Scorched Earth

by Shorty Sparkle

Chapter 4

Thanks for reading so far. I am sorry it is taking longer to pump out chapters then I would like. I am going to start writing them longer so just wait a little while and I will have them easily at 10 pages by the next chapter. Also, I am looking for somepony to draw me a picture for EQD. I don't want to submit it until I have one. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks everypony!

Chapter IV

The next few years were hell on Equestria. It took years for the fires in Canterlot to stop burning and even longer for us to attempt to rebuild. Nightmare Moon was always there now watching over us. She controlled both the moon and the sun which should have taken up large amounts of her magic. By the way she murdered ponies and set fire to places that opposed her. It didn’t seem to affect her at all.

People got scared pretty quick. Those dark ponies that helped with the attack had been conjured from the souls of ponies that long ago fought for Nightmare Moon. It was one of the things that was never taught to anypony. Over a thousand years ago Nightmare Moon infested Luna by planting the idea of hatred in her mind. This caused the fair princess to stop trusting her sister thinking that she was trying to betray her. All her paranoia led to her making an army right under Celestia’s nose.

The chaos that had erupted was amazing. Nightmare Moon had withered down Luna until the young Princess had nothing left but the shell of her body. Nightmare Moon took that moment to take over her and use her power to fight. The only thing that stopped her was the still conscious mind of Luna who did all in her power to stop Nightmare Moon. The fight inside her own body was enough for Celestia to defeat Nightmare Moon and banish her to the moon knowing it would take her sister a thousand years to fight Nightmare Moon out of her body enough for the Elements of Harmony to finish the job.

Now she didn’t have that restriction. The stars made her a body that she didn’t have to share. Her power became limitless almost instantly. She used the power to raise the souls of the dead army she had commanded. Now she was unstoppable.

---

It took me and Storm a long time to travel now. Travel was forbidden but we managed to find our way away from the Nightmare Army. The Everfree Forest was our best bet to keep away from them because not even Nightmare Moon’s magic could affect that place. It also became to hub of our resistance.

“So Storm, what do you think is going to happen?” I have asked that question many times but I loved to hear his answer. Instead he just sighed.

“I don’t know anymore Celestial. We already lost so much and the resistance is falling apart.”

I almost lost hope right there. It wasn’t the answer I had expected at all. After all those years of fighting and now he was starting to give up? Why would he do that.

I wasn’t a filly anymore. I had become far stronger in my years of fighting the Nightmare Army. The only thing was that flying was forbidden. Not just by Nightmare Moon but by the leader of the resistance. This was because Nightmare Moon would be able to detect us in seconds if we flew.

I looked at Storm again in that armor that just made him shine. It was because of him that we lived through everything that was thrown at us. He was known as the Storm Bringer because of his amazing manipulation of weather. It both allowed us to hide our new home and control the weather without the dangers of flying. He was finally needed, but under what circumstances?

“Wait, I hear something.” He started walking forward very slowly. I could hear something too but I just couldn’t pin the sound.

“Probably just another bear. Let’s go.”

He froze as he looked around the large trunk of a tree. “Celestial, you might want to start running.”

At that we both turned tail and ran. I didn’t even know what was chasing us but I could tell by the screams it was emitting. I didn’t want to know.

We kept running away as fast as we could go. The high pitched scream was following us though and I knew that it was coming from whatever that monster was. There was a loud crash as something hit the monster behind us.

I almost turned to look at it but Storm stopped me. “Don’t look at it. You don’t want to see it.”

I heard another voice in the background. I couldn’t quite make it out but it was getting closer.

“-amn monsters are evolving every day. What in Goddesses name is making these... Things anyway?”

I heard Storm respond. “I have no idea. But this is the fifth time this week something that hasn’t been seen before has attacked us. I think we need to lock up the base while we still can.”

Everyone there treated me like I was a filly. Sure I was small but come on. I have already seen some of the other things that attacked us. Then I remembered the blood curdling scream that came from that thing. I decided against looking.

