//------------------------------// // Onward to Manehatten // Story: The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation // by thehalfelf //------------------------------// Onward to Manehattan “It... It was right there.”  I pointed with one hoof to where the depression in the stone floor was.  “I swear, it was right there.” A look passed between Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.  “If you say so, Twilight...” the pink pony spoke up, moving to stand next to me and put a hoof around my withers.  “Come on, we need to go before it gets dark.  The others are waiting for us, remember?” I nodded, recalling the others bidding us farewell an undetermined amount of time ago.  “Y-Yeah...”  On a hunch, I took one last look at the empty hole.  “Let’s go...” A light drizzle had started falling sometime while we were in the ruined castle.  Unafraid of some water, all three of us trotted out into the mist, instantly wetting our coats.  “But which way...” I breathed, looking up at the sky in frustration.  There was no sun to navigate by, no stars, nothing but a single rolling wave of gray cloud. “We need to hurry, Twilight, or Midnight and the others will worry about us,” Pinkie said, moving to stand next to me. “I don’t know the way.” “Sure you do, we’ve been out here before.  We just have to find the way back.”  Pinkie looked over at Fluttershy, and the pegasus nodded in agreement. I shook my head.  “It’s not that simple.  Everything has... changed.  I can’t explain it, but it’s almost like the forest is more alive than ever.  I don’t know if a simple compass spell will get us out, and if we don’t head the right way, we could be wandering in here for days, or until something bigger than us picks us off.” Fluttershy’s eyes shot wide open, ears falling victim to gravity.  “Oh, Fluttershy, that’s not what I meant.  I’m sure we’ll--”  Before I could finish, the pegasus shot up into the air, flying faster than I ever saw her fly before, until the last wisp of her tail vanished above the cloud layer. “Fluttershy!”  Pinkie got on her hind legs, cupping her forehooves around her mouth.  “Fluttershy!”  Before the last echoes faded into nothing, the pink pony dropped back onto her hooves.  “She’s gone...”  We both stared up into the air, captivated by the small hole Fluttershy left behind.  Pinkie only hesitated for a moment before sinking to her knees, sobbing quietly.  I waited awhile longer, unwilling to believe she would just leave like that. It was a good thing I did, for not a minute later, Fluttershy popped back down, gliding in large circles until she touched down nearby.  Pinkie was on her hooves immediately, charging down the pegasus in order to hug her violently and demand she never disappear like that again.  Again I held back, waiting for Pinkie to back off before slowly trotting over. “What did you see?”  I half expected Fluttershy to speak up, to just tell me and then insist I take the lead.  Much to my surprise, she just jerked her head and started walking, turning around and motioning again when she saw we weren’t following.  I looked over a Pinkie and shrugged, both of us breaking into a fast trot to catch up. The rain let up after about an hour, though the clouds didn’t start to clear for another.  By that time, it was apparent it was about to get dark, and that we would either have to camp out for the night in the forest, or try to push on through the moon-deprived darkness.  As it was, I had already foregone my ban on magic to form a light for us to walk by, as the treetops cut out what little light snuck past the clouds. Our party was mostly silent.  The only words that we really saw fit to trade was the occasional query on everyone’s well-being, and asking Fluttershy to fly up and check our heading.  It was a good thing she did, too, because I was right.  The forest had grown.  Before, the worst thing you had to worry about was in the depths of the forest, the uncatalogued monsters that haunted the inner treeline.  Now, though, it felt like every step out took us deeper, led us closer.  The very trees breathed malevolence. Thankfully, we hadn't met any of the experiments that Midnight had described.  Yet. “Girls,” I said as the cicadas began chirping in the dusk.  “I think we might have to stop.  It’s getting too late.”  The other two stopped and turned to look at me. “But what about Midnight?” Pinkie asked. “I guess they’ll just have to wait.  This forest is bad enough during the day, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep this light going, and it’s going to get dark very fast.”  As if to prove my point, my light flickered.  “We need to find a campsite.  Fast.” Fluttershy poked Pinkie gently with a hoof and nodded, pantomiming sleeping.  At long last, Pinkie nodded.  “Okay, so where should we go?” I peered through the trees, trying to find a clearing big enough for a campsite.  “There.”  I pointed with a hoof.  A short walk later found us in a small clearing, almost entirely fenced in with large trees.  