A knock could be heard as it echoed through the illuminated silent room. Within the sound of a quill as it scratched words in long nearly endless streams on pieces of dried parchment. The knocking persisted making the quill have to stop in order for the knocking to state it's reason for existing.
"Come in" a simple phrase was given from the small desk that resided near the farther most wall. With a slow deafeningly loud creak the wooden doorway opened letting in a bright ray of outside light filling the small entranceway to the room. A body appeared into the room quietly and featureless due to bright lights behind it. The body dropped to it's two front legs in a kneeling like bow.
"Rise... And tell me what you require" the female voice commanded. The body rose from the ground and moved forward silently to the females voice.
"They are ready for you now" the body simply said dropping his head showing he was waiting for a reply. the bearer of the female voice looked unto the body silently contemplating her next words.
"Very well let them know I will be down soon" the female voice said as it's body turned back to the numerous stacks of parchment lined up one her desk. The nameless body raised it's head silently and turned away to the light closing the door behind it. Slowly blocking out the light then finally shedding the room into it's final candle illuminated silence with a firm click.
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"So yes in theory we could dispose of them like that... But what about the innocent civilians?" a pony wearing a medical lab coat said as he trudged down a hall following another more plump pony who wore a blue business top and had a bit of balding area on his head.
"Dr. Fremane I am a politician not a friggin civil social worker, Whatever problem happens does not concern me all I want is for the gryphons to stop breathing down our necks.
"So your willing to wipe out whole populaces just to keep a few four legged birds from pecking on your window," Dr. Fremane asked angrily.
"Yes... If it comes to that then yes... Besides look at the world around us , the gryphons, AND dragons are all being affected by this problem" the politician said as the two rounded a corner that let to a hallway conjoining to a large meeting room with several rows of tables, a projector, and a large podium. The room was bustling with conversations ranging from economy to military matters. The duo found their seats and took them. Pulling closer to the table Dr. Fremane picked up a little foldable program index. He skimmed through it even though he already knew the plan for the next hour or so. his eyes wandered over to a set of tables in the far left corner of the room on one of them there was the emblem of the Gryphon Conglomerate. It was a simple blue hued circle on a white background with a red gryphon claw surrounded by three yellow stars. Five gryphons sat silently there starring into the sea of multi-specied advisors.
"Their they are... I was wondering where the bird brains were... Looks like you found em" The politician said with a chuckle not noticing that the center gryphon was staring directly at him.
"Uh.... J.j. I'd be quiet I think they are watching you," Dr. Fremane advised quietly. The politician grunted as he threw a quick look certifying the doctors warning and stopped laughing immediately and looked away.
The doctor continued to silently examine the gryphons from his seat. He eyed each one intently taking note of each and every feature and fiber of their bodies from their armor to the scars of war. He finally settled on the center gryphon who appeared to be the eldest of the five and the most war battered. The doctor knew him as Balthazarr head of war in the Conglomerate. He wore a bronze metal chest plate engraved with many runic symbols that the doctor didn't recognize and many gems from around the world. At it's center stood the Greek letter of omega made out of various gems and stones. It was a symmetrical shape so the stones where used equally to define it. At the base of each leg were three circular cut rubies higher up were square sapphires and the final hump was made of five diamond shaped emeralds. The center was dominated by a rectangular cut amethyst. The entire symbol was surround by two indented rings forming a sort pseudo barrier or island around the mark. Satisfied he found out all he could he let his eyes wander to the gryphons face. It's right eye was had a large cut over it revealing pinkish flesh under the small feathers. With further inspection the doctor noticed that the right eye was replaced with a black diamond.
"Black diamond?" the doctor muttered as he continued his inspection. The gryphons beak was covered be a fitted gold plate. This to was decored with various runes and gems much like his armor. Panning his sight back he sighted in one the gryphons right arm. One it's hand was a large golden glove it had several oval shaped emeralds embedded in it's knuckles with intricate reddish colored runic's down each finger.
"You seem very interested in them doctor" a female voice said knocking the doctor away from his entrancement.
"Huh... Oh brinda I didn't hear you coming... Sorry" the doctor said trying to calm himself down from the shock. Looking at the lab coat wearing orange colored pony.