“Well, let’s head back then. No reason to stay here anymore. That scream could be heard from miles and no doubt that will draw some attention.” I could recognize the voice as Sword Strike. He was the best swordsman we had. No doubt he killed whatever that creature was.

Storm came and grabbed me taking me with them back to the base. I looked back and just saw the strange tentacle coming from behind a bush. It caused me to shiver.

---

There was some worry as we got back to the fort that we were all dead. That scream had awoken everyone in the fort including the people living in the underground area. The fog was thicker than usual because the cloud generators got pushed into overdrive to keep the whole place hidden.

Those generators were amazing. In the last few years many earth ponies had started making things in the fort. They had been given their own area to work in as well. The things that they created were normally things to replace abilities we lost from the pegasi not being able to fly.

There was one thing though that really did stand out. It was the gun. This small thing could fire a bullet at a higher speed then Rainbow Dash could fly! I was given one for protection and it was holstered onto my saddle bags. It was very easy to get to and it did a huge number on any living (and nonliving) thing that attacked us.

The best part was that some guns were better than others. Mine was smaller and didn’t do very much. But when you looked at ones for people like Big Macintosh your muzzle would swing open. His gun was massive and tore holes even in Ursa Majors! It was explosive too.

“Storm, when are we going to deliver those supplies to Ponyville.”

He cringed and looked worriedly at me. “No one told you did they?” I shook my head. “Ponyville got hit yesterday. The damn Nightfire Bomb spell hit it. I guess that Nightmare Moon learned they were helping us.”

I stopped walking. “Storm, can you take care of reports? I-I think I need to go lie down.”

He nodded and I walked off. When I got back to my room I went straight to the bathroom and puked. Ponyville was our refugee camp for the children. “They killed them all.” I looked out the window into the fog.

This wasn’t the first time children had been killed. Heck, I saw them kill many kids in my time. I even saw them kill one when I was just a filly. But killing hundreds of them in seconds without any warning at all.

I walked to my bed and threw my head into my pillow. And I wept.

---

The next day was hard. Everypony was on alert as the Nightmare Pony Troops were close by. They had come just as we suspected. Looking for whatever made that loud scream. It was a long day as we all just waited.

When the sun went down however it was even worse. The scream returned. This time followed by another and another. More of those... ‘things’ were out there and they were killing everything.

It was after the moon was halfway up that the caravan came in. At least what was left of it. Our supplies that were supposed to last us days were completely gone. The guys looked at us in horror. It was then that I noticed not a single mare was with them.

“They... oh god... They did things to the mares. GOD! They... OH MY GOD!” One of the ponies screamed as he tried to recollect what happened. He obviously didn’t want to. Storm looked at me and I quickly realized that he had saved my life.

The stallions were taken away to the hospital section. Something was happening to the animals in the forest. God knows what was causing it though.

---

It had been a few days since the creatures attacked our caravan. The stallions have been getting antsy in the forest saying that we are no longer safe here. Something about the Darkness seeping into the landscape.

I don’t really understand any of it myself. I always figured that no one ever saw all the creatures here so maybe we are just finding new ones. That was until I saw the Medusa.

The creature had jumped the gap to our base of operations without us even noticing. The alarm had sounded only after 3 people had been turned. I ran outside to see people scrambling. I grabbed my pistol from the holster.

“Where is everyone going?” I asked. No one could hear me though because of the gun in my mouth. I decided to run into the crowd. Maybe I would find out what was happening. I was pushed and shoved. I fell to the ground and got mud pounded into my face. I got up already bleeding.

That was when I saw the creature. It was turning someone to stone as he looked at it. I looked away quickly worried I might have the same fate. I remembered the Cockatrice and realized that the creature here looked a lot like it. Only much bigger and had snakes growing out of its head. I took my pistol and closed my eyes. I used that moment to run up to the creature.

I heard the hissing from the snakes and blew that creature’s head right off. I felt a sting on my leg short after and opened my eyes. One of the bastards was biting me! “GET OFF ME!” I screamed as I shot my gun. I hit its head but realized fairly quickly that shooting something in the head that is biting you.... Not a good idea.

