkward stop directly in front of the slumbering filly. Hunching his shoulders, the stallion leaned forward protectively, as though preparing to charge the shifting cloud of darkness spread out before him, as it doggedly slid closer and closer.
“I swear by every star in the sky, if you touch her, I will make you pay. Now, you will tell me, what do you want.”
They simply stood there, the stallion and the cloud, neither one advancing or retreating, locked in a motionless dance. For what may have been hours or seconds, the two parties stayed their hooves, waiting for an unspoken signal, a sign of what to do. Then, the stallion heard the voice. The voice that did not travel through his ears, but that clearly resonated in his thoughts, ripping through his mind like a thunderbolt. It was a terrible voice, full of loathing and spite. It was a wonderful voice, full of beauty and strength. It was an ancient voice, one that spoke of eons of life.
Who are you?
The stallion’s hackles raised as the voice echoed within his head, its simple question digging through his thoughts, tearing through his memories, hurtling deep into his heart. Had he been a normal pony, there was no doubt the stallion would have suffered unknowable agony as the voice ripped through him, as he witnessed his soul being laid bare before the mental onslaught. However, by no means was he a normal pony. Closing his eyes, the stallion allowed a soft whisper to escape his lips, his words gently floating through the alley, full of immeasurable strength and power.
“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure about that yet; still working on figuring out who this one is. But,” he continued, glacier tinted orbs snapping open, burning with the rage of a thousand suns, “I do know this much. I like my friends. And anyone, anyone, that tries to hurt them will suffer.”
The slowly roiling mass of darkness paused for a moment, its movement halted. The stallion winced as the voice again resonated through him, ripping through his mind like a frozen blade, incredibly cold and brilliantly sharp.
A warrior? A monster? A god?
The stallion struggled to respond, his breathing becoming slow and ragged from strain. However, his voice still held that feeling of indomitable courage, utter recklessness, and just a hint of madness. “Those, and so many, many more. If you want me to list all my titles, we’ll be here for a very long time.”
For the third time, the voice rang through the stallion’s mind. However, the anguish that had accompanied it had faded away; no longer did the struggling pony feel his thoughts torn away, nor his soul being stung by countless blades.
Why do you fight?
For an instant, the stallion’s pain and exhaustion disappeared. Bracing his legs against the gritty cobblestones, he stretched his neck and head, rising to his full height. His chocolate mane clung to his sweaty flesh, his sepia coat ruffled and dirty, yet still glowing with life. But nothing shown brighter than his eyes, twin spheres of ageless majesty and compassion. When he spoke, gone were his tones of rage and hate, replaced by a feeling of truth and care.
“Because I don’t want anyone else to suffer.”
Again, silence overtook the alleyway, broken only by the steady, quiet breaths of the slumbering foal. For the final time, the voice spoke.
Go. Save her, and don’t look back.
The darkness began to draw back, leaving the alley clear of its presence. The sorrel pony took a step forward, a hoof extended towards the retreating cloud, his mouth opening to shout out. However, the rapid movement caused him to lose his balance; he fell onto the rough ground beneath him, body splayed out awkwardly. “Tch. Guess I’m not in any position to complain, eh?”
For what felt like ages, the stallion lay there, allowing the exhaustion to fade from his limbs. Again, he struggled to his feet, this time without the aid of a wall. Though his steps were maladroit and clumsy, he managed to wobble his way back towards the tiny form peacefully sleeping behind him. After a few trial and error sessions, the stallion managed to lift the filly onto his back, her small weight nearly toppling him over. Through a combination of gravitational force, a perfectly-timed breeze, and some well-placed trash cans, the amber coated stallion managed to walk to the box he had emerged from earlier, its windows now glowing with a hint of light.
A sharp tapping noise filled the alley as a hoof clattered against the stone beneath it. As though in response, a click echoed about the passage as the box’s doors swung inward, acting under some unseen force. “Oh, lovely. Now you’re working; I could have used some help earlier you know. Come on, we’ve got a guest.”
Stepping inside the blue box, the stallion and his passenger disappeared, the doors swinging shut as another tap resonated through the air. For a moment, the alley was still, devoid of sound or movement. Then, its silence was broken, for the final time, by the whirring of some strange engine, by a sound akin to the heartbeat of the universe. The box began to fade away, its once solid form becoming ethereal and transparent. With a final whir, the blue box disappeared from the alley.
After a moment, the darkness came back.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and the character "Doctor Whooves" are the property of Hasbro and the Hub.
Doctor Who is the property of the BBC. |
glaber | 649 | 1 | Rainbow Dash,Comedy,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Dash's Breakfast | Rainbow Dash attempts to make Pancakes after finding her favorite Cereal compleatly missing! | complete | 19 | 3 | <p>(Written originally for the Equestria Daily Speed fict challenge)</p><p>When Rainbow Dash discovers her favorite Cereal missing from her closet, she attempts to get more, only to wind up attempting to make pancakes instead.</p><p>This story can be considered the set up for Case of the Cereal Snatchers</p> | everyone | 2011-08-27T19:22:37+00:00 | 2011-08-27T19:22:37+00:00 | 3,491 | Rainbow Dash's Breakfast
Written by Glaber
One morning, high above Ponyville, a cyan pegasus pony with a rainbow colored mane named Rainbow Dash had just woken up and was very hungry.
“Hmm, I wonder what I should have for breakfast today?” She said, mockingly to herself for she always had the same bowl of cereal based on her favorite flying team, the Wonderbolts. But this morning, she was in for a unpleasant surprise.
Rainbow Dash went to the closet where she kept all of her Wonderbolts Cereal and opened it as per routine.
“WHAT! Who ate all my cereal?” She shouted, surprised that someone would eat up all of her favorite cereal.
*gurgle rumble gurgle* went her stomach, begging for food.
“Well, looks like I'm going to figure this out later,” Rainbow Dash said, deciding to head down to the Ponyville Supermarket to restock on her cereal supply.
The Ponyville Supermarket was very much like a neighborhood supermarket. There were aisles for health foods, aisles for tissues, for greeting cards, donuts, drinks, and even cereal. All sorts of food and non-food related items. But it was the cereal aisle that Rainbow Dash wanted.
Rainbow Dash grabbed the lightest cart she could find and began to push it towards her intended destination, only to not pay attention and run right into a display of pancake mix.
“Clean up on aisle 4” sang out the store announcer notifying the employees of the mess somepony was going to have to clean up.
Rainbow Dash picked herself up almost as soon as the announcer said “aisle”, and dashed off to the cereal aisle, not noticing the several boxes of pancake mix that fell into her cart. She was so excited about her cereal, so much so, you’d think she turned into Pinky Pie.
To her dismay not a single box of Wonderbolts Cereal was found. She even looked behind all the other cereals in case another pony decided to hide a box, but it was no use.
“If you’re looking for that Wonderbolts Cereal, I’m afraid they don’t make it anymore,” A Store cleark said, trying to be helpful as she was placing price stickers on the cereal just placed on the shelves.
“What!” Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe her ears. No more of her favorite cereal? “Now what am I going to eat for Breakfast?”
The Store clerk raised an eyebrow in confusion, it was then that Rainbow Dash looked down at her cart and noticed the 3 boxes of pancake mix that fell in from when she crashed earlier. Blushing from embarrassment, she took the boxes to the fastest checkout she could find. A do it yourself check out. Perfect.
Rainbow Dash placed the 3 boxes on the shelf meant to hold the products that weren't yet scanned and began the process of doing a do it yourself check out. The station was set up in a way so that anyone could use it. However to make sure that no pony snuck off with anything, a cashier was placed at the end of the area.
The first box scanned with no problem, but then the trouble began.
On the second box, the machine couldn’t read the bar code.
“Oh give me a break,”
Attempting to scan it again, she tried to position the box in every direction she could think of, but to no avail. giving up, she tossed the box behind her.
“Excuse me, Miss?” the box had landed on the Do it your self check out area’s cashier.
Rainbow Dash gave out an embraced laugh. “Whoops,” the cashier was watching her feeble attempt to get her product scanned and was going to offer to help, but now, she wasn’t so sure.
Already embarrassed twice in the same morning and she still was without her breakfast. Rainbow Dash was growing more and more hungry. She figured her best option would be to get the cashier's help.
After a little help, and 34 bits to pay for the damaged pancake boxes, Rainbow dash was out the store and back in her cloud.
“Okay. Pancakes, now how do I make them?” Having never made pancakes before, Rainbow Dash decided to do some experimenting, not bothering to look at the instructions printed on the box.
She knew they were flat and round, so she pulled out a pan. “I guess I had to use this eventually,” She said, unsure of herself.
Placing the pan on top of her stove, she poured the entire box right into the pan and set the stove for it’s highest temperature setting. But something wasn’t right. She had the mix in the heated pan, but it wasn’t doing anything. Then she got an idea.
Rainbow Dash remembered that powdered foods needed water. So she grabbed the nearest raincloud and started it poring on the pancake powder.
Five minuets later, the mix was finally doing something. the mix had become a sort of batter and began to bubble. One of the bubbles wound up inflating really big and popped right in Rainbow Dash’s face.
“YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Rainbow Dash screamed at the searing hot batter that burned her face.
Another five minuets later, the batter had solidified into the shape that Rainbow dash knew meant pancake. After letting it cool for about 10 minuets, Rainbow Dash began to eat.
“YAAAA!” The pancakes were still quite hot and needed to cool longer. Rainbow dash decided they needed to be about twenty percent cooler before she could eat the pancake without getting burned.
A little while later, she tried to have breakfast again, this time the pancake being just cool enough to eat.
“Hmmm. Kind of chewy,” Rainbow dash thought,” Not as tasty as my cereal. Actually, bleck! This thing tastes horrid nothing like how Pinkie Pie makes them.”
Remembering the time she and Pinky Pie had a sleepover at Twilight’s, Rainbow remembered that Pinkie had made them all the best tasting pancakes she ever had.
Rainbow Dash looked at her clock, it was almost 11:00 and she still haven’t had a proper breakfast yet. there was only one thing to do. Get Pinkie Pie’s help. Within seconds she was at the bakery where Pinkie Pie stayed.
*Knock knock knock*
“YEEEEEEEEEEEES?” the hyper active pink pony named Pinkie Pie answered the door.
“Pinkie, you remember those Pancakes you made back at the sleep over?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Do I? I still got the recipe right here!” Pinkie showed Rainbow Dash the recipe on what looked like the back of box of pancake mix. The same kind that Rainbow dash just bought and ruined that very morning.
Placing her hoof in her face for realising how dumb she was, Rainbow dash thanked Pinkie Pie and rushed home to try making breakfast again.
This time she found the recipe on the box and followed it exactly.
“Well, here goes nothing” She got ready to take a bite.
The fork was almost in her mouth. The smell of this batch was reminding her of that sleep over breakfast and how good it tasted.
*Chomp* Rainbow Dash took a bite.
“Wow, these taste just like how Pinkie made them” And with that, Rainbow dash had found a new replacement breakfast. she was so busy eating her new favorite breakfast, that she didn’t notice that it was now Lunch time. |
FeroMcPigletron | 650 | 1 | Pinkie Pie,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Twilight's Plan | How much would Twilight ask of her friends to further her ambitions? She wouldn't ask | complete | 7 | 3 | everyone | 2011-08-27T22:42:16+00:00 | 2011-08-27T22:42:16+00:00 | 2,300 | My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Fanfic
Twilight's Plan
by Fero McPigletron
[email protected]
20110422
20110828 slight edits
"Hi Twilight! Thanks for inviting me to tea!" Pinkie Pie skipped up to the table where Twilight Sparkle was sitting.
"No problem, Pinkie." Twilight answered. She waited until the pink pony had gulped down her first cup before continuing. "Actually, I wanted to use you as a sounding board for a project I'm doing."
"Okie dokie," Pinkie answered as she bit into a cupcake. "I'm aaaall ears. And hooves too. What is it?"
"I was wondering what you'd think of my plan to gain ultimate power by sacrificing the Elements of Harmony." Twilight smiled as Pinkie choked on her pastry.
"That's... interesting," Pinkie mouthed carefully. She check around the library. "Hey, is Spike here somewhere?"
"Never mind about that," Twilight waved a hoof in the air nonchalantly and continued brightly. "See, I read about this powerful spell whose power would even surpass the Ties that Bind between siblings. I figure that the souls of five true friends would rival that of the bond between Celestia and Luna. It's been my ambition to rule Equestria and I know my five friends would do ANYTHING to help me, even give up their lives.
"Not unwillingly, of course. A tragic death would start the ball rolling. I'd call Rarity over, telling her something horrible has happened and that a loved one has died. As a unicorn, she's the only one with magic who could have an inkling of my plans. She might have the ability to stop me, though I doubt she has the skill. But she'll be distracted by the tragedy, especially when I tell her that since the death has only occured very recently, we could still bring the soul back.
"I'll tell her of a spell that needs two unicorns to revive the recently deceased. It would require all our strength and essence but I know Rarity won't say no. We'll start the incantation and I'll let her think I'm helping her with the burden when I'm actually letting all her lifeforce pour out of her. She won't realize that she's giving everything to the spell. She'll leave a beautiful corpse after I've taken the Spirit of Generosity.
"It'll be risky but I'll have to call on everybody else next. Two fallen friends can't be ignored. I'll tell Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy that there's an artifact in Forever Falls in the distant continent of Equestria that could revive Rarity but they need to retrieve it within a quarter of an hour. Rainbow Dash would have to generate Sonic Rainbooms in quick successions to retrieve it in time. Fluttershy would be needed to carry the artifact so she'll be towed along.
"I placed the artifact in the Falls some time ago. Flutteryshy would have to shed tears until she cries tears of blood to retrieve it. Once she picks it up, it will leech her soul. I would have the Soul of Kindness when she brings it back.
"Naturally, Rainbow Dash wouldn't survive the trip back either. Multiple Sonic Rainbooms would tear her apart but she wouldn't care. She would do it for her friends. I would take the Essence of Loyalty from her.
"Applejack would be with me in the library, helping me with the ritual. Once Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are back and dying before her eyes, I would have her stay by them at their final moments. It would be tricky but she would have to admit to herself that there's nothing that could be done for her friends. And once the truth passes her lips, I will cut her throat and take the Heart of Honesty.
"After that, I'll have all the Elements of Harmony that I need to begin the spell and herald the end of the reign of Celestia and Luna." Twilight wrapped up her story brightly.
Pinkie was listening in rapt attention. "Oh oh oh! You only used four Elements! You forgot about me! You didn't mention me!"
Twilight smiled. "Dear Pinkie, you were first in mind. You're unpreditablity and unknown talents marked you as the most dangerous of the group. I had to take you out first. I knew your Pinkie Sense would warn you of danger so I added some specially prepared Poison Joke in your tea. It would dull your senses and keep you laughing as the life ebbs from your body before I take the Extract of Laughter."
Pinkie looked down at her tea. "Really?"
Twilight smiled again. "Really."
Pinkie tried again. "Really, really?"
Twilight sighed. "Ok, you got me. It's all just a joke."
Pinkie sighed. "Aaaw you were pulling my hoof all along! Good one, Twilight Sparkle! That's a great prank but I wouldn't have fallen for it at all. It's good for a laugh though."
Pinkie started to giggling first then started laughing uproariously. Twilight just smiled and waited for the laughter to die down completely.
"It begins..." |
|
glaber | 654 | 1 | Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Crossover,Adventure,Mystery,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Detective Luna | Luna becomes a Detective and discovers a cereal plot. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>[Inter-fannon crossover] (Crosses over with the fiction "Progress")</p><p>Upon reading mystery after mystery Luna decides to become a detective. Will she prove her self to be a real detective, or prove herself to be nothing more than a mystery fan in over her head?</p><p>(Notice: While marked as incomplete, Each chapter is intended to be like a standalone story)</p> | everyone | 2012-03-27T00:39:07+00:00 | 2012-03-27T00:39:07+00:00 | 1,148 | Detective Luna in
Case of the Cereal Snatchers
Written by
Anthony (Glaber)
One Tuesday within the Canterlot Public Library, a special visitor was busy flipping though page after page of every mystery novel she could get her hooves on. From Sherlock Holmes to select Doctor Whooves novels. From Dickson Hill to even The Boxcar Children. There was no mystery that would escape her.
“Excuse me, Miss Selene?” A librarian asked, but Selene didn't answer. She was too wrapped up in a mystery book involving six teens and their talking dog. “Ah-hem!”
The sudden throat clearing startled Selene, breaking her out of her story. “Huh, uhh, wha?”
“I'm sorry to disturb you Miss, but the library is closing.”
“Already? But I'm not finished with this...”
“You can check out the book if you want, but we really need to close.”
“Ohh, okay.” Selene really didn't want to part with all the books she had yet to read, but seeing at how this was a public library and they didn't let anypony stay overnight, she had no choice.
Selene picked up the book she was reading alongside a stack of 20 other books she hadn't read yet and headed to the checkout counter. The Librarian behind the counter had an annoyed look on her face. “You do know we have a four book check out limit.” She stated.
“Really? Uhh, I guess I'll take these four.” Selene pulled out three books form the stack and put them with the book she didn't finish along with Sundance's Library card.
“They'll be due back in three weeks.” The Librarian said before turning to the pile of books she would have to put away. “I’m going to be here all night because of her.”
A little while later, Selene was at Sundance's house taking off her disguise and revealing herself to be Princess Luna. “I was beginning to wonder when you'd come back.” Sundance greeted Luna all the while giving her a look that said she expected this. “So what did you get this time?”
Sundance took a look at the books Luna had set down on the counter. Scooby Doo, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Colts, and a Sherlock Holmes book. “Looking to become a Detective, are we?” Sundance joked, but the joke flew over Luna's head.
Instead of laughing, Luna was seriously considering it. “Hmm, Detective Luna, that does have a nice ring to it.” Luna thought, a smile creeping across her face.
“Wait, you're not actually considering it are you?”
“What if I am? It sounds fun. Solving mysteries, meeting different ponies...”
“Getting chased and possibly harmed by the bad guy. You know how dangerous they can get!” Sundance interrupted, the concern growing in her face as they continued to discuss the subject.
“So? It's not like I can't take care of myself.” but just then, Luna caught Sundance's skeptical face, “Don't give me that look!”
Sundance gave a small sigh as she headed off to bed.
The next morning, both Sundance and Luna were at Canterlot Castle. Sundance doing her job and Luna neck deep in books, as per usual. Normally, Luna would be trying to catch up on government functions, but today she was busy trying to figure out if there were any old unsolved mysteries she could tackle. “No. No. That one was solved last week. This one the week before!”
“What are you doing?” a gentle voice sang out.
“AHH!” Startled, Luna turned around to find her sister Celestia, “Do you have to keep doing that?”
Chuckling at this, Celestia decided not to respond to her question, “I hear you're trying to become a detective.”
“So what if I am?”
“Oh, nothing.” Celestia then noted the stacks of books Luna was going through, “Just that a good detective doesn't start her career off by trying to find a case in the records of solved mysteries.”
“You mean, they're all solved?” Luna was shocked, she never once thought that their mystery records would comprise of only already solved cases.
“Not all of them, just the ones we have on file.” at this, Luna became disappointed, “Cheer up Sis. Just because these are solved doesn't mean that there aren't plenty more mysteries out there just waiting for somepony like you to go solve them, and besides I have the perfect starter mystery for you.”
At that, Luna's ears perked up not liking the way her sister said, quote unquote, Starter Mystery. Giving her sister a look of confusion, “What kind of starter mystery?”
Celestia smiled “My faithful student has informed me that all of her friend's cereal has disappeared and that she has no clue what happened.”
Luna became even more confused at this. “Couldn't she have just eaten it all up and forgotten about it?”
“That's just it, according to the letter she only just got the cereal the other day. She had 12 boxes of Wonderbolts Cereal one day, then they're gone the next.”
It was then that the mystery started to make sense to Luna. No pony could possibly eat 12 boxes of cereal in 1 day. Grinning, Luna heard exactly what she needed to be convinced “I'll take the case! Now I just need to get my disguise and I’ll be on my way.”
“Hang on Sis,” Celestia said with a sly smile, “You wouldn't be Detective Luna, if you went as Selene.”
“I suppose not. I can still ware the detective hat, right?”
A little while later, Luna was flying towards Ponyville, unescorted. “Okay, let's see, I'm suppose to meet up with a pegasus named Rainbow Dash somewhere out near Sweet Apple Acres.” As Luna was reviewing this, she neglected to notice a rainbow streaking towards her.
“Lookout lookout LOOKOUT!!” WHAM, before anypony could react, Luna found herself sprawled out on the ground next to a cyan colored pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail. “Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh, I'm sooo sorry.”
“That's alright,” Luna turned her head to see who had crashed into her, “Miss Rainbow Dash?”
At that moment Rainbow Dash's jaw hit the ground, “She knows my name?”
“Are you all right?”
Reeling in her jaw, Rainbow replied, “Fine fine.”
“That's good, for a moment there I thought my first client was going to need medical treatment.”
“Did she say client? A-a-ar-are you the royal detective Celestia was sending?”
“As a matter of fact, I am. Detective Luna, ready to solve anything!” Whipping out her magnifying glass and abacus, Luna struck a pose. Rainbow Dash could only face-hoof, having witnessed such an embarrassing act.
“Let's just go before anypony else sees you in that pose.”
“Alright, take me to the scene of the crime.”
A little while later, the two were inside Rainbow Dash's home looking at the closet where she normally kept her cereal. “Okay, tell me what happened.”
“Well, I had just woke up when I decided to have breakfast. I went through my routine as usual until I opened up the closet door and discovered that all of my Wonderbolt Cereal was gone.” Rainbow Dash explained.
“Is there anything you can tell me about the cereal boxes?” Luna questioned
“Like?”
“Well, do the boxes actually stay on top of the clouds or do they fall through?”
“Oh! I guess I never thought about that. Well if I remember right, The boxes have been enchanted so that they don't fall through, but the cereal itself is not and will fall through. I found that out when a bird randomly flew through the closet door and pecked a hole in one of my boxes.”
Luna jotted all of this down, “How long ago was that?”
“It happened a day before my cereal disappeared. Why?”
“And did you dispose of the open box?” Luna asked, jotting down another note.
“No. I figured I could still save the box top for the Wonderbolt Prize cup” Rainbow Dash then proceeded to show Luna the back of a box she saved. The outside part showed a picture of the prize Rainbow Dash was saving her tops for alongside a T-shirt. On the inside part was an order form for the prizes. The order form listed the prices of both the shirt and the cup with the cup requiring either 3 tops and 20 bits, or just 12 box tops.
“20 bits, for a cup? Well I guess that explains why you bought so many boxes. Though I have to wonder, did you have a chance to even start a box?”
“No, I just put the cereal away the exact same day as when the bird flew in.”
Luna jotted this information down and then took a close look at the closet floor. “Let's see here.” Pulling out he magnifying glass, she closely inspected the floor where the cereal should have been. “Some thing's not right here, the floor looks like it's been moved.”
Rainbow was shocked to hear this, “W-w-w-what!”
“It looks like somepony tried to cover up the theft but failed to take into account how cloud packing works.” Luna commented. “Miss Dash, do you still have the box top from the box the bird pecked.”
“Umm, oh! Here it is.” Coming out of her shock, she pulled out a box top.
Levitating the piece of cardboard towards her, Luna was about to preform a locator spell when a thought popped into her head. “Wait, what if she threw out the rest of the box? Uhh, by any chance you didn't throw out the rest of the box, did you?”
“No, I just tore off the top and left the box with the rest of them. Figure I'd deal with it later.” Rainbow Dash replied, a bit annoyed that she had to repeat herself.
“Good,” A sigh of relief coming from Luna, “because I'm going to attempt to use a locator spell to find out where the thief went.” Then Luna's horn began to glow.
The glow then extended to the piece of cardboard as if it were a dog getting the sent. Retracting back to Luna, the glow dissipated from the box top and her horn began to flash. Luna then started facing different directions. Facing south, her horn flickered at half speed. To the east it flashed at quarter speed. As Luna was three quarters into turning to face the west, her horn began to flash at full speed, blinking once every half-second.
Both Luna and Rainbow Dash went outside to get a better look at where the horn was pointing. “That can't be right!” Rainbow Dash was shocked to see that Luna's horn was pointed in the direction of Fluttershy's and was flashing so rapidly. “Fluttershy would never be able to do something like this!”
Luna pulled a frown of concentration, “Hmm, we should still question her. Even if she didn't do it she may have seen the pony that did.”
Fluttershy was busy out in the chicken coop tending to the chickens when Luna and Rainbow Dash arrived. Rainbow Dash called out “Hello! Fluttershy, we need to speak with you!”
“EEP!”
Luna's ears perked at this quiet sounding shriek. “I think she might be around back.” Luna said.
The back yard was empty except for a shaky chicken coop with chickens coming out of it. Luna decided to call out for Fluttershy, “Excuse me, Miss Fluttershy?” the yellow pegasus poked her head out of the door.
“Yes?” Fluttershy said, still shaking, “Oh, Princess Luna, I wasn't aware you were coming.”
“That's alright. No need for formalities, I'm here as a Detective today.”
“Ohh, that's wonderful, I always wondered what it would be like to be a detective. What kind of case are you on?”
“We're on the trail of a Cereal Snatcher.” Rainbow Dash said, a bit of excitement in her voice.
“Yes, and currently that trail had lead to your house.”
“Oh my.” Fluttershy gave a sad frown at this.
“So if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some questions.”
“Um, okay.”
“First, where were you when Rainbow Dash's cereal was taken?”
“I-I-I don't know.” Fluttershy looked like she was on the verge of breaking down in fear.
Then a thought struck Luna, “I never actually found out when the theft occurred.” Face-hoofing at this, Luna turned to Rainbow Dash, “Miss Dash, Could you tell me when the theft occurred?”
“I don't think so, but the day I noticed my cereal missing was two days ago.” Rainbow Dash responded.
“Now we're getting somewhere. Now to narrow things down, you also said you just bought the cereal the day before, correct?” Luna was beginning to show signs of satisfaction.
“Yes”
“Could you please tell me how late in the day it was when you got home?
“I think it was about seven in the evening when I got back. The bird didn't show up until maybe seven-thirty.”
“There was a bird involved?” Fluttershy couldn't believe what she was hearing. If there was a bird involved and the trail of cereal lead to her house, it would make her look like she was the thief. “I DIDN'T DO IT!”
At that outbreak, Luna and Rainbow Dash were startled. Both of them were silent for a bit, then Luna spoke up, “Miss Fluttershy, we never accused you of being the thief. Why would you think we would?”
Fluttershy shrunk, embarrassed at the outburst, “Oh, um Rainbow Dash said you were on the trail of a cereal snatcher, so I just assumed you followed a cereal trail here, and since there was a bird involved and you're here now, not to mention the way you first questioned me, ponies might think it was me who took the cereal, but I didn't do it.”
Luna was surprised at this, she had to set the record straight “Miss Fluttershy, please calm down. Neither of us said there was a cereal trail. All though I should had thought to check for one. Could you at least tell us where you were between seven-thirty at night on Saturday and dawn of Sunday?”
“O-ok.” Fluttershy was still shaken up, but proceeded to tell her story, “Around seven-thirty that day I was dropping off Apple Bloom at Sweet Apple Acres when I noticed somepony below Rainbow Dash's house with what looked like a tool box. I thought that maybe you were having some remodeling done.” She directed this part at Rainbow Dash, then continued, “From that point I headed home to take care of Angel's dinner. After that I was tired so I went to sleep and didn't wake up until dawn when I took care of the chickens.”
“Wait, you saw somepony under my house with a tool box?” Rainbow was enraged at this, remembering the messed up floor in her closet.
Luna jotted all of this down, then spoke up, “Did you see what race the pony was?”
“Um, I believe she was a pegasus.”
“Was she wearing anything in particular?” Luna asked, trying to get a description of the pony.
“She had on a flight suit just like one of the Wonderbolts, only harder to see in the dark.” At this Luna was taken aback. She knew of only 3 ponies that could fit that description, and she thought she just made them up when she was Nightmare Moon. “Um, if it wouldn't bother you to answer, though it probably might, but I just have to know, why is your horn blinking?”
Luna had failed to notice that her locator spell was still active and was indicating that her destination was still ahead in the Everfree forest. “Oh my, thank you Miss Fluttershy for your time. Miss Dash I believe we may find our crook in there.” Luna spoke.
Upon seeing where Luna was pointing, Rainbow Dash became very scared “You can't be serious! In there?”
“I know how dangerous it can get in there, so I'm not going to make you come with me if you don't want to.”
“But Princess!” Rainbow tried to object, but it was no use. Luna started off into the forest anyway.
“Miss Dash, it is my duty as a Detective to see this case all the way through, even if it means putting myself in harms way.”
“Fine, if it means that much to you I should at least come along for protection.” Rainbow Dash said with a sense of duty in her voice.
“Um if it's alright with you,” Fluttershy started, but was cut off by Rainbow Dash.
“I think Luna will be fine with just me, besides I don't want you risking yourself just for cereal. Right your highness? Uhh, your highness?” but Luna wasn’t there. She was already at the edge of the forest about to head in, “WAIT FOR ME!” Rainbow Dash screamed flying after the princess.
Now as anypony would tell you, the Everfree forest was a strange place. Plants grew on their own, animals took care of themselves, and the weather happened at random. Such things would surely spook anypony that was use to how things were run in the civilized parts of Equestria, but for some reason, Luna wasn't disturbed by the forest at all. Luna continued to march forward in the direction her horn was indicating with Rainbow Dash at her side until they came upon a clearing and her horn flickered at thrice the normal speed.
Looking into the clearing, Luna dispelled her locator spell once she saw the suspect Fluttershy described. It was one of the Shadowbolts, and right next to her was a pile of Wonderbolt Cereal consisting of more than the 12 boxes.
“Mwahahahah, I still can believe that store bought it. Soon enough they really will stop making that Cereal!” the Shadowbolt sang with glee.
Rainbow Dash had heard enough, it was bad enough that her cereal was stolen, but this was outright sabotage! Without thinking, Rainbow Dash started flying right at the Shadowbolt. But before she could connect, the Shadowbolt ducked.
*CRASH*
“Well lookie who we have. Aren't you that Wonderbolt megafan Rainbow Crash?” She mocked.
“Excuse me!” Luna burst out from behind a bush, “by the authority of Royal Family you are under arrest for Grand Theft Cereal and Fraud!”
“PWAHAHAHA! Me? Under arrest, by you?” The Shadowbolt was laughing up a storm. “Look, if it's the cereal you want you can just take it. Not like it would matter anyway.” The shadowbolt then began to leave.
“Wait just a minuet!” Rainbow Dash shouted “You mean to tell me that you're just going to leave like that?”
“What of it? It's not like I have time for the likes of you, by this time next week all shipments of Wonderbolt cereal will be no more!” And with that, the Shadowbolt bolted off, bouncing off the trees like a bolt of blue lightning.
Rainbow Dash was about to give chase when Luna called out “Let her go Miss Dash. I have a feeling I'll be meeting her again real soon.”
Soon thereafter both Luna and Rainbow dash were at the Ponyville supermarket.
“What? You mean to tell me that Wonderbolt was a fake?” the store clerk asked in disbelief.
“Yes, I believe she is of a group of ponies called the Shadowbolts. I don't know what they're planning but I suspect it may have something to do with the Wonderbolts. If you should see another Shadowbolt let me or Celestia know alright.”
“Alright. And thanks again Princess.”
Princess Luna smiled, “All in a days work.”
Meanwhile, in a remote corner of the Everfree Forest, the Shadowbolt was coming to a bouncing halt.
“Blueball, where have you been? You were due back here hours ago!” another Shadowbolt scolded
“Sorry, Strats, but one-hundred boxes of cereal really slows me down.” Blueball quickly responded, “I was thankful that the moon princess was there to take it all off my hooves.”
“YOU IDIOT!” Stratus furiously yelled, “Now we're sure to be discovered! Nightshade will be sure to hear about this blunder!” The two then started to fly away.
“Awww, why do we have to bring her into this?” Blueball questioned as they left the forest.
Back in Canterlot, Luna had just settled back into her room at Sundance's place.
“So, how was your first case?” Sundance asked.
“It was harder than I thought, but fun.”
“I have to admit, Luna, when I heard that you actually went off to Ponyville unescorted, I became worried for your safety. But seeing you back here in one piece, I still wonder why Princess Celestia allowed you to do that.”
Luna smiled, “That's just the way she can be sometimes. Now if you'd excuse me, I have to go raise the moon.”
“Of course.” and with that Luna stepped outside to preform her royal duty.
“Wait until Celly hears about this.” Luna happily thought to herself as she raised the moon.
Hoofnote: the Character Sundance and the setting of her house are products of Andrew Joshua Talon's “Progress” series. Used without permission.
The Shadowbolts Nightshade, Stratus, and Blueball Blitz are a product of Poor Yorick. Used without permission.
My Little Pony is Copyright 2011 Hasbro
See you next Case. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 1 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:34:06+00:00 | 2013-08-26T14:16:28+00:00 | 20,234 | It was another starry night, one fit for eager eyes to observe. Twilight and Nyx were out stargazing again. Twilight found it a great way to bond; it was their most favorite thing to do, for hours at a time. They would often sit there, on the hill just gazing upwards, in silent awe.
“There's so many... do you think we'll ever see them all, mom?”
“I don't think so, sweetie.”
“Well, why don't we try?”
Twilight laughed heartily. “Okay, we will, but not tonight. It’s awfully late. We should get back to the library.”
“Ohhhhh. Okay.” Disappointment flooded her voice, and had easily been picked up by Twilight.
“Don’t be sad... Maybe a certain unicorn can send a certain letter to a certain princess to whip up a really awesome night tomorrow!” Twilight smiled sheepishly with a hopeful look aimed toward her daughter.
“Yay! You’re the best mommy! Let’s head back! I can’t wait for tomorrow night!”
They started the journey back with a peaceful trot, still absorbing whatever they could from another one of Luna’s beautiful nights. That peace was shattered instantly when Nyx looked up and saw a light moving. Fast.
"Look mommy! A shooting star!"
Twilight looked up and saw the light as well. "Make a wish, honey!"
Upon finishing that sentence, the light swerved and appeared to be as if it was hurdling towards them.
Twilight remarked with a puzzled tone, "Huh, that's strange."
*****
An alarm blared in the bridge of the crippled warship.
An electronically, synthesized voice ringed over the intercom:
“WARNING! Engines: Offline.”
“WARNING! Hull integrity failing.”
“WARNING! Nav Systems going offline.”
A tall armored figure was in the bridge of his ship.
“DAMN IT!” The figure angrily broke one of the screens to shut off it’s annoying red flashing. Instantly regretting that, he began to rub the monitor’s frame in desperation, treating the ship as if it was a real person. “C'mon girl, you didn't escape a Spinar onslaught just to fall on some planet in the middle of nowhere!”
“Major, it does not matter what you do. Red Dawn is going down.”
The true statement bit at his confidence, but he managed to troop on with a semi-determined tone. The figure sighed in his helmet and questioned, “Do we at least have a soft landing spot?”
“Our current course will result in our landing here.” The AI brought up an image of a plain right below a large hill.
“Well, at least it fits the bill of being ‘soft’. Hold tight, I'm taking her in.”
“Oh, and you can stop rubbing my broken monitor. It’s just getting creepy now.”
The figure coughed awkwardly and took his hand off the monitor.
*******
Twilight watched in confused as the strange light began to torpedo toward them at an alarmingly increased pace. While Nyx was still looking at it confused, Twilight began to panic; she realized that if they stayed there, they’d be receiving a one way ticket to the moon.
“Nyx, follow me!” she said in a rushed voice.
“But-” she protested.
“No buts, come on!”
Twilight expertly picked up Nyx and placed her securely onto her back. Knowing she was on tightly, she began to full gallop towards safety at speeds that matched Applejack. After getting to a safe distance, she stopped and turned around. The light had grown nearly 10 times bigger and seemed to be growing as it got closer. While they were completely safe, Twilight took no chances and ran a little further before turning around once more. The light now had a large black spot right in the middle, and was still getting closer.
The two ponies were looking in awe at the strange object. “What is it?” they thought simultaneously.
A few moments later, the deafening sound of the crash reverberated through the air. Judging by the sound it made, it hit the ground with an insane amount of force.
A few minutes of silence passed before Twilight's curiosity got the better of her and she asked, ”Want to go check it out?”
Twilight cursed at herself mentally, she may have just exposed her daughter to extreme danger. Who knows what evil could rest in something that just fell from the sky? She silently prayed to both Celestia and Luna that Nyx would answer ‘no’.
“Yeah!” Curiosity had gotten the best of Nyx as well. Like daughter like mother. Twilight cursed at herself some more after hearing Nyx's answer. No going back now.
The two began to walk towards the spot where they had last seen the light.
After a few minutes of careful trotting, the two were back of what remained of the hill. They both looked down to what appeared to be large black object sitting in what was once a large, green plain. They approached the strange object. Behind it, the ground was overturned and smoldering, not only from the heat of orbital reentry, but also the sheer amount of friction from the crash.
Twilight looked to the object’s right side. It was completely black, save for a few white spots of what remained of the captivating white paint near the top of it. After a few moments observation, she realized the marks were words. "Red Dawn," she whispered. Twilight then noticed a large extension on the side of the object, looking remarkably similar to a pegasi’s wings without any feathers. Attached to it’s underside was a large metal box with a pair of tubes jutting out of it.
They both swallowed their fears and trotted further towards the wing. Upon closer observation, they saw what looked like a battered door directly underneath the junction between the wing and the rest of the object. They stopped to investigate further. After a few moments,the door opened. Both Twilight and Nyx took a few steps back, their curiosity gradually losing ground to fear. A large gray object came out of the door and fell to the ground, coughing violently. Curiosity once took over as the two approached to investigate.
The figure turned it's head and saw the two ponies walking towards it. He leaped up and pointed a rifle at the two. Pain and fear replacing logic, he immediately assumed that they were a threat.
“STOP RIGHT THERE!” it barked at the two of them.
The two stopped, startled at the fast transformation from a neutral, hurt being to a hostile, deadly one.
“DON'T MOVE!” it yelled again. He could have been more passive in his demands, but he was a super soldier, not a super diplomat. Spinar never really had a knack for conversation anyway.
Twilight looked closer at the strange thing it was holding. She then realized it was a gun. She had read about guns in an old book about Griffons, and she was well aware that this strange figure would use his if they got too close.
“ONE WRONG MOVE AND I'LL SHOOT!”
Survival instincts kicking in, Nyx took a step back.
The creature’s rifle snapped to her. “I SAID-” The creature started to cough violently again. After a few moments, he fell to the ground, seemingly lifeless.
Twilight’s curiosity got the best of her again and she moved closer. The thing’s head seemed to be made of metal, and what seemed like a large glass eye was a bit below it's top.
"A cyclops?" Twilight thought. Further examination left Twilight with the correct answer: It was wearing a helmet. Her horn began to glow, and soon after the helmet came off. It's white, scarred face, and dark brown mane was revealed. It let out a low groan of pain while it was still unconscious. She examined the creatures side and found a large piece of metal sticking out of it's gray armor, with blood pooling around it. It was wounded. Badly.
Twilight’s horn glowed again as the thing floated into the air.. "Come on Nyx. We’re going home."
~End Prologue~
****** |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 2 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:34:40+00:00 | 2014-06-30T22:18:57+00:00 | 16,169 | Ponyville hospital. Most of the beds were filled with injured ponies, save one. A strange creature lay in its bed with a large bandage on it's side.
Twilight was laying in the bed next to it, studying it.
"What is it?" Twilight turned. Nurse Redheart was standing right next to her.
"I don't know," was her quick, dry answer.
It coughed. Both ponies turned to face it. After a few moments of coughing and wheezing, it began to stir and look upwards toward the ceiling.
“What the hell? Where am I?” were its thoughts as it observed the wooden ceiling of the hospital. Various cracks lining the ceiling portrayed its age, but proving sturdy over time.
It turned its head around, first to the left, where a large red pony with a broken leg was sleeping peacefully. It turned its head to the right, where Twilight and Nurse Redheart were observing it in silence. It jerked forward as if it was about to attack, but a yell of pain escaped its lips as it fell back into the bed slowly. It turned to investigate the source of the pain. It saw a large bandage on it's side. A quick sigh escaped from it's mouth.
“Um, hello?” said Twilight with a concern. The creature turned to face her, with a puzzled look. “I'm Twilight Sparkle, this is Nurse Redheart. Do you have a name?”
- - - - -
My name, my God, the last time I’ve said it... can’t even remember what it is.
He looked at the gray object at the other side of the room. It was his armor. How did they even remove it? He looked at a small image of a howling wolf in the top right corner of his chest plate.
- - - - -
He laid his head back on the pillow. Then he said it.
“Wolf.” One word. Short and sweet, but not too revealing.
“Well, Wolf, what are you? Where are you from?” said Twilight. She seemed intent on getting a background on this new character.
He thought for a few moments. Then he said two words. “Human. Earth.” Once again, barely opening up.
“How did you get here?” Nurse Redheart piped in.
He thought again. Something tugging at the back of his head suddenly reemerged and his eyes suddenly narrowed. He leaped forward again, ignoring the burning pain in his side. “RED DAWN! Where is she?!”
Twilight remembered the scorched paint on the side of what they found him in. “Red Dawn? You mean that thing you came out of?”
He fell back to his pillow, the pain caught up to him. He nodded in his pillow, content with her answer.
“I can take you to it when your feeling better. Why did you come here?”
He instantly loosened up at the fact he’ll be reunited with his trusty warship. “No choice. Had to make a blind jump. The Spinar were too close.”
“The Spinar?”
“Our- MY enemy.”
“Your people are at war with these “Spinar”?”
He scoffed.
“My people? No. Not anymore. They're all dead. The Spinar killed them all. All but one.”
“All of them? How many?"
His aggressive composure returned with a vengeance as he angrily answered, “124 BILLION! 124 freaking billion! The bastards showed no mercy! NO MERCY AT ALL!” He held back tears as he bit his lip.
Twilight gasped. “I'm sorry......”
He calmed down, wiping the tears away.
“Don't be. You couldn't have known.” He then silently chuckled. “I always wondered why people would say ‘I’m sorry’ at things they shouldn’t be sorry at.”
A few minutes passed silently as Wolf trembled, remembering things we wished he could forget.
Twilight finally broke the silence with a question. “But...why?”
“I don't know. None of us knew. They just fell from the skies on our Good Hope colony 24 years ago. Then they started killing everyone in sight. Military forces were caught by surprise.” He spat out angrily later, “Didn't even stand a damn chance.”
Twilight could see the anger growing in his eyes. If he got too angry, he could attack. He didn't look capable of attacking, but who knows?
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-seven years and counting.”
She couldn’t hide the shock in her voice. “Twenty-seven?!”
“Yes. And I don't want to talk about the war anymore. I saw things, heard things, felt... did things that are better left unsaid.” He then paused for a moment and added, “Can you two give me a moment, I need some time to think.”
- - - - -
What am I doing? I've never been so open before. But, this place has a calming effect on me, and this Twilight... how does she know so much?
Then he remembered.
The night of the crash, it was her, she was there when I first set down.
- - - - -
“Of course.” Twilight and Nurse Redheart began walking away.
“Wait.” They both stopped and turned to face him, unsure to what he wanted. “Nurse, is there someplace more private where I can speak with Twilight?”
“You can't strain yourself with movement right now, but you seem to heal fast. You should be back on your feet by tomorrow.”
Twilight let off a small smile.
“Then I can show you around some.”
Wolf returned the smile. “Thanks.”
Twilight left the hospital.
- - - - -
‘Thanks’? When was the last time I said that? Most of the war I was barking orders at men loyal enough to follow them.
At the time, Wolf was a Major in Earth's military. In most of his deployments, he was the ranking officer. Of course there were exceptions, but Wolf had extensive combat and tactical experience; not to mention the fact that the military had officially dubbed him, humanity's best hope of survival. This provided the exception where most superior officers, not only took his advice into careful consideration, they even took orders from him.
Am I going soft? Can't allow that. Spinar will find me eventually. Need to stay alert. But, I might as well heal and relax while I have the chance.
- - - - -
“Hungry?”
“Yeah, I could eat.”
“Dinner will be ready soon. It's soup tonight.” She looked around cautiously then whispered, “I personally recommend the mixed vegetable.”
“Thanks.”
She winked. “No problem. Now you just lay down and rest.”
“Don't have to tell me twice.”
The dinner cart came down the aisle and a nurse began distributing today’s meal. The smell of fresh soup filled the air. Wolf tried to breathe in as much of the smell as he could. It had been weeks since his last fresh meal.
The pony moving the cart asked:
“Carrot or mixed?”
“Mixed.”
“Here you go.”
“Thanks."
The pony smiled at him. “You're more than welcome.”
He tasted the soup. He immediately took another sip. And another. And another. It was the best soup he had in months. Within moments the whole bowl was gone. The red pony next to him stared. “Sorry. Long time since I had a good meal.”
“No problem. Just never saw anyone eat so fast.”
“I'm just used to eating fast. One minute I'm sitting in a corner, eating dinner, the next I'm back in the fight,” He stated plainly.
“Who were you fighting?” asked the patients. They all had shocked expressions.
“Genocidal bugs hell bent on wiping out every last human in existence.” He paused for a moment, laying his head back down on his pillow, recalling days past.
“They’ve almost finished the job. You’re talking to the sole survivor of the war. Can’t say I don’t like it. Lone Wolf, that was my nickname. Danger, certainty of death, small chance of success...” He paused again, recalling how desolate and depressing the war really was.
“I’d just barge through hordes of them. Throughout eleven years of hard warfare, I’ve killed thousands.”
“How can you talk about it as if it’s nothing?”
“When your whole life is stained in blood, you really can’t talk about anything else. It’s gotten to the point where war is a daily part of my life, and I speak about it in a monotonous tone.”
Everybody stopped talking for a bit, digesting what information he just released to them.
The pony operating the food cart broke the awkward silence by asking, “Anyone for seconds?”
Everyone answered no, except 2 patients who were wrapped up in their own conversation and didn't hear her question. One of which was Wolf and the other was the red stallion who had just awoken.
“Well, I see you two have been introduced.”
“Not exactly....”
“Well why don't we change that? Names Big Macintosh.”
“I'm Wolf.”
The pony driving the cart smiled at the two.
“So, any of you want seconds? Plenty left here.”
“Nah I'm good.”
“I could go for another bowl. Haven't had good soup in months.”
She filled another bowl. Like before, the soup was gone in moments.
“Thanks. I needed that.”
“No problem. We've got more if you want.”
“No thanks. I'm good.”
“Well, if you need anything, just call.”
Upon finishing that sentence, she left the room.
“I think I'm going to turn in for the night.”
“Eeyup. Me too. Good night.”
“Good night.”
And with that, they both turned and fell asleep.
- - - - -
Planet Raxus, April 17th, 2659, 14:31 hrs.
An explosion. Wolf opened his eyes. A young blond soldier ran up to him, a look of fear on his face.
“Captain! Corporal Marks sir!”
“Report Corporal!”
“Spinar broke through the 328th!”
“Damn it, they're the only unit between the Spinar and the civilian shelter!”
“We're trying to hold the line, but there's too many of them!”
“Pull the troops back. We'll try to hold them here.”
“Here, sir?!”
“Yes, here. We can use what's left of the defenses.”
Another soldier ran up to the two.
“Captain, sir! A Spinar elite team broke through!”
“What class?”
“Wasps sir!”
“Alright. Get ready men!”
“Sni-”
Marks fell over as a large spike entered his back, severing his spinal cord.
“MARKS!”
- - - - -
“MARKS! MARKS!”
Nurse Redheart rushed over to the screaming human.
“DAMN IT MARKS, GET UP!”
“Calm down! It's alright, you're safe!”
Wolf calmed down. He looked around. He was back in Ponyville hospital. Everyone was awake and staring at him. He looked to his left and Big Macintosh was staring at him with a concerned look.
He turned his head to the right and he saw Nurse Redheart yelling for anesthetic.
“Get me some morphine over here!”
“No, I don't need it.”
“Hold on that! Are you sure?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just a bad dream.”
“Sounded more like a nightmare. You were screaming 'marks' over and over again. What does it mean?”
His head fell back to the pillow and his eyes closed.
“Nothing.”
“Didn't look like nothing.”
“What time is it?”
“11:47 Am.”
“Morning already?”
“Yeah, it is. Well, it looks like your fine, so I'm releasing you. Just don't strain yourself too much. No running or anything like that.”
“All right.”
“And, you have a visitor.”
Twilight walked in as Nurse Redheart finished her sentence.
“Good morning!”
Wolf got up on his legs. He held on to the bed at first, but was soon standing like nothing had happened.
“Morning.”
