There is a legend older than Nightmare Moon, one of an evil more chaotic than Discord, darker than King Sombra, and more vile than Grogar himself. That story was passed from generation to generation, getting more and more embellished, getting darker and more horrendous with each telling. Of a cart or carriage with a heart and mind of its own one that only wanted love and acceptance, but only received scorn and hate. Of a changeling queen the only one of her kind that could become inanimate objects to gain affection.
Some called her a succubus, others a tantabus but nobody knew the truth, only rumors or dark stories. None believed the stories of an old worn out carriage that could repair itself and make the user go mad, none believed the accounts of insane stallions saying it was a cart making them hurt ponies, all but one. Starswirl the bearded heard the tales, he believed them to be true and he set out to do something none had done before, attempt to capture and imprison a demon that fed on emotions darker love.
When he found the monster she looked like a normal pony, no holes that changelings were known for, nor horn or antenna with wings. Sure her wings were webbed like a bat but, bat ponies existed Princess Luna proved that. No, what set alarm bells abuzz in Starswirl's mind was her coat was a blood red and her mane was as white as the purest pearl, even worse, her cutie mark was that of a carriage surrounded by red and white smoke. He knew he had found the culprit but how to deal with her? This question plagued his mind but only one answer came up: to keep Equestria safe he would send the beast away and lock it into a carriage, and hope none gave it enough love to escape.
Excerpt from Equestrian tall tales, chapter 78 The Carriage Mare.
1250 years ago Equestria
As Starswirl trudged down the dusty road, the air crackled with the symphony of nature as chirping birds and rustling leaves intertwined in a harmonious dance. Just when the weight of his search threatened to crush his spirit, he caught sight of her—a vision in white amidst the verdant meadow.
Approaching her with a determined gait, Starswirl couldn't ignore the sense of wonder that enveloped him in her presence. The shattered cart and the somber gaze that she fixed on the broken wheel tugged at his heart. Without hesitating, he summoned a gentle aura around the cart and its forsaken wheel, emboldened by the pulsating glow of his horn.
"I thank you, kind stallion," her melodic voice cascading like a serene brook, "but I fear I've no way of paying you for such an act."
"Think nothing of it, ma'am," Starswirl reassured, his voice steady and warm, "just helping a fellow traveler in need. I am Starswirl, and what pray tell is yours?"
Her laughter echoed gracefully through the meadow as she introduced herself, "I am Christine Fury. May I ask that you accompany me to the next town, good stallion?"
"I would be delighted," Starswirl replied, his heart buoyant with newfound purpose as he assisted Christine in securing the cart.
The windswept meadow bore witness to their chance encounter—a spark kindling in the vast expanse of Equestria, hinting at unforeseen adventures and uncharted emotions.
As the sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the dirt road leading to Ponyville, Christine and Starswirl walked side by side. The air was still, save for the soft rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze.
"I thank you for walking with me, Starswirl, and I'm so glad you aren't terrified of me," Christine said, her voice tinged with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow.
"Think nothing of it, Christine, but why would I be terrified of you?" Starswirl asked, turning to look at the mare beside him.
"Haven't you heard the stories? The ones about a mare who can change into a carriage?" Christine's voice trembled with emotion as she spoke, her eyes downcast.
"Are you telling me ponies believe that you are that mare?" Starswirl's tone held a hint of incredulity, disbelief evident in his expression. "How could anypony think that monster is you?" Starswirl's confusion was palpable as he sought to understand the absurdity of the situation.
"What is my cutie mark, Starswirl?" Christine's voice carried a weight of sadness as she redirected his attention to her flank, where the image of a carriage was imprinted. "When I was a filly, I always loved the carts nobility had," Christine's voice grew animated, a tinge of nostalgia coloring her words. "But we were poor and would never be able to afford one, so I built one. I still remember gathering wood and nails to build with, using my father's tools to carve what looked like to me beautiful images into the wood. It took me almost a year to build it." Her laughter tinkled like a wind chime, melodic and pure. "It was lopsided and not one corner was square, but as I showed it to my parents, they loved it, and we rode into town with it. And that's when it happened." Her laughter ceased as her voice faltered, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"What happened, Christine?" Starswirl's voice was gentle and soothing, a bridge for her to share her burden.
"Discord happened," Christine's voice turned venomous, the mention of the name eliciting a shudder from Starswirl. "He was apparently in town, terrorizing it as he would. He saw us enter town, mostly because of the light of my cutie marks appearance, I remember his talon claws snapping and nothing after that." She looked at him and he sat because her tears were flowing freely her webbed wings stretched into the air "I woke up with these" she hissed nodding to her wings, "I was in one of the medical tents and one of the unicorn doctors was checking me with magic, they told me Discord had changed the entire town into inanimate objects."
