Edited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder.
Special thanks to JarOfHearts
Beginning Of The End
<<>><<>><<>>
Yoke had changed.
No, that wasn't entirely true. Yoke had grown. Those who called it home had changed.
Before, when it was still a small settlement, ponies were the only creatures who lived there. Then the changelinks came, and changes unforeseeable started to spread their influence.
The first foals born of both pony and changelink heritage were a true surprise, but a surprise which they wholeheartedly embraced.
As years passed, and more hybrids were born, curious differences started to become noticeable.
Any hybrid from a pony mother would be born a pony, but with changelink traits. Any nymph hatched from an egg laid by a changelink would be a changelink, but with pony traits.
The first foal, Mud Pie already showed this quite clearly; taking a lot after her mother but with wings that could only have come from her father. Whereas her younger sister, Apple Seed, born four years later, had small fangs poking past her upper lip.
Both foals, however, showed to be able to sense the same energy the changelinks did. Which, as was learned through social interactions over the years, was linked to the emotions the ponies felt.
Stranger still, as was discovered with the new generation of changelinks, they hatched with the ability to change as a natural part of their being. The spell their parents used now part of who they were on a fundamental level.
This, as it turned out, was something that also was passed on to some of the pony hybrids.
They couldn't change their form as the changelinks could, but a change in color of their coat, mane, and eyes was a skill they demonstrated from an early age. And later, with a select few among them who had this trait, it turned out they could change their Cutie Mark as well.
As for the changelinks. Each nymph showed unique traits depending on their father's heritage.
If they were an earth pony, their changelink child would show greater strength compared to other changelinks.
If they were a pegasus, their child would, once grown out of their larva stage, grow wings larger than usual; able to fly faster and for a greater duration.
And if their father was a unicorn, their magical abilities tend to be more versatile, and their coronas a different color than the dark green all the others showed.
Yet most noticeable were their eyes. Where changelinks had compound-like eyes, with no discernable pupil, any nymph born from a pony had eyes with an iris and an oddly slitted pupil.
Yet as wondrous as it was strange, eventually it became a part of them. And now, many years later, it has become mundane.
So much so that, whenever the subject was taught to each new class, it often led to blank stares and yawns.
And this time was no different.
Abelo, a changelink with pegasus heritage, sat among his peers in class, bored out of his mind and idly tapping his desk as he heard his teacher drone on in such a boring way only a teacher could; not even hearing half of what was said.
"... and because of the curious similarities between changelinks and bees on a basic behavioral level, the changelinks adopted some of the names and descriptions into their own society. This is why their village is now called the Hive. Furthermore…"
Around him, his friends showed similar disinterest in what was taught. Though he had to give Dragonfly credit. She really had perfected the art of sleeping with her eyes open, with only the small string of drool giving her away.
"Verae, the changelinks' mother, who took the title of queen and subsequently passed this on to her oldest daughter near the end of her life…"
Hammer Strike, a tomato red earth pony with his recently gained Cutie Mark depicting a hammer hitting a nail was seated on his right; passing the time scribbling on his parchment, creating all kinds of weird drawings never meant to be anything other than a way to ward away boredom.
"... which all came to be through the initial teachings of the ponies of Yoke…"
A few seats past him, Abelo saw Spring Breeze. A still Cutie Markless pegasus who shifted the color of her coat each time the teacher looked away, clearly hoping to draw some reaction when he looked back and break the mind-numbing drone, but to no effect.
"... and eventually leading us to here and now, where…"
Finally, after what felt like ages, the teacher, a middle-aged unicorn with small fangs poking out past the upper lip, returned to his lectern, calling the class to attention.
"Which, as you all understand, shows just how much alike we are, despite our differences. Now, are there any questions?"
Unsurprisingly, no one raised a hoof.
"Very well. That will be the end of today's lesson. And I am sure Green Sprout is already waiting for you for the trek into the forest. So, class dismissed."
With a collective sigh of relief, followed almost instantly by a mad scramble to escape the confining room, Abelo pushed through the group as best he could; breaking through and exiting the school just before the, by now customary, door jam.
He did take a moment to wait and watch, snickering as the building pressure grew too great and all the other students unfortunate enough to get caught in the blockage blew through the single door as if a geyser erupted.