I set the others to gathering kindling and logs and, as soon as I had a large enough stockpile, the fire sprang to life with a small spark from my horn. The three of us huddled around the fire.  The sun had retracted its warmth, leaving nothing but the cold for ponies to contend with.  Before too long, we were warm enough that we started to steam, filling the air around us with rainwater from our coats. “Girls, listen,” I said as the comforting chirp of the cicadas gave way to the creepy growls and hisses of the more nocturnal denizens of the forest.  “We need to get some sleep, but we need to set a watch.  I’m...  I’m tired.  Pinkie, can you take first watch?” Pinkie Pie sat up straighter and nodded.  “Yup!” “Can you?”  I raised an eyebrow.  “You have to stay awake, and make sure the fire doesn’t die, but you can’t let it get too big either.” “Yup!” “And you have to wake us up if something comes into the camp, or looks dangerous, okay?” “Okey dokey lokey!”  Pinkie saluted.  “You can count on me!” “Remember,” I said with a yawn as I tried to get comfortable on the hard ground.  Across the fire, Fluttershy was doing the same.  “Don’t sleep, shout if something comes up on us, don’t let the fire die.  Wake me up in a few hours and I’ll take last watch.”  The last thing I saw before my eyes drifted shut was Pinkie leaning back onto our stack of firewood, falling onto her back as it gave way from under her. ♣♣♣♣♣ The cliff shot up in front of me, a massive wall of white.  At the very top, I spied a figure, ponylike in shape, staring out at the horizon behind me.  As I watched, more and more ponies, armed, moved to stand beside the lone shape, all of them watching opposite the cliffs. I turned around, with no small amount of hesitation.  I was standing atop a hill, or maybe a small mountain, looking down on a city.  It was a bustling metropolis, huge buildings rose from the center while uncountable smaller ones stretched off into the distance.  Throughout, little flecks of color went about their lives, oblivious to the dark cloud gathering at the edges of the city. “It is a troubling sight,” said a voice next to me.  I spun quickly, ready for anything except the visage of Princess Luna staring down at the city.  She looked over at me and smiled.  “Hello, Twilight Sparkle.” “P-Princess?  What are you doing here?” I asked, glancing down at the city.  “For that matter, where is ‘here?’” “Your dream.  Thou art currently in the Everfree Forest, two hours outside of Ponyville.  Dear Fluttershy is asleep as well, though her dreams are much more... tumultuous.”  Luna turned to gaze back at the city.  “‘Tis a lovely town.  Is it your creation?” “I’ve never seen it before.  Is it significant in some way?” “We cannot say.  We have only been in a scant few of your dreams, and all of those recent.”  As though anticipating my planned outrage, the princess held up a hoof.  “It was on Sister’s request.  Chrysalis was attempting to use thine dreams against you, to attempt and rupture thine sanity.  Sister asked Us to protect you as much as We could, and so We did.” I gulped, thoughts jumping instantly to one nightmare had while locked in the Canterlot Dungeons.  “Y-You did?” The corners of Luna’s mouth twisted up in a smile.  “We do not remember details, Twilight Sparkle, unless We were there ourselves.”  My breath whooshed out in a relieved sigh, adding the faint lilt of laughter to the princess’ next words.  “We expect thou has many things to speak to Sister about upon your arrival in Manehatten.  But be wary, Ponyville is not as safe as it once was.” I nodded, though everything was beginning to shake.  I could just barely hear a familiar voice in the distance, though I couldn’t make out any words.  “Thank you, princess.”  The scene shook again, disguising the slow creep of the dark clouds over the city.  “Sorry, but I think I’m being called.” “Fare thee well, Twilight Sparkle, and remember what we spoke of.”  Those were the last words from Luna’s mouth before the scene shifted one last time then dissolved into a colorless black expanse of nothing. ♣♣♣♣♣ “Good morning, Twilight!” Pinkie shouted, taking her hooves off my shoulders after I cracked my eyes open.  Across the fire, Fluttershy smiled before continuing to pile dirt onto the smouldering embers. “Morning...?” I asked, voice cracking. “Yup!”  Pinkie beamed.  “You looked really tired, so I let you sleep!” “You let me sleep through my watch!?”  Pinkie was in for it now.  I was mentally preparing a large lecture on how she had endangered us all, leaving the camp unguarded like that, and in the middle of the Everfree Forest, no less!  It was ready, loaded, and properly outlined in my head, mere seconds from spilling forth when the earth pony shook her head. “Nope!  I just didn’t sleep.”  In a quieter voice, she muttered, “I don’t always sleep well anymore..  Sometimes, it’s just easier not to...” “Oh, Pinkie,” I slowly got up on unsteady hooves, throwing one around Pinkie’s neck in a hug.  “It’ll be alright, I promise.  Luna told me we’re a couple hours outside of Ponyville, and from there it’s only a couple of days to Manehatten.  We’ll be there and safe before you know it.” “Luna?  Like, Princess Luna?  When did you talk to her?” Pinkie asked.  Finished covering the fire, Fluttershy slowly trotted over, the same question written across her countenance. “She was in my dream.” Pinkie cocked her head.  “Then how did she know how far away we were?” I stopped and stared for a moment.  “No, she wasn’t a part of my dream, she was in it, like me, not a dream-Luna, the actual-Luna, walking through my dream.” Another looked passed between the other two ponies, the, “Twilight’s gone crazy’ look.  My right eye twitched.  “I’m not crazy...” I muttered.  Then, a little louder.  “It doesn’t matter, let’s just get a move on.  Fluttershy, which way?”  The butter   pegasus launched into the air, returning not a minute later.  She nodded her head, and we three set off from our relatively safe clearing into the unknown. The forest seemed different in the new dawn light, almost friendlier.  The emerald greens glistened with fresh dew, quenching the thirst of birds perched up in the lofty boughs of the canopy.  Visibility was better as well, though everything that wasn’t already green was tinted with it.  We walked quickly but surely, attempting to make as little noise as possible, just in case something was skulking around, looking for an equine breakfast. I’m not totally certain when the edge of the forest appeared--whether it was two hours, more, or less was difficult to figure out without a clock or even a sundial.  As we passed from the shade of the last tree, I shielded my eyes with a hoof and looked around, trying to spot Fluttershy’s cottage.   A few seconds later, the pegasus herself tapped me on the shoulder.  Once she had my attention, she pointed into the distance, to where a small plume of smoke rose from an overgrown hut, set up against a dead, untended garden. As we got close, I told Fluttershy and Pinkie to wait in a bush for my signal.  Once I was certain they were safe and out of sight, I went to the front door, readied a burst of magic, and knocked softly.  Before the door even opened, I felt the tingle of a magical scan.  I dropped my magic as the door opened, aided by a deep blue aura of magic. Midnight poked his head out.  “Twilight,” he acknowledged, “where’s Pinkie Pie?” “One second.”  I raised my hoof, the signal for the girls to join me.  Pinkie bounded from the bush, but turned back a few scant steps later once she realized she was short one follower.  She dove back into the hiding place, emerging pushing a wary pegasus before her. “Who's that?” Midnight asked, narrowing his eyes.  “Did you check her?” “It’s our friend, Fluttershy.  Yes, I checked her, and she’s coming with us to Manehatten,” I replied, putting a hoof around Fluttershy’s withers as she drew close.  “She’s another Element, and more importantly, our friend.  Is that going to be a problem?” Midnight shook his head.  “Of course not.  Welcome aboard, Miss Fluttershy.”  He held out a hoof, which the pegasus tentatively shook.  “Everyone’s waiting.  I’ll get them, and we can--” “No,” I said, shaking my head.  “There’s something I want to do before we leave.  Just wait here, it won’t take too long.” “The library?”  I nodded.  “Alright, but take somepony with you.”  Midnight turned his head back into the cabin.  “Fleetwing!  Front and center!” One yellow eye poked around the doorframe.  “Yes, sir!” “Escort Miss Sparkle here to the library, and keep it quiet, got it?  I expect both of you back here, in one piece, in an hour.”  An orange hoof flashed by, coming to rest above the yellow eye.  Midnight stepped aside, allowing Fleetwing to exit the cottage.  She waved at Pinkie and Fluttershy, then looked over to me. “Ready to go?” she asked, shaking her wings to make sure her wingblades were tight. I nodded and looked over to the girls.  “Are you two going to be alright here?” “Yup!”  Pinkie took her place next to Fluttershy, replacing my hoof when I removed it.  “Don’t worry, Fluttershy, these ponies are friends.  They’re going to take us somewhere safe as soon as Twilight gets back, okay?” Pinkie lead the pegasus into the hut, turning to wave at me before disappearing into the depths of the room.  Midnight went to follow, turning around on the doorstep to deliver a warning before going inside.  “Don’t be late.”  Without waiting for an answer, the unicorn walked inside, and closed the door. I set off, Fleetwing not too far behind.  We tried to stay off the road, preferring instead to stay in the bushes nearby, sacrificing speed for stealth.  Unfortunately, it only worked as long as we were on the outskirts.  Once the road from Fluttershy’s cottage joined the one to Sweet Apple Acres and headed straight to the Ponyville Town Square, everything changed.  There was a line traced into the dirt, a small depression on either side of the road.  