//------------------------------// // Saddle Moor // Story: Twilight Of The Damned // by Foals Errand //------------------------------// Nestled on the coast of Equestria was the Village of Saddle Moor. It was a smaller town, even compared to newer villages just starting out, The village was home to roughly thirty families, all of whom followed the Church of the Sisters. While most ponies tend to shy away from those who were overtly religious, they were content, eager to live their lives. Community was a strong sense of pride to them, and they regularly engaged in parties and festivals that brought them all together. Today was such an event. Twilight Velvet smiled broadly as another family arrived, a wrapped dish resting on the mare’s back. “Hey! I’m so glad you were able to make it!” She trotted over to the unicorn family as their teenage daughter took off to join the other foals. “It looks like we may actually make the amount of bits we need to send the high school foals to Canterlot. With the Sisters’ blessing.” “With the sisters’ blessing” was echoed by the arriving couple as they dumped several bits in the fund raising box and moved to join the rest of the families. Velvet sighed, smiling as she returned to blowing up balloons. “Ah, dear Velvet, doing this all on your own? Where is Brother Night Light?” Velvet stopped with a smile on her lips. “Father Moral Compass, I’m so glad you and your wife Sun Ray were able to make it. Sadly, Night Light was delayed in the Capitol and won’t be home yet for another month.” She shook her head. “Something about comets being spotted.” The dark brown earth pony nodded, fixing his collar which had gotten loose due to a strong breeze. “So does it look like we’ll be making our goa—” Without any thought or warning, every living being in Saddle Moor dropped to the ground. Sadly, it included two pegasi stallions who had been playing ball high above. The red unicorn took a deep drag on her cigarette as she watched two policeponies hurriedly paint a white line over the road. “So, what do we know, if anything?” She lifted an eyebrow towards one of the officers, who was trembling. “Hey, buck up! Tell me what is going on!” “Ah, yes! Yes, of course… About six hours ago we lost all contact with the village of Saddle Moor. a few of my deputies trotted towards the village and…” He spread his foreleg out to indicate the two stallions passed out less than ten feet past the painted line. “It..it’s eerie, Ma’am. Even the birds are silent.” The unicorn nodded as she watched an earth pony volunteer being outfitted with a magical mask designed to give him clean air. “A gas leak maybe… but why does it stop so suddenly.” She took another drag as the stallion took a step over the white line. “Just keep walking slowly. You are on a rope. f things go bad we’ll pull you back quickly.” The stallion nodded. He took several slow steps, his hooves clip-clopping on the stone road until, just six feet over the line, he crumpled to the ground. As he hit the ground he was yanked back. The unicorn mare yanked the mask off and checked him over. “Unconscious but breathing, pulse is fine… Get me mane, urine, and blood samples stat!” As she finished speaking, a unicorn stallion fought forward, having just been dropped off by a cab. “What is going on here? Let me through!” The unicorn mare trotted over to him and offered her hoof to him. “Deep Inquiry from Royal Department of Science and Health.” The stallion frowned, but he took her hoof. “Stable, I’m the physician of Saddle Moor. What in Equestria is going on here?” Right before Deep Inquiry answered, the unconscious stallion groaned. His eyes opened. She looked up to see the deputies in the road standing up. Confused bird calls followed and she smiled. “We aren’t sure yet. Come with me, Doctor?” Doctor Stable shook his head. “No! I have to get to town, my wife and village need me!” Ignoring the cries for him to stop, he galloped past the white line and down the road. Deep Inquiry frowned, taking another drag before turning to the other government workers. “Well, what are you waiting for? Horns on the fritz? Get out there and find out what caused all that!” Velvet got back to her hooves, trembling as everypony else got to their hooves. Quiet murmurs reached her, until a scream caused her ears to pin back. She turned towards the scream and quickly, wished she hadn’t, as she saw Cloud Burst lying on his side. His neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, and his head was cracked open. She turned her eyes away as her breakfast escaped. “Mom! Mom!” Velvet looked up in relief as her teenage son Shining Armor galloped over. “Oh, thank the Sisters! I thought you and Rocky were going to go sailing!” She wrapped her forelegs around her son, trembling as he held tightly. “We were just about to climb in the boat when whatever that was happened… Boat is gone but Rocky and I are alright…” Shining Armor nuzzled into his Mother’s coat. “M-mom was that Mister Cloud Burst…” “Shh... he is in the embrace of the sisters…” Velvet shook her head as Moral Compass covered the stallion’s body with a picnic blanket. “I… I think we should head home.” “Yeah, let’s get going Mom…” Shining Armor led his mother towards the road to come face to face with a unicorn in a full hazmat suit. Their