The Equestrian Wind Mage: Season 2

by LordSiravant


Episode 3: The Search For Honesty Part 1 - Relics of the Past

Episode 3: The Search for Honesty Part 1 – Relics of the Past

"In the shadows, relics of the past lay forgotten and alone. Never truly resting; awaiting recognition."

Everfree Forest, evening

Vaati, Twilight, and their companions trudged through the thick underbrush of the Everfree Forest, Twilight and Rarity's horns lighting the way. Vaati kept a sharp lookout, his eyesight keener than the ponies'. He had heard about the kinds of creatures that lurked within these woods, especially at night. The Timberwolves he was confident he could burn to ashes in milliseconds. Glancing down at Twilight, Vaati asked, "Are you sure you know where we're going?"

Twilight nodded. "I'm certain of it. We've been there before."

Vaati returned his glance to the rest of the silent forest. "If you say so."

Suddenly he heard his ears prick up as he caught a very faint noise up ahead. It almost sounded like a voice. "Hold, ladies," Vaati commanded, causing them all to stop and look up at him in confusion. "Something's up ahead. I heard a voice."

As quietly as possible, they continued on, the voice growing louder until they were able to recognize it. Twilight gasped. "Zecora!"

Fluttershy gasped as well. "Oh no! We haven't seen her for a while! She might not know about Ganon's attack!"

"And it sounds like she's in trouble!" Vaati cried, sprinting forward. "Come on!"

As they got closer, they could clearly hear Zecora's voice. "Leave me be, you unnatural beasts! I refuse to become your feast!"

And finally the group found the zebra, looking panicked. A group of strange creatures surrounded her, closing in ever so slowly. They looked like an unnatural cross between rabbits and slugs, with floppy ears, black beady eyes, and whiskers. But they had no discernible mouth or feet, and they growled nastily at the frantic zebra as she kicked them away and threw a few potions at them, all to no avail.

Fluttershy looked torn. Despite how cute and cuddly those creatures looked, no rabbit could make such unsettling noises or attack an innocent pony like a pack of Timberwolves. "What in the hay are those?!" Rainbow Dash cried.

Vaati narrowed his eyes. "It seems Ganon's left his mark here. Those are Pols Voices. Rabbit demons descended from the flesh-eating bunnies that emerged when Majora's presence began poisoning the natural order of the world. Their weakness is loud noises. Shouting won't be enough; we need Canterlot Voice loud."

"I have a voice amplification spell," Twilight said. "Granted, it can't reach Canterlot Voice quality, but I think it'll be enough."

Twilight's horn glowed as she suddenly shouted, "Hey! Leave Zecora alone, you freaks of nature!"

The effect was immediate. The Pols Voices' ears vibrated, causing them to squeak in agony before most of them burst into flames and perished. One still remained, having somehow withstood the loud noise. It turned towards Twilight and reared back, exposing the gaping, tooth-lined maw beneath its body. Wasting no time, Vaati fired a spell right down its gullet. The Pols Voice exploded into a black cloud of dark energy that dissipated on the gentle breeze of the forest.

With the monsters destroyed, Zecora breathed a sigh of relief, adjusting her satchel of potions and herbs over her shoulders. "I thank you, my good friends, for stepping in to prevent my end," she said gratefully.

"What are you doing out here, Zecora?" Twilight asked. "Didn't you hear about Ganon?"

Zecora raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I know not of whom you speak. All I know is that many strange monsters have appeared this week. When I realized it was not safe to stay, I packed my bags and headed Ponyville's way."

Vaati smirked. "Good thinking on your part. Those monsters were created by Ganon, a sorcerer from my world more powerful than even I. He has come to Equestria somehow and is now seeking to conquer it."

Zecora frowned. "That is troubling news indeed, but before I go, of my words take heed. Evil awaits you all further down this road, for many undead things have made the old castle their abode."

"We know," Vaati replied. "The Element of Honesty is being held there. Ganon scattered the Elements so they couldn't threaten him, and we're going to get them back. A skeletal dragon seems to be the so-called boss of the area."

Zecora shook her head. "It is not the dracolich you should fear. Another controls the beast, so I hear. An old foe of mine, punished for a crime from ages past. Had it not been for Twilight, that day would have been dear Applebloom's last."

Everyone's eyes went wide at that as Applejack turned to look at Twilight, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Twi, what's she talkin' about?!"

