//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 - Whisper in the dark // Story: Death's Bargain // by Haseo //------------------------------// Chapter 1 Whisper in the dark The noonday sun shone brightly down at the ponies of Ponyville. They bathed their coats in the intense warmth of the celestial orb and couldn't worry any less. Little foals played along with their parents in the parks in and around Ponyville and the birds sang the tune of light-heartedness. Two years filled with happiness and peace had passed since the Princess of the Sun had left Equestria on a long journey. Under the rule of Princess Luna, Equestria had bloomed once more to its full beauty. Nothing dark nor bad could happen on such a lovely day, so Applejack decided to stay a little bit longer at her apple-stand. The ponies were still saluting her as the honest Applejack despite the fact she had to give up her Element by force for the good of their beloved home. Countless ponies she knew crossed her field of view and waved to her fondly. Only a few passed her without any form of greeting. One pony that didn't belong to that particular group was Pinkie Pie. “Hey there, Applejack!” Applejack took her old stetson from her head and waved it in a welcoming manner in front of her body. “Howdy, Pinkie! Wanna grab some Apples?” The bubblegum coloured mare bounced on her seemingly rubber-like hooves over to Applejack and came almost instantly to a halt. Only her puffy mane bobbed in the pattern she bounced before. “Sure I do!” Pinkie Pie's neck stretched in an unnatural way when she dove into the basket of apples. The moment she pulled her head back, two golden blinking bits fell out of her mane and landed gently on the wooden desk in front of Applejack. Still astonished over the strange skills Pinkie possessed, Applejack simply laughed. “Ya are always making ponies smile, Pinkie. Ya never run out of jokes.” With her mouth filled with an amount of apples that any other pony would choke on, Pinkie Pie tried to press words through the massive hindrance of apples. “Ah wut hea'ing to Twalight's, 'e won'ed to 'ass me a 'ook.” Applejack scratched her head and shot Pinkie a uncomprehending look. “Right… nevermind. Ah hope ya enjoy whatever ya are up to!” Pinkie's mouth was still full of apples when she left the stand and waved Applejack goodbye. The streets of Ponyville emptied themselves while the time passed. Many ponies were taking their foals from school or kindergarten now. Only a few crossed the marketplace now. Fluttershy stumbled over the cobblestones. Her eyes were wandering from one side to another. She was certainly looking for something. From the distance Applejack called for the timid and secluded butter-coloured pegasus. “Fluttershy! What are ya doin' here? Lookin' for somepony?” Fluttershy jumped a few inches into the air. She was startled by the unexpected salutation of her friend. Nervously, she turned her head until she caught sight of Applejack. Her nervous frown turned into a friendly, albeit shy, half-smile while she hovered over to Applejack's stand. “Hello Applejack, I was just looking for Lyra. My little critter friends seem to be troubled and her play usually calms them down.” Applejack's green eyes wandered around their environment and her ears pointed in two different directions but there was no trace of Lyra's presence nor her lovely lyre-play. “Ah'm sorry Ah don't know where she is either. Now that ya mention it, Ah haven't seen her for quite a while. Maybe she is outside town with Bonbon.” Fluttershy shook her head gently to prevent her pink wavy mane from getting ruffled. “I've already ask her, she said Lyra didn't come home the last two days. She said that with much luck I will catch her somewhere mingling in Ponyville, or she could be in Canterlot for another concert in the worst case. So I thought I should try my luck.” “Oh darling, I'm so glad you are still here!” Fluttershy and Applejack turned to their left and saw a troubled looking Rarity approaching them with quick steps. With a raised eyebrow and the faint hint that Rarity wanted something, Applejack welcomed her friendly. “Hey Rarity, Ah'm here, like every other weekend ever since Ah been bucking apples!” Rarity waved gracefully her hoof around and dismissed an invisible thought. “I forgot that this is how you earn money, my dear. I need some luggage with new fabrics and knitting material pulled from the train station to my boutique. But I can't find your brother.” A vein inside Applejack's orange forehead began to pulse. She pushed her eyes shut and forced the answer to sound as friendly as possible. “Sassy like ever. He should be picking up Applebloom from school by now. Otherwise he should be working out in the fields. But Ah haven't seen him since yesterday. Ah think he is very busy right now.” Rarity threw her freshly hoofi-cured hoof towards her forehead and waved her long purple mane around. “Me? On your dirty fields? Don't be ridiculous, darling. I would never touch this filthy mud or orchard, however