"Ha ha," Hammer Strike grunted, annoyed, lying in an undignified heap before Abelo.
"Well, fair's fair," Abelo grinned cheekily, holding out a hoof to help his friend back up. "You were the one laughing last time."
Hammer Strike looked at the offered hoof for a moment, then sighed as he accepted it. "True."
"So where's Spring?"
"Where do you think?"
"Still in class, trying to wake up Dragonfly."
"And only needing to prod her in the side six times," Spring Breeze called out as she sprung over one of her classmates still picking themselves up with a flap of her wings, her coat now a faded blue while her mane glistened silver in the light of the sun.
"Guess you're getting better at waking up the bed bug," Hammer Strike said, only half-joking.
"Har har," Dragonfly groused as she trudged out of the classroom. "T'is not my fault Stelar's teaching is dryer than your mom's cooking."
"True," all agreed without objection.
"Guess we better hurry, though," Hammer Strike told them. "The others are already leaving."
True enough, when they looked they saw most of the others in their class were already on their way to the edge of town where standing and watching in the tall grass was Green Sprout, a light pink earth pony with spring green mane and tail, carrying fully packed saddlebags while waiting for her students to gather around and start the lesson.
"Yay," Spring Breeze said humorlessly, "more lessons."
"It's not that bad," Dragonfly said as they made their way over to the rest of the class. "This time we're not stuck in some boring classroom listening to an even more boring teacher."
"Fair's fair," Hammer Strike grunted. "Teach does make things interesting by taking us in the forest."
"Which also means Dragonfly can sneak off into some tree to continue napping," Abelo said with a grin.
"Exactly," Dragonfly agreed wholeheartedly.
All four of them laughed as they joined the rest, pulling the attention of all others to them while Green Sprout patiently waited for them to quiet down.
"Oh, a funny joke?" she said as she looked at the four. "Well, I am glad to see you keep your spirits high like that. But I do wish you won't interrupt the coming lesson with this. It will scare the animals away."
"Sure thing," Spring Breeze said for them all. "We'll be so quiet you won't even know we're there."
"Thank you," Green Sprout said, then turned around as she began leading the class to the forest. "Oh, and bonus points to whoever manages to knock Dragonfly out of her nest."
"Wait, what!?"
A chorus of laughter filled the air at Dragonfly's stupefied expression, and the bed bug eventually grumbled under her breath as any chance at prime nap time was brutally taken from her.
Still laughing himself, Abelo bumped sides with his friend, getting a half-hearted glare in return before she too saw the funny side of things and gave a short chuckle.
"Guess I have to actually pay attention this time, huh?"
"Attention to which tree you sneak into you mean," Abelo snorted.
"Of course. What else?"
And once more they laughed as they followed after Green Sprout and headed towards the forest.
<<>><<>>
Sunlight streamed through gaps in the swaying canopy and shadows danced over the group as they ventured deeper into the forest.
It has been almost an hour since they started and Green sprout taught and explained every little thing they came across.
Of course Abelo, much like every other changelink, knew most of these things already, thanks to the Murgröna. This was also the reason Dragonfly spent the lessons more asleep than awake. But to him, it was more than a repeat of something he had already heard about.
Yes, the Murgröna gave him the knowledge and experience of those before him, but it was experience and knowledge not his own. And he learned from an early age just how much more rewarding it was to experience these things personally. And every now and then he did learn something genuinely new, as today's lesson would prove.
"Okay class, please stop here," Green sprout called out, and everypony slowed down, looking around in confusion as nothing noteworthy could be found.
Chuckling, Green Sprout explained. "We are currently standing at a border close to a very strange plant. One that normally doesn't grow here, but has managed to find its way with the help of some unlucky animal."
"Unlucky animal?" Abelo voiced the question in most of their minds.
"Yes," Green sprout nodded. "Most plants and trees use small seeds or nuts to reproduce. Either bare or in fruits to lure in animals for them to eat, then later poop out with a healthy dose of fertilizer to help their initial growth. But this particular plant has a radically different approach to things, which is why I told you to stop here. Now, tell me. Have any of you ever heard of the tackle weed?"
Blank stares were all she got in answer, and again she chuckled.
