//------------------------------// // Things Get Worse // Story: Equestria's Messiah // by Baby Seal Burritos //------------------------------// --Author's Note-- Fair warning: Things get worse and more violent from here on in. “Apple Family, open up in the name of Celestia.” Applejack opened the door of the farmhouse and stood rigidly in the doorway, barring entrance and making the message clear that the visitors weren’t welcome. Two pegasus stallions with pristinely white coats and shining golden armor flanked the entry, eyes cool and humorless. The stallion on the left stepped forward, crowding Applejack who refused to budge, snout inches away from the earth pony’s. “You have been neglecting your taxes, Apple Family. That’s tantamount to treason.” Applejack stared up at the pegasus, jaw clenched. “We’ve told the princess that we can’t afford ta pay such high taxes. If we paid what ya’ll are askin for we’d never survive the winter.” The stallion snorted, “I fail to see how that’s our problem.” Applejack sputtered, “What? Now you listen here-!” Suddenly she was shoved backwards; she tumbled head over hooves back into the house, thudding painfully against the kitchen table which toppled over, spilling a whole mess of papers and a bowl left over from breakfast onto the floor. The royal guards invited themselves in. Applejack quickly took stock of the situation; luckily, Applebloom was at school and Big Macintosh was out working the fields. The only one in the house at that moment was her and Granny Smith who would hopefully keep out of sight until Applejack could get this settled. The two pegasi were looking about the room lazily with cocky grins on their muzzles. No doubt they were comparing the simple country home with their fancy digs back in Canterlot. “Let’s try this again,” one of the guards said, “You haven’t been paying your taxes. Now what are you going to do about it?” Applejack swallowed the lump that kept rising in her throat. Family came first. “I told you we can’t afford to pay em.” She paused. “But isn’t there some other way we kin settle this?” “Oh, I think we can come up with something.” Pinkie Pie hadn’t seen them coming. They swooped from the sky without so much as a shadow or a burst of wind; one landed on top of her, thudding her to the ground in a cloud of dust. Her mouth had been open since she had been singing some nonsensical tune as she skipped on her way to work so the impact caused her teeth to pierce her lip in a flash of pain and new blood. The pegasus straddled her, his hooves pressed against the back of her skull, grinding her face into the dirt. The second pegasus landed in front of her and folded his wings delicately, “Pinkamena Diane Pie?” Pinkie attempted to tilt her head to the side so she could see his face, but a sharp rap on the back of her head commanded her stillness. “My friends,” she replied, “call me Pinkie.” “We are not your friends, Pinkamena,” the name came out as a sneer, “we are the Princess’ Enforcement Squad. Can you find it in your pink-addled brain to remember the new laws recently instated?” Pinkie tried to think of what she could have done wrong, but nothing came to mind. She just did what she always did: bake delicious treats and throw parties that adhered to the new curfew. “I didn’t do anything illegal.” Another quick blow to the back of her head caused her to see stars. “Are you denying the unauthorized assemblies that you’ve been hosting?” Pinkie stiffened. She really hadn’t been that foolish had she? “I-” Another kick to the head choked off her words. The stallion on top of her bent his head to her ear and whispered, “You’ve been a very bad filly, haven’t you Ms. Pie?” Fear ran ice cold through her veins and despite her best efforts she couldn’t stop the nervous giggles from tumbling from her lips. The pegasi exchanged annoyed glances. “Be silent.” The stallion in front of her barked. But she couldn’t be silent; the giggles evolved into chuckles even as she tried to muffle them with her hooves. Anger flared in the stallion atop Pinkie, “Are you making a mockery of our authority?” When the bright pink pony continued to laugh beneath him he began raining blows upon her skull. Her voice choked off in wet gags only to come back stronger as full blown guffaws. “I’ll make sure you never laugh again!” The stallion reared up, wings buffeting the air behind him, and slammed his hooves full force on the earth pony’s shoulder. Sick cracking noises filled the air; Pinkie inhaled sharply, tears began flowing from her bright blue eyes, and she opened her mouth to scream. Nothing came out. For a few long moments the three ponies stood in the abandoned street while silence hung like a curtain in the air above them. Pinkie’s breathing came raspy and uneven; blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth even as it stood wide open in a sick approximation of a scream. And then as if something had unmuted the scene, sound found its way from Pinkie’s throat again, “Giggle at the ghosties… Guffaw at the grossly…” The song came soft and low at about half tempo. It hung eerily in the air, sending a chill up the two royal guards’ spines. “And if he thinks he’s scary… he’s got another thing coming. The very idea of such a thing just makes you want to…” Laughter erupted from the crumpled mess of a pony abruptly, jolting the stallions up into the air. They exchanged glances and then looked back simultaneously at the pony on the ground; all that moved was her uninjured shoulder as cackles ripped through her body. “No more parties, Pinkamena,” one of the pegasi called out as he turned to leave, “Or you’ll be seeing us again real soon.” With a few mighty beats of their wings they disappeared back into the sky from whence they came. Ponies stuck their heads out from their doors to see if the guards were gone, and once