Twilight blinked and looked down as she remembered. "It was several months ago. I was going to deliver some supplies to Zecora, and Applebloom came up to me and insisted that she go along with me. I told her no, but then she gave me that look. I'm sorry, Applejack, I couldn't resist it any more than you could. I told her she could come as long as she didn't wander off. We visited Zecora, and on our way back, we came across a bunch of trees that had fallen across the path. Applebloom tried getting my attention at one point, but I was busy, so I told her to wait. By the time I was done removing the trees, she was gone." The ponies gasped at this, Vaati quirking an eyebrow. "I searched high and low for her well into the night. Thankfully I finally found her, but when I did, she told me the most unbelievable story I've ever heard. She had wandered off because she was following a strange filly with glowing eyes and came across a village in the forest called Sunnytown."

The other Mane Five exchanged concerned glances. "But…Sunnytown's just an old pony's tale!" Rainbow pointed out, repressing a shudder. "A pretty creepy one, if Daring Do and the Village of the Dead is anything to go by."

"That's what I said!" Twilight insisted. "She said that the ponies were nice to her at first, and were setting up some kind of party. The food apparently tasted really rotten though, even though it looked like it had just been made. She then wandered back into the forest and found an abandoned house, and that was…" Twilight looked unwilling to continue.

Zecora finished for her. "That was where she found the bones."

Twilight gaped. "Th-the bones of a filly…Zecora, how did you know?"

"Before I answer that, continue your story. I know it already, but with details much more gory."

Twilight looked increasingly disturbed by this as she complied. "W-when she went back to Sunnytown, the whole place looked like it had been abandoned for a hundred years. And that was when she saw the skeletal corpses of ponies rising from the ground, and they started chasing her. According to her, one of them, who didn't look as decayed as the others, let her go and held the others off while she escaped. But others chased after her, cornering her in some part of the forest. And that's when I found her. B-but I didn't see any undead ponies! There's no way something like that could be real, not without Ganon's help!"

"Just like Nightmare Moon wasn't real?" Applejack replied tersely. "And curses? Twilight, why didn't ya tell me any'a this?!"

"Indeed," Vaati added crossly. "You should have brought this up with me the moment you returned so I could have investigated the matter for myself."

"I…I…" Twilight stuttered.

"She had no reason to believe Applebloom's words were true," Zecora spoke up in Twilight's defense. "Now calm yourselves, before words are spoken that you will rue."

They all quieted down at that. Zecora then began her own tale. "A hundred years in the distant past, a town lay in the Everfree, built to last. Those who lived there were Earth Ponies all, and their ignorance and fear brought about their fall. For, you see, some knew them as the Blanks, as no Cutie Marks adorned their flanks. Because of the Cutie Pox that ravaged their people, Cutie Marks became something that made them fearful. And when a young filly learned her true calling, what the townsponies did was truly appalling. The one called Gray Hoof was the pony who led, and they burned the poor filly until she was dead. The magic of the forest took offense to this crime, punishing the conspirators for all time. Not even the filly's sister was spared this terrible fate, as she convinced herself she was to blame for acting too late. Even though the fault was not hers, her guilt and self-hate earned her the curse. For years with my potions I have kept them at bay, preventing the Cursed Blanks from ever seeing the light of day. But now it seems Gray Hoof has made a deal with your foe, who has granted him power not like any I know."

"So he bumped a Stallord down to miniboss status in favor of a magically-zombified child killer?" Vaati asked, unsettled. "That's…rather unusual, even for Ganon. What of his fellow accursed? Should we expect them too?"

Zecora nodded. "Those who had helped him murder the filly have left his side, for unlike them, Gray Hoof feels no remorse due to his pride. The others, who long ago lost their minds to the spell, followed him unquestioningly on this road to hell. Slay them you must; for they now serve a cause most unjust. There is one whom may aid your quest, but only if you pass a most difficult test."

We haven't even reached the first dungeon yet, and already we've been offered a sidequest, Vaati thought dryly to himself. Now I think I'm starting to understand what the Hero has to go through day after day. Fate really does have an obnoxious sense of humor.

"What kind of test?" Twilight asked, intrigued. "Who is this pony that can help us?"