"No, I suppose not. It is a rather rare plant around these parts after all. Now, if you all look over there, past that tree in the distance," she pointed a hoof towards a distant plant, too far away to see much detail. "That would be the tackle weed, and unlike most other plants it does not grow fruits or nuts to lure animals in to help it reproduce. What it does do is something rather bizarre, and why it has the name it has. And it all begins with its roots. Besides drawing water and nutrients from the soil, this plant is capable of detecting minute vibrations through the ground. And just as impressive, it can tell the difference between a branch falling and an animal foraging. And based on the vibrations, it can even tell the size of the animal, which is also an important factor as rabbits or squirrels are too small for the tackle weed. Once it has found an animal large enough, it will then use the vibrations to determine the distance, direction, and speed the animal is moving. And then it will throw its seed, with surprising accuracy, towards the animal."
"It… throws its seed?" Hammer Strike asked, his confusion shared by the others.
"Yes, yes it does."
"... And it is called tackle weed because?" asked Abelo.
"The tackle weed only grows one seed at a time. This is because of its size and weight. You know those wicker balls you play with, they can grow to twice that size and weigh up to 45 pounds. So when it throws its seed, it must do so with significant force. And any creature it hits will be knocked over. Tackled to the ground for all intents and purposes."
This time no one said anything. They just stared.
"Of course it doesn't stop there. Fortunately, the seed is somewhat malleable, so when it hits it does not outright kill whatever creature that was unfortunate enough to be targeted. However, its shell is covered in very fine barbs that will latch onto fur and refuse to let go. Forcing the animal to carry the seed with it for several days before it will eventually fall off on its own."
"It throws a 45-pound seed with enough force to knock someone over?" Abelo said in disbelief. "A plant?"
"As you know there are many strange and wondrous flora and fauna out there, including the Murgröna. So is this so weird?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation.
A shout in the distance alarmed them, and they all turned to the direction it came from. Moments later, laughing could be heard as Spring Breeze seemed to materialize out of the shadows; her fur now a patchwork of greens and browns, blending in seamlessly into the environment.
Following behind her, a very disheveled and frustrated Dragonfly glared daggers at her.
"Bonus points for me," Spring Breeze called out excitedly.
"Traitor," Dragonfly grumbled as she stomped past her.
"Thank you, Spring Breeze," Green Sprout said. "But watch your step, both of you."
Neither really paid much attention to what their teacher said as Dragonfly kept her distance from her so-called friend, while Spring Breeze was currently the center of attention.
"I didn't know you could do that," Hammer Strike said, looking at the blend of colors her fur had become. "Thought you could only do one color at a time."
"I thought so too," she grinned. "But Dragonfly saw me coming each time, so I just tried something new."
"And here I thought I was good at hiding," Abelo commented as he circled around her friend, then stopped. "Eh, Spring. When did that happen?"
"Did what happen?" she asked, confused.
"That," he pointed at her flank and they all saw a faint image hidden within the mix of colors.
"What!?" she gasped and turned her coat into a light yellow, revealing the mark previously hidden in the blend of colors
"A Cutie Mark?" she gasped, eyes widening. "I got my Cutie Mark!"
A resounding cheer came from her friends, classmates, and Green Sprout, with one exception; Dragonfly looked at her friend with wide eyes, muttering under her breath while kicking the dirt.
"But what is it supposed to be?" asked Abelo, tilting his head first left, then right. "Looks like a cloak covering something?"
"Well she did change her colors to blend with the forest," Hammer Strike said thoughtfully. "Maybe it has to do with that? Hiding in plain sight or something?"
"Well I am good at sneaking around," Spring Breeze grinned. "And with my color shift, I can hide pretty well in most places."
"Well, I did say I thought I was good at hiding," Abelo remarked.
"Please, I could be hiding in your shadow without you know-" Spring Breeze paused, looked at her Cutie Mark, then smiled in understanding. "A cloaked shadow. Hiding in plain sight."
"And to think you earned your mark by kicking Dragonfly out of a tree," Hammer Strike laughed.
"Guess this means you're the designated bug waker from now on, huh," Abelo joked.
"Oh, come on!" Dragonfly groaned, muttering to herself as she stomped off.
"And she wouldn't even know what hit her," Spring Breeze laughed.
Thwomp
"GHAAA!"
With a yell, Dragonfly flew backward past the group. A large, oval-shaped object pressed against her side as she skidded to the ground.