"It's a wonder how could you... You were eyeing that gryphon like a lost lover or something," Brinda taunted.
"Not funny Mrs. Sparks..." the doctor said with a hard face causing the orange mare to slightly step back from the obviously agitated doctor.
"Anyways... When is this supposed to start?" the doctor asked his female assistant. She rubbed her eye as she thought about his question.
"From what I understand... When the princess gets here," Brinda replied blatantly receiving a cold stare from the grayish tan colored colt. "What... I'm sorry that's all i know I've been in the lab all day... This is the first time I've been out since this morning"
"It's ok Brinda... Do you know where Birkmane is?" Dr. Fremane asked.
"Uh... last time I saw him he was with princess Celestia," Brinda replied scratching her chin quizzically. The doctor frowned at this but nodded in thanks to his orange assistant.
"So what are we supposed to talk about?" Brinda asked curiously.
"Well I know I've got to bring up the recent figures on the infection rate, as well as a demographic on all the afflicted areas in the three territories," Doctor fremane informed receiving an acknowledging nod from Brinda.
"Wel-...," Brinda was interrupted by the lights darkening in the room. Every being in the room grew quiet as a spotlight moved to the podium in the center. Soon a bright light appeared behind it washing the room in blinding white. The doctor turned his head trying to shield his eyes from It. He turned back tothe podium seeing a tall white alicorn standing behind it with a pastel colored mane that seemed to even blow when there was no wind or propelling force near it.
"Princess Celestia..." a voice said behind the doctor followed by several whispers and grunts. The alicorn inhaled deeply before casting a spell. Her horn light up a bright purplish white as a spiral of smoke came around the center of the room it enlarged into a sort of cylindrical shape. The central mass of the smoke created object began to form a three dimensional diagram of the three territories from the dragon empire to the gryphon Conglomerate. Several gasp could be heard through the room as the diagram finished its construction.
"Ponies... Gryphons... Dragons... I call you here tonight to talk about this epidemic we are all facing this problem that is causing families, Friends, allies to literally rip each other apart without care or remorse"
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Apple Farm tree fields
Sweetiebelle Ran as fast as her little legs could carry her as she bolted through the rows upon rows trees and dead or dying apple piles. Her heart was racing as fast as her body as she turned left then right following a memorized path she learned of before her friends became monsters. She arced left jumping a large pile of decaying apples. She bursted through a set of bushes ramming through another pile of rotting apples. She wasn't fazed as the rotting juice smeared across her face and the skin other chunks of the old apples clung close to her fur and cape.
'Gotta hurry up and find them' she though as she leaped over a dead tree laying on it's side. She slid under a set of trees that resembled a limbo stand. She galloped faster as the trees grew more dense. Her ears perked as the heard a rustle of movement overhead. She skidded to a halt picking up a large ball of dust around her. She scanned the area around her as the dust cleared slowly. A black figure came from behind the dust. It had a bow and was about the same size as her. Sweetiebelle knew who it was and braced herself for anything.
"Hello Sweetiebelle" the shadow said.
"AppleBloom... I dont want to hurt you" the little unicorn said trying to hide the fear in her voice.
"Y'a don't wanna hurt me... Well that's ah darn shame... Cuz ah want ta hurt you ALOT" Applebloom said making her face visible for the white filly. Sweetiebelle looked on her friend with remorse as she saw the physical changes. Even in the low moonlight she could see the monstrous changes that afflicted the little yellow filly. Her eyes were filled with a milky blackness her flesh was rippled and vainy. She had a paleness to her fur coat and her bows hair was estranged. Applebloom bared her teeth at the white filly slowly growling at her.
"Sweetiebelle please... Stop I am sure Zecora can help you... Your sick" sweetiebelle pleaded. The sickly filly looked downwards with a sigh then snapped her head up faster.
"No" she cried as she burst into a sprint for the unicorn. Sweetiebelle reacted with a quick dodge to her right. She landed just out of appleblooms reach. The apple filly skided around to a U turn and charged once more. Having more time to think of something sweetiebelle timed herself. At the precise moment she slid low under the berserk pony. As she went don she kicked a hoof upwards connecting with appleblooms chin. The force of the kick launched the yellow filly backwards with a cruntch. The body flew backwards making a slight dirt pile form the body.