“Feel like a little stroll?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Good! I'd like to show you around and introduce you to someponies.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Both Wolf and Twilight had completely forgotten about Red Dawn.
They both exited the hospital and Wolf was in awe.
- - - - -
Wow. This place is beautiful.
- - - - -
Wolf wasn't wearing his armor. Underneath the armor, he wore a gray and yellow uniform. On the right part of the chest, there was the same image of the howling wolf. On the left part of the chest, it wrote:
“W713”.
Outside,the sun was shining, the sky was blue and the air was so fresh and pure. It made Wolf feel very relaxed, something which changed quickly. Wolf kept his guard up even in the quiet, peaceful town of Ponyville. Spending years on the battlefield taught him to never let his guard down.
“Here's Sugar Cube Corner, the local bakery. They have delicious treats here.”
“Twilight!”
Both Wolf and Twilight turned to face the source of the voice. In front of them, a pink pony was hopping towards them.
“Hi Pinkie Pie!”
“Good morning! Where have you been?”
“Well,I've-”
She was quickly interrupted by Pinkie Pie, who was looking at Wolf.
“Who is this what's your name where are you from are you a friend of Twilight? If you're a friend of Twilight's then you're a friend of mine which means I have a new friend which means I need to throw a new friend party!”
And within a second, Pinkie Pie was gone.
“Okay, who or what was that?”
“That was Pinkie Pie.”
“Is she always like this?”
“Always. She throws parties at the drop of a hat. Anyway, we should move on.”
The two were walking towards Sweet Apple Acres, but to do that they had to pass through the busy town square. They went unnoticed at first, but then a few ponies started to stare and it wasn't long before the whole square was staring at Wolf.
“Don't mind them. They're not used to this kind of thing.”
Wolf didn't answer. His eyes were darting back and forth at the crowd, scanning for potential threats. Ever since his first few battles, he was constantly scanning the area he was in for tactical advantages, disadvantages and threats. They left the square and soon after the commotion resumed.
They were now in the apple orchards heading towards the barn.
Wolf heard something flying towards Twilight. He reached up, grabbed the flying object and threw it to the ground, creating a cloud of dust and a loud noise.
Twilight looked behind her at the dust cloud. When it cleared, she could see Wolf holding down Rainbow Dash with one hand, and the other forming a fist above her face, waiting to strike.
“Wolf, no! She's a friend!”
Upon hearing this, Wolf's grip loosened, and Rainbow Dash was free. She hovered in the air coughing for a few seconds, before opening her eyes.
“What was that for?! You want a fight? You got one!”
Rainbow Dash landed on her hind legs and using her wings to balance herself, she managed to get her front legs up to fight. The two were about to initiate an all out brawl when Twilight got in the middle and stopped them.
"Stop it you two! Wolf, what was that all about?"
“Sorry. Most of the time when something was heading towards me with that kind of speed, I had to react like that.”
“Well, just don't do it again. And, by the way, who are you?”
“His name is Wolf.”
“Well, Wolf, I'm Rainbow Dash.”
Both stared at each other, a sinister look in their eyes. They were ready for a fight.
Wolf broke eye contact with her first, he had calmed down. Rainbow Dash eventually calmed down as well.
“So where you headed?”
“Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Going to see Applejack?”
“Yeah, that and I need to pick up some apples.”
“Well, I'm off. Got some clouds to clear.”
“Well don't let us keep you.”
Rainbow Dash left. Twilight turned to Wolf.
“What was that for?”
“Didn't I already say? Every time something snuck up on me it was a Spinar trying to kill me.”
“What exactly are the Spinar?”
“What the scientists called them? A collection of different insect like races. What the soldiers called them? Very big badass bugs with insane firepower and a short temper. You do not want to meet one.”
“How long where you fighting them?”
“Eleven years. Eleven long years of hell.”
“How long was the war?”
“Twenty-four years.”
“How did you get into the military?”
“I was conscripted at twelve for the Demigod project. They made me stronger, tougher, faster and smarter then any human could hope to be.”
“And when did you join the fighting?”
“When I was sixteen.”
Twilight's jaw dropped.
“Sixteen?!”
“Yeah, sixteen. By then they had done dozens of surgeries, implants and stuff like that and turned me into the ultimate fighting machine.”
“Now that's just cruel.”
“We were desperate. Spinar were winning on every front and we needed a new weapon. That weapon was me, along with a few hundred others.”
“I think it was wrong.”
“What would be wrong? Letting our entire race die without a fight, or make a new weapon out of pre-teens? If you ask me, there's no choice.”
“I still think it's wrong.”
“And you can think that. Won't change the fact that it happened though.”
The two continued towards the barn.
“Applejack! Are you there?”
A voice came from there right.
“Hold on!”
Both turned towards the source of the voice.
“Yeeeehah!”
Applejack ran towards an apple tree. She turned mere seconds before hitting it and kicked it. On contact, it let off a loud, explosion-like noise. Wolf jumped behind another tree, and grabbed a large branch that was on the ground. Applejack walked towards the tree.
“Um, are you alright?”
Wolf didn't answer.Instead he leaped out from behind the tree, knocking Applejack on her back, while he was holding the branch above her face. Twilight noticed that he was holding it the same way he was holding his rifle the night he arrived.
"One wrong move and you get a bullet in the head."
“Wolf!”
The cold, heartless look on Wolf's face changed. He remembered that he wasn't in battle anymore. He jumped off of Applejack.
“Sorry.”
"Now what in tarnation was that?"
She turned to Twilight.
“Who is this?”
Wolf cut Twilight off before she could answer.
“Names Wolf. I assume you're Applejack?”
“Ah sure as sugar am.”
She stretched out her hoof to shake. Wolf stretched out his hand to respond, before wincing in pain.
Twilight remembered his injury. She looked at his bandaged side, to see a new spot of red quickly growing. She gasped.
“We need to get him back to the hospital!”
Twilight's horn glowed, and Wolf lifted off the ground. While his mind was mostly occupied with dealing with the pain, he noticed that he was flying, before losing consciousness.
End chapter 1. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 3 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:35:29+00:00 | 2013-08-25T22:03:09+00:00 | 12,514 | *****
Ponyville hospital ER. The determined doctors were working on an unusual patient.
Nurse Redheart barked:
“Keep him steady!”
Wolf began to spasm.
“Nurse, the anesthetic is wearing off again!”
“Give him another shot!”
“But, we've already given him four times the normal dose!”
He began to wake up. His whole body flung upwards. He fell back to the bed as the clutter of falling surgical tools hitting the ground.
“If you want to operate on a fully conscious patient, then don't give it to him.”
He obeyed, and gave Wolf the shot.
“Now let's stop the bleeding.”
*****
Wolf woke up and he was back in bed.
- - - - -
What happened?
- - - - -
Wolf looked around. He was back in the hospital. He let out a discontent sigh.
“Welcome back.”
Wolf turned to investigate the source of the voice. It was Big Macintosh, the same pony he met the day before.
“Thanks. I can't exactly say it's nice to be back.”
Big Mac laughed.
“At least he has a sense of humor.” He thought to himself.
“So, how did you get back?”
Before Wolf could answer, Nurse Redheart cut him off.
“He ignored my: ”Don't strain yourself” advice.”
“Sorry Nurse, but....memories of the war, they just.....seem so real at times.”
“From what I've heard, you have been doing some extreme moves. Care to explain?”
“I don't react well to suprises?”
“Oh?”
“What do you expect? I was fighting a war for nearly half my life.”
“Right, I forgot about that. Anyway, you're free to go again, but please, no sudden reactions this time. We used up most of our anesthetic to operate on you.”
“Right.I'll try.”
“See you later Macintosh.”
“Eeyup.”
Wolf left the hospital again. Outside he found Twilight playing with Nyx.
“Hey.”
Twilight greeted Wolf, but told Nyx, who hid behind her, to go home.
Wolf noticed this, and before Nyx could leave, he asked:
“Why? You two are having fun out here.”
He knelt and asked Nyx her name. She didn't answer. Then Wolf remembered.
- - - - -
The night of the crash.....
"I SAID-”
He didn't finish the sentence, but his weapon was already pointed at her.
I almost shot her.....
- - - - -
Wolf rose, and whispered to Nyx:
“I'm sorry....."
A single tear formed in his eye, and rolled down his cheek.Twilight noticed this, but before she could say anything, Wolf was walking away.
“Wait!”
Wolf stopped.
“Yes?”
“Where are you going to sleep tonight?”
Wolf didn't answer. Twilight was caught in the middle of a serious dillema.
“Should I let him stay? Or will I leave him alone in the cold?”
It was a beautiful early spring day, but it was coming to a close. The sun was about to set, and while it was nice and warm in the day, Winters chill still had a firm grip on the night.
“I don't know.” was Wolf's final answer, and he began walking away again, with his head down.
Twilight turned to Nyx.
“What do you think, should we invite him to stay?”
“Yes.”
Twilight was surprised with Nyx's answer.
“Are you sure? After that night, I thought you wouldn't want him to stay with us.”
“I was a bit scared at first, but...then I realised that he was alone in a new place, he was hurt and he had just lost everything. I don't want him to stay in the cold.”
“That's my girl.”
“And....”
“And?”
“And he apologized to me. You probably didn't hear it, he whispered it to me.”
“Hmmmm.”
Twilight thought to herself: ”He apologized....maybe he's not as cold as I thought....”
“Wolf! Wait!”
Wolf stopped again, without raising his head.
“What is it?”
“If you want, you could stay with us....”
Wolf raised his head and turned to face Twilight, with a visible smile on his face.
“I'd like that.”
“Well come on, I'll show you the way.”
Wolf turned around and followed the two ponies back to the library.
* * * * *
The trio arrived at Ponyville Library.
Twilight's horn glowed and the door opened. Wolf was surprised at that, but didn't say a word. He was paying more attention to the library that was carved into the tree.
Wolf was nearly a foot taller than the doorway, and he had to duck to fit into the library. At least the ceiling was more than high enough for Wolf inside the library.
“Wow.”
“Welcome to Ponyville library, our home.”
“It's very nice. I haven't slept in a real house for nearly two years now.”
“Didn't you get time off?”
“Yes, I did but most of the time I was shaking hands with political candidates.....going to fancy dinners...and I think I even opened a few malls.
“What about time with your family?”
“Rare. I didn't get to sleep in my own home with them for two years.”
Tears formed in his eyes.
“I didn't even get to say goodbye to them.....”
Twilight regretted asking the question.
“Oh! I forgot to introduce you to someone!”
“SPIIIIIKE!”
“I'm coming, I'm coming.”
“Spike, I'd like to introduce you to Wolf.”
“Who?”
Spike then noticed the tall figure in the room with them.
“Is that Wolf?”
“Yes, that is Wolf.”
“Oh, hi.”
Then Spike returned to his bed.
Twilight blushed.
“Sorry.He was up late last night and he didn't get to nap today.”
“It's alright.”
“Well, the kitchen is over there, and the bathroom is over there. I hope the couch is alright for you.”
“It's perfect.”
Nyx shouted to the two.
“Goodnight!”
“Goodnight.”
“Well, I'll be turning in. Goodnight Wolf.”
“Goodnight.”
Twilight turned to go upstairs to her bedroom. She was interrupted by Wolfs voice.
“Twilight?”
“Yes Wolf?”
“Thanks.”
Twilight smiled and nodded.Then she went upstairs.
Wolf laid down on the couch, closed his eyes, and drifted to sleep.
End chapter 2. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 4 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:35:50+00:00 | 2014-06-30T22:24:23+00:00 | 11,354 | - - - - -
Planet Raxus, April 12th, 2659, 14:37 hrs
A soldier shouted.
“Damn it where did that come from?!”
Wolf looked at the body that was once Corporal Marks. There was a large spike sticking out of his back. He looked up, and there was a tall round tower, maybe twelve stories high, and full of holes from explosives and gunfire.
“I want fire on that tower over there.”
“Sir?”
“Cover me, I'm going in close.”
“Yes sir.”
The soldiers around him came out of their cover and opened fire on the tower.
Wolf left from his cover and began running towards the tower. It was at least a 500 meter walk, through thick enemy fire, with little to no cover. For most it would be a suicide mission. For Wolf it was just another day on the job. Normally he would bring backup, but Wolf wasn't going to risk the lives of his men. He took cover inside a trench. He was spotted by a small Spinar infantry squad.
He looked up and saw that, if he followed the trench, he would end up very close to the tower. He began the journey. After 120 or so meters, he stopped to listen. Footsteps, close to him. All of a sudden, a Spinar drone jumped into the trench within inches of Wolf, forcing him on his back. The drones were much like ants, save that they were bipedal and both their legs and arms were covered in thorns. There head was different than the rest of their ant-like body, resembling that of the Praying Mantis. Drones were the basic Spinar class, assuming the role of workers in bug colonies. Just as frail as humans, and extremely stupid, they aren't very dangerous alone. In groups however, as if some kind of telepathy combined their collective intelligence, they were capable of brilliant battlefield tactics, overwhelming small human squads easily. The Drone aimed it's weapon at Wolf. Too late. By the time that it had it's gun pointed at him, Wolf's weapon was already blazing, pumping hot lead into the chest, neck and head of the drone. It fell over dead. He got up and fired his weapon in the direction the first drone came from. The two others standing there were caught completely off guard. Within a second, both were laying on the ground lifeless. Wolf emptied his magazine in the direction of the main Spinar force, then reloaded. He then continued towards the tower.
He exited the trench and was 100 meters away from the tower. He ran towards the entrance. He quickly jumped behind a low wall. The Spinar who were guarding the entrance oppened fire on his position. Wolf armed the grenade launcher on the bottom of his rifle, and fired it in the general direction of the guards. A perfect shot, followed by a loud explosion. He got out of cover and walked towards the entrance. Bits of drones littered the ground, covering it in a ghastly green from the blood leaking out. Some of the guards lay dead on the ground, killed by the shrapnel of the grenade, the rest injured. Wolf approached the wounded guards. They were in pain, obviously, barely able to move. Wolf pointed his weapon at their heads. Four gunshots. Four more dead Spinar. Even after everything they did, Wolf just couldn't leave them there. Even he wouldn't deny them a quick death. He proceeded into the tower. It was an apartment complex. Wolf looked into a half open door. It was a large living room. The white pillows on the black leather couch were full of holes from projectiles, the cedar coffee table was overturned, and also full of holes. A drone lay dead on the floor, creating a large pool of green blood. He looked around more. And saw the corpse of a man holding the corpse of a blonde woman tightly with one hand, while the other was holding a shotgun.
"At least you decided to put up a fight...."
He picked up the shotgun and checked to see if it was loaded.
"9 rounds left, good enough for me."
Wolf put his rifle on his back, onto the hook that was on his armor specifically for weapons.
He looked some more, then he saw it. A teddy bear was on the ground, covered in blood, and with a large hole in it's left leg. He didn't want to look more, he already knew what was there.
“The sons of bitches.....” Was the thought in his head. He left the room and proceeded to the roof of the buiding. On the roof, there it was. A Wasp. Wasps were named like that because of the powerful stingers on its arms and because it had wings. The second highest class of bug, Wasps are extremely dangerous, assuming the role of special forces and battlefield commanders, Wasps enjoy many benefits in Spinar society. Highly trained, with a hard exoskeleton that is resistant to small arms fire and natural weapons, in terms of their powerful stingers that can be used as blades, make Wasps one of the most dangerous Spinar classes. It didn't notice the human approaching it from behind. A few moments later it felt something againsit it's head. Then it heard a human voice.
“Gotchya.”
A single shotgun burst disintegrated the Wasp's head, sending a cloud of green blood in all directions, splashing Wolf's helmet and upper body. He wiped off his helmet.
“Wolf to base, sniper eliminated.”
“Sorry sir, we lost the base. We're en route to your position.”
“Copy that. I'll be waiting. Wolf out.”
A few seconds later, a voice from the radio.
"Sir, we're taking heavy fire from bug positions to our east! Requesting fire support!"
"Copy that trooper, I'll do what I can from here."
He looked around and saw the Wasp's rifle.
"It'll do."
He put his shotgun down and picked up the rifle, then took over the Wasp's former position. He looked through the scope and found the retreating humans.
He shifted his view to the east, and found a large concentration of Spinar shooting at the humans. He focused on a drone operating a small machine gun. One shot, one kill.
He continued to fire at the bugs, always hitting his target, killing it with a well placed headshot.
"How do you like someone shooting back at you?"
The rifle clicked empty. He picked up the shotgun again.
"Damn, don't Spinar guns carry more ammo?"
After finishing that sentence, a massive Spinar flew up over the roof out of nowhere. It looked very much like the Goliath Tarantula back on Earth, only the size of a small basketball court. This was a Spider. With it's eight powerful legs and natural body armor, along with the capabillity of becoming an extremely versatile weapons platform, made the Spider a living, breathing tank. Wolf was caught completely by suprise. He fired off as many bursts on it as he could, before it came crashing onto the ground, knocking Wolf down. He lost his shotgun, and so he rolled to his left, avoiding the legs trying to crush him, got back to his feet and pulled out his rifle and unleashed a hailstorm of deadly rounds. A leg came over and tried to hit him. Wolf dived, dodging the leg. He fired off a short burst, before jumping to dodge another leg. As he was midair from the jump another leg came up and slammed into his chest, sending him over the edge of the tower. He grabbed on to the ledge at the last possible second, and looked down at the battle below.
"That wouldn't have been pleasant..."
His other arm came up and grabbed the ledge, empty now, after losing the rifle to gravity, and he pulled himself up to meet a waiting Spider.
He pulled out his pistol. He fired six shots at it's face before he dived to the left to dodge the Spider's frenzied charge. It turned on a dime, and positioned itself above Wolf. He tried to fire at it's head, letting out five more rounds before one of it's legs knocked the weapon out of his hand. Two more legs came and pinned him to the ground. A giant stinger came down and pierced his shoulder on both ends and lodged itself in the concrete roof. Wolf screamed in pain.
- - - - -
Wolf jumped off the couch, panting heavily. Cold sweat was rolling down his forehead. He looked at his shoulder. A six inch long and three inch wide scar was there. It took him a few minutes to collect his thoughts after the nighmare.
- - - - -
No ,not a nightmare. A memory.
- - - - -
Wolf's thought's were interrupted by Twilight.
“Morning!”
“Morning.”
“Sleep well?”
He didn't answer. Twilight already knew the answer.
“Bad dream?”
“Bad memory.”
“War?”
“Yeah.”
Silence filled the room for a few seconds. The silence was interrupted by Twilight's voice.
“Enough about that, how about some breakfast?”
“Sure, what are we having?”
“Blueberry pancakes.”
“Sounds good.”
Twilight returned to the kitchen. Nyx came down, while yawning loudly.
A smile appeared on Wolfs face.
“Morning!” he shouted.
Nyx was startled a bit at first, but she quickly returned the smile and answered.
"Morning!"
"How did you sleep?"
“Fine! You?”
Some of the smile dissapeared. He lied.
“Just fine.”
There was a moment of silence in the room. It was quickly interrupted by Twilight's voice.
“Breakfast is ready!”
The two immediately set course for the kitchen. The smell of fresh pancakes had flooded the room. Wolf
smelled it first. He liked, no, he loved it.
- - - - -
Blueberry pancakes, how long has It been?
- - - - -
The table was set perfectly. Four plates on the table, all filled with pancakes, with a glass of orange juice on the side of each, with a flower pot in the middle. As far as Wolf was concerned, it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He quickly sat down and waited for the other three. He almost began eating immediately, but he remembered that he wasn't in battle anymore, so he didn't need to eat fast. Nyx and Twilight were the first to arrive, Spike was the only one left. A few minutes passed, before Twilight called him.
“Spike! You coming? Breakfast is ready!”
No answer. Twilight called again.
“SPIKE!”
The little purple dragon came down the stairs, somewhat angry that he had been rudely awoken, but otherwise fine. He sat at the table, said a quick good morning and began eating. He looked up at Wolf, and as soon as their eyes met, he fell out of the chair.
"Um....Spike?"
"T-T-T-Twi-Twilight? W-W-Wh- Who is that?"
"Spike, I introduced you two last night. You were probably just too tired to notice him. Anyway...."
"Name's Wolf." He interrupted.
"Okay....I'm Spike."
"So I heard. So, shall we continue?"
Without answering, everyone resumed eating.
"I'll take that as a yes..."
As soon as the pancake touched his lips, Wolf was amazed. It was the best thing he ever had, even better than the soup from the other day. He recommenced eating, he was going to savor every bite. He tasted the orange juice. It was so fresh and delicious, he quickly took another sip, and put the glass down.
*****
An hour or so after breakfast, Twilight was taking Nyx to school while Wolf was following. They arrived in front of the school and were greeted by Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
“Morning Nyx!”
“Morning Twilight!”
“Morning uh.....who are you?”
Twilight tried to answer, but she was interrupted by Nyx.
“He's our new friend! His name is Wolf.”
Wolf raised an eyebrow. All his friends were dead, killed in the war. He quickly shook his head.
- - - - -
No, the war is over. You can make friends now.....
- - - - -
Wolf was quickly surrounded by the three fillies.
Scootaloo quickly introduced herself and her friends.
“Hi,I'm Scootaloo! This is Sweetie Belle and this is Applebloom. And we're....”
The other three joined her for a loud shout of
“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!”
Wolf was a bit surprised, and he joked:
“Could you say that again? I don't think they heard you across town.”
All 5 ponies laughed.
“Well girls, you need to get in. It'll be time for class soon.”
She knelt towards Nyx, gave her a kiss on the forehead and said:
“Have a great day at school sweetie. I'll see you later, I'm going to show Wolf around some more.”
“Bye mom!”
The four fillies left Wolf and Twilight and went into the school. A few moments later, the bell rang.
“Well, shall we go?”
“Yeah.”
“Where should we go first?”
“You tell me. You're the one who's living here.”
“Well, I'd like to pay a visit to Rarity.”
“Who?”
“Oh, she's a friend of mine.”
“Well, lets go.”
* * * * *
Deep within the Everfree Forest......
A black pegasus with a dark purple mane approached a unicorn of the same colors. The silence of the moment was ruined by the unicorn.
“Report Darkmane.”
“The shell of the Queen remains in Ponyville.”
“Good.”
“Will we attempt to initiate the ritual?”
“No, we must gather more forces. If we initiate now, we will be vulnerable to Celestia. We must gather more ponies for the army.”
“My Lord, if I may, The Children Of Nightmare attempted to revive Nightmare Moon but failed. How will we do it?”
“The Children Of Nightmare were not truly loyal. They were simply touched by our Queens greatness. The...'Queen' they revived was corrupted by Twilight Sparkle. If all goes according to plan, there will be no such problem.”
“My Lord, there is a complication.”
“What is it?”
“An unknown being has fallen from the sky into Equestria.”
The unicorn went silent for a moment, he was thinking.
“We will observe it. If it becomes a potential problem, we will eliminate it. Go now, Darkmane.”
“Yes my lord....”
* * * * *
Twilight and Wolf arrived outside of Carousel Boutique.
“Well, here we are.”
Wolf was silent. Carousel Boutique looked much like a tower. He felt a slight pain in his shoulder, right were a large stinger found him three years ago.
“Hey, you okay?”
Silence.
“Hellooooo? Are you in there?”
“Yeah, I'm fine.”
“Well let's go in.”
The two entered. Twilight was very cheerful, but Wolf was silent, his deep blue eyes darting back and forth. He was nervous, it was obvious. A loud crash. Wolf's eyes were fixed on the door where the sound came from. Twilight looked at him. It was obvious that he was preparing to attack, if need be.The door opened. Pieces of fabric came flying out the door. A voice also came out of the door.
“No, no, no, no, no no NO!”
One of the pieces struck a chair with enough force to knock it over.
- - - - -
Planet Gift, July 23rd, 2659, 19:56 hrs.
Wolf was commanding the 485th infantry. They received orders to reinforce human positions outside the city of New Athens. He looked at his men. All were calm, ready on the outside. But he could easily see the fear in their eyes. One of them, was particularly scared. He approached the dark haired soldier.
“Name and rank, trooper!”
He was caught off guard, he didn't expect his commander to come up to him like that. Wolf said again.
“Name and rank, trooper!”
He was ready to answer this time.
“Private First Class John Parker sir!”
“You look worried Parker. What's wrong?”
“My brother is here sir. I haven't heard from him in weeks and I'm worried.”
Wolf was silent after Parker's answer. Then he said.
“If he's gone, he did his duty. He kept this area clear so that the civilians could get out of here. He saved a lot of lives.”
Both Parker and Wolf were silent after their talk. Parker was hoping he would see his brother again. Wolf wasn't so hopeful. He had received a more....detailed briefing.
- - - - -
Wolf was walking down the halls of a human millitary base. He was going to see Major Dorn, his CO. He stopped at the end of the hall, and turned to face the door that was there. He knocked, and entered. The Major was sitting there with a cigar in his mouth and a shot of whiskey on his desk. He was completely in the dark, he didn't like people to see his face. Wolf never saw what he really looked like.
“Captain, first of all let me congratulate you on your work on Raxus.”
Wolf didn't respond. The Major continued.
“We've lost contact with the 742nd. They were guarding a barricade outside of New Athens. You'll take the 485th and take them to that barricade. Keep it secure, and kill any Spinar you find.”
“Yes sir.”
"And Wolf....."
"Sir?"
"Watch yourself out there."
"I always do..."
- - - - -
They arrived at the barricade. Wolf shouted.
“Secure the perimeter!”
“Yes sir!”
“Um, sir?”
“What is it?”
The soldier showed him the ground. Wolf looked closer. Then he saw it.
“My God......”
Corpses littered the ground, covered in dust so that they weren't visible at first. Parker quickly went to search the corpses, hoping to not find his brother there. Parker went into a doorway. A loud crash. He found what he didn't want to find and tipped a desk. Wolf looked into the doorway, and saw Parker holding a body in his arms, while sobbing.
“Joel! Wake up Joel! Wake up!”
Wolf tilted his head down just slightly. Parker then began to yell.
“No, no, no, no, no no NOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
A series of quick bangs. Wolf looked into the doorway. Parker had three large spikes sticking out of his left side. He fell to the ground.
"BUGS! Get to cover!"
- - - - -
Wolf looked away, his eyes closed tightly. Twilight noticed this. She tried to ask him if he was alright, but was interrupted by another voice.
“Welcome to Carousel-Oh hello Twilight, I didn't hear you come in and-WAHAHA!!”
Wolf answered to the scream.
“Nice to meet you too.”
“Oh, sorry, I just didn't expect, well something like, well, you.”
“I get it a lot around here.”
“Well, no reason to be informal, my name is Rarity, and you are?”
“Wolf.”
“A pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“Well Twilight, what can I do for you?”
“I wanted to say hello and introduce you to Wolf, but now that you mention it, could you fix the gala dress you made for me?”
“What happened?”
“Well, Pinkie Pie pranked Spike again, gave him the hiccups and he burned half the dress.”
“It won't be a problem. I can get started right away.”
“Thanks Rarity!”
"And maybe I can do something for those clothes of your friend here...."
"No thanks, that won't be nessecary..." Wolf answered her.
"Are you sure? I could fix it up rather quickly dear, it doesn't look like there's much potential for it anyway..."
"Yes, I'm sure."
"All right then, Twilight? The dress, if you please..."
Twilights horn glowed, and the half-burned dress appeared out of nowhere.
“I'll see you later dear!”
Twilight and Wolf left Carousel Boutique.Twilight remembered that she wanted to ask Wolf if he was alright.
“So, what happened in there? You looked away from the door, with your eyes closed. Tightly.”
He answered with sarcasm in his voice.
“Just another, happy memory.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“You feel up to meeting Fluttershy?”
“Yes.”
“Well lets-oh wait, she's out of town. She's in Canterlot with Philomena.”
“Where with who?”
“Oh, Canterlot is Equestria's capital, and Philomena is Princess Celestia's pet phoenix.”
“Princess Celestia?”
“Equestria's ruler and she also raises the sun.”
“O.....kay.”
Twilight tried to say something, but was interrupted by a filly's voice.
“Mom!”
“Nyx?! What are you doing here?”
“Cheerilee is sick, and they let us leave!”
“Alright. Well, I'm going back to the library to look for a couple of books. You want to come with me, or are you and the other Crusaders going to do something today?”
“We're going to go to the treehouse for awhile.”
“Okay, be back before sunset.”
“Okay mom, see you later!”
Nyx left the two.
“What exactly are the Crusaders?”
“Oh, Nyx and her friends have formed a group called The Cutie Mark Crusaders, and they're trying to get their cutie marks.”
“Cutie mark?”
“Oh, each pony gets one when they discover their special talent .It represents their special talent.”
“Those marks on your rear end?”
“Yeah, those.”
“So, what's your special talent?”
“Magic. Don't you have a cutie mark? Or a special talent?”
Wolf was silent for a moment.
“If I did have one,i t wouldn't be pretty considering my 'special talent'.”
“Which is?”
“War.”
They were both silent. Twilight looked into his deep blue eyes and she could almost see the pain, the anger, the hatred in him. All directed towards the Spinar. She almost saw his bad side. But she also saw his good side, buried within his battle hardened soul. He was kind, polite and patient beneath the hard, cold exterior. She had already released some of it, but not all. Twilight made a mental note to try as hard as she could to release the rest of his good side. They were silent for the entire trip to the library.
* * * * *
“Home sweet home.”
They both entered the library. It was dark, the lights were off. Twilight tried to turn them on, but she was cut off by an extremely loud voice.
“SUPRISE!!!”
A red unicorn was levitating a bucket of water. She emptied it on Wolf.
- - - - -
Planet Gift, July 27th, 2659, 19:54.
A tall dark skinned boy approached Wolf quickly.
“Wolf! Come on!”
Explosions and gunfire could be heard from all around.
Wolf was running towards a small tunnel twenty or so meters from him, the boy in front of him.
An explosion fairly close to the boy sent him flying backwards. Wolf didn't stop running for a few moments, then turned to face the boy, who had gotten up. Wolf was right in front of the tunnel.
“Come on Hawk! Get in here!”
Hawk ran towards the tunnel. He was a few metres away from Wolf.
Wolf looked up, and saw a large flying object coming towards them.
“Hawk, get down!”
A few flashes from the flying object. Large clouds of dust errupted from the ground as large spikes impacted. They were getting closer to Hawk. A large spike came through Hawk's chest, sending large amounts of blood onto Wolf's upper body. Hawk fell into Wolf's arms. Wolf turned him around to see his face. He grabbed his hand and held it tightly. Hawk responded in kind. Wolf looked into Hawks light brown eyes....
“Wolf......I'm sorry.”
“Damn it Hawk, stay with me!”
“Good luck.....”
Hawks grip on Wolfs hand loosened completely.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO-”
- - - - -
“-OOOOOOOOOOOO!”
All the ponies watched in silence as Wolf curled up in a corner and began crying uncontrollably.
The smile that was on Pinkie Pies face turned to a frown much like the one she had when she thought her friends didn't like her parties, while all they were doing was planning a suprise birthday party for her.
“Oh no.......” She thought to herself.
Twilight began showing everypony out. The unicorn who had splashed Wolf was particularly sad.
Pinkie Pie was the last one to leave. Before she left, she had one thing to say.
“Twilight.....I'm sorry.”
Twilight nodded, showing Pinkie Pie out.
The library was completely empty, save for a sobbing Wolf and a sad Twilight.
Twilight approached Wolf. She touched his shoulder, while simultaneously asking a dumb question.
“Are you alright?”
Wolf moved away from the contact. He then replied to the question.
“Please, just...go away.”
Twilight didn't think twice about it as she went upstairs, leaving Wolf to mourn a friend he lost years ago. He sat alone in the corner, crying for nearly two hours, before finally falling asleep.
End chapter 3. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 5 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:36:27+00:00 | 2013-08-27T14:34:02+00:00 | 9,202 | Twilight came downstairs to check on Wolf. He was fast asleep, still in the same corner, in the middle of a small lake of tears. She could hear his heavy breathing from across the room. With every breath, in perfect rhythm his chest would slowly rise, then fall...Twilight's horn glowed purple, and an old, worn mop came to life. It was frayed, but it was more than capable of doing it’s task. It wiped up the mess in one fell swoop. Her horn glowed again, and a heavy wool blanket levitated onto Wolf. He shifted, pleased as his body heat would no longer be lost in the cold air that hung in the interior of the library. Twilight sighed disappointedly. She now had to make an extremely hard decision. But in the end, she knew that she had no other choice. And so, she lay down on her desk, levitated her favorite quill out of the ink well and began to write the letter that she did not want to write in the first place.
Dear Princess Celestia...
- - - - -
Planet Gift, July 29th, 2659, 16:39 hrs
Wolf stood above a lone grave on top of a hill, under the shade of a large evergreen tree. On the gravestone was the image of a proud hawk, soaring high above the ground. Below the image, one letter and three numbers. The standard tagging of all PROJECT DEMIGOD subjects.
“H392”
Wolf could hear footsteps on the soft grass of the hill. Someone was coming. He turned around, and he saw her, her bright green eyes staring at him, her long golden hair dancing in the gentle breeze that staked its claim over the forgotten (?)hill. The leaves of the evergreen rustled slightly, welcoming their new regent.
“Cougar....” Wolf said softly to her. After such a loss, only the voice of a loved one could numb the pain.
“Wolf, I'm so sorry. I know what he meant to you, he was your best friend since the beginning of this hell we live in.” Cougar replied to him. Her voice was overflowing with care for him. Wolf always knew that when the chips were down he could rely on Cougar to back him up. Only this time, he wasn’t sure she could help him this time..
“He died in my arms Cougar...he was staring right at me the whole time.” Wolf said, recalling that fateful day when his dearest friend was taken from him, never to be seen again. From now on, Hawk would live only in his memories. :
“I know, I heard.” Cougar lied. She could see that Wolf was in unbearable pain, and having to explain to her in detail what happened would only cause him more grief.
Both Wolf and Cougar were silent for a moment. Then Cougar gave him a much needed hug. Wolf warmly welcomed the embrace. It was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time. To be in Cougar’s arms, her silky blonde hair gently brushing against his cheeks...Cougar finally broke the long silence, even though she didn’t want to.
“Come on. They need us back at HQ.” She said sorrowfully. Wolf was slightly annoyed at her disturbing the peace atop the hill with their assigned duties.
Wolf didn't answer. He simply stood over Hawk’s grave, and out of Cougar's view, shed a single tear onto the white gravestone. His only wish was that the carefully carved stone would stand the test of time.
“Goodbye Hawk...I’ll miss you.”
Wolf began to turn away, but was interrupted.
All of a sudden, a hawk glided over the tree. It gave off two quick screeches towards Wolf, who could have sworn by all he held dear in this life, that he heard the hawk say:
“Goodbye Wolf.”
- - - - -
Wolf woke up a full eight hours later. It was night time, he could tell by the silence in both the library and outside. Of course, the moonlight flooding the room through the window was a dead giveaway. He soon discovered a heavy wool blanket carefully wrapped around him, and that no more of his tears stained the floor.
- - - - -
Of course, who knows how long I've been out?
- - - - -
He got up, and looked out the window. The moon ruled over the night sky, casting it’s glorious light on all below it. Rebelling however against the moon’s hold over the land, a few street lights that were still on, controlled their own smaller territories. Wolf slowly opened the front door, and crept out of the library.
* * * * *
Within minutes, Wolf had walked far outside of town. The moonlight bathed everything in a white glow. Wolf looked up towards the moon, and he saw it.
A hill with a large evergreen on it.
Wolf could not tear his gaze away from it. It looked exactly like the hill that Hawk was buried on. He quickly scrambled up the the hill almost tripping a few times in excitement. Finally reaching the summit, he stood directly above the spot where he remembered the grave to be. Wolf stared at the ground for a few minutes, then reached inside the military turtleneck he was wearing, and with one quick motion pulled out something he had carefully concealed from the rest of the world. It was a golden necklace, with a well crafted depiction howling wolf on one side, and a cougar on the other. They both seemed to vie for control of the bright green gem that lay between them. Wolf tightened his grip on it, nearly breaking it. Then, ever so softly, he whispered into the cool, night air:
“Cougar...”
He left the hill in total silence. It was obvious that if he stayed any longer, he would begin to cry again.
* * * * *
After a long and arduous climb, Wolf reached the summit of another hill, after leaving the other far behind him. He hadn’t rushed up this one, making the climb more tedious than the last. Wolf looked down on the area below, illuminated under the glorious light of the moon. There, like a massive black mountain, the Red Dawn towered above the flat landscape; waiting for Wolf to return to take control of it once more. After nearly falling over again, he slid down the hill and walked the vast, open space of the plain that was his crash site. After a few minutes passed, he came to the same door where he first emerged. Walking through the empty titanium halls, he could still see the fading silhouettes of his loyal crew, going about their normal tasks. Was it his mind playing tricks on him? His crew sending him a message from the afterlife? Or perhaps they were simply stuck there, in an amalgamation of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. Wolf wasn’t sure, but before he could finally grasp the answer, the silhouettes drifted away into nothing. Dismissing the haunting presence of his departed crew, he finally arrived at the bridge. It was in appalling condition. Broken terminals everywhere, seats ripped off their very stands, and wires, yards and yards of wires hanging from almost every inch of the ceiling, sticking out of every broken panel on the floor. While the lower decks had taken the brunt of the impact, the sheer force of it was large enough to cause massive damage to an area in one of the highest areas of the ship.
A voice addressed him out of nowhere.
“Welcome back Major. I was worried that you were lost, or worse.” An electronically synthesized voice sounded over the speakers. Wolf recognized the light British accent of his AI companion.
“I'm fine Samantha.”
“You seem hungry. Shall I prepare a meal for you?” Sam continued. Wolf always appreciated her concern for him, but at times it could get annoying.
The mention of food made Wolf remember the food he ate during the war. While the quality of the food aboard the Red Dawn was much higher than that of the battlefield rations, compared to the Equestrian cuisine, it was nothing short of horrible. In his new home now, he had everything he could ever want. So there was no reason for him to return to the Dawn anymore. But he couldn’t just leave it wide open for anyone to enter. The tools of war hidden within it were far too powerful to fall into the hands, or hooves of anything on this particular planet. The secret cargo of her last mission was easily the most powerful creation hidden away in the deep bowels of the ship. That cargo would have to remain hidden and protected at all costs.
“No. Initiate ship lockdown.” Wolf said, fully recognizing what would happen once the order went through. While being one of the smallest ships in the entire Human armada, that didn’t mean her hull wasn’t brimming with some of the biggest guns in the fleet. While the Red Dawn was designed for stealth and speed, that wouldn’t mean much if she couldn’t protect herself.
“Major?” Sam asked. She hadn’t expected him to bark that order at her. He had never ordered a full lockdown before. While he had enacted multiple extreme-situation protocols, full lockdown had never been one of them.
“You heard me Sam. Initiate lockdown.” Wolf said, slightly annoyed by Sam answering him with a question. She had never questioned his orders before. Make smart-ass comments and wicked jokes about them, as well as outright defy them at times, but question them? Never.
“Affirmative. Initiating lockdown.” Sam said, saddened by the fact that Wolf was effectively ordering her to coup herself up in the ship with no contact with the outside world at all. If she didn’t know what Wolf was trying to protect, what was concealed inside her home, she would have defied this order right then.
Wolf was about to leave the bridge, until something out of place caught his eye. Well, something other then the wires, random pieces of metal and chairs. He looked at it more closely. It was an HP-18, the standard issue sidearm of Human military forces. Chambering the standard 10mm sidearm round, it packed heavy firepower into a compact and sturdy shell. It was regarded as one of the most reliable weapons ever created. Wolf picked it the very weapon that had saved him life time and time again, and took out the magazine to see if it was loaded.
Wolf was greeted with the sight of several steel rounds shining in their slots as the remaining lights above illuminated the exposed rounds. Wolf looked near where he found the pistol, and found the extra magazines he had placed there for safekeeping during the crash. They were still in pristine condition, which Wolf was pleasantly surprised to see. That such a small object could survive a crash like that unscathed was remarkable indeed. Wolf put the initial mag back in and gave it a hard slap to make sure it was secure. With a soft click, the safety was turned on. Now at least there was no risk of blowing his own leg off. With a swift motion, the high powered pistol was placed in it’s respective holster. All uniforms were equipped with a sidearm holster. A Wolf put the extra ammo in the bandolier that was strategically placed next to the holster. Once he was certain that all doors were sealed behind him, he quickly left the ship without taking one look behind him. Sam watched him leave in complete silence. Although she wanted to ask him to stay, she knew that she didn’t have that authority. And so Sam was left alone in the empty warship once more. Finding something to occupy her time with now was going to be a time consuming action in it’s own right.
* * * * *
Practically sprinting all the way there within the hour, Wolf was back at the library. He took out the weapon he had retrieved and slid it under the couch. The extra ammunition followed. Once the two items were safe in their hiding place, Wolf then climbed on top of the couch, and promptly went back to sleep again, hoping that his little secret would remain just that…
The following morning....
Wolf woke up bright and early, at the crack of dawn to be exact. He made sure to make as little noise as possible as he left. The last thing he wanted to do was to wake anyone up. Easy enough. He had his fair share of stealth ops during the war. He left the library without a sound. He shut the door as slowly as he could, making almost no noise at all.
* * * * *
Ponyville hospital. It was the first time Wolf had been a guest within it without being gravely injured. He quickly entered the building, looking for Nurse Redheart. He went through the ward he had stayed in, and he found his old bed, now taken. Big Mac was still in the bed right next to his. He wasn't asleep but wide awake, reading a book. He looked up and saw the human standing right next to him., greeting him with a smile
“Good morning.”
“Eeyup.”
“Everything alright Mac?”
“Eeyup.”
“Good to hear. Hey, have you seen Nurse Redheart around?”
“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh lifted a hoof and pointed straight to her. Wolf could see she was busy however and decided to stay put. until she was free again
“Need some company?”
“Eeyup.”
And so, Wolf began monologuing without any discouragement from Mac. Big Mac said nothing more than the occasional ‘Eeyup’, much to Wolf’s dismay. He finally got fed up with it and made an annoyed sigh.
“You know, a conversation is two sided. You can chime in anytime here…”
“Eeyup.”
Wolf groaned in sheer annoyance, and soon after his hand met his forehead with a loud slap. While he could relate with the strong, silent type, now things were just getting ridiculous. Wolf hoped that this would be over shortly. While his mind was drifting, by some freak accident, his necklace fell out from his extended collar. He could feel the sudden tug at his neck and knew what it was. He wondered how though. Maybe he jerked his head back too hard. He gripped the necklace and lifted it up in front of his face. The green fluorite shard resting in between the warring animals caught a stray beam of light and radiated/refracted into his eye. As hard as Wolf fought to repress the memory, it still broke through his mental roadblock.
- - - - -
Planet Gift, August 13th, 2659,13:42 hrs.
Gunfire and explosions could be heard from all sides. Large spikes were flying all around him as almost everything around him was trying to kill him. As a low wall was crushed next to him Wolf looked to his right. A large tank rumbled past him, crushing everything in front of it under it’s massive treads. It was definitely a Cerberus heavy assault-tank. The Cerberus's main armament, a 210mm cannon, was easily capable of destroying almost any Spinar vehicles put before it, as well as the various 'heavy' bug classes. It's secondary armament, the standard 24mm machine gun, was always more than enough power to mow down most Spinar infantry. This particular tank was painted gray, the standard urban combat camouflage pattern. What use such a large machine could have for camouflage, Wolf didn’t know, and he didn’t care. The damn thing was there, right next to him, blowing every bug it could find back to whatever hellhole they had crawled out of. Amidst the raging gunfire and cacophony of explosions, Wolf could make out a familiar voice calling for him. He turned, and there she was, in full battle armor, M-72 Assault in her hands, running towards him, taking shots at a bunker a kilometer away, was Cougar.
“Come on Wolf! We have to keep moving! You think the tank's going to wait for us?”
Wolf only shook his head as her words finally registered to him.
“I'm coming!” Wolf said and lifted off the ground, still holding his M-72.
As she saw him get off the ground and dusting himself off, Cougar turned and began to run away.
Wolf looked down at the ground for a moment, recollecting his thoughts. A cry of pain echoed in the air, fighting with the sound of the gunfire around it. Wolf looked up in horror. What he saw there only intensified his dread. Lying in front of him, her blood draining from her body and pooling in between the rubble, was Cougar. To his horror, Wolf could see a large spike protruding from her armor.
“COUGAR!” Wolf desperately screamed at the top of his lungs.
He opened fire and emptied his 72-round magazine at the bunker that was still so far away..Once it was empty, Wolf finally tossed it to the ground. As he neared Cougar, he dived and rolled to avoid the Spinar fire. He knelt above Cougar and he yanked her helmet off, letting it bounce uselessly across the battlefield. Much to Wolf’s panicked relief, Cougar was still alive, but desperately gasping for breath.
"Goddamnit Cougar, don’t you leave me too!" Wolf yelled, anger turning to despair.
"Wolf...I'm so sorry..." Cougar replied to him in a defeated voice.
"No, you're going to make it, you hear me?!" Wolf said, despair giving way to sheer determination to keep her alive as long as he could.
"Wolf..." She weakly muttered his name, intent on drawing his attention away from her bleeding wound.
"Damn it, stay with me!" Wolf yelled for one last time, his determination wearing down to unwilling acceptance.
He gazed into her eyes and she could see the terror in his. Doing the one thing she thought was right at the time, she pressed her finger against his lips.
"You always talked too much..."
With her last ounce of strength, and after withdrawing her finger and grabbing the back of his head Cougar lunged forward and kissed him, like she wanted to do for so long now. Wolf was caught completely off guard. He jerked back a little as his eyes shot open, but they slowly began to close again as he returned the kiss. They remained there, their lips locked together in their first....and last embrace. Cougar broke the kiss, smiled weakly...and let go.
- - - - -
Wolf closed his eyes tightly, in pain. Not physical, but a different kind…
Silence ruled over the ward for a moment. Wolf was left staring at his precious necklace. His shoulder suddenly felt heavier, and he looked at it, to find a large red hoof resting on it. The stallion it belonged to had a look of sympathy on his face, like he could feel the pain Wolf was going through or at least understand it.
Before long, Nurse Redheart arrived to check up on Big Macintosh, and found Wolf sitting beside him, holding a strange necklace.
“Well, this is a surprise. Almost get yourself killed again?” Wolf heard a light chuckle both behind him and beside him. Ignoring the chuckling ponies, he stood up and turned around to face Nurse Redheart.
“I left my armor and my rifle here. I was wondering if I could pick them up.” Wolf said, intent on finding his gear. Nurse Redheart put up no resistance to his request.
“Of course, they're over here.”
Nurse Redheart directed Wolf to the corner of the room. There lay his armor, his M-72, and another HP-18, just like he was told. Wolf made a brief inspection of his armor, and much to his dismay, found a large gaping hole on the right side of it, right below the breastplate. It was going to be a bitch to repair...
“We didn't know if we should try to fix it or not. Hope you don't mind.” Nurse Redheart said, hoping that he was pleased. While Wolf wasn’t satisfied with the state of his battle armor, he didn’t feel comfortable letting these ponies get familiar with it. So, in a successful attempt to reassure her, he simply said:
“It's alright.”
Shattering the peace of the ward into infinite tiny pieces, an orange stallion burst through the hospital doors. He was almost out of breath. The intruding stallion tried to say something, before he collapsed from utter exhaustion. Both Wolf and Nurse Redheart rushed towards him. He was panting heavily.
“Calm down, just calm down! Tell us what happened?”
The fear just kept growing and growing in his eyes, Wolf was suprised at how this stallion managed to blurt out the next three words the said.
“They're.....They're coming!”
He raised his hoof and pointed out a window. With one large jump, Wolf was beside it. He peered out of it, and saw a large cloud of dust rising. He put his helmet on, and after fiddling with the settings, used the visor to zoom in on the cloud. There Wolf saw what could be the harbinger of doom for this unfortunate town. While he found the sight to be somewhat strange, he acknowledged the threat of what appeared to be an approaching horde of fully armored dogs. Wolf immediately adorned his damaged battle armor. Within a few minutes, Wolf was fully armed and ready for battle once more. To the patients resting in their beds, he was an intimidating sight. With the rifle in his hands, he said one thing before bursting out the door, pretty much riding to meet the horde of foes approaching the unsuspecting town.
“Here we go....”
End chapter 4. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 6 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:36:44+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:36:44+00:00 | 10,242 | A cloud of dust in the distance. All the ponies noticed it. They knew a storm was coming. But most didn't know who was in it's eye. Atop a large boulder at the edge of a small cliff, his armor glistening in the sun, rifle in his hands. Wolf looked upon the horde of dogs that was approaching. They stopped and formed ranks just 30 meters from Wolf. The leader came out to the front of the horde.
“Stand aside fool. And you will be spared.”
“And if I don't?”
“You will die.”
“Hmmmm.”
