//------------------------------// // A Dark Night of Shadows // Story: War Pony: Song of A Snowbird // by CreeperZone //------------------------------// There was young mare named Lunar Stargaze, although most ponies just called her Luna. She had a dark blue coat and gorgeous crystal eyes. She lived in a small Earth Pony village between a mountain valley; one of the few areas connecting Great Bridleton and Germaney, the lands of Earth Ponies and Unicorns respectfully. Although, while her life was lived around Earth Ponies, and she herself was raised as an Earth Pony, her recent encounter with a Unicorn princess’s daughter had brought to light just how different the horn atop her forehead made her from her friends and family. And she hated it. It was ironic that while her despise for who she is engulfed her ever since the incident, it was the horn, the fact she had it and knew how to use it... It was the truth she was a Unicorn that anypony in the village, including herself, hadn't yet starved to death. Her magic warded off the cold from their farm that kept every single pony here alive, her being a unicorn was her most valuable asset. And she fucking HATED it. It ate at her for days after that sun-damned Unicorn came in here and threatened to kill her friend, told her she was better than all of the others, told her not to waste her gift... Gravel tells her not to worry about it, he tells her that she isn't a real Unicorn... But she is, she knows all of the truth now, there is no hiding it from her anymore. Luna, despite her spiral into a depression, the likes of which she's never had, continued to work on the farm. She refused to let her family starve, even if it meant using her curse to do so. Over the days, as she thought through everything that Unicorn had said, her mind found itself settling on the warning they gave to her. “Once the Unicorn Royal Guard realise I am missing, they will look for me. And if they find this town, then you'll have to make a decision like this again... except that time, it'll be to die an Earth Pony, or live a Unicorn...” It rattled around in the echo-chamber of her skull, always coming back to it at the end of every thought. She pushed against it, she refused to do either, and continued to refuse it until she could no more. And it was soon, once the days began seeming normal again was when the prophecy came to fruition. Luna was trotting out of her home, meeting with Gravel in the street, preparing herself for another day of work on the field. They trotted up to the canvas of wheat that splashed along the ruins of Blossom Orchards, not speaking with one another, not even looking into each others’ eyes. Maybe because it was a bit too painful to talk, but maybe the solemn silence was saying more than they could with words. Luna walked right into the tall wheat very humbly, leaving Gravel to watch as she went to cast her spell. Over the next few minutes Luna projected her magic, although it was enough to clear the snow that topped the heads of wheat and push away the clouds above, it lacked the energy that she usually put into it. Luna soon emerged back out. “You know, things will get better.” Gravel shared a faint smile with her. “Yeah... I know.” She replied, tired. “Go get some sleep, I'll be over in a few hours.” He lifted up her chin gently, getting a reluctant smile as her eyes met his. “See you.” She went to trot away, but after a few steps something came cascading from the town. It was a scream of agony. Luna's head popped up, a strike of fear hit her as she turned to look at Gravel, who was equally shocked. He threw his farm tools to the dirt and began galloping off toward the town. Commanding to Luna as he went off, “Stay here! I'll be back!” For a moment, she did just that. Stunned as she watched the elderly stallion gallop at his maximum potential, speeding into town and quickly being overshadowed by its structures. Once he was gone, she shook her head, trying to regain her senses as he heard the screams continue and in fact multiply in voices. She couldn't just sit here, she had to help. Luna galloped into Gravel’s hoofsteps, finding herself at the town's only street. Luna ran over the soggy snow splashed dirt, trying to find wherever Gravel had gone, and wherever the scream was coming from. Before she could pinpoint the building, her search was quickly ended as a screaming elderly mare came tumbling out of the bakery a few homes away. The mare was looking back into the bakery in distress, trying to crawl away in the only feeble way she could. Luna instantly tried to get within range to help her out of whatever unseen danger there was, being stopped by her own shock once she finally got into view of the doorway, stood frozen like a deer caught cornered by a predator. Luna understood why the mare was screaming. A trotting black storm, something that resembled demons that Luna had been told legends of, floated toward the aged mare. It had vague equine shape, obscured by the deep dark fog