"I don't want to hurt you please stop" sweetiebelle said trying to fight back her tears.
"Shut up an let me eat you" applebloom said as she charged at the unicorn filly at full
Speed. Sweetiebelle was caught off gaurd this time getting dropped to the ground with a thud. Applebloom dropped hooves onto the unicorns body. Sweetiebelle felt each blow as it tore through her. The physical pain didn't Hirt her as much as the emotional pain of fighting her friend. Applebloom continued to pound into the white unicorns body without remorse. Sweetiebelle felt tears make there way down here cheeks.
'Get up..' a voice said in her head as She tried to stave each blow coming down on her.
'GET up' it repeated as soil loom finally stopped pounding but now resorted to choking. Sweetiebelle tried to push her back but could barely make any reach.
'GET UP!!' the voice repeated once again with more force. Sweetiebelle felt a surge of energy pass through her as she placed her legs under applblooms body. She put as much force she could into her legs as she kicked the little filly into the sky. She flew back once more into a set of bushes. Sweetiebelle crawled to her hooves trying to push her racing heart back down we thoat. She stared trying to take in all that happened in the last few minutes. Her mind went into a deep though as if on auto pilot.
'Oh... Celestia please I didn't want to hurt her... I swear' sweetiebelle though as she began to relax. She raised her self to her hind legs to get a look around still weary of the set of bushes applebloom was launched into. She closed her eyes taking a calming breath just before she felt hard dirt hit her face and body.
"Ha ha forgot about me!!" a voice said as another filly stood on her back. She tried her best to look up at who it was. She felt another tear come as she saw it was scootaloo.
"C'mon sweetiebelle that was to easy..." scootaloo said as she reared he head back for sweetiebelle to see.
"To bad you won't get a chance to try again and you know... I wonder what if I could make a cutie mark... From you?" scootaloo said maniacally as she opened her mouth wide. Her teeth made themselves known to the world with their tips glinted in the silent moonlight. Sweetiebelle closed her eyes as she braced herself for the coming and painful attack.her body shook quietly in little quakes of fear and regret as she felt the pressure shift on her body. Scoots ops hooves dug into her back leaving pain in it's place as it went deep into her flesh. The pressure was relieved for a moment as a dull thud made itself on her back.
"What the?" scootaloo said muffled.
"Double weave cape" Sweetiebelle said as she rolled over knocking the orange Pegasus to the ground. "Or better known as the French coture"
Scootaloo got to her hooves slowly and whipped her head to sweetiebelle with a sadistic smile plastered on it.
"Well I may not have gotten a free meal but... At least I can have fun... So in the end it all works out for me..." Scootaloo rambled causing sweetiebelle to get kinda confused at the Pegasus.
"Whatar-..." sweetiebelle was inturupted by a gust of wind. She looked and saw nopony where scootaloo originally stood. She looked around seeing nothing. She felt a hit come to her face knocking her to the ground. Unsure of where it came from she searched frantically for it. Another one came this time tearing into the her stomach leaving and indent on the little pony. Sweetiebelle let out a gasp as she dropped to the ground writhing in pain from the strike. She squirmed awhile in the dirt as the pain began to recede from her body. She coughed as she crawled once more to her hooves. Her ears flexed as movement came from the bushes to her side. She looked to see applebloom emerging from the wall of leaves also bearing a sick and twisted smile. To her right she heard flapping wings and the dull thud of hooves touching ground. She weighed her odds in her head as she looked back at the two ponies on either side. She let out a deep sigh followed by a chuckle.
"We are the cutie mark crusaders" Sweetiebelle said as the two began to encroach on her.
"On a quest to find out who we are" she continued as the two grew closer.
"And we will never stop the journey" she added as the two grew even closer.
"Not until we have our cutie marks" she repeated louder.
"We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders
On a quest to find out who we are" she said looking once more at the two around her.
"And we will never stop the journey
Not until we have our cutie marks!" she sang. The two fillies within a few hoofs from her. Sweetiebelle smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to find your cutie marks" she said as she continued to force herself a smile.
"But..." she said.