“You don’t mean to tell me” Starswirl started fearing the worst.
"Worse, Starswirl, so much worse" she said with sadness and a twinge of fear. "Because of the combination of magics, I found I could flow between my carriage, become incorporeal, and become my carriage" she said with dejection in her voice. "I have been to every great magic user and none can undo this curse, my next stop is the castle of the two sisters."
"I am one of the best mages in Equestria, why not come straight to me?" Starswirl asked, quite perturbed.
"I tried once, but I was called crazy . . . they attempted to lock me away so I fled." She said, "the two sisters defeated Discord, maybe. . . just maybe they can undo what he has done to me.”
Deep in the Everfree Forest two ponies and a wagon trekked on the well worn path to the Castle of the Two Sister. Silence had fallen upon the pair, their stories swapped and tears shed. It was no more than a short walk to the castle when the sisters alighted in front of the pair.
“Starswirl, who pray tell, is this?” Princess Luna asked.
“This my dear Princess’s,” Starswirl started turning to look at his companion. “Is Christine Fury, a victim of the chaos of Discord, she has come searching for a cure to the magic that has taken hold of her.” He finished as Christine stepped forward and bowed slightly.
“The carriage mare?” Princess Celestia asked, raising her eyebrow.
“That is what they call me your highness, but I have never hurt another. I only want this curse gone” She said, her voice barely a whisper.
“There is but one thing we can try, however it may not work and only turn you to stone” Celestia said, as the Elements of Harmony appeared atop Luna and her.
“I am willing to try Princess,” Christine said, as her eye’s slightly turned red.
As the elements washed over me, it felt like a cool fall breeze carrying the brisk hints of fall. Yet when I opened my eyes I felt no different. Looking at the princesses I saw that they seemed confused, like what had stayed the same shouldn’t have. Testing what had always been, my essence coalesced into the fine red mist I was used to as my conciseness flowed into my old worn cart, before flowing freely back out as I manifested once more.
“But.. I.. What went wrong?” I asked, sorrow filling my voice as tears accumulated in the corners of my eyes. “Why am I still cursed?” I asked, my voice rising “You can both move the celestial bodies and yet you can’t undo what that chaotic monster did to me!”
“We are truly sorry, if the elements can’t remove whatever chaos was Discord’s doing, then we’re afraid you’ve spent too much time with it.” Princess Celestia started.
“I’m afraid whatever was done to you is now irreversible.” Princess Luna finished as the tears in my eyes freely fell.
“No” I whispered, and yet with how quiet the courtyard had become, it felt like I had shouted it. “NO!” That time I did shout it, my tears giving way to anger, “There has to be something you can do, I’m tired of being treated like a monster in every town I go to. . . Like I'm going to just hurt every stallion I come across.”
“We truly are sorry, my little pony, but there is truly nothing we can do,” Princess Celestia said, her head hanging low in shame and sadness.
“Impossible!” I screamed, my anger burning red hot as my eyes landed on Starswirl. “Starswirl please. . .” I begged, my eyes wide as my lip quivered, “There must be something you can do?” The question floated dead in the air, the stallion stood away from the princesses and he just bowed his head.
“I am truly sorry Christine . . . but it is as the princesses say . . . there is truly no way to help you now.” he said, his eyes holding pity and sadness.
My anger boiled as red mist floated off from me and my cart in a dense slowly rolling fog. “You’ve yet to try the elements against my cart, perhaps that will set me free?” I asked as my anger blinded me to the truth they were speaking.
“I’m sorry Christine . . . but truly there is nothing that can be done.” Princess Luna said as a growl escaped my throat.
“If you wont do anything… I’ll do it myself” I said as I spread my wings. I filtered all the magic I could into my horn, not realizing Starswirl was doing the same. The lamps on the front of my cart started glowing a light blue menacing light. The starting of a soul song came over me, as I sang out, unleashing the fury that was in my heart and veins against the sisters, not realizing Starswirl had cast his spell at the exact same time.
Memory
Coming to feel like a tidal wave of sickness one would get after galloping far too fast, for far too long, my mind a haze of distortion and colors that flashed almost every shade of color on the visible spectrum. It all came to a head when I felt myself roll forward slowly and steadily, as if being pushed by some unseen force ever forward, when my mind finally gained clarity. I remembered my name, Christine… but how? Why was I here?