"You must brave the village of the cursed, a place to which I must lead you first. Find the lone house on the edge of the town, where the events of that terrible night went down. There you will find a long-dead mare weeping for her kin, who cannot bring herself to admit she is free of sin. You must convince her she need not suffer for her sister's sake; the forest's harsh punishment is not hers to take. Find the bones and call forth the filly's ghost; it is her words the sister needs to hear the most. Once that is done, your first ally she will be; if you succeed in defeating Gray Hoof, the forest will set her free."

Vaati glanced at his companions, taking note of the varying degrees of uncertainty and hesitation on their faces. "Oh, come on, ladies," he spoke. "This isn't the first time you've faced pony-tale monsters. You should be used to this."

Twilight shook her head, as if to clear her mind. "Vaati's right, girls. This won't be much different from confronting Nightmare Moon or King Sombra."

"Well, only if we're expecting a fight," Vaati said. "If what Zecora said is anything to go by, all we have to do is talk."

"Those in the town barely hold their minds still intact," Zecora warned. "Do not be surprised if they choose to attack. Avoid them until your task is through; they may not see sense until you do."

"So, if they attack us, just avoid them and refrain from attacking in turn?" Vaati clarified. "You ask a steep request."

"Ah agree," Applejack pointedly spoke up, liking the idea of bucking their heads off much more.

"If Applebloom did it, so can you," Zecora pointed out. "Remember; she endured this horror too."

Applejack frowned and hung her head. "Ah gotta talk to Applebloom about this first chance Ah get."

"Worry about that another time," Vaati answered. "We have work to do. Lead the way, Zecora; the sooner we get this Stalpony to pull her head out of her flank and help us, the better."

Zecora nodded her head and started forward. "Stay close to me; it is easy to get lost in the Everfree."

For well over half an hour, Zecora led the six ponies and wind sorcerer through the thick underbrush of the forest, having long left the trail behind. When it became too dark to see, Twilight, Rarity, and Vaati all conjured balls of light to help see where they were going. Suddenly they heard strange noises coming from far away, noises that sounded like wolfish growling, leaves rustling, and yelps of pain. The whole group stiffened; if those were Timberwolves, that was bad news indeed. "Kill the lights," Vaati whispered harshly, extinguishing his light source.

The others followed suit and hunkered down in the foliage, hoping not to attract the attention of any of the vicious hounds of wood. But it appeared that they were too late; the noises were starting to get closer. Before anyone could prepare to defend themselves, a lupine shape burst forth from the underbrush, stumbling haphazardly as though wounded and trying desperately to escape from something. Even in the darkness, one could see that the injured creature was a Timberwolf.

The green magic that animated the beast was strangely flickering, and it was whimpering in pain as it fell on its side, scratching at its side with its hind paws. Vaati risked a tiny ounce of light to take in the scene and approached the Timberwolf. Fluttershy, ever the animal lover, overcame her terror and crept over to the monster. The creature whined, tugging at Fluttershy's heartstrings. "There, there, it's okay," she whispered, examining its body for its wound.

When she saw it, she gasped in horror and backed away fearfully, while Vaati's eyebrows rose. There was a nasty bite mark on the Timberwolf's right shoulder, but it wasn't the bite mark that had raised their alarm; it was the rapidly-decaying wood surrounding the bite wound. It was drying up and flaking off, and it appeared to be spreading. Fluttershy looked into its glowing green eyes and could see how much pain it was in, and it brought tears to her eyes. "W-what's happening to him?" she whimpered. "Vaati, can't y-you do something?"

Vaati shook his head somberly. "No. This one's a goner. No other bite could cause an effect like this; he has run afoul of a Stalhound."

"A Stalhound?" Twilight whispered. "Is…is that…?"

"An undead wolf, yes," Vaati finished. "All Stalkin are reanimated by a foul magic that can spread through bites, cursing the victim to die and be reborn as a Stalkin. That goes for animals as much as people. That's what makes them so dangerous, especially when they were led by their creator, Gomess the Phantom Reaper, Lich Queen of the Misery Mire, during the war against Majora. We have no choice other than to put him out of his misery, before the curse does it for us and turns him into something worse."

Fluttershy closed her eyes in mourning, coming to terms with what had to be done. She had taken care of many animals in her lifetime, and she had had to endure the pain of letting them go whenever their suffering became too great or life had run its full course time and again. It hurt; it hurt her so much, but she knew it was for the best. And with that in mind, she gently stroked the dying Timberwolf's neck and whispered comforting words to it. Everyone could see her silver tongue calm the frightened creature as Vaati quietly readied a euthanization spell. If the victim died before the curse could take effect, they would be spared unless a dark magic user found the body afterwards and reanimated it anyway.