“Enough! Now M-”
“You talk too much.”
Wolf aimed and fired. The dog fell to it's knees, then fell dead on the ground. The horde examined the corpse. A large hole was in it's head. They looked up at the creature that had effortlessly killed their leader. They saw him throw something. 5 small squares fell at random locations in their ranks. The dogs approached to examine them. Then they turned to face Wolf again. He was holding something, he had his thumb over it. The dogs looked puzzled at it.
The thumb came down.
5 explosions, all right smack dab in the middle of the hoard. A few hundred were killed. The dogs were outraged. They immediately began a charge towards Wolf. Wolf opened fire on the horde, dropping many of them. They eventually reached the boulder. Wolf couldn't fire at them that close.
It didn't matter. He dropped the rifle and took out his true tool of destruction.
Two 40 cm razor sharp titanium blades come out of two slots in his wrists. Wolf said in a calm voice.
“Come and get me.”
And that they did. They tried anyway. Dozens of dogs were climbing up the boulder to attack Wolf, but they were all cut down as they reached the top.
Wolf plunged his right blade into the stomach of one of the dogs. He swung his left arm behind him, cutting the throat of another dog. He took out his right blade, and it quickly went under his left arm, and then into the heart of another dog. He took an opportunity and tossed a few grenades into the group that had assembled at the bottom of the boulder. They attempted to get away, but they were so tightly packed that it didn't matter. The grenades detonated, sending another 50 or so to their graves. But they didn't quit, they just continued to advance. There were too many coming, Wolf knew this.
He picked up his rifle and jumped off the boulder. He emptied his 72-round clip into the dogs that surrounded the boulder he was once on. He armed the grenade launcher at the bottom of his rifle, and fired into the horde. They saw he left and began to charge him. Wolf dropped his empty rifle and drew his blades again. They were coming straight towards him, but a few meters in front of him, they all turned and went around him. They were retreating, they obviously had taken enough. The cloud of dust they had created before was nothing compared to this one. Wolf retracted his wrist blades, stood silent as he stared into the distance,then started the journey back to Ponyville.
* * * * *
Everyone in Ponyville sprang into action as soon as they realised the Diamond Dogs were attacking. Within minutes, the whole town was surrounded by a wooden barricade, filled with spikes. The town square became a makeshift command center for the town. The Mayor and Twilight had immediately begun to organise the defense of the town. You could hear the yelling of the ponies as they rushed to prepare the town for the attack. Then,a deathly silence. Both the mayor and Twilight looked up to see what was happening. The Mayor asked.
“Whats going on?”
“I don't know. Should we check it out?”
They didn't have to. They soon realised that everyone was staring at the tall armored figure, his once gray armor now covered in deep crimson. He walked towards the square in complete silence. It was so silent, you'd find more noise in a graveyard.
He stopped in front of Twilight and the Mayor.
He then broke the silence, and said:
“They're gone.”
“Wolf, are you alright?”
In his helmet, not visible to others, he tilted his head and said:
"Just fine."
- - - - -
Looks like I'll be fighting here too. Can't catch a break anywhere....
- - - - -
“Well, looks like we won't be attacked. We'll have to take down these fortifications then.”
“No, you should keep them up for awhile. They may come back.”
“Why would they come back when they've already been beaten back?"
He took a threatening step forward.
"Look, leave the warfare to me."
Scared by his sudden advance, the Mayor backed down.
"I guess you're right..."
Twilight approached Wolf, with a sad look on her face.
“Wolf, do you feel like taking a walk?”
“Sure, I need to calm down a bit anyway. I'd like to head back to the library first, put this stuff somewhere.”
“Of course.”
* * * * *
The two arrived back at the library. They entered, and Twilight immediately went to the kitchen.
“I'll get started on breakfast.”
A few minutes later, as Twilight was about to take out the toast, she heard a loud thud. She immediately bolted out of the kitchen to investigate the source of the noise. She entered the living room to find Wolf's helmet on the floor, and him in the same corner as he was last night, with his head resting on his arms. She could tell that he was about ready to cry. She rushed to his side, and placed her hoof on his shoulder. She then spoke to him in the same soothing voice as she would for Nyx.
“There, there, it's alright.”
“No, no it's not. I should have warned them. Warned them first. I started the fight, I fired the first shot, I......killed the first one.”
“You were only trying to protect Ponyville. You saved a lot of lives today.”
“Yes, but I took even more, when I had the chance to save all of them.”
Twilight didn't know what to say. Wolf said to her.
“Thank you Twilight.”
Then he got up, and sniffed a few times.
“Is something burning?”
“OH! The toast!”
She rushed into the smoke filled kitchen and opened the window, and took the 'toast' out.
She returned with her horn glowing, and two plates with small black squares in the middle.
“Breakfast is ready!” She joked.
Wolf chuckled. He looked at a basket full of apples on the far side of the room.
“Got ya covered Twilight. Let me get out of this armor first.”
He took off his gray armor, and placed in the same corner where he was sitting. He then went over to the basket. He picked up two apples and gave one to Twilight.
They both ate the apples quickly.
“Want to take that walk now?” Twilight asked.
“Sure!”
Wolf left the library first.
Twilight followed, and stood in the doorway for a moment.
She sighed, a single tear rolling down her cheek, then she closed the door.
* * * * *
Wolf and Twilight were walking in the woods outside Ponyville.
“This place is beautiful .I can't remember the last time I took a walk like this. Not that I haven't been in a forest in a long time, but I was fighting almost every time I was.”
“I can't imagine that. Not being able to walk in the forest, hear the leaves rustling in the trees....”
The two came across a clearing in the forest. There was a waterfall going into a small pond. The fish were jumping happily, the birds were singing.
“Wow,now this is beautiful.”
He looked at Twilight. She looked at a bush, then gave a long sigh. Then she finally said:
“Wolf, I'm so sorry....”
“About what?”
She didn't have time to answer.
All of a sudden, a large group of white Pegasi stallions in golden armor leaped out of the bushes and grabbed hold of Wolf. He looked at the Pegasi, with a startled look on his face. He then turned to Twilight. She was crying. He tried to say something, but it was too late.
The Pegasi carried him off, leaving Twilight alone, crying in the clearing.
End chapter 5 |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 7 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:36:52+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:36:52+00:00 | 8,706 | Wolf's mind was racing, what were these Pegasi doing? Where were they taking him? And why would Twilight betray him like that? He remembered her face, tears streaming down her violet cheeks.
- - - - -
At least she didn't like what she was doing.....
Planet Gift, August 22nd,2659,21:19 hrs.
New Athens. The battle for it had been raging for weeks. Heavy losses on both sides, but the Spinar were losing. They killed Cougar, the girl Wolf loved for years now, and his hatred for them only grew with that. They made a grave mistake. Fueled by his anger, Wolf cut down hundreds of them. Entire sections of the city brought back under human control by him alone. The humans were winning. Then it happened.
A loud scream broke the morning silence. Wolf was caught off guard. A squad of Wasps had entered his tent, and one put it's hand over Wolfs mouth while th others were restraining him. Wolf bit down as hard as he could on it's hand. It shrieked in pain as the human bit of part of his hand. It quickly tried to put it's other hand over his mouth, but not before Wolf could scream out one crucial word.
"SPINAR!!"
The Wasps dragged him out of his tent.
He struggled to break free, but he couldn't, the Wasps injected him with a very strong anesthetic. It wasn't long before he lost control of his body. He was completely conscious, but he couldn't move a muscle. His whole body went limp. All he could do was watch in horror as two Wasps carried him away. He could see his men rushing out of their tents, guns blazing at the Wasps. The two that were carrying him retreated to safety, while the others held their position against the humans. The two spread they're wings, they began beating almost instantly. Within moments, they were off the ground, leaving the battle below. The rest of the Wasps spread their wings and retreated as well. Wolf had been captured by the Spinar. He didn't know what to expect, they had never taken prisoners before.
- - - - -
His feet touched the ground. Wolf was stunned. He didn't expect to be put on the ground so soon. He looked to his sides. Both Pegasi that were carrying him were bowing down. He looked behind him. He saw a tall white alicorn, her rainbow colored hair floating in the air, glowing in the sun. She had a crown on her head.
“Princess Celestia I presume?”
“Yes.I apologize for having you brought to me in such a manner.”
“You could have just asked.....”
“I would have, but the letter Twilight Sparkle sent to me suggested that you were extremely dangerous.”
- - - - -
Twilight?But....why?
- - - - -
Tears formed in his eyes, he didn't want to hear what he just heard.
- - - - -
Unknown Location, Unknown Day ,2659, Unknown Time.
The Wasps arrived on a makeshift landing pad they had set up. They loaded him onto a waiting dropship. Standard Spinar dropship, dubbed the 'Bumblebee' by human inteligence. It's name pretty much described it's a appearance. They loaded him onto the Bumblebee and it took off, it was obviously heading for low orbit. It arrived at the exact plotted moment. A Spinar warship had arrived and the dropship boarded. The same Wasps took out a large needle, and injected it's green contents into Wolf. Within seconds, Wolf was fast asleep.
* * * * *
Wolf awoke from a deep sleep. He was in chains, on a platform in the middle of a room the size of an Olympic Stadium. He looked in front of him, and there was the largest Spinar he had ever seen, the largest anyone had seen. It looked like a Praying Mantis, drop the large 'arms' and think a third of the size of an Olympic stadium. It stared at the restrained human for a moment, then it finally said:
“So you are the human we all should fear. Strange, you don't look that dangerous.”
“If you're going to kill me, just get it over with.”
“Oh, I don't plan on killing you. I have much worse planned for you.”
“If your thinking torture, don't waste your time. We've been trained to handle pain.”
A Wasp carrying syringe landed on the platform. It removed Wolf's helmet and injected it's contents into Wolf's neck.
“That was it? You need to work on your torture techniques.”
It ignored Wolf's comment.
“You've been trained to handle the weakest form of pain. I will show you true pain.”
All of a sudden, a recent memory popped into Wolf's head.
- - - - -
“COUGAR!”
- - - - -
Wolf winced, it was obvious that he wasn't prepared for that.
“Don't do that again.” He said angrily.
“Why? I enjoy it too much.”
The same memory again.
- - - - -
“COUGAR!”
- - - - -
And again...
“COUGAR!”
- - - - -
And again....
“COUGAR!”
- - - - -
It was right, he was never prepared for this kind of pain. He never knew how many times it had replayed the same memory in his head. All he could remember was being in the same room, for 3 days, being forced to relive the same moment over and over again.
- - - - -
Celestia looked down, she realized that she had just revealed something to Wolf that he was better off not knowing.
“Anyway, do you mind if I ask you some questions?”
A tear fell from his eye.
“No.Not at all.”
* * * * *
Twilight was pacing around the library, anxious to hear something, anything from Princess Celestia.
A few light thumps from upstairs. Nyx was coming down.
“Morning mom!”
Twilight didn't answer.
“Where's Wolf?”
Hearing the name was too much for her.She immediately burst into tears, backing up into a corner, her upper hooves locked tightly against her lower hooves. Nyx stood there in silence, then she came up to Twilight and hugged her tightly. She then looked at Twilight, stared right into her eyes and asked ever so sweetly:
“What's wrong?”
* * * * *
Wolf was released at the end of the day.
- - - - -
A 'few' questions?
- - - - -
He walked down the empty streets of Canterlot. He noticed two Pegasi stallions standing outside a doorway. He approached, and they broke their usual silence.
“Princess Celestia has instructed us to return you to Ponyville, if you so wish.”
He nodded. The Pegasi took him through the doorway, onto a platform with a chariot in the middle.
One of the Pegasi told him:
“Climb aboard.”
He did as he was told, climbing on board the chariot. The two Pegasi hooked up to the golden chariot, their wings unfolding from their sides. Within moments, hey were in the air, on a straight course for Ponyville. Wolf watched as the town grew closer, in complete silence as his mind raced.
* * * * *
“But, why would she order her guards to capture Wolf and bring him to her?”
Nyx had managed to calm Twilight, but with that question, she had destroyed what she had just accomplished. Twilight recommenced crying immediately after the question was finished. Amidst the sniffing and sharp inhaling, Nyx could make out a sentence:
“Because...I.....SENT HER A LETTER!!!”
Twilight's crying grew even more intense as she finished her sentece. She hated herself for betraying her friend like that. She knew what would happen, and she just let them carry Wolf away like that. She made that mistake once before with Nyx, and she would never forgive herself for it. Now, she had just done the same thing again. She thought to herself:
“What kind of a friend am I? I should have said something, I should have stood up for him, like I did with Nyx.......”
Her horn glowed, and with a flash of light, she was gone.
“Wha-”
Nyx's question was interrupted as she fell to the floor.
“Ow....” She muttered grudgingly.
* * * * *
Canterlot, Royal Reception Room.
(Authors note: Is the above location right? Or should it be something like Main Hall?)
The Princess had just finished with her duties for the day, writing letters, meeting diplomats, and soon Luna would take over. As she gave off a quick sigh, a bright purple flash caught her eye. She looked up,and saw Twilight sitting in the middle of the room,shaking her head. She was obviously dizzy after the teleportation spell she just cast. A single word escaped Celestia's mouth.
“Twilight?”
Twilight's head quickly turned to face the source of the voice.
“Where's Wolf?! You didn't banish him did you?!”
“Twilight,I-”
“YOU DID DIDN'T YOU?! HE WASN'T DANGEROUS! I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS SAYING!!!!”
Twilight erupted into tears. Another sigh from Celestia as a thought crossed her mind.
“Oh, that silly mare......”
Celestia's horn glowed, and Twilight's tears were wiped away, and her mouth clamped shut. Her wings unfolded, and she quickly flew to Twilight's side.
“Now, listen, you know very well that I don't banish anypony without reason, don't you?”
Twilight nodded.
“And you know that even if I did, I would inform you immediately,right?”
Another nod from Twilight.
“Now, I didn't banish Wolf. I asked him a fe-.....a lot of questions, and I released him not too long ago. He should be on a chariot back to Ponyville.”
The magic on Twilight's mouth dissipated, and a huge smile appeared on her face. She immediately jumped up and gave Celestia a giant hug,
“Oh thank you so much!” She squealed.
“You better get home now, he should be arriving soon.”
Most of the smile dissapeared. Her heart sank, as her head almost dropped to the floor.
“How can I face him? After I....betrayed him like that?”
“I'm sure you'll find a way Twilight. You always have.”
Celestia's words gave a bit of encouragement to Twilight. Some of the smile returned to her face.
“I'd better get home!”
Twilight burst out of the hall, setting course straight home. Celestia couldn't help but smile at the sight of her student excitedly running down the halls. She looked out the window, and could see a storm brewing.
* * * * *
Ponyville library. A tall figure stood outside the door, in the rain. A flash of lightning. Wolf stood there, unfazed by the flash, his gaze locked on the front door. A loud clap of thunder. Wolf jumped a little, the noise startled him, but he was still staring at the door. A quick sigh escaped his mouth, then he approached. He knocked. Nyx opened the door. She was startled at the sight of the human standing in the door, but that didn't stop her from jumping up and hugging him, almost knocking him down to the mud.
“Easy! You almost brought us both down there!”
“Sorry, but I missed you.”
Wolf couldn't help but smile at the little filly who was now resting in his arms.
He joked.
“Hey! Come on, what have you got those legs for?”
Nyx giggled, then jumped out of Wolf's arms, using her wings to gently float down to the floor.
Wolf just realized something.
“Hey! I never got to know your name!”
“Oh right,I'm Nyx.”
She stretched out her hoof and Wolf responded in kind. Both of them stood there for a moment, then all of a sudden Twilight burst through the door, wet from the rain, but with a smile on her face nonetheless.
It disappeared as she saw Wolf standing in the room. They both stared at each other. Seconds turned into minutes. Nyx felt that she should go upstairs. So she did, leaving the two to stare at each other for as long as they saw fit. They both opened their mouths to speak, but they quickly closed them. More time passed. They both broke at the same moment and hugged each other, tears streaming down their faces.
“I'm so sorry.......” She said, as she pushed her face deeper into Wolf's shoulder.
Wolf replied: ”It's okay...” as he gently stroked her mane.
10 minutes later, and the two are still in their warm embrace. They didn't want it to end, but they knew it had to. They let go. Both blushed.
“Goodnight Wolf.”
“Goodnight Twilight.”
Twilight went upstairs. Wolf laid down on the couch....and drifted to sleep.
End chapter 6. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 8 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:37:02+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:37:02+00:00 | 8,626 | - - - - -
Wolf was still chained in the same room, with the same company. It was enjoying the pain he was in,obviously. The effects of the serum they gave him wore off however, and they had to keep injecting him with a new dose every few hours. His neck looked more like a pin cushion now. It taunted him at every chance it could. He later found out that the creature he was being tortured by was a Spinar Queen. The Queens held great power among the Spinar, but were simply mates of the King. It....She explained to it that the Queens were leading the Spinar military against the humans, and that the King was far away on the Spinar homeworld. It told him this, and nothing else. It just continued to taunt and torture him.
“You know, I really enjoyed seeing that bitch Cougar die. It was such a beautiful sight.”
Wolf's anger grew.
“But it can't compare to seeing the 'great' Wolf in such pain.”
It laughed. Wolf's anger turned into pure hatred.
“Oh, I just love breaking relationships. She loved you, you know .You could see it. And you loved her back. You wanted her, but now you can't have her....and guess who you have to thank for that.”
It burst into laughter.
Wolf's anger turned into rage. He quickly threw his arms forward.
His chains shattered. He was free. The Queen immediately stopped laughing.
“GUARDS!!!!” She screeched.
The Wasp guards quickly opened fire on Wolf.
He moved his hands in a pushing motion. The spikes that were fired flew back to the ones that fired them. Wolf brought out his blades. He launched off the platform straight towards the Queen. She tried to stop him, but it was impossible. He struck her head on with huge force, it actually caused her great pain. She was knocked back, and was now lying on the ground of her large chamber. Wolf climbed up to her head. Fear consumed her as she looked into the humans eyes. Before they were deep blue, now both his eyes were completely black. He held his right arm right above her head, the blade drawn.
“I just love killing Spinar.”
His arm came down.
- - - - -
Wolf woke up in the middle of the night. He was panting heavily once again.
He whispered to himself.
“What happened to me that day?”
* * * * *
Luna had finished her duties for now ,and she was walking down the palace halls, heading towards her sisters room. She came right outside the door, the guards standing there. She looked up at the door, looking at the image of the sun carved into the wood. She opened the door and walked in.
Celestia was awake, lying down on the floor. She looked up at her younger sister.
“Luna, I didn't hear you come in. Come here, sit with me.”
Luna sat down beside her sister. Celestia could see that she wanted to ask her something.
“Is there something you want to talk about sister?”
“Yes. I want to know how the meeting with this 'Wolf' character went.”
“Well, I asked him questions.”
“And were the answers all right?”
“The answers were fine, but......”
“But?”
“He's been through much. He has anger, hatred within him. These 'Spinar' he spoke of caused him great pain. All of those feelings remain within him, and they've been compiling over the years. He released a small portion of them once.”
“Did he talk to somepony?”
“No. They were released in another way. Suddenly, quickly.......violently.”
“..........”
“He has power within him. Great power. But it is wild, untamed.”
“What kind of power?”
“He has great magical powers. But like I said, they are wild and untamed. He can't control them. Not without training.”
“Training? You want to train him?”
“I don't want to train him myself, but I want somepony close to him to do it.”
“Twilight?”
“Yes. I can't think of a better teacher.”
“Perhaps he would be better off with somepony else.”
“No, Twilight is close to him, she knows more about him.....and she cares about him.”
“She.....”
“No,not like that. She cares about him as a friend, but I wouldn't be surprised if she develops those kind of feelings for him.”
“You want to train him and bring him closer to somepony.”
“And Twilight is the best possible candidate.”
“But, why?”
“I don't like preparing like this, but something is going to happen. Something important. And Wolf will play a crucial part in it.”
“What will happen sister?”
Celestia got up and went to the window,gazing outside.
“I don't know Luna. I don't know.......”
A moment of silence.
“And it scares me.....”
Luna walked up to her sister and hugged her tightly. She could see the tear forming in her eye.
“Whatever it is, we will face it together sister.”
“I fear that we alone will not be able to face it Luna. All of Equestria's fate may rest in Wolf's hoo-.....hands.”
Luna released Celestia from her embrace. Celestia walked over to a desk, and levitated a quill and began to write on the piece of paper on the desk. Luna exited the room in complete silence. Celestia continued to write.
My most faithful student......
* * * * *
Late at night, Spike lay in his bed, mumbling in his sleep.
“Rarity.....I love you.....kiss me....”
His sentence was interrupted by a quick belch. The fireball that emerged turned into a letter, which fell to the ground.
Spike simply turned and faced the other direction, unfazed by the belch.
The next morning.........
Twilight yawned as she woke up. She got up and looked to her side. Nyx was lying there, still asleep, curled up into a ball. Twilight couldn't help but let out a sigh at the adorable sight. She tried to go downstairs,until a small lump on the floor caught her eye. She moved closer to it, and saw the letter.
“A letter?”
Her horn glowed as the letter lifted off the ground and unfolded.
“It's from the Princess......” she muttered to herself.
She began to read the letter.
My most faithful student,
I have an important mission for you. As you know, I spoke to Wolf yesterday. While we were, I noticed something. It was the magical potential he has. His power is great, but he can't control it. Not without help. You are to train Wolf in the art of magic. He will be your student. Teach him well Twilight. I hereby grant permission for Wolf to live in Ponyville alongside his friend and teacher, you.
Your teacher,
Princess Celestia.
A huge smile appeared on Twilight's face. In the blink of an eye, she bolted downstairs to tell Wolf the good news....and to inform him of his talent. She arrived to find Wolf already awake, staring out the window at a hill with a lone evergreen on it.
“Wolf!”
The silence in the room shattered, Wolf turned around to face the voice.
“Morning.” he said.
“Morning.”
“So what's so important that you're screaming my name?”
“A letter I received from the Princess!”
“Something good happen?”
“Yes!They sai-.....”
“What's wrong?”
“This is going to be hard to swallow,but.....you have magical abilities.”
Wolf didn't know what to say. His mind was racing.
- - - - -
So that's how I deflected the spikes that day........
- - - - -
“Huh. That's.........interesting.”
“The Princess has granted you full permission to stay here.....and she has instructed me to teach you how to use your abilities.”
“Oh,you're gonna be my teacher?”
A smile appeared on his face as he joked.
“Greeeeeat.”
She levitated a pillow off the couch and threw it at him.
“Shall we get started?”
“Why not?”
End chapter 7. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 9 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:37:18+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:37:18+00:00 | 8,393 | 3 weeks later.......
Wolf has been studying magic for three weeks with Twilight as his side. He wasn't doing good at first,but then he began to excel. He was able to use levitation spells now,and was taking full advantage of these talents. Just 5 days ago,he used his magic to aid in the repair of Ponyville after a storm.Everyone accepted him into their lives after that. Twilight was anxious to receive a letter from the Princess concerning the source of Wolf's magic. She finally got it.
My most faithful student...
Anger and hatred can grant terrible power. And Wolf has much of both. Where does the anger and hatred come from? The Spinar of course. Think about it, they destroyed everything he ever had. You can see that his ultimate goal is the death of all Spinar. But his anger and hatred towards them will never cease. He will carry them for the rest of his life,even if all the Spinar are dead. But,some good can be drawn from them. Somehow,he has the ability to control that energy, and use it for whatever purpose. So far,he has used it for good purposes. We can only hope that he will continue to do so.
Yours,
Princess Celestia.
Twilight didn't know what to say. The letter answered her question, but she wasn't sure that she wanted to hear it.
She was deep in thought when Wolf interrupted her.
“Hey. What are you doing?”
She jumped, and quickly hid the letter.
“Private letter?”
“Um...yes.”
Wolf noticed the pause. She didn't want him to see it. He chuckled.
“Okay, fine keep your secrets. I was going for a walk, and I wanted to ask if you wanted to come with?”
“Oh, I'd like to,but I've got some things to do.”
“Okay. See you later.”
“Bye.”
Twilight let out a quick sigh of relief. Then she began to look through the shelves of the library.
* * * * *
It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the sky was clear.....Wolf loved it. He could sleep much easier now, his time in Equestria had a very calming effect on him. But his warrior instincts had taught him to never let his guard down. He never did, but he still remained very calm. He was walking out of town when someone caught his eye. He turned and there was Big Macintosh lying in the grass, gazing up at the sky.
“Don't get sunburned!” Wolf joked.
Big Mac got up to face Wolf,a smile appearing as he glimpsed the human. They had now become good friends.
“How you doing today Wolf?”
“Fine, what about you?Did you tell Rainbow yet?”
The smile disappeared.
“Um....no.”
“What happened?”
“Well, I was on my way to tell her,but then I saw her flying with somepony else.”
“Maybe he was just a friend?”
“That's what I thought at first, until they hovered for a moment and she leaned in and kissed him.”
“Ouch. Hey, sorry man. You still love her though right?”
“Eeyup. But I want her to be happy,and she looks very happy with him.”
“I'm glad you feel that way. I've seen a couple fights over a girl before. Didn't end well. These two guys were best friends and they loved the same girl. They fought each other, and they were both hospitalized. A few hours after the fight, the girl solved the problem.
"How?"
Wolf frowned a bit.
"She put a shotgun in her mouth and pulled the trigger."
"Shotgun?"
"Picture that"
He pointed to his rifle
"only instead of shooting one, it sprays a hundred in random directions."
"Ouch..."
“ As you can imagine, they hated each other from that day forth.”
“.....”
“Well, aside from that,anything new?”
“Not much. Applebloom's got a fever that just won't break and we're all worried.”
“Maybe I can help.”
“How?”
He smiled before replying.
“Come with me.”
He grabbed the stallions hoof and helped him up.
“Wow, he's pretty strong.” Big Mac thought to himself.
The two walked out of town and headed straight for a hill.
“Well,here we are.”
“Um, Wolf , I don't think anything on this hill that could help Applebloom.”
“Who said it's on the hill?”
He waved for him to climb up with him. Big Mac shook his head and climbed the hill. What he saw there caused his jaw to drop.
“Impressive isn't she?”
Wolf pointed to the Red Dawn.
“It was a gift from the military. For my 'exceptional' services to the human race. Most advanced weapons,state of the art computer systems,fastest engines,toughest armor......But we're not interested in any of that. We need the med bay.
“Okay.....”
He didn't know what else to say. He was too busy staring at the Red Dawn.He never noticed how Wolf began to climb down the hill.
A whistle in the air.
“Hey! You coming?”
“Uh....Eeyup. Sorry, I was wandering there for a moment.”
“No harm done.”
Wolf waited as Big Mac climbed down. After he got down, Wolf began walking towards the door. It was shut.
“Samantha, override lockdown.”
“Other life sign detected. Security systems armed.”
One of the ships large 50 mm cannons came to life and aimed at Big Mac.
“Stand down, contact is friendly, repeat, contact is friendly!”
“Acknowledged. Standing down. Overriding lockdown. Welcome back Major."
The door opened.
“What was that all about?”
“Sorry, Sam can get a little over-protective.”
“Sam?”
“The ships AI. She keeps it running when I'm not around. Anyway, medical bay is this way. Follow me.”
Big Mac obeyed and followed Wolf further into the ship.
“It looked much smaller outside......” He thought to himself.
They came to a door with a large red cross on it.
“Here we are.”
Wolf pressed a button and opened the door.
They both stepped inside. Wolf turned to face his companion. He was looking around the room that looked much like Ponyville hospital. Wolf turned to look through some cabinets.
“Now where did I put it?”
“Um....Wolf?”
He took his head out of the cabinet.
“Yes?”
Big Mac was pointing to a bottle on a counter. 'Fever medicine', it was labeled
“Yeah, that bottle is actually full of laxative. It was a prank the crew pulled on me when I had a little fever. I knew I shouldn't have trusted that label.....”
He put his head back into the cabinet, and came out holding a bottle.
“Ah, here it is. Good old fashioned medicine.”
He blew off some dust.
“Don't pay attention to that. Thanks to the honey in it, it will never go bad.”
“I never said a thing. I trust you Wolf. You wouldn't make a mistake like that.”
“Thanks. Well, we got what we came for, let's go.”
They proceeded to exit the room when they were interrupted by a meow. Wolf froze as tears formed in his eyes. He looked down. There was a large black figure rubbing against his leg. He put the bottle down as he quickly grabbed it and held it in his arms.
“Jester, I thought I lost you.”
He held it tightly to his chest. Big Mac noticed the tail, and realized it was a cat that Wolf was holding.
Tears streamed down Wolf's face as he held the cat. It was the only thing he had left from his old life,and he loved it very much.
“Hey,you okay?” Big Macintosh asked.
“Yeah, I'm fine. I just never thought I'd see him again.”
“Let's go.”
He put his beloved pet down and took the bottle.
“Samantha, could you feed him while I'm away?”
“That will not be required colonel. In the crash, much of the stored cat food opened. And thankfully the water system still works.”
“Thank you Sam. You can re-initiate lockdown.”
“Yes sir.”
Wolf and his friend exited the ship.
Wolf had a huge smile on his face.
“Somepony's happy.”
“Of course, I just found out that my cat is alive.”
“How old is he?”
“8 years.”
“He's getting pretty old.”
“Yeah, but he's still a kitten on the inside.”
* * * * *
Sweet Apple Acres. All the apple trees had shed their leaves and it gave everyone a chance to rest for a few days. But rest was the only thing they didn't do. They were all concerned about Applebloom,whose fever didn't break. They feared the worst. But then,a ray of hope.
Wolf was talking to Applejack.
“Here,give this to her.”
“Thank yah Wolf.”
“Mind if I come up and see her?”
“Not at all.”
They went upstairs. Applebloom was laying in bed resting. She immediately cheered up as Wolf entered the room.
“Hi Wolf!”
“Nice to see you. I hear you've got yourself a little fever?”
Applebloom nodded.
“Well, let's see if we can fix that shall we?”
“Applejack, let me see the bottle.”
She gave it to him,and he filled up a spoon full of the yellow liquid. It's sweet pleasing scent filled the air. Wolf sighed.
“Oh this brings back good memories.”
He gave the medicine to Applebloom, who cheered up even more as she tasted the medicine.
“That sure tasted good!Hard to believe it's medicine!”
“Thyme and honey. Made from the freshest honey and the best thyme. The honey also has something to do with the medicinal value. The bees collect the nectar from all kinds of herbs and they make honey of very high quality.”
“Ah feel better already! Thanks Wolf.”
“Okay, I know it acts quickly, but not THAT quickly. You still need to stay in bed though.”
“Awwwwww.”
“Well, I'll be-”
Wolf was interrupted by two screams.
“HYDRAAAAAAAA!”
“Hydra? I do not like the sound of this.”
Wolf looked out the window,and of course he saw a Hydra chasing two young colts.
In his head, he was asking himself why there was a creature from Greek mythology chasing two colts, and at the same time, he bolted out the door straight for Red Dawn.
Applebloom asked:
“Now where is he going?”
“Ah don't know, but Ah need to go help with the Hydra. Applebloom?”
“Yes sis?”
“STAY. HERE.”
“Hmph.”
Applejack left the barn and headed straight for the Hydra.
* * * * *
Everyone was panicking. They were running back and forth all over town. After a few minutes, the Mayor had restored order and instructed everyone to remain in their homes while the Element Bearers dealt with the Hydra.
* * * * *
The two colts that were being chase were inadvertently leading it back to town. All of a sudden, one of the Hydra's head's had blocked the path the colts were following. They stopped and tried to climb up a rock face. A grave mistake. They were trapped, and they knew it. They stared right into the eyes of the Hydras many heads,who were all licking their lips. All of a sudden, a blue streak through the sky. The Hydras was confused, it was being distracted by Rainbow Dash while Twilight proceeded to rescue the trapped colts. She was surprised to see the two ponies that were being chased.
“Snips? Snails? The Hydra's chasing YOU?!”
“Um, yes?”
“Why is a Hydra chasi-...never mind, just come on.”
They obeyed and followed Twilight out of the corner. The Hydra noticed them and lunged at them.
Twilight pushed the colts back behind her,and preparing herself for the worst.
An explosion.
Twilight looked up at the Hydra,who was reeling in pain as an explosive had hit it's back. Both It and Twilight turned to face the source of it. It was Wolf,standing on top of a hill,with a rifle in his hands.
“Why don't you pick on someone who can fight back!”
It was all too happy to oblige. All four heads lunged at him. Wolf jumped out of the way at the last possible second, the heads struck the hill.
On the ground,Wolf was with Twilight.
“Sorry I'm late.”
“Actually you were just in time.”
“Oh good. Go, get them out of here, I'll cover you.”
“Okay.”
Twilight left the scene with Snips and Snails. The Hydra was now furious at having lost it's prey,and lunged at Wolf again. He jumped out of the way again,but the Hydra was quick to react and all it's heads stopped just in time before hitting the ground. Wolf began taunting it.
“Come and get me you ugly son of a bitch!”
It lunged at Wolf once more. He dodged yet again in the nick of time.
A rope came over one of the Hydra's heads.
Applejack jumped on it's back and pulled back as hard as she could. The other heads turned to face her.
“Oops. Ah forgot about that.”
One of it's heads came around and slammed into Applejack. She was knocked off and landed 30 meters away. Another head lunged at her. She prepared for the end. It never came. Wolf had saved her at the last second,knocking her out of the path of the head. Rainbow Dash quickly came to Applejack's side.
“Get her out of here Rainbow!”
“But,what about you?”
“I'll be okay, just go!”
She obeyed and lifted the wounded Earth-pony out of the fight. It was just the Hydra and Wolf now. They faced each other, until finally the Hydra made it's move. All 4 of the heads were now focused on him. The fight just got a lot harder. He dodged one, but the other had landed within inches of him and knocked him to the ground. Another head came down to finish him. Wolf stretched out his arm and used his newly developed magic to levitate a large rock into it's mouth. The head stopped in midair, as it struggled to swallow the rock. Wolf got up. But he forgot about something. He turned to his right, and there was the other head,bearing down on him. He couldn't dodge it, there wasn't enough time. It hit him, sending him flying into a rock. His back absorbed much of the impact, but the force caused his head to fly backwards, making contact with the rock. His helmet was knocked off by the sheer force of the impact. He looked at his helmet, the hardglass was shattered. He put his hand to the back of his head. All he could remember after that was his hand covered in blood before he lost consciousness.
End Chapter 8. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 10 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-06-21T17:14:39+00:00 | 2012-06-21T17:14:39+00:00 | 7,838 | Wolf lay unconscious on the ground, the Hydra preparing to enjoy the spoils of it's victory.
A familiar voice ringing inside his battered head.
- - - - -
“Hold on Wolf!”
He looked up and he saw him.
“Get up Wolf! We're supposed to lead the way!”
“What the? Grizzly?”
“Of course it's me! Now come on!”
“No, this isn't real. You died 2 years ago.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I'm standing right here! Now COME ON!”
“Yeah....right.”
“INCOMING!”
The explosion knocked Wolf back into a wall. He fell to the ground, seemingly lifeless.
“WOOOOLF!”
Wolf closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
- - - - -
A blue stripe barreled through the sky. It was a blue maned and light-brown coated pegasi colt.
He shouted to the hydra.
"Try to catch me dumbass!"
Then he flew straight to the hydra's left leg and crashed into it, full power.
The four headed animal was shocked by the sudden hit in its leg and uncontrollably fell to the ground.
The still unknown pegasus yelled again, now with pain in his voice.
"Quick!... Get him out of here! I can't hold out much longer!... Unless if..."
Rarity rapidly responded to the call and charged towards to the still unconscious Wolf. While still running, she loudly asked the savior pegasi.
"Are you allright dear? That must have hurt!"
"I'm... I'm okay, just get him out of here." He shook his head then lift himself off the ground and began to fly in circles around the slowly rising hydra.
"This will be a huge one, try to get as far as possible!" His voice was barely audible through the intensifying wind.
The vortex was getting faster and stronger every second, it fully covered the hydra in a few moments later. After a loud frictional sound the animal hovered up. The blue tornado did it's job.
The blue tornado slowly moved on its way. However, the hydra didn't want to lose easy prey. It streched all of its heads, so the pegasus inevitably crashed into one. The Pegasus lay on the ground reeling in pain. The hydra was pleased at the sight. Another addition to the menu. Rarity sat there, frozen in fear.
* * * * *
A yellow Pegasus was carrying a basket of frogs to Froggy Bottom Bog.
"I'm sorry, but, um, if it's alright to ask, why do you keep coming out here?"
Before the frog could 'answer', an unusual sight caught Fluttershy's eye. A hydra looking down at a rock face, licking it's lips. She looked at the bottom of the rock face and saw a wounded Pegasus, her friend Rarity and something she had never seen before. Anger built up inside her, she quickly dived down and let the basket on the ground. She then sped towards the Hydra.
She arrived as the Hydra was about to begin it's decent.
"OH NO YOU DON'T MISTER!"
It turned to face the source of the voice.
It scoffed at the sight of a yellow Pegasus.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
It couldn't help but whimper towards Fluttershy, who was staring right into it's eyes.
"You should be ashamed of yourself!"
It lowered it's head.
"Trying to eat a poor defensless Pegasus, Rarity and a...whatever it is. Now you go back home and don't you ever come back again.
It didn't move, it was obviously paralised by Fluttershy's dreaded stare.
"GO!!"
It quickly ran back into the Everfree forest.
Meanwhile the wounded Pegasus lifted himself up, and asked:
"What the hell happened?!"
He tried to walk, but he quickly fell back to the ground. His eyes glazed over, he tried to keep them open. No good.
The last thing he remembered was a yellow Pegasus walking towards him.
* * * * *
“How is he?”
“Not looking good. Looks like his luck is running out.”
“Luck?”
“Yeah. I mean think about it, what are the odds of Fluttershy arriving at the last possible second and giving the Hydra The Stare long enough for Rarity to come in and make a rescue?”
Twilight tilted her head down.
“Slim.....”
“At best. I'll be honest with you Twilight, I'm not sure we can save him. All we can do right now is hope. The best thing for you to do right now is go home and rest.”
She nodded. She new that Nurse Redheart was right.
“Yeah, I'll go.”
But rest was the last thing she had in mind.
* * * * *
Twilight hadn't stepped into the library for a few seconds and she was already going through spell books.
“One healing spell, just one please......”
Two hours later, and Twilight has gone through almost every book in the library. It was usually nice and clean, but today it was a complete mess. Books thrown everywhere, ink on the floor, and a lavender unicorn sitting in the middle of the room, eyes bloodshot and reading through the last book in the whole library. As she reached the opposite cover, her horn glowed and the book slammed shut.
Tears filled her eyes, and she began crying again. She had failed, she thought. And now Wolf was going to pay for her failure with his life. She backed up into a corner, tears streaming down her bloodshot eyes. An hour passed, then two hours, then three and she was still there, crying. She quickly got up,wiped away her tears, and went straight to the hospital.
* * * * *
“Twilight, I didn't expect to see you back here so soon.”
“Has his condition improved at all?”
Redheart's head shook.
A quick sigh from Twilight. She went past Redheart.
“Twilight!”
She turned to face her.
“Wolf's been moved to a more private room. That way. Number 217.”
She raised her hoof to point the way.
Twilight passed Readheart, muttering a few 'thanks' as she went. After a minutes walk down the halls of the hospital, she reached room 217. She opened the door and walked in. The room was everything but private. Applejack was in a wheelchair right next to Wolf's bed, the impact of the Hydra's head had broken most of her left ribs. Twilight looked to the right, and sitting on another bed was Rainbow Dash, in a tight embrace with an injured brown, blue maned Pegasus, a worried look on her face. Twilight turned back to the bed, and Big Macintosh had appeared right next to Applejack. They all turned to face Twilight, nodded, then turned back to Wolf. His head was covered in bandages. Twilight went next to him, leaned over next to his ear, and gently whispered:
“Please come back Wolf.....please....”
- - - - -
“Come back Wolf! Wake up!”
Wolf got up. His mind was racing.
“What the hell is going on? This already happened.....”
“When I say go, we both storm the bunker.”
“No.”
“What?!”
“No, this already happened.”
“What the hell are you talking about?!”
“Two years ago, we did this and you were shot!”
“Wolf, two years ago I was on Peace.”
“I know this is hard to understand.”
“Wolf, honestly, just shut up and come on!”
“Right...........sorry.”
- - - - -
Nurse Redheart opened the door. Everyone looked at her. She asked if Twilight could come out.
“Sure.”
They both left the room.
“So,any good news?”
Redheart's head dropped.
“We can't save him.”
“What?”
“I said -”
“What?”"
“Twilight....”
“WHAT?!"
“Twilight, listen...”
“No, you listen! You are going to save him, you hear me?! You are going to save him!”
Twilight collapsed to the floor, crying as loud as she possibly could. She grabbed hold of Redhearts hoof and held on to it tightly.
A few minutes passed. Twilight looked up at the pony she was holding on to so tightly.
“How....how long does he have?”
“A few hours, a day at most.”
“Okay.....”
She opened the door into Wolf's room, trying to hold back her tears.
No good.
She fell to Wolf's bed and erupted into tears. She pushed her head into Wolf's chest. Everyone else in the room rushed to her side. Amidst the tears they could make out words.
“Please wake up Wolf..........Please.”
- - - - -
“Go go go!”
Wolf rushed out of cover and headed straight for the bunker, his gun blazing.
His advance was interrupted by a Spinar airstrike.
“Oh sh....FALL BACK!”
The troops quickly changed course and ran back to cover.
“FALL BACK!”
Wolf jumped behind a wall and waited. An explosion sent a human soldier flying behind his cover.
“BARNES!”
- - - - -
“He'll be alright Twilight.”
Big Mac's attempt to encourage Twilight failed.
“Maybe he has some kind of medicine in that 'ship' he came in.”
Twilight's head snapped up.
“That's it! Big Mac your a genius!”
She jumped off of Wolf and gave Big Mac a quick 'thank you' kiss on the cheek. This caused Big Mac to blush a bit. Twilight burst out of the room and made a beeline for Nurse Redhearts office. She arrived and knocked furiously at the door.
“Twilight? What has gotten into you?!”
“Can Wolf be moved?”
“What?”
“Can Wolf be moved?!”
“I don't know, why?”
“I think I know something that could save him!”
- - - - -
“There's too many of them sir!”
“Damn it trooper,hold your position!”
Wolf got up and fired a few shots into the large group of approaching Spinar.
“Damn it how did they get here so fast?”
Wolf got up and threw a grenade into them. The explosion probably killed many of them.
“What am I doing? This isn't even real!”
A large spike penetrated the wall and came out right next to Wolf's head.
“Real or not that was too close!”
He got up and began firing again.
- - - - -
Twilight and everyone else arrived in front of the Red Dawn. They walked to the door, Wolf being levitated by Twilight.
“Rarity,could you carry him for a minute?”
“Of course dear.”
The light emitted by Twilight's horn was fading, as the light from Rarity's was growing stronger.
Twilight approached the door. A sudden voice startled her.
“Unidentified life forms detected. Weapons armed.”
The same 50 mm cannon targeted the group of ponies.
“Friendly signature detected. Disarming weapons.”
“Can you let us in?”
“Negative. You do not have proper authorization.”
“Open the door please.”
“Negative.”
“If you don't open this bucking door, Wolf is going to die!”
Silence. It was broken by the same voice.
“Overriding lockdown.”
As soon as the door opened the group rushed in, Big Mac showing them the way to the med bay.
Once they got there, they put him down on the bed.
- - - - -
“There's too many of them!”
“Hold posi-”
Wolf was interrupted by the same kind of Spinar that injured him a few years ago.
“Son of a....”
He quickly dodged the incoming stinger. It's legs came and pinned him to the ground again.
He tried to break free, but his strength left him. He felt very weak.
- - - - -
“Life signs critical, injecting stabilizer.”
A long mechanical arm came from out of the wall and injected a blue liquid into Wolf.
- - - - -
His strength returned, he could feel it. He quickly lifted the legs off of him and avoided the stinger once again. He drew his blades and slashed frantically at it's exposed stomach. It shrieked in pain.
- - - - -
“Life signs stable, please move subject into Operating room. I will guide you there.”
They followed the AI's directions and arrived into the Red Dawns operating room. They put Wolf down on one of the tables and the voice asked them to leave. They obeyed, but as they left, Twilight turned to see more of the mechanical arms moving down towards Wolf's head.
- - - - -
He killed it. A victory. Wolf felt stronger than ever now. He charged straight at the approaching Spinar, his blades drawn, ready to do their job. He came closer and closer. It wouldn't be long now.
- - - - -
4 hours later and the ponies were overjoyed to hear the voice say that he would be alright. They all left to let him rest. They would be back though.
- - - - -
Wolf stood atop a pile of rubble. He won, he actually won against hundreds of Spinar. The cheers from human soldiers could be heard all over the broken city. They had won.
“Too bad this never happened.” Wolf thought to himself.
He turned to face his men.
“It's been an honor fighting with you. You're the best troops I ever had the privilege of commanding. But now it's time to go.”
He could hear the men asking about what he just said. He ignored it and looked to the sky, while spreading his arms out.
All of a sudden, he caught on fire.
First his arms, then his legs, both heading towards his upper body.
They met at the exact same moment and continued on to his head. He was unfazed, it was obvious there was no pain at all. All he could feel was the warmth of the flames as they reached his head. He smiled as the flames intensified, reducing him to ash.
All the men were shocked at this sight. Even more so when the ashes rose and flew off into the sky.
- - - - -
Wolf opened his eyes, then after a few seconds, they were closed as quickly as they were opened.
End chapter 9. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 11 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:38:45+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:38:45+00:00 | 7,701 | Wolf opened his eyes.
“Welcome back sir.”
He didn't answer. All he did was get up and put his hand to the back of his head. He quickly regretted that.
“Ow......”
“Your head has suffered considerable trauma sir. You are lucky to be alive.”
“If I had a nickel for every time I heard that......”
He got up and tried to stand. He was wobbly at first, but he quickly regained his balance.
He walked towards the door and tried to leave but was interrupted by Samantha.
“You are extremely fortunate sir. The impact alone would have killed a normal human.”
He stood in the doorway in complete silence. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
“I'm not a normal human......”
* * * * *
Wolf turned on the water. The hot water rushed down from the shower head, blasting away the dirt and sweat from his head and hair.
“Oh I needed this.....”
His mind drifted under the warm touch of the water.
- - - - -
Planet Haven, November 22nd 2659, 12:42 hrs.
Wolf walked deeper into the cave. He made it to the end and walked through the opening.
In the middle of the room, there was a large table covered in maps and surrounded by chattering men.
Silence filled the room as the people noticed the tall armored figure standing among them.
“Well? What are you doing standing there? We have a war to fight.”
Upon the end of the sentence, everyone quickly resumed their duties.
A man approached him.
“Major, it is a pleasure to fight beside you.”
“Yeah. And who are you?”
“John Grifton. Leader of the New Berlin resistance.”
“I'm not gonna lie to you John, I don't like fighting with militia. I feel a lot better knowing that well trained military personnel have got my back.”
“My men are the best this side of Haven sir. We've got your back.”
John showed him to the table.
“Alright, what are we dealing with here?”
“Spinar hit the city bad. Most of the dead were civillians. Everyone who survived the initial attack is here with us. We're planning a counter strike.”
“What kind of firepower do you have?”
“Mostly small arms. Standard issue for us is an MP-80.”
Wolf took off his helmet.
“MP-80's? You plan on mounting a counter attack with MP-80's? Are you out of your mind?!”
“I don't see the probl-”
“You can't stop a Spinar invasion with MP-80's and pistols! We need bigger guns.”
“If we don't stop them now, it won't matter.”
“And if we don't have the firepower to stop them, nothing will matter!”
“We attack the main Spinar base. And that's final.”
Wolf wanted to punch him after that.
“Idiot......” he muttered to himself.
Wolf began studying the map.
An hour later.....
Wolf was carefully studying the map, noting the weaknesses in the Spinar defenses. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice.
“Listen up everyone!”
He lifted his head up to find Grifton standing on a chair, speaking to the crowd of militia that had assembled.
“The counterattack starts now. Let's take back our city!”
“Oh no you don't!”
The entire crowd turned to face the source of the second voice.
“Captain, I appreciate your concern, but we can handle this.”
“No, you can't. Least of all with the pea-shooters you're using now. MP-80's are fine, but they are NOT meant for large scale battles. If you attack with them, you're as good as dead.”
“Thank you, Major, but I think we know how to fight a war. Why don't you go play with the rest of the children?”
Wolf snapped. He quickly approached Grifton and gave him a good hard punch to the face. Grifton impacted the ground with a large thud, blood running down his face. The guards tried to restrain Wolf, but they were easily repelled.