you may call it, with my pure white hooves. Just tell your brother that he should come around if he is willing to help.” “Nah, he’s not there. I already checked.” The ponies turned around and watched their bubblegum coloured friend bouncing towards them. Applejack wiped over her forehead and mumbled something incomprehensible into her golden mane. “What the hay were ya doin' there?” Pinkie Pie proceed to bounce around her friends and let their gazes following her bobbing mane. “I went to Twilight's and wanted to pick up the baking recipe book she promised me, but she sent me right away. She didn't even open the door, she just yelled from her basement that I should go for a walk or something. I did it and now I'm bored, so I came back to you.” The pink mare smiled apologetic over both ears and didn't move anymore. The others looked at her disapproving. Rarity turned away and remained in her stuck-up Canterlot manner. She pointed her nose to the sky and walked most gracefully back to Carousel Boutique. “A mare of my attitude and standard won't deal with such senselessness. Let me know if there is something new.” Applejack followed the stuck-up mare until she vanished from her field of view. In disgust she turned to Fluttershy. “Ever since things had settled down, she became this stuck-up fancypants pony. As much as Ah care for her as a friend, sometimes Ah could hit her with one of her fancy hats and cover her with mud.” Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves. She couldn't believe that inside Applejack's mind such nasty thoughts were boiling. Her mind wanted to shout but her timidness refused her this desire. “Applejack! Why would you do such a terrible thing? You know that many ponies have changed since Soul left. Even if they didn't know Soul personally. But the moment the world seemed to fall apart in front of their eyes it showed them their true self, their true desires, and their true dreams.” Her eyes wandered over to the general direction of Carousel Boutique and a sad frown formed on the lips of the beautiful mare. “And some ponies are closing up to others... please be patient with her… if that won't be a problem for you.” Applejack drew circles into the dust beneath her hooves, well hidden from the eyes of her friends behind her apple-stand. “Ah suppose you're right, but it is not only Rarity. Rainbow has been training her flying skills since we knew her, but now we barely see her anymore. It is the same with Twilight. She locks herself up in the basement every second she can spare to do some fancy experiments. Not even Spike sees her more than twice a week.” The sound of whistling air underlined the conservation, Pinkie tried to levitate her mane through her out-breathing and barely paid any attention to her friends. Fluttershy stared at the bubblegum coloured mare until she literally felt her drilling gaze. Pinkie looked from one friend to another and flashed them a goofy smile. “Oh sorry. I see Twilight very frequently. Almost every night she drags some very heavy-looking books into the library. The bag from yesterday was by far the biggest. Even your brother would fit easily!” Applejack eyed the pink mare carefully. “What exactly were ya doing in the middle of the night outside ya bed?” Pinkie Pie began to bounce again and bounced higher and higher with every rebound. “I looked for new friends! I know everypony in Ponyville while it is day, but I never met a pony that only comes out when it is dark. So I'm looking for one.” Fluttershy hovered to the same eye-level as Pinkie Pie and tried to lay a hoof upon her friend, but the constantly bouncing kept her from touching her. “But it is unhealthy to stay up the whole night. How can you stay awake all the time?” Pinkie Pie made a massive leap and bounced down the road into the direction of Sugar Cube Corner. “SUUUUGAR!” Applejack turned the 'Open' sign of her little stand around and walked past Fluttershy. “Well, that was obvious, but now we should pay Twilight a visit.” The timid pegasus was torn between both of her friends. Confused she looked after each of them but finally decided to follow Applejack. “Applejack! Wait! She won't let us in. How will you make her?” The farmer didn't stop nor look back. “Ah think we will be lucky today.” The sun was already setting as they reached the library inside the giant tree. No lights were lit inside the windows of different shapes. Everything seemed silent and peaceful. Fluttershy hovered upwards and passed a few of them. The rooms were empty and bare, she couldn't find her lavender friend anywhere.”Maybe she isn't home?” Applejack bucked against the door in a rapid rate. “Horsefeathers! Where should she be? Of course she is home.” The knocking remained unanswered and the inside of the library still. Applejack pressed her ear against the wooden door and listened carefully. Everything was silent, except for a quiet, little noise from deep down, beneath the roots of the library. It was a similar sound to something really hard being pulled