Everypony was quiet, all staring at Dragonfly and the large object that rolled off her chitin while she groaned.
"Oh dear," Green sprout rushed over to her. "Are you alright?"
"I really should have stayed in bed today," Dragonfly replied with a louder groan.
"What even hit her?" asked one of the others in the group.
"That class was the tackle weed," Green Sprout answered.
"Tackle what now?" Dragonfly grunted as she pushed herself into a sitting position.
"Something you would have known if you didn't spend your lessons sleeping," Green Sprout told her. "Consider this a wake-up call, and be glad your chitin protected you. Had it not, that seed--" she pointed a hoof at the large, finely barbed oval, "--would have seriously bruised you. And you would have been stuck with it for days if not for the same reason."
Dragonfly looked at Green Sprout in silence, barely blinking as what she said slowly registered. When it did, she uttered in poorly concealed disgust: "Wake-up call…" she blinked. "You mean even the plants here are trying to keep me from napping!?"
This was not the response Green Sprout was expecting, yet it came as no surprise to any. And before long everypony was laughing uproariously at the one thing Dragonfly had taken from all of this.
"I should have stayed in bed," Dragonfly added with a groan.
The laughing didn't stop for many, many more minutes to come.
<<>><<>>
More memories of Abelo flashed by, from the celebration by Spring Breeze's family and friends for earning her Cutie Mark, the new and impressive ways Dragonfly found to sneak off and sleep, and subsequently being kicked out of her nest by others; including Spring Breeze who, with her now realized talent and color change, became a true master of camouflage.
And there were the memories of everyday life as Abelo grew into an adult, learning of the world around him with every new day.
Life seemed to follow a simple but content pace, with everypony living a fulfilling life.
But all of this changed drastically with the start of a new, horrific memory that shook Danny; trying to pull himself free from the stream of energy flowing through him, but not being allowed to.
This was the turning point. The beginning of their downfall, and the truth demanded to be told.
And it all began the day the sun refused to rise.
<<>><<>>
It was early morning when Abelo found himself standing outside among the crops, helping his family on his father's side in preparation for the upcoming harvest.
Several of his cousins walked through the rows of various plants, inspecting the tomatoes, carrots, berries, and other vegetables and fruits.
While still early in the season, the bountiful crop grown meant they looked towards an early harvest, and everypony available would help when it was time.
For that same reason, his friends Hammer Strike and Spring Breeze were already gathering the carts and baskets. While, much to the surprise of everypony, Dragonfly was present as well. Muttering and complaining while rubbing her eyes, but there, all the same.
Of course, they would need all the help they could get. It would be a long day of work to harvest everything.
Of course, this was nothing new and had even become something of a time-honored tradition among them. Much like winter wrap-up and Hearts Warming.
But this otherwise pleasant notion was overshadowed, quite literally, by the darkness of the night. And while it was only natural the nights were getting longer this time of year, there was something noticeably off.
Dawn was late, and the light of the moon seemed sharper, harsher, colder; the world's satellite was much larger in the dark sky and all in the field looked up with a sense of foreboding.
Then, with a burst of light far off in the distance, an explosion of potent magic lit up the night. The rumble of the detonation followed almost half a minute later.
Then, silence.
The entire world had gone mute, with only the cries of the foals the exception.
"Wh- what just happened?" Dragonfly said breathlessly.
Before any semblance of a reply could be given, another burst of light lit up the sky, and numerous beams of powerful magic burned their way in criss-crossing paths, accompanied by the distinct glow of fire burning.
Slowly the scattered group of villagers grouped together in morbid fascination and herd mentality, watching the violent spectacle in confusion and fear.
An almost imperceptible beam of midnight blue magic suddenly flashed into being, shooting down from high in the sky and carving a path in the world as its caster aimed it after a moving target.
A burst of gold came moments later, impacting the beam, and both detonated with terrifying force, and the shockwave hit them not long after.
"EVERYPONY!" one of the village elders shouted. "GET BACK TO YOUR HOMES! NOW!"
The call for retreat flipped a switch in the stunned herd, and not even a second later the screams started in earnest as ponies and changelinks alike sought shelter to wait out whatever disaster was unfolding.
Some, however, despite their better judgment and the rush of the others around them, failed to move even an inch; staring at the destructive magical display with wide eyes while the bolts, beams, explosions, and shockwaves came in greater numbers and power.