Fluttershy did not see him perform the spell, but she knew from the way the Timberwolf's eyes were fading. "Shhh," she gently soothed as the forest hound sighed and breathed its last.

For several moments Fluttershy wept, cradling the beast's head in her hooves in mourning. "We need to hurry," Vaati ushered. "Fluttershy, I know it's killing you inside, but we have to go NOW. The Stalhound is probably still around, and it might not be alone. We need to get going before it…"

An unearthly growl interrupted the sorcerer mid-sentence.

"…finds us. Crap."

Another canid shape emerged from the foliage, and they all immediately smelled the vile stench of decay emanating from the creature. Other than its silhouette, all they could make out were the two yellow pinpricks flickering from where its eyes were. Vaati immediately cast forth a ball of intense light to ward off the beast, illuminating it for all to see as it recoiled. A gray-furred, zombified wolf snarled as it backed away from the light. Its eye sockets were empty, hence the glowing lights from within. Parts of its fur had fallen off in places, and some flesh had already peeled away, revealing a few ribs and the muscles underneath. Tree sap, saliva, and some blood dripped from its mouth, signs of previous victims it had hunted. One of its ears was badly torn, and its teeth were yellowed with decay.

The light seemed to repel it, rendering the undead hound unable to pounce on its intended victims. Growling fiendishly, the Stalhound turned tail and fled back into the dark forest, braying all the way. "Hurry, all of you!" Vaati ordered. "It'll come back, and with friends! Get a move on!"

"The hour grows darker indeed," Zecora spoke up, continuing to lead them, but with more urgency. "We must make for Sunnytown with all speed!"

The group quickly followed Zecora's lead, a shiver running down their collective spines as the distant howl of the Stalhound was joined by several others. The hunt was on. "Zecora, now that those Stalhounds are actively hunting us, I think it may be wise for you to stay with us for the time being," Vaati suggested.

Zecora glanced at him over her shoulder. "I was thinking exactly the same. Your quest might be easier if I came."

Zecora suddenly stopped and glared ahead at an opening in the foliage that led into a darkened clearing. "My friends, we are here. Whatever you do, do not give in to fear."

All other talk abruptly ceased as they cautiously entered the dilapidated village of Sunnytown. The air grew still, a vague scent of death hanging in the air. To Vaati, it felt like walking into a town that had just been claimed by the curse of the Stalfos, which, in a manner of speaking, was not far from the truth.

"I don't see anypony," Twilight spoke up, still somewhat skeptical of the whole idea of a cursed town.

Fluttershy shivered violently, getting a distinct feeling that they were being watched.

"The mark…"

They collectively froze at the voice. "G-guys," Rainbow stuttered. "Tell me y-you heard that."

"The mark…they have the mark!"

Suddenly, something crawled its way out of the earth directly ahead of Twilight, who shrank back, horrified, as the blackened, zombified remains of a long-dead Earth Pony stared back at her with smoldering red eyes. From the stringy mane and the shape of its decayed body, one could deduce that this one was female. Narrowing her eyes, Applejack stepped forward and put herself between her friends and the Cursed Blank. "Alright, you disgusting freak'a nature! You gotta lot to answer fer!"

The zompony looked at her, surprise evident on its gnarled face. "Y'all tried to kill mah sister!" Applejack yelled. "Applebloom! Yellow coat, bow in her mane, remember her?!"

Several more zombie ponies burst out of the ground, surrounding the nervous group. "Applejack, we have a task to…" Zecora nervously began to say.

Applejack glanced over her shoulder. "NO! Ah'm not lettin' this slide! They tried to hurt a member'a MAH FAMILY!" She glared into the eyes of the female zompony, unafraid of the horror standing before her. "Ya got ten seconds to explain yerselves 'fore I buck yer damn head off."

It was as if the shock of somepony standing up to them had snapped them out of whatever evil that ruled their minds, for the four Blanks stopped suddenly, staring at them. "The filly…" the long-haired female spoke in recognition. "She was…she was nice to us…"

"She did not have the cursed mark," another zompony, a male, said. "She was so nice…we wanted her to stay."