“Now, listen up people, you can't fight a war with SMG's. That's why we hit the New Berlin armory first. Anyone who disagrees, you can just ignore me and go out there and get yourselves killed. Otherwise,-”
He was interrupted by a voice obviously filled with fear.
“They found us! They're launching an atta-”
A loud explosion.
The entire cave network shook, and rock began to fall. Everyone covered their heads and ran for the exit.
Wolf felt something on his head. It was a gentle touch at first, but then it turned into intense pain. The last thing he remembered was looking at the crowd frantically trying to leave.
- - - - -
Wolf gasped as he returned to reality. His head ached more than before. He finished his shower and got out, wrapping himself in a towel as he walked through the empty halls of the ship to his quarters. Right next to the door, there was his number.
“W713”
He opened the door and walked in.
He sighed as he glimpsed his old room.
The bed unmade after a month of being uncared for.
Closet door left half open, some of the clothes had fallen and were now dirty and almost completely black from the hair of a certain cat.....
He walked towards a large glass case. It was obviously meant for armor. Right next to it, a large hexagon with a large blue line through it's middle. He put his hand on it, and out came a drawer of sorts, holding 6 HAR-42 rifles and 6 sidearms below them. He sighed as he pushed it back into it's place on the wall. He noticed something on the bed. It was another uniform, the kind he usually wore when out of his armor. He approached it.
“The native called 'Twilight' left it for you sir.”
He was silent. He just stared out of the window.
Minutes passed before he finally let the towel drop, and then began to put on the uniform.
He turned around after putting on the uniform, and was greeted by a large viewscreen appearing out of nowhere.
He approached it. An image of him standing in between an older woman and an older man, him lifting up two young girls in his arms and a younger boy kneeling in front of him.
His lips began to quiver as he closed his eyes tightly, trying to supress the coming tears.
He failed.
He errupted in tears as he let out a loud, painful scream. He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face to the cold floor.
He turned his head to the right, and after a double-take, his eyes were focused on another image.
He got up and approached it.
This screen was much smaller than the other, but it still fulfilled it's purpose. On it was the image of a man in his mid 60's, white hair covering his head. Below the image of his face were words.
"General Jack Weaver, January 17th, 2598."
He stared at that image for minutes, his mind flooding with memories from long ago.
- - - - -
Unkown Location, Unknown time, Unknown Date, 2656.
"NO! PLEASE NOOOO!!"
"Calm down! This'll be a LOT easier."
But Wolf didn't calm down. He screamed and shook wildly as Weaver approached him with a large syringe in his hand.
"PLEASE!!! DON'T DO THIS!!!"
His desperate cries fell upon deaf ears.
Weaver plugned the needle into Wolf's arm and injected the unknown liquid into his bloodstream.
Wolf began to shake even more as the liquid made him feel like he was burning alive. He screamed in pain as tears streamed down his face.
A few minutes later, Wolf is left gasping for air as the pain finally left him. He opened his eyes to see Weaver and a crew of doctors standing above him and staring down.
"Strange, we've observed this in every test subject."
"Write it down."
Wolf couldn't help but wonder. One of the doctors saw this and cleaned off a metal tray.
"Don't worry, it's nothing much."
He tilted the tray to Wolf for it to act like a mirror.
Wolf gasped as he looked into the eyes he could no longer recognize.
His eyes.....from the most light shade of blue, they had transformed into a blue as deep as the ocean.....
- - - - -
He tilted his head down and winced. He looked back up into the screen.
- - - - -
Unkown Location, Unknown time, Unknown Date, 2656.
A young boy sat at the kitchen table waiting patiently as his mother prepared breakfast. The smell of fresh bacon hung in the air.
"Mommy, that smells delicious!"
"Why thank you sweetie. It'll be ready soon."
A loud buzz.
A voice from down the hall.
"I'll get it!"
The boy turned around and looked at his father pressing a button on the intercom.
"Yes?"
The boy couldn't hear the other voice.
"Honey, leave that. Come with me."
"But-"
"No buts. Now come on."
The mother left the room quickly with a worried look on her face.
The boy waited for a few moments, then got up out of his chair and followed them to the front door.
They opened the door and there were 3 men standing there, two younger men were behind an older one, obviously the leader.
"Good morning sir, I'm Brigadier General Weaver."
"What do you want?"
Weaver looked past the father and towards the boy who was staring from behind a large pot.
The father turned to face the boy as well, then quickly turned back to Weaver, a look of horror on his face.
Weaver nodded.
"N-No! You can't!"
"I'm sorry sir, but I must. The Spinar are winning."
"I don't give a fuck about the Spinar! You are NOT taking my son!"
"I'm sorry sir, but, no sacrifice....no victory."
He lifted his hand and waved to the two younger men. They approached and held the parents while Weaver walked towards the boy.
He tried to run away, but his legs froze. He couldn't move.
"It's alright....."
Weaver picked the boy up.
He immediately began to swing his hands and legs madly, desperately trying to escape.
Weaver passed the two men, and began walking through the yard.
A last, desperate cry broke the morning silence.
"MOMMY!DADDY! HELP ME!"
- - - - -
Wolf screamed as he plunged his fist through the screen, blood streaking down his fist as the sharp glass remained on it as it slammed into the hard wall.
Wolf panted heavily, tears streaming down his face.
A sharp inhale.
The black center of Wolf's eyes slowly began to expand, the deep blue began to dissapear. Wolf began to shake a bit.
A purple hoof came from out of the doorway.
The black had almost completely overtaken the deep blue when a single word escaped from a unicorns mouth.
"Wolf?......."
The black expansion stopped dead in it's tracks. It slowly began to recede.
His eyes returned to their normal state, Wolf drew his fist from out of the wall and began to walk towards the door, ignoring Twilight, blood dripping from the many cuts in his fist.
* * * * *
He came out of the front door.
He gasped a bit as the warm rays of the sun made contact with his chest. He walked out of the ship and a smile appeared on his face as his feet touched the soft ground. He began to walk towards Ponyville, with something in his heart which....
Should have remained burried.
End Chapter 10. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 12 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:39:38+00:00 | 2013-08-23T19:03:58+00:00 | 7,864 | Wolf walked into the town square. Before he walked in, there was so much noise you could barely hear yourself speaking. Now, you could hear a pin drop as everyone in the square stared at him. He stopped dead in his tracks, waiting for something to happen, preparing himself for an attack, as his soldiers instincts instructed him. After what seemed to be an eternity, the crowd erupted in a loud cheer as they rushed towards Wolf and lifted him off his feet as they paraded him throughout the town. A smile appeared on his face as he was being carried away.
- - - - -
Whoa! I didn't expect this! Reminds me of the old parades.....
* * * * *
Planet Tranquility, March 19th, 2660, 13: 18 hrs....
Wolf squinted a bit as the sun hit his eyes. His ears rang as a loud cheer erupted from the crowd gathered to watch the parade.
“We love you Wolf!”
“Give the bugs hell!”
“They don't stand a chance against you!”
“You're our hero!”
He jumped a bit as something tapped his shoulder. He turned to face it.
A middle aged man sat there at his side, smiling and waving at the crowd.
“Sir?”
“Smile Wolf, your a hero.”
“With all due respect sir, what is there to smile about? We're losing....”
“Doesn't mean we're gonna lose hope. The people look up to you Wolf, they believe in you.”
Wolf didn't answer.
“Folks need heroes, Captain.” He continued on.
“General...”
“If you smile, they smile. If you show them that things are alright, they'll believe you.”
“But General, sir...”
“Smile and wave Major, and that's an order.”
“I..... yes sir.”
Wolf stood up out of the car and smiled at the crowd, waving as they passed by.
The car passed between the buildings, and Wolf was hit by a hail of falling roses and confetti.
He couldn't help but give a genuine smile as he saw the look of joy on the peoples faces. He sat back down and began to talk to the General.
“Sir, after this, can I expect to be taken home?”
“You've got a few more appearances after this, then you can go home.”
“Yes sir....”
A loud roar from the sky as a skyscraper burst into flames.
“What the hell?”
The look of joy on the crowds face turned into a look of terror as more buildings just exploded out of the blue. The loud cheering turned into screaming. A large black spot began to emerge from the clouds.
The screaming intensified as a Spinar Cruiser emerged from the clouds and hovered above the city, it's hull ablaze as it's weapons opened fire.
Wolf's smile disappeared as a look of disbelief replaced it.
“No....” Was all he could mutter at the sight of the massive warship.....
* * * * *
No, the war is over, your safe now, the Spinar aren't here....
- - - - -
The crowd stopped as the put him back down in front of the town hall. In front of the door was the mayor with a huge smile on her face.
“There he is, the new hero of Ponyville!”
“Hero? Me?”
“Of course you! You protected us from an army of Diamond Dogs and now you saved four ponies from a Hydra! Two of them being a pair of colts and the others Element Bearers. Speaking of the colts....”
As soon as she finished her sentence, Snips and Snails came from out of the shadows. Complete silence after that. The two began smiling nervously. They approached the Mayor and Wolf.
“Boys, don't you have something to say?”
They looked at each other, gulped and looked up to Wolf.
“Um....we're ehhh... sorry about the....Hydra?”
Wolf didn't answer right away, he was silent for a few moments, until he finally answered them.
“Apology accepted. But would you be careful what you bring home next time?”
Normally he would have been much harsh, but it was just a pair of kids screwing around...
The cheering recommenced. The mayor asked the crowd to be silent, but to no avail.
“A little help here? Please?”
Wolf chuckled a bit as he raised his hand. The cheering stopped immediately.
“Now that we have everypony's attention....”
A beige coated Earth-pony came up to the Mayor, a large golden medal in her teeth. She gave it to the Mayor.
“Thank you.”
The Mayor took the medal and tried to put it around Wolf's neck. A futile attempt.
“Would you mind kneeling? It's hard to put this on you when your way up there.”
Wolf laughed as he knelt in front of the Mayor. She took the opportunity and placed the medal around his neck. The cheering recommenced as Wolf got back up and shed a tear of joy.
Amidst the cheering, a pink Earth-pony appeared in front of the crowd, and yelled.
“You know what this calls for? A PARTY!”
5 hours later......
Wolf opened the door and walked into the library, a smile on his face, a party hat on his head and his whole body covered in streamers and confetti. All of a sudden, the light turned on and he was greeted by Twilight. His smile disappeared.
“Wolf.....”
“Twi.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't see you at the party.”
“I wasn't in the mood for a party.”
“Well, you missed all the fun.”
Silence filled the room for a few minutes.
“I'm gonna hit the sack. The party really wore me down.”
“Wolf, back on the Red Dawn....”
“Who was the man in the picture?”
She nodded.
“Someone who hurt me, very, very much.”
“Do...Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not right now. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Okay...”
“Goodnight Twilight.”
“Goodnight Wolf.”
Twilight went up the stairs and Wolf laid down and closed his eyes.
Deep within the Everfree Forest.....
A black Pegasus approached the unicorn that was standing atop a hill.
“Lord Night.....”
“What is it Darkmane?”
“There is, a problem.”
“What?”
“The creature that arrived here a month ago.....”
“What about it?”
“I fear it may be a threat to our plans.”
“How so?”
“It defeated an army of Diamond Dogs on it's own, and yesterday it managed to badly injure a Hydra.”
“Hmmm, perhaps you are right. Maybe it is a threat.”
“What would you have me do my lord?”
“Nothing. I will deal with this myself.”
“This is a great opportunity...” The unicorn said, a sinister smile appearing on his face.
“I will destroy the Element Bearers, and this creature, in one fell swoop.....”
“How will you do this my lord?”
“I have my ways...”
The unicorns horn glowed as he said a final sentence.
“Fly my servants, and consume all those who would resist the glory of our Queen!”
A few moments later, and the silent forest came alive with the sound of buzzing wings....
End Chapter 11. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 13 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:40:12+00:00 | 2013-08-23T19:05:40+00:00 | 7,723 | The next day...
Wolf awoke after another restless night.
- - - - -
Damn. I must have hit my head worse than I thought....
- - - - -
And then, right on cue, a wave of pain hit him. He winced and dropped to the floor, it was obvious he wasn't prepared for a jolt like that.
“Son of a.....” he whispered to himself.
“Did you say something?” A voice from the kitchen.
Twilight walked out of the kitchen.
“Could you say that again? I didn't-”
She quickly rushed to his side as she noticed he was lying on the floor.
“Are you okay?!!! Do I need to get Nurse Redheart?!”
He got back up on his feet, ignoring Twilight's attempts to help him.
“I'm fine....”
“You don't look like it...”
“I think you should know by now that I can take a lot of punishment.”
“You'd have to to be a Hydra's punching bag.”
She giggled at her little joke.
“Ha-ha-ha.”
“You hungry?”
“Not really.”
“I am!” A voice from upstairs.
The familiar thumping of hoofsteps as a little black Alicorn filly appeared at the base of the steps, a large yawn on her face.
“Look who's awake.”
“Morning to you too Wolf. Sleep good?”
“Good enough...”
“Breakfast is almost ready Nyx. Come sit at the table.”
“Awww but-”
“No buts, young lady. You need something in your stomach. You haven't been eating well lately.”
Twilight nudged Nyx into the kitchen before turning to Wolf again.
“You sure you don't want something to eat?”
“Yeah, I think I'm gonna take a walk.”
“See you later then.”
“Awww Mom, why does Wolf get to go out?”
“Because he's older and bigger than you are, and because I said so.”
Wolf replied to her in a sarcastic tone.
“Thanks mom.”
He was met with a couch pillow in the face. As it fell to the floor he watched a snickering Twilight walk into the kitchen.
“Very funny...”
After he was certain that he wouldn't be interrupted, he got back on the floor, reached down under the couch and removed the pistol he had stored there, also taking with him the extra clips. He got back up and went out the door, loading the pistol and placing the clips in his uniforms leg-holster as he went.
* * * * *
It was another beautiful day in Ponyville. The sun was shining and everypony was already out and about. Wolf inhaled a big breath of fresh morning air.
- - - - -
I love it here....
- - - - -
He holstered his now loaded pistol after putting the safety on and began his walk. Most of the voices he
heard was just idle chatter, most likely friends talking to each other or salesponies talking to customers. But two voices were distinct, their tone unlike any other in town.
“Blank flank! Blank flank! Blank flank!
“Stop it Diamond Tiara!”
“Or what? You'll show off your 'amazing' cutie mark?”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon burst out laughing, while Sweetie Belle began to step back, obviously trying to run away.
“Oh look, the blank flank is trying to run!”
“She must be jealous of our cutie marks!”
The two recommenced laughing as tears began to form in Sweetie Belle's eyes.
“Is there a problem here?”
All three fillies heads snapped up at the source of the voice. They were surprised to see Wolf staring at them.
“Well? What's going on?”
“What do you want?”
“And who might you be?”
The little pink filly quickly turned her head, causing her mane to hit Silver Spoon in the face.
She replied to him in her usual snobbish tone.
“I'm Diamond Tiara. And who do you think you are?”
“The name's Wolf.”
“Ah yes, I've heard of you. Everypony else thinks you're a hero, but I think you're just a freak.”
“Tone, appearance, name, and choice of accessories. Yep. 100% spoiled brat. I used to babysit people like you. I'd choose the front lines over that any day.”
“What did you call me?!” Diamond Tiara hissed, while Sweetie Belle began to laugh.
“You heard me. Leave her alone.” He nodded towards Sweetie Belle.”You're not worth her time.”
“Fine. Go with your blank flank friends you freak.”
“Bitch.” he whispered to himself.
He walked towards Sweetie Belle.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Don't let a pair of jerks like that get you down.”
“Thank you Wolf...”
“Don't mention it.”
Before he could react, Sweetie Belle had jumped up and hugged him.
“Hey! What do I look like, a teddy bear?”
She giggled as she let go of him and fell back to the ground.
“Thanks again.”
“Anytime.”
He couldn't help but smile as Sweetie Belle excitedly ran away towards Carousel Boutique.
He continued his walk, this time heading towards the hills outside of town.
* * * * *
If the town was beautiful to Wolf, then what would the outskirts be? Bathed in sunlight, the cool green grass dancing in the light breeze.
- - - - -
I REALLY love it here....
- - - - -
He took in another breath of air as a voice shattered the silence.
“LOOK OOOOOOUUUUUUUTTTTTT!!!!!”
“Huh?”
Wolf turned to face the source of the voice. He was greeted by the sight of a brown, blue maned Pegasi colt bearing down upon him.
“Oh sh-”
He was unable to finish his sentence as the Pegasus crashed into him, sending them both 10 meters away.
“OW.”
“Where am I?”
“On top of the person you just crashed into...”
“Huh?Wha-OH!”
He flew up off of Wolf and landed at his side. Wolf got up after that and dusted himself off, putting another hand to his head, the source of more pain.
“Sorry, are you okay?”
“Not really, watch where you're crashing next time okay?”
He nodded.
“Who are you anyway?”
“My name's Zephyr...”
“Wolf.”
The Pegasus shook his head and looked to Wolf once again.
“Hey it's you! You're okay!”
“Huh?”
“It's me, the one who saved you from the Hydra! Don't tell me you don't recognize me!”
“Sorry, I had my head bashed in, I don't remember much.”
“Sure. Anyway, I've got to go, catch you later.”
The Pegasi's wings unfolded from his sides and he lifted off, flying into the infinite blue sky.
“Ooooookay.”
Wolf began to walk back to town.
* * * * *
He had just walked into the square as he noticed Twilight walking with Nyx.
“Hey!”
“Hello! Didn't think I'd see you here. You're usually finding a way to get yourself killed.”
“Ha-ha.”
“So, anything interesting happen?”
He was just about to talk about what just transpired with that Pegasus when he was interrupted by another voice.
“LOOOK OOOUUUTTT!”
Wolf was smart enough to move to the side and begin to conjure a levitation spell. His timing was perfect as Rainbow Dash entered the field of Wolf's spell.
“Wrong turn?”
A nervous chuckle was all he received in reply.
“Heads up.”
“Huh? Whoaaa-!”
Rainbow Dash dropped to the ground.
“Tsk tsk tsk....such bad reflexes...”
“Hey! I do not have bad reflexes!”
“Suuuure you don't.”
Both Twilight and Nyx laughed.
“Hmph. See you later guys.”
She flew off.
“So, what were you about to say Wolf?”
He opened his mouth, only to close it again as he shifted his focus to the huge multicolored cloud bearing down upon Ponyville.
“What is that....”
“I don't know...”
All of a sudden, a buzzing sound was heard. It grew louder and louder as the cloud came closer.
“What the hell?”
Twilight's puzzled look turned into a look of horror as she realized what was coming.
“PARASPRITES!!! EVERYPONY GET INSIDE!!!”
Screams followed Twilight's terrified shout as everypony scrambled to get inside. The cloud was dangerously close and the buzzing sound was almost deafening.
“What the hell is that?!”
“Parasprites!”
“What?!”
“PARASPRITES!!”
“What's a parasprite?!”
He turned to face the giant cloud as it had locked on to a pony that was still outside. It came down and covered him. Loud screams could be heard over the sound of ripping flesh. The parasprites left the scene leaving only a huge patch of blood where the unknown pony once was.
“Oh, shit.”
- - - - -
“Come on! Get inside!”
Wolf waved for the soldier to get in the door as the swarm of unidentified bugs rained down upon him.
He wasn't fast enough as the swarm caught him and covered him. Screaming and the sound of ripping flesh was heard from the swarm as blood was splattered all over the surrounding area.
- - - - -
“RUN!”
All three of them began to run to the library as Wolf unholstered his sidearm and took the safety off. They had almost reached the library when the Parasprites appeared in front of the door, blocking the only entrance.
“We're cut off! Go back, go back!”
All three turned around and began running, Twilight and Nyx in front as Wolf took random shots into the giant cloud of Parasprites. They couldn't run anywhere, all the doors were locked as the ponies tried to protect themselves from the ravenous horde. They could only go to one place.
“Twilight, take Nyx and go to my ship.”
“But what about you?!”
“I'll buy you some time.”
“No, Wolf NO!”
It was too late. Wolf had already broken off and used the combat knife he always had on his uniform and cut his left hand. The parasprites immediately chased after him, attracted by the scent of fresh blood. Tears formed in Twilight's eyes as she continued towards the Red Dawn, worried about Wolf.
* * * * *
Twilight had grabbed Nyx and teleported inside the Red Dawn, right behind the main door,
“Intruder detected!”
“Hello?”
“Intruder identified as Twilight Sparkle. Security measures overidden. May I ask just how you got in here?”
“I'll tell you later, just open the door please!”
“May I ask why?”
“BECAUSE I'M GOING TO DIE IF YOU DON'T!” A voice over the radio.
“Opening main door.”
The door opened with a hiss. Twilight looked out and saw Wolf running across the plain, the parasprite swarm in hot pursuit.
“Come on Wolf! You can make it!”
Wolf was right outside the door. He jumped into the ship.
“LOCK IT UP!”
The door immediately sealed shut. Wolf got back to his feet and put his right hand on his left arm. He screamed in pain as he quickly pulled something off his blood covered arm. He squeezed his right hand as hard as he could, causing a crunching sound as he took the life of the parasprite that was gnawing on his arm. He turned to Twilight.
“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!”
“I don't know! I've never seen parasprites act this way!”
“What are they exactly?”
“They come from the Everfree forest. And they are famous for their ravenous hunger.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
He took off his shirt and wrapped it around his arm to act as a makeshift bandage.
He walked down the ship, closely followed by Twilight and Nyx.
* * * * *
He turned into one of the rooms in the hallway. Twilight couldn't help but notice the sign on the door.
“Laboratory”
She walked in to see Wolf scraping the remains of the parasprite on his hand onto a glass disc and placing it into a device.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for a solution to out bug problem.”
“Sample received, beginning analysis. Estimated time of results : 37 hrs, 28 minutes.”
“Might as well get comfortable Twi. We're not going anywhere for awhile....
End Chapter 12. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 14 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-06-21T17:23:01+00:00 | 2012-06-21T17:23:01+00:00 | 8,369 | 19 hours after first contact...
Wolf stood alone in his room, gazing out the window in complete silence. Until one sound reached Wolf's enhanced ears. The sound of hoofsteps on the metal floor of the Red Dawn. He turned around to the door. At the exact same moment, Twilight appeared in front of him.
“Hey.” Was his quick, dry greeting.
“You okay?” Was Twilight's response.
“Yeah....How's Nyx holding up?”
“She's a little shaken, but I got her to sleep....”
“And you?”
“All things considered, I'm fine. “
Silence filled the room as Wolf turned back to the window.
“Are they gone Wolf?”
“No, they're just sitting there, waiting. It's like they've been ordered to target us and no one else.”
“Then why did they rip that other pony to shreds?”
“Maybe they didn't see us?”
“Now you're talking like they can take orders.”
“I know when something is trying to kill me Twilight. I went through seven years of that.”
Twilight looked to the ground, nearly tearing up as she thought that everything that came out of her mouth reminded Wolf of the war. But something was nagging in the back of her head, a question that needed to be answered. She tried as hard as she could to suppress the urge to ask him, but to no avail.
“Wolf, who was that man?”
She froze. She couldn't believe that she actually asked him, how she put her own curiosity over the feelings of her friend. Wolf didn't answer right away. He just stood there, unfazed by the question in complete silence.
“I promised you an answer didn't I?”
“Wolf....you don't have to....”
“No. You want to know, I'll let you know. That was General Weaver, the man who started it all.” He paused.
“What do you mean?”
“He was the head of the program to turn kids into soldiers....”
“You mean...”
“He made me into this...”
“....”
“And he was present at every surgery, every training session and watched us like a hawk. It didn't matter how much we screamed, how much we cried, how much we begged for him to stop, he just continued on, not even for a minute.”
“Wolf...”
“We hated him. With every fiber in our bodies. We wanted to see him die...He put us through so much pain....”
“Wolf....you don't...” She stopped as she was interrupted by Wolf again.
“Some of us couldn't take it...they stopped eating, hoping that it would end their suffering....It didn't work. Weaver chained them up and fed them soup through a funnel. Heartless bastard...”He paused.
“We were overjoyed when he died...”
“Looks like the bugs did one good thing...”
“The bugs didn't kill him Twi.”
“Then what did?”
He tilted his head, down, the it snapped back up.
“I did.”
A gasp broke the silence after Wolf answer.
“You? But.....”
“And I enjoyed every moment of it.”
* * * * *
Planet Earth, Secret military facility : Overlook, May 22nd, 2661, 0934 hrs.
“General Mixson.”
A dark figure said, before sitting down and waiting for the other person to sit.
“Something has caught my attention, concerning General Weaver.”
“What's wrong with him sir?”
“I've looked at his budget. He needed 3 billion to build the soldiers, but he requested 15.”
“Your point being sir?”
“General Weaver always said that one generation of soldiers wouldn't be enough to fight the Spinar. He voted for the creation of another generation. One that would be completely obedient through the use of loyalty chips.”
“Sir, that option was declined.”
“And Weaver wasn't happy about that.”
“Sir?”
“Have you looked at the news, General? More than a hundred children have disappeared throughout the colonies.”
“You think Weaver is responsible?”
“Yes. He's creating the next generation.”
“Isn't that good, sir?”
“No.”
“Sir?”
“Weaver was always a radical, no matter what he did what he wanted to do. A generation of super soldiers under his complete control is something we don't want.”
“....”
“We need to deal with this immediately. Time is of the essence. Every moment we waste means that Weaver is closer to his goal.”
“You want to kill him sir?”
“Yes.”
“Who should we send?”
“Wolf.”
“Sir?! You want to send Wolf to kill Weaver?!”
“If there's one thing he hates nearly as much as the Spinar, it's Weaver. He'll have no problem doing it.”
“I'll inform Wolf General...”
“Have you seen the list with the missing children?”
“Yes sir, 127 I think.”
“You tell him 126 disappeared.”
“Why sir?”
“Because Steven is one of them.”
“Steven, sir?”
“Wolf's brother.”
“Yes sir...”
* * * * *
- - - - -
“Wolf, we need you for an important mission.”
“You always do...”
Wolf had his feet up on his desk, his eyes fixed on the screen that had General Mixson on it.
“126 children have disappeared from the colonies in the past week. We need you to infiltrate this base.”
The screen showed a satellite image of a hill with a large, gray building on it.
“Weaver's compound?”
“Yes.”
“You think he's responsible for the missing kids?”
“Yes.”
“And you want me to rescue them?”
“If you can.”
“I'm on leave Mixson. I'm not leaving this chair until it's over.”
“I only said rescue the kids if you can because that's not your primary objective.”
“Then what is?”
“The removal of Weaver.”
Wolf got his feet off the table and leaned forward on the desk.
“You want me to kill Weaver?”
Mixson nodded on the screen. Wolf removed his sidearm and placed it on the table, a sinister smile appearing on his face.
“Why didn't you just say so?
- - - - -
“It was the best mission of my life. A chance to get my revenge, upon the son of a bitch that made me a monster.”
“Wolf....”
“But it wasn't all good...”
- - - - -
“Steven?”
A 10 year old boy stood before Wolf, behind him was Weaver on a platform.
“Steve, what are you doing here?!”
All he received as an answer was a kick to the face from his own brother. Wolf spat out blood as he shot a look at Weaver.
“What did you do to him?!”
“The same thing I did to you Wolf, only better.”
The platform began to rise as Weaver laughed.
“You want to get to me? You have to go through him.”
“Weaver, you son of a bitch!”
He left the two brothers there, circling each other.
“Steven, you have to fight it, don't let him control you!”
Steve lunged forward, attempting to hit Wolf. He dodged the blow quite easily, but underestimated his younger brother, who connected his elbow with Wolf's stomach. Wolf fell back on the ground, then quickly rolled to the left, then jumped back on his feet.
“Steven don't!”
No response. All Steven did was grab a knife off his uniform and lunged at Wolf once again. More alert this time, he dodged the knife, then the other fist that followed. The sound of a knife coming out of it's sheath. Wolf looked to his side, his combat knife was missing, then to Steven, who was holding two knives. He threw one at Wolf. Without enough time to react, Wolf was hit in the left shoulder. He screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, unable to get up. He looked up to his brother, who was walking towards him with a cold, dead stare, knife in his hand.
“Steven, please....don't. I love you bro....”
No response. All he did was lunge forward towards Wolf. In Wolf's mind, his basic survival instincts were clashing with sibling love. An easy fight. As Steven's blow came forward, he found the strength to grab his arm. The sound of metal scraping. Against his will, Wolf's right arm shot up after his left grabbed Steven, and into his stomach. Wolf gasped as the pressure being applied by Stevens arms growing smaller and smaller, until it stopped completely, and his hand went limp, dropping the knife to the floor with a sickening clatter. A look of disbelief on Wolf's face as his brother fell onto him.
Wolf got on his knees and placed his brothers lifeless body in front of him. He looked to his right arm. It was on Stevens stomach, covered in blood. He drew it back, to see his wrist blade coming out of his brother, covered in blood. The shock dissipated quickly as Wolf realized what he had just done. His breathing became irregular as tears formed in his eyes, then it happened. Wolf let out a blood curdling scream, which seemed to last for hours. All who were left alive in the compound froze in their place, Wolf's pained cry piercing their ears and ripping their very soul to shreds.
- - - - -
He fell to the ground crying, tears falling off his face freely, forming a large puddle on the ground.
“Wolf!”
Twilight rushed to his side, grabbing him and desperately trying to lift him up. All she got in response was the most painful cry she had ever heard since her own desperate cry when Celestia had taken Nyx from her.
“Wolf, what's wrong?”
Wolf curled up into a corner, still crying, Twilight at his side, holding him tightly.
26 hours after first contact...
Wolf was still in the corner, still crying, but no tears as his tear glands ran dry. Twilight didn't know how long they were there, but she didn't care. She wasn't there for Wolf when he was taken to Celestia, but she would damn sure be there for him now. Wolf finally started to calm down, his breathing regulating.
“What's wrong Wolf?”
Twilight eyes closed tightly as she realized that she had just reminded him of why he was crying.
“Weaver....”
“I thought you said you liked killing him...”
“Oh I did, but what I did before I got to him...”
“What did you do?”
Wolf shut his eyes as tight as they could possibly close.
“I KILLED MY OWN BROTHER!!!”
His fist slammed into a panel on the ship, heavily denting it's metal cover. He turned to Twilight, his eyes bloodshot from crying so much, and he said to her.
“I wish the fucker was still alive, just so I could kill him again.”
“Wolf...”
“I killed him once, but I still want to kill him over and over again....”
“Wolf...”
“Damn you Weaver.....”
“Wolf, you're not...”
“DAMN YOU WEAVER!”
Twilight jumped up and knocked him to the ground, a look of anger on her face.
“YOU'RE NOT LIKE THAT! YOU'RE NOT A HEARTLESS KILLER!”
Her face fell to his shoulder, she started crying herself. Wolf hugged her tightly as he closed his eyes and whispered to her.
“I'm sorry....I'm so sorry.....”
28 hours after first contact....
Wolf lifted Twilight off of him.
“Come on. Let's get some sleep while we can.”
They both walked together through the ships halls and found Nyx curled up in a ball,
sleeping peacefully.
“Pick her up, and follow me.”
“Wolf?”
“Just do it.”
Twilight's horn glowed as Nyx lifted off the ground, still sleeping.
“Come on.”
“Okay...”
Twilight followed him back to his room aboard the ship.
“Put her in the bed. She shouldn't be sleeping on the floor.”
Twilight put Nyx on the bed, then covered her with the blanket. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of the little filly sleeping peacefully, snoring ever so quietly. All of a sudden, Twilight lifted off the ground. She turned back to Wolf, who had his arm stretched out. Using his magic, Wolf put Twilight on the bed right next to Nyx, as softly as he could. Then, he used his other hand to put the blanket on her as well.
“Wolf, what about you?”
“That bed's made for two, not three. I'm bunking on the floor tonight.”
“But...”
“It's alright. I've slept in worse places.”
He got a blanket out of the closet and sat down in a different corner than before, and covered himself up.
“Thank you Wolf...”
“Anytime. Goodnight Twilight...
“Goodnight Wolf....”
They both closed their eyes and drifted to sleep....
35 hours after first contact...
Wolf woke up first. Nyx woke up within a few moments after that, and then Twilight after her.
“Well, who's hungry?”
Their stomachs growled at the exact moment when Wolf finished his question.
“Guess that answers that...Come on, kitchens this way.”
They all followed Wolf through the halls, idly chatting as the went.
A buzzing sound interrupted them. They all froze in place, ears perked up, listening.
“We must be hearing things....”
They continued on towards the kitchen more cautious than ever....
The buzzing sound again, and this time Wolf saw a quick line of blue through the doorway.
“They're in the ship....” Was all he could mutter....
End chapter 13 |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 15 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-06-21T17:24:26+00:00 | 2012-06-21T17:24:26+00:00 | 6,510 | Wolf took a step back, hit a panel on the wall, and a rack full of weapons came out. He grabbed a pair of M-72's along with a few extra magazines.
“Run. Now.”
As soon as he finished, a cloud of parasprites came rushing out of the doorway.
“MOOOOOOVE!!”
He opened fire on the cloud as they rushed forward. Twilight and Nyx wasted no time and ran back to where they came. Wolf turned and ran, still holding his rifles. He hit a switch as he came through the doorway and the door sealed shut. He looked up to the roof, and saw a grate, part of the ships ventilation system.
“This is a completely temporary solution....”
He turned around and ran. Making use of his increased speed, he easily caught up to Twilight, who was running along with Nyx. He looked to his left at the door that appeared.
“Over here, stop!”
They came to a screeching halt as they quickly turned around and followed Wolf's directions and ran into the door. The sound of buzzing wings again.
“These things just don't quit do they?”
He brought his rifles up again and opened fire once again, sending dozens of parasprites dead on the floor, which so far seemed to have no effect at all on the clouds size. His guns clicked empty.
“Crap....”
He tossed them aside as he dove into the open door. After completing his roll on the floor, he got up and shut another switch. The door sealed shut again. Wolf opened another panel and pulled out another M-72.
“Well, at least these do something...”
“Wolf, where are we?”
“AI core.”
He walked over to a console.
“Sam, where are you?”
No answer. Wolf hit the console lightly.
“Sam!”
“Yes Major?”
“You mind telling me what these damn bugs are doing on my ship? No, forget that, why didn't I get a warning at least?”
“Apologies, sir, all of my processing power was devoted to analyzing the DNA sample you gave me. I was too absorbed in finding a solution to the infestation.”
“Never mind that, how the hell did they get in here, I thought the ship was in lockdown.”
“It was, sir.”
“They how did they get in?”
A screen opened next to him, showing a cloud of paraspites going through a large metal tube. Wolf scoffed.
“Well at least they're original. The guns are the last place I'd expect them to come in through.”
“I will have synthesized a poison to eliminate them in roughly two hours.”
“Not good enough, we'd be dead by then. Twi!”
“Yes Wolf?”
“You're the smart one, any ideas on how to get rid of 'em?”
Twilight was silent for a while, then she lifted her head up.
“Maybe we can draw them out with something?”
“What, you want me to be bait again?”
“No, maybe we could draw them out with something besides food.”
A smile appeared on Wolf's face.
“I have an idea....” He said, as he turned back to the console.
“Sam, how much have you analyzed from the dead bug or whatever it's called.”
“All of it sir, I'm just looking for a way to kill them.”
“Do you have it's reproductive hormones?”
“One moment....” She paused.
“Yes sir, isolated.”
“Can you synthesize a large sample?”
“How large?”
“I'd say large enough to attract about ten thousand of those things. And in a gas form.”
“.....”
The long pause started to irritate Wolf.
“Sam?”
“The hormones have a very simple chemical structure, I can synthesize a large enough sample, but it would take time.”
“How much time?”
A screen appeared and on it was a countdown.
“36 minutes and 48 seconds.”
“Better than two hours. Start it up.”
“Already begun sir.”
“How much of the ship is infested?”
“The top decks look live hives right now, eight to five are partially infested, while the bottom decks are secure, for now.”
“Is the deck four armory secure?”
“Negative.”
“Then we go to deck three. Sam, have the...package dropped off in hangar 5. I expect it to be there in....” He looked at the countdown.
“Thirty-two minutes, and I need it capable to fit on a Minotaur.”
“Yes sir.”
“Twilight, Nyx, with me.”
“All right...”
Both got up and followed Wolf to another door at the back of the room. He raised his rifle, ready to unleash a barrage on anything that might lay on the other side. Thankfully, nothing was there and Wolf moved on through.
“Stay quiet...” He whispered to them, his voice barely reaching their ears.
“This way...” He whispered again, as he turned left.
While Nyx was shaking slightly, Twilight was extremely calm, Wolf's soft voice had a calming effect on her. She felt that she could trust Wolf, and that he would get them through this.
“Down here...”
They walked down the staircase. Wolf weaved through the hallways like a shadow, the two ponies behind him. He went into a room. Twilight read the sign on the door.
“Deck Three Armory”
The room was quite large, home to a large assortment of weapons. M-72's, HAR-36's and an array of other weapons filled the walls. Wolf grabbed what seemed to be a large metal tube, a smile appearing on his face.
“What's that?” Twilight asked.
A large burst of flame came from the tube, causing both Twilight and Nyx to jump up in suprise.
“Sorry. Let's go.”
30 minutes later...
Wolf walked into the hangar.
“Here we are, Hangar five.”
A large crate appeared from a loading system, accompanied by a voice from the intercom.
“Your package sir.”
“Thanks Sam.”
“Always a pleasure.”
Wolf walked over to the crate and grabbed it. With a grunt, he lifted it onto the back of a Minotaur light attack vehicle.
“Wolf, what are you doing?”
“Saving you all, again.”
“Ha-ha. But how?”
“Twilight....” He took off his helmet and let it drop to the floor.
“Chances are I won't come back from this. But I need to know that you're going to be safe. I need you to go hide.”
“No, Wolf NO! I won't let you do this!”
“There's no other choice. I'm not putting you or anyone else in danger.”
“We can find another way, you're not doing this!”
“Twilight...”
“NO!” She jumped up and tried to pin him to the ground, trying desperately to prevent him from going on what would be a suicide mission. She failed as Wolf caught her and put her back on the ground, holding her tightly.
“Listen to me. I lost everything. Everyone I ever cared about. I'm not losing you, or Nyx, or ANYONE else. Not when I can protect you.”
“But...”
“Shhhh.....No buts. Don't fight, please. Don't make this harder than it already is.”
Twilight's burst into tears, pressing her face deep into Wolf's shoulder. She hugged him tighter than she ever hugged anything before, tears streaming freely down her face. He shut his eyes as tight as he could, letting a single roll on his cheek, and fall off onto Twilight's coat. He embraced her as tight as he could. A few minutes passed, and Wolf finally loosened his grip. He tried to get up, only to be stopped by Twilight, who was still wrapped around him, still holding him tightly.
“Twilight...It's time for me to go.”
“Please....No...”
“I have to.”
He forced Twilight off of him. She resisted, but she wasn't a match for Wolf's superior strength.
“Hide behind those crates.”He paused.
“Please...”
Twilight did as told, taking Nyx with her. Wolf put his helmet back on, and got in the Minotaur. A cloud of parasprites came through the door, and headed straight for Twilight.
“Oh no you don't.”
Wolf kicked the small pump on the crate, causing it to brake off and spew a gas form of parasprites reproductive hormones in the air. He jumped into the drivers seat and started the engine.
“Sam, Hangar five doors open, NOW.”
“Yes sir.”
The door began to open, flooding the hangar in the suns warm rays.
The paraspites immediately turned around upon smelling the hormones and hovered there, unsure whether to follow the scent of a mate, or to follow the spells orders. Instincts eventually won over the spell, and so they began to follow it, free from the spell cast upon them.
The Minotaurs tires screeched as it flew forward, going straight out of the hangar and landing on the ground. Wolf sped towards Everfree, the entire parasprite swarm in hot pursuit.
* * * * *
The silence that ruled over the forest was broken with the sound of a roaring engine, branches breaking, and buzzing wings. Wolf maneuvered the Minotaur expertly, narrowly avoiding trees.
“Holy crap this brush is thick...”
- - - - -
“Almost there! DRIVE!”
Wolf did as he was told and sped towards the extraction point. He could already see the helicopter waiting for him. Only a few hundred meters away.
“LOOK OUT!”
An explosion sent the vehicle flying through the air, landing upside down. Wolf opened his eyes only to see the chopper lifting off, and a group of Spinar infantry advancing on the crash. He unholstered his sidearm and fired three shots at a drone, killing it. He turned and fires two shots at another one. It fell to the ground, either dead or badly wounded. He tried to turn and shoot another one, but a drone's leg came down on his wrist, pinning his arm and causing him to drop the gun.
He looked up to face the drone, only to meet a rifle butt in his face, knocking him unconscious.
- - - - -
Wolf snapped back to reality, and saw a tree in front of him. He tried to avoid it. He failed to do so. The Minotaur hit the tree head on, causing Wolf to hit the dashboard. He screamed in pain. It quickly passed as adrenaline surged through his body when he heard the approaching wings. He checked the Minotaurs GPS. He had made it deep into the forest.
He got out of his seat and lifted the nearly empty crate and carried it off, trying to lure the parasprites just a bit deeper into the forest. It was much lighter now, and so he could carry it quite easily. He brought the flamethrower with him, just in case he would need it. Which of course, he did. The parasprites were drawing closer , and so he had to drop the empty crate. Unable to run any further, he stopped and turned to the crate. The parasprites stopped directly over the crate, and after a few minutes, began their mating ritual. Wolf breathed a sigh of relief, and put his hand to his forehead. He quickly drew it back as it sent a wave of pain through his body. He looked at his hand to see part of it covered in blood. He slowly shifted his gaze to the parasprites, who had ceased all activity. They flew towards Wolf immediately after confirming the presence of blood. Wolf lifted his flamethrower and pulled the trigger. A wall of flame came forth, roasting the parasprites as they fell to the ground as a lifeless charred mass. The swarm stubbornly continued it's charge. They advanced further and further, almost blocking the tube of the flamethrower completely. Seeing no other alternative, Wolf turned and ran as quickly as he could, a new surge of adrenaline fueling his desperate dash for survival. He could hear a low roaring as he ran, getting closer and closer. He reached a small clearing, and there it was, clear as day. A cliff, overlooking a waterfall.
Without thinking twice, he ran as fast as he could towards the edge.
“Oh, I know I'm gonna regret this!”
He yelled at the top of his lungs as he jumped off, his yell muffled by the sound of the roaring water.
End chapter 14. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 16 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2011-11-27T15:00:41+00:00 | 2011-11-27T15:00:41+00:00 | 7,962 | Three hours later....
Silence filled the Everfree forest. As if everything had in it had died and left it empty. Only a few points had some activity. A waterfall being one of them. The water fell off the cliff and into the forest below, feeding the river that slid through it's heart like a giant snake. The sound of running water filled Zecora's ears as she approached the river. In her mouth was a large bucket. She plunged her head in, filled the bucket, and as quickly as she entered the cold, clear water, her head was above it again, shaking off as much water as she could from her soaked mane. She started the journey back when something unusual caught her eye. Something washed up on the river bank. She put the bucket down and walked over to it, her ears perked up, and fear growing in her heart. Living in Everfree had taught her to never let her guard down. She approached the object. She had never seen a creature like it before.
She looked down on the unknown being, which she assumed was dead. It's clothing was ripped to pieces, it's shirt was nothing more the a few pieces of wet cloth that was an inch from disintegrating. Further examination revealed a large bruise on it's back, a deep cut on his side, and it's head covered in dried blood. It lay there, motionless, probably dead. It didn't matter to her, she put her ear to what she assumed was it's chest. A soft heartbeat could be heard under the thick muscle. A soft buzzing sound could be heard from the depths of the forest.
“This creature will not survive, for nearby there is a parasprite hive.”
She tried to get her nose under his back. After three failed attempts, she was able to lift it onto her back.
She walked back over to the bucket, looked down on it, and thought about the creatures shallow heartbeat.
“There is no time to waste, for now I must make haste.”
She galloped back into the dense forest as she finished her sentence.
Meanwhile, at Ponyville...
Twilight and Nyx walked into the silent square. Not a soul in sight, she feared the worst after a Parasprite invasion.
“Mom, I'm scared...”
“We'll be okay sweetie...”
They walked further and further, fear growing in their hearts as their eyes scanned frantically for any sign of life.
“He-Hello? Anypony?”
They both froze as Twilight finished her call. No answer for a few minutes. Then...
“Twilight?”
“Fluttershy? Is that you?”
“Oh Twilight, I'm so glad to see you!”
All of a sudden, Fluttershy burst out of a bush and hugged Twilight tightly, tears falling from her face.
“Fluttershy, where is everypony?”
“Um....They're hiding...”
“The parasprites are gone, they can all come out now...”
Upon finishing her sentence, ponies began to come out of every corner of town. From under carts, in barrels, but mostly from their barred up homes.
Within seconds, a crowd had gathered in the square and began to mutter amongst themselves.
“Are they really gone?”
“Should we go back inside?”
“I hope they don't come back...”
“Why did they leave?”
“Who cares, they're gone.”
Twilight shoved her way through the crowd, Nyx following her closely. They got out of the crowd and walked on to the town hall.
“Nyx! You're okay!”
Scootaloo immediately ran over to her friend and hugged her tightly. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle followed her closely, hugging their friend in what could be considered as the second Cutie Mark Crusaders reunion. Applejack and Rarity followed their sisters closely.
“Twilight! Yer okay!”
“Yeah, I'm fine...” She answered quickly, her thoughts drifting to Wolf.
Applejack ran close to Twilight and hugged her, disregarding the dirt and sweat all over her mane and coat. Rarity followed closely, but stopped in her tracks as she realized how dirty Twilight was.
“Oh dear, you need a bath ever so desperately!”
“Rarity, not now. Can you two watch Nyx? I need to talk to the Mayor.”
“Of course dear. We'll keep a close eye on her.”
“Thank you so much Rarity.”
“Anytime dear.”
Twilight departed and made a bee-line for the town hall, her mind racing.
Was Wolf alive? Was he okay? Could he make it back? All those questions were ringing in her head. Without even knowing it, she was walking faster and faster, until she was in a full gallop. She reached the town hall in seconds, adrenaline coursing through her veins, causing her to run as fast as her legs would carry her. She burst through the door and ran up the stairs to the Mayor's office.
She found her sitting down in her chair, her eyes fixed on damage reports that were just coming in.
She shifted her gaze to the lavender unicorn that had just burst into her office.
“Twilight, what can I do for you?”
“Has there been any sign of Wolf?”
“Wasn't he with you?”
“....”
“Twilight?”
“He....He drove them away. He lured them back into Everfree.”
“How long ago?”
“About three hours...”
“Three hours....” She paused, taking a long sigh.
“...It's the Everfree forest, chances are he's dead by now.”
“What did you just say?”
“I said he's probably dead by now.”
“NO!”
Twilight jumped on the desk and pressed her face against the Mayor's.
“He's NOT dead you hear me?!”
“Twilight...”
“We need to look for him! Send somepony into the forest to find him! He could be hurt, or worse...”
“Twilight.... walk with me.”
“What?”
The Mayor got out of her chair, ignoring the mare standing on her deas and walked out of her office. Twilight followed her.
“We need everypony here, in case they come back.”
“But...”
“No buts Twilight. We can't send ponies in there to look for somepony who's probably dead by now.”
“HE'S NOT DEAD! HE SAVED US ALL THREE TIMES! THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS SEND A SEARCH PARTY!”
She fell to the floor crying. The Mayor tried to get her up, but failed to do so. The sound of hoofsteps on the floor.
“What's this about a search party?”
Twilight looked up and saw two Pegasi standing before her. One was gray with a red mane, with a large black stripe right through it's middle. The other was light brown, with a blue mane.
The Mayor looked at the two.
“Backdraft, Zephyr, are you two volunteering for a search party?”
“It depends on who we're looking for.”
“Wolf. The 'human' that crashed here.”
Backdraft was about to say something but was interrupted by Zephyr.
“Ponyville's new hero?”
“Yeah, him.”
“Where is he now?”
“Lost in Everfree.”
Backdraft scoffed.
“He's probably dead by now, but....I guess we all owe him one...”
“Make that three.”
He shot a quick, angered look at Zephyr, then he returned to his normal state.
“We'll take a look around...”
“Thank you....” Twilight muttered...
“When can you start?”
“Right now ma'am.”
With that, both of their wings unfolded from their sides, showing off their feathers and they bolted out of the door.
One hour later, over Everfree forest....
They flew side by side, scanning the ground for any sign of life. They had flown around Everfree for nearly an hour without a trace of Wolf or anything else.
“He's been missing for four hours, what are his chances of surviving?”
“He took on a Diamond Dog army and a Hydra, I think he can hold his own...”
“Maybe...”
“Look, Zeph, I'll do another round of the forest, you go check out that Zebra's hut.”