I doubled over in pain and blacked out.

---

When I woke up I heard a council member talking. “She might be dangerous. We saw what happened to people bitten by that thing.”

Someone else answered him. “Sir, she is lucky as hell. When she shot herself the venom hadn’t gotten a chance to spread. She shot the entire chunk right off her body. Her stupidity saved her life.”

“I don’t want to take the chance. She is still dan...”

The voices faded as I started blacking out again.

---

I slightly woke up again and heard Storm screaming. “YOU CAN’T DO THIS! THEY ALREADY CLEARED HER!”

“I am sorry. I have no choice. She might still be infected and I wont wait to find out.”

“WHERE DO YOU EXPECT HER TO GO!?” Storm took a second to calm down. “There is no way she can survive out there.”

“She will have to figure that one out herself.”

“So, this is what she gets for saving all your sorry asses. I wont leave her. If you get rid of her you get rid of me.”

“That will have to be a sacrifice we are willing to take for the safety of this base.”

I felt the darkness coming for me again. I fought it. I didn’t want to leave and if I could just show them... I couldn’t though. I fell asleep again.

---

I woke up to the rattling of a cart. I had no idea who was pulling me. But I had a guess of where I was going. I could hear the hushed whispers as people watched me being pulled away. I felt the tear before I realized I was crying. “I don’t want to go” I said. I couldn’t be heard though. No one could hear me.

Every time I settled down somewhere... It was the same every time. My mother dies and my dad couldn’t take care of me. The three foster homes I stayed at each with its own abusive family. Fluttershy’s home. Now here. Everywhere I went I lost the people I trusted. Every time I lost everything.

I could feel the ground change to wood as the cart rolled over it. It was cold outside. The winter was starting again. I could hear the crunch of snow as the other ponies pulled me outside. I heard Storm’s voice as his head got close to mine. Not realizing I was awake.

“Everything will be fine. We will find a home... Something... we will do something...” I could hear the tears. “God dammit we will think of something!”

They didn’t even give us the cart. I felt it tip over and plop me on the ground. The cold snow quickly got me wet and I heard Storm yell at the guy. “Are your kidding me?!”You couldn’t even let me just pick her up you just have to drop an unconscious pony on the snow? You people are a disgrace.”

I felt his muzzle as it bit down on the clothe I was wrapped in. He put me on his back and started walking. I still couldn’t move with the pain seeping through my body. I started crying silently. I fell asleep again.

---

I woke up to warmth. I opened my eyes to a roof. I sighed. “It must have just been a dream.” Then I realized that the place was not our base. I looked around and realized we were in a hut. I had never seen anything like it before.

“I assure you that I can brew something that will proved a good healing. Something that will give her a good feeling.” I heard a mysterious voice. It sounded familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Thank you Zecora I am glad you were here to help. I don’t think we would have-” Storm gestured to me and saw I was awake. “Celestial! Thank the goddesses you are awake.” He came running to my side and started telling me what happened. “The monster you killed. It kills in two ways. It will either turn you to stone or poison you with its snakes. You got it before it could turn you to stone... But I bit you.” He sighed with a tear running down his face. “If it wasn’t for the point that you shot yourself in the leg you would be one of those... Things right now.”

Zecora came over to me and gave me a bowl. “Drink this little one. And you will be better so you can run.”

I drank the potion and started drifting off again. More sleep for me. I started crying again. The pain was too much. Not the physcal pain from shooting my leg. Everyone I knew abandoned me to die. And Storm was good enough to help me in my time on need. He gave up his safety to save my life.

I was drifting too fast. I didn’t want to sleep again. I wanted to go back to the base. I could show them that I was ok and they would let us back in. I just wanted to have my home back again.

I dreamed about Fluttershy again. How she raised me for that short time I had been with her. I loved her like a mother in such a short time. She taught me so much.

Comments

[Shorty Sparkle]

199878 Heh, woops thanks for pointing that out. Hunted it down and eradicated the Handy Menace.