"But she didn't…" another female whispered, her hollow, reedy voice betraying remorse. "She fled…she fled because of what we are…what we've done…"

The fourth zompony, also male, added, "The terror in her eyes…it was the same fear we saw when we…when…"

"When you burned an innocent foal to death in the fireplace of her own home," Applejack finished with a hateful glare. "Every last one'a ya deserves what ya got. You killed her just because she discovered her special talent. Our Cutie Marks ain't no curse; they're what define who we are!"

"The last time we saw those marks upon us, they brought only misery and death," the female standing in front of Applejack hissed.

Applejack angrily stomped her hoof. "CUTIE POX AIN'T NO EXCUSE FOR BUCKIN' MURDER!" she roared.

The zompony looked down towards the ground, ashamed. The others had similar expressions of regret on their rotted faces. But Applejack felt no pity for them; regretful or not, they had done things she considered unforgivable. Finally Twilight came up to Applejack's side and put a hoof on her shoulder. "It's okay, Applejack, I'll take it from here," she said.

Throwing one last venomous look at the female zompony, Applejack nodded and withdrew into the rest of the group. Looking at the undead mare, Twilight said, "Applejack places a strong value on family. Regardless of the circumstances, I don't think she'll ever forgive you. But I believe everyone deserves forgiveness if they're willing to receive it. I can see you all regret what you've done. So I think you deserve to know why your actions were wrong."

She took the zombies' silence as permission to continue. "When you chose to live here in the Everfree Forest, you cut yourselves off from the rest of pony civilization. There's no way you could have known that there was a difference between Cutie Marks and the Cutie Pox disease. The Cutie Pox is a rare virus, so once it went away, you shouldn't have expected it to return. I know how horrible it can be; Applebloom suffered from it herself a while before she came here."

The zompony mare recoiled in shock at this new information. "But…she…she had no…"

"You don't need to have a Cutie Mark to fall victim to the virus. And even if you were to suffer it again, Zecora knows the cure. There's no excuse for what you did…but I can understand why you felt driven to do it. That's why I can forgive you."

The mare sat on her haunches and put her head in her hooves. "Mitta was right…we do deserve this…our ignorance was our damnation…even so, we have always regretted our actions…"

Losing his patience, Vaati abruptly spoke up. "And where is Mitta? That's who we came here for."

The female zompony looked over her shoulder towards the opposite edge of town. "She spends all her time in the old house on the other side of town. Where it happened…where we damned ourselves."

Vaati looked over towards where the undead pony had indicated and said, "Alright, ladies. Let's get this over with."

The sorcerer and his companions awkwardly trotted past the unmoving Stalponies towards the opposite side of the ruined town, where a dilapidated, but still standing, house stood sentinel. Vaati took the lead and slowly opened the door, which creaked audibly from disuse. They all peered inside to see another zompony, though not nearly as decayed as the others, laying down on all fours with its back to them, staring forlornly at a pile of blackened bones sitting in the fireplace. This was the one they were looking for.

"Mitta, I presume?" Vaati spoke first.

Not expecting visitors, Mitta jumped and whirled around, glaring at them with glowing red eyes. "Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded.

Applejack stepped forward, and regarded the cursed blank with a much less hateful look. "Yer the one that saved mah little sister."

"Your sister?" Mitta repeated. "Wait…that accent…you speak of Applebloom?"

Applejack nodded. "Thank you…for what ya did 'n all."

Mitta looked downward. "She was the first one to approach me with kindness since we…"

Mitta was unable to bring herself to continue, but the message was clear. "We've come to you, Mitta, because we need your help," Vaati explained. "Zecora here explained that you may be of use in getting us through the Everfree Castle Ruins."

Mitta looked confused. "How could I possibly help? We cannot leave this place…"

"You can now, my dear friend," Zecora answered. "For now, my wards and potions are at an end."

Mitta looked away. "What purpose would it serve?" she asked. "We're cursed. We will always be cursed. And we all deserve every moment of it."

"I can sense a spiritual presence nearby," Vaati said. "That must be her."

Zecora nodded. "Call her here. It is time for the truth to be realized."

Vaati reached out with his magic, coaxing the wayward spirit of a murdered filly towards him. Both of you have avoided this moment long enough, Vaati spoke through his mind. Time for you to drill some sense into your sister's rotting skull.

