Emperor Despair

by Comrade Bagel Muffin

The Ashes

"What are they doing?" Pumpkin asked her brother who was pacing up and down the hall.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!"

"Don't yell at me I'm just." Pumpkin started to tear up.

"I'm sorry sis." He put a hoof on her shoulder.

"I didn't think he could just come in here when ever he wanted. All of the gems were active. All of the best casters where down there. He pried the shield open and just took her." She took a deep breath. "What's the point of having a shield if he can just break it when ever he wants. He turned her to stone. He did it right in the middle of the shield room and nopony could stop it. It's hopeless. If we couldn't stop him then there's no way we can stop him."

"Don't say that sis." Pound gave his sister a rare hug and pulled back. "He took Screw Ball and turned her to stone but we'll get her back, and mom, dad, and auntie Pinkie Pie. We have to." He wiped the stray tear out of his eye. Got to play it cool till Pumpkin calms down.

"But without Screw Ball how are we going to decipher the books?"

"You tell me sis, you were working on the smart pony stuff. How are you going to decipher the books?"

"Well I guess-"

"That isn't going to happen!" Comet's voice echoed through the door. His out burst making the twins jump.

"Calm down Comet!" Scootaloo yelled back.

"The both of you need to calm down," Zecora said. "You are making our two eavesdroppers frown. I understand Comet that you are up set, but screaming has not helped anypony yet. Button Mash please open the door; there is no need for secrets anymore." The door opened for the Cake twins; Button Mash ushered the two of them in, and gestured them to sit next to others who had apparently been eavesdropping through the door before they arrived. They sat next to Amethyst and Dinky, the latter was clearly disturbed. There were at least a dozen others who sat with them. Watching their leaders come to the brink of breaking down. Comet had tears striking down his face. Sweetie Belle looked like she had run out of tears hours ago. Scootaloo just looked tired.

"Comet I get it really I do." Hold out, so long as the others are here I can't break, no weakness not in front of others.

"Then how could you even suggest that she's replaceable! Would you be so callous if it was Sweetie Belle, or Apple Bloom, or Rumble! How can you not care about Screw Ball?"

"Please calm dow' Comet. She didn' say Screwy was replaceabl' sh' asked ya if ya could decipher them books." Apple Bloom looked at Comet with a patience that only came with exasperation. "We're gonna do everythin' we can ta get Screwy an' everypony else back." She stood up, letting Scootaloo slump down for a second. "An' ta do tha' we need ya ta finish wha' she started."

"I think that I can try." Comet looked away.

"Now to what we've been avoiding." Scootaloo pushed herself back up. "What are we going to do about this attack? I see only one option to avoid this from happening again." She paused wishing that anypony would say what she was thinking or better yet give another option. "We need to put more space between us and Canterlot. We need to leave." Nopony batted an eyelash. "It is only to clear that we were kidding ourselves about being able to keep Despair out." She looked around the room everypony looked down. "Spend the next day packing your things. We won't come back until we've unlocked the two books, and have the means to beat him.

The thick haze hide the dawning sun, which only managed to cast a little light onto the gray forest. Every colt and filly assembled outside the cavern that only two days ago was their impregnable fortress. Every face was down cast as they stood in the dew coated grass. Waiting for the moving orders to be given. Everypony had the entirety of the belongings in their saddlebags. Carts were loaded with the Shielding crystals, supplies, and other essentials. After another hour the order slowly trickled through the seven hundred CMC members. By noon the Everfree Forest was a dot on the on the eastern horizon.

"Scootaloo how much farther are we going?" Pound flew up to the front of the long column of ponies. "Some of the younger colts and fillies are starting to fall behind."

"We can't stop yet. We'll slow down as much as we need to, but we can't stop. Start telling the older ones, to help them along."

"Ah Scootaloo." She look at him waiting for the inevitable. Even the most loyal have their limit. "Some of the others well they want to know where we're going, or if you and the others know where you're taking us, Their wondering what's the point?"

"And do you question us too?" She asked ready to snap.

"No ma'am. Pumpkin and I just need to know what to tell them." She gave a ghost of a smile at his answer.

"Tell them Rumble and Monsoon are scouting out ahead of us. We're going to the Undiscovered West. And Pound. Thanks I need to know that somepony hasn't given up all hope yet." Pound returned the smile and raced back off to the rear.

"It will take us a week to get out of Equestria going west." Sweetie Belle said. "Are you sure that it's a good idea to go that way, I mean there's nothing out there."

"Exactly no reminders of Despair."

"Scoots we've got a problem!" Rumble flew toward the CMC like a mad pony.

"It's super crash!"

"Wha's goin' on?"

"Griffons. Dozens of griffons, and they're headed this way."