“Alright, I'll meet you back here.”
“It's a date then.”
They separated immediately. Within a few minutes, Zephyr was above Zecora's hut. He could see something moving towards it. He flew further down, and could see Zecora carrying something on her back. It was Wolf. He recognized him immediately from the other day.
“Hmph.”
He flew off back towards the meeting point. He arrived first, and waited for a few minutes. Backdraft arrived.
“You took your time.”
“Oh shut up. Find anything?”
“Nope. You?”
“Nothing. We should head back now...”
“Agreed.”
“Race you back.”
“Wha-?”
“One two three go!”
Backdraft disappeared from sight, flying full speed towards Ponyville.
“Hey!”
Zephyr hovered for a moment. A sinister smile appeared on his face.
“Fool.”
End chapter 15. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 17 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-06-21T17:40:32+00:00 | 2012-06-21T17:40:32+00:00 | 5,497 | - - - - -
A Spinar Dragonfly gunship soared over the tree canopy, it's search light scanning the marshes for it's prey. Under a tree he lay, injured, lost, surrounded. He looked at his leg with fear in his eyes. He sighed as he glimpsed the spike in his leg.
“Nice shot....”
He gripped it tightly, making sure he would get it for the first try. Hopefully it wasn't too late.
He pulled lightly. Almost immediately, a wave of pain coursed through his body. His eyes closed tightly as he fought not to scream. It was too late. The round had deployed it's secondary spikes, meaning it could come out...but at a price. He sighed again, defeated.
“Great....”
He grabbed a nearby branch, placed it in his mouth, and grabbed the spike again. This was going to hurt. Tears rolled down his eyes as he waited for the ax to fall. He pulled with all his strength. The branch snapped like a toothpick as his teeth came crushing down. Without the branch, his mouth opened, then he screamed in pain, echoing in the forest. Within moments, the sound of approaching engines....
- - - - -
Wolf awoke with a gasp.
“Sirius...”
His eyes opened fully now, and he glimpsed the wooden ceiling.
“What the hell?”
He jumped out of the bed, but came crashing back down as a wave of pain ripped through his body, emanating from his side. He looked at it and saw a blood covered bandage.
“Damn it, not again.”
He looked around the area. No one was there, the place was empty. Masks that resembled those of African tribes decorated the dark wooden walls of the room. An assortment of herbs and bottles filled the many shelves in the room. A large black cauldron sat in the middle of the room, something boiling within. He looked into it. Some green liquid boiled inside. The heat emanating from it was immense, and the amount of steam was overwhelming. He backed away, as a headache suddenly hit him. He tried to get up again, much more slowly this time. He managed to do so with minimal pain. He began to walk around the room slowly, looking around as he went. He felt a little disoriented, and nearly fell to the ground. He regained his balance at the last possible second. He placed a hand to his head as another headache suddenly hit him.
“Ow...”
He looked around some more and found a single window. He walked over to it and looked outside. Dense forest as far as the eye can see. He looked down at the ground, and on the left there were roots right under the window.
“What the hell? Am I in a tree?”
He looked over to a door and debated on what to do. If he left, he could make it back to Ponyville, but in his injured state he would be easy prey for whatever was out there. If he stayed, who knew what could happen. He eyed the large cauldron with a great amount of suspicion. If he stays, he could die, if he left, he would die. The best decision in his opinion was to go outside and check the surrounding area.
The door opened with a loud creak. He walked a few meters outside the door, then immediately looked to his waist.
“Damn.”
He lost his sidearm. His primary means of defense. Examining his waist again, he found something else. He drew his combat knife from it's sheath. A smile appeared on his face as he glimpsed the eight inch long blade.
“Never mind, I like you better.”
While in ranged combat he was rated 'Average' (which in terms of 'normal' humans was 'Excellent'.), in hand to hand combat he was rated 'Extremely deadly'. His favorite weapons were always blades, but his signature weapons were his razor sharp wrist blades. When he was using them, he was damn near unstoppable. He readied his knife, just in case something would attack. He looked around the surrounding forest. Nothing was there. Complete silence. He turned around, and was stunned at the sight of a massive tree. He was amazed at the ponies talent in carving trees into homes, or in Ponyville's case, a library. He gave a quick whistle as he placed his arms to his sides, then quickly drew them back as a wave of sharp pain hit him. All of a sudden, rustling could be heard in the distance. He turned in the direction of the noise, knife ready to attack. The rustling grew louder and louder as the creature drew closer and closer.
- - - - - -
"Thirty feet.....Twenty...Ten...."
- - - - - -
He prepared to attack until he saw what emerged. A zebra, with a pair of baskets on her back, filled with herbs and plants. It ignored Wolf and walked straight to the hut. As it reached the doorway, it looked back to Wolf and nodded for him to come in. Seeing no other option, he followed the zebra in, reluctantly putting his knife away. As he went inside, he saw it pouring the newly collected herbs into the cauldron. He reached for his knife yet again, but didn't draw it. After finishing pouring the herbs, it showed Wolf the bed and nodded to him. Understanding immediatley, he layed down in the bed, waiting for something to happen.
45 minutes later....
The zebra approached the bed, a wet cloth held in her mouth by the tip of her teeth. It brought it close to Wolf's wound, only to have him move away, drawing his knife.
"It is alright, unjustified is your fright."
"Who...Who are you?"
"Zecora is my name, and from the great savannahs I came."
"Well...I'm Wolf."
He put back his knife and sat still again. Zecora brought the cloth closer to his wound, only to have him move away again.
"What are you doing?"
"Although I have much to do, you I must heal, and I will perform my task with great zeal."
"Alright...Do it."
She brought the hot, wet cloth to his wound, only to have him grunt in pain.
5 hours earlier. Ponyville.
Twilight stomped around furiously in the Mayor's office, outraged by the rescue missions failure.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?! ABANDONING HIM LIKE THAT, AFTER HE SAVED US THREE TIMES?!"
"Twilight...calm down."
"NO I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!"
The Mayor jumped out of her chair, enraged by Twilight.
"You think I want to leave him out there?! Do you?! I'd go out there myself to look for him! But my duty lies with Ponyville first."
The Mayor's outburst had shut Twilight up but good. Her head just dropped, and she walked out of the room, leaving the Mayor to resume her duties.
5 hours later, Ponyville library
Twilight lay in her bed, her pillow soaking wet from tears. She got up and looked out the window towards Everfree forest, then fell back to her pillow, crying yet again. Amidst her gasping, she managed to say one sentence.
"Oh Wolf....Please come back safe....Please..."
End chapter 16. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 18 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-06-21T17:41:32+00:00 | 2012-06-21T17:41:32+00:00 | 5,865 | 1 month later...
The pain of his loss was unbearable. After a month of tear filled nights, she had finally given up hope. She knew that he was gone by now. She pretended to be okay, but as Wolf died, a large part of her died with him. She walked into the marketplace in complete silence. It was near sunset, and everyone still in the market was either doing some last minute shopping, or closing down their stands. Applejack was the last one to close. She never realized that she had already walked all the way over to her apple stand.
"Twilight?"
Applejacks words fell upon deaf ears as Twilight completely ignored her.
"Twilight!"
The sudden change in her tone snapped Twilight out of her trance like state.
"Huh?"
"Ya'll right sugarcube?"
"Yeah...I'm fine."
Applejack could tell she was lying. Being the Element of Honesty meant she could sniff out a lie a mile away. She never said anything about it though. She decided it was time for that to change.
"Twilight...You feel like taking a walk through Whitetail Wood? Running of the leaves is in a few days, so we might as well take a walk while the leaves are still there, don't you think?"
"I don't know Applejack, what about the stand?"
"Big Mac can handle it today. C'mon, let's go."
As they walked away, Big Macintosh appeared out of a shop and began to close down the stand. He looked up at Twilight and nodded at her. He could tell she was sad.
"You miss him too don't you?"
Twilight didn't answer. All she did was close her eyes and let a single tear fall to the ground.
12 minutes later, Whitetail Wood
"Beautiful ain't it Twilight?"
She didn't answer. She couldn't bear to look at the leaves. It reminded her of the day Celestia's guards took him.
"Twilight?"
Applejack looked behind her and sighed at she saw Twilight looking at the ground. She walked up to her and put her hoof around her neck and brought her in for a hug. Then she said to her, in a soft and soothing tone:
"Look Twilight, ah know you miss him, but it's been a month. Ya need to let him go."
Twilight began sniffling in Applejacks embrace, struggling to hold back tears.
"I don't want to let him go..." Her voice was shaky, filled with sorrow. She wanted him back. Right there,right now. She remembered when he first saw her after being taken to Celestia, how he held her after they stared at each other. She wanted to be back in his arms, for him to hold her close to him. She didn't want anything else. If she had one wish, it would be for him to come back to her. The one thing she could never have. The sun began to set behind the golden brown leaves. Applejack didn't dare move an inch. She would stay there with Twilight till the end of time, if need be.
Meawhile, at the CMC clubhouse...
"Who's with me?"
Scootaloo slammed her hoof down on the table. No one answered. She frowned.
"Ugh, come on girls!"
"Nuh-uh Scootaloo, you remember what happened the last time we went in there!" Applebloom answered to her with a scowl.
"So we ran into a cockatrice, so what? Fluttershy was there to save us!"
"But this time she won't be!"
"Oh be a little brave Applebloom!"
The two started bickering with each other as both Nyx and Sweetie Belle facehoofed.
"What do we do?"
Nyx turned to Sweetie Belle, confused.
"I said what do we do? Do we go into the forest?"
Nyx looked to the ground, a sad look on her face.
"It's dangerous in there...And even if we don't get hurt, what will our famillies say?"
"We'll all probably be grounded, or worse."
"But..."
"Huh?"
"...My mom's been really sad ever since he dissapeared. She misses him...I do too..."
Nyx shut her eyes tightly and sniffled a litte. She then opened her eyes and gave a determined and decisive look.
"I am!"
Applebloom and Scootaloo were ready to get into a hoof fight when they heard Nyx's voice.
"Um, what?"
"I'm with you Scootaloo!"
"Yes! All right, anypony else?"
Applebloom looked in disbelief as Nyx walked over to Scoot's side and placed a hoof on her shoulder.
"Well, I'm not letting you two go in there alone!"
Applebloom's jaw dropped to the floor as Sweetie Belle trotted over to Scootaloo and Nyx. All three of them turned to Applebloom.
"What? What are you staring at me for?"
They all sighed at the same time and, again with perfect timing, gestured for her to come on.
"Uh-uh, Ah am NOT going in there."
"Applebloom..."
She cringed as Scootaloo said her name in the most serious tone she had ever heard from her. She began to stammer.
"Ah- We, are you? Arrgghh. Fine. Ah'm coming too."
"YAY!" They errupted in cheers that nearly shattered Appleblooms ear drums. She went over to them and they all placed their hooves together.
"We'll find him and bring him back!" Scootaloo decreed.
"Together!" Sweetie Belle added.
They all joined together for a loud shout:
"Cutie Mark Crusaders Wolf Rescuers!"
38 minutes later, Zecora's hut, Everfree Forest.
Wolf tried to get up. Zecora caught him and stopped him in his tracks.
"Aw come on Zecora, It's been a month, you said it yourself, I'm healing fast! I'm feeling fine, I can make it back to town!"
Zecora didn't answer. Instead she turned around and shot a look at him that carried the message very clearly:
"No."
He sighed loudly as he fell back into his pillow. Amidst the sound of boiling water and Zecora's humming, he thought he could hear something from outside. Very soft, stealthy, like a large feline of some kind. He dismissed the noise, thinking that it must be all the steam from the cauldron's boiling ingredients playing tricks on him. All of a sudden, a giant stinger came through the wall and knocked over the cauldron, causing it's scalding hot contents to spill on the floor, and on top of Zecora's hind legs. She screamed as she jumped onto a shelf, a burning pain overtaking her. The stinger then proceeded to impale Wolf. He rolled just in time as the stinger came crashing down onto the bed. A giant paw came throught the hole in the wall, giant claws ready to sink into Wolf. In the blink of an eye, he had drawn his knife and jammed it as hard as he could into the paw. A loud roar shook the hut as the creature ran into the forest. He looked back over to Zecora, who had climbed off the shelf and into a corner of the hut.
"You okay?"
She nodded. Aside from the burns, she was alright. Wolf inspected the damage to the hut. The wall was nearly gone, the cauldron was overturned and many of the masks lay on the floor, while glass from the broken bottoles littered the floor.
"I'm going after it."
Zecora was silent. She looked at him from head to toe. His head was completely healed, save for the scar that was already on his face. His muscular chest was in perfect condition. On his side, where a large cut once was, healthy and tough skin filled it's place. Then she looked at his legs. She could tell that those were the strongest muscles in his body, honed by years of training and a lifetime on the battlefield.
"Your legs, are so steady...indeed...you are ready."
He smiled and grabbed a glob of mud.He closed his eyes tightly as he covered them in mud with his fingers. Then he painted two stripes on each side of his face, right under his eyes. He turned back to Zecora.
"I'll be back." He leaped out of the hut and ran off into the forest, making nearly no noise.
Somewhere within the forest...
"Ah knew I shouldn't have come along with you three! What was Ah thinking?"
"Oh, be quiet Applebloom!" Scootaloo scolded her.
"You be quiet Scootaloo!"
"No, you!"
"No YOU!"
"Why don't you BOTH be quiet?!"
They both turned to Nyx, who had just passed by them and was followed by Sweetie Belle, who was giggling. After a few minutes walk, they all stopped to rest.
"WOOOOOLF! WOOOL-Mmph!"
"Shhhh!" All three fillies hushed Scootaloo, including Applebloom, who had her hoof in Scoot's mouth. She pulled Appleblooms hoof from her mouth.
"What was that for?!"
"We don't want anything to hear us!"
"Then how are we going to find Wolf?!"
"Girls...shhh...." Nyx hushed them, as she perked her ears up. The other three fillies followed.
Rusling in the bushes.
"Umm...Wolf?" Sweetie Belle asked. No answer. All they heard was a low growl as a pair of yellow eyes could be seen through the bushes.
* * * * *
A scream pierced the night air. Wolf went into overdrive. He sprinted across the forest, nimbly dodging trees and rocks.
* * * * *
Scootaloo had tripped and fell on her back. The Manitcores paw had pinned her to the ground. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she saw it's stinger position itself above her, ready to come down. She continued to scream as the stinger lunged forward, ready to take her life. It never hit her. She opened her eyes and there he was, holding the stinger with only one arm. The Manticore turned to him, confused. A wave of pain washed over it as Wolf's fist connected with it's face. It was knocked back, taking it's paw off Scootaloo. Wolf drew his knife and turned to Scootaloo.
"Get back. NOW."
She obeyed his order without question, running back and joining her friends who were standing there watching. Wolf turned to face the Manticore, which had recovered from Wolf's blow. It lunged forward at him. He rolled to the left, and when his arm came back up, it sliced through the Manticore's face with ease. It roared in pain and began to swipe at Wilf with it's paws, claws out and ready to tear through flesh. He expertly dodged it's paws, but was unable to avoid the body slam that sent him flying through the air. He landed on the Manticores back, afetr having lost his knife to gravity. He looked up and saw the stinger ready to strike. It came down. He barely managed to roll out of the way, causing the stinger to punch through it's ownere skull, killing it instantly. He sat down, the adrenaline in his system wearing off. After a few moments, he got back up, found his knife, and turned to the three fillies staring at him in awe.
"Hey girls. Miss me?"
They replied with cheers and they tackled him to the ground, while he laughed as he was knocked over. Over their cheers, he could hear approaching hoofsteps, and then a loud yell.
"NYX!!!"
Twilight burst through the bushes, her face red from anger, and ready to yell at the top of her lungs. She was about to, until she saw him getting up.
"Hey Twilight. I'm back."
End chapter 17 |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 19 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:43:32+00:00 | 2013-08-23T19:23:16+00:00 | 6,043 | Twilight couldn't believe her eyes. She thought he died long ago and there she was standing right in front of her. She knew what she was going to do and didn't hesitate at all. Wolf got up from being knocked over by the Cutie Mark Crusaders in vain. She lunged forward at him. His lightning fast reflexes caused his arms to jump up to receive the incoming blow. She hit him softly enough to not hurt him, but hard enough to knock him over. She burst into tears as she pressed her face into his shoulder. He responded by tightening his grip around her. He closed his eyes as tight as he could as he fought to hold back his own tears. He inhaled sharply a few times while Twilight cried in his shoulder. He gently stroked her mane. He didn't care where they were, he hadn't seen Twilight in a month, and he damn sure wasn't going to let her go. Nothing could get him away from her and nothing could get her away from him.
"Um...Where's Applebloom?"
Almost nothing. His eyes shot open as Twilight's head snapped up at Sweetie Belle.
"What do you mean 'where's Applebloom'?!" He yelled.
"She's not here!" Sweetie Belle responded.
Both him and Twilight leaped up and frantically searched the clearing for any clues of where Applebloom was, while calling her name at the same time. He was about to run off into a random part of the forest when a set of tracks caught his eye.
"She went this way. Twilight, get them out of here."
"What?!"
"You heard me, I'm going after her. Get them out of the forest."
"No!" Her horn glowed and Wolf was brought down to the ground. A glowing purple chain appeared and bound his legs and arms.
"I'm not losing you to Everfree again!"
"Would you rather lose Applebloom?! Huh? Would you?!"
"I...."
She didn't know what to do. The last thing she wanted to do was let him run off into the forest to possibly get killed. But she couldn't leave Applebloom out there. Defeated, she slumped down to the ground, ready to cry once again. The chain around Wolf's arms dissipated first, followed by the one on his legs. He jumped over to Twilight's side.
"Listen to me..."
She turned away from him.
"Damn it listen to me!"
He put his hands around her head and forced her to look at him.
"I promise I'll come back. But I need you to get them out of here. It's not safe..."
She didn't answer.
"Twilight, please!"
A loud roar could be heard in the distance. She finally looked into his eyes.
"All right. I'll get them out." She turned her head around.
"The forest ends a kilometer that way. I'll wait for you there. Be there..."
"All right!"
He got up and tried to run into the forest after Applebloom. He stopped dead in his tracks when he began to glow purple, and was brought right back in front of Twilight. She was dead serious about what she said next.
"Be there."
"Okay."
He tried to pull away again. He couldn't.
"Uh...Twilight?"
Her mind was racing. She had let him ride off to meet Death face to face twice. She wouldn't let him go a third time, not without letting him know.
- - - - -
Not this time...
- - - - -
She lunged forward and pressed her lips against his. He jumped back a little in suprise, but otherwise didn't move. He wanted this as much as she did. A few moments passed, and they finally broke apart.
"I'll be back. I promise."
He got up and ran off into the forest. Twilight lifted herself up, and took the three staring filles out of the forest, certain that he would be back.
* * * * *
"Applebloom!" He stopped in the forest for a moment, thinking about what happened minutes ago.
- - - - -
What the hell are you doing Wolf? What was that back there? Don't make that mistake again...
- - - - -
He heard sniffling in the distance. A glimmer of hope.
"Applebloom!"
"W-Wolf?"
He ran towards the voice. He found her sitting on a log, crying.
"Wolf? You-You're alive?"
"And kicking. Come on let's get you out of here."
She got up. All of a sudden, the sound of trees being ripped apart, as well as rumbling footsteps. All they could do was stare in the direction of the noise. A large head came out of the trees, followed by a second, then a third, and finally a fourth. The Hydra's massive body came out, causing both Wolf and Applebloom to step back. It came to a screeching halt as it saw them. All it's heads began hissing at Wolf. He managed to get a glimpse of the creatures backside. A huge scar lay there, like a grenade had exploded on it. Wolf realized all of a sudden.
"Oh shit..."
He began to backstep, followed by Applebloom.
"Hey big guy, long time no see..."
As they both retreated, it advanced. A few steps later, and it let out a thundrous roar.
"RUN!"
Applebloom turned around and ran. Wolf's hands glowed a deep blue, and two glowing blue spears materialized right below them. He 'threw' both of them at the Hydra. All they did was make it angrier. He debated on what to do. He looked around to all the trees.
- - - - -
No, not here...
- - - - -
He turned around and ran, trying to catch up with Applebloom. He ran as fast as he could, with the Hydra in hot pursuit. Not even a minute later, he was out of the forest, and running after Applebloom, who was scurrying up a hill to meet Twilight. A smile appeared on her face as she saw him running toward her, only to dissapear as she saw what was following him. She yelled as loud as she possibly could, fear taking control of her:
"RUN!"
He sprinted up the hill quickly.
- - - - -
Now...
- - - - -
Before he reached the top of the hill where Twilight was waiting, he jumped, turned around midair, and with a wave of his hand, set a large line of grass in front of the Hydra ablaze. It roared in fear as it got up on it's hind legs, and came crushing down on the fire. It turned around and ran into the forest. Twilight jumped towards him, expecting him to embrace her. She felt the warmth of his arms, only for that feeling to be cut short. She looked up concerned at Wolf, who began to walk away. She was dumbstruck. What the hell just happened to her? She just stared at him, as he walked away. She called his name. No response. She called him again, louder this time. She could barely make out his response.
"Just...Stay away from me..."
She just stared at him in complete confusion as he walked in the direction of the Red Dawn's crash site.
End chapter 18. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 20 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:43:47+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:43:47+00:00 | 8,967 | Wolf stormed into the door, almost breaking it. He vented his anger on a neabry heater, ripping it off the wall and tossing it to the ground.
"DAMN IT!"
He sighed in defeat, then fell to the floor, head resting on his arms. Suddenly, he got up and slammed his fist into the wall, denting it. He fell back to the floor, ready to burst into tears, when a voice cracked over the intercom.
"Sir?"
"Hey Sam..."
"Are you alright?"
He sighed.
"Do I look alright?"
"Negative."
"Then why do you even ask?"
No answer. Silence ruled over the ship for a few precious moments.
"Because I care sir..."
He lifted his head to face one of the speakers.
"What did you say?"
"I said I care sir."
"You better not be messing with me."
"Negative sir."
"Yes you are. You always did love messing with me."
"I'm not this time sir."
"Prove it."
"Gladly."
* * * * *
A few minutes later, Red Dawn data center.
Wolf walked into the door.
"Why have you brought me here Sam?"
"You asked me to prove how I care. This is how I'll do it."
A screen appeared. It accessed files that as far as Wolf knew were 'restricted'.
"Sam what are you doing?"
"I'm proving how I care."
"This is...These files are rated tier one. The only people who have...had tier one clearance where the High Generals! You never let me access these!"
"And now I am."
"But...Why?"
Sam didn't answer. She let him think of it on his own.
"Oh my God...You're going against you're own programming...for me..."
"Now you know. We've been together for most of the war sir, I've grown quite attached to you."
"You feel...I guess you really are the most advanced AI mankind has ever created. Anyway, time to look at some files..."
"Um...sir..."
"Yes?"
"Some of those files...maybe you're better off not seeing them."
"Sam, after everything I've been through, I think I can handle anything."
He opened a file and mission briefings and reports of various black ops came up. One caught his eye.
"Operation Bond..."
He chuckled to himself.
"Who comes up with these names?"
He opened the file and a large text came up.
"May 29th, 2661...A few days after..."
He read on.
" 'After subject Whiskey-Seven-Thirteen terminated Dr. Robert Rourke during physcological evaluation' Bla, bla, bla..."
He skipped forward.
" 'Operative Tango Four-Ninetysix dispatched to Wolf's quarters.' Tiger? Why would they send Tiger to my room?"
A thought occured in the back of his head. He ignored it, and he read on, his heart racing as he wanted to uncover the truth.
" 'Operative's orders: Bond with Wolf...and report everything he says. Method of 'bonding' is at operatives discretion.' "
He backed away from the screen, unable to process what he just read.
"Oh my God..."
- - - - -
May 29th, 2661, Earth.
Wolf laid alone on his bed, confined to his quarters after a 'mishap' with the psychiatrist. All of a sudden the door opened. A tall brunette in an orange black-striped uniform stood in the doorway. Her piercing eyes fixed on Wolf.
"Hey Tiger..."
She came and sat at the foot of his bed, thinking to herself.
"Dr. Rourke is dead."
He scoffed, then replied to her:
"Serves the bastard right."
"Wolf...Why did you kill him?"
He didn't answer.
"Wolf..."
"Because right now I could put my fist through this wall without feeling a thing!" He pointed to the wall next to him.
"Wolf...You can't be killing the shrinks. You know how bad that looks?"
"I don't give a rat's ass about the shrinks! I want my brother back! They don't give a damn about me, they just want to know if I can fight! Tell them I'm ready. Tell them I'll kill anything they put in front of me! Go on, tell them!"
He shoved his head into his hands and cried for the umpteenth time in his miserable life. Tiger put her arms around him and embraced him. He responded in kind.
"It hurts...oh God it hurts..."
"Shh...It'll be okay...It's okay Wolf..."
"I want him back Tiger...so badly...You have no idea how much it hurts..."
"Actually I do..."
"How? Who have you lost? No, who have you killed that was so close to you?"
"I haven't lost anyone..."
"Then how do you know?"
"Just by watching you."
"Heh. Good answer." He mocked her.
"You don't care either..."
He let go of her and pulled away, lying back down on his pillow.
"Hey!"
Tiger grabbed his head and pulled him back to her.
"Of course I care! I love you damn it!"
He would have answered, but he didn't have enough time. Tiger closed the gap between their faces, bringing her lips to his, her eyes shut tightly.
- - - - -
Wolf ran out of the room, clumsily making his way through the ship, almost collapsing onto the walls. He almost fell climbing up the stairs. He reached the hatch on the top deck. He hastily opened it and jumped outside, on top of the ship. He ran down the fuselage. Upon reaching the end, he called out to the sky, which had turned pink from the sun setting above the hill.
"WAS IT ALL A LIE?! EVERYTHING YOU SAID?!" He collapsed to the floor, letting out a pained cry that pierced the evening air. It could be heard for miles in any direction, freezing everything that did hear it in their place. He screamed into the night for hours, until finally drifting to sleep.
9 hours later...
Wolf awoke from his deep sleep. He looked around. The sun had began to rise. A light breeze caused him to shiver in the cold morning air. He remembered that he didn't have a shirt on. He climbed back into the bowels of the ship, hoping that he wouldn't catch pneumonia from his night on top of the ship. He walked back into his room.
"Sir, Are you..."
"Don't even ask Sam, you already know the answer."
Sam was silent. Wolf fell into his bed.
"Would you like me to play some music for you?"
"Why don't you find something that describes my current situation?"
"Yes sir."
Sam thought for a moment, and found a couple of songs that would take his mind off the file he read. Music flooded the room. The singers voice could be heard over the guitar.
"I fell in love with an alien
I fell in love with her eyes..."
"SAM!"
The music suddenly stopped,
"God, I hate it when you do that!"
Sam chuckled.
"Apologies sir. Onto the next piece..."
I'm here without you baby,
But you're still on my lonely mind,
I think about you baby,
And I dream about you all the time...
Wolf's hand met his forehead with a loud slap, as he reached over to a button next to the bed. He pushed it, and the music in his room ceased.
"Sam, you know sometimes you REALLY piss me off right?"
"Yes sir."
Wolf sighed. He should have known she would just blast the intercom in the hallway outside his door.
"Sir, you have a visitor."
"On screen."
A screen appeared above his bed. It showed a tall red stallion outside the main door.
"Let him in."
The door opened, and the stallion walked inside. Wolf rose from his bed to greet him, after getting a shirt out of the closet.
* * * * *
Big Macintosh stumbled around in the ship, unsure of where to go. A sharp whistle caught his attention. He turned around and saw Wolf standing in a doorway.
"Long time no see eh Mac?"
"Nice to see you too Wolf."
"How have you been?"
Big Mac walked over to him.
"Ah should be asking you the same thing. How did you get out of there alive?"
"With a lot of luck, and a lot of help."
"Help? From who?"
"Her name's Zecora."
"Ah've seen her a few times around town."
"Saved my life."
"Listen...Wolf..."
"What?"
"Go back to Twilight."
"Don't you start on me too."
"Wolf, she's devastated. She needs you."
Wolf simply walked away
"Don't you care about her?!"
Wolf turned around quickly, fire in his eyes, his anger reached a boiling point.
"You think I don't care?! You think it didn't hurt?! I walked away from her and I ripped what was left of my heart in two." He yelled at him, his voice breaking.
"Then why did you walk away?"
"Beacuse I'm afraid, all right? I'm afraid..." He answered to him, collapsing onto a a wall.
Big Mac didn't know what to say. Silence returned to the ship once more. Wolf finally managed to speak.
"Just..get off my ship...give me some time..."
Big Mac just sighed as he walked towards the exit, leaving Wolf alone in the Red Dawn.
End chapter 19. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 21 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:44:06+00:00 | 2014-06-30T23:15:17+00:00 | 5,611 | 3 hours later...
The ship was completely silent. All decks were as quiet as a graveyard. Save one. The sound of splashing water echoed through the empty halls. Every twenty or so seconds, the splashing ceased, only to resume in a heartbeat. Wolf reached the other side of the pool. He grabbed onto the edge and lifted himself up. He hung from his elbows. He looked up to the ceiling.
"Time?"
A few seconds passed.
"Twenty-one point eight-nine seconds sir."
His sigh was barely audible due to the sloshing water. Even though it was calming down, it still made quite a bit of noise.
- - - - -
Planet Peace, Project DEMIGOD training facillity, January 11th, 2658,
A loud yell shattered the crisp morning silence.
"GO!"
Wolf took no time, and dived straight into the water. He was followed closely by the rest of the group. The water was freezing. He surfaced immediately, catching his breath. A splash right next to him. He turned around to see his training instructor holding a smoking pistol. More men came out of a large metal door behind him, holding assault rifles.
"SWIM!" The instructor yelled to him. He wasted no time and began to pummel the water. His feet kicked as hard as they ever could as they propelled him through the murky water. Gunshots, lot's of them. They shattered the otherwise peaceful morning.
"Come on! They're right behind you, you're under fire, swim God damn it!"
Wolf got the message clearly. His whole body went into overdrive as he sped through the water. As his head came up out of the water, he could see a whole team of doctors and scientists on a catwalk overlooking the lake. They had a pair of guards next to them, keeping their assault rifles close. They were watching him. They were always watching him. Seeing his potential, looking for aspects to improve. After a minute or so, he reached the other side. Everyone else in his group had already reached it, and were out and getting into the tent nearby. Hawk offered him a hand out. He tried to grab it, but he wasn't fast enough, as a voice cracked over the speaker nearby.
"WOLF! You call that swimming?! Get your ass back to the other side and run it again!"
Wolf sighed as he grabbed Hawks hand, only to have the voice yell at him again.
"I didn't say walk!"
- - - - -
"Not good enough. I'm running it again."
"Affirmative."
Wolf let one of his arms go as his feet met the wall. He was ready. Sam's voice blared over the intercom.
"Three...Two...One...GO!"
He kicked off the wall with as much force as he could muster, cutting through the water like a razor blade. His arms came to life as they frantically beat the water in perfect rhythm with his kicking feet. He recalled the gunshots at training, the instructor yelling for the young trainees to swim faster. Anger burned within him as his body found new strength, and moved through the water with a vengeance. All of a sudden, he flipped in the water. His feet met the wall, and he kicked of with even more strength then before. He swam faster than he ever swam before. He almost forgot he was in a pool. In an instant, he stopped and shot out of the water, missing the wall by mere millimeters. He gasped for breath.
"Time?"
"Seventeen point four one seconds. A new personal best, sir."
He got out of the pool, his muscular body glistening in the light.
"Correction, best time from all other competitors."
Wolf scoffed as he dried himself off with a towel he retrieved from a locker near the pool.
"I'm the last human alive Sam, of course I'm the best swimmer."
"Of course sir, what do you plan on doing now?"
"First, get some lunch, then take a nap."
"Yes sir. I'm here if you need anything."
"I know..."
Wolf retrieved his clothes from the locker. He took off the shorts he was using for his swim, and tossed them onto a nearby bench. He retrieved another pair from the locker, as well as a fresh uniform. While Wolf usually wore the standard Demigod clothing, the Red Dawn was equipped with the standard uniform in his size as well. Shorts that were white along the legs, along with a white shirt with black lines along the shoulders, with the image of a sky set red by the sun emblazoned right above the heart. All Navy ships had different insignia's emblazoned on their uniforms, based on the ship's name. Wolf set course for the kitchen.
* * * * *
Wolf looked through the pantry. It was the size of a small apartment, filled with all kinds of food. After digging through it for awhile, he emerged from the pantry carrying a large steak, a packet of wild rice and a can of corn. He lit the grill, and tossed the steak on it. It began to sizzle as soon as it came in contact with the metal bars. He opened the packet of rice and poured it into a pot of boiling water. He would have opened the can, but he preferred to open it when the rest of the food was ready. It would take roughly an hour for the meal to cook. Having nothing else to do, he removed his shirt and dropped to the floor and began to do push-ups.
53 minutes and 3463 pushups later...
Wolf ceased his push-ups as beeping could be heard from the kitchen. He had worked up quite a sweat from the push-ups.
He entered the kitchen, removed a plate from a cupboard, and took the steak off the grill with a fork. He poured the boiling water into the sink, then dumped the contents of the pot into the plate. He opened the corn, dumped it into a bowl and put it into the microwave. The fridge caught his eye. He walked over to it, opened it, and removed a bottle of pomegranate juice. He poured himself a cup and slid it across the counter. He didn't even bother to go into the mess hall, he just pulled up a nearby chair and began eating on the kitchen counter. The steak practically melted under the pressure of the knife he pulled from a drawer. He popped a piece into his mouth. It was the best steak he had ever eaten. He remembered the food he ate in the field. In his own opinion, the food the Army served tasted worse then the contents of a toilet bowl after a night of cheap Mexican food. Not the Navy, no. The Navy was the most pampered branch of the military, second only to the proud Earth Guard. A half an hour and a good meal later, Wolf tossed the plate into the dish washer, along with the bowl and an empty cup.
* * * * *
Wolf walked into the shower room, carrying another set of clothes, since his were already dirty from the push-ups. He stripped down and tossed the dirty uniform into a nearby laundry chute. He gently placed the clean clothing on a bench, then jumped into the shower. He turned it on. Hot water burst from the shower head and blasted away the sweat and dirt on his body. He put his face under the spray of hot water. It was very hot, but that was the way he liked it. A cloud of steam rose from the shower, soaking the ceiling, where the water condensed. Wolf hated that. The water cooled quickly, then would fall on him. If there was one thing he hated about his ship, it was that. One of the feelings he hated the most was having cold water drip on you while you were having a nice hot shower. He loved to shower. He felt very good after one. It was another thing he rarely had on planet side deployments. For months at a time he'd go without a shower, and when they would finally retreat, he would go back to the Red Dawn smelling worse than a sewer. He got out of the shower, followed by a cloud of steam. He gently shook his head, sending drops of water from his wet hair into every direction. He grabbed a towel from the bench, and began to dry himself. He felt renewed after the shower, ready to take on anything. After finishing drying off, he put on the fresh uniform he had put on the bench. He got out of the shower room, and headed straight for his quarters.
* * * * *
He threw himself on the bed. He closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep. Hours passed, and he couldn't sleep. His mind wandered...
- - - - -
Why did I leave her? Why did I run away? I'm such an idiot...
He thought about how she reacted after he left. Big Macintosh said she was devastated. He winced as he pictured her staying in the library, crying because of him. He hated himself for that. He had caused so much pain to the one he loved.
I just don't want to lose her...
He let a tear fall from his eye.
What are you nuts?! You're going to lose her anyway if you don't get out there!
- - - - -
Wolf got out of his bed and sighed. He decided to get out and take a walk.
* * * * *
Wolf walked outside of the Red Dawn when all of a sudden a black filly appeared at the top of the hill. She trotted to him as he walked up the hill.
"Hey Nyx..."
"Hi Wolf."
He paused for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"So...How's your mother?"
Nyx's head dropped as she frowned.
"Sad...She wants you to come back. I do too..."
Wolf looked down to the ground, his eyes glistening from the tears that were forming. Silence ruled over the hill for a few moments, only to be broken by Nyx.
"Wolf...Why did you leave that night?"
"Because...Because I'm afraid..."
"Of what?"
"N-Nothing...You wouldn't understand..."
"It doesn't matter you know..."
"Huh?"
"It doesn't matter what you're afraid of. My mom, Miss Cheerilee, every big pony I know is telling me that I should face my fears, not let them control me."
Wolf didn't speak. How could he?
"Anyway, I gotta go. It's getting late, and my mom doesn't want me out after sunset."
"See you later Nyx..."
"Bye Wolf."
Nyx trotted down the hill disapearing into the treeline.
Wolf looked up to the orange sky set ablaze by the setting sun. He sighed as he recalled one certain day...
- - - - -
Wolf screamed in fear as the Spider's head almost crashed into him. It froze in midair. His instructor walked by it. He waved his hand and all of a sudden, the Spider, the Marines behind him, the destroyed buildings, all disapeared. He looked around worried. The instructor sighed.
"Wolf...Are you afraid?"
"Y-Yes sir..."
"That's good. You should be afraid of the bugs."
"Sir? Why is being afraid good?"
"Wolf, fear is a good thing."
"I don't see how sir."
"When you're on the battlefield and everything's going well, why should you be afraid? But when something unexpected happens, A Spider jumping you for instance, that's when you should be afraid."
"Well duh, sir."
"Fear...makes you better. When you can control your fear, you can do even better than your best performance."
"Sir?"
"Only when you take control of it though...If it takes control of you...Then you're dead. Run the simulation again."
"Yes sir..."
The instructor walked away. He joined some other people in a control room nearby. One of them spoke into a microphone. His voice could be heard from over a speaker.
"You ready?"
Wolf nodded. All of a sudden a Spider jumped on him, trapping him beneath it. It roared as it launched it's head towards Wolf. He rolled faster than he ever rolled before. The Spider's head crashed into the ground. Wolf was on his side. Without even thinking, Wolf's elbow thrusted forward, connecting with the Spider's skull. It roared in pain as Wolf rolled back to his back, and drew his knife. He plunged the knife into the Spider's stomach. It reared up in agony. With all the strength he could muster, Wolf's legs kicked the Spider off of him. It landed a few feet away. Wolf got up, picked up a rifle from the ground, and jumped on the Spider. He brought his rifle to his shoulder and fired into the creature's head. He only stopped firing when his gun clicked empty. The battlefield dissapeared, and he was back in the training room. Applause could be heard from the speaker. Wolf looked to the people in the control room, all of them smiling and clapping, including his instructor.
"Congratulations Wolf. You just conquered your fears."
- - - - -
Wolf lowered his head.
"I know what I have to do..."
* * * * *
Twilight walked to the door. Someone was knocking. She thought it must have been somepony wanting to check out a book. She was completely dumbstruck when she opened the door and saw Wolf standing outside.
"Hey Twilight."
She rushed forward, ready to jump up to his face. Wolf stopped her.
"Don't get too carried away Twilight...I'm here because Nyx wanted me back."
"I don't care...As long as you're back..."
She pushed back his arms and wrapped her forehooves around him. He crouched and hugged her back. He couldn't deny her this. Even if he could, he wouldn't.
They both walked back into the library. Wolf immediately sat on the couch, while Twilight went upstairs, stopping for a moment to say something.
"Welcome home Wolf."
Wolf smiled as he laid down on the couch.
- - - - -
Home...
- - - - -
5 hours later, deep within Everfree forest...
"Have all the preparations been made?"
"Yes my lord..."
"Good..."
Three Pegasi and four Unicorns emerged from the shadows to join the two ponies standing atop the hill.
"These are our best assassins. They are now under your command, Lieutenant Darkmane."
"Thank you my lord..."
"And now, Darkmane..."
The Unicorn turned away and stared into the distance.
"Yes my lord?
He turned his head to face his lieutenant, a sinister smile appearing on his face.
"Move forward with the final plan."
"Yes my lord."
Darkmane's and the other Pegasi's wings unfolded from their sides as they set to the sky, while the Unicorns followed on hoof. They were all heading to Ponyville with great haste...
End Chapter 20 |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 22 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:44:32+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:44:32+00:00 | 6,234 | Silence ruled in a sleeping Ponyville. The street lights were on, illuminating the roads for anything that decided to cross them in the dead of night. No movement at all. The whole town was asleep. The street lights remained there, burning their precious oil in vain. Or so one would think. Suddenly, shadows appeared on the houses near the lights, only to vanish as quickly as they appeared. Nothing knew they were there. The shadows moved towards one certain location. The library.
* * * * *
Four Unicorns emerged from an alley. Four Pegasi were standing outside of it, wating for the Unicorns. The head of the Pegasus group nodded to the Unicorns, as his broad wings unfolded from his side and lifted him to the libraries balcony. The other Pegasi followed. The lead Pegasus gently opened the door, without making a sound and entered Twilight's bedroom. He approached the bed, walking as quickly and softly as a shadow. Twilight was asleep in her bed, her hooves wrapped around Nyx, who was fast asleep. He turned to the other Pegasi and nodded to them. One of them, in turn, unfolded his wings from his sides and held them in an upright position. The Unicorns got the signal. all their horns glowed a dark blue as they turned into a cloud of smoke. The cloud flew into the open balcony door, then hit the floor without making a peep, the Unicorns rematerializing from the smoke, which was now dissipating. They all stood above the two sleeping ponies. The head Pegasus tilted his head down the stairs. Two of the Pegasi and one of the Unicorns went down the stairs, prepared for anything.
* * * * *
Wolf awoke from his sleep, certain he heard a noise. He looked around the room, scanning for anything unusual. He didn't see anything. Nothing was there. But he was certain he heard something. He stopped to listen again. Another noise. Something like wings spreading. He held his head high, trying to catch another sound. He did just that. Another sound, like something crashing against the floor. He wasted no time getting off the couch and searching under it, making sure to make as little noise as possible. His mind was racing, evaluating the situation, and sending his defensive instincts into overdrive. He searched under the couch, and grabbed the pistol he had kept under there. With his other hand, he unsheathed his combat knife. His left hand, which was holding the knife, came under his right, which was holding the gun. He steadied his wrists on top of each other, the left supporting the right, which would give it more stabillity, meaning the gun would be more accurate. His eyes having adjusted to the low light, he began to search the house. He scanned the main room of the library, finding nothing out of place except for a few books that were tossed to the side insted of placed on there shelves. He moved into the kitchen. What a mess he found there. Dishes were tossed into the sink, the table hadn't been cleaned yet, and pieces of food were dropped on the floor. He lowered both his arms, convinced that it was nothing. Something came behind him. He almost didn't hear it. Footsteps. They were light, too light. He had heard Twilight come down to the kitchen late at night, probably to grab a snack while finishing a book. This was nothing like her. Such silence could only be achieved through one thing. Training.
Instictively, his left arm swung behind him, hitting it's mark as it cut through the skull of the Pegasus behind him and killed it instantly. He swung too hard, the knife was lodged in it's head, and wouldn't come out. He took aim at another Pegasus ready to take the shot, only to have his gun knocked out of his hand by a black glowing arrow that came out of nowhere. He looked to the right to see a Unicorn concentrating on him, it's horn glowing. He turned back around to see a the other Pegasus lunge at him. It was too late. It knocked him down and caused him to roll. As he rolled back on his back, he kicked the Pegasus with all his might, sending him flying into the fridge. Wolf's hand glowed, and a deep blue spear appeared below it. He jumped to the left, narrowly avoiding another arrow, while tossing his spear straight into the Unicorns head. It found it's mark and sent the Unicorn falling to the floor, it's blood claiming more and more territory on the floor. He looked to his left and saw his pistol. He got up and ran to grab it, only to be struck head on by the Pegasus. It knocked him face down on the floor. Wolf's left elbow shot up and connected with the Pegasi's left ribs, breaking two and cracking the rest. He rolled to the right, pinning the Pegasus under his back. His right elbow repeated the left's movement and shattered it's right ribs. It reeled in pain as Wolf got up and dived for his pistol again. He landed face first on the ground, grabbing the pistol. He turned around, and took aim at the Pegasus that had summoned all it's energy to make one last desperate dash towards Wolf. He fired off three rounds, one cutting off his right wing, while a second hit the joint that connected it's left forehoof with the rest of it's skeletal structure. The third round hit him square in the neck. It collapsed on top of Wolf, gasping for breath. Wolf tossed it off him, and got up. He took aim and fired two more rounds into it's head. It's irregular breathing ceased. He gasped for breath as the adrenaline surge wore off. A thought hit him, freezing him in terror.
"Twilight..." He whispered.
He dashed to the kitchen, and pulled a knife out of a knife block on the counter. He took out his old one and loaded a fresh magazine into the gun, then sprinted up the stairs.
* * * * *
Three loud bangs startled the head Pegasus, who looked down the stairs. He shut the door and locked it, turning back to the remains of his group.
"Hurry." He ordered them in a soft tone. Twilight tried to scream, but her cries were muffled by the gag in her mouth. She desperately tried to break the bonds on her hooves, but with no success. She tried to cast any spell to distract them. She failed, as they had place some sort of ring around her horn. All she could do was watch in terror as one of the Unicorns walked over to a whimpering Nyx, who was being held down by the remaining Pegasus, as well as having a gag in her mouth as well. Her heart nearly burst out of dread, as the Unicorns horn glowed and a sharp knife levitated out of a pouch on his back, followed by a small bottle, both heading straight for Nyx's right rear hoof.
* * * * *
Wolf reached the door, and placed his ear on it. He could easily hear both Twilight and Nyx's desperate shrieks. Without thinking, and with a single kick the door fell to the ground. He was met with the sight of two Unicorns charging up two more arrows. He took aim and shot one right between the eys, and aimed to do the same to the other. He was forced to abandon that plan, as both arrows shot forward directly at him. He dived to the floor, narrowly avoiding the arrows. As he rolled directly under the remaining Unicorn, his right fist shot up and hit the Unicorn's chin, sending it flying into the ceiling. If the powerful uppercut didn't kill it, the impact with the ceiling certainly did. He took aim at the other Unicorn, who had a knife buried deep into Nyx's hoof, while collecting the blood from the wound in a small bottle. He shot at it's head. The bullet found it's mark, causing blood to splatter on the wall behind him. The pegasus that was holding Nyx down leaped off of her, trying to catch the bottle. One of it's fore hooves inadvertently hit the knife, causing it to cut deeper into Nyx's leg. Wolf tried to shoot it, but was grabbed by the lead Pegasus. It grabbed his arms with his forehooves, holding them back. Wolf used it's own weight against it, and threw it to the ground. He slammed his fist into the Pegasi's stomach, then took aim at the other one. It almost had the bottle, but bolted out of the balcony door as it saw Wolf aiming at it. He turned around to the other Pegasus, only to be met by one of it's forehooves. It slammed into Wolf's face, sending him down to the floor. The pegasus stood over him, on his rear hooves and using it's wings for balance, moved to finish the job. Wolf grabbed the kitchen knife he took with him and threw it at the Pegasus. It hit it in the right forehoof, causing it to yell in pain. It took a few steps back. It then scowled at Wolf, and jumped off the ground, and dived for the bottle. It grabbed it, then quickly recovered as he flew out the balcony door. Wolf got up, grabbed his pistol and chased the Pegasus. He reached the end of the balcony and emptied his mag into the sky. As it clicked empty, he tossed it away, then ran back into the room. He took out Twilight's gag and broke her bonds with ease. He then removed the 'collar' from her horn.
"Are you alright?" He asked her, hoping that she wasn't hurt.
"Nyx..."
Wolf took no time and dashed to the other side of the room, where Nyx lay. He fell to his knees above her. She was whimpering, trying to fight the pain.
"Oh shit..." He muttered as he glimpsed how deep the knife was in her hoof.
"Shh...Shh..You're okay, it's just a scratch." He took the knife out with a quick yank. He was lucky, it didn't cause her any more pain than she was already in. He ripped a large piece of the sheet near him and tied it around her leg as a makeshift bandage.
"Twilight! Do you have a first aid kit?"
"Y-yes we do..."
"Get it for me!"
Twilight stumbled around for a moment, the shock just now hitting her.
"Twilight! Go! NOW!"
She shook her head then galloped down the stairs.
"Wolf..."
"Shh..don't talk save you're strength."
"Wolf..."
"HURRY UP TWILIGHT!"
"Wolf..."
"You're okay! C'mon, stay with me!"
"Wolf...I'm scared..."
"It's okay, I'm here!"
"And so...tired..."
"No, don't fall asleep! No, Nyx NO!"
All Nyx heard before losing consciousness was Wolf screaming for Twilight to hurry up with the first aid kit.
End Chapter 21. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 23 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-01-15T12:37:42+00:00 | 2012-01-15T12:37:42+00:00 | 7,062 | Nyx awoke with a gasp. She looked around her. She was in the hospital. Various injured ponies lie in their beds, the hospital staff examining them. She looked to her right and there he was, arms and legs crossed, and his head down. It looked like he fell asleep in the chair.