Soon a chill air enveloped the old house as a spectral filly manifested before them. She had a light grey coat, a mane of orange with a yellow streak running through it, a Cutie Mark displaying a magnifying glass, and pupil-less eyes that glowed a soft yellow. The moment Mitta saw the ghost of her sister, her jaw dropped and she collapsed on her haunches. "R-Ruby…I'm sorry," she uttered.

Ruby took in the sight of her dear sister, who was unable to look her in the eye, before she turned towards Vaati. "You…have strange powers," she spoke in an ethereal voice. "I want her to see…I want her to understand…I want you all to see my memories…can you help me?"

Vaati slowly nodded. "I can. Let's all take a trip down memory lane, shall we?"

Vaati cast the spell, linking his mind with Ruby's, which then transferred into the consciousness of all the others present.

XXXXXX

When they all opened their eyes, they were in the middle of Sunnytown. However, it did not look like the ghost town they had initially entered. All the houses were in perfect condition, and the grass was freshly-green rather than dry and lifeless. Dozens of posts surrounded the village, with lanterns hanging off of them that bathed the town in a rich, welcoming light. There were decorations everywhere, as well as food of all kinds arranged on several long tables in the village square.

Vaati opened his mouth to comment on the scenery, but found that his voice had gone. Of course; they couldn't speak so as to not disrupt the memory taking place. Mitta looked distressed; she did not want to bear witness to this dreadful ordeal again. Ruby looped a comforting arm over her older sister's shoulder, which slowly seemed to calm her down.

Ponies were bustling about, hurrying to finish the decorating. Every one of their flanks was blank. A grey earth pony stallion with black hair was busily ordering them about. "Hurry up, everypony!" the stallion said. "We've only got about an hour left before the Summer Sun Celebration begins! Roneo, stop looking for that dang gem of yours and go finish setting up that table!"

The pony in question looked up from where he had been walking and whined, "But Grey Hoof, I gotta find it before the party starts so I can give it to Starlet!"

Vaati and his companions all narrowed their eyes at the one who had identified himself as Grey Hoof. The stallion rolled his eyes and replied, "You'll have time to look for it after we're done setting up. Now hop to it!"

"Yessir," Roneo sighed before heading off to assist with the work.

At that moment, a very much-alive Mitta trotted towards the town from her house, intending to help as well, when her also-living sister abruptly appeared from the nearby shrubbery and pulled Mitta aside. "Ruby, what is it, can't it wait?" Mitta asked impatiently. "I need to help with the party preparations!"

"I found Roneo's gem!" Ruby pointed out, gesturing towards a large ruby sitting by her. "I realized how good I am at finding stuff and look what I got!"

Ruby gestured towards her flank, where her new Cutie Mark was.

Hearing herself scream in horror nearly tore Mitta's heart in two all over again.

The noise immediately caught the attention of everypony in the vicinity. "Mitta, what's wrong?!" Grey Hoof cried, hurriedly trotting over.

He abruptly stopped as he saw the magnifying glass adorning Ruby's rump. "Sweet Celestia," he murmured. "S-she has…she has the Mark!"

The two mares who had overheard him, a green pony named Three Leaf and Starlet, gasped and drew back in terror. Ruby looked confused and frightened by what was happening. "W-what's going on? Why are you all acting like this?!"

"Roneo! Gladstone!" Grey Hoof barked. "Take Ruby to the village warehouse."

The two ponies hesitantly came forward to take Ruby away, but Mitta got in their way. "What're you going to do with her?!" she demanded.

Grey Hoof leveled a dark glare at Mitta. "Mitta, dear, step aside. Leave this to us. We will figure out what we need to do with her."

Mitta glared right back. "I swear to Mother Faust, if you hurt her…"

"We will do what we must," Grey Hoof sharply interrupted. "The safety of our village comes first before family matters! We'll have this sorted out by tonight, okay?"

Mitta didn't look very convinced, but Gladstone was a lot stronger than she was, so trying to fight him and Roneo off wouldn't have done any good. Forcing herself to ignore her sister's protests, Mitta watched as the two stallions carried Ruby off towards the warehouse. "Don't worry, Mitta," Grey Hoof said with a smile. "Everything will turn out just fine."

