//------------------------------// // Ch 4- Among the Dead // Story: Cutie Mark Crusaders Summer of Horror. // by Grenazers //------------------------------// AMONG THE DEAD Long ago, before Equestria was born. The three pony tribes live separately from each other. While not initially hostile to one another, the three tribes have no love or respect for each other. There was always one tribe viewing themselves superior to the other two or they just don't think highly of them. Despite this strain relationship the three tribes needed each other to survive. The Earth ponies provided the food, the Pegasuses provided the weathers and the Unicorns provided the day and night. This system has worked for them for many generations. While no wars ever broke out between the tribes, there were the occasional skirmishes that did. These skirmishes happen numerous times, but since there so short they never left any significant impact. However, that is not the case for one certain skirmish. For in this battle it ended with the highest number of casualties. Higher then all the other skirmishes combined together. It was a battle between the Earth ponies and their winged cousins, the Pegasuses. The Pegasus army, in their arrogance thought that since they were up against the Earth ponies their battle would be over and done quickly. However, this attitude leads to underestimate their foes as the Earth ponies prove themselves to be quite capable fighters. The two forces clashed, with neither side showing any signs of weakening. Swords stabbed, axes hacked, arrows fired and blood spilled. This was the bloodiest battle in all of Pre-Equestrian History. In the aftermath one side won the battle.Who one? It didn’t matter who it was, because the truth is both sides had lost. Thousands of their brothers and sisters perished in this fight, for what reasons, they don’t remember. The victors left the battlefield, heading back home to tend to their wounds. As they left, they leave behind the thousands of corpses that littered the blood stained fields. However, not all are dead. Some still cling to life, but are buried with bodies of dead ponies and drowned by the sea of their spilled blood. While these unlucky souls suffer a slower death, some survivors are more fortunate than others. Corporal High Wind woke up and found himself on top a pile of dead bodies. As the aqua color pegasus sat up, he violently cough out loud. Clearing his throat the stallion took a look around him and saw more bodies around him. There were corpses stretching as far as his eyes can see. As he sat there, Cpl. Wind had the time to remember how he ended up here. He was there before the battle, flying alongside with comrades as they’re about to charge at the Earth pony forces below . Like the rest of his kind, he too though this battle would be over quickly. That was when the Earth ponies sprung their trap. Swarms of arrow came bursting from the ground and flooded the air. Those unfortunate were killed instantly by the arrows. Those that just got hit crashed down and died on impact. Those that manage to survive after the crash were immediately killed by the Earth ponies. Luckily for the pegasus corporal, he was in the majority that manage to evade the swarm of arrows. Despite suffering losses the pegasuses did not retreat and charge forward. The two opposing forces clashed with one another. The sound of blades clashing, bone breaking and dying screams filled the air. High Wind was on the ground during the battle. He remembered being separated from the rest of his squad and surrounded by the enemies. He fought valiantly, but even he couldn’t take them all down. He remembered the one who beat him. Some large brown stallion wearing the most heaviest looking armor he had even seen. To his left side was the large stallion’s weapon, his war hammer. High Wind then looks down to his stomach and place a hoof over it. He can still feel the pain where that stallion hit him with that weapon. After getting hit by his hammer, he was already down and dying. The last thing he saw was the large stallion standing over him and bringing his weapon down onto his face. He should’ve been dead, but here he was, still alive. Not only that, aside from a few blood stains he was completely unscathed. No scars or bruises anywhere on his body. Getting up, the corporal struggle to balance himself on top the pile of dead bodies he was standing on. Trotting downward, the pegasus found solid ground to stand on. Once he got his bearings he decide fly out of here and get back base. When he spread his wings he felt intense pain coming from his back. Thinking that his wings were broken, the stallion turn his head back and saw that his wings were perfectly fine. It’s just for whatever reason they won’t work. He at first attempted to get his wings to work, but to no avail. Having no time for this, High Wind decides to continue his journey on his hooves. So after picking a direction, he began his trek out of this battlefield. As he trotted, the pegasus was unaware of the cloak wearing pony watching from afar. High Wind traveled for almost an hour now and he is still trotting across the corpses