//------------------------------// // Chapter 35 - Back Then // Story: Quest For Harmony // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// "Stay safe, sugarcube," said mah father one last tahm before he went off with the soldiers tah fight those damn unicorns who kept on tryin' tah invade our lands. That was before we earth ponies allowed the pegasi tah help us. The look he left us: the sad smile and the worry in his eyes... If only Ah could have just hugged him back then. But Ah was too young to understand what was goin' on back then. Big Mac and Ma kept on cryin', while I was there, standing like how an innocent filly should be. "You'll be back soon, right dad?" Ah asked him, but he didn't answer, fer a few earth pony soldiers were already calling him. He gave us one last look, one last smile, before he went off tah the horizon. Ah kept on askin' about when will dad be coming back, but either mah folks won't reply, or simply tell me that he won't be returnin'. It was a few years after that when Ah realize what really happened. Ah made a promise tah mahself that I'll work so dang hard for mah father's farm. But Ah also spared a few of mah tahm with Ma, Granny, mah brother, and mah li'l sister. The war wasn't really turning into our favor back then. The unicorns were brutal with their magic-thingies. Ah'm just glad I couldn't see it first-hoof of what they do to us ponies in the war zone. We only had a few lands left when the pegasi decided to aid us. From what Ah heard from mah Granny's stories, those winged ponies came here first, but didn't really mind our business. They just built their cloud-kingdom-thingie, and traded with us earth ponies for food. Mah Granny said that it was a harmonious relationship until the unicorns invaded the northern land, and built their own kingdom there. Ah heard that unicorns forced the earth ponies there into their slaves, and that it was the beginning of chaos. Mah father went to war to stop the unicorns from invadin' our little town. Long story short, they succeeded, but...mah father didn't make it. Ma told me that his comrades will never forget mah Pa's heroism during that fight. The day mah consciousness was mature enough for me to know what really happened, Ah busied mahself with farm-work. Ah tried being strong, but it was so darn hard. When nopony was lookin', Ah wept. Each night, when everypony was asleep, I wept as I walked along the trees of mah family's apple orchard. A few years after that though, durin' dinner, mah Ma said somethin' that broke me even more: mah brother's goin' to the war. Ah know that every stallion should help in the war, but back then, there's no way Ah would let mah brother go to war! Ah lost mah Pa! Ah don't wanna lose mah brother as well! Mah family kept on arguin' about mah brother every single day. One day though, he was gone, and Ah could barely even move or eat after Ah got tired of lookin' for 'im 'round town. Ah was broken, Ah really was. Ah didn't even realized that mah li'l sister was gone as well. Ah understand that mah family didn't had the heart to tell me 'bout Bloom though, with the state Ah was in back then. One night, when everypony was asleep, Ah suddenly found mahself slowly walkin' in the orchard. The night air was really cold that tahm. Ah don't really know how long Ah was walking there before Ah realized that it was snowin'. Ah remember that Ah blinked quite a few tahms, tryin' tah see if Ah was hallucinatin' or just seein' things. But no, it really was snowing. The snow was falling peacefully from the thin black clouds up above. Yeah yeah, it was night time, but the moon was full back then, so Ah could tell. Anyway, the snow really made me feel a bit weird inside. Ah don't really know how tah explain it, but to put it simply, it was like reality slapped me right tah mah face, tellin' me tah wake up, suck it up, and live on. But the weird coldness gave both Ma and Granny a strange illness that no local doctor cold cure. As the days flew by, both of 'eir conditions was getting worse and worse, and I was starting to panic once more. They both told me not to worry about them, but Ah can't just sit there and watch 'em die! No, I wouldn't let that happen. But...what else can Ah do? What could a simple non-flyin' and non-magic-usin' earth pony such as mahself could possibly do tah save 'em? Ah'm powerless... Ah was losing hope one evening. Everypony was asleep, and there Ah was again: wandering in the apple orchard, not minding the coldness of the snowy weather... If Ah were to take 'em to this place Ah heard called Manehattan, then maybe there will be somepony there that could cure mah family... It's risky, but it's worth a shot. But how the hay am Ah suppose tah get there? Plus, Ah don't even know where that place is! Darn it... I looked up, and saw the moon. It's full glory was struggling to get through the black clouds. And something blue blurred passed mah vision. I followed it with mah gaze, and saw it landed a few distance from where Ah was standing. I had nothin' else tah do, so I decided to see what that was. "Hush..." I whispered, cutting her story as I looked around the trees around us. I felt my ears perking up as I ignored the mare's glare. "Did you hear that?" I whispered, still looking at our surroundings. She arched an eyebrow. "Y'know it's not n---" she cut herself off as her ears stood as well, and she soon stood low as she looked around. "Darn it," she whispered, standing low beside me, "Ah hear hoofsteps..." I nodded, "lots of them..." The two of us soon drew our attention at the edge of the forest, where the War Planes is. We crept closer, careful not to make any noise as possible. From behind the thick trees, we leaned our heads to take a peak, and we saw unicorn ponies. As they marched towards -- I think -- Unicornia, they were circling around tired-looking earth ponies, who were forced to pull metal wagons. Whatever was on the wagon was covered by a purple-colored clothe. There were seven wagons, and quite a lot of earth ponies were pulling them all. Ugh... I couldn't stand watching their tired and beaten forms. I turned away, and saw Applejack was clenching her teeth, and holding her best to hold herself back.