I should probably explain a thing or two about what I've been up to lately.
Took a little vacation, down by Appleloosa, to try and help clear my head. Guess I also hoped that I might find a survivor, though I know that's pretty much impossible. Appleloosa was the same as everywhere else I've been. A ghost town, riddled with skeletons. More there than in most places, though. Probably cuz they're a tough buncha ponies. They've gotta be to survive out there. I left there after looking around a bit for anypony or any useful supplies.
I'm back at the farm now, applebucking as always. It's tougher work without any help, but I don't have as many mouths to feed, or anypony to sell to. Well, sorta. I'll explain later. I do work a bit on some of the gardens in town, too, cuz even I can't live off apples alone.
Though I could try. Don't test my mettle.
You'd think a war that wiped so many out would be more devastating, but that's the odd thing about these Greyfaces. They didn't really care about the buildings. Sure, they knocked a few down, but mostly they only attacked the ponies living inside.
Apparently, they really don't like anything living. Us "sentients" or "sapients" or whatever it was Twi called us were their main targets, but they'd go for anything, especially if it got in their way. That's how I lost Winona.
Winona... You always were a hero, deep inside, weren't you? Not just any ordinary dog.
I said last time that I'm the richest mare in Ponyville. Even by my old standards, that's probably true. I've... eh... upgraded the furniture around here. I didn't steal it, mind, I paid in apples. Ain't got much else left, and I don't reckon they'd have much to do with anything. Dunno why I even bother with the apples. Doesn't seem right, just taking their stuff, I guess.
Probably the same reason I haven't moved into anyone else's house.
Except for Twilight's Castle. Definitely not moving there.
That... I should really explain, later, after I've told a bit more about the war.
Where was I last time?
Right. Ahem.
I had wasted a bit too much time looking at the thing and not doing anything about it, and I couldn't let it get to Applebloom, so I did the first thing that came to mind which was sending it up into the roof. That must've caught it off guard, cuz it made the darndest sound I ever heard as it shot up and bashed its head on a beam. I flipped around and gave it the good old double buck, sending it right into the dirt wall.
Big Mac weren't doin' to bad for himself. He was having a bit of trouble landing any good hits, but my brother's built like a red brick wall. Nothing and nopony gets past him.
Well, mostly nothing...
Sorry, got distracted. Uhh, right. I knew no guard was gonna be there in time, and I didn't have the time to even try and tie this thing up. Guess I already got my slow-motion moment to myself or whatever because it happened so fast. I leapt at it, and punched its head harder than I ever punched anything before. There was a crunch, and my hoof was covered in thick black oil. Yeah, oil. I'll get to that.
I didn't have a moment to think about what I just did. Big Mac was still tussling with his Greyface. I rushed it from behind and held it still long enough for Big Mac to slam his hooves down.
I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of killing the first one.
I definitely won't ever forget the second one. That was just...
Look, I've fought monsters before. I've been in brawls. When you hit something, it has a certain sort of give and stop. It feels like you're hitting something. Greyfaces feel like a soft rock, if that makes any sense, or maybe a really big, tough dirt clod. Well, I guess that is what it is, cuz of what happened after Big Mac squashed his.
I felt it die. It was pretty obvious. Not like "one final twitch" obvious or "sudden relaxation" obvious. Well, maybe the second one, if you call "whole body melting" relaxation. Twilight probably woulda called it "disintegrating" or somethin fancy, but I reckon she never was wrestling one down when it did. For a moment, the Greyface was pretty solid, but all of a sudden it was just so much dirt. Well, dirt, oil, and glass.
It basically fell apart, and the oil sank through the ground, leaving just dirt and broken glass lying around like a skeleton. I looked back over at the first one and it was the same story, only there was no real skull left. That's another thing I learned then. These things have brains, kinda. They've got a glass sponge thing in their skull. If you can call it a skull. It's just a vaguely head-shaped orb. No holes for a mouth or eyes or ears or anything, except for where the spine connects.
I guess Greyfaces are kinda the opposite of ponies.
Ponies are colorful, friendly, and made of flesh, blood, and bone.
Greyfaces are, well, grey, vicious, and made of dirt, oil and glass.
I remember how a buncha ponies thought they were some sorta machine cuz of the oil, but that didn't make much sense to me, they didn't really react like machines. Twilight said they were "golems" or somesuch so I guess we were both right. Parts of a machine keep working and spinning even if other parts break off. I guess ponies keep going when they're injured, but when they're dead, they're dead. Same thing happens with Greyfaces. They die like you and me.
Well, not me. Not yet.
Wonder what I'm gonna die of, eventually.
Applebloom looked so scared after that. Bet I looked pretty scared, too. We all sat in the corner, huddled, watching the stairs, ears straining for any sound. After, I dunno, an hour or so, we heard hoofsteps. We hoped and prayed they wouldn't come down here, but then we heard somepony say something muffled. It sounded like a guard.
I called out "We're down here!"
Now, that was a mighty foolish thing of me to do, but I was lucky, and it really was a pair of guards looking for us. We were told that we had to evacuate to Canterlot, and fast, because they weren't sure how long the Greyfaces were retreating for. We scrabbled together the bare essentials of our belongings and made our way to the train station. Surprisingly, Ponyville looked almost normal, if a bit empty for being late in the evening. There were a few ponies still making their way to the train, but most of them must've already gotten there.
I'd seen the train station on a busy day, but this was nothing. There were so many colts and fillies, yelling and screaming and whining. Evidently, one train had already left, loaded with the elderly, the injured, and the very youngest foals with their parents. The second train would take most of the remaining youth, and anypony left would take the third and fourth train.
Waiting for the train was tense. Everypony was restless, though the second train leaving quieted things down a lot. Thankfully, Granny and Applebloom were able to leave on that train. During the boarding of the third train, we found out how long the Greyfaces were retreating for.
Thirty minutes, on the dot.