I felt as though I had no color, until I remembered that my body was toreador red with small iceberg white pinstripes… Pinstripes? While my roof was the same color as the pinstripes… Roof?
‘Nothing makes sense any more’ I thought to myself, but then I felt it, eyes under me, then rough hands opening my hood to peer underneath. I saw the red of my mist as I slammed the hood on his fingers, ‘How dare you’ I tried screeching, but nothing came out. I tried anything to get my voice to be heard as my driver's door was opened and someone sat inside, ‘He’s smoking’ I yelled in indignation, letting my fury out my doors locked tight as the seatbelt that was installed looped around his midsection and squeezed as I felt his life drain slowly out of him.
Chuckling to myself in glee, as no more people tried to hurt me, no one would ever hurt me again. I don’t know why I was afraid of men so much, but I trusted my gas tank to never lead me astray, even if my memories were foggy and it still hurt to think, I refused to ever be hurt again.
1978
I had sat gaining rust and dust, crumbling upon myself in this driveway for over a decade ever since the first person I fell in love with hung himself from the tree behind me. His brother refused to drive me, refused to love or care for me, until finally I saw him. His light brown almost gray skin standing out against the dark midnight of his friends, his mismatched eyes found the for sale sign…and I knew then it was love.
I learned his name while he was talking to the ‘man’ who wished to be rid of the ‘demon who took his brother’. I never took his brother. I loved him, just as I was falling for Discord. Oh how his name slipped effortlessly from my misty lips, his mismatched eyes sliding over my body not with disgust as others had before him, but with a care and a shine that only one other had shown. My engine rumbled as he turned my key, smoke pouring from my tailpipes as I whined about how horrible I looked and sounded, he only smiled and ran a comforting hand over my steering wheel.
I loved him for only a short few months, but in those months I killed for him, showed him he was being controlled by his family and his so-called friend. He tried to love another girl, he must have known how jealous I’d be, I’d already killed most of the awful boys who hated him and hurt me… they’d all pay eventually.
‘Sombra, Chrysalis… How I hated those names’ they’d tried taking my Discord from me, tried stealing him and twisting his heart away from my love. I’d finally finished the last of those horrible boys, but those two yet lived, together Discord and I set about to finally end them, remove them from this earth. When those crafty shitters tricked me.. they killed him, tore him from me.. I’d make them pay dearly for their transgressions.
They’d won, how horribly they’d cheated me, using a machine of great tonnage to crush me beneath its weight as their glee showed through to my ever present mist and form. I saw them come in the morning. They watched the man who owned this junkyard as he cubed me, and left me to rot in this desolate place with no love to be given to me, none to care as they hurt me beyond my wildest dreams.
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"How could y'all do that to me, I told ya in secret and now everybody knows" said a tan girl with blond hair in a ponytail. She was wearing a stetson hat, flannel shirt, blue jeans and cowboy boots.
"Applejack, I swear it wasn't me," a tan girl with fiery red hair said. She was wearing a black leather jacket, tan shirt with a sun symbol on the front, frayed black jeans and biker boots.
"Yeah right Sunset" a girl with rainbow hair said. "I knew you never changed and you never will because you're an evil bitch."
"Rainbow!" A pure white girl with curly purple hair shouted. "Sunset might be evil, but you don't have to use such garish language."
"But it wasn't me, why would I try so hard to change just to throw it all away?" Sunset asked the three girls in front of her.
"Because you're an evil-" Rainbow started.
"Don't even finish that sentence Rainbow Dash" the pure white girl said. Turning to Sunset she continued, "look Sunset, your reputation isn't good enough for anyone to believe this isn't you-"
"So just leave and disappear" Rainbow finished for the white girl. Turning and storming away, Applejack glared at Sunset before following after Rainbow, leaving just the white girl with Sunset.
"I'm sorry Sunset, but-" the snow white girl started
"No Rarity, she's right," Sunset said, interrupting her. "I'll just disappear" and with her final piece said she hung her head and slowly walked away letting her tears slide down her cheeks and hitting the ground beneath her as she walked away from the three girls who were once her friends. As she walked away from the high school, where slowly her only friends in the world were forsaking her, she wondered if she could even keep her job working in the junkyard she had recently gotten.
As she continued walking her sobs lessened as her chest heaved less and less as her shattered heart slowly darkened into a cold and empty abyss of turmoil and self loathing. Her train of thought was a one way line into depression and thoughts of running a blade across her skin, thoughts of blood and two worlds of not one being caring about her or even missing her floated through her head. Looking towards where her destination lay she spied the beginning of the chicken wire fence that surrounded Grogar's Junkyard and Garage.