"Oh, you're awake."
Nyx nearly jumped out of the bed. She turned around to be greeted by Nurse Redheart's caring eyes.
"Sleep good?"
"Y-Yes..."
"Are you feeling alright? Is there anything I can get you?"
"I'd like to see my Mom..."
"Of course." She replied with a smile.
She was about to walk away when Wolf caught her eye. She chuckled a bit at the sight of the sleeping human.
"Looks like sleep finally caught up to him."
"What do you mean?"
"He hasn't left your side a minute, not since it happened."
"Since what happened?"
Nurse Redheart suddenly got a bit too nervous. How would she explain to Nyx that she was attacked?
"Oh...You don't remember?"
"No..."
"Well, I guess I'd better fill you in..."
She sat at the side of the bed, right next to Nyx.
"A week ago, you were attacked. No one knows by who, but it doesn't really matter right now. You were hurt pretty badly..."
Nyx's head fell to the sheets. Tears formed in her eyes.
"...And Wolf was right beside you every minute of every day, not getting out of that chair for anything."
Nyx looked back up to Nurse Redheart, hanging on her every word.
"Nopony except me and your mother ever got close to your bed. He made sure of that."
A smile appeared on Nyx's face.
"He probably fell asleep an hour ago or something. He went a week straight without sleeping."
Nurse Redheart got off the bed.
"Anyway, I'll go get your mother."
Nyx didn't answer. She just fell back into her pillow, with a smile up to her ears.
43 minutes later...
Twilight burst into the hospital, nearly knocking several ponies over. Reaching Nyx, that was all that mattered to her. She galloped through the doors to the hospital wing where Nyx was. Her gaze fixed on a bed, she reached it in seconds. She scooped up Nyx in her forehooves and hugged her as tightly as she could without hurting her. Nyx responded in kind. They both just laid down on the bed, holding each other tightly. Tears were flowing freely from their eyes, and Nyx whispered into Twilight's ear.
"I missed you..."
Twilight brought her head in closer to Nyx.
"I missed you too..."
A few minutes later, and they finally separated. Twilight stood over Nyx's bed, tears still dripping from her cheeks. She then looked over the bed, and saw Wolf snoozing in his chair. She walked over to him. She then leaned closer to his head, and gently kissed his cheek.
"Thank you..." She whispered to him.
She trotted back to Nyx. Wolf stretched out his arms. He shot out of the chair as he woke up, realising that he just fell asleep. He turned to Nyx, ready for anything. He was relieved to see her awake, with Twilight standing at her side.
"You're awake..."
He yawned. It was the first time they ever saw him do that. He noticed the suprised looks that they were giving him.
"What? I've been awake for a week, what do you expect?"
"For you to wake up in a couple of days or so." Nurse Redheart chimed in, followed by a chuckle from Twilight and Nyx.
"Her leg has healed well, I'd say you can take her home."
Wolf turned to Twilight.
"You two go on first, I have to take care of something first..."
"What do you need to take care of?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
And with that, Wolf left the hospital.
"What is he up to?" Twilight asked herself out loud.
"Probably looking for another way to get killed." Nurse Redheart responded, resulting in a laugh from both of them.
"I hope not..." Twilight said to herself as her head dropped a bit...
* * * * *
Wolf was walking through Ponyville, the crowd fixing it's eyes upon him. Some were amazed to see him still alive after a month in Everfree forest, others branded him as a murderer after he killed the assassins that attacked him and nearly killed Nyx in the process. Something familiar caught his eye. A little pink filly alongside a grey one, facing down a white unicorn filly. Wolf approached, making use of his stealth training to approach them without them ever knowing he was there. He ducked behind a low wall and listened in...
"Oh look, it's the blank flank."
Sweetie Belle just tried to walk away from them.
"Look at that! The blank flank is trying to run!"
"Stop it Diamond Tiara!"
The snooty little pink filly only laughed at Sweetie Belle.
"Why should I? That freak you call a friend isn't around to help you this time!"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that he's dead!"
"No he's not! We found him in the forest!"
"Oh, yeah, we believe you."
"We did find him!" Tears began to form in Sweetie Belle's eyes.
"No you didn't! You can't find anyone in Everfree! He probably became a Manticore's lunch." Diamond Tiara laughed as she realised she could say whatever she wanted about Sweetie Belle with no consequences whatsoever.
"Is that right?"
Her hopes came crashing down as she turned around to see him standing right behind her. She gasped.
"This is the second time I've had to warn you. Three strikes and you're out. You got that?"
Diamond Tiara just ran away, followed closely by Silver Spoon.
"I'll take that as a yes." He turned to Sweetie Belle.
"Don't let those two get you down. That's just what they want." After that, he just walked away.
27 minutes later, Ponyville library...
Twilight paced around the library, waiting for Wolf. She looked out the window. It was another beautiful sunset in Equestria. A knock on the door. She opened it, and was greeted by the sight of Wolf carrying a crate on his shoulder. He threw it to the ground with a grunt.
"What's this?"
Wolf didn't answer. Instead he opened it, and pulled out a rifle. Twilights eyes shot open in suprise.
"PDR-64..." He paused and searched through the crate again. He pulled out an even longer rifle.
"SR-8..." He took out a small box from the crate.
"Hundred twenty rounds for this baby..."
Twilight grabbed the PDR-64 with magic and tossed it across the room.
"NOO!!"
Wolf dived after it. He managed to grab it right before he hit the ground.
"You.never. throw. loaded. weapons."
"I'm not letting you turn this place into an armory!"
"And I'm not letting Nyx get hurt again!"
Twilight was about to continue when she heard Wolf's reply. She couldn't say it.
"I brought these here so I can protect her. Protect you. I'm not taking the risk of losing anyone close to me, not again."
"Where are you going to keep them?"
"On me."
"Huh?"
Wolf pulled out a chair from the crate.
"I'm setting up a lookout post on the balcony..." He grabbed a thermal scope and slapped it on the SR-8.
"...Nothing's getting by on my watch."
4 hours 53 minutes later...
A light breeze in the night air cause Wolf to shiver a little. He sat atop the balcony in a chair, his feet up against the railing, his SR-8 held tightly in his arms. He'd frequently scan the area with his thermal scope. He grabbed a glass of water that was sitting on the floor and drank half of it. Soft footsteps could be heard on the wooden floor. He turned around and was greeted by the sight of Nyx standing nervously in the doorway.
"Hey Nyx, what are you doing out here?"
"We can't sleep..."
"Are you afraid?"
"Y-Yes."
"It's okay to be afraid Nyx..."
"I know...It's just..."
Nyx sighed and began to walk back inside.
"It's what?"
Nyx stopped in the middle of the doorway.
"Wolf...Can you sleep with us tonight?"
He nearly fell out of his chair after hearing that.
"I just feel a lot safer knowing you're right there beside me."
"Nyx...I...I don't know..."
"Please?"
Nyx began to tear up. Her bright turquoise eyes glistened in the moonlight. How could Wolf resist those eyes?
Defeated, he sighed, then muttered a single word.
"Fine..."
Nyx darted back into the room happily. Wolf sighed yet again. He searched the area one last time with his thermal scope, then went back into the room. The full moon shone through the window, illuminating the room. Spike was snoozing in his bed, muttering something about Rarity. He looked up to the bed. He could barely see Nyx laying down, she was curled up next to Twilight. He nervously climbed into bed, next to Twilight. He was close to the edge, but he didn't mind. Twilight was awake. He could tell by her breathing. It was too fast for her to be asleep. He was pressed up against her tightly. As if this wasn't bad enough for him, what Nyx said next nearly petrified him.
"Wolf...can you hold me?"
In order to hold Nyx, he would have to reach over Twilight first, and rest his arm around her. He wouldn't have done it, but a single thought sealed his decision. Nyx's eyes glistening in the moonlight. His arm went over Twilight and found Nyx's stomach. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer, squeezing her between Twilight and his arm. Nyx sighed. A few minutes later, and she was fast asleep. Only Twilight and Wolf stayed awake.
"You have your back turned to me and I can still see the smile on your face..."
He was right, Twilight had a smile up to her ears. She was loving every moment of having Wolf pressed up against her, his arm around her.
"Twilight, you know I'm only doing this for Nyx right?"
"Mm-hmh."
Twilight dozed off. Wolf looked up at the moon. He said one final thing before drifting to sleep.
"For Nyx..." |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 24 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:44:51+00:00 | 2013-08-23T19:35:32+00:00 | 4,900 | The sun crept out from below the hill overlooking Ponyville. It's warming rays blanketed the land in light, beating back the lingering darkness of the night. The light shone through the windows of the library. It had reached the window of the second floor. The light from the sun refracted off the glass of the window to form a miniature rainbow onto the sheets of Twilight's bed. As the sun gradually rose higher and higher, they rainbow shifted it's position as well. As it climbed higher and higher up the sheets, the color alignment changed. At the peak of it's height, the rainbow settled directly over Twilight's eye. Annoyed by the sudden brightness in the room, but still not awake, Twilight frowned, shifted in the bed, and turned around. Her head came to rest on Wolf's soft, but firm chest. The frown turned into a smile as she found the perfect spot on Wolf's chest. While she was still asleep, she ceased all noise, intent on listening to his heartbeat. Somewhat slow, but steady. She shifted her head slightly, placing her ear on the other side of his chest. A completely new sound filled her ear, but didn't completely overshadow his heartbeat. She could hear the air rushing into his lungs. His chest began to grow all of a sudden, only to give way once again as his lungs emptied. It took her a bit, but she finally got his pattern down, and her head gently started to move upwards on it's in perfect synchronization with his breathing. The rainbow colored light dissapeared from the room, the last thing it had touched was Twilight raising her head in perfect rhythm with Wolf's breathing.
3 hours, 23 minutes later...
Twilight woke up with a light moan. She knew she had to get out of bed, and it was the last thing she wanted to do. Getting out would mean leaving the gentle warmth of the bed. She always hated that part about mornings. But this time, she hated it even more. Wolf's arm had completely left Nyx and had wrapped around Twilight, pulling her closer to him. Her head was right on top of Wolf's chest. His hot breath beating on her horn, sending shivers down her body. Her eyes opened half way. She looked up to see Wolf quietely snoozing next to her, locked in blissful sleep. The first thought that came to her was to stay in bed with him, but much to her dismay, she had to dismiss that thought. Now she wondered how to get out of bed without waking him or Nyx up. Wolf's arm was wrapped around her tightly, and she knew that he could wake up at the slightest sound. She began to slide down ever so slowly, hoping that she would succeed. Normally, she would have just teleported out of bed, as it never woke Nyx up. But Wolf was a completely different story. And so she had to do it the old fashioned way. She had freed her lower body from Wolf's grip, but was still struggling to get out. She had hoped she had escaped. All of a sudden, Wolf's arm released her.
"You know, if you wanted to get out of bed, all you had to do was ask."
Twilight gave off a defeated sigh as she heard his voice.
"Sorry I woke you up..."
"You didn't wake me up."
"Huh?"
Wolf moved a little to his left. Twilight then saw what woke him up. Nyx had rolled over in her sleep and was digging her horn into Wolf's side. While he was uncomfortable, he couldn't bear to get out of bed, not now, when Nyx was sleeping so soundly on him. All he could do was lay his head back down on the pillow. He tries desperately to stay awake, but he had been awake for a week...
- - - - -
Wolf was walking in the streets of Ponyville. It was a beautiful sunny day outside, and everyone had come out to play. In the distance, The Cutie Mark Crusaders, minus Nyx, could be seen on another of their adventures. And right in front of him, there she was, playing with Nyx. They took turns chasing each other around, Twilight going much slower than she could actually run, so that Nyx could catch her. All of a sudden, Nyx lunged forward at Twilight causing her to tip over as Nyx impacted her. They both fell to the ground laughing as hard as they possibly could. They looked over to Wolf and invited him to join in. He smiled and began to walk towards them. All of a sudden, darkness shrouded over them. Everyone dropped what they were doing and took shelter in their homes, save Twilight and Nyx, who were dumbstruck. Wolf looked up, and could see the silhouette of an alicorn blocking out the sun, while giving off the most evil laugh he had ever heard. Everything turned dark, except for the area Wolf was standing. A wall of black trapped him in a tiny circle of light. Sharp edges could began to emerge from the black wall. Wolf didn't know what to do. He looked at his arms and he realised that he was in full armor. He drew his wrist blades and began frantically slashing at the wall of darkness before him. His blades sliced through it. Small flickers of light emerged from the wall. He continued to slash at it, making a hole large enough for him to fit through. He charged through the broken wall. Before him stood Twilight and Nyx, surrounded by seven menacing ponies which seemed to be nothing more than shadows. What could only be fire emerged from their nostrils as their blood red eyes were fixed on the two ponies before them. They stomped their hooves into the ground, ready to attack. With a single leap, Wolf was between them and Twilight, his blades drawn and ready to inflict terrible damage. One of the shadows charged, only to be cut down by Wolf's right blade. The blade cut through the shadow like tissue paper, only to have it dissapear from before him. The rest of the shadows quickly followed their comrades into the abyss. Wolf turned to Twilight, who had a worried look on her face. Wolf turned around, only to see that the seven shadows had united and turned into a giant alicorn. The alicorn stamped it's hooves on the ground.
The ground beneath Wolf's feet suddenly gave way, and Wolf began to fall into a giant pit of fire. Reacting quickly, he buried his wrist blades into the side of the crevace. He fell a few more feet down, but his blades held. He looked up in horror to see the shadow alicorn jumping over to the other side of the crevace, intent on finishing the work of the shadows before it. Not if Wolf could do something about it. He climbed further and further up the crevace wall. When he was certain he could make it, he mustered all of his strength to pull himself up and jump out of the crevace. He landed on Twilight's side of the crevace, and moved to attack the shadow alicorn. He won after a battle which Wolf couldn't guess how long it lasted. The light returned to the land...
In the blink of an eye, Wolf was taller than he remembered. A puddle of water was near him. He looked into it, only to see a reflection he didn't recognize at first. It was him, only a couple years older, either twenty-one or twenty-two. He looked up to see Twilight and Nyx before him, Nyx having grown quite a bit as well. A large shadow appeared behind them. Wolf looked up, only to see a silhouette he recognized all too well. It was a massive rectangle, ending in a triangle. Tiny little specks emerged from it, and descended to the ground. A Dragonfly landed right next to him and a door on it's side opened. Several Wasps stepped out and ran towards Twilight. Wolf realised he was holding a rifle. He brought it up to his shoulder and aimed at the Wasps. He pulled the trigger, only to have the gun click empty. He tossed it to the ground and pulled out his pistol. He aimed and pulled the trigger yet again, only to have the same reaction as the rifle. He tried to draw his wrist blades. They didn't come out. He looked to his arms, only to see the slots containing his blades had rusted shut. He tried to draw his combat knife, only to find that he didn't have one. With no other option, Wolf lunged at them, his fists ready to strike. He reached the Wasps and peppered them with blows to the face. All his blows seemed to do was annoy the Wasps. Two of them broke away from the group and grabbed Wolf's arms, effectively immobilizing him. The rest restrained Twilight and Nyx, then bowed down in the direction of the Dragonfly. The other two Wasps turned him around to face the Dragonfly. What he saw before him filled him with dread. A giant Wasp, roughly three times a normal ones height and much more bulky emerged from it's open door.
"You?!" Was all Wolf could scream.
The giant Wasp walked over to Twilight. It turned to face Wolf. It gave him a sinister smile, then turned back to Twilight. From his arm, something began to emerge. Wolf recognized it immediately. It was one of it's stingers.
"No, no no NO!!!" Wolf screamed at the top of his lungs.
The Wasp arm went up, and came down on Twilight.
- - - - -
Wolf woke up screaming. Twilight burst into action, leaving the kitchen behind and running up to the bedroom. She found Wolf lying in the bed, a look of horro on his face.
"Are you okay?!"
Wolf didn't answer right away. He just sighed, and under his breath he muttered:
"I'm fine..."
"What happened?"
He turned away from Twilight.
"Nothing...Just a dream...Just a dream..."
End Chapter 23. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 25 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:52:10+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:52:10+00:00 | 5,246 | "Sounded more like a nightmare."
"Oh, trust me, this one was nowhere near a nightmare for me."
He lied. This was one of the worst nightmares he had ever had, yet another scar on his already scarred mind. He tossed away the covers and got out of bed. He looked around the room a bit. The window caught his eye. The sun was a lot higher than he remembered.
"How long was I out?"
"Eight hours."
"Damn..."
He stretched out his arms as he asked Twilight:
"Where's Nyx?"
"School."
His closed eyes shot open as the answer eached his ears.
"Alone?!"
He burst out of the balcony door. He scoured the platform for a weapon. He grabbed a pistol from right below his chair. He grabbed it and cocked it. He would have preffered a the PDR or the SR, but it would be better to take a more...subtle weapon. He vaulted over the platform railing. It took him roughly a second to fall to the ground. His timing would have to be precise. His strong legs absorbed the force of the impact on the ground and he leaned forward, sending his body in a short roll, expending the kinetic energy from the fall. He stormed off into the distance as Twilight raced on to the balcony, only to see that she was too late.
"Didn't even let me tell him Celestia is sending some guards over..."
- - - - -
Wolf ran towards the schoolhouse. At least where he was told it was. A red building came in sight, the red flag in front of it fluttering aimlessly in the gentle breeze. The bell was swinginga bit, but not enough for it to make any noise. The playground caught his eye. He stopped dead in his tracks staring at the swings...the slide, all with a great ammount of nostalgia. He remembered the time before he was taken, turned into a weapon. A time where he still had his innocence. Something he lost years ago... A single tear rolled off the corner of his eye and fell to the ground, kicking up a microscopic ammount of dirt. He quickly regained control of himself and bolted into the door. Ten sets of eyes met him, nine of them from startled students, while the last set from a very confused purple earth pony with a pink mane. A single voice broke the awkward silence in the room.
"Oh look, the freak is back."
Wolf shot a look to the one filly that could have said that and immediately shut her up. He lifted himself back up.
"Sorry about that..."
"May I help you mister..uh...?"
The teacher asked him, obviously not knowing him despite the reputation he had built.
"Name's Wolf."
"Well, Wolf...I'm Cheerilee, I'm the teacher here. Can I help you with something?"
"I'm just here for Nyx..."
He looked around the room for her. He found her slowly sinking onto her chair, obviously trying to hide.
"Is there something wrong? Does she need to go home for some reason?"
"No...I'm just here to make sure nothing happens to her..."
"Like what?"
He looked back to Cheerilee.
"You mean you haven't heard about what happened?"
"How she was attacked? Of course I heard about it. But why are you so interested about-"
Cheerilee immediately realised who she was talking to.
"You...You're the one who saved Ponyville...First from the Diamond Dogs...then the Hydra...and then the parasprites..."
She paused for a moment, catching her breath.
"And the night Nyx was attacked...You...You..." The tone of her voice fell to a whisper, she obviously didn't want her students to hear waht she was about to say.
"killed her attackers..."
"Yeah, that's me."
"Children, would you excuse us for a minute?"
She nodded to Wolf, who immediately followed her outside. She closed the door behind them, and loud noises instantly emerged from the other side.
"Look...I recognize why you're here, but I'm not exactly comfortable with having somepony whose...killed before in my classroom with my students."
"Ma'am...If I wanted to harm them, I would have done so already. I just want to make sure Nyx is safe..."
Cheerilee's eyes fell to the pistol on Wolf's hip. She recognized that it was his weapon.
"I'll let you stay..."
"Thank-"
"On one condition..." She cut him off.
"That..." She pointed at his sidearm. "...goes in my desk until class is over."
"I..."
"Do we have a deal?"
"Fine..."
He unholstered his pistol and gave it to her. She grabbed it with her mouth and opened the door. A paper airplane flew over her head as silence filled the room again. She gave off a dissapointed glance at her students, then trotted up to her desk. With her right hoof she opened the drawer and dropped the pistol into it. She closed it immediately. Wolf rested his back against the wall in the corner, his eyes scanning the interior of the building while Cheerilee resumed the lesson.
1 hour, 3 minutes later...
Wolf continued to stand in the corner, his eyes closed. While they were closed, his other senses were working double time. He listened to the lesson Cheerilee was giving. He wasn't sure what lesson it was.
- - - - -
So this is how 'normal' kids go to school? Booooring.....
- - - - -
"Well class, that's all for today!"
The room suddenly filled with excited yells from the children within. They now had the whole day in front of them, free to do anything they pleased. Wolf wondered if they appreciated the freedom they had. He never had his...
The children nearly kicked down the door in their excited rush. Wolf noticed that Nyx was the only student left in the room. He looked back to Cheerilee. She was getting ready to leave as well. He walked over to her desk. He then audibly cleared his throat. Cheerilee got the message and opened the drawer, motioning for him to retrieve his weapon. He picked it up and put it back in it's holster. Nyx happily trotted up to them, ready to leave.
"C'mon Nyx, let's go..."
- - - - -
They had barely been walking for five minutes when they ran into Twilight.
"Hey Twi..."
"You sure left in a hurry..." She turned to Nyx. "How was school today sweetie?"
"Just great Mom!" Nyx replied enthusiastically.
"I'm glad to hear it!"
She turned back to Wolf. He had turned around, and was looking into the distance.
"What do you all say we take a walk?"
"Yeah!" Nyx obviously wanted to take a walk.
"I'm up for it..." Was all Wolf said. It was obvious he had other things on his mind.
"All right then!"
With a quick glow of her horn and with a bright flash Nyx's filled school bag teleported into the library.
"Let's go!"
- - - - -
Normally Twilight avoided walking near Everfree but Wolf was with her. When he was by her side, she knew she was safe. Wolf took a deep breath. He was really enjoying himself. A loud voice ripped through the air.
"LOOOOK OOOUUUT!!!"
Acting on instinct yet again, Wolf took a step to the left. He closed his eyes and smiled, knowing that he avoided an incoming Rainbow Dash successfully. A brief moment of terror set in as he opened his eyes and was knocked down to the ground. Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously.
"Uh...Sorry..."
"You have a habit of crashing don't you?"
Wolf lifted himself out of the pit dug with his back.
"Ooh...that's gonna be sore in the morning..."
Another voice rang in the air.
"You alright Dash?"
A brown Pegasus gently glided down to the ground and landed softly.
"Yeah...I'm fine..."
"Thanks to me...the human landing strip..."
Wolf dusted himself off before looking to the new arrival. His blue mane flowing in the gentle breeze. Wolf could tell just by looking at him that he was very confident in himself. Something out of place caught Wolf's eye. A cut on his right forehoof. His suspicion grew.
"Where'd you get that?"
"This? Uh...Rough landing in a tree. Wouldn't be the first time I've crashed into one..."
"Don't I know it." Rainbow Dash added, trying to tease him.
"Rainbow, are you two..." Twilight cut in.
"Together? Well, I guess we're busted..."
"It was gonna happen sooner or later Rainbow..."
"I was hoping on later Zeph..."
"You always have to spoil the fun don't you?"
A small insect flew into their direction. It hovered around Zephyr's ear. He scowled at the little pest.
"Ugh...I hate these things..."
Wolf's eyes darted to the cut on his forehoof. Then back to his face. He looked at his forehoof again, and it hit him like a rock.
- - - - -
Wolf grabbed the kitchen knife he took with him and threw it at the Pegasus. It hit it in the right forehoof, causing it to yell in pain. It took a few steps back. It then scowled at Wolf, and jumped off the ground, and dived for the bottle. It grabbed it, then quickly recovered as he flew out the balcony door.
- - - - -
In the blink of an eye, Wolf had gotten his pisto out and was aiming directly at his head.
"Whoa, Wolf! What are you doing?!"
"Rough landing on a tree? Bullshit. Good luck finding a tree with serated branches."
"Put the gun down!" Twilight commanded.
"No! Don't you get it?! It's him! He slipped through my fingers last week, I'm not letting him escape again!"
Twilight realised what he was talking about.
"What's he talking about Zeph?!"
He ignored Rainbow Dash's question. He then took a step forward.
"Oh, I knew I should have let that Hydra finish you when I had the chance but nooo, I had to do the good thing."
"What?!"
"I'll admit Wolf, we underestimated you. You've caused us a lot of damage, but it won't make any difference in the end."
"Zeph, what is going on?!" Rainbow Dash yelled at the top of her lungs, tears forming in her eyes.
"Oh hush Rainbow. My cover's blown, so you might as well know that our whole 'relationship' was just a plan to kill you off."
"WHAT?!"
"And don't call me Zephyr again. My name...Is Darkmane!"
He looked back to Wolf.
"The final phase of our plan has begun. Nothing can stop us now. Not even you, Wolf."
"And nothing can stop me from putting a bullet in your head!"
Zephyr scoffed and looked into the forest. A dark figure stood there, staring at him. A horn could be seen on the top of it's head. It nodded to him. He turned back to Wolf.
"Good luck."
As the bullet left the barrel of his pistol, Zephyr turned into a cloud of smoke and plowed over Wolf. Wolf turned around to see him revert to his true form. He took aim and emptied his clip into the sky yet again. His gun clicked empty after unleashing a hail of deadly rounds.
"Damn it! That's twice."
He turned back around to see Twilight and Nyx with their mouths hanging open. Rainbow Dash collapsed to the ground. She had been betrayed by the pony she loved the most. A loud thunderclap startled all four of them. It was followed by a veritable monsoon. As the rain hit his face, Wolf looked up to the now dark grey sky. He sighed as he looked back down to the ground. He brought his hand up to his face and rubbed his forehead.
"Everyone back to the library..."
A louder thunderclap rang through their ears. A sign that the worst was yet to come.
"NOW..."
ENd chapter 24. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 26 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-06-21T17:46:17+00:00 | 2012-06-21T17:46:17+00:00 | 4,717 | Wolf stormed into the door, dripping rain water all over the floor as he walked towards the kitchen. Twilight followed him closely, her mane looking like a mop. Behind her was a a devastated Rainbow Dash, who was shielding Nyx from the veritable monsoon with her right wing. After stopping for a moment to shake some of the water from her soaked mane, she lost sight of Wolf. She followed the trail of water into the kitchen.
She found him over the sink, holding his soaked shirt in his hands. He squeezed it, trying to get the water out of it, only to have it rip in two. He tossed the ripped pieces of fabric into the metal sink with an audible clang. It was obvious he was pissed. His head fell as he let out a loud sigh.
"That's the eighth time that's happened..."
"Wolf...are you okay?"
"Do you really need to ask?"
Twilight couldn't say anything after that. Wolf left the kitchen and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To get some more firepower..." He answered as he opened the door.
"Oh no you don't!"
The door glowed purple before it slammed shut, grabbing a bit of Wolf's finger. He let out a short yell of pain before shaking his hand. He shot a look at Twilight.
"Sorry..." She stammered.
"It's okay."
He turned back to the door only to see it was still glowing.
"Open the door please..."
"No."
"Twilight..."
"I'm not opening the door so you can go and fetch more killing machines."
"Then would you rather me move all three of you into the huge one called the Red Dawn?"
He nodded to Spike, who was on the bottom stair and had his jaw dropped to the floor as he saw the flood in the room.
"No, I would not."
"I don't know if you've realised it yet Twilight, but you've people out there who want to kill you."
It then dawned on him.
"Why the hell are those guys out to hurt you anyway? And what kind of sick bastard would put a knife through Nyx's leg?"
Twilight sighed after hearing the question. She had hoped he would never find out about Nightmare Moon, about her first defeat, and how Nyx later turned into her. It brought back painful memories. But she couldn't deny him an answer. So she told him the whole story.
Roughly an hour later...
"But she's gone right?"
"Huh?"
"She's gone, isn't she? If Nyx was her, and that she had most of her powers stripped, then she's gone right? For good this time."
"I hope so..."
"I guess that explains the assassins then."
"I don't think so. Her 'cult' is gone, they were nothing more than under her control. There must be something else..."
"Like what? Who would have anything against you but them?"
"But they're all gone..."
"Obviously not. Either way, I'm bringing in some bigger toys."
"No, you're not!"
"Twilight, you're lucky I don't turn this whole damn library into a fortress, but you are not going to keep me from bringing something for self defense."
"But you already have that!" She nodded to his sidearm.
"Yeah, and I'm gonna need a lot more than this to keep you two safe."
A knock on the door. Wolf pulled it open just a crack, to be greeted by the sight of two white Pegasi stallions clad in golden armor glistening from the rain water flowing off of it.
"We're talking, come back later."
And with that he shut the door. A louder knock could be heard this time.
"Stubborn son of a..."
He opened the door a bit more this time, allowing Twilight to peek under his arm and see who was outside.
"No we are not interested in buying anything or subscribing to some magazine. Scram!"
He would have slammed the door, but it swung open, hitting him in the face.
"Come in, come in sirs!" Twilight rushed to show the Royal Guards in. She shut the door behind her. Wolf moved as many muscles in his face he still had control of. He murmured to himself.
"Let it go, let it go..."
He then noticed that Twilght had broken her hold on the door. He opened it and tried to get out.
"And where do you think you're going?"
The door slammed in front of him. He turned around defeated. Twilight's glowing horn caught his eye, and it got him thinking. Unicorns. Horns. Magic. Magic! He brought his hand to his chin to think, trying to remember when Twilight was still teaching him magic.
- - - - -
Wasn't there a teleportation spell in there somewhere?
- - - - -
"Ah ha!"
His hands began to glow a deep blue and with a flash of light, he was gone.
- - - - -
Wolf appeared out of nowhere. He chuckled a bit.
"Worked like a charm."
He then noticed the cloud beside him.
- - - - -
That's funny, what's a cloud doing this low?
- - - - -
What cheer he had left dissapeared as he looked down to see he was a few thousand feet above the ground. His head shot back up.
"Ooooh shiiiiii-"
His sentence was cut short as he began to plummet to the ground.
"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-"
In a state of complete panic, his hands glowed deep blue again and he was gone with yet another flash of light.
- - - - -
Wolf reappeared a few feet above the ground and fell to the floor.
"Okay, NOT trying that again!"
Twilight and the Guards next to her just stared at him, completely unaware of what just happened to him. He got up, duste himself off, and tried to dive out the window. He was nearly out when he glowed purple and was dropped to the floor again.
"Oh come on!"
With no other options, he darted up the stairs, knocking over a flower pot which fell to the floor and shattered, releasing the water on to the floor. Spike came out of the kitchen, wiping his forehead off, and breathing a sigh of relief. He then noticed the broken flower pot, and the water on the floor. His face then fell. He turned around, walked back into the kitchen muttering something, and came back out with a mop.
Wolf opened the balcony door and looked off the platform. He ran towards the edge and jumped. As he saw that he would easily clear he rail, at the top of his lungs he screamed:
"FREEEEDOOOOOM!!!"
He flew through the air, expecting to meet the soft, moist ground. Instead, he felt something cold and hard on his face. Then followed a wave of pain. He fell onto the balcony and looked up. Then he saw the purple glowing brick wall that had appeared out of nowhere. He turned around to see Twilight giving him a sly smile while her horn glowed.
"Okay...I give up..."
"Come on, let's get going..."
"Huh?"
"We're going to the ship."
Wolf shot up off the ground.
"You mean...?"
"Yes, you can..."
Wolf nearly blew past her in happiness. His spirits soared. And then they came crashing down again as Twilight said the next thing.
"But I'm coming with you."
"Um...Why?"
"To make sure you don't bring back anything too big."
"Okay..."
"You need another shirt anyway."
"Yeah...Yeah..."
They both walked downstairs. They moved towards th door. Twilight turned around to face the guards.
"Stay here please."
The guards huffed in response. Twilight moved out the door, after seeing that Wolf had opened it. As he moved to close the door, he looked back inside to see Nyx curled up in Rainbow Dash's wing, both of them snoozing. He turned to face the guards.
"If anything happens to either of them, you're the first two I'm coming after."
The door shut behind him. After making sure that they were alone, the guards looked at eachother,scared to death, and both of them gulped audibly.
- - - - -
Red Dawn Deck 4 armory...
Wolf grabbed a large machine gun off the rack and popped a drum into it. He gave it a good slap to make sure it was secure, then cocked it. He then remembered Twilight was there to make sure he didn't bring the whole armory back. He looked straight into her eyes, his face sending a crystal clear message:
"Pleeeeeeeaaaase?"
"No."
"You're no fun..."
He put the machine gun back on the rack and looked around some more. He was looking for one thing, and it wasn't there.
"Sam, where are the shotguns?"
"Deck One armory, sir."
"Great..."
After climbing down two flights of stairs, they came across a battered door.
"DECK ONE ACCESS 4-C" Was emblazoned on it in large white letters.
Wolf walked over to the panel next to it and typed in a few numbers. Nothing happened. He repeated the same process, with the same result. He got his sidearm out and shot the panel. Nothing happened.
"Why did I expect that to work..."
He looked back to see a shocked Twilight.
"Sorry..."
He turned around back to the door.
"Sam, open up bulkhead Four-C."
"The door is not responding to commands sir. It has been heavily damaged. I reccomend using a small explosive device to open it."
Twilight walked up to it while Wolf walked to the back of the hallway.
"Explosives? I read a boo on how to make those, I could whip something-"
She was cut short as Wolf slammed into the door at full speed, breaking through it.
"Explosives my ass..."
After examining the two feet thick door, Twilight turned to Wolf.
"Exactly what did they do to you?"
"Increased strength, agillity, stamina, speed...Tougher skin...Enhanced bone weave topped off by a four millimeter coating of flexisteel on every bone in my body...The usual treatment..."
Twilight didn't know what to say. The part about the steel coating on his bones concerned her the most.
"H-How did they coat your bones in steel?"
"How do you think?"
Twilight winced at the thought of doctors cutting him open and coating his bones in steel.
"Anyway, this is where I leave."
"What?"
"Deck one got the full brunt of the crash, so it's gonna be like shit in there. And I'm not putting you at risk down there."
"So what am I going to do?"
"Just go to my room and I'll be back up soon."
"Promise me you're not going to bring back the whole armory."
"All I want is one shotgun. Then I'll be back up."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Okay..."
Twilight walked back up the stairs, and proceeded to Wolf's quarters.
- - - - -
4 minutes later, Wolf's quarters.
Twilight had opened up a screen in his room. On it there were a number of files, but one caught her eye.
"Subject: Wolf.
Date: Classified.
Video Log: Foxtrot-Bravo."
Below the name was a large button that wrote 'play' on it. She pressed it. The screen went dark, before lighting up again as the video began to play.
- - - - -
Wolf didn't know what he was called in for. He was sure that it couldn't be good though. A hole in the ceiling opened. A large rectangle was slowly set down on a table before him. It was covered in a dark green canvas. The canvas lifted away to reveal a cage with about a dozen young puppies in it. Their golden hair was truly a sight to behold. Wolf's eyes watered as a smile appeared on his face. A brief moment of hapiness. But then it was shattered again. Something was tossed at him. It turned out to be an M-72. He looked behind him to see his instructor there.
"Shoot them."
Wolf was stunned. He couldn't do it.
"No..."
The instructor unholstered his sidearm.
"Shoot them...or be shot yourself."
He turned back to the puppies. They were whining, they knew something was wrong.
"AIM!"
The instructor fired into the air. Wolf brought the M-72 to his shoulder. He aimed at the puppies before him. They were staring right at him, their deep dark eyes watering, cutting right through his own. Wolf couldn't suppress tears of his own.
"SHOOT!"
The instructor fired again, the bullet whizzed past his head. He was terrified. He doidn't know what to do.
"SHOOT THEM GOD DAMN IT!!"
Another shot. This one grazed his ear, causing a drop of blood to drip onto his shirt. Wolf felt something hot against his head.
"Useless piece of-"
The instructor was drowned out by the sound of gunfire. Wolf's M-72 was blazing, sending a flurry of deadly rounds into the cage. The puppies pained cries were drowned out by the gunfire. Blood splattered all over the room. Wolf's eyes were still shut tight. The gunfire stopped. His magazine was empty. He opened his eyes to see the cage and the wall behind it covered in red. What remained of the golden puppies in the cage was now covered in deep crimson. Wolf burst into tears. He cried his eyes out in less then a few seconds. The instructor walked up next to him.
"About damn time."
Wolf didn't stop crying.
"I was worried I'd have to-
- - - - -
The video stopped abruplty. Twilight turned to her left to see Wolf standing beside her. He looked at her, showing no emotion at all.
"Now you know."
"How could you..."
"Kill or be killed. That was the rule in training."
"He wouldn't have done it!"
"OH YEAH?!"
Twilight was stunned at his outburst.
"Sam, pull up delta file for subject Zulu-Nine-Thirty two, now!"
- - - - -
The screen opened again to show the same room, in the exact same setting. A young boy was holding another M-72, the instructor behind him. He wouldn't shoot. He defied orders, and he paid the price. A single gunshot echoed through the room. The boy dropped dead to the ground.
- - - - -
"That was Zebra. We were friends since day one."
Twilight was about to say something, but she was interrupted.
"No...After everything we all went through together, we weren't friends. Every time one of us died, we all lost a brother, or a sister."
Wolf paused for a moment.
"I remember that day like it was yesterday. I may not show it Twilight, but not a day goes by where I don't wish he did the same thing to me like he did to poor Zebra over there."
Wolf walked out of the room, but stopped to grab the bag and the shotgun he had left in the doorway. He opened the closet and grabbed a short sleeved shirt and put it on. He got out of the door.
"You coming?" He yelled to Twilight.
She got up from the ground, worried about Wolf. She followed him out the door, thinking about what he said about his wish...
End Chapter 25. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 27 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:52:35+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:52:35+00:00 | 4,754 | Deep within Everfree forest...
A brown Pegasus approached the waiting unicorn.
"Why are you out of uniform Lieutenant?"
"There's a problem my Lord..."
The Unicorn turned around to face his underling, his amber eyes showing a bit of anger.
"Your name has been revealed."
"Yes..."
"We've been compromised. We must make sure that the Princesses do not learn of you."
"But how? The only way to keep them from finding out is to kill all those who know who I am, and that's impossible! This child has defeated everything we've thrown at him!"
The Unicorn snickered as he grinned, obviously he had another plan.
"Not everything."
A loud roar was heard close by, accompanied by the voices of ponies struggling to control it. The Lietenant turned in the direction the sound was heard from. After confirming it's source, he turned back to face his superiror.
"I doubt it will work my Lord."
"Don't worry, Lieutenant Darkmane, it's only plan A. There's always plan B..."
Meanwhile in Ponyville...
Wolf and Twilight were walking down the road. Wolf was loading his shotgun, just in case anything happened. Both of them had hoped nothing would. Silence ruled over the town. Nothing broke it, save the patter of the light rain on the ground and in the small puddles that had formed in the storm earlier. A low rumble shook the ground lightly enough so that Twilight didn't fell it, but strong enough for Wolf to feel it. He raised his hand in the air, forming a fist, as if he was ordering men behind him to hold up. He brought up the shotgun to his shoulder and completely emptied his mind, intent on making sure nothing was out of place.
"What's wrong?"
"Shhhhh....."
The rumble came again, stronger this time. Then again, and it began to repeat in a steady rhythm. Wolf's eyes fell to a small puddle. The rain had stopped. The water's balance broke at the same time as the rumble.
"What is it Wolf?" Twilight asked him, fear just beginning to set in.
He answered her short and sweet, cocking his shotgun as two words escaped his mouth.
"Something big."
Their eyes fixed on the treeline ahead, their ears high in the air, listening. Wolf prepared himself for a battle. He recognized these types of sounds all too well. It grew stornger and stronger. The ground was shaking enough to dispalce some rocks lodged into the wet ground. All of a sudden it stopped. Wolf reluctantly brought the shotgun down from his shoulders.
"What was that?" Wolf asked a worried Twilight.
"I don't know...Whatever it was, I guess it's gone now..."
"Maybe..."
A deafening roar shook the entire town as a massive glowing blue bear dotted with various white spots on it's enormous body appeared above the treeline.
"What is that thing?!"
"It's an Ursa Minor...But why would it come here?!"
"Don't know..." He pulled out a couple grenades from his bag.
"Don't care."
He removed the pins and tossed them into the trees the following explosion caught the Ursa off guard, sending into a panicked charge into town.
"That was a bad idea..."
"Any good ones?"
"Yeah, run!"
Twilight took the hint and turned tail and ran. Wolf fired off a few bursts to try and slow it down, before turning and running himself. They ran as fast as they could, the Ursa in hot pursuit. They ran a few hundred meters, before coming across a fork in the road.
"Twi, go left!"
Twilight obeyed and took a left turn, while Wolf turned to the right. He raised his shotgun into the air and fired off a few bursts, trying to attract the Ursa's attention.
"Over here, come on I'm over here!"
His plan worked as the Ursa ran after him. A few more burst of the shotgun, and he turned and ran again. Every once in a while, he'd toss a grenade behind him, but all that'd do was make it angrier. After running around the whole town which was now in panic mode, he had reached the area of town facing the Everfree forest. He turned around only to have the Ursa's claw nick him in the cheek, slicing through his tough skin like tissue paper. Stunned by the cut, he couldn't move out of the way as one of it's massive paws came and pinned him to the ground. It growled at him, revealing it's huge, razor sharp teeth. It's head lunged at him, intent on feasting on it's poor victim, but Wolf's arm shot forward and caught part of it's bottom jaw, forcing it back. Locked in an epic struggle for survival, they each attempted to gain more ground. Wolf put up a good fight, but it was obvious the Ursa was too much for him. With no other option, this one was a longshot, but it was his only hope. Letting go of the Ursa with his right arm, he grabbed a flashbang and tossed it over the Ursa's mouth. The flash temporarily blinded the Ursa, who reared up in pain as it's vision left it. It' came crashing back down to the ground, shaking it's head, trying to restore it's sight. Wolf rolled out of the way of it's massive paw.
"That was too close..."
He grabbed his shotgun as the effect of the flashbang wore off. They both stared each other down. On this day, one would live, and the other would die. A cloud of steam came forth from his nostrils as it gnashed it's teeth. A crowd had gathered a safe distance away, praying on the outcome. The Ursa charged forward in perfect timing with Wolf. Getting within range, the Ursa's paw swiped at Wolf. Jumping in the air in the nick of time, he summersalted onto it's paw while it still travelled through the air, and then jumped onto it's back. It reared up and attempted to shake him off but to no avail. As it came crashing down, Wolf climbed over to it's head, shotgun at the ready.
Below the battle, Twilight walked as close as she dared and yelled to Wolf:
"Don't kill i-"
She was drowned out as Wolf fired as many rounds as his shotgun had, opening several holes in it's head, but not killing it. It shrieked in pain. Wolf cooked off and tossed a grenade into the largest hole, jumping off before the explosion sent the creature falling to the ground, blood leaking out from the holes made by the grenades shrapnel. He rolled as his feet touched the ground, greeted by the sight of a horde of ponies, all of their jaws on the ground.
"Wolf, you idiot!"
"Hey Twilight, I beat it didn't I?"
"Yeah, but you brought something worse!!"
"Worse?!"
A roar louder than anything he had ever heard before shook the entire town as if an earthquake was happening. The ground began to shake even more violently than before as a collosal purple bear with claws half the size of the Ursa minor and teeth the size of large trees emerged from the forest.
"Twilight...What is that?"
"Ursa...Major..."
The Ursa Major walked over to the deceased Minor and gently nudged it with it's muzzle. Seeing no result, it nudged it again, harder this time. Then it realised that it was dead. It looked in front of it's lifeless corpse, and saw Wolf staring right back at it, his left eye twitching. The Major reared up and let out an earth shattering roar. The entire crowd below errupted in screams of terror as they all scattered and ran towards safety.
"Twi, get out of here!!" Wolf screamed as he ran off, the Ursa Major following him closely, it's massive legs sending shockwaves throught the ground. He picked up his bag and tossed every explosive he had into the street, trying to slow it down. He pulled out a radio.
"SAM!! I NEED A MISSILE STRIKE!"
"Copy that, requesting authentication."
"FORGET AUTHENTICATION, I'M GONNA DIE!!"
"At least give me coordinates sir."
"I'LL TRY!"
"Please do. I'd hate to waste perfectly good missiles."
He dropped the bag after pulling out the last two items in it, a pair of markers that would transmit a signal to ships, missile launchers or artillery. In this case, from a ship.
- - - - -
I can't signal a missile strike in town, I gotta get that thing away from here!
- - - - -
He activated the markers.
"SAM, YOU RECEIVING?!"
"Negative sir, you need to get higher."
He turned towards the highest building in town. Running up the stairs, the Major's claws narly ripped off half the building as Wolf ran up the stairs to the top floor. He reached the balcony.
"Sam!!"
"Signal coming in loud and clear sir. Should I fire?"
"Not ye-"
The Ursa Major's roar sent Wolf flying into a wall. He got up quickly and had a brilliant idea. While it's mouth was still open, Wolf tossed the markers inside. He jumped off the balcony and landed right under the Ursa. He rolled as he hit the ground and ran off towards the dam. The Ursa turned around and stormed after him, leaving a trail of destruction in it's wake.
* * * * *
Roughly two kilometers away from the dam and the river below, the Ursa had caught up to Wolf and was literally breathing down his neck.
"NOW, NOW NOW NOW! LAUNCH 'EM NOW!"
"Acknowledged."
* * * * *
In the quiet plain where the Red Dawn's crash site was broken, the peace was shattered. First a loud alarm shook the entire area, then as a pair of hatches opened and launched two missiles followed by a pillar of fire.
* * * * *
In the distance, he could see the aproaching missiles and the raging inferno behind them. This would be a hell of a bang.
"WHY IS MY ESCAPE PLAN ALWAYS THIS?!!"
Wolf jumped off the cliff, narrowly escaping the Ursa's claws and the resulting explosion. The claw ripped off his shirt while the explosion gave him some minor burns. He silently prayed to himself as the surface of the water came closer and closer, the sharp rocks only now coming into view. He cut through the water like a razor blade. The rapid current carried him off. He shot out of the water to be met with the sight of a rock. It slammed into his left ribs, nearly breaking them, while at the same time ripping his new shirt to shreds. A trail of red followed him throught the current, eminating from the fresh cut on his chest. Oh well, one more scar for the collection. He fought with the rapids for as long as they lasted, until he came to calmer waters. As the water was calm enough for him to to swim out, he grabbed on to a branch, and pulled himself closer to shore. He threw his arms forward and let gravity do it's job, his arms falling to the ground, securing his position on the river bank. A shadow appeared over him. It was Twilight.
Before collapsing out of sheer exhaustion, his blood pooling on the wet ground below him, Wolf told her one thing.
"Next time...YOU handle the Minor..."
End chapter 26. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 28 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-03-04T15:03:52+00:00 | 2013-08-23T19:40:47+00:00 | 4,434 | Noticing the small puddle of red expanding under him, Twilight panicked. She looked around the area. Wolf had drifted somewhat far away from ponyville, he was closer to the edge of Everfree. The hospital being too far away and his injuries being too severe, she had only one choice, his only hope. Fluttershy. A clap of thunder shook the area, drowning out the sound of the running water near her. The storm was picking up again.
* * * * *
"Good afternoon Angel. It's lunch time."
The white bunny just looked at the salad placed before him, then back up to the yellow Pegasus, a frown on his face. He stomped his leg on the ground to show his dissapointment. He turned his head away from her, pouting, his little arms crossed. He would show her that he meant business. He turned back around to see if his strategy was working. His black eyes cracked open, expecting her to give him a more proper meal. He was met with the sight of her bright blue eyes staring right at him, practically ordering him to eat. Or else. His resolve shattered by the terrifying sight, he took out a leaf of lettuce reluctantly, preparing for the worst. He gulped before placing it in his mouth, and chomping down on it. The burst of flavor nearly overloaded his senses. He jumped into the bowl before him and began to chow down.
Fluttershy gave a satisfied look to the bunny, who was now completely hidden in the bowl, and she said in her usual, soft voice:
"That's better."
She looked around her cottage and sighed at the sight of the cute little animals eating before her. She enjoyed seeing the looks of satisfaction on their faces. It made her feel good. She had made it a personal rule to never deny help to those who would need it. A loud boom reverberated through the cottage. Fluttershy yelped and hid behind a couch, the noise obviously scared her. A look of worry on her face, she said one thing.
"Oh...this storm's going to be a big one..."
With precision timing, another loud noise shattered the silence again. But this one was different. It was just as loud, but it was different. There were five sounds in rapid succesion. She looked towards the door. The sound repeated again, and the door moved forward ever so slightly in perfect synchronization with the sounds. Fluttershy peeked her head out of the couch to get a better look. The sounds came again, but this time accompanied by a voice.
"Fluttershy, open up! Please!"
She recognised the voice. It was Twilight. Her tone was unusual. Scared, desperate.
"Oh Twilight, you startled me..."