The other side was devoid of vegetation, forcing us to move back onto the main road/ Now unable to hide, we began moving slower, searching constantly for anything that may wish to impede our progress, or worse.  The closer we got to the square, the more high-strung we became, though nothing showed its face.  Even the square itself was empty, not a changeling or monster or other pony in sight. “Stay here,” I instructed Fleetwing once we were near the library.  “Er, not really here, but in the general area.  Just don’t follow me in, okay?” “Why not?  We’re supposed to stick together!  How am I supposed to do that from out here?”  Fleetwing sat on her haunches and crossed her front hooves, pouting. I trotted over and placed a hoof on her withers.  “Look, it’s nothing against you, but it’s personal.  I’d prefer some privacy, alright?”  Fleetwing bit her bottom lip, chewing on it in thought. “Alright,” she said after a few moments.  “But be quick, okay?” Before she even finished, I had the door halfway open.  “Yeah, I’ll be right out.”  I entered the library backwards, staring at the floor.  The door clicked shut, forcing me to turn around.  Every hoofstep raised plumes of dust, mixing with dim light filtered through the grimy windows to cloud my vision. As soon as it cleared, I wished it hadn’t.  To be expected, the library had been ransacked, most likely by the changelings searching for information.  For the first time, I wondered if what I was looking for was still there.  It was small, and was actually rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but it was the last physical link I had to the Princess. I made my way to the staircase to the upper levels, focusing my eyes on it to avoid looking at the heaps of books piled carelessly on the ground.  The wood of the stairs creaked under my weight.  Not thinking, I looked down and shushed them.  Even worse, I didn’t even realize what I had done until I was actually in my room.  My cheeks erupted in blush, almost lighting up the area around me, and I thanked Celestia nopony had been around to see it. My room was in even more of a state then the downstairs.  Books were again strewn on the floor, my private collection, I was loathe to realize, but that was just the beginning.  Shelves were tipped over, as was my mattress and bed frame.  Drawers from my desk were tossed on the floor, a couple broken into pieces, contents scattered across the room. I had expected the changelings to have ransacked the library, but I had never expected my home to be ravaged this bad.  Storing the thoughts and emotions for later, I flared my horn, clearing a way from the door over to the desk. “Now... where is the latch...” I muttered, feeling around with the tip of my hoof.  Eventually, one of the places I touched depressed with a click.  Unfortunately, I didn’t remember where exactly the drawer was, because it popped out and whacked me in the head, right at the base of my horn. I slowly rose back up, making sure not to hit my head again, grumbling about stupid secret compartments.  Mom had it made for me before I left for the castle, saying that Princess Celestia’s personal student needed a desk, and a mare needed her secrets.  I hadn’t even understood what she meant until I dropped a quill while writing a report, and hit the catch with a hoof while trying to get it.  Even once I worked out how to open it, it remained empty until just a couple of months ago. I reached in with my magic, gently lifting the only thing that ever inhabited the secret compartment of my desk: a skinny but rather long black box.  Even months later, even knowing what was inside, I still found myself struggling to open it.  With a creak of reluctance--from me, not the box--it slowly opened, revealing a simple but elegant silver necklace.   Princess Celestia had sent it to me on my twentieth birthday.  Rationally, I knew it was just a well-wish from her, a congratulations on surviving another year, but it was almost impossible not to dream it meant something more.  Wiping away a rebellious tear from my eye, I deftly released the necklace’s clasp, and placed it upon my neck.  The metal was cool, but I relished the comfort of the sun it brought. Slowly, I closed the box and replaced it in the drawer, pushing it closed with one forehoof.  It wasn’t until I was almost down on the staircase that I heard it; the first stair always creaked.  Spike always bugged me about getting it fixed but, especially during one of my caffeine-fueled study binges, I always used the creak to tell when somepony was coming up the stairs. And I had just heard it, in my ransacked home, in the deserted square of Ponyville.  I had mere seconds to decide, fight the unknown enemy, or to hide and hope it didn’t find me.  While my mind argued with itself, my body took action.  I dove under the bed, shimmying over to where a pile of fallen books obscured me.  