The true horror of what was to come only revealed itself moments before it struck.
With another clash of volatile magic an explosion erupted that lit the sky up as if it was day, and for a split second two specs could be seen high in the air firing more beams of might at each other.
This time there were other flashes of light as well, not coming from the two specks but someplace down on the ground; far weaker in power compared to the other show of destruction, but more numerous to offset this, and by now the sky flashed with light like a thunderstorm of apocalyptic proportions.
Then, with a blast of golden light, one of the specks was blown away.
The sheer power in this attack became apparent when the speck rapidly grew in size, and before long crashed into the earth a short run from the terrified villagers.
They stared in fear and awe as a tall pony pulled itself out of the crater with a beastly growl while the pale light of the moon revealed the pony's form.
She was a tall, slender mare. Easily two and a half times Abelo's height. Her fur was a black as a moonless night, with large wings that dwarfed those of all pegasi he had seen. The same held true for her horn, tall and sharp; easily four times longer than those of any unicorn or changelink, except the changelink's queen. her mane and tail were an impossible sight, seemingly made of the night's sky itself as they shifted and wavered in the air as if alive.
But standing out amidst this all was the armor she wore. Expertly crafted to fit her form, covering most of her body without compromising movement her entire visage radiated power. However, the growl she uttered, the cold glare in her eyes, and the bared fangs she showed all screamed anger and hate with such malicious intent an icy tendril of fear touched the hearts of all who witnessed.
"We need to get out of here, fast," Spring Breeze hissed, urging Abelo to move.
"What's that?" he said instead, looking up at the sky.
Following his gaze, she soon spotted what he saw: A rapidly approaching blaze of golden light which left a contrail in its wake.
The armored mare reacted instantly, securing her stance then fired a beam of unimaginable might at the approaching entity.
A shield of the same golden light sprung up before the blaze and the attack was repelled, but the force of the attack combined with the speed the golden blaze moved forced the entity to ricochet away and down to the ground where it too crashed.
With a snarl, the armored pony stepped towards the glowing, smoldering crater; horn ablaze and eyes full of hate.
"FACE IT, SISTER. I HAVE BESTED YOU IN EVERY WAY, LEAVING YOU TO FIGHT AND STRUGGLE AGAINST THE INEVITABLE! YOU CAN'T WIN AND FORCE ME BACK IN YOUR SHADOW AS ALL THE SHADOWS ARE MINE TO COMMAND. AND ALL THAT REMAINS IS TO SNUFF OUT YOUR TYRANNY JUST AS I HAVE DONE WITH YOUR PRECIOUS SUN."
"LUNA," a new pony called out in anger and despair; a snow-white mare, as tall as the other, with a multicolored mane waving in an unfelt breeze. She, too, wore a set of armor: a gleaming gold that protected the most vital portions of her body but was nowhere near as complete as the one worn by the one named Luna, and obviously not meant for any prolonged fight. Despite all of this, she also wore a heavily damaged saddlebag on her. "STOP THIS MADNESS. THERE IS STILL TIME TO UNDO THE DAMAGE. PLEASE."
"I AM LUNA NO MORE," she seethed. "I AM NIGHTMARE MOON. AND MY NIGHT SHALL. LAST. FOREVER!" and with this proclamation, she fired her horn directly at the other, but a prepared shield sprung into being and deflected the destructive energy into the field to her left, blowing a massive crater in the ground and setting the surrounding grass on fire.
At the same time, a multitude of flashes surrounded the pair as more ponies teleported to the scene, and Abelo recoiled in shock at the sight of the unicorns who flashed into being.
Of course, he knew teleportation existed. He had learned about it during his lessons and the memories he'd seen in the Murgröna, but he had never seen this happen until now.
Unfortunately, any sense of awe and wonder was washed away, not only by the fight already happening but also by how these unicorns seemed to be… twisted.
They still looked somewhat like ponies. But it was obvious they were not normal in any sense of the word. Their bodies seemed to have swollen with muscle; each leg a tree trunk of unrestrained strength, their barrel easily twice as wide compared to any of the ponies in Yoke. Their fur was blood red, while their manes and tails were moving similarly as the self-proclaimed Nightmare Moon, but looking more like unholy fire instead of the night's sky. Their eyes were empty pools of hate, while their horns seemed elongated, the ridges more pronounced, and in some cases covered in blood which didn't appear to be their own.