jaws dropped as they saw twenty or so unicorns with their horns lit, scanning their entire town. Velvet swallowed hard and nosed her son forward. hey took slow steps away from the hazmat ponies and towards their home which overlooked the sea. It had been four weeks since the incident had occurred, and the town of Saddle Moor had been deemed to be just as healthy as it had been prior. Not that Velvet really noticed as she lay her forehead on the seat of the toilet, her horn weakly glowing as she flushed it. Several moments later she rose to her hooves and went to the kitchen. There, she saw Shining munching a bowl of Oat Loops. “Are you still feeling sick, Mom?” Shining Armor asked, trying to finish his math homework without his Mom noticing. Velvet sighed. “What am I going to do with you, Shining? Even my own colt doesn’t do the work I assign. And I think i’m getting over the worst of this bug.” “I dunno, Mom. Maybe you should make an appointment with Doctor Stable. We can watch the littles today and do study hall otherwise.” Shining Armor smiled, putting his math homework into his bag. “Come on Mom… Do it for me?” Velvet sighed. “Oh… Alright. But I expect everypony to have a short essay ready for me tomorrow. Deal?” “About any subject?” Shining Armor asked, cocking his head “Sure, why not! Now get going.” She kissed his cheek, chuckling as he made a face and headed out the door. Velvet looked over the dirty dishes left on the table and rolled her eyes. “That colt… without their blessings he’ll never find a filly.” With a jerk of her head the dishes were in the sink and she was on her way to get checkout by Doctor Stable. A spring was in her step as she remembered Night Light was due home today! Nothing could have made her upset! Velvet stared at the floor in shock. “Run it again…” Doctor Stable sighed, pulling his glasses off before laying them down on his desk. “Velvet, I ran it six times…” “Run it again! I can’t be! It’s not… I didn’t! In the Sisters’ name!” Velvet trembled as she stared at the floor. “I could never… never!” “Velvet… it isn’t just you, there are a lot of pregnancies… You are the ninth one I’ve diagnosed in the last two days.” Stable shook his head. “Every one of you exactly four weeks along…” “Nine… but that…” Velvet trailed off as she felt Stable’s hoof lift her chin. “Go on home, Velvet. Night Light is due home soon and you need rest and to pray. All we can do now is wait.” Stable packed up the test results and floated them into Velvet’s saddle bag. “I’ll be at Night Light’s welcome home party tonight. If need be I will speak with him.” “O-of course. In Sisters’ blessing.” Velvet touched her hoof to Stable’s before walking out of the office. “In Sisters’ blessing,” Stable echoed, shaking his head and adding Velvet’s case to the eight others. Night Light smiled, tipping the cab driver as he stepped out in front of his home. “Oh it’s so nice to be back! Thank you for the ride.” The pony took the bits and headed back out of town as Night Light walked up the steps to see his son outside painting one of his little figures. “Mom got on you about paint staining the table again, eh?” Shining Armor looked up and grinned. He set his stuff back and embraced his Father. “Dad! Welcome home! Nah, Mom is in the bedroom. She's been really quiet since I got home. She’s been sick so I convinced her to go see Doctor Stable.” Night Light hmmed and set his bags next to the door. He walked into the bedroom. “Velvet? Honey, I’m home… Shining says you’re sick? Would you like me to make you my world famous turnip soup?” Velvet looked up at Night, her ears pinned back, the fur under eyes stained by tears, and her eyes glossy and red. “Nighty…” Night Light climbed onto the bed and took his wife into his hooves. “Shh. Whatever it is, honey, I’m here…” Velvet burst into fresh tears. She clung to him, her tail curled up towards her barrel as she levitated the test results to rest next to Night Light. After a moment he opened the folder and blinked at the paperwork. “You… we’re pregnant?” Velvet whimpered, clinging to him while she nodded. Night Light beamed. “That’s fantastic, baby! I’m so excited I’m going to be a Daddy again! Honey, what is it? Talk to me.” “...Night… I’m only four weeks… It...it happened the day of the black out I wrote you about. A-and it’s not just me. Doctor Stable said I was the ninth… I didn’t I…” Velvet sighed lightly as her lips were covered by Night Light’s. “I know that, Velvet… What a blessing our village has received from the Sisters!” Night Light beamed at his wife, kissing away her tears. Velvet finally smiled with a hiccup. “Y-you’re right… Such a blessing!” “To the Sisters who stay in the sky, guiding the Sun and Moon, guiding each of us towards our fate, we dedicate ourselves to you from the tips of our ears to our four hooves. In Sisters’ Blessing.” Moral Compass smiled at his flock as they replied in kind. “We thank you for the blessing you have bestowed upon our village and we swear to raise these gifts in the blessing of your word!” A pony mare hesitantly stood up “Father, I have no disrespect, but do you not feel that we should contact that government doctor who was here after the blackout?” “And for what reason does the government need to be aware of our blessing? Were the Celestia seated upon