//------------------------------// // The Truth // Story: The Monster Below: Nightfall // by Greenback //------------------------------// With the arrival of the military, the changelings are defeated and routed. The crystals that had reached the surface are stopped before being ferried away, and Saddle Lanka is back under pony control. With the town secured, the division uses the Genesis changeling scanner to ensure there are stragglers trying to hide among us. We're all cleared, though there's a momentary panic when Stonehoof gets a positive reading, but it's revealed she was standing in front of a few unconscious changelings. A second scan gives her the all clear. With the immediate crisis over, massive first-aid tents are set up, and the division's medics and doctors go to work on those who had been captured. My parents are taken to a critical care tent; I try to follow them inside, but visitors aren't allowed. I almost use my talent to force the guards to let me in, but Beakbreaker volunteers to help the medics, whispering to me that she'll stay with my parents. Knowing that they'll be looked after by someone I trust, I let her go. I call Genesis to update Glasseye on what happened, and then check in on Gusty and the Raven. The ship's been damaged from numerous changeling spells, and Gusty's hard at work repairing the damage. When I offer my help, he assures me that he has everything under control. The hours pass. I pace the city's borders three times, trying to distract myself with the shops, stores, and buildings I frequented in my youth, but nothing takes my mind off my parents. I talk with some of the soldiers from the division, and even meet with their commander, who thanks me for leading the guards from Genesis. We failed to stop the changelings, but we did delay them long enough for the army to arrive. Without us, the changelings would have made off with several crystals. After my fourth lap around Saddle Lanka, I head back to the tent to get an update on my parents. I'm in luck; Beakbreaker jogs up from the entrance, her hair damp with sweat and grime. “Beakbreaker? How are my-” “Your parents are going to be okay.” I almost fall to the grass. Thank Celestia. “It seems the changelings had been waiting before everyone was captured before feeding on them. Put simply, we interrupted their buffet.” “Good riddance.” “My thoughts exactly... But there's something strange.” “About everyone they captured?” “No, Silverspeak... It's about your parents." Beakbreaker glances around and lowers her voice. “You saw how badly my parents had been drained after being held for a week. Yours were held for only a few hours, but they are very weak. I think something weakened them before the changelings got them. It's like they were sick.” “With what?” “I would need to run some tests to know for sure, but-” “Ma'am?" A nurse runs up to Beakbreaker. “We can have visitors, now.” “Thank you." Beakbreaker wipes her mane dry. “Come on.” I follow Beakbreaker back to the main medical tent. The barely-controlled chaos of hours past has been replaced with a stillness that's almost unnerving. Many ponies lie asleep on cots while doctors and nurses take a moment to catch their breath. Mangus and Stonehoof stand to the side as nurses finish healing their cuts and slices. I pay them no heed as Beakbreaker leads me into the back of the tent and into a walled-off room with only two patients. My parents lie on two cots, and seeing them alive and breathing is enough to make me forget about the changelings, the war, and everything else, if only for a moment... but I see why Beakbreaker was so worried. When I found my parents in the basement, the dim lighting made them seem okay. But the bright lights of the tent illuminate wrinkles on their faces I've never noticed before. Their skin is looser and thinner, as if their muscles have started to waste away, and they just lie there, seemingly too weak to move. Sweet Celestia, it's like they've they've aged several years since the Genesis convention! But how? Did the changelings do this? A spell gone wrong? Some kind of accident? I don't know. It's difficult to even think. To see one's parents look so old and weak... it's more frightening than facing even the fiercest monster. Mom turns to me, as if sensing my presence. “Hey there,” she says. Even with the wrinkles, her smile is still as strong as it's ever been. I take her hoof, trying to ignore the wrinkles. “How are you feeling?” Mom glances down at herself. “Well, I've been better.” “Same here." Dad groans. “I'll tell you what, I'll feel better once I'm out of this place.” “I don't doubt it. But before you can go, I just need to ask one question... what's the password?” “Quiverquill,” they both say at once. “Thank you... I just had to be sure.” “Don’t blame you,” Dad says. “Now, what we need to do is get out of this place.” “What you need is food,” Beakbreaker