As for their faces, those were twisted the most; almost wolf-like, with massive fangs that made Abelo's own look like baby teeth.
One more defining feature of these twisted abominations was the armor they wore. Dark shades of blue and black, and obviously similar to the set Nightmare Moon wore.
"My queen," one of them spoke with a booming voice. "The opposition has been defeated."
"No," the white mare gasped, eyes widening.
"That only leaves one more to deal with," Nightmare Moon snarled.
"I won't let you do this, sister," the white mare said with a pained voice, both saddlebags opening with her magic.
What happened next Abelo missed, for in the time he blinked the group of twisted unicorns, Nightmare Moon, and the white mare all vanished in an explosion of magical light that shook the ground and sent a shockwave that blew everypony off their hooves.
Around him, he could hear the screams of the other villagers, accompanied by the sound of the windows shattering and more screams as shards of glass rained down on ponies and changelink alike and most likely injuring most of them.
Sluggishly rising to his hooves and making several missteps before finding his balance, Abelo looked around him with blurred vision.
Something slammed into him, almost sending him crashing to the ground if the same thing hadn't also held on to him.
"We need to get out of here," Spring Breeze whisper shouted in his ears. "NOW!"
That sounded like an excellent idea, and self-preservation instincts finally managed to override the stupor his mind was in and had him rooted on the spot before.
Unfortunately, just as he managed to move his legs, the two came face to face with one of the twisted unicorns; her body badly beaten but her injuries apparently not even registering as she stepped out of the upturned soil and vegetables she had plowed with her own body.
With a snarl bordering on a growl her eyes locked on Abelo and Spring Breeze, both of which try to make themselves as small as possible.
"Out of my way, vermin," she shouted with a booming voice. Then her empty eyes widened, and a burst of magical might lit up the area behind Abelo and Spring Breeze.
"FINE, IF THIS IS HOW YOU WANT TO DO THIS, I WILL SHOW NO MERCY EITHER," Nightmare Moon roared. "SOLDIERS, DESTROY THIS SETTLEMENT AND ALL WHO LIVE THERE!"
"NO!"
"NOW SISTER, CHOOSE WHO YOU WILL TRY TO 'SAVE'. YOURSELF, OR THEM."
Without a chance to think, the twisted mare lunged for Abelo and Spring Breeze; the former, acting on nothing more than instinct, managed a split second of clear thought in which he pushed his friend away, but left himself completely vulnerable as the demon mare lowered her head and promptly skewered him on her horn.
With a cry, Abelo was lifted up, then blown away by a burst of magic directly in his lower abdomen.
With a soundless scream, he crashed to the ground, his body screaming in agony as he lay unmoving, his vision darkening rapidly while the pounding of his heart drowned out any other sounds around him.
And in the last moments, before his world went dark, he saw Spring Breeze rush towards him while, behind her, he saw Hammer Strike deliver his namesake to the demon mare with teeth shattering buck to the face.
Then, nothing as blissful unconsciousness claimed him.
<<>><<>>
With a cry Danny freed himself from Abelo's dying memories; different strands of energy brushing his mind immediately and images of the changelinks present there that day continued telling the story. This time with him, thankfully, as a bystander instead of living through the horrors he saw.
Dragonfly's side of memories came first, having rushed in alongside Hammer Strike and finding their friend mortally wounded. She and Spring Breeze wasted no time carrying their friend away while Hammer Strike fought the demonic mare; with more memories showing ponies and changelinks alike in mortal combat all throughout Yoke; the village ablaze and bodies, young and old lying unmoving in the streets.
Snippets of images of the fight between Nightmare Moon and Celestia were mixed in with the overwhelming chaos, but nowhere enough to properly make out what happened between the two as those whose eyes he saw through were too busy trying to save themselves and others to stand still and watch.
Precious few memories he saw were from those who stayed behind to fight, and most of the recollections he was shown were from those who fled from Yoke. Most of them carried wounded or foals with them as they fled for the safety of the nearby woods, and from there the Hive, hoping to lose their attackers in the dark of the unnaturally long night and tangle of trees and bushes.