The scene suddenly shifted to the interior of the warehouse. Ruby was sitting in the far corner of the room, crying and afraid that she had done something wrong. "She's the first one of us to get the Cursed Mark since the outbreak," Grey Hoof said, glaring at her. "We can't let her spoil the party or infect any of the others."

"What are we supposed to do though?" Gladstone asked. "She's just a filly! It's not like we can just exile her from the village. She'd face certain death out there where the monsters lurk."

"We can't let her stay here though!" Roneo responded. "What if she begins infecting others?! I remember what the outbreak did to both my grandparents! If Starlet ever went through that…I don't know what I'd do…"

Grey Hoof sighed and rubbed his temple. "There's only one thing we can do," he said. "Tonight…while the party's going on, we'll take her to the old house on the outskirts of town and find some way to dispose of her."

Gladstone looked concerned by that. "Dispose? What do you mean by…"

Grey Hoof gave him a serious look, and Gladstone's eyes widened in horrified understanding. "No…GODS no…y-you can't actually be serious, can you?!"

Roneo caught on as well and gasped, "Grey Hoof, what are you saying?! You're…y-you're asking us to help you…For Faust's sake, Grey Hoof, SHE'S A FILLY!"

Grey Hoof angrily stomped his hoof. "And a threat to this village as long as she remains here! I can't let her spoil this party and scare the other townsfolk! Mitta caused a big enough scene as it is! We cannot let word of this get out!"

"Grey Hoof, ponies will notice she's gone!" Roneo countered. "MITTA will notice she's gone! What are you going to do about that?!"

"We'll just say that Ruby got lost in the forest and was killed by a pack of Timberwolves," Grey Hoof responded. "We can easily paint Mitta as a lunatic who went mad out of grief."

Gladstone visibly shook. "Grey Hoof…you're asking too much of us…"

Grey Hoof frowned. "I'm asking you to take the safety of Sunnytown's citizens into account, Gladstone. We HAVE to do this, for the good of everypony else."

Roneo and Gladstone looked uncertain, glancing over at the cowering filly in question. "For the good of the village…" Gladstone muttered, the very words tasting bad in his mouth.

Roneo gulped. "I'll…I'll do it…for Starlet."

The scene then morphed into the interior of the house on the town border, where Grey Hoof had just finished lighting a fire in the fireplace while Roneo and Gladstone nervously watched over a tied-up and struggling Ruby, who was crying her eyes out in terror. "It's ready," Grey Hoof spoke. "Bring her over here."

The two stallions still looked hesitant. "Are…are you really sure about this, Grey Hoof?" Roneo asked meekly. "This…this seems wrong!"

Grey Hoof growled at him. "Think about the other fillies! Think about your families! Think about Starlet! They are all in danger of the curse if we don't go through with this, right here, right now! Now hand her over!"

Gladstone and Roneo both sighed forlornly, knowing they had no other choice. "I'll do it," Gladstone said to Roneo. "I don't want there to be blood on your hooves."

Roneo didn't protest, stepping aside as Gladstone picked her up in his teeth and brought her over to the fireplace. Ruby felt the heat near her body and struggled harder than before, screaming sobs escaping her raw throat. "I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE!" she wailed.

"Throw her in the fireplace," Grey Hoof ordered, a steely look in his eyes.

"PLEASE, NO!"

Gladstone squeezed his eyes shut as tears slid down his face. "Faust forgive me," he whimpered before he tossed the filly into the roaring flames.

Ruby's agonized screams would forever be burned into the minds of those who were observing the memory.

Just as Ruby had been dumped into the flames, the door burst open, causing Grey Hoof and the others to turn around. Mitta, a wild, desperate look on her face, was currently fighting against the hold of both Three Leaf and Starlet, ignoring their insistence that they were doing what had to be done.

"WHERE IS MY SISTER?!" Mitta screamed. "WHERE IS RUBY?! WHERE…!"

"MITTA, HEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAGH! IT HURTS!"

Mitta's eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets as she heard Ruby's screams emanating from the fireplace. In that moment, she threw off both of the other mares and raced towards the fireplace. "Keep her away from the fireplace until the screams stop," Grey Hoof ordered.

"RUBY! RUBY!" Mitta screamed, trying desperately to push her way past the two stallions.

But she simply could not overpower the two stallions, and even as she struggled, she watched as Ruby's body slowly stopped struggling and her shrieks of agony died out as her body was consumed by the flames. Mitta went limp, staring at the smoldering remains of her beloved sister.