filled fields. The stallion made no change in his path and kept trotting straight. However, for some reason he always finds himself going back to places he has been before. Like familiar corpses and destroyed war machines. At one of these spots, High Wind encounters the body of the Earth stallion that killed him. There he was, kneeling on the ground dead, with several spears stabbed into him. Just from the sight of it he could tell that he didn’t go down easily. The stallion continued his journey across the battlefield until he spotted something. Off in the distance, there was a cloak wearing pony digging through the piles of dead corpses. High Wind took cover and watches this stranger from afar. The cloak pony then found something and pulled it out, revealing am injured stallion. Surprise, High Wind assumes the cloak pony was saving him. But, then his eyes widen in shock at what the cloak pony did next. Pulling out a dagger, the pony stabs the blade into the stallion’s heart, killing him instantly. Still shock by the thing he just witness, High Wind was frozen on the spot. Suddenly hoof touches his shoulder and pull him around, making him face to face with another cloak wearing pony. The cloak pony wielded a similar dagger like the other one and it was aiming for his chest. The stallion reacted quickly and dodges the thrust of the blade. He then swung his right hoof and punches the cloak pony in the face. When his hoof punched the head he the hood got knocked off revealing a skeletal skull. High Wind backed up a bit, taken back by this thing’s appearance. The skull headed pony then turn to face the frighten stallion leap right at him. This time the stallion was unable to dodge the attack and the blade sank into his chest. In response to the sudden pain, High Wind smacks the skull pony away and pulls the dagger off. The pegasus then turn around and started galloping. He streak across the battlefield, showing no sign of slowing down despite the wound in his chest. When he look back he spotted the skull head pony chasing after him. However, he wasn’t the only one. Several other cloaked ponies were with the skull head pony and like him they too were also chasing after the same pony. High Wind turn his head back and face forward. Pushing himself harder, the stallion tried to distance himself away from his pursuers. However, no matter how long and how far he ran, he cannot escape them. The cloaked ponies drew nearer to him, forcing the stallion to push beyond his limits. Galloping frantically, he failed to see the lone body in his path. When he galloped towards it, he tripped over it fell on the ground. Turning himself over, he was about to get up and run, but stopped when he got a good look at the body. Lying on the field behind him was himself. Same aqua color coat, same lavender mane. High Wind crawl closer to his body. He should’ve gotten up and continue galloping, but he lost all thought of that when he was looking at his own face. Despite half of the face being smashed in, he still recognizes his own face. Upon a closer inspection, the damage to the face was done by something hard and fast. Suddenly it dawn on him and he knew what could caused such a damage. The war hammer. The same war hammer wielded by the large Earth stallion. The same weapon he used to kill him. Reeling back in horror, the stallion tried to make sense of it all. This cannot be true, this cannot be possible. How can he be in two places at once? Is this really him? Is he really himself? What is going on? As questions storm inside his head, the stallion paid no attention to the group of cloak ponies gathering around him. After the storm in his head settled, it became clear to him now. He was dead, simple as that. There was no way he could’ve survive that blow to the face.This whole time he was just a lost and confuse soul wandering around the battlefield. And those cloak ponies chasing him, were his reapers. The cloak ponies surrounded the crestfallen stallion and didn’t move any further. The only one that came forward to the stallion was the skull head pony. High Wind looked up and saw the face of his executioner. The skull pony stood in front of him and brought the dagger out. In one quick motion the skull pony thrust the dagger into the pegasus chest, piercing his heart. In that instant, Cpl. high Wind accepted his fate and died. “And thus end the life of High Wind.” Scootaloo said, finishing up her tale. Everypony around the campfire clap their hooves together and the little orange filly took it all in. As they were doing this, counselor Fire Starter looked at his watch again and saw how really late it was getting. "Alright everypony, you all heard the story. Now time to head off bed." The stallion orders all the camper to head back to camp. After putting out the fire he joined up with them. "Wow girls those stories were amazing!" A mint green colt said to the crusaders. "Yeah, can you teach us to tell scary stories?" A brown filly asked. The crusaders looked at each other and smile. "We sure can." Applebloom smiled. The rest of the trip back to camp was filled with fillies and colts talking to the three crusader girls.