I hated to admit it, but I did indeed take a little pleasure in my job. Most ponies would not call this a job. At least not a year ago. These days were different, though. Most ponies did not exist in this place. Like a flock of cows, they had panicked. Though the attackers, they were worse than any snake in existence.
These things were scary. Even I had to admit that. Maybe that’s why I took pleasure in my job? One creature dead was one creature less to fear. Calling them creatures wasn’t the nicest word; after all they had not always been like that. I mostly called them that for the sake of my own sanity.
After all, who could kill this much and say they were still sane? I had given up on that a long time ago. All there was left was staying alive. That was my job. Staying alive at all costs. My employer? Celestia herself. Well, she did not exactly offer a position for this job. It was more of a dying wish -thing.
I could feel a tear creep down my chin as the memories returned. The look of horror in her eyes when the creature got her. I had managed to kill the creature, but it had been too late. Celestia had died. This is where the problem was, though. Not only with her, but all the ponies. When they were killed by a creature, they refused to stay dead.
As the first thing I had done when I had got the news - in a rather unpleasant way – I had gathered up the elements and together we had fought our way to Canterlot. We had hoped to make it in time to warn the princess. It turned out that whatever caused the outbreak was spreading faster than we could gallop. Unfortunately, we lost Spike on the trip.
The poor dragon was nothing like the rest. He had never hurt a fly in his entire life. He never deserved such a fate. When Rarity stumbled, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He had somehow figured out that they were attracted to fire. With the ability to cast said element, he had drawn all the attention to him as he ran as fast as his small legs could carry him.
Before he had ran, he had materialised a single letter. It was addressed to Rarity. The moment we had gotten a break from the madness she had read it. Rarity had cried for hours. I had a feeling that I knew what it said. Spike had been like a brother to me, but my sorrow was nothing compared to what my friend felt at that moment.
Yeah, I told Spike they did not exist. Turns out I was wrong, and oh, how I wish I wasn’t when the creature that once was my mentor, princess and more importantly, lover, stood in front of me with death in her eyes. I was lucky to have my friends around at that time. I don’t remember anything but sorrow, tears and panic.
With Luna being the brave mare she was, she made sure her sister got to rest at last. It left a scar, though. Not only on her, but all of us. With her fell, she left a scar on all of Equestria. She had always been one step ahead of everypony else. Always the one to make decisions. She was the reason Equestria was everything anypony would ever want.
The next one to go was Rarity. Somehow Spike had made his way to Canterlot. Well, that what was left of him. He had become one of the very creatures we feared beyond everything. When Rarity had seen him she could no longer take it. Before anyone could stop her she had bolted out of security and into the hordes. That was the last time I saw either her or Spike.
By the time we had come this far, safety was nowhere to be found. The infected roamed every city, every forest and every field. The airborne scouted their preys and dived only for food. We had discovered that the best way to kill them was either a blow to the head or decapitation. They were tough, but not immortal.
My magic beams were great for emergencies, but I usually kept it down to melee weapons. The light from the beams attracted too much attention to use when sneaking around. I had taken a sword from one of the guards while escaping Canterlot. I had my brother’s training to thank for being alive.
At this point we were heading for the Crystal Empire. We left with very little hope, but it was everything we had left. The road was long, though, and not a patch of dirt was sacred. Not a single one of us was a part of what we once called the Elements of Harmony anymore. Pinkie had not cracked a single smile since the incident. Rainbow Dash felt she’d abandoned Rarity in the time of need. Fluttershy gave no mercy to the monsters and Applejack refused to face the truth about her family.
The bond that kept us together was still strong, though. We would keep each other's backs at all times. Luna was like a leader. She was the second best strategist in Equestria after her sister, but she’d have never been able to see what came next.
We had hid inside a cave to get some well-deserved rest. Pinkie Pie was the first to stand watch. It was only minutes until I was supposed to switch with her when we heard the scream. Rainbow wasted not a single minute dashing out to see what happened. She returned with Pinkie as one of them.
With them came a horde of creatures. It must have been at least twenty. It was me, Luna, Applejack and Fluttershy left. One last stand. Kill as many as possible. That was what ran through our minds. It had indeed been a last stand for Luna and Fluttershy. They were brave ponies. Both of them. In the end, they’d been overpowered and only I and Applejack standing.
Fury was the only word for the feeling that went through every inch of my body. How did the beasts dare take the ponies I loved away? My vision became blurry and energy was building up inside me. The last thing I remembered was feeling it explode. One last thought came to mind before my consciousness faded. I had failed her. I had failed Celestia.
That was almost a year ago now. I had woken up with ashes all around me. It had not only fried the creatures, but the last of my friends. The memory still haunted me beyond everything else. Every night I had the same dream about my friends, every single one of them leaving me until Applejack was left. She would look at me with nothing but pure hatred before bucking my skull in.
What kind of spell had erupted from me that day? That was beyond my knowledge. I would have looked it up from some kind of a book, but after the losses, the heartbreak and the sorrow, I had learnt my lesson. Today I roam Equestria, slay creatures and do whatever I can do to survive.
If you’re reading this, you’ll probably be one of, if not the only, other possible survivor in what once was Equestria. I found a secret valley. There’s a map in the drawer. I’ve secured the entrance, but you should be able to get in with the instructions on the back of the map. I wish you all of the luck in this world on your journey. May we meet soon.
- I am Twilight Sparkle, and I am a survivor
“Hey Vinyl, Pipsqueak. We have a direction.” Octavia felt a smile form on her face at the first good news in months.