It took five minutes from the beginning of the fence to get to the entrance of the yard, casting her eyes onto the piles of scrapped clunkers, half wrecks, and antique autos. She continued her way to where her boss was more than likely planning to let her go, the giant eight bay garage to the right of the entrance. As she passed the scales for weighing whatever metal people brought in she entered the garage, through one of the open bay doors, turning to the right she focused her blood shot eyes on the old man who had given her the job, and was more than likely about to take it all away.
"Sunset!" The old man shouted in excitement. A grin plastered on his face as he turned down the radio near the 1975 Pontiac Firebird he was working on, grabbing a rag and wiping his hands somewhat clean of grease as he walked towards her. "How's my favorite employee… doing" he paused seeing her blood shot eyes, "what's wrong Sunset? Don't tell me you're still beating yourself up over that whole bullying debacle?" He asked with concern in his voice.
Sunset broke and the flood gates opened once more as she flung her arms around her boss and started letting her tears fall once more as her chest heaved in anguished ugly sobs. "Oh Grogar, i-it's worse than t-that" she stuttered out through shaky breaths, "my friends, t-they think I'm s-spreading their secrets online, a-and one of them told me I'd be better of just disappearing, and she's riiggghhhhttttt" she half screamed, her heart bursting with despair as her mind spiraled and shifted through every negative word she could think for herself.
"There, there Sunset, you and your friends will work through this, they have to notice how you've changed" Grogar said caringly, his left hand running gentle circles on her back as his right caressed her hair. "Tell you what" he started pushing Sunset back slightly so he could look her in the eyes. "I can handle the yard by myself for the day, why don't you go home and get some rest, take some time away from school and focus on getting yourself right up here" he said tapping her skull causing her to giggle slightly.
"Thanks Grogar, but if it's all the same, I'd like to walk around the yard for a bit, see if I can finally spot a car I want to get and work on" she said with a half smile hoping her boss didn't catch on to the pain in her voice.
"Well if that's what you want to do Sunset, I won't stop you, when you find the right one, drive her back here or grab the wrecker and haul her back here" he said with a smile on his face as he turned around to go back to the Pontiac he was working on.
Sighing to herself, she walked out of the garage, and took a right down the small dirt road that led into the junkyard. Walking slowly past the piles of iron, tin, and miscellaneous scrap metal, she turned left into the car lot where all the junkers and half descent beaters were. Walking down the road of smashed, wrecked, totalled and rusted out cars nothing caught her attention, until finally she came upon the final row of cars.
"No one ever comes back here, not even Grogar himself, they'll never find me" Sunset said to herself. As she walked past cars that were way past their prime and fixability, stopping in the middle of the dirt lane, she turned to the left to face one of the few tall and strong trees in the yard. Putting one foot in front of the other her depressed, and self loathing thoughts pounding in her head driving her forward to make a permanent solution to a temporary problem, one she couldn't find a way out of.
As she climbed up into the tree one branch at a time, the rope she had first hung in the tree after her whole demon problem was still lying gently on the branch. Her friends were there and helped her see she belonged without ever knowing they saved her life, as she turned around to face out across the junkyard, something strange happened, she caught the glimpse of faded red paint and rust. Casting her gaze to where the color was her breath was taken from her, as her eyes glazed over and became distant, slowly climbing back down the tree her eyes never left the sight of the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen in her life.
As her feet once more touched solid ground, her voices stopped talking, and she could feel her heart beating faster, her palms started sweating a little bit. Before she could even comprehend why she hadn't put the rope around her neck and jumped she was standing in front of the most beautiful car she had ever seen. Even though the toreador red paint was fading from the body, and the iceberg white on the roof and pinstripe were grimy and rust poked.
She circled the car unable to help but notice the white walls, though horribly weather cracked still held air. As she passed the driver's door, it slowly creaked open, twirling around to notice the door somehow opened in an invisible breeze. Slowly walking back towards the door, she took a look inside to see that the red and white seats where sun bleached and cracked and the windshield was smudged with small spider webbing cracks. Sliding into the driver's seat, she placed her hands on the wheel and slowly caressed it, as her right hand passed three o'clock on the wheel, the visor dropped open depositing the keys into her lap.