over a wooden surface. “Twilight! Ah can hear ya! Fluttershy and Ah are here to speak with ya. Please open the door.” The sound inside the library faded and was replaced by absolute stillness. Fluttershy hovered down to the ground and looked inside the kitchen window. “Maybe we should leave her alone. We could come again tomorrow.” The farmer made a small jump to push her hat off her head and she caught it with her mouth. She wiped it against the door and threw it back on her head. “We will come back for ya. Ya will see!” Applejack sighed in defeat and turned finally to Fluttershy. “Ah'm sorry. It is so late that even the sun is setting. Ya lil' critter friends will be furious about your absence.” Fluttershy smiled warmly at her and carelessly began to hover again. “I'd do anything for a friend in need. My friends will understand.” Their hugged each other firmly and slowly searched their way home. The sun almost vanished behind the mountains of Canterlot by now. Soon night had fallen upon the luscious green apple trees around Sweet Apple Acres. Small critters were sleeping between the branches and inside countless tree holes. Through the darkness, the light of a single window shone along the woods. The room belonged to a little cream coloured filly that refused to go to bed before she heard another fairytale from her bigger sister. “C'mon Applejack! Just one more, Ah promise ya.” Applejack stroked the red fluffy mane of her little sister and watched her mane go up and down every time she let her hoof glide over it. “Alright, lil' sister. Which one do ya want to hear?” Applebloom's face lit up, a huge grin formed upon her childish lips and her eyes glimmered in excitement. She slipped deeper into her blanket and covered her small smile. “The story of Soul Tearer, saviour of Time and Space!” The orange mare smiled weakly at Applebloom and slipped underneath the blanket of her sister as well. The two sisters cuddled each other dearly before Applejack broke the embrace and shove her sister gently aside. “Fine, where do Ah begin? Two years ago a frail old geezer of a black unicorn stallion with wonderful clear sapphire blue eyes appeared out of nowhere inside Twilight’s library. The floor around him was covered in blood and fragments of armour he once wore. The midnight blue shards and the dark colour of the blood almost merged perfectly. All he could was cough and shoot Twilight a look when she found him. Instead of throwing the seemingly dying stallion out, she called for Fluttershy and took care of him together. His wounds healed and so after some time he finally woke up. This was the day he met Rarity. She couldn’t take his appearance, his grey mane was uncut for years and so was his coat unclean and filthy. Rarity forced him to visit the spa with her. The old geezer became a fine, stylish gentlecolt.” Applejack’s words stopped while she dwelled in her memories. Her wide smile made her little sister beam. “Don’t stop! Go on!” She snapped out of her thoughts and offered her little sister a warm smile. “Ah’m sorry. Where was Ah… The following day was the very first time Ah met him. He wanted to work for a few bits to pay Rarity off. The whole day we bucked apple trees and sweated a whole load a water. Ah noticed that something was bothering him, so Ah asked him and he told me. But in exchange he wanted to know what was wrong with meh. It was this moment when Ah fell for him. It felt like Ah learned everything about him in an instant. Out of nowhere Ah knew everything about his character. The same evening was a surprise party planned by Pinkie Pie. It was the same evening Ah talked for a second time to him, it made me sure that though the obvious age difference, he was the right stallion for meh…” Applebloom felt a warm liquid dripping on her muzzle, she looked up to her sister and saw streams of tears running down her cheek. The little filly tugged at Applejack’s golden blonde mane and gave her a worried expression. “Why are ya crying, big sis’?” Tears had found their way through Applejack’s closed eyes, even unnoticed by the usually so stubborn and emotionally strong mare. Her eyes shot open and the flow of tears stopped almost in the same moment. “Ah’m sorry, Applebloom. Ah lost mahself in mah thoughts. It was the first time Ah met him and it was for a long time the last time. After that evening he vanished. My blind love and untamed feelings drove meh crazy. Ah was ready to sacrifice even mah friends to find him. We went out to search through the Everfree Forest, but what we found wasn’t Soul. Strange creatures called Leyfeeder lurked after us. They feasted on the life-energy of the living. Before they could get us, we were saved by Prince Shining Armor, Twilight’s brother. We were brought to the castle of Canterlot and got the opportunity to attend the Grand Galloping Gala for a second time. We mingled in the crowd and even had some fun, but everything changed when the Mare in the Moon reappeared. Nightmare Moon attacked and fought against meh and the other