that brewed around it, the only light coming from the creature being occasional blue crackling thunder sparking around it and its menacing, sinister eyes that were sharper than a knife, which they used to bring the fear of death down upon the old pony. It brought down a leg onto her as it easily caught up, its aura being sucked back into itself to form a more definite shape as it summoned a long ornate dagger from its own anatomy, dangling it above the mare, pressing down her chest into the snow, causing her to squeal as her breath was forcibly removed from her body. Then the blade dropped with incredible speed, faster than a lighting strike as it pierced right through the center of the poor mare’s throat, a geyser of blood gushing in all directions which sent Luna stumbling away in a daze as her mind began to pound against the walls of her skull and her vision blurred around the edges. The apparition then seemed to let loose its form, returning to a shifty black gas before it dashed so quickly at Luna it seemed to almost teleport as its dagger found itself resting against Luna's skin. Luna shut her eyes, the blade felt like it was tipped with ice and the creature itself had a very chilling breeze radiating from it, which she felt lean in close to her, its breath freezing up her cheek. The creature began to speak, which sounded like a dark whisper echoing around in her head, rattling against her mind with each syllable. “Where... Is... The... White... Unic-” And then it stopped, more abruptly than Luna could have ever expected it to stop. She felt the throbbing pain in her head ease, she felt her legs regain their strength, and most importantly she felt the blade vanish from her neck. Luna, even though she was still shaking and terrified, lifted up an eyelid, seeing the creature step back, as if it was conveying shock. Then a new voice came from the creature, completely and utterly different from the demonically amplified one it had just used. Now it spoke with a very feminine and gentle tone, although it was especially apologetic. “Oh the heavens, I am so sorry!” The smoke and crystal blue thunder was then sucked back into its own body once more, but this time completely as it revealed a pony. A dark navy Unicorn mare wearing a very tightly fit set of black armour that seemed to be the source of the illusory fog, its eyes no longer a solid glowing blue, instead a regular looking set of green-tinted pony eyes with an extreme sorrow expressed through them. “I didn't see you were a Unicorn!” It was speaking to Luna, which Luna herself just realised, still stuck quivering in terror after the scene she had just experienced. The previously demonic pony continued in her attempts to ease Luna's fear. “Everything is fine, miss, I am very sorry you had to see that, I didn't expect to see a Unicorn here, but look...” The now friendly Unicorn murderer stepped towards Luna and placed a hoof onto her shoulder, causing Luna to jump a little before letting it rest there, her faint breathing as quick as her current heartbeat. The Unicorn looked over her shoulder back into the town, then returning to Luna's attentive and very scared eyes. “The others will have to do on their own, but I have to get you some place safe for moment, do you understand?” Luna failed to even think of a response. “Oh bloody tartarus...” The Unicorn backed off from Luna, levitating her helmet off of her head, revealing a quite luxurious emerald green mane. The Unicorn then sighed, looking around the town before settling her eyes on the furthest building she could see, which happened to be the farm house Luna had been calling home recently. “I'll make sure you are safe, don't worry.” The Unicorn then forcibly wrapped her leg around Luna's neck. “Shut your eyes.” Luna still gazed at her wide-eyed, causing the Unicorn to get her other front leg and place it length-ways against her eyes to block them from seeing anything.  Then Luna experienced a strange tingling sensation as a magical discharge rang in her ears, the Unicorn letting down her grasp on Luna, allowing her eyes to see once more she noticed she had been teleported all the way to the farm house. The Unicorn tried to regain Luna's attention with a soft shake, more gentle than Luna would have ever thought this horrid creature could have been after the display she had witnessed. “I'm going to clear the inside, then I will come back for you, ok? Do you understand, darling? Please shake your head.” Luna must have responded subconsciously as her head glided up and down by an inch or so without her realising. “Just don't draw any attention.” The Unicorn finished, refitting her helmet against her cranium. All of her skin, armour and any other surface making up her body all of a sudden was bleached black and began floating off in particles of dust, like her flesh was sand being picked up by a harsh wind. Now in her shadowy form she floated down and seeped through the doorway's cracks, entering Luna's home. Then things became silent. Luna had been gifted some time where she wasn't being constantly bombarded by a flood of trauma, confusion and nausea. She recollected herself, looking to the door the Unicorn had disappeared through. Her breath began growing regulated, she knew what she had to do, or else she will be stolen away by this Unicorn and her town decimated.  