her throne in Canterlot truly one of our ladies she will already know… Now, let us pray.” Moral Compass opened his bible as the mare sat back down. The rest of church passed quickly. Velvet was soon walking out, accompanied by her son and husband. “Ten of us… it’s so incredible. Were it happening anywhere else I don’t think I’d have believed it.” Night Light chuckled. “I told you this was the best place for us to raise our family. Oh! Speaking of family I got a telegraph from Clear Dawn this morning. He’ll be here on the four o'clock train.” Shining Armor grinned widely “Uncle Dawn is coming? Awesome. Any idea why?” Night Light shrugged. “Not really, I sent him a message about the pregnancy a few days ago and just got a brief message he was coming. Now I expect you to be of your best behavior. Don’t drive him insane with questions of serving the false lady.” “Dad, you know I won’t do that… Can I go with you to pick him up?” Shining’s eyes shined hopefully as Night Light shook his head. “Sorry Champ, your uncle said he wanted to talk with me privately. You help your Mom clean up the house and we’ll all go to the next town over for dinner and you can order anything you want.” Shining sighed before nodding. “Sure, Dad. See you later.” Velvet kissed Night Light’s cheek before they separated. Night Light ran to catch a cab right out of town. Night Light sighed as he sat at the bar next to his white furred brother. “Dawn, I’ve told you I don’t drink… Now, come on. Shining Armor and Velvet are waiting for us.” “Light, I don’t give a buck that you don’t drink. Any stallion who learns their mare cheated on them and is pregnant by it needs a drink. A good hard one before we get back on that train and head back to Canterlot.” Night Light shook his head to the bartender who set a beer on front of his twin brother. “Water for me please. And Dawn… I told you, Velvet didn’t cheat on me. Her pregnancy is a gift to us by the Sisters for being so devout.” “That is a bunch of bull dick, Night! Mares don’t just get pregnant!” Clear Dawn drained his beer. “Dammit, Night. I just want you safe and happy.” “Then understand this, Dawn. I am happy… Besides Velvet is not the only.” Night Light took the glass of water with a nod of thanks as Clear Dawn stared. “What? What in Equestria do you mean ‘not the only’?” “Simply that. Doctor Stable has diagnosed ten pregnancies, all due on the same day. Velvet is only one of them… Look, Dawn if I thought Velvet had cheated on me.” Night Light shook his head. “But, you didn’t see her the day I found out. She was broken, an empty mare. But since that day she has lit up even more than we learned we were having Shining. Please brother… Just come to town and see for yourself?” Clear Dawn thought a moment before paying the bar keep. “Alright, I have to head home in the morning but I can stay the night. Let’s go get Velvet and the kid and get dinner.” Velvet smiled gently as her brother in law came in the room. “Did you have a nice chat with the Father?” Clear Dawn sat down with a groan. “Yeah, I suppose what I could understand of it. I don’t get it, Velvet. Why do you and Night live in this village with all these loonies?” Velvet rolled her eyes. “Considering Night and I are these so called ‘loonies’ that's a bizzare query. But, I don’t know. We moved here when Night was offered the job and just kind of found a place here.” Velvet smiled. “It’s a good place to raise foals…” She went back to her knitting as Clear Dawn watched her create a small hat. “What, no horn hole?” He cocked his head, remembering the information he had packed away. “Well, we aren’t certain what the foal will be. All we know if we already love them.” Velvet smiled before blushing. “Besides, when I made Shining’s hat I always made the horn hole to large.” Clear Dawn nodded. He smiled and embraced his Sister in Law “I need to head out to the train station. But let me know how the pregnancy goes, okay? And I’ll be back soon as the kid is here.” “You trust me now?” Velvet asked, hopeful. Clear Dawn nodded.“Yeah. This is just too weird to be anything but legit. I’m going to have Shining walk with me if that's alright?” “Of course, don’t tell Night, but Shining told me he's planning to join the guard rather than become clergy.” Velvet smiled pulling back as Clear Dawn laughed, snapping his saddle bags into place. “My muzzle is sealed. Until next time, Velvet.” Shining Armor stood  by the front door, eager to walk with his uncle. Clear Dawn smiled. For most of the walk he let Shining babble about the guard before he paused him.“Hey Shining… How do you feel about all of this?” Shining Armor slowed his trot and frowned. “Well, it’s weird, but I think I’m excited. I always wondered what it’d be like to be a big brother.” “I think you’ll be the best big brother, Shining. And I need you to start now. If anything weird happens I want you to contact me, alright? I can’t be certain your Mom and Dad will.” Clear Dawn paused before the small train station as Shining Armor finally nodded “Sure, Uncle Dawn. I’ll do that. I better head back home. Have a good trip back!” “See you, champ.” Clear Dawn gave his ticket to the conductor and took his seat in deep thought. Something weird was happening in Saddle Moor. “And if the Princess is involved I’ll eat my barding.”