they saw the skies were clear they continued on with their day. Pinkie couldn’t tell how long she lay face down in the street as ponies walked around her, unwilling to risk the ire of the royal guard by showing her any kindness, but it was Rarity who finally found her, bloody and barely breathing. “Pinkie? Don’t move darling; I’ll be right back with help, okay? Just hold on.” She galloped away towards the hospital and Pinkie felt the twinges of smile tugging at the sagging corners of her mouth. She had never once even considered the possibility of the stylish unicorn saving her life. Too bad parties were against the law now because that was a real reason to celebrate. “Nurse Redheart said she has a broken shoulder, a few fractured ribs, and a punctured lung.” Rarity stirred her tea absent-mindedly, “Apparently it was pure luck that her lungs didn’t fill with fluid as she lay there in the street.” Fluttershy saw Rarity’s magic waver slightly, the only indication of the fury that was bubbling under the unicorn’s skin. Fluttershy was upset too -- wouldn’t anypony be if their friend nearly died in the middle of the street with throngs of ponies ignoring her? — but even Rarity couldn’t detect the anger simmering within the delicate pegasus. Rarity continued, a bit higher pitched, “It was also extremely fortunate that her heart was missed. The rib overshot it by a breath.” A breath. The only thing that had been between life and death for their good friend Pinkie Pie had been a mere intake of air. Fluttershy trembled at the thought that they could have lost Pinkie forever; she could have bled out on the street while Fluttershy fed a flock of birds or her heart could have been impaled on a fractured rib while the pegaus was preparing Angel Bunny’s lunch. “How terrible.” Rarity nodded and took a sip from her tea cup, “Thanks to Nurse Redheart’s magic Pinkie will be just fine. She’s a wonderful unicorn, Redheart, and she’s very skilled at medical magic. Pinkie might even be up and about in three days time.” At the mention of magical skill, Fluttershy felt the familiar ache of loss for Twilight; she had gone missing over a month ago, right before all the changes were implemented, and still nopony had a clue where she was. There were whispers, ponies talking about Twilight aiding her beloved mentor through the policies that were tearing apart Equestria. Fluttershy knew better than to believe these; nopony knew Twilight like the five mares that fought Discord and Nightmare Moon alongside her. Well, nopony but Spike. Spike had left Sweet Apple Acres a week after the new changes to live once again in the library. He kept it clean, organized the shelves, and waited for Twilight to appear. He was like a ghost, drifting around the enchanted tree that the library was built inside, glassy-eyed and numb. The mares visited him when they could, but not even Rarity could lift his spirits anymore. Fluttershy had to ask, “Have… Have you heard anything? A-about Twilight I mean?” Rarity sighed; a look of intense longing crossed her face at the mention of the name, “Still nothing. Not a day goes by where I don’t wonder what happened to her. She really has vanished hasn’t she?” Fluttershy took a sip of her own tea and savored the warmth of the liquid, “I hope she’s okay, wherever she is.” “So do I. So do I.” Pinkie was asleep when Rainbow Dash entered the hospital room, and Rainbow Dash was grateful for that. It wasn’t in her personality to allow public displays of the mushier emotions, and she definitely didn’t want anypony awake if she happened to let a tear or two fall. It was disconcerting to see the pink pony so still; the only thing that moved was her chest, wrapped heavily under layers of gauze, and occasionally a hoof twitched restlessly responding to who knows what in her dreams. She was frowning too, and the blue pegasus could only wonder what nightmares her friend was experiencing. It wasn’t fair. Pinkie Pie was a baker! A socialite! She was so nonthreatening in her zeal to be liked and to have fun that she was, after Fluttershy, one of the last ponies who deserved such treatment. Rainbow dash stomped a hoof on the ground in frustration as tears began burning at the edges of her eyes. This was her best friend lying her, battered and broken, and for what? Giving Ponyville a few moments of happiness? Being a single ray of sunshine in the utter blackness that covered the land under Celestia’s new regime? If anypony deserved such treatment it would be Rainbow Dash. She broke more than a few new laws spending sleepless nights scouting; she searched for their missing friend tirelessly when she was sure no one would miss her presence. She felt strongly that Twilight could be the key to turning things around, and, although she would never voice it, she missed the egghead fiercely. To make things worse, Applejack had begun acting very strangely. The earth pony rarely came into town anymore, and when Rainbow Dash went to the farm to visit, Applejack was quiet and haggard looking. Dark circles had formed under her eyes and she often stared dully at the floor or the wall, saying nothing. She had lost Twilight; Applejack was fading away; and now Pinkie had been attacked? This was the last straw. Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder to make sure none of the nurses were watching before she nuzzled Pinkie’s face gently, causing the pink pony to mumble softly. The pegasus whispered into Pinkie’s ear, “I’m sorry.” Pinkie didn’t stir. Rainbow Dash felt the tears begin to fall; she backed away slowly, throwing open the window and leaping out into the air. The wind whipped at her face as she raced as fast as she could away from the hospital. She was tired of losing. She was Rainbow Dash; ponies didn’t get to push her or her friends around. It was time to start fighting back.