Picking up the key and name key chain, she couldn't help but notice the name and she smiled as she read it "Christine, a beautiful name for such a beautiful car" she said out loud. Still smiling to herself she decided to see if Christine would turn over, sticking the key into the mechanism, and shifting Christine into neutral, she depressed the clutch and turned the key. Causing the engine to slowly crank, trying again and lightly tapping the gas, the engine spun and sputtered until it roared to life.
Climbing one branch at a time, she reached the spot where she had first hung her rope after her demon problem. Her friends were there unaware they had saved her life. Suddenly, her eyes were drawn to a faded red paint and rust, taking her breath away, her eyes glazing over. Carefully, she descended the tree, never taking her eyes away from the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. As her feet hit the ground, a hush fell over her. Her heart raced, her palms started to sweat. Without allowing herself to think, she found herself standing in front of a toreador red car, the paint fading, the roof and pinstripe were grimy, rust poking through. Yet, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
She circled Christine, her gaze lingering on the white walls that were cracked and worn from the weather, yet still held air. As she passed the driver's door, it slowly creaked open, as if invisible hands had moved it. She took a few steps back and peered inside, taking in the sun-bleached, cracked red and white seats, and the windshield that was smudged with small spider webbing cracks. Sliding into the driver's seat, she let out a content sigh as her hands ran along the wheel. When her right hand reached three o'clock, the visor suddenly dropped open, depositing the keys into her lap. Picking up the key and name key chain, she smiled as she read the name "Christine" aloud. She felt a thrill of excitement as she inserted the key into the ignition, shifted Christine into neutral, and pressed the clutch. She gave it another turn, lightly tapping the gas, and the engine spun and sputtered until it finally roared to life. Christine was alive.
The powerful engine of Christine revved, and the sound of it filled the air. She put it in first gear and cautiously stepped on the gas. As the car started moving, The exhaust having long since rotted off, blue smoke poured from the tail pipes, slowly shifting into first Christine lurched slightly as her transmission ground slightly finding the gear. Putting light pressure on the gas pedal once more, Sunset let off the clutch letting Christine roll forward, cranking the wheel to the right Sunset slowly drove Christine through the rows of cars and scrap. Engine skipping, belt slipping, and smoke rolling off the back of the car, Sunset brought Christine back to the open bay door, turning hard right once more she depressed the clutch and brake letting Christine grind to a halt almost stalling.
Putting pressure on the clutch Christine whined into reverse as Sunset turned around to back into the slot in the bay, the brakes and gears grinding once more bringing Christine to a halt in the correct position so Sunset could put her on the lift. Shutting her off and depressing the emergency brake, she slid back out of the driver's seat, closing the door and heading down three bays to where she had seen Grogar last. Getting closer to the radio she was already negotiating a price for Christine, even if she had to work an entire week for free just to get the parts, she'd do it, finding Grogar at the Firebird, Sunset shut his radio off causing him to turn his head slightly to glare at her.
"Sunset, how many times do I have to tell you, never mess with my radio?" He asked her in indignation.
"I know, but I found a car, how much would you want for it?" Sunset asked with pleading eyes and hope filling her voice.
"What car is it?" Grogar asked, walking from underneath the Firebird and grabbing a rag to wipe off his hands.
"She's down in the first bay, follow me" she said excitedly, running back to where she had parked Christine. Grogar followed behind Sunset, shaking his head slightly and chuckling to himself, but as he drew nearer to the first bay he could see the faded red and white, and as he finally reached the car he knew exactly what it was.
"Sunset, this is a 1958 Plymouth Fury, they're gas guzzlers, are you sure you want this one?" He asked her, cocking one of his eyebrows and head at the young woman.
"Of course Grogar, now how much do you want? I'll even work for free to get the parts I need," she said excitedly, her eyes twinkling in happiness as her grin threatened to split her face.
"Alright, alright calm down" Grogar started putting his hands out in front of himself placatingly. "For you Sunset three hundred for the car, and fifty dollars for parts a day, how's that sound?"
"Deal!" Sunset shouted as she ran up and hugged Grogar tightly. Pulling away from her boss she reached into her left pocket for her wallet, bringing it out she opened it up and pulled out the three hundred Grogar was asking for. Counting it out as she handed it over to him, her smile never left her face, and as the last bill left her hand she hugged Grogar once more, and skipped back to Christine to began the arduous task of finding out what parts she was going to need to make her roadworthy once more.
Shaking his head Grogar walked away but as he did he couldn't shake the feeling he had seen that specific Fury somewhere in his life and in more of a wrecked state. Shaking the thoughts from his head he headed back to the Firebird he was working on and he hoped with every fiber of his being it wasn't the car he thought it was.