says. “Even better,” Mom says. “We didn't even get to eat a single bite of lunch when those changelings slipped into the house and knocked us out... They're gone, aren't they?” “Most of them were taken captive,” I say. “The rest were routed.” “Serves 'em right, the little monsters." Dad notices my armor. “You helped out?” “A little.” Dad chuckles as he rises from his cot... Or rather, as he tries to. “Uhhh... I might need some help.” I help Dad to his hooves. His muscles strain with the effort of just staying upright. Mom's the same as Beakbreaker helps her up and to the floor. “Stay here, I'll call a cart-” “No, no,” Dad says. “Your mother and I need the exercise. It'll help us get our strength back.” “You're sure?” Mom nods. “Come on,” Dad says. “Let's try Frosty's ice cream shop.” With Beakbreaker assuring the doctors that she'll stay with us, we leave the tent and take our time going to Frosty's, a local ice cream shop that's been open since before I was born. I didn't come here often as a little one, but it's reassuring to see it open, acting like a stable rock that has weathered many storms. There are a few ponies inside as Beakbreaker helps Mom and Dad to a booth near the back, where they almost collapse from the effort of walking here. I buy a few tubs of ice cream, figuring that we could all use something sweet after the fiasco of the past few hours. Mom and Dad are delighted to see the tubs as I set them down, and we all dig in, indulging our sweet tooth and not caring about all the sugar and fat flooding our veins. But where Beakbreaker and I gulp down spoonful after spoonful of the stuff, Mom and Dad only take small bites. I glance at Beakbreaker. She catches my gaze and recognizes it. This isn't normal. The door chimes as Mangus and Stonehoof comes in. “How do you feel?” Beakbreaker asks my dad. “Really weak.” Dad finishes a small spoonful of his ice cream. “But at the same time, not really hungry.” Beakbreaker turns to my mom. “Do you feel the same way?” She nods. Beakbreaker steadies herself. “Did you have this feeling before the changelings came?” Mom's spoon stops halfway to her mouth. So does Dad's. “When I was working on you with the other doctors, I noticed you were weaker than the other patients, as if you had been ill before the changelings attacked,” Beakbreaker explains, keeping her voice calm. “Is that true?” My parents don't reply. "Is it true?" Beakbreaker asks again. Mom and Dad look to themselves, then Beakbreaker, and then to me. Mom puts her spoon down and takes a deep breath. “There's something we need to tell you both... especially you, Silverspeak. Your father and I were hoping to tell you about this at a later time, but there's no point in hiding it now.” Dad holds Mom's hoof tightly. “We first noticed it a few months after you went to... stay at Canterlot,” Mom says. “We both felt weak, had pain and cramps, so we went to the doctor. He did some tests, the results came back, and..." She can't continue. Dad holds her hoof as tightly as he can. “They revealed we have Grogan's disease,” he whispers. Beakbreaker flinches. “It's an autoimmune disease,” Dad explains, speaking fast as if he's trying to get this all out before losing his nerve. “Really nasty. Causes the immune system to turn against the body and eat away at it. It's slow; you can go about a year or two before seeing anything, but eventually there comes a point where it speeds up and... well...” Beakbreaker says something. So does Mom. I can't hear them. I see lips moving, but I don't hear any voices. It's like I'm watching them from far away. “... we decided to keep it a secret.” Mom says. “We didn't tell you so you wouldn't worry; we know how worked up you get over things, and we didn't want to have this aggravate you while you in were in prison. You would have driven yourself mad.” “But... but you looked so normal," I say. "How did you-” “We began treatment as soon as we found out what it was,” Dad says. “The docs gave us some pretty potent cocktails that kept the worst of it in check. Even made us appear normal for a long time. But it began to fade off during the convention on Genesis. That's why we left so quickly: we didn't want you to find out what it really was.” I can't think, can't find words. I... I... I focus. Have to focus. “Okay... I can understand that. Now, what kind of treatments do they have you on now?” Mom and Dad look at each other. “They are treating it, aren't they? They can cure it, right?” “Silverspeak-” “Tell me they can." I turn to Beakbreaker. “Tell me, Beakbreaker. Tell me they can cure it!” “Silverspeak, they've tried everything,” Mom says. “Drugs, traditional remedies, magic... they haven't worked.” “But those cocktails. They-” “Only slow it down. That's all it can do. It's the only thing that works.” No, no, that can't be true. I need more information to work with. I try to ask more questions, but I can't get