//------------------------------// // Chapter 31: Cysts // Story: Eternal Night // by Lucaro //------------------------------// The city had been taken, and the Scions had entrenched themselves within. Everything was going well, and her soldiers were doing a status check on the city’s supplies and facilities. This was their first victory and Persei was happy for the time being. But it was when she heard the reports that a non-Night Guard, Nightborn military force had been sighted all over Nocturnus, she grew furious. It was the damn Lunaran Knights. She was pacing in the bathroom where the city’s remaining Nightborn had made their great escape into the sewers. Her mane was now ablaze and she used her magic to levitate the toilets and smash them against the wall. “How could the ponies who murdered my brother be allowed to escape?!” she demanded of Maelstrom. Her commander’s nostrils flared angrily. “Now, don’t get all huffy with me!” he glared at her, jabbing his hoof at her. “It was bad tactics on your part. Instead of fanning out through the city and establishing garrisons in strategic locations like I advised, you recklessly went straight for the kill. It was an unnecessary display of force, and allowed the interlopers to get in and out without any difficulties.” Persei wanted to burn him, but she needed his counsel. The fire on her mane simmered down, and she took a deep breath. Her head ached. She hadn’t been able to sleep, and combined with the exhaustion of her march, she was more than irritable. She scratched the back her head with her hoof. “I just expected a stronger garrison to be holding the city. I thought that maybe they were all at city hall.” Maelstrom looked grim. “You’re right. There should have been more of them here. Something is amiss here,” he said, staring into her eyes. “According to the Dayborns we just liberated, Commander Necron withdrew the majority of the Night Guards just a day before we arrived. He left just enough guards to hold the city until we arrived.” Maelstrom began to pace nervously. “It makes no sense. Necron is incredibly clever. He saw us coming. He pulled his troops back, and he knew the city would fall to us as a result. It’s like he wanted us to come here.” Ultra Violet trotted in, levitating a platter full of bread above her head. “I brought you some food, Persei.” Persei faced her. “Are all the city’s facilities intact? Food and water supplies?” She nodded. “Food supply was untouched. Water is still up and running. The only essential thing that was destroyed was the city’s hospitals.” “I don’t like this,” Maelstrom muttered. “Taking this city was too easy. And about those hospitals, Necron had them all burned when he was withdrawing his forces. It’s another anomaly.” Persei shrugged. “What’s odd about that? Necron doesn’t want us being able to use the medical supplies within to heal our troops.” Maelstrom shook his head. “If he didn’t want our soldiers healing, he wouldn’t have left the food banks fit to burst. He wouldn’t have left the water reservoirs in their pristine condition. Necron wrapped this city up in gift wrap and handed it to us.” Maelstrom grunted, and pounded his hoof on the floor. “None of this makes sense. I need to think,” he flipped around and trotted out of the room. Ultra Violet set the tray of food down before Persei. Tossing her lilac mane, a feral spark in her eyes, she pushed the bread towards Persei. “So, will you come with me and survey the fruits of our conquest?” “Hell yeah,” Persei devoured all the bread slices in a minute and trotted out with Violet. As soon as she stepped out of city hall, she was met by a thousand cheering voices. “Glory to the Scions of Celestion!” the Dayborns chanted. “Glory to our goddess of flame!” Persei soaked in all their adoration. They had saved these ponies from a lifetime of servitude to Nightmare Moon. The crowd parted to allow her and Violet to trot through, and they continued to cheer. She looked at all their faces as she passed them. Etched into their features was poverty, oppression, but now, there was hope. In the darkness of the night, the streetlights were lit once again. There had been a cruel policy in play. The Nightborn government would cut power to the entire city for six hours every day. Not because they needed to save electricity, but because Dayborns couldn’t see in the dark like the bat-ponies could. The Night Guard took advantage of their blindness to conduct unwarranted searches and seizures. It was a daily nightmare for them to endure, and with Persei’s liberation, such things would never happen again. They left the crowd behind, and were wandering the streets. The fires had been extinguished, power lines had been repaired, and the condition of this city would now improve as the few Dayborns remaining here would fix things up. The vast majority would be joining the Scions’ march, almost doubling their numbers. When they arrived at Manehattan with twice as many soldiers, she hoped that Necron would surrender the city like he did here. Ultra Violet nudged her gently, a flirtatious grin on her face. “How about we find some private place we can…” she smirked, “lie down?” Persei wasn’t in the mood. She didn’t just want sex. She wanted this mare’s unconditional love. Violet lusted for her, but was that all their relationship was? Lust? She looked at her mare-friend. “Violet, I want to take our relationship to the next level.” Persei watched Violet’s face very closely, and she saw it. Hesitation. Her mare-friend sighed, and rubbed her hooves uncomfortably. “I don’t think we’ve known each other long enough for that kind of commitment.” Persei was frustrated. “I’m getting such mixed signals from you,” Violet blinked. “You want to be my best friend, always bringing me food and such. You want sex and all manner of physical affection and tell me that I’m the most beautiful mare you have ever laid eyes on. You keep saying how compatible we are.” She looked at her mate with sad eyes. “What’s holding you back from truly loving me?” Ultra Violet hesitated. “Don’t you want to be with me?” Persei persisted. “I thought…” Ultra Violet grabbed her, tears in her eyes. “I need you!” They both stared into each other’s eyes. “Bad things happen in war. If I were to lose you, I wouldn’t be strong enough to keep on living.” Persei was touched by her sincerity. “When this whole conflict is over, I promise you that we will settle down, and then I can allow myself to love you with all my heart.” Violet took her hoof in hers. “We