Her wings unfolded from her sides and she lifted up off the ground into the direction of the door. She opened it and nearly fainted out of shock. Twilight was standing in the doorway, a large object on her back. Her violet coat had been painted red by what could only be blood, obviously coming from the object on her back. She was panting, the weight was obviously too much to bear. But somehow she managed, despite the rain, despite the wet, slippery ground, she managed to bring that thing all the way up to her. The shock dissipating, she picked him up with a strenght no one had ever seen her have before, not even herself. She carried him straight into the cottage, dripping blood and rainwater. She put him down on the couch and rushed to get her first aid kit. She flew upstairs with speed that could compete with Rainbow Dash. She frantically searched through the bathroom, but it wasn't there. Immediately remembering which room it was in, she flew into the bedroom and frantically tossed away the covers, looking for it. Under her pillow maybe? No, not there either. Under the matress? No...She finally looked under the bed and grabbed the bag that lay there. Flying back down the stairs, she caught a glimpse of Twilight, she was now inside, and the door behind her was closed. She was standing above the wounded creature, what was either tears os stray drops of water dripping flowing from her eyes. Fluttershy could barely make out what she was saying.
"You always have to be the hero..."
Fluttershy opened the kit, and took out the bottle of alcohol and a few large bandages. She unscrewed the top of the bottle with on quick movement of her hooves and poured it on the open wound. The creature spasmed a bit as the alcohol burned away any bacteria that would have infected it. She expertly wrapped the bandages around the cut. She made sure to wrap it extra tight so that the bleeding would stop completely. She looked back up to Twilight, care flooding her.
"He'll be alright...He should be back up by tommorow."
Twilight gave no reaction. She didn't even flinch. It was obvious that she wasn't leaving.
"You're welcome to stay here until he gets better."
With that Fluttershy left the two alone. With nothing else to do, Twilight got on the couch, next to Wolf. She made sure not to disturb him, he needed his rest. After some expertly executed maneuvers, she was curled up tightly next to Wolf. Her head was somewhat uncomfortable however. With a few quick movements, she lay her head down on his shoulder. It just felt perfect being there. Giving off one final sigh before closing her eyes, she drifted to sleep.
The next day...
Twilight woke up as the suns morning rays slipped through the window into her eyes. She had slept like a baby. Something felt different however. Something on top of her. She realised it was his arm, he was holding her tightly. She sighed. Nothing could ruin this morning. Or so she thought...She realised that Nyx was left alone in the house! She nearly bolted out of the cottage, but then she realised that she wasn't alone. She was with Rainbow Dash and the Royal Guards. She was safe...
Fluttershy gently hovered next to them, dusting the windows. Twilight got up. She managed to get off the couch without waking him up. Quite an achievement...She trotted over to Fluttershy ever so lightly, and whispered to her.
"Thank you Fluttershy..."
"It's nothing Twilight, I'd do it for anypony...or anything in this case."
A groan from behind interrupted them. They both turned around to see Wolf getting up off the couch. He jumped a bit as the wound on his chest sent a wave of pain through him.
"Damn...That smack did more damage than I thought..."
He looked around the unfamiliar room.
"Um...Twi? Where are we?"
Fluttershy backed down and hid behind a table.
"We're in Fluttershy's cottage."
He looked down to the hiding Pegasus.
"I assume that's..."
"Yes."
"Why is she hiding?"
"She's afraid of you."
"Rightfully so..."
Mustering all of her courage, Fluttershy left her table behind and hovered above the two. With a voice that was barely audible she spoke to him.
"Um...Hello..."
Wolf turned to face her, he was suprised that she managed to face her fears and talk.
"Hello."
With nothing else to say, she said the one thing she had in her mind.
"I've never seen anything with so many scars..."
"These are nothing compared with the scars I've got up here..."
He brought a finger up to his head. Silence returned to it's rule in the cottage.
Deep within Everfree Forest...
The Unicorn hit the Pegasus messenger as hard as he possibly could, his anger turned into rage.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE KILLED IT?!"
"He killed the Ursa Major my Lord!"
"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, THIS IDIOT HAS DEFEATED EVERYTHING WE'VE THROWN AT HIM!!!"
The sound of flapping wings met their ears. Another Pegasus appeared out of nowhere.
"My lord! We've found him!"
"WHERE IS HE?!"
His loud voice startled the Pegasus messenger.
"He is currently resting in the cottage of Fluttershy, the bearer of the Element of Kindness. Twilight Sparkle is with them."
"What is his condition?"
"He is badly injured my Lord."
Lord Night turned back to his Lieutenant nearby.
"Darkmane, take a unit of Unicorns and destroy them once and for all!"
"Yes my Lord."
He would have left, but his master's voice interrupted him.
"Burn it to the ground."
A sinister smile appeared on Darkmane's face.
"With pleasure."
Back at Fluttershy's cottage, half an hour later...
Fluttershy had warmed up to him, more then anything Twilight had ever seen. It still wasn't much however, but it was a start. Something caught Wolf's eye through the window. He looked more carefully. Four black figures were on the edge of the forest, facing the cottage. All of a sudden, four dark blue lights appeared above them.
"GET DOWN!!"
He lunged forward and tackled the two mares to the ground, just as a hail of glowing blue arrows came through the walls and utterly destroyed the cottage.
"STAY DOWN!!"
The barrage of arrows continued on for about a minute, but to them it seemed like an eternity. As the glowing projectiles ceased, they got up. Wolf looked through one of the many holes in the wall. Fluttershy was devastaed. Her home had been completely destroyed. Wolf saw the entire treeline nearly covered in the same dark figures. All of a sudden, fireballs appeared above their heads.
"Oh shit..."
He turned around to face the two dumbstruck mares.
"GET OUT, GET OUT NOW!!"
He ran towards them and grabbed them. The wall behind him was set ablaze as a wall of fire emerged through it. He didn't stop running, he just bulldozed through the door and jumped off the balcony into the mud pit below. He landed on his feet, and let go of them, just as the raging inferno past over his head, nearly setting his hair on fire.
"RUN, RUN!!"
Under the cover of the smoke they obeyed and ran into the distance.
"DON'T STOP, JUST KEEP GOING!"
Behind the smoke screen, Darkmane was satisfied with his work. But he needed to confirm their deaths. He flew up above the smoke and much to his dismay he saw them running off towards a hill.
"DAMN!"
A voice from below him. It was one of his Unicorns.
"Sir, shall we pursue?"
"No..."
He sighed in the air.
"Lord Night's going to love this..."
He looked towards them as they climbed the hill and turned around.
On the hill...
They watched as the cloud of smoke that was once Fluttershy's home rose high into the air for all to see. Tears flowed freely from Fluttershy's face as she watched in horror as her home was reduced to ash. Twilight was trying to comfort her. Wolf knelt to the ground and hugged them closely.
"Don't worry..."
He looked to the smoke. He could make out a small winged figure above the smoke. He immediately recognized it. His eyes locked on it, he could practically see the white's of it's eyes.
"...You'll get yours."
Wolf could have sworn that he heard it reply:
"I'll be waiting."
End chapter 27 |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 29 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-04-09T16:50:03+00:00 | 2012-04-09T16:50:03+00:00 | 4,557 | Hours later, in the dead of night...
The full moon shone brightly, illuminating the entire area. As if responding to the moonlight, crickets had begun their evening song. Bathed in the light of the moon, everything was visible.
Almost everything...
Like a ghost, he crept through the area, leaving no sign that he was there, save for his shadow appearing a few times...He made it to the base of the small cliff. The smell of charred vegetation and smoke filled the air. He shifted his gaze upwards as a small noise caught his attention. He quickly looked back down as a few rocks and dust fell from the top. He swung around and pointed his rifle at the top of the cliff, expecting a foe. He flared his nostrils in annoyance as a small squirrel scurried down the steep surface. He put his back against the wall. With a flick of his fingers, the safety on his rifle was off. Silently and swiftly, he scaled the cliff wall until coming across the bridge. He moved under the bridge and prepared to vault over. But to do so, he would have to put away his rifle, and there was no way he would go into a possible firestorm without some protection. He hung the rifle on his shoulder and unholstered his pistol. He reached over the railing and grabbed on with his right arm. With a quick tug, he was sent soaring through the air, pistol in position and ready to rain a little hell on any enemies below. His speed started to drop, and he knew he would be falling soon. Like clockwork, his legs prepared to absorb the force of the impact. He met the ground with a roll which ended in a low crouch. He aimed at the other side of the bridge, just to be safe. In vain, as it turned out. He reholstered his pistol and reached for his rifle. After getting a firm grip on it, he began a slow crawl up the hill. Stealth was vital. He could not be seen. Not only because it would jeapordize his life, but also because he was supposed to guard the library. Normally he wouldn't come back, but the worried look on Fluttershy's face and the tears forming in her blue eyes was too much, even for him.
He reached the summit. Nothing was there, save for ash and burned wood. Aside from the smoke, he could smell something else. Cooked meat. He sighed, the only sound he made all night. He wondered why he was suprised, he had been on SAR missions before, and most of them ended badly. But he had never left a man (or animal, in this case) behind before and he wasn't about to start. He knew he had to move fast. He was on the top of the hill, no cover, fully illuminated by the moon, and a huge forest right behind him. This was an extremely bad position. A flicker of motion caught his eye, followed by what sounded by a cough. He followed the sound to a small pile of wood. After placing his rifle on the ground, he removed the wood to reveal a small black rabbit, wheezing and coughing. He gently picked up the rabbit.
"You alright little guy?"
The rabbit coughed a little, the shot him a look that said:
"What do you think, genius?"
Wolf gave off a small smile. At least this SAR mission was a success, even if the one rescued wasn't the nicest of types...
He got up and was about to walk away with the rabbit when something caught him colmpletely off guard.
"Hello there."
He turned around, unholstered his pistol and aimed in the blink of an eye. Before him stood a cloaked pony, amber eyes showing in the moonlight.
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'd answer, but you really don't need to know..."
Wolf tensed up and began to gently squeeze the trigger. The unknown pony saw this.
"Relax, I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then what do you want?"
"I want to make you an offer."
"What kind of offer?"
"The kind only an idiot would refuse."
"Not interested."
The pony sighed.
"My boy, you really don't know when to listen do you?"
"Not really. Probably because I'm usually the one giving orders. That, and I can't say I like you very much..."
"Believe me, the feeling is mutual."
Wolf huffed in response.
"All right, I'm listening."
"You've caused us a lot of damage you know...Normally I wouldn't be doing this..."
"Get to the point."
"No chit-chat huh? Straight to the point eh?"
He let off a soft chuckle, followed by a short sigh.
"I like that..."
"I don't have all night."
"Very well..."
He paused for a moment, then continued.
"I'm offering you your life."
"Excuse me?"
"You go back in the thing you came in, stay in for a couple months, then come back out. I'll guarantee your safety, and I'll even provide assistance fixing the damn thing."
"And what would possibly compel me to get back in my ship and fly away?"
The pony smiled snidely at him.
"I understand that...But why would you want me in my ship all by my lonesome?"
"You don't need to know."
"I'll tell you what I think...I think you want me out of the way so you can go whatever the hell you want, then take me out in my sleep."
The pony frowned.
"So, you can take your deal, and shove it!"
He frowned even more, then huffed again.
"Son, I really wish you would have just accepted..."
The hood of his cloak retracted, revealing a horn. It started to glow, then the unicorn vanished in a flash of light. He was left alone on the cliff. It was quiet. Too quiet... Acting on a hunch, he turned around, facing the Everfree forest. A blue glow eminating from between the trees, followed by rustling in the bushes.
"Oh not again..."
As quickly as he possibly could, he grabbed his rifle off the ground and dove off the edge of the cliff once more. He was followed closely by a volley of blue arrows. As he was falling, he heard something extremely familliar. Gunfire, and lots of it. But he had different things to worry about now. Like the fact that he was hurtling to the ground at a high speed...
He hit the ground with a thundering crash, followed by a loud groan as a sharp pain ripped through his leg. He looked at his left leg to reveal a large piece of wood sticking out of it. That wasn't the least of his problems. A small pillar of smoke rose from the ground from where the arrow had hit it. He looked up to the edge of the cliff to see at least two dozen unicorns on top, their horns glowing and ready to unleash a hail of arrows. With a quick leap fueled by adrenaline, he ducked behind a large root. More arrows flew over his head. He looked to the rabbit.
"Hide..."
It replied with another look, this time one that said:
"Like hell I am."
"NOW."
The tone in his voice was more than enough to send the rabbit scurrying away to safety. Wolf sighed, followed by a roll to the left, bringing him into a decent firing position. With a quick pull of the trigger, his rifle was spewing rounds at a high rate of fire with pretty good accuracy.
Since 2342, mankind had replaced the old style rifles with magnetic accelerators, railguns to be short. They proppeled rounds the same size as the old ones at much higher speeds, increasing accuracy without trading for high rate of fire. As the bullets were proppeled by magnetic coils within the chamber of the weapon, bullet casings were no longer needed, allowing for increased ammo capacity by putting more rounds where casings would normally go. They also had another advantage. Since the rounds were going faster than the speed of sound, it would be extremely hard for something to avoid one. If the bullet goes faster than the sound it makes, how could you know it was coming?
He dropped at least half of the unicorns, but more were coming. Not only did they fill the gaps the others left, but more began to circle around, trying to flank him. Another arrow came over the right side of the root, grazing his shoulder. In response, his used his under-barrel grenade launcher. A few screams of pain followed the explosion. But they were still coming. He couldn't hold them, and he knew it. He emptied the rest of his magazine on the top of the cliff. He pulled out a fresh one from the small bag he had with him.
"Last mag..."
He looked back inside the bag. A small radio was there, along with a couple of smoke canisters. He grabbed the radio.
"Sam...you there?"
A sickening silence from the radio.
"Sam!"
"Present sir."
He grabbed his pistol and began to fire over the root.
"You can control Hunter drones remotely right?"
"Affirmative sir."
"I need one fully loaded here ASAP!"
"Roger, assuming direct control."
Red Dawn Hangar 6
A fully loaded Hunter drone came to life. It's engine hummed as it charged up, causing the drone to begin to rise from the ground. It's missile's primed and ready, it's 24 mm bottom-mounted cannon spun a little on it's 360 degree mount. A few beeps eminated from it's front, followed by a loud roar as it soared forward into the night sky.
Back at the cliff...
"Hunter is in the air, ETA 90 seconds."
"I don't have 90 seconds!"
He pulled the pin on a frag grenade and lobbed it somewhere behind him. He followed with a short burst from his rifle, sending three more unicorns to their grave.
"Sam, I'm surrounded here, hurry up!"
The skies above Ponyville...
Rainbow Dash and two more Pegasi were running a late night check on the weather. Nothing out of the ordinary.
"All right team, the skies are clear, let's head back."
A low rumble in the distance.
"What was that?"
"Are there any storms scheduled for tonight?"
"Nah, we'd know about if there was, Cloudchaser."
The rumble was growing louder and louder.
"It's getting louder Dash..."
"Aw, suck it up Flitter." Cloudchaser teased her.
The Hunter stormed between them, leaving them falling a bit in it's wake. It executed a barell roll with precison timing, missing them by inches. Rainbow Dash recovered first, followed by Flitter, then by Cloudchaser.
"Nice recovery Cloudchaser."
Flitter stuck her tongue out at her, getting back at her.
"Oh shut up Flitter..."
They both turned to Rainbow Dash, staring into the distance. They both asked her at the same time.
"What was that?"
"I don't know, but it sure wasn't on any schedule..."
Cliff side, The Root, 34 seconds later...
"Standard orbit achieved, maintaning altitude at 25,000 feet."
"Copy that Sam, popping smoke at target site! Give me an Avenger right through it!"
He bit the pin of the canister straight off and tossed it behind him. He knew it would reach the cliff side.
"Fire!"
He could hear the smoke hissing out of the canister, giving Sam a clear target. A light mettalic clang followed by a loud hissing sound left him puzzled. Terrified, he turned to his right to see the canister right next to him, letting out it's red smoke.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me..."
He grabbed it and tossed it to the bottom of the cliff. He ducked under the root.
"This is gonna be close..."
He was cut off by a loud explosion, the missile striking the bottom of the cliff, disintegrating it and sending the unicorns perched on top falling to the ground. Wolf coughed as the dust from the explosion settled. He looked up to the drone.
"Sam, that was too close!"
"Apologies sir, I was just following the-"
She was cut off by a series of loud beeps.
"Missile lock, missile lock."
"Missile lock?! Out here?!
"Missile incoming!"
"Sam, flares, flares!"
A small hatch opened on the tail of the Hunter, spewing flares to attempt to shake the missile. It worked. The missile followed the flare.
"Sam, knock out the launcher if you can see it!"
He didn't even have to say it. A missile slammed into the forest, turning the missile launcher to scrap. A series of loud bangs followed. Tracer rounds lined the sky, most likely from a mobile AA gun. IT was short lived as another missile slammed into the forest. Wolf took off the pin from the second canister and threw it behind him.
"Sam, I need you to service targets north of the smoke, in the treeline!"
"Missiles away."
Three missiles hit the forest, unleashing massive explosions. Most of the entrenched unicorns were most likely dead. But there were still some on his left and right side.
"Sam..."
He opened a flare.
"I want you to put some 24 mil rounds around the flare, you got me?"
"Sir, you are too close."
"I know that!"
"Rounds incoming, stay down..."
A hail of deadly cannon fire fell around him, causing dust and ash to rise from the ground like a geyser. A few moments later, the storm ended.
"Thermal imaging shows all clear, sir, remaining targets are retreating."
"Roger that, I'm moving in, keep an eye on the scope for me."
"Yes sir."
Wolf began a slow limp to the top of the hill and into the treeline. He pushed aside the remaining debris and moved further into the trees. Shards of metal and corpses littered the ground. As he approached the former missile launch site, he found objects on the ground that puzzled him. He picked one up. It was a gun. Identical to an AK-47 in fact. What were these doing here? How the hell could they get century old human weaponry? A loud yell interrupted him as a large eagle standing on...Lion legs holding one of the rifles charged him, intending to hit him with the back of his rifle. As it came down upon him, Wolf grabbed it with his left arm. Without a moments delay, his right arm punched the creature right in the face, stunning it for a moment. Wolf took the chance and grabbed hold of it's head. With a huge ammount of force, he slammed it's face into his rising knee. It fell to the ground, lifeless. He inspected the corpse. It looked like an eagle crossed over with a lion...A footstep caused him to turn around, pointing his rifle at a large white Pegasus clad in golden armor.
"Whoa! Take it easy, we're Royal Guards!"
"Took you long enough to get here..."
"What the buck is going on here? We got reports of explosions coming in from all of Ponyville!"
"Ask these guys..."
He pointed to the dead creature. The Guards face froze.
"Gr-Griffons?"
"Huh?"
"Uh...A few weeks ago, an emmisary from the Griffon Kingdoms came to inform us that four legions of the Griffon Army had just...dissapeared, and they took a hell of a lot of equipment with them..."
"So you're saying we've got an army of these guys just running around, right?"
"Yes..."
"Great..."
They didn't speak a word. A few dozen Royal Guards appeared to handle the cleanup.
"You guys wouldn't mind giving me a ride back, right?"
"Sure..."
Wolf sighed. He wolud have to explain this to Twilight. It was going to be a loooong night... |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 30 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-06-21T17:50:08+00:00 | 2012-06-21T17:50:08+00:00 | 4,091 | Wolf followed the Pegasus back to a chariot pulled by another pair of Pegasi. This one carried a group of Unicorn Royal Guards, meant to help secure a perimeter and get the wreckage on to another chariot to be carried back to Canterlot. Some of the Unicorns came out of the forest and stepped into the chariot.
"That was fast." The Pegasus asked.
"We're going back to requisition some more Guards out here. They might come back." The head Unicorn replied.
Wolf spoke up as he entered the chariot. The Pegasus followed.
"If they do you'll know about it. Sam's Hunter is still in the air. Anything comes out of that forest, she'll know about it. Anything too suspicious, she puts a missile right through it."
As soon as he finished, the chariot took off. Wolf looked out from his side into the forest below. A few fires had started from the explosions. Smoke still filled the air.
- - - - - -
Wolf jumped into the chopper just as it was taking off. It was leaving while it still could, the forest was lost. Smoke billowed up from the burning trees and smoldering craters from artillery shells, missiles and other explosives.
"Hostiles in the tree line, open fire!" The pilots voice blared from the intercom.
Within a second, the machine gunner to Wolf's left opened fire on the treeline. Wolf follwed with a few short bursts from his rifle, sending a few drones to their deaths. The chopper climbed further and further and further, climbing out of range for the bug rifles.
"We're clear!"
Wolf sighed as the chopper continued to climb. They had escaped. All of a sudden, a flash from somewhere inside the forest.
"What that missile fire?"
A loud beep followed the pilots voice.
"Shit, incoming!"
"Spark the flares, flares, flares!" the copilot shouted.
The missile followed the flares and exploded in a brilliant display of destructive force, missing the chopper by a few dozen feet.
"Damn that was close..."
Another loud beep rang in the chopper.
"Oh shit, here comes another one!
Wolf looked out the side of the chopper to see a small trail of smoke rising from the forest, and heading straight for them.
- - - - -
A voice rang in the air.
"What the hell are you doing in here? You can fly, why are you back there?!"
"More weight for you guys to carry." The Pegasus replied, laughing.
"When we get on the ground, you won't be laughing much longer..."
Wolf ignored them. He just continued to look to the forest below. A small flash of light follwed by an all too familliar noise paralyzed him. The light was moving towards them, followed by a trail of smoke. He turned around to the others in the chariot.
"Get out, NOW!"
He didn't give them time to react. He just pushed anyone in the reach of his arms over the side. They screamed as they fell into the forest below, looking up to the chariot. They stopped as a long metal object crashed into the chariot, causing it to explode. As if he wasn't falling fast enough already, the explosion only served to accelerate him even further. He could only watch as the seemingly distant trees grew closer and closer. He prepared himself for the landing. It wouldn't be the first time he had jumped out of an aircraft, but he was usually in full armor when he did jump...
He crashed through the trees. He desperately tried to grab onto a branch to slow himself down. But they always broke. He landed on a tree limb with his back, then fell to the ground.
"Son of a..."
He winced as the pain finally hit him. After a few grueling minutes he was able to get up again. He knew he had to leave. FAST. No doubt that whoever fired that missile would send out a patrol to eliminate any possible survivors. But he wasn't going to leave any of those possible survivors behind. He took out the mag of his pistol. He sighed as he glimpsed the three rounds that were left. So, all he had to do was find the other survivors, evade enemy patrols and find a way to safety, with only three bullets. Piece of cake right?
He limped off to his left, remembering that he saw some of the Unicorns fall in that direction. He stopped for a moment, something was wrong. All of a sudden, a large piece of debris fell not more than 6 inches in front of him. If he would have taken another step, he would be dead. So, all he had to do was find the other survivors, evade enemy patrols and find a way to safety, with only three bullets and flaming debris falling from the sky. Overall it's been a bad day for Wolf...
A Unicorn lay on the ground in front of him. He checked his vital signs, hoping that he was alive. But he was dead. Hopefully it had been quick. Rustling in the nearby bushes sent him jumping into the bushes. Put his hand on his pistol. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it. Any gunfire would attract a lot of attention. He sighed as a panting Unicorn crawled out from the bushes, a trail of blood following him. He moved to get out, but two more approaching silhouetes caused him to stay hidden. In full combat gear, three Griffons came out. AK-47's, frag grenades, flashbangs, the works. They followed the Unicorn. It's panting intensified as they approached. One of the Griffons stomped on it's leg, causing it to yell in pain. The Griffon pointed it's rifle at the Unicorn's head.
"Wai-"
He was cut off by a gunshot. Wolf sighed without making noise. He instinctively moved to grab his pistol.
"You didn't have to kill him man..."
"You think I'd miss an easy shot like that?"
"Stay sharp." A third Griffon emerged from the bushes, his AK on his back. It was obviously their leader.
"Boss wants the boy dead. He doesn't care about the others. And if you'd recognize what this boy's done in the past, you'd know better than to waste ammo on injured Unicorns!"
"Copy that Sarge..."
"Now get your asses in gear. We've got a lot of ground to cover."
"Yes sir..."
The patrol marched off into the distance, searching for more survivors. Wolf waited a few seconds, then left the bushes. He passed by the fresh bleeding corpse without reacting. He was used to things like that. As he walked off into the distance, more gunshots could be heard. He knew anyone who survived the rough landing would have been executed by now. He continued to weave through the bushes like a snake, leaving no trace of his passing. He intended to get out of that forest alive.
"Don't move."
He closed his eyes tightly. He had been spotted.
"Hands in the air."
He did as he was told.
"Guess this is my lucky day..."
"Why? What's so lucky about having to go through a muddy, insect ridden, monster infested forest just to find me?"
"Boss promised whoever kills you a position as a Count after he's finished with his plan. I suppose I should thank you for getting me this position..."
"Maybe..."
"So I'll thank you by making this quick..."
Wolf shut his eyes even tighter as he heard the rifle rising up to his head and the Griffons talon ready to squeeze the trigger. A loud roar followed by a scream rang in his ear as gunfire lit up the forest behind him. He turned around to see a giant wolf-like creature, on top of the Griffon and snarling as it ripped him to shreds. Blood painted the forest ground red amidst the gurgling screams of the dying Griffon. The wolf ripped out a large piece of meat, walked away from the carcass and turned around. As it walked into the moonlight, Wolf could see that it was made entirely of...wood. Even so, it's yellow eyes reflecting in the moonlight and the fresh blood dripping from it's teeth were enough to send a shiver down his spine, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Two more leaped out of the shadows and began to circle him, snarling and growling as they tightened the noose areound his neck. Wolf knew he couldn't fin this fight. Outnumbered and surrounded, he shut his eyes yet again, waiting for the inevitable. The ensuing silence was sickening. Seconds seemed like hours to him as his breathing intensified. He felt a cold, prickly paw on his shoulder and winced. But nothing more...He peeked open one of his eyes, to be met with the sight of the wolf that had just made the kill staring right at him, his front right paw out on his shoulder. After a few moments of silence, they took off, dragging the kill with them. Why did they just leave him alive? He was even more vulnerable than the Griffon. The Griffon was well armed, and was ready to kill him. Why would those things kill the Griffon and leave him without a scratch? A thought came to him, but it made no sense...Wolves supposedly took care of their pack members...If that was true, maybe these ones regarded as one of their own.
"I'm losing it in this damn forest..."
He almost walked away. But before he could think about it twice, he picked up the AK that was dropped on the ground. He took the magazine out to reveal that it had fourteen rounds left.
"Better than just three..."
He continued to limp off into the forest. A few minutes later he stopped to listen. Rustling in the leaves behind him. Slowly but surely, he reached for his knife. In the blink of an eye, he swung his kinfe around him, cutting off the head of the snake hanging from the branch, ready to deliver a lethal bite.
"Close, but not close enough."
He turned back around and walked away. After a few seconds walk, he was right smack dab in the middle of a clearing.
"I need to get out of here now..."
"Too late."
Wolf turned around to see another two Griffons aiming at him.
"Drop it."
"Buddy...you're better off pointing a gun at yourself then pointing a gun at me..."
"I said drop it!"
"Fine..."
He threw his AK to the ground. He smiled a bit.
"Before you kill me...Can I ask you one question?"
"Shoot."
"Who gets the reward?"
"What?"
"So who gets the reward for killing me? There's only one reward...and there are two of you."
"Of course I'm gonna get the reward." One of them spoke up.
"Like hell you are!" The other replied, enraged at his squadmates outburst.
"Hey guys, might I suggest a compromise?" Wolf said.
"Go ahead."
"Neither of you get the reward and I stay alive."'
One of the Griffons turned around to face Wolf.
"What the hell kind o-"
He was cut short as the bullet ripped through his head faster than the speed of sound, sending him to the ground. The other turned to fire, but wasn't fast enough as two more bullets hit him, killing him instantly.
"I told you you'd regret pointing a gun at me..."
He heard rustling in the distance.
"No time to hide the bodies..."
He just grabbed one of the AK's and as much ammo as he could. He began running away when a white light flashed behind him.
"I see him, he's over there!"
Following the voice was a hail of gunshots. They ripped through the dense folisge like tissue paper, missing Wolf by mere millimeters. He moved as fast as he could on one injured leg, but they were still gaining on him. He looked behind him and fired a short burst. He had cleared the treeline. He must have been out of the forest. As he turned back around to see where he was going he stopped immediately at the sight of a huge canyon in front of him. It must have been a couple thousand feet down, and a few hundred wide. He was trapped, and he knew it. The Griffons emerged from the treeline and surrounded him, their AK's having a clear shot at his head.
"It's over, Wolf! We've got you now. You gave us a pretty good chase there, I'll give you that. But you never stood a chance. If you drop the gun and turn around, we'll make this as painless as we possibly can."
A flicker of motion caught his eye. He looked to his right to see the approaching aircraft. It was flying fast and low. Wolf turned back around to face the Griffon commander, now full of confidence.
"As much as I enjoyed this little game of hide and seek, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave."
The commander chuckeled.
"And how are you going to leave? We've got you surrounded. The only way out is..."
Then it hit him. He noticed the smile on Wolfs face.
"Shoot him! Shoot him now!"
As the Griffons were still squeezing their triggers, Wolf turned around and jumped off the cliff, hands straight in the air, ready to catch something. The Hunter came right on time as Wolf grabbed onto to it's tail and using his own weight, swung around the tail structure to land straight up on it. He looked behind the tail to see the Griffons still firing at him. He could still see the Griffon commander, almost ready to blow up. with a flick of his hand, Wolf gave him a mocking salute.
He quickly ducked back behind the tail as a few sparks flew from where the AK round had hit it. He gave a sigh of relief as he left the forest, hopefully this would be the last time he went in it. It had been a rough night. Then he remembered that he still had to give an explanation to Twilight. The smile quickly dissapeared from his face. The worst part of tonight had yet to come...
End chapter 29. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 31 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-18T15:43:16+00:00 | 2012-07-18T15:43:16+00:00 | 4,017 | As the Hunter sped away from the canyon, Wolf off towards the lake. It was so beautiful...The clear blue water was visible even from so high up. But something else caught his eye. The hill, which was overlooking the lake. The lone evergreen standing on it dredged up old memories. He pushed them back. The past was behind him, he couldn't dwell on it. He couldn't let past tragedies keep him from moving on, and he knew this. But the fear was always present. The sheer dread that something would happen to take everything away from him again.
- - - - - -
"Damn it Wolf, don't let fear control you!"
- - - - - -
The voice...that damn voice...He couldn't get it out of his head, no matter how much he wanted to, no matter how much he knew it was right. But then the harsh voice of his instructor was replaced by a much more gentle one, one he could never ignore.
- - - - - -
"You should always face your fears..."
- - - - - -
The second voice, Nyx's voice, was what he needed to hear. Now he knew, without a doubt, what he had to do.
"Set her down Sam..."
The beeps eminating from the Hunter's front were barely audible over the roar of it's engines. But he knew what Sam was trying to say.
"You heard me Sam, set her down, and take her back to the hangar. She's done for the day."
The Hunter banked to the left, and with a sharp turn was heading towards the ground. Altitude rapidly decreased by the second as the Hunter went lower and lower. With a sudden change in nose angle, the Hunter slowed down almost to a complete stop above the ground. It's engine shifted it's angle, now pointing downwards. It slowly descended further to the ground, hovering a few feet above it. Wolf took the chance and jumped off. He winced a bit as a sudden surge of pain came from his leg. Those paramedics back at the edge of the forest did a good job patching up his leg, but it still hurt. He looked around a bit, trying to locate the hill. He found it, just couple hundred meters behind him. He began a slow but steady limp in that direction, letting the crisp, cool breeze blow in his face. A few minutes later and he has reached the top of the hill. He just stared off into the distance. Then he realizes how a vast new world was given to him. Was it fate, divine intervention, or just sheer dumb luck? He didn't know, and to tell the truth he really didn't care much. What he did know was that this was a fresh start, a new beggining. And in order to seize it to it's fullest potential he had to leave his dark past behind him. Forget the hardships, forget the heartbreaks, and move on. He felt something on his neck. Something he had forgotten was there. He reached into his shirt and pulled it out. The necklace. The necklace he had been wearing and hadn't taken off, at least not willingly, for six straight years. He knew where it came from all too well. He still remembered every detail about her. Her long golden hair, her bright green eyes, and her smile. Everytime she smiled at him, he could almost forget everything. Forget the bugs, the war, his duty... Until she finally left him.
* * * * *
(And just a bit of music... something that fits the scene...
* * * * *
- - - - -
"COUGAR!!!"
- - - - -
He winced a bit at that one memory that had plagued him every day since she died. He let single tear flow from his face and fall to the green blue gem in the middle.
She was gone now, and he knew that nothing could bring her back. So what was the point? He smiled at the necklace as he ripped it off his neck. He held it in his hand, just looking at it, letting the metal cord dangle in his hand.
"We had a good run. But it wasn't meant to last. I know you understand what I'm doing...And although I'm leaving it all behind, I'll always remember you. Goodbye, Cou-"
He stopped as he remembered one certain thing.
"-Sarah."
Gazing off into the lake before him, he took one last deep breath before he threw the necklace into the lake with all his might. As the golden piece of jewlery fell beneath the water, he felt a massive weight lifted off his shoulder. He took another deep breath. The air was so much cleaner. Breathing it in felt better than ever before. Everything seemed better. The sky was bluer, the grass was greener...Then another sight met him, which was even more majestic than ever before. The morning sun rose from behind the hill, beating back the lingering darkness of the night. The sun shone in his eyes. He stretched out his arms as he let the suns rays warm him. They felt so good...Everything was so much better in his newfound freedom. For the first time in what seemed like ages, he shed tears, not of sorrow but of joy. With new found confidence and optimism he walked off towards the sunrise, knowing what waited for him just over the hills. No matter what would be said, no matter what would happen, seeing Twilight and Nyx again would be a much welcome relief. He could finally walk away from his past...
End (Sub)chapter 30. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 32 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-06-09T09:10:43+00:00 | 2012-06-09T09:10:43+00:00 | 4,247 | The walk home had been exhausting, to say the least. Even more so on an injured leg. But he was never one to give up. As he reached the top of the hill, he gave a sigh of content as he glimpsed a waking Ponyville. As if it wasn't beuatiful enough already, the sunrise painted everything in a golden light. He focused his gaze on one certain spot. He cracked a smile as he saw the tree in the middle of the town, and he knew what was waiting for him there. Filled with new found strength, he began his slow descent into town. The morning breeze brought with it the distinct smell of Spring. As he approached the town he came across the creek. The running water was music to his ears. Such peace, such tranquility...It was hard to enjoy when you've got projectiles buzzing past your head and bugs trying to kill you. He crossed the bridge slowly, trying to savor the running water as much as he could. He looked off the side into the crystal blue water below. He then realized he hadn't had something to drink for a few hours. He got off the bridge and knelt along the creek bank. The water was cold on his hand. It was actually a bit refreshing. He brought it up to his lips. Water never tasted like that before. Might have been the fact that it was fresh from a mountain, but he had tasted fresh mountain water before...Under heavy fire of course. No, this was due to his newfound freedom. Everything was better now that he let go. He took a few more drinks and then restarted his way back. As he drew closer to the library however, his confidence began to slowly sink. It was a lot easier in his head...But in reality, he knew exactly what he had done. He had left in the middle of the night, no note, no hint of where he was going, took his gun (which was definitely something she would notice...), caused all sorts of commotion on the edge of the forest, and didn't come back until early next morning. A recipe for disaster in short.
- - - - -
The door was so close, yet so far. He stood within feet of it, yet it felt like miles. His confidence had nearly dissapeared by now, and waiting in front of the door wasn't doing anything to help. Slowly but surely, he reached his hand forward. His fingers began to twitch as the wood came closer and closer. He had faced down armies before and he had never felt so terrified in a long time. With every ounce of courage he had left, he gently knocked on the door. He immediately regretted it. But no response came from within. A bit of his confidence returning, he knocked on the door, harder this time. His heart sank to rock bottom when a voice from within asked
"Who is it?" as the door slowly opened.
He would have jumped to the side, but the combination of his injured leg and his sheer terror left him paralyzed in front of the yawning lavender unicorn. His heart rate increased dramatically as her heavy eyes slowly opened, still not fully awake.
His troubled life flashed before his eyes as hers opened and adjusted to the light setting. Her eyes focused on the large silhoutte in the door. As the blur finally cleared, she just froze. They both stared into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity to the both of them. It took him long enough to finally muster the courage to try to talk.
"I..."
Immediately he was pulled inside and the door shut behind him. As soon as the door shut, she jumped him, wrapping her hooves around him in a tight embrace. She burried her muzzle into his shoulder. He couldn't help but hug her back as he rested his head on hers. He fought to hold back a tear. He was back...he was home. Hopefully he would just be left alone now. All of a sudden he couldn't feel Twilight on his shoulder anymore. He opened his eyes to be met with the sight of her not two inches away from his face.
"Where the hell were you?!!"
He stammered a bit as an enraged Twilight continued right in front of him.
"Do you have any idea how scared I was?! All of a sudden you running off into the night and causing all sorts of trouble out there?!! I barely heard all those explosions, all the gunfire and the screaming over my beating heart!!"
He choked back a tear. She was right. He could have at least told her something, given her a sign, anything, instead of just leaving her in the dark. He couldn't even imagine how scared she was.
"Am I really that bad?! Do you really want to get rid of me like this?! You'd rather die than to be here with me?"
And with that, she collapsed back onto his shoulder, tears streaming freely down her face. Wolf could swear that for a moment, his heartbeat stopped, only to resume shortly after. He once again rested his head on Twilight's, a tear dripping from his left eye onto her mane. He closed them both tightly as he shortened the gap between his chin and the top of Twilights head, intent on bringing her in as close as possible. Thoughts crept like rats in his battered head. Did he really want to leave her? Did he really feel more at home in the the thick of battle? Did he prefer the sudden cram of fight or flight chemicals in the belly over Twilights warm embrace? Had those damn doctors really turned him completely into a weapon?
Was there no turning back for him, no hope of salvation from the jagged edges of his worst memories? He summed it all up, in one quick answer within his head.
- - - - -
"NO."
- - - - -
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
Twilight reared her head up to listen. Her irregular breathing stabilized.
"I don't know what's going on...I don't know why I'm such a fucking mess, and I don't think I can change. I'm not a normal person, but God damn it I didn't think I was this bad!"
Twilight left his shoulder and looked into his gleaming blue eyes. Such beauty, a shell of light over the darkness within.
"I don't know why I do what I do, I don't know if it's because I'm scared, because after all this time being on the front lines it's become home to me...I just don't know, and I'm sorry, so fucking sorry..."
He sniffed a bit as his eyes turned red a bit. He squinted as his breathing became more and more irregular. Twilight didn't know what to do. She just stared into his blue eyes. Then, doing the one thing that seemed...right to her, she slowly closed the gap between her lips and his. Hesitantly at first, she didn't dare move past his lips. He didn't react. He obviously needed this as much as she did. As far as she could tell, he was enjoying a moment of sheer hapiness. Newfound courage flowing within her, she slowly but surely pressed her tongue forward. As it met his lips, he reared back. She was terrified. Did she go too far? Had she ruined what she had just done? He gave off a pained sigh, as if he regretted breaking the kiss.
"Please..." His voice broke.
"Please...just...I need a little more time..."
Her head dropped as he finished his statement. She let go of him. He got up, showing almost no emotion. He walked away towards the door. He opened it, and with one last long look at the mare staring at him, he left once more.
* * * * *
Wolf walked silently into the town square, hands in his pockets, showing no response to outside stimuli. At first glance, he looked like a corpse walking, no emotion, no movement besides that of his legs. The sun all of a sudden shined in his eyes, causing him to turn his head in annoyance. He was deep in thought at the time, pondering as to what the hell he should finally do. He mocked himself for even having to think. He knew damn well he could never live with himself leaving her, but if something were to happen to her...He thought he could move on, but it turned out to be a lot harder than he thought it would. At least...it was easier to be around her now. His thoughts drifted to the kiss. While it lasted, he finally felt happy for one the few times in his life. He had fallen for her, and he knew it. But the sheer dread of loss still remained within him like a cancer, infecting all of his thoughts. He knew it was against some moral rule for normal humans, but he wasn't normal, not in the least. Frankly, he didn't give a damn that she wasn't human. And she obviously didn't care that he wasn't a pony. He loved her, and she loved him. Is it really wrong in that case?
A voice from above interrupted him all of a sudden.
"Look out below!!!"
He jumped a few feet back as a 2 x 4 fell out of the sky and buried itself into the ground. He looked up to see that he had reached Town Hall. A rainbow maned Pegasus looked from over a platform on the top floors.
"Everypony okay down there?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Oh, it's you."
"Yeah, it is."
An awkward silence ruled for a few moments, occasionally broken by the sound of hammering. Rainbow Dash bit her lip as he looked behind her, to her left and to her right. She finally looked back down to Wolf.
"Hey, why don't you make yourself useful and help us out over here?"
"Wha-?"
"You heard me, now come on, get up here and help repair some of the damage you caused."
"I did all that?"
He pointed at the top of the building. Well, the top of what was left of the buidling. He only know noticed that most of it had been completely torn off.
"By bringing an Ursa Major into the middle of town, yes! Now get your lazy flank up here before I get it up here for you!"
He smiled at the end of her statement. Stubborn, confident, little to no respect for the rules, and above all else loyal. He liked her.
12 hours later, close to sunset...
Wolf wiped the sweat off his brow as he admired the new roof of the building. After a hard days work together, he was finally accepted back into the community, despite everything that he had caused and done. He got up. Something heavy hit his foot for a brief moment, before dissapearing completely. He looked down, to where the hammer he had used to be.
"HEADS UP!!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as he looked to the ground in terror. A blue streak from out of nowhere followed by a rainbow contrail flew into the path of the hammer. All of a sudden, behind him Rainbow Dash appeared, holding a hammer.
"Getting a little clumsy, are we?" She spoke mockingly, sticking her tongue out.
"I guess so."
She gave him a respectful nod as she looked onto the finished roof.
"Nice work. All that's left is the painting I guess. I'll get a crew together to work on that tommorow. This is a lot faster than I expected. Normally it'd take us about a week to fix it up."
"I aim to please."
"We're done for the day, you can get going now."
"See you tommorow then?"
"Only if you want to spend a few hours painting this thing."
"Then I probably won't be seeing you tommorow..."
Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and huffed while shaking her head. As she opened them again, she realised Wolf was gone. Even she was impressed at how fast he was.
On the ground...
Wolf chukled as he reached the bottom of the building, effectively giving Rainbow Dash the slip. As he refocused his attention in front of him, he saw Twilight in front of him, levitating a picnic basket and a towel while Nyx was hopping along behind her.
"Hey...What are you doing?"
She shied away from him at first.
"We're gonna go watch the sunset...It's gonna be even more beautiful than usual today..."
"You wanna come with us?" Nyx happily chimed in, after hopping over to the two.
"Pleeeeease?" Nyx added, staring right at Wolf.
After a few moments thought and a quick smile, he replied:
"Of course I'll come with."
He winced as a loud 'yay' ripped through the air into his eardrums. Yep, she was happy.
46 minutes later, on top of a hill overlooking the beautiful sunset...
The towel was laid perfectly over the grass, the scraps of the meal neatly organised on top of it. Nyx was asleep on the ground, gently snoring after a full belly. Wolf and Twilight had moved further away from the towel, sitting on the edge of the summit, admiring the sky before them. Wolf turned around and smiled at the sight of Nyx asleep.
"Out like a light..."
"She had a full day of crusading with her friends, of course she's tired..."
"What about you? Are you okay?" He asked, obviously concerned.
"Yes..."
"I know that tone."
He sighed as he lifted up a bit, intent on enjoying the celestial show before him. His mind drifted to this morning...
- - - - -
"Am I really that bad?! Do you really want to get rid of me like this?! You'd rather die than to be here with me?"
- - - - -
"You're wrong you know."
"What?" She asked, confused by his sudden statement.
"About what you said this morning. About me rather dying than being with you..."
She turned away from him, blushing only slightly.
"Okay..."
"The truth is..."
He looked straight at her. He then took a deep breath, then finally said what he had wanted to say all day.
"The truth is...I'd rather spend the rest of my life repeating everything I've been through, over and over again, than to not be with you."
She looked right back at him, dumbstruck.
"Because I love you, Twilight Sparkle, more than you could ever know."
A single tear dropped from her eye, not of sorrow, but of hapiness. Both of them, together, inched closer towards one another, intent on doing this right. Their lips met in a storm of emotion from both of them. They both had no regret about this, there was nothing holding them back this time. They stayed together for waht seemed like an eternity, their lips locked together as if they didn't belong to separate bodies.
* * * * *
Behind them, Nyx cracked open her eyes slightly. As she glimpsed them both kissing as the sun set behind them, she couldn't help but crack a small smile as she drifted back to blissful sleep.
End chapter 31. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 33 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-24T01:53:10+00:00 | 2012-07-24T01:53:10+00:00 | 3,507 | The gentle night breeze beat mercilessly against the side of a hill. Under the light of the moon, he lay there, sound asleep. An eerie howl echoed across the steep incline. The wind was getting stronger. Yet another gust caused him to turn, trying desperately to stay out the wind's path. The next gust, stronger than ever, sent a loose branch from the top of the tree plummeting to the ground, onto his face.
- - - - -
His eyes opened suddenly as a large draft suddenly made contact with his skin. He opened them just in time to glimpse the large gray silhoutte passing over him.
"Look out!"
A sudden explosion rocked the ground where he was sleeping. Something came over his face. He shot up off the ground immediatley and saw the severed arm launching from his forehead onto the ground next to him. With sheer dread, he watched as a large insect-like foot stomped on the arm, breaking in in two with absolutely no effort. He was cast back down as a large fist knocked him out cold.
- - - - -
He woke up, almost screaming, cold sweat dripping down his face. He sighed, placing his head firmly in his hands. Anoother gust of wind, followed by another sound. Shivering. He looked down to his left side and saw Twilight and Nyx curled up together into a ball, trying to stay warm in this veritable windstorm. He gave off a weak smile. It was over, everything was over, the war, his old life, everything. Just relics of the past. He looked up to the top of the hill and glimpsed a patch of plaid ground. He walked up there to investigate further. It was the towel left over from the picnic. The only reason it hadn't blown away was because of the plates, bowls and other dishes weighing it down. He grabbed the towel and as many of the dirty dishes he could carry. When he got back down the hill, he gently laid the towel over the two. It wouldn't stay on long thanks to the wind. That's what the dishes were for. He put them in four separate piles,each on the corner of the towel, making sure it wouldn't blow away. He waited a few moments, and their shivering subsided. He fell back to the ground with a light thud, once again placing his head in his hands. He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair, feeling unusually tired. A sudden jolt sent him into overdrive. He let off a series of pained grunts as an array images from his past burned it's way into his head. Weaver. The training facillity. Hawk. Cougar. Steven. Places where he had been, things he had done, and things that had been done to him. They continued to shift randomly until they remained on one image. A Wasp. One Wasp in particular. In immense pain, he muttered one sentence.
"Get out of my head..."
It only laughed at his futile attempts to block it from his thoughts.
A wall of flame appeared behind the Wasp's face, and engulfed it, and him as well.
- - - - -
Wolf gasped as he was left alone in the dark. He turned back and forth, desperately trying to see something, anything. An orange light appeared behind him. He turned, to be met with the sight of the Wasp, laughing at his plight. Acting on insticnt and training, he threw his arms forward, trying to punch the intruder in his own thoughts. It dissapeared, darkness replacing it. More orange flashes appeared all around him, and the same laugh, that same evil laugh over and over again...He closed his eyes as tightly as possible and let out a loud yell. A few seconds later, out of breath, he opened his eyes. Darkness in front of him, and nothing more. He let out a sigh as a tear fell from his eye. That was painful. An eerie blue glow began to rise from the blackness, until he could see his surroundings. A massive steppe, and he was right in the middle of it. A couple old trees moved with the wind in the distance. The wind howled in his ears, and rustled his hair. He took a step forward. A low rumble emitted from the ground. He looked down to the ground, and took weary steps in all directions. The ground began to crack in some places. All of a sudden a wall of green shot out of the ground. Another one behind him. He dove to the right as yet another came from below him. And more of these geysers of dark green all over the vast steppe. They swirled with each other in the air, forming beautiful patterns, before tearing away and beggining anew. They eventually came together in an array of lines joined together far away in the sky. Then they began to fall. He jumped back as it came crashing down to the ground. He closed his eyes as bits of dirt and rocks fell all around him. When the dust finally settled, he looked up to see what fell from the sky. Leaves. A massive bush, soaring nearly fifty feet in the air.
"A bush?"