A small crack where the opened pages of a book rested upon another provided a peephole, letting me see the monstrosity that shambled into the room. It... may have been a pony at one point in time, though it was almost impossible to tell.  It’s coat was a sickly, dull green color, covering nothing but a twisted skeleton.  The beast hobbled in, favoring the back hooves.  It stopped right in front of the desk, snuffling the air, obviously following a scent from downstairs. All I could see of the beast was a few scraggly tail hairs by this point.  It was following some scent around the room.  I followed it with my ears, tilting my head as well and quietly as I could, trying to make sure it didn’t surprise and eat me.  Or worse. The beast walked around my bed, sniffing around the nightstand that used to be piled high with light night reading.  Of course, now the books were lying on the floor, along with the shattered remains of the nightstand.  Hoping that the monster wasn’t going to turn and look, I slowly made my way to the edge of the bed opposite the beast. Once to the edge, I turned around, and cautiously poked my head out so I could see.  Moving as little as possible, I peered around, making sure the coast was clear.  Assure I was safe for the moment, I edged out from under the bed and crawled forward to the end.  The door was in sight, but before I could make a dash for my life, the sniffling on the other side of the bed stopped. Limping hoofsteps slowly made their way around the end of the bed.  Lacking time to get my way back under the bed, I huddled under the skirt of the bed, placing my muzzle and horn under and upturned book.  It took some doing, but I eventually managed to calm myself down just as the beast rounded the corner. The beast’s hoofsteps reverberated on the floor, shaking me.  I wedged my eyes shut, praying I would survive to escape.  I could feel the necklace pressing into my chest, mocking me for my arrogance.  We were safe, about to leave, but I just had to go and get this necklace, this... stupid string of silver. If I die here, I’m going to kick my flank in the afterlife. ...I wonder if Spike and Shining will be there with me... The monster sniffed closer and closer.  I could feel the breath from its nostrils ruffling my coat.  I’m not entirely sure if what happened would have been different had I not lost my cool, but it was unavoidable.  One particularly strong sniff sent slime and mucus across me.  The binds I put on my mind to attempt to keep myself calm shattered like dropped china. I jumped to my hooves, only pausing long enough to buck the monster in the face before galloping back to the stairs.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the beast rising slowly to its hooves.  Down the stairs, two more were pulling their way from behind various piles of books, howling and groaning as their prey made its way out the door. “Hey, Twilight, get everything you--” Fleetwing hailed as I burst through the door. I passed by her, pushing her flank with a hoof.  “No time,” I shouted over my shoulder.  “Run!”  I could hear them now, coming from almost every direction.  The scrape as their forehooves dragged across the pavement, their growls of hunger, their cries of pain.  All of it echoed across the empty streets and alleys.  It wasn’t too long before Fleetwing caught up on wing, words spewing from her mouth. “What the hay are those things!?  Why are they after us?  Will we be able to get away?  Do you think the others are alright in that cottage?”  The questions poured out.  I ignored them as best I could until the torrent slowed to a trickle “Fly ahead,” I gasped between pants.  “Fly to the others, and make sure they’re ready to go when I get there.  We’re leaving, now.” “Are you going to be alright?”  The pegasus ducked, barely avoiding a rock meant to ground her. “Yeah, now go!”  Fleetwing nodded and poured on the speed, rocketing ahead back towards the cottage.  Too afraid to look back, I focused my gaze forward.  In the distance, I could barely make out the depression from earlier.  It shocked me to realize it was the basis of a Burrow wall.  Faintly, I remembered the information that they tested the system on Ponyville, but that was the last I heard.  Another question officially added to my list of questions for “Command.” Once I passed the remnants of the walls, I risked a look back.  There was a line of monsters behind me, grunting and growling, but they seemed too afraid to cross the line the foundations traced in the dirt.  Even though it was probably safe, I kept up my gallop all the way to the cottage. Midnight and the others were waiting for me, weapons drawn.  As soon as I thought I was close enough, my hooves folded under me, and I collapsed onto the dusty road.  Feeling myself lifted into the air, I peeled one eye open to see a mass of blue fur.  Midnight had adjusted his sword’s sheath and placed me upon his back.  “Come on, ladies.  Let’s head home.”  Our party set off, Midnight at the head, the others spread out around, and myself half passed out on his back, enjoying the gentle sway of his stride.