Her attention was quickly dragged back towards the town as another scream rang through the morning air, who knew how many of these Unicorn monsters there were... The door creaked open behind Luna, “It's clear, come inside, quickly.” The Unicorn asked of Luna, who hesitantly followed her order, the Unicorn stepping to the side to let Luna through.  “What's your name?” The Unicorn asked, swiftly slamming the door shut. “Luna...” She whispered softly, clearly distracted by her surroundings, she was searching for something. “Okay, Luna, my name is Eli, I know you're probably a bit shaken, but can you explain what you are doing this far into Earth Pony territory?” Eli paced after Luna, seeing she was greatly occupied by something. Eli trotted in front of Luna and waved a hoof, trying to catch her attention. Luna's eyes leisurely landed on the Unicorn, and surprisingly her horn began to glow.  “Miss? Did you hear me?” Eli persisted, growing in bewilderment as she witnessed Luna strain her muscles in casting some spell. “Luna, what are you doing? What are you doing with your magic?” She asked, troubled by Luna's strange actions and odd circumstances. Luna at this point had her eyes completely shut, absorbed in aiming her magic, hearing the gentle fizz come ever closer to them from the kitchen. Although for some reason she began to cry and shiver, feeling a great hardship in doing whatever it was. The other Unicorn began to shake Luna's shoulder, watching her face closely as it suddenly scrunched up tightly, as if Luna had just thrusted something. “Miss? Miss, what are you gh... Ghhl...”  Luna opened her soggy eyes, the Unicorn directly in front of her had stopped speaking, instead making a muffled gurgle as blood filled her muzzle and it began dribbling to the floor along with the rest of her body as she collapsed to one knee, Luna's kitchen knife obtrusively sticking out from the back of the Unicorn's neck. Luna couldn't stand just watching this pony suffer, she wanted it to be over, so Luna then levitated up Eli's still bloody dagger from the sheath on her flank. Luna looked down deeply into her eyes as she bled out on the floor and slammed the blade deep into the helpless Unicorn's cheek, killing her with startling efficiency. A few moments past where Luna just stood there, covered in the Unicorn's blood, jaw wide open and shaking uncontrollably. She couldn't rationalize what she had just done, even though it seemed so clear just a few seconds ago. Did she just kill a pony? Sure, it was a Unicorn and a murderer who likely deserved it, but isn't that what Luna herself just became by doing this? Luna snapped herself out of it, she had no time for this, she had to go and help her family. She turned heel and bolted to the door, kicking it open. “Oh no...” She stopped, looking at the town ahead of her as several more Unicorns concealed in their shadowy facades roamed the streets, dragging ponies out of their homes and killing them in the muck and snow. If that wasn't enough, a storm was beginning to brew, one so strong she wouldn't be able to step out of her house without being blown over, all of their crops would die for sure. Luna shut the door to stop the blizzard from shooting inside. Shehad to rethink her plan. She couldn't fight them, definitely not that many, and she couldn't stay here, for in a few moments they would surely search her home as well, and then she would be killed. She had no choice, she couldn't help. She had to... Hide. Hide and wait for everything to die down and just hope there are survivors. Not a second went by before panic ensued in her, she pulled towards her the closest cloak and parka she could and started fitting herself into them. She levitated over her pouch of belongings and the one photo she still had of her deceased mother which she prominently displayed in the living room, she couldn't part with it, no matter how small the chance of it being destroyed if she left it here. Finally, with a slight hesitation, she yanked the black-glazed dagger from inside the Unicorn's skull; she had to defend herself after all. Just in case she had to she thought, just in case. She then bolted out of the back door of the farmhouse into the raging blizzard, at least it provided cover as she made a break for the mountains, knowing of a cave where the townspeople tried growing crops when the war first started, she would never be found in there. She had no knowledge of whether or not any of her friends and family were still alive or not, but she knew she couldn't focus on that, instead she had to focus on the one thing that mattered now. Making sure she would not die that day.