He then thought back to the shape in the sky. A wave of dread washed over him as the realization came crashing down.
A maze. A massive maze. And he was stuck right in the middle of it. Seeing no other option, he began to walk through the maze. Silence ruled over it. All he could hear was his own heavy breathing. The leaves began rustling. Loudly. Fear began to set in. At one point, the rustling turned to whispers. They were coming from behind him and growing louder and louder. Fear took complete control as he began to run.
(Two Steps From Hell: Run Like Hell)
He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he didn't care. He just ran faster and faster. He shifted through the maze like a shadow. He looked behind him. The bushes from where the whispers were coming from closed behind him. He turned back in front of him. He saw the root, but he didn't have time to react. He tripped on it. As he was falling to the ground, his training kicked in. He rolled as he hit the ground and came up back on his feet. He got away with a mistake this time. All of a sudden, the bushes in front of him began to close. He was out of time, it was now or never. He fell to the ground and slid under the closing bushes, brances mere milliemeters from his face. As he came out from under them, he jumped back to his feet and turned around the corner in front of him.
As he turned around the corner, silence reclaimed it's rule over the maze. He turned around to see that the bushes had stopped with the whispers. He turned around.
He let out a scream of terror at what he saw there.
He calmed down as he realized it was a mirror. He laughed at himself for being so jumpy. He looked into the eyes of his reflection.
"Nothing to be afraid of..."
The eyes suddenly turned black, and the arm reached out of the mirror and grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
"Well, I wouldn't be so sure of that!" his reflection replied to him in a deep, raspy voice. His relfection laughed as it tried to squeeze the life out of him.
As he was almost out of breath, he kicked with all his might, shattering the mirror, and the relfection with it. Free of it's grip, he fell back to the ground. He gasped and wheezed for breath, that damn thing had almost crushed his windpipe.
He shook it off and walked off into the maze. He soon came upon a pond. He fell to his knees and began to drink. As he drank his fill, he fell on his back and rested for a few minutes. He then got back up. As he had his back turned to the pond, he heard a splash. He turned back around to look at it. The water was completely still. Nothing was there. Not even his reflection. He turned around to stare right into the black eyes of his reflection. It lifted him off the ground by the throat for a second time.
"Miss me?" It grinned from ear to ear as it once again tried to kill him.
"No mirrors to kick this time..."
It laughed as it realized it was invincible.
Wolf kicked it square in the stomach. It dropped him as it itself fell to it's knees to retch. Wolf took no chances and ran off again.
"I'll get you yet, boy!" It screamed into the air.
Wolf had no idea how much he ran. He just stopped when he was too tired to continue. He was in a large clearing, decorated with statues, and a number of benches all around it. He sat on one and placed his head in his hands again. A couple seconds later, he heard rustling in the bushes in front of him. He looked up. All of a sudden they tore open and it came out to look at him, grinning yet again.
"Heeeeere's Wolfy!"
Wolf jumped to his feet, and looked for a place to run. Nowhere. It had closed around them. There was no way out. He would have to fight it. It climbed out of the open bushes and broke off a sword from a statue of a knight. Wolf did the same. They regarded each other, then begam to circle. They lunged forward, swords ready to inflict terrible damage. They clashed with a loud clang. The duel lasted for only minutes, yet it seemed like hours. It was obvious however that it was in it's final stage. From his position, Wolf turned, sword behind him, trying to hit the reflection. It parried his blow, then launched it's own. Wolf blocked it. He launched his counterattack and his sword met with the reflections. It grabbed his hand as it was gripping the sword and kicked him away. Wolf flew back. The kick felt like it broke one of his ribs. The reflection held on to his sword. Wolf looked up to see it laughing, holding his sword from the blade. It tossed it to the ground and lunged at him. With it's free arm, it grabbed him by the neck again and lifted him off the ground. His other arm, still holding his sword, positioned itself manacingly below him.
"Goodnight..." It told him.
It's arm lunged forward. Wolf grabbed it in midair, and redirected the blade onto the arm that was holding his throat. It sliced through it with ease. The reflection scrreched in pain as it's dark red blood poured onto the ground below, permanently staining it. The pain simply too much, it dropped the sword and with it's remaing arm gripped what was left of the other. On his knees, Wolf managed to get back up and grab the reflections sword from the ground. With all his strength, he plunged it into his foe, dooming it to oblivion. It's death rattle echoed through the clearing. With a heavy thud, the reflection fell dead to the ground, before fading away completely, as if it never existed. Wolf sighed, and sat on another bench. A moment of peace. A short lived moment of peace.
An evil laugh echoed through the clearing. He knew it all too well. He turned immediately to face the giant Wasp standing before him. Before he had time to react, it gave a good hard punch to the face, sending him flying three feet away. He spat out blood before getting up again. He tried to punch the Wasp, only to have it grab his fist in midair, before kicking him in the stomach. As he fell to the ground coughing and gasping for breath, the Wasp walked over to him, grabbed the back of his neck and lifted his head up to face it. It grinned madly before slamming it's knee into Wolf's face. Wolf was knocked back a few more feet. He landed square on his back.
A voice rang through his ears as a piercing white light appeared out of nowhere.
"Wolf? Wake up!"
He looked into the light, where the voice was coming from. Right in the middle of it, Twilight seemed to bestanding over him.
This being his last hope, he rolled on his stomach and tried to crawl to her. A huge force exerted on his back sent him back to the ground.
"Where are you going?"
It grabbed the back of his neck and lifted him up again. Wolf's buried his fist in the ground, picking some of the dirt up.
"I want to look at your face when you die worm..."
As it was turning him around, Wolf's arm shot up, releasing the dirt he was holding directly into the Wasp's face, temporarily blinding it. Wolf seized his chance and ran like hell towards the light. A roar of anger echoed through the clearing as all the bushes bore down on him. Adrenaline surging, he ran as fast as he could. He could fell the bushes behind him. Roots started shooting out from the mass of leaves and tried to grab him. He just pulled them off. He was getting closer, but so where they. He had no choice. With his last ounce of strength, he jumped into the light screaming as he soared through the air.
- - - - -
Wolf shot up from the ground where he was laying. He looked frantically around him.
"Calm down, calm down! You're okay!"
Wolf looked to the source of the voice. It was Twilight. He made it.
"Oh thank God..."
He began laughing as he realized his trip through hell was over. The sun was rising, and another beuatiful day was waiting for him.
Deep within Everfree Forest...
A lone Pegasus bowed before a Unicorn recovering after a newly cast spell had sapped his energy.
"Did you succeed my Lord?"
"No...he escaped this time..."
"That is unfortunate..."
The Unicorn turned to face the bowing Pegasus, a large grin on his face.
"Hardly. Now we have an effective weapon to use against him, one he cannot counter."
He turned back around to face the rising sun, laughing at his newfound 'entertainment'.
"I'm going to enjoy the next few weeks..."
End Chapter 32. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 34 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-06-30T19:46:56+00:00 | 2012-06-30T19:46:56+00:00 | 3,310 | 2 weeks later...
Things were getting out of hand. The nightmares were getting worse each day. HE was getting worse each day. A fine line separated from him and insanity. He came close to ending up in a mental home before. Hell, nearly every time he was on leave they would have a shrink work on him for a day or two. After the incident with Dr. Rourke they finally got the message. But he never came this close. At least four nights a week he would wake up screaming. The days weren't much better either. Everywhere he went he saw shadows, faces, and blood red eyes. Whenever he looked at somepony smiling, he swore he could see their teeth turning into blood stained fangs while their red eyes stared right through him. He was losing it, and he knew it.
Suprisingly, he woke up normally one morning. The best sleep he had in two weeks. He yawned as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. A sweet, pleasing scent filled the air his nostrils sucked in. He couldn't tell what it was, but damn it smelled good. He let off another loud yawn. Hoofsteps, coming from the kitchen. A familiar face came out of the doorway, soothing smile plastered on her face.
"Morning sleepyhead."
He didn't answer right away, he just let out yet another yawn.
"Morning."
"Sleep good?"
"Suprisingly, yes..."
"You hungry?"
His stomach growled in response.
"Do you need an answer?"
Her eyes rolled at his usual, sarcastic manner. His mind drifted back to that sweet smell...
"What's for breakfast?"
"Oh, I'm making a side of waffles." She smiled, beaming with pride.
His heart sank immediately. He knew it smelled good, but Twilight had a history with cooking...
"Uh...are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Relax, I followed the book's instructions to the letter."
"What book?"
Her horn glowed, and a big brown leather bound book floated out of the kitchen.
'Cooking made easy' The title read.
"I guess it doesn't matter, I'm hungry enough to eat anything...even your cooking."
A pillow that was next to him suddenly met him in the face. Twilight walked back into the kitchen triumphantly, her head held high as she smiled. She burst into laughter as she moved deeper into the kitchen. He followed her.
The table was already set, and the smell was even better in here. All of a sudden, his skin felt strange...
"That's weird..."
"What is?"
"I feel...funny."
"Define 'funny'."
"My skin just feels....weird, i don't know how to describe it."
"Has anything unusual happened? Any contact with strange plants, minerals?"
"No, noth-"
Then it hit him.
"My armor..."
"What about your armor?"
"I've never been out of it so long..."
"Maybe you're just readjusting to a normal enviroment..."
"I guess so."
He sat at the table and grabbed the two bottles there. One was chocolate syrup, the other vanilla cream.
"I'm telling you, I can't go on like this...These nightmares, the hallucinations...everything..."
"Morning Mom!"
Nyx came into the room with a huge smile on her face. She was in a good mood.
"Morning Wolf!"
He just grumbled a 'morning' in reply. He was frustrated.
"I think most of all though, it's that I don't have anything to do..."
Twilight and Nyx just continued their morning chat, in which Spike had joined in as well.
"The combination of everything is gonna make me lose it, go crazy..."
All of a sudden, he lifted the bottles in the air, turned them upside down, squeezed them and moved his hands around.
"...Nuts...Insane...Bonzo..."
All three of them had turned around to see his teethe gritting and his arms moving with increase intensity. It was getting a bit creepy. He continued...
"...No longer in possesion of one's faculties, three bullets short of a full mag..."
All of a sudden, he lifted the plate in the air and while they were still processing the image of the smiling face he drew with the two bottles, he screamed extremely loudly:
"WAACKO!!!!"
The awkward silence in the room while they simply stared at him was broken only by his heavy breathing.
"What? Why are you looking at me like I'm crazy or something?"
They just exchanged quick glances between each other, and Twilight replied:
"Nothing..."
Wolf got up out of the chair and moved for the door.
"All of a sudden I've lost my appetite..."
As he grabbed the handle of the door, he said one final thing before leaving.
"I'll be back..."
After he slammed the door, Twilights eyes rolled, and then she focused on the task at hand. Preparing her daughter for another day at school. And that would start by getting breakfast ready. And so she set out to finish what she started.
6 minutes later, Red Dawn.
The air hissed as the magnetic locks on the outside hatch disengaged and allowed the door to open. An electronic voice rang in the air.
"Welcome back sir. Is there something you need?"
"Yeah...very much..."
"Do you require assistance in locating it?"
"No thanks Sam...I can do it myself."
"Yes sir."
He walked off into the long metal corridor and turned into another room with a large red cross on it. He entered and immediately opened up a cabinet. He quickly skimmed through the bottles inside, until he found the one he was looking for. He quickly unscrewed the cap and poured at least a half a dozen pills into his hand. He quickly downed them, hoping the effects would be quick.
"Sir, is that wise?"
"Sam...you know that I'm against these kind of meds."
"Yes, of course sir."
"Then I believe that you realize the magnitude of the situation I'm in for me to use them."
"Affirmative sir..."
Having found what he was looking for, he quickly left the ship.
4 minutes later, Ponyville.
Wolf was feeling a bit lightheaded. He immediately realized that those were too many pills, even for him. His eyes fell upon an all too familiar scene. Sweetie Belle arguing with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. This was the final straw. All of a sudden a jolt to his head shocked him.
- - - - -
Kill her...
- - - - -
He knew not to give in to voices only he heard, but the sheer force of the voice, combined with his weakened state, led him to obey.
Diamond Tiara was happy with her apparent victory, as well as the fact that she had gotten away with it.
"That's it!"
Or so she thought. Terrified, she turned to face the source of the booming voice.
"I let you off with a warning the first time, hell I even let you go a second time, but that's it. No third chances!"
His pace quickened as his entire body prepared for action. Instincts kicking in, Diamond Tiara turned tail and ran. He followed closely behind.
"Come here!"
Diamond Tiara ran as fast as she could through town, dodging everything in her path. She ran until she came across a familliar face.
"Daddy!"
She ran up to him and jumped behind him. Filthy Rich turned to get a look at what had frightened his daughter so much.
Wolf walked into the corner, itching for a fight. He saw her hiding behind her fathers leg. He ignored his presence there completely and advanced. Instinctively, Filthy Rich got in his way.
"Get out of my way. This doesn't concern you."
"It's my daughter. Of course it concerns me."
"I'll try again. Out of the way."
"NO."
"Don't take a hint eh? Well, no third chances...Guess I'll have to take you as well."
As he prepared for battle, Filthy Rich reared up on his hind legs and tried to hit him in the head with his hooves. He lunged forward at Wolf. He, in turn, nimbly dodged the approaching hooves and tackled Filthy Rich to the ground. Using his knees, he pinned Filthy's hind leg to the ground while his left arm punched him square in the face while his right gripped his throat. His left reached side of his left leg and pulled out the pistol from it's holster. He positioned it right on top of Flithy's face while he whimpered, terrified of what would happen. Wolf tensed up all of a sudden and his breathing became heavier. The adrenaline had gotten to his head and canceled out most of the medicine's effects.
- - - - -
"Do it! Now!"
- - - - -
His finger slowly began to squeeze the trigger. Then he heard it.
"WOLF!!"
He knew that voice all too well. He sighed, dissapointed, and in a defeated tone told him:
"Saved by the bell..."
He got up off him and walked off to meet Twilight. By that time, a sizeable crowd had assembled around them, now scared as they were reminded of his skill to kill. Filthy Rich went from afraid to embarrased in no time flat. His public image would suffer for this defeat. Unless he could turn it around...His opponent had left his rear exposed, and he had just threatened his daughter as well! He would get his revenge for this.
Filthy Rich shot up from his position and as quietly as he could, galloped towards Wolf, got within range, and turned around to attempt to buck him in the head. Wolf snapped back immediately and his right hand collided with Filthy's right hind leg in midair. The force of the blow was strong enough it lifted Filthy Rich off the ground and turned him around midair. Time seemed to slow down for him, and he watched in horror as Wolf's left arm followed his right. A horroble pain cut through him as Wolf's fist collided with his face, sending him flying into a nearby empty cart. The cart shattered with a loud crash as Filthy Rich crushed it with the weight of his own body and the force that was driving him. He lost consciousness nearly immediately after the blow from Wolf, and now the terrified crowd had assembled around him trying to help him. Before he left, with the corner of his eye Wolf saw a trickle of blood emerging from under a few pieces of wood. Twilight stood there with her jaw wide open. Her head snapped to Nyx immediately, who was standing next to her, still processing the horrible scene she just saw.
"Go to school."
"But Mom..."
"No buts, just go!"
She obeyed her mother, and got on her way. Twilight turned to face Wolf. He was heading in the direction of the library. She followed him. By the time she caught up with him though, he had already reached it. He left the door open, he knew she was coming. She entered the library, and her horn glowed bright purple. Almost immediately, the door behind her slammed shut, the windows closed immediately and locked. She looked at him leaning on the wall and gazing out of one of the closed windows.
"WHAT THE HAY WAS THAT?!"
He didn't answer, he just gazed out the window.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM!!"
"In case you didn't know, that's what I was trying to do..."
"WHY?! WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THAT?! YOU'RE NOT LIKE THIS!!"
All of a sudden he stood up and gave her a look that could kill.
"Don't you pretend to know me, 'cause you don't! You got that?! Next time don't get involved, 'cause you might get caught in the crossfire!"
"OH SPARE ME THE TALK, THE ONLY THING YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IS KILL AND HURT!"
"Oh yeah? Well if it wasn't for me abillity to kill, guess what! You'd all be dead three times over!"
"Shut up, just shut up and get out!"
"Oh yeah? FINE!"
"FINE!"
He huffed and grabbed everything he had brought in, mumbling as he was walking out the door.
"I don't need this bullshit..."
A clap of thunder shook the tree. Wolf ignored it and slammed the door behind him, a sack of equipment hanging on his shoulder. Immediately, the rain began to fall. Twilight looked out the window at him leaving, and collapsed crying to the floor, under the windowsill. As Wolf reached thirty feet away from the library, he turned around, sighed as he looked on it, and moved on.
Deep within Everfree forest...
"How did it go this time my Lord?"
"Although it didn't have the desired effect, I still made progress."
The snyde Unicorn looked up at the gray sky above, an evil grin appearing on his face.
"I'm breaking him..."
End Chapter 32. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 35 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-07-28T02:07:13+00:00 | 2012-07-28T02:07:13+00:00 | 3,568 | As soon as he entered the ship, he threw his bag of equipment into the wall so hard he thought he heard some of the contents break. He threw it so hard, the sound from the impact echoed throughout the ship. A familiar electronic voice began to talk.
"Are you alright sir?"
"Do I look alright Sam?"
"Why do I even ask..."
Wolf leaned against the wall. He let out another dissapointed sigh. He needed to be alone for awhile. Completely alone.
"Sam...Full lockdown. Bring the ship up to FCA."
"FCA, aye. Sir, are we under attack?"
"No Sam...Just making sure we won't have any uninvited guests..."
If he hadn't shown he wanted to be alone before, he sure did now. He only reserved Full Combat Alert for the most dire circumstances, such as a full invasion. If he wanted to be alone so badly as to bring the ship to full alert status, everyone should just stay the hell away. An alarm blared through the ship as bulkhead doors sealed throughout the ship. Airlocks and outer hatches engaged their magnetic lock and sealed shut. An electrical hum echoed through the ship as the dormant weapon systems came to life and armed themselves. The automatic loaders revived themselves and pumped a huge ammount of shells into position, ready to reload the ships many cannons as soon as they fired.
While it was one of, if not the smallest ship in the Human fleet (at least in ship terms. In regular terms, it was massive) it boasted some of the best hardware in the entire fleet.
It's communication systems were state of the art, able to communicate nearly instanteneously with ships in a completely different system. That was quite an advantage, considering the time it took for a transmission from one ship to reach the another across the vast space between the two. It usually took a couple of minutes, but by that time, a ship asking for aid could have already been destroyed before the call for aid even reached another ship.
The sensors were another major advancement imparted on the Red Dawn. Aside from being able to detect ships in regular space from up to a lightyear away, it could actually detect ships while they were still travelling within a Jump corridor. It still had it's drawbacks however. It could only detect ships travelling within a Jump corridor as long as they were relatively close. Depending on the power of the approaching ships Jump Drive, it's advance warning ranged from a few seconds to a few minutes.
It's best defensive feature however, were it's RGG's (Reverse Gravity Generators.) These devices, still in their experimental stage, and usually reserved for the Fleets largest battleships, created a gravity field, that instead of pulling incoming objects towards them, pushed them away. They weren't stong enough to deflect incoming projectiles, but they were strong enough to slow them down enough to the point were they would, at best, simply scratch the paint. It depended on the incoming projectile though. The Spinar's heaviest guns would still slice through the armor, even with the RGG's active.
Wolf was walking down the ships corridor when all of a sudden one of the bulkheads slammed shut, nearly cutting him in half.
"Damn it Sam, you could have killed me!"
"I'm only following your orders sir."
"Open this door, now."
"Yes sir."
The door hissed again as it opened. Wolf walked further down the corridor as another door sealed in fron of him. He was getting pissed now...
"Sam..."
"You did order a full lockdown sir."
"Rescind order, just seal all outer hatches..."
"Yes sir, although that won't stop any intruders."
"Why not?"
"All they have to do is circle around and enter through one of the massive holes in the ship."
"What massive holes?"
"The ones created during the crash. You haven't noticed them?"
"Of course I haven't noticed them! You never even told me about them!"
"Didn't I mention them last time you were aboard? Oops...my bad..."
She chuckled a bit. Wolf simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. While he enjoyed her sense of humor, at times it could get annoying, especially since she enjoyed blasting loud music over the intercom while the crew (and he) was asleep. Other times when he was errr...alone with someone else, she would begin to play some music that would...fit the moment.
- - - - -
Sex Bomb
Sex Bomb
You're my Sex Bomb...
- - - - -
As that particular memory crept back into his head he shuddered. That was one moment he dreaded almost as much as the war itself. Sam scarred him for life that day...night, and he hadn't quite forgiven her for that yet.
"Show me the breaches..."
"Follow my directions..."
2 minutes later, Red Dawn rear sections...
Wolf came upon the last door to where Sam said the breaches were.
"Sam, open the door."
"Um...sir, you want to take a moment to prepare yourself for this..."
"Sam, just shut up and open the door."
"Yes sir..."
The air hissed as the door opened. Wolf looked out, and audibly gasped as his jaw dropped at the sight before him. An entire section of the ship was missing, just scattered over the plain. In the few months it had been there, all sorts of plants and vines had grown into the exposed sections of the ship.
"My baby...She's been turned into a jungle!"
"I warned you sir..."
All of a sudden, he was overtaken by a wave of joy as he began to jump happily throughout the ship, on the rim of where it had been cut.
"Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!"
"Um...Sir?"
"Sam...You've just given me something to do!"
"O...Kay..."
Within her mind, she was wondering if he had taken too many of those pills...She watched stunned as he grabbed a large knife and began hacking away at the plants that had so rudely intruded on his ship.
12 days later...
Wolf wiped the sweat off his forehead as he finished yet another day's work. The sun was setting over the hill in the distance, and made for quite the sight. He had already cleared all the plants and vines from the belly of the beast in the first two days, and now he was hard at work trying to patch up the breaches in the hull. He had already salvaged as many pieces of the ship's alloy scattered all over the plain and using the excess heat from the ships fusion reactor, melted them down to create newer pieces of it. Using whatever equipment he could find onboard, he welded the new pieces of armor onto the old shell. It took a hell of a lot of time and effort though. You try lifting and pushing those massive pieces of metal with just your bare hands and a pulley system. He probably could have done it much faster if he had just tied the thick ropes he had to a Cerberus MBT and used it's massive engine power to pull it up, but he preffered to do it by hand. It'd take up more of his time that way, keep him with something to do. For the past ten days he was repairing the outer shell of the ship. He still had a lot more work to do. While the outside was about three quarters done, the inside was still completely unrepaired. He would be kept with something to do for a loooong time...As he fell back to rest up for a bit, his mind drifted back to Twilight...
- - - - -
"Shut up, just shut up and get out!"
- - - - -
That sweet voice...saying those words...it hurt...a lot. He was still pissed. Not at her, but at himself for bringing her to that level. For making her so angry. He blamed himself for her words, he had nearly killed somepony. If he couldn't control himself...maybe sealing himself within the Red Dawn for the rest of his days was the best option...Either that...or giving in to the temptation many of his comrades...his friends had given into...
- - - - -
Planet Alaris, Cobalt Base, January 13th, 2662, 14:56 hours...
Wolf walked through the corridors of Cobalt. It was one of the largest millitary installations on Alaris. Large enough to have sufficient forces to beat back the initial Spinar attack. He was looking for Cobra, the other Demigod stationed there. They knew each other well. They had a bit of a friendly rivalry back in training. It still transferred to live combat. They would regularly send messages to each other, tallying the kills of the day. Whoever had the least kills by the time they had leave, or were stationed together always bought lunch, a drink or two etc...Their request to be given leave at the same times had been granted, and it gave them both something to look forward to. Wolf was going to Cobra's quarters to see if he wanted to cash in on his higher kill score. He found his room, and knocked on the door. He turned the knob, only to find out it was locked.
"Cobra?"
"Wolf..."
"Open the door man, I owe you dinner."
"I'm not hungry..."
"Okay, a drink? Anything?"
"Wolf...I'm tired...I just want this all to end..."
A clicking sound sent a wave of horror down Wolf's spine. He knew exactly what made that noise, and knew how it was made.
"You don't mean that Cobra! Open the door!"
"I'm sorry Wolf..."
A loud bang echoed through the room and the hallway, easily bypassing the door. A thump was heard as something heavy hit the floor.
"Cobra! Cobraaaa!"
- - - - -
He quickly shook the thought out of his head. That was the easy way out. He never took the easy way out. And when he tried to, he was stopped by his friends. Like Sam had stopped him three days ago. He wouldn't try it again. But was his alternative, spending the rest of his life, a good 230 years, completely alone any better? He decided not to think about it anymore and to take a quick shower. A cold shower, it was well past the time for hot showers. Summer was coming...
Meanwhile, at the library...
Twilight was pacing through the library, unsure of what to do. She wanted to see him again, but was afraid of his reaction. She remembered his words from almost two weeks ago...
- - - - -
"Don't you pretend to know me, 'cause you don't! You got that?! Next time don't get involved, 'cause you might get caught in the crossfire!"
"Oh yeah? FINE!!!"
- - - - -
She had kicked him out, and he had willingly left. How would he react to her sudden return? She didn't know, and she sure as hell didn't know why she was going anyway.
A few minutes later, outside the Red Dawn...
Twilight's heart skipped a beat as the massive warship came into view. It sat in the middle of the plain, towering like a mountain over it, ruling all beneath it. Slowly but surely she approached one of the holes in it. If she wasn't afraid outside of it, she was terrified in it. She nearly jumped to the ceiling when a voice rang in the air.
"Welcome back Mrs. Sparkle. It's been awhile since I've had the pleasure of your company."
"Hello...um...Sam, is it?"
The AI chuckled at how awkward Twilight felt.
"Yes. I presume you wish to speak to His Stubborness?"
Twilight nearly burst out laughing at Sam's characterization of Wolf. It fit him perfectly. It certainly brok the ice her and Sam.
"Yes, do you know where I can find him?"
"He's in the showers. Don't come at him all of a sudden, he's given me strict orders not to let anyone in."
"Then why did you let me in?"
"Because what he needs right now is a good talk with someone he knows and loves, and frankly I'm not getting through to him. Hopefully you'll be able to."
"I hope so Sam..."
"I'll guide you to him..."
"Thank you Sam."
"And I'll be able to answer your questions later."
This caught Twilight off guard.
"How did you-"
"Know you wanted to ask me questions? The Major has told me quite a bit about you in the last few days. That, and if someones living in a library, they must have lots of questions to ask someone like me."
Twilight smiled. She liked Sam. She also liked how open she was. It was hard to believe that she was an artificial creation and not a living creature of flesh and blood.
2 minutes later, deeper within the Red Dawn...
The sound of running water filled the air. Twilight could see the steam coming out of the doorway and she could feel the heat.
"He's in there. Go in slow."
Twilight listened to her advice. She had known Wolf for most of his life, so she trusted her on this matter completely. She slowly but surely entered the shower room. She nearly slipped on the wet floor. She winced a bit as her hooves splashed in the water on the floor.
"Twilight...Don't you know it's common courtesy to knock or yell before entering the shower room?"
"I'm sorry..."
Wolf sighed before turning off the water.
"Don't be. I'm done anyway."
He cracked open the door to the shower stall and grabbed the towel he had hung on the knob. He then closed the door. He came out a few seconds later, the towel wrapped around his waist. He moved over to a nearby locker and got another towel out. He used this one to dry his hair. Twilight just stared at him, his strong arms, his muscular legs. As far as she could tell, he was well built for a human his age. Then she noticed the scars on his body. More scars than she'd like to count. Some big, some small, some long, some short...Every shape and size was right there, permanently carved into his body. As he dried his hair, he walked out the door and told her to follow him. She listenened to him. She followed him throughout the ship. She was careful however, not to slip on the trail of water he had left behind him...
2 minutes later, Wolf's quarters.
Wolf walked over to his closet. Twilight stood in the doorway. He leaned on the closet and sighed.
"Wolf? Are you-"
"I'm sorry Twilight..."
"What?"
"I'm sorry...for everything..."
He paused, inhaled sharply, and continued.
"I'm sorry for everything I've done, and for making you so angry...and for nearly killing him..."
Twilight fought in vain to choke back tears.
"I'm just an old war horse...Uh...no pun intended...I know why I'm like this...but I feel that there's nothing I can do to save myself...and I'm dragging you down with me...I'm sorry..."
Twilight let a single tear drop to the floor. She knew what she was going to do, and it felt right.
Suddenly, his towel dropped.
- - - - -
"Oh shit!"
- - - - -
He chukcled nervously, then ducked quickly and tied the towel back around him. He then started to turn around.
"Sorry about tha-"
He was sent flying back into the closet as Twilight jumped into his arms and locked her hooves (and her lips) around him. She kept a frim grip around him. His initial shock wore off quickly, and he returned Twilight's kiss. Certain that she was secured on him, she used her hind legs (which were wrapped around his waist at the time) to push his towel down to the floor. Her horn glowed, and the door behind them shut and magnetically sealed.
Meanwhile, Ponyville Hospital recovery room 416...
Filthy Rich awoke from twelve days of being unconscious. A calm voice spoke to him.
"Easy...don't strain yourself."
After a few moments coughing, Filthy Rich finally managed to speak to the Unicorn standing over him.
"Who are you?"
"Who I am is not important. What's important is your revenge on the one who sent you here..."
"You mean that freak Wolf?"
"Indeed..." The Unicorn snickered.
"How? I can't defeat him!"
"You can't...But I know someone who can...And all it would take to bring him here is a simple letter..."
"To who?!"
"You know who..."
A sudden jolt pierced through Filthy Rich's head. Suddenly, it became perfectly clear.
"Are you ready?"
Flithy Rich spoke firmly.
"I am."
The Unicorn levitated a quill and a piece of paper and listened carefully as Filthy Rich dictated:
To:
Sir Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard...
End Chapter 34. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 36 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-08-19T03:34:34+00:00 | 2012-08-19T03:34:34+00:00 | 3,145 | The next morning...
Wolf barely slept that night. He woke up in the middle of the night, and just stared at the ceiling till the first morning light crept through the viewport in his quarters. He laid in his bed, Twilight resting on his shoulder, her mane a scattered mess, and a smile on her face. Her breath beat against his neck, sending light chills down his spine. He was wondering if he was doing the right thing...
- - - - -
What the hell are you doing Wolf? Do you really want to risk this again?
- - - - -
He couldn't think about this in here. He needed to get outside. He gently lifted her head off his shoulder, making sure not to wake her up. He replaced his shoulder with a pillow. As he made certain that she was still asleep, he opened the door and walked out. He didn't know that behind him, Twilight had cracked her eye open and was watching him...
As he made sure his voice wouldn't be heard, he ordered to Sam:
"Override lockdown."
"Overriding. All hatches openings."
"Disarm all weapon systems."
"Affirmative. Disarming all weapon systems."
Outside the ship, the wide assortment of cannons disarmed and the loaded shells were removed from their chambers.
He moved quickly through the bowels of the ship, making little to no noise at all. After a few minutes, he finally reached his destination. He opened the hatch and crawled out on the top of the ship. The sun's light immediately met his eyes, causing him to squint. The sun was rising, and it was going to be a beautiful morning. He only wished he had come up under better circumstances. He crossed his arms as he neared the edge of the ship. He gazed off into the sunrise, thinking about what had happened the last times he got this close to someone...
- - - - -
A single gunshot ripped through the air.
"COUGAR!!"
- - - - -
He closed his eyes tightly as he remembered that day that scarred him for life. Another flash came into his battered head...
- - - - -
He dove behind the wall, narrowly avoiding the Spinar fire on it. He landed right next to Panther. They had gotten together on the start of their deployment on this God forsaken rock...
"What's our situation Panther?"
"Cut off, surrounded, and almost out of ammo!"
"SSDD eh?"
"Amen to that..."
He looked back to where he came from.
"GIve me some cover fire, I'm going go grab some ammo!"
"You want it, you got it. Wait for my signal."
Panther looked back at her squad.
"Covering fire on my order!"
She waited for a lull in the Spinar rate of fire.
"Covering fire!"
The entire squad leaned over the wall and opened fire on the scattered Spinar positions. As the rounds were still flying, Panther looked back at him.
"Go go go!"
Wolf listened and ran back. An explosion sent him flying into another wall. He looked back at Panther...and she wasn't there. A pillar of smoke rose from where she once where as scattered body parts and blood rained from the sky.
- - - - -
He sighed as yet another, the most recent flash pierced through his head...
- - - - -
Wolf ran down the corridors of the hallway, side by side with Tiger, her brother, Python, and a pilot they rescued, callsign Migraine. They were conscripted together. They were heading towards the hangar bay. They needed to get off planet, now. Best way to do that was the Invasion Transport in the hangar bay, seeing as how it was the only ship equipped with a Jump Drive. The door was in sight. He moved through it, and the massive transport came in sight. These things were built to carry up to 200 foot soldiers, or up to 8 Cerberus MBT's with an 80 foot soldier escort.
"There she is, let's go Migraine."
"We're not going anywhere unless someone disengages those docking clamps!"
Wolf looked to the direction were Migraine was pointing.
"Alright, we'll take the docking clamp, you just get the ship ready to fly."
"I'm gonna need a copilot, and you're the closest thing I've got."
"Me?"
"Yes you, you're the only one who's trained on some other aircraft."
"Yeah, but not a freaking IT!"
"Doesn't matter, you're the best we've got."
Tiger stepped in.
"I guess we get the clamp then."
Migraine nodded.
"Console's over there. Get down there and disengage those damn things!"
"You got it! Come on bro."
Python followed his sister to the console on the other side of the large hangar. Python's skills with machinery were almost legendary. If anyone could work that console, it was him.
While they were working their way to the console, Wolf and Migraine went up to the bridge of the transport. They primed the engines and prepared to lift off.
"You guys finished down there?"
"Patience is a virtue..."
Migraine looked out the window to see a truly terrifying sight. A full grown Leviathan, climbing up the hangar.
"Not right now it isn't..."
"I'm working as fast as I can Migraine..."
"Work faster..."
A low shriek came from the distance. Tiger walked to the other side of the platform the console was on, her rifle ready to fire.
"Drones..." She whispered.
"Could you hold them off while I finish here sis?"
A burst of gunfire was Python's answer. Followed by another, and another, and yet another. By the time Tiger had finished, about two dozen dead Drones littered the floor.
"Yes!" Python shouted.
A loud clang was heard as the docking clamp disengaged from the ship.
"Good, I'm going down there."
Wolf exited the bridge, despite Migraine's protests.
On the console platform, Python threw his arms out and smiled in an obvious boastful display of his skills.
Tiger just rolled her eyes. Her eyes went wide the next time she looked at her brother. A large stinger was portruding out of his shirt, covered in blood. Python whimpered as his lfe slowly left him. The Wasp ripped Python's corpse from it's stinger, roaring at it's victory. Tiger yelled as she emptied her mag into the Wasp's stomach. It fell over dead after over a dozen rounds into it's stomach. She would have emptied more rounds into it's stomach, but her gun simply clicked empty. She threw it away as tears streamed down here eyes. A voice cracked over her radio as a large number of spiked tentacles emerged behind her.
Wolf stood at the end of the ramp as he watched in horror as the tentacles approached Tiger.
"Tiger what are you doing?"
Tiger didn't move.
"Tiger get out of there."
No response.
"Tiger get out of there now!"
Still no response.
"Tiger! Tiger!"
He inhaled before he yelled into the radio as loud as he could.
"JANE!!!GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!!"
Tiger merely looked up at him as the ship lifted off the ground. Wolf never knew if she felt the Leviathans spiked tentacle crush her under it's weight.
Wolf screamed as he fired his rifle in the direction of the Leviathan.
- - - - -
Wolf looked down and winced as the last, most painful flash ended.
"Wolf?"
He looked back to discover that Twilight had come up as well, and was staring at him.
"Are you okay Wolf?"
He sighed...
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Come back to bed..."
She looked up and stared into his blue eyes.
"...please?"
He couldn't resist that look in her eyes. He willingly went back down with her.
Back in Wolf's quarters...
They laid back down in bed together. Twilight immediately rested her head on Wolf's chest. He just continued to stare at the ceiling. Twilight looked up at him, and gently told him...
"Promise me you'll never leave me."
This was it. The final moment. When he would decide if was going to stay or not. The decision was somewhat hard, but he would tell the one thing he had on his mind when she told him that. Something he heard not two weeks ago...
He leaned over, and genlty whispered into her ear.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly..."
Twilight recognized what he was going to say immediately. She inhaled sharply at this.
"...Stick a cupcake in my eye..."
A simpe 'I promise' would have sufficed for her...But a Pinkie Promise? This was it. He was bound for life. She knew, and he knew it very well. Twilight kissed him as she broke into tears.
2 hours later...Canterlot Royal Guard Barracks...
Shining Armor sat in his office as he was writing his monthly report. He hated doing it, and he also wondered why he had to do it. No one read them anyway. A knock on the door.
"Mail call Captain."
"Come in."
A white stallion entered his office carrying the last letter of the day.
"It's a little late sir. The mail mare that was supposed to deliver it got lost on the way...It's a mess in there. We've got letters adressed to Fillydelphia, Manehatten...Honestly sir, you're lucky you got this."
Shining Armor laughed.
"Thank you. Just set it down on my desk, I'll get to reading it at some point."
"Yes sir."
The stallion left the room. Shining Armor looked around to make sure that no one was watching, and immediately jumped on the letter. He tore it open and started to read...
End Chapter 35. |
Black Alicorn | 656 | 37 | Nightmare Moon,Original Character,Shining Armor,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Sex | New Beginnings | A young human super-soldier crash-lands on Equestria. Now, he must leave behind his dark, dark past and embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning. More so, he must now protect it when an ancient evil returns to plague Equestria once more! | hiatus | 521 | 70 | <p>When a young human super-soldier falls to Equestria, he must move on from his dark past filled with war, tragedy and bloodshed. Will he embrace this new chance at life, this new beginning? And most importantly. can he protect it when an ancient evil returns for a second time?</p><p>(<b>NOT a Halo crossover.</b>)</p><p>!!!Due to an incredibly busy schedule now that exams for college entry are closing in, New Beginnings is on Hiatus!!!</p> | teen | 2012-08-19T03:29:34+00:00 | 2013-08-23T20:36:07+00:00 | 3,052 | Twilight tossed and turned in her sleep. She reached out her hoof to the right side of the bed, only to find it was empty. She woke up all of a sudden as it registered in her mind that something was missing. As her eyes lazily opened she realized it wasn't something missing, it was someone. She tossed her head up in fright. He was nowhere in sight. Had he left her again? Was she alone in this massive metal machine? Curiosity and fear getting the best of her, she slowly crawled out of bed and left through the open door.
Her hoofsteps echoed through the narrow halls of the ship. Her heartbeat quickened with each step. Some of the lights flickered on and off. Maybe the power systems had ben damaged in the crash. It all gave an eerie feeling to the ship. Something brushed up against her leg. The sound she heard terrified her.
"Meow."
She looked down to the ground to see a black cat purring while brushing up on her. It looked to her and stared at her with it's big green eyes. Twilight sighed as she realised her fears were unfounded. She rubbed the cat a bit on the top of it's head. It purred more intensely in response. She resumed her journey through the bowels of the ship.
As she progressed further and further down the hall, the echoes of her hoofsteps became louder and louder.
Suddenly, they increased in pace. That wasn't her walking. From all around her, the sound of rapid hoofsteps echoed through the halls, even though she was completely still. They all centered behind her, then stopped. Twilight slowly began to turn her head around.
"BOOO!!"
Twilight screamed as she nearly jumped to the ceiling. Nothing was behind her. As she settled back on the ground, cackling laughter could be heard.
"You should have seen the look on your face!" The voice continued it's ecstatic laughter. But no one was there. Twilight realised who it was.
"Sam!"
"I'm sorry..." Sam laughed for a few moments before finishing her sentence.
"I couldn't resist...I'm quite partial to practical jokes...Oh the stories I could tell you..."
"Later...Where'd Wolf go?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. He gave me strict ordered not to."
Twilight looked up at the ceiling. Sam paused.
A few moments later, she errupted into laughter.
"Strict orders! Priceless! Oh, I'm gonna die of a heart attack, and I don't even have a heart!"
She laughed for a bit longer, before answering Twilight's question.
"He's in the kitchen."
Twilight smiled.
"Thank you Sam."
"Don't mention it."
Twlight began to walk away.
"Seriously, don't mention it. He'll have my processor on a stick."
As Twilight began to walk away, Sam burst out in a new, louder fit of laughter. She rolled her eyes as she wondered if Sam had gone a bit...crazy...
2 minutes later, Red Dawn kitchen.
Twilight could smell something cooking. The smell was...different, to say the least. As she slowly entered the kitchen the smell of something frying hit her. it was coming from deeper inside the kitchen. From where she was right now, she could see a finely set table, with a bowl of what seemed to be a salad on one side, the other empty. She slowly entered the inner sections of the kitchen. A crackling sound could be heard as she saw him tending something brown on a grill. The smell was definitely coming from that. She came closer. Suddenly, Wolf turned, looking for something. He jumped as he saw Twilight standing right there in front of him.
"Sorry..." Twilight said sheepishly.
"It's alright...Just go sit down and start eating. I'll be with you in a minute..."
"Okay..."
She turned around and began to walk away, but she had to ask.
"What are you cooking?"
His face fell as she asked him that question.
"I'll tell you at the table..."
"Okay."
Twilight turned around and walked out, taking her seat at the table.
Wolf wiped his forehead as he exhaled. He thought he escaped that question...
Twilight was eating her salad slowly, partly because she was waiting for Wolf. For the most part though...pretty much cause it tasted horrible compared to salads she ate elsewhere. It was edible, but it wouldn't be hard to find something better.
Wolf came out of the kitchen with a plate in his hand. He set it down on the table and sat in the chair opposite Twilight. Twilight saw what looked like a sandwich on the plate. It seemed to have lettuce cheese and that brown thing she saw earlier. Wolf picked it up with his hands and took a bite out of it. He seemed to savor it...
"So what were you cooking..."
He swallowed suddenly as his face fell. How would he explain it to her?
"Well?"
"Um..."
Before he could answer, Twilight noticed something drip out of the sandwich and onto the plate. It was a brownish red liquid, obviously coming from the brown thing in the sandwich.
Her eyes went wide as she realised what he was eating. She got up out of her chair, he face turning a bit green. Wolf shook his head.
"Yes...that's what you think it is..."
Twilight had to fight hard to stop herself from throwing up all over the floor. What poor creature was he eating? She had seen his canines, of course, but she assumed that a race advanced enough to conquer the stars would disregard them as a useless tool of the past.
"How can you eat that...that's another living thing!"
"Was, another living thing. Your point being?"
"How can you just eat something that was alive?!"
"You eat plants. They're alive. Ever think about that? You eat just plants. We eat both plants and meat."
She shook her head in disgust. She stared at him with a pleading look. As he finished swallowing the bite he was chewing, he looked at her, and said.
"Oh no, uh-uh. I'll give up the guns, eventually, I'll give up the knives, but I will not, I repeat, NOT give up the occasional burger and or steak. BIG no-no there."
"Fine...Can we get going?"
"As soon as I finish this..."
A few minutes later, outside the Red Dawn.
Midday.
The sun was just beggining to set when they came out together. Birds happily chirping in the air, and all sorts of animals were running around happily, finishing up their dayily routine's and preparing for the night.. He breathed the air in as yet another day in paradise was finishing. The nagging thoughts in the back of his mind about him and Twilight were gone now, just another thing of the past. He had hoped that any problems they might face, Heaven forbid, that they would be that easy to resolve. But one thing remained in his mind, and it was a hell of an issue seeing as he caused it. He turned to Twilight.
"What's the situation with Fluttershy?"
She looked up to him and smiled.
"You were gone for almost two weeks. In that time, Rainbow Dash assembled the crew that rebuilt the Town Hall and built Fluttershy a new cottage, this time closer to the Whitetail Woods, instead of Everfree."
He breathed a sigh of relief as it set in. She wasn't homeless anymore, to thanks to him. He felt like a complete jerk for spending twelve days fixing his ship when he could have helped right one of his wrongs. At least the matter was taken care of...
"So...you okay?" He asked her.
"With what?"
"You know...back in the kitchen..."
Twilight shuddered at the thought.
"It'll take some getting used to..."
Twilight was thinking about some other issues, one that she wanted to solve immediately...
"No more sleeping on the couch for you mister..."
Wolf did a double take as she said that. He needed to make sure he heard what he heard before jumping to conclusions.
"What did you say?"
"I said you're not sleeping on the couch anymore...You're coming up with me..."
She shot him a look that told him more than enough...
"Spike's a heavy sleeper, and sleepovers at the Applejack's, Rarity's, or the Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse are common...So we'll have plenty of time...together..."
She bumped him with her flank as she finished her statement.
Wolf pulled the collar of his shirt open as he was thinking if he should run while he still had the chance...
A few minutes later, at the library...
As they were opening the door, Twilight's eye fell to the goden chariot out back...
As they opened the door, they were greeted by the sight of a large white stallion sitting on the floor and talking with Nyx.
"Mom, look, Uncle Shining's here!"
Shining Armor couldn't help but smile at the sight of his sister. He barely managed to get up before Twilight came over and hugged him.
"I missed you BBBFF..." She said as a tear fell from her eye.
"I missed you too Twilie..."
As they broke their embrace, Shining's Armor's piercing gaze fell upon Wolf.
"Hello there..." Wolf spoke.
Shining's behavior changed. He suddenly became more edgy, and alert.
"So you're him..."
"Well, 'him' is more of a general term, my name, is Wolf."
"I know. I've heard of you...What you've done."
"Word travels fast around here."
"Yeah, being in a position as high as mine helps too..."
"And what position would that be?"
Shining Armor shifted a bit.
"Captain. Of The Princesses Royal Guard."
"Hurray for you..."
It was quite clear that they were annoyed by each other's presence. You could cut the tension with a knife. Twilight could see their annoyance.
"Uh, so Wolf, this is my brother, Shining Armor. Shining, this is Wolf."
"Charmed." Wolf said in a sarcastic tone.
"Likewise. Say, you mind giving us a little privacy? I'd like to have a little talk with my sister."
"Sure..." Wolf said as he walked past him, going into the kitchen and closing the door behind him.
"You too Nyx..."
"But..."
"No buts, just go upstairs please..."
"Okay..." Once he was certain that Nyx was upstairs, he turned to Twilight.
"Twilie! What are you thinking?! This...THING is dangerous! You know that! You know what he's done! For Celestia's sake, you've seen what he's done! I want him out of here, fast and I wan you to stay away from him! You hear me?"
Twilight huffed as she walked over to the window.
"Doesn't feel good does it?"
"What?"
"Doesn't feel good when you're own flesh and blood hooks up with somepony without you knowing it does it? Well know you know what I felt like when I found out you were getting married..."
"Twilie, that's different. You know I had responsibilities. And besides, it was somepony that both you and I knew well. This is completely different! I mean, he's from another planet for crying out loud! Who knows what his intentions are?"
He paused for a minute to catch his breath.
"I want you to break it off with him."
"No."
"What?"
"NO. I had no say in who you loved and married, now you have no say in who I love."
"Twilie, I want you to stop this before something happens that we'll both regret."
She turned around to face him.
"Like what?"
"I don't want you going too far with him."
She froze. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Shining Armor noticed how suddenly she stopped moving and how her eyes fell to the floor. He then realised it.
"No..."
He turned around and walked towards the kitchen.
"Where are you going?"
"To end this, right here, right now."
"Shining Armor, what are you going to do?"
"Twilie, whatever you do, do not open this door."
"Why? Shining Armor! Come back here! Shining!"
Twilight's cried were drowned at as he closed the kitchen door behind him, then locked it with a spell. To ensure that no one would get in, he moved the table in front of the door to barricade it. Twilight still yelled and beat on the door from outside. Wolf was on one side of the room, Shining Armor on the other. Wolf spoke up.
"What's wrong with her?"
"None of your business. You stay away from her, you hear me?"
"Listen pal, I've finally found a little bit of hapiness after going through hell. I don't care who you are, but I'm not leaving her."
"And I'm not letting you get close to her."
"Then it seems we have a problem."
Outside the room, Twilight was pacing back and forth. She was nervous. What was going on in there? All of a sudden, she heard yells, and clattering. She heard a few thumps as something fell to the floor and shattered. Grunts followed the shatering glass, as she realised what was going on. Terror filled her heart.
"Stop it! Stop it!" She beat on the door as she desperately screamed from outside.
A loud scream was heard from within, followed by a loud thump. She was absolutely terified now. She began beating on the door as she continued screaming. As her last resort, she teleported inside. What she saw there nearly caused her to fall dead from fear. After she finished screaming at the top of her lungs, she yelled as loud as she can.
"SHINING!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!!"
End Chapter 36 |
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