//------------------------------// // First Blood // Story: Warmare // by earthrise //------------------------------// AN: Don't own MLP, so don't sue me. This was inspired by the Modern Warmare fanart piece. Warmare Chapter 1: First Blood Apple Bloom was staring at her bedroom ceiling. Moonlight streamed in through the window, bathing the room in a silvery glow. She got up and stood the light, craning her head sideways to stare at her disappointingly bare flank. Despite everything that the crusaders had tried, they had been completely unsuccessful in their quest. Contrary to what everypony thought, she wasn't stupid. She knew Sweetie Belle was probably destined for a musical cutie-mark, and Scootaloo for something acrobatic, whether it was on her scooter or soaring through the air like her idol, Rainbow Dash. They just weren't able to come to terms with themselves—Sweetie Belle with her stage fright, and Scootaloo with her insecurity about her wings. Apple Bloom knew that she had a certain amount of talent for fixing things, but it didn't sing to her soul like Scootaloo's and Sweetie's talents seemed to, even in the absence of their cutie-marks. Apple Bloom sighed, and crawled out of bed. It looked like another night of sleepless introspection for her. She knew she had her foalish moments (she cringed a little remembering a certain incident involving the words “Ah want it NOOOOOWWW!”), but she liked to think that she had grown a lot in the past year. It was therein that lay the problem; it was if a great weight had settled upon her very essence, a strange heavy sort of despair that permeated throughout her days, but most especially her nights. The window opened up with nary a creak, and soon she clambered out into the moonlit orchard. Other ponies would have found the trees rather frightening and imposing in the dark, but having lived here all her life, they were just a comforting extension of home. Slowly she made her way to the summit of a small hill that the family kept clear for picnics and other special events. Sitting there, staring at the luminescent silver orb dominating the sky, she offered up a small but heartfelt prayer. “Princess Luna, I thank you for granting your peace upon the land. Please, I beg of you, grant that same peace to my weary soul.” No answer came, no falling star, no whisper in the moonlight, no sudden spiritual revelation accompanied by a chorus of fae. Apple Bloom sighed. Praying to Luna just hadn't felt the same without Her semblance adorning the herald of the night. Her return was a joyous occasion, but Apple Bloom had secretly felt abandoned from the moment both Princesses had left Ponyville after The Long Night. Still, that was no reason to be ungrateful for the gifts of the night Princess. Apple Bloom knocked a hoof against a stone, giving herself a soft but steady beat. The words of the ancient hymn flowed out from deep within her. “Let us not forget Her blessing, The Princess of the Night. The coolness of the evening The slickness of the dew The stars are softly glowing A crown of silv'ry hue. Luna watches over every pony Be they great or be they small And so must we remember Luna watches over all.” Her last refrain echoed quietly through the orchard, dissipating into the strange grasping shapes of the trees. Having paid her respects, she waited a few moments, then gave up any hope of divine assistance that night. Her thoughts began to wander a thousand different directions, fluttering about like lightning bugs on a hot summer's evening. Her eyes wandered as well, taking in the acres of trees, the barn, and the large garden back behind the house. Standing up, she turned around and cast her gaze onto the Everfree forest, with its well-worn path leading to Zecora's hut. When the wind shifted just right, she could smell the sharp tang of the protective magics woven through it. Ah yes, now the wind was blowing the right direction. She braced herself for the slightly odd scent, but was rewarded only with a muddled earthy sort of smell. A jolt, a thrill ran through her system. Something was wrong. Before she even realized it, her hooves were thundering on the ground beneath her, and steam was flaring from her nostrils as she ran like a madmare. Tree branches grabbed at her, snatching and scratching, but the efforts of the flora was all for naught—she quickly came within sight of her destination. Zecora was prowling around the outside of her hut. Apple Bloom nearly called out to her, but she stopped herself as her eyes caught movement around the perimeter. Dark figures pounded at an invisible barrier around the tree, shifting and growling in the flickering light of hanging lanterns. She realized with a start that they were pony skeletons, animated by some dark magic. Every so often, one of them would seem to make headway, and Zecora would hurl a small bottle at it. The bottle would shatter, and the undead creature would release a keening wail before crumbling into dust. Edging slightly closer, she saw that a large ring of mushrooms was growing around Zecora's tree, and the monsters appeared to be unable to pass it. Apple Bloom knew that she would only get one chance. Picking up a large rock from the forest floor, she hurled it at the obvious leader of the monsters. The rock tumbled through the air, colliding with the head of the hooded figure. It stumbled, and the skeletons crumpled to the ground without its guidance. Apple Bloom knew this was her chance. She rushed at the figure and gave a mighty leap, flipping around and bucking it square in the head. It was just like kicking a melon. There was a loud crunch, and her hooves failed to find any more meaningful resistance as her momentum caused her to tumble gracelessly through the air. Quickly recovering her hooves, she whipped around to face the pony again. A thrill raced through her from snout to tail as she rushed at the crumpled figure, ready to keep it from rising again. As she approached it, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Wow. That was a lot of blood. The figure still didn't move. As if in a trance, she reached down and flipped up the hood. A glassy eyed zebra stared at her, the back of its head caved completely in. She should have been freaking out. She wasn't. Instead, she felt a kind of warm contentment, and a faint stirring on the side of either flank. Could—no, no, NO! Denial worked well enough for the other two crusaders, so it would work well enough for her. Apple Bloom glanced at her mercifully bare flanks, and then back at Zecora, who had frozen in shock. After a few moments though, she finally regained her composure. “I thank you, little Apple Bloom. Without you, I would have met my doom,” Zecora said. “I suppose I must explain, the--” “No. Sorry Zecora, but all Ah need to know is this. Was he really gonna kill ya?” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Yes,” said Zecora. Apple Bloom sighed. “Thank ya kindly Zecora. Ah really need ta be getting back to the farm, but first can ya get me some water to clean up with?” Apple Bloom asked. She was pretty sure that coming home with blood on her hooves might cause a few awkward questions that she didn't exactly feel ready to answer. Zecora tried multiple times to get her to stay, but Apple Bloom would have none of it. “Just remember, Ah was never here.” The Zebra managed a nod and a wave, and Apple Bloom set off once more for home. The trip back was much worse than it had been the first time. It seemed that time itself stretched out as a mist descended on the path, bending in maddening ways as certain plants pulled on roots that reached in impossible directions into the aether. Apple Bloom saw ghostly versions of herself dying in various terrible ways, one having been set upon by a slowly disintegrating manticore and another was ripped apart by other Apple Blooms that had appeared in the mist. One particularly unfortunate doppelganger gave an unearthly scream after breathing in a cloud of spores, and sprouted from the mist, becoming a giant tree in a matter of seconds. She soldiered on, the efforts of the mist and plants for naught as she finally arrived back at the farm, and scampered back into her bedroom from the still open window.