will get married. Adopt children. We will rule over Equestria together as lovers.” Persei was speechless, trying to process what she had just heard. She's lying... a voice in her head whispered “Pssst…” a voice whispered. Persei and Violet had been trotting down an isolated street, and they looked down an alleyway to see a haggard looking mare standing in the darkness. Ultra Violet’s hornlight began to shine, and the mare shielded her eyes from the bright light. “Who are you?” Persei asked. “I’m just another homeless Dayborn,” she whispered. The mare gestured down the trash-ridden alley, and there was a metal door on the side of an apartment building. “I think there are ponies locked up in there. Some of my other homeless friends went missing last night. I think the Night Guard kidnapped them and put them in there.” Another anomaly, Persei thought grimly. Persei and Violet trotted down the alley and faced the door. On the metal surface, the words “CYST #12” was spray painted in red. Persei walked up to the door, and noticed that there was a timed electronic lock securing the door. It would automatically open when the pre-set time was reached. Violet pounded on the door, and there were the sounds of ponies shuffling from within, trying to get away from the door. Persei touched her shoulder and Violet looked back at her. “Why don’t you fetch a few ponies with some food and water?” she asked her. “Thanks.” Violet nodded, and went about on her task. When she returned with a team, the door had unlocked itself. Persei was waiting for Violet. She had noticed something else in her absence. There was a small sign over the door that they hadn’t noticed before. Violet joined her side, and Persei pointed at it. “Do you see that plaque up there? Right above the door?” Violet looked up at it. It read “Door Activity is Monitored. All Data Will be Recorded and Sent to Commander Necron.” Persei looked up at the overhang of the apartment building and saw a hidden camera pointed at them. A tiny red light was flashing, indicating that it was recording. “Violet, I have a bad feeling….” Violet had already pushed open the door. Persei was overwhelmed by the stench of urine and sweat that issued from the room. There was a faint tick-tick-tick sound coming from somewhere. Persei looked to her side, and realized that the sound was coming from inside her. “Violet?” She continued staring into the darkness. The silhouettes of dozens of ponies who had been crammed inside could be seen. “I was born with a Geiger counter built into my horn,” she gestured at her fire and wavelength cutie mark. “I guess I was destined to be a Nuclear Engineer or something like that.” Violet looked back at the dark room. “I’m detecting trace amounts of radiation here.” Persei’s horn began to glow, illuminating the room. The supply ponies standing behind them gasped. The homeless ponies inside the room were in a terrible state. They all had been beaten and chained together. “Hello?” she called to them quietly. They all cowered from Persei’s voice. Violet stepped into the room, wrinkling her nose at the scent of urine. Her Geiger counter began to tick faster, but she seemed unconcerned. “The radiation is gone now. It’s not at a dangerous level anymore.” The medics and the supply ponies rushed in and began unchaining the ponies. Persei stood back, watching them carry out the injured ponies. She couldn’t understand this. She tried to piece it all together. The first anomaly was that the Night Guard pulled out their forces. Second is that they only destroyed the city’s hospitals. Third was that they had found an irradiated chamber full of abducted ponies labeled “CYST #12”. What did #12 mean? Were there other CYST rooms scattered throughout the city? Perhaps this was some kind of warning from Necron? Or maybe these had been dissenters and had been locked up before the Night Guard left? Who exactly were these ponies? Persei looked back, searching for the homeless mare who had pointed out the room. She was nowhere to be found. Odd… Persei thought. “Blarrgghh!” one of the ponies had vomited all over one of the medics. The stallion was crying out in pain. “Everything hurts!” The medics stuck a suction pipe down his throat and continued carry him. “You are badly wounded. Of course everything hurts,” one of the medics said. Persei stood and watched as the last of the injured ponies was carried away. Violet had left with them, ensuring that they were cared for and fed. She had kissed her cheek before going with the medics. Persei waited there for a few hours, trying to puzzle things out. She was having difficulty concentrating, and it was delaying her reasoning process. She felt like she hadn’t been thinking clearly lately. Commander Maelstrom eventually arrived to fetch her. “My lady,” he said. “We found eleven other CYST rooms. We have liberated the ponies within and they are being tended to.” “What does this all mean?” she asked him. “I have no idea,” he said. “But I would like to get out of here as soon as possible. We must move on to the next city.” “Manehattan,” she whispered. “That is Necron’s home city. I doubt we’ll have another easy victory. It’s a much bigger city as well.” Maelstrom nodded. “Yes, I expect a much higher level of resistance. We will begin our march tomorrow morning.” Persei looked up at the dark sky. The moon had set a while back. “Why were the Lunaran Knights here? What did they want?” “I’m not sure, my lady.” Maelstrom said. “But we should be more wary of them in the future.” Maelstrom turned and left. “Pack your things, and please get some sleep. I will keep Violet away if need be.” Persei wasn’t listening. Were they trying to taunt her? Why else would they be here? She could not figure it out. Nothing was making sense, and it was frustrating her so much. Persei felt irrational anger rushing inside her. She grabbed her head, and when she pulled her hooves back, clumps of her hair came off. She stared at the brunette hair in her hooves. “What?” she gasped. She tugged at her mane, and more hair came off. “My hair is falling out….” She looked around at the city she had conquered. She felt all her emotions being jumbled up and clouding her mind. She felt disoriented. She felt utterly lost. Everything seemed to be caving in on her. Her head began to ache again. “I can’t think…” she clutched her head. The flow of thoughts in her mind had been obstructed. All she could feel was despair. Panic overwhelmed her. “What is this city doing to me?!” she screamed in the night.