//------------------------------// // Shattered! // Story: Majesty: Queen of the Castle // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// "No....it can't be.... it just can't be!" Gabby whimpered in disbelief, shaking her head. "My friends.... all my friends... all gone?" The griffin just stood there, staring into space, with her face contorted in a look of horror and disbelief in disbelief. The pony pal children were playing nearby, not comprehending or paying attention to what the adults were talking about. "I'm so sorry, Gabrielle. We should have had better security for the festival." Nachlicht replied sadly, putting a hoof on the distraught griffin's shoulder. "All of the ponies here at Rainbow Falls, mourn for your loss." Majesty, Nachlicht, and Gabby were at the edge of Rainbow Falls, where the two ponies tried to break the terrible news to the griffin. She had no idea what her new friends were going to tell her when the two ponies had taken her aside, but she wasn't at all prepared for the devastating news the mares had given her. "Gabby, I'm so sorry..." Majesty stuttered, trying to apologize as the words stuck in her throat. "... I tried to save them, I really did..." "Get away from me." The griffin hissed, pulling away from the pair of ponies. "But, Gabby..." Nachlicht pleaded, trying to approach the grieving Gabby. " We only want to-" "I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" Gabrielle shrieked, shoving the two away. "GET AWAY FORM ALL OF US!" "Gabrielle, please..." Majesty begged. "... we tried to protect them, but-" "You promised Gertie we'd all be safe!" Gabby shrieked, glaring at the ponies angrily, with tears streaming down her face. "You promised us we'd all be safe, and you let them get killed!" "I tried to protect them! I really did!" Majesty argued, her guilt rising in her throat. "There was noting I could do! The sweetheart sisters tricked me!" "I don't want to hear any more pony lies!" Gabrielle roared, zipping over towards the children, and beginning to shoo them away from the two mares. "We're going to disappear back into the forest, and you'll never find us again! I hate you damned ponies, I hate you all!" "Aunt Gabby, wait!" Hoppy pleaded,as Gabby shoved him back into the foliage. "We don't wanna leave our new friends behind! AUNT GABBY!" "Gabrielle, please don't do this!" Nachlicht exclaimed. "I know you're angry, but don't take the kids back into isolation! With the other adults gone, you can't raise them all by yourself!" "It'd be better for them to grow up alone in the wilds, than to be exposed to equine trickery and deception!" Gabby cried out, as she and the children melted away into the forest. "Goodbye, Majesty! I hope we never see each other again!" The two mares were left there alone on the edge of town, both too stunned or saddened to actually react to the tragedy that had just occurred in front of them. It was Majesty who finally spoke up, her lip trembling as she could hold back the tears no longer. "This is all my fault." The princess whimpered, lowering her head in sorrow. "I wasn't able to protect my new friends, and then a became a monster by destroying those who destroyed them!" "Princess, calm down. It's not your fault those assassins attacked Gertie and her friends." Nachlicht replied, trying to console the other mare. "You did your best in trying to be friends with them, you're not responsible for what those bounty hunters did!" But Majesty was inconsolable, so guilty did she feel about what had befallen the pony pals. But if the princess was heartbroken over what had happened, her friends felt just as bad. The other three were at the Rainbow Falls cafe, staring into their cups of tea as they well all awash in despair. "I-I can't believe they did that!" Hollywood whimpered, finally looking up to face the others. "I mean, I know monsters in Ponyland can be viscous and cruel, but how can our fellow ponies be so heartless and mean?" "That was a cruel action they took, wither they were ponies or not, kid." Applejack muttered, barely looking up from her cup. "I had forgotten just how cruel the ponies of Equestria can be." "This is so insane! I mean, I always heard Equestria was a friendly place!" Holly protested. "Didn't they used to celebrate the magic of friendship?" "Equestria ain't the great nation it used ta be." A.J. grumbled. "Those ponies are nowhere near as kind and compassionate as their ancestors were." As the two friends continued to speak, Wind Whistler was sitting there silently, trying to hold back the tears that were slowly forming in her eyes. I t was in the middle of their conversation, that Applejack finally looked over, and noticed her silent friend. "Hey, what's the matter, kid?" Applejack asked, a look of concern on her face. "You gonna be okay?" "It's all MY fault!" Wind Whistler burst out sobbing, finally letting the tears flow. "I was the one who had to seek out the cutiesarus, the one who had to go on an adventure! And look where it got the pony pals!" She buried her face in her hooves. "Those poor kids, there going to be all alone now, and it's all because of me." "No it's not, Windy!" Holly protested, putting a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "It's not your fault those witches killed the pony pal adults, don't blame yourself for their wicked actions!" "Besides, there's nothing we can do for Gertie and her friends now." A.J. added, getting up from the table. "But we can go help our friends the mountain boy ponies. They are still out there... and we can still help them find Tornado." "The mountain boys? Of course! I had forgotten all about them!" Holly replied, jumping up from the table. "We just left them behind by that river, we have to go back and help!" "Right, you see if you can comfort Windy here, and get her moving." Applejack replied, galloping off to find the Princess. "Meanwhile, I'll see if I can convince Majesty we can still make a difference."