After an indeterminable amount of time where he saw the horrors from numerous eyes, a wave of rainbow light lit up the sky, but none dared to stop and look back as they ran.
Then the memories focused back on Dragonfly, and with her Spring Breeze as they flew as fast they could, carrying their friend in between and ignoring how still he was and the blood that rapidly stained their chitin and fur.
By some adrenaline-fueled miracle, they made it to the hive where others were already waiting for them, alerted over their shared mind and ready to help in any way they could.
Dragonfly watched with wavering eyes and shaking legs as Abelo was rushed underground towards the hospital; knowing deep down it was already too late for him but desperately trying to fool herself as she sank to the ground while others rushed past her to help the other injured still being carried in.
Then the memories shifted to the doctors working frantically to save as many as they could, ignoring the slithering of vines as the Murgröna reached out for the last memories of those beyond saving, including the ponies as well.
Back outside on the surface, ponies and changelinks alike lay in hiding, watching for any sign of the demonic ponies who may have followed, or any survivor desperately trying to reach safety.
Hours stretched on, feeling more like days in the unchanging night until, far beyond the normal cycle, the moon set, night gave way, and the sun slowly rose up.
Whatever passed for a day moved by with nauseating tension mixed with debilitating grief, confusion, and disbelief as no pony could fathom what had happened, or why.
Eventually, the day passed, the night began anew and the moon rose to its zenith, only to confound those on guard on the surface as the face of the moon had changed. An image of a mare now depicted amidst the craters, swallowing up some of the glow while the night's sky felt alien, empty, void of something they couldn't place.
With tension not letting up in the slightest, the night seemed to drag on and on as it had become clear that any and all who had stayed behind in Yoke to fight the monsters, and all who had failed to make their way to the Hive during the chaos most likely wouldn't be coming anymore.
Not knowing what had become of their friends and family, the next day, at first light, a group of changelinks and ponies set out for Yoke in hopes of finding somepony, anypony still alive.
Not a word was said during the trek to the village, though all came to a stop at the sight of the plume of smoke rising up in the distance.
With heavy hearts, they eventually arrived at Yoke. Or what was left of it.
Most buildings had suffered heavy damage, with a good number partially or completely burned down as smoke continued to billow from the still-smoldering remains
Broken carts and personal belongings also littered the streets. But worst of all were the bodies strewn around.
All of them were terribly injured, either from trampling hooves, or injuries similar to those back at the Hive; impaled by unnatural horns and magical discharges.
Grief was prevalent in the group as they gathered the dead, weeping over lost friends and family as they began the awful task of identifying the fallen, then giving them a proper burial.
Not long after they started recovering the dead, they soon realized there were no bodies of the demonic ponies, which only added to the fear they already felt as this could only mean those monsters were still out there.
Though the lack of any sign of either Nightmare Moon, or the white mare who fought her also brought forth questions they could not answer.
Who won the fight? What was it even about? And most importantly, why did they have to suffer the way they had?
As it would turn out, the first question would answer itself nearing the end of the day as, with a flash of gold, the white mare appeared at the edge of the village showing clear signs of injury, fatigue, and grief. But more than even that, the clear fear she felt radiated off her with nauseating waves, making the changelinks closest to her shudder and gak.
Exactly what happened next they didn't know. For a second it seemed the white mare wanted to say something, but she noticeably stiffened when she saw the changelinks; drawn to them by their reaction. Then her eyes flashed over to the ponies, especially those with fangs or changelink wings, and her fear rose to new heights, combined with a spike of anger.
The next moment her horn flashed to life, then the memories came to an end in an overwhelming wave of golden heat.
<<>><<>>
Suspended in the flow of energy, Danny could only stare in stunned silence as the numerous strands of preserved memories flowed away and the pieces of this puzzle now started to fall into place.
The attack on Yoke was nothing other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as devastating as it was, they would have been able to overcome this tragedy, maybe rebuild their village, or move to the Hive permanently. But Celestia…
The way she acted.
The way she reacted.
It was clear to him there was more to this terrible tale than what he was shown; a sentiment shared by the collective of memories around him as he was slowly pulled towards a new cluster of energy waiting for him, which worried him greatly.
This has only been the beginning of their downfall, and he feared for what else he would experience; what other hardships he would live through to learn the truth.
But, as he was now pulled into the strands of energy, he would find out soon enough.