"It is done," Grey Hoof spoke with satisfaction. "Now we can head back to the party."

Mitta glared at Grey Hoof with utmost hatred. "MURDERERS! YOU BUCKING MURDERERS! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOOUUUU!"

Suddenly the fire went out, as though a huge gust of wind had blown it out. The atmosphere grew undeniably colder as all of the ponies in the town suddenly felt a strange sensation overcome them, as though the very feeling of life were being drained from their bodies

XXXXXX

Suddenly everyone was brought back into the real world. At which point Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all lost their lunches, the memory of Ruby being immolated like a primitive sacrifice forever scarring their minds. Rarity collapsed on her back and brought out her fan, desperately trying to fan herself as she fought the urge to hyperventilate. Fluttershy lay sobbing on the ground as the vision played out again and again in her mind. Pinkie's hair had gone perfectly flat as she stared at the bones in the old fireplace, where just moments before, she had watched their owner succumb to her agonizing fate. Zecora simply looked on grimly. Even Vaati looked ill. It hit him especially hard because he remembered that Scootaloo and her friends had come so terrifyingly close to suffering the same fate.

"T-that…that motherbucker…" Applejack snarled, a furious look in her eye as she recovered. "That son of a bitch is dead when Ah see 'im."

Mitta lay on the ground, covering her face with her hooves as she bawled. "I'm sorry, Ruby! I-I couldn't save you! I'm a horrible sister!"

Ruby lifted up her distraught sister's face and looked her in the eye. "Mitta, listen to me. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was! If I hadn't screamed, nopony would have noticed your Mark!"

"After how everypony had been told about how horrible Cutie Marks were for all those years, how could you not have reacted the way you did? You didn't know the truth; none of them did. And the moment you figured out what they planned to do to me, you tried to stop them. You most certainly didn't do nothing. Please…stop blaming yourself for what happened to me. They would have eventually noticed anyway."

"H-how can I? How can I possibly forgive myself for what happened?"

"Mitta, haven't you wondered why I haven't…well, passed on yet? It's because it hurts so much to see you torturing yourself like this. I can't move on as long as you keep on beating yourself up over something that wasn't your fault."

"She's right, Mitta…" another voice suddenly said.

Everyone turned around and were surprised to see the other four zombie ponies that had remained in the town. "Three Leaf?" Mitta whispered in shock.

The one that had spoken nodded her head. "It wasn't your fault. It was ours. The whole time, it was ours. We didn't know that our actions were completely unjustified. We tried to keep her from you, but you figured it out on your own."

"We have always regretted what we have done," Gladstone added. "Now more than ever, now that we know the truth about the Mark."

"That's why we want to help too," Roneo spoke up. "We want to make amends for what we have done. Grey Hoof's actions were inexcusable, and he bears no remorse for them. Whatever deal he made with that strange armored creature promised terrible things for innocent ponies."

"That's why we refused his offer," Starlet said. "We still had enough of our minds intact to know that we didn't want another act of evil to weigh on our conscience."

Finally Vaati decided to speak. "Now I need to ask this; how exactly can any of you help us? Zecora here never actually explained that."

"Those like us," Three Leaf explained. "Those of us who are cursed cannot be killed. We cannot enter the sweet embrace of death by any means as we are. And we can spread our curse to others by touch alone. They pose a far greater danger than most of the other undead beings roaming the old castle ruins."

"We can deal with our own," Roneo explained. "While we distract the other Cursed Blanks, you can fight your way through the other undead creatures and reach Grey Hoof."

Vaati was silent for a moment. "You realize, of course, that your curse was set upon you by the magic of the Everfree Forest itself. There's no guarantee that, if you help us, it will release you from it."

Gladstone shook his head. "That doesn't matter to us. Not anymore. No matter what, we want to do what we KNOW is right for a change, rather than what we THOUGHT was right."

Vaati looked at his companions. "Well, what do you girls think?"

Twilight nodded her head. "Help is what we came here for in the first place. The more the merrier."

Applejack sighed. "Ah still can't forgive y'all for the things ya've done and tried to do, but…if'n you're willin' to make up fer it all, Ah won't object."

Zecora smiled. "The offer of repentance is a mighty gift. I will not oppose the closing of this rift."

Vaati nodded resolutely. "Very good. Now, let's go storm that damned castle."

End of Part 1