Elements. Together with the Princesses we managed to defeat her. Everything seemed like Soul was the culprit behind the scenes, so the Princesses decided to set up a tournament to built a team to fight Soul off.” Applebloom tugged a second time at the mane of her sister. “But he wasn’t evil, am Ah right?” Applejack stroked through her mane and nuzzled her sisterly. “Ya heard the story before, so just wait a second. The night was rough and straining, Ah could hardly sleep. The tournament came and many battles were fought, but again the Nightmare showed together with her sister Radiant Flare. It seemed like everything was over, but the moment our loss seemed to be certain, Soul appeared with unknown intentions. But a new enemy showed up made from madness itself had brought Soul to the limit of his power. In order to defend us, he almost lost his life. During the fight the fabric of reality got damaged, but Soul managed to defeat them. All of us could return to the castle and we forged a new plan. Soul planned the siege of a wicked place with the name of Demon’s Run. They spoke about an artefact that should have brought salvation all over Equestria and heal the broken fabric of reality. So we went out to look for it, but what we found wasn’t the artefact alone. The madness was already waiting for him. Soul put the Princesses and meh under a magical shelter and fought the madness alone. The fight was long, and mostly Soul’s blood was spilled. After minutes of struggle, Soul collected all of his power and forced the fabric of reality together. But the strain was too much for him and the Madness struck him down. The fate of Equestria seemed sealed but with his last breath he spoke a final verse… he called it Hell’s Verse, the ultimate sin. He forced the Madness inside his own body and left together with him through a purely white gate. This was the last day of Soul Tearer on Equestria’s surface, and so Equestria was saved another time.” The little filly cuddled inside the coat of her sister and made her nearly immobile. “Do you still love him?” The orange mare hesitated for a moment before she slowly answered her sister. “Yes, yes Ah do. But now it is time for ya to sleep. Tomorrow will be a whole new day to explore!” Applebloom cuddled into her blanket and received a quick kiss on the forehead from her sister. “Good night, sis’. Ah love ya.” Applejack switched the light off and slowly closed the door behind her. “Good night. Ah love ya, too.” It was only a few steps until she reached her own bedroom. She staggered inside and leaned against the window frame. “And Ah'm still waiting for him.” The faint flapping noise of midnight blue wings sounded through Applejack’s ears. “My dear Applejack, you still don’t tell her the truth?” Princess Luna hovered in front of the window and shot Applejack a sad frown. The orange mare turned slowly around and simply nodded her head but remained silent. “How is Twilight doing after these two years?” Applejack turned her gaze away from the Princess of the Night and prepared her bed for the night. “Ever since Princess Celestia left, she locks herself in every spare minute of her time in her basement. She said since she has besides us nothing to hold on, she wants to accomplish something great. So Princess Celestia can be proud about her when she finally returns.” Princess Luna nodded slightly and lifted the tired farmer into her bed. “Good night, my dear. May your dreams be safe and your sleep refreshing.” The Princess of the Night hovered over to the darkest point at Sweet Apple Acres without waiting for Applejack's response and landed gracefully on her hooves. “Shadow are you there?” Out of the shadows appeared a pony clothed in black fabric that covered his whole body and hid his original coat colour. Only his fine brown eyes were visible. “Yes, your highness.” The pony bowed down and lifted his head when the Princess carelessly waved her hoof. “Anything new about the situation?” Shadow didn't dare to meet the gaze of Princess Luna. As former member of the Nightmare Legion, he was still used to the association with Princess Selene. “I'm sorry, but there are no hints about the missing ponies all over Ponyville.” Princess Luna hissed into her mane and pressed her hoof into the ground and left a deep imprint. “You shall be dismissed for today, keep your eyes open.” The shadow pony bowed a second time to her and vanished along with the Princess without a trace into the night. The window of Applejack's room closed and the orange mare fell quickly into her peaceful slumber. The home of the Apple family fell completely silent except of the whistling noise of the gust that entered through one of the open windows of the upper floor. “Apple... can... hear... now. Ponies... ahead. Ponyville... will... Sparkle.” Applebloom reared up from her peaceful slumber and searched through her room. It was completely empty, nopony to be seen. “Weird...” Carefully she laid her head on her pillow and fell asleep again. This time she heard nothing more.