my voice to work, the words dying in my throat. “What about spells?” Beakbreaker asks. “They tried. You know how magic is, Beakbreaker,” Dad says. “One mistake, the slightest miscalculation, and the body can be wrecked or damaged beyond repair. On something as complex as this, the docs said the risks outweighed the benefits.” “So there's nothing else they can do?” The booth goes silent. “How long?” Beakbreaker finally asks. Dad rubs his face. “Six months... a year at most. The docs told us to keep taking those cocktails, but they're getting less effective. One shot lasted a month, then a week. Now we're down to two days. After that...” “Then we'll try something else,” I say. “A new drug, herbs, surgery, something. We'll find a way to-” “Silverspeak-” “Look at how fast the medical industry has gone in the past few years! They're bound to have something!” “Silverspeak, all we can do now is buy time,” Mom says. “Months, weeks, whatever we can get.” I can't stop myself from shaking. “So you're quitting? You're giving up?!” “Kiddo-” “No, Dad! Don't you dare 'kiddo' me! Not now!” He pauses. “Silverspeak, I know this is a shock to you. Believe me, we've spent months trying to figure out how to tell you. We did everything we could, but... Well... As you get older, you learn that there's a time to fight, but you also learn that there's a point where you'll lose more than you gain.” I shake my head. “No, Dad. No excuses. You may have given up, but I won't!” “Silverspeak-” “When I wanted to become an alicorn, everyone told me I couldn't! But I did! And I'm sure as tartarus not going to give up on this! I... I..." I bite my lips; I want to scream, to shout, to smash something, to- Mom takes my hooves. “Silverspeak, listen to me: We don't want to die, but this is what life has given us, and now we have to make the most of it. All we want to do now is spend the time we have left - however long that might be - with you and Beakbreaker. That means more to us than anything else.” I suck air through my teeth. I don't want to hear this. Mom strokes me, her voice soft. “It's okay to be angry.” I shake my head. “This... this just can't be happening. ” “Life never goes the way you want... All we can do is make the most of what we've been given, good or bad.” “But there has to be something we can do..." Come on, Silverspeak, think! You can find a way to stop this... You need to clam down and take a day or two to process this, and then you can tackle this thing. But first I have to keep Mom and Dad from doing anything stupid. “What if I found a way to stop this disease, or to slow it down even more," I say. "You'd accept it, wouldn't you?” “Heavens yes, we would.” “Dad?” “Are you kidding? If it was a pill, I'd be the first to gulp it down.” I take Mom's hoof in one leg and Dad's hoof in the other. “Then make me a promise... Promise that you'll fight this thing while I can look for a cure. Will you do that for me?” Mom and Dad look to each other, silently pondering my request. I wait. “Yes,” Mom says. “We will.” My grip on their hooves loosens, and my heart finally stops pounding. “All right... I'll get us ready to fly up to Genesis. Beakbreaker, can you stay here while I go get their medicine?” “Of course.” “Thank you." I stand. “I'll be back soon.” “Silverspeak?” Mom holds out her hoof. “No matter what happens, everything will be alright.” Reaching out, I press my hoof to hers and hold it there for a long moment before I leave. *** The jog back to my parent's house is the longest I've ever taken. I breathe in and out to try and calm myself. I can handle this. No sense in trying to deny or pretend it doesn't exist. I got my emotions out, and now I can tackle this with a calmer mind. This disease is just an enemy, and like any enemy it can be defeated. I just have to find the right way to do so. Mom and Dad must have given up because they're depressed: facing something like this for so long would emotionally drain them to a state where they can't see reason. But I can, and the first step is to get them to Genesis. I reach the Raven and find Gusty putting the last patch into place on the now-repaired hull. “Gusty! Is the ship ready to go?” Gusty raps a wing against the hull. “She's as good as the day she rolled out from the workshop.” “Good. We'll be leaving within the hour." I continue on to the house. The changelings that Beakbreaker and I took care of have been carted off, though some green blood still remains on the walls. I pay it no heed as I head up to my parent's bathroom. There's a gray box on the bathroom counter with five syringes inside. I tuck the box into a container on my armor and jog back out into the night forest. When we reach Genesis I'll talk to Glasseye and arrange for my parents to be evaluated at the city's hospital; with any luck, there'll be something the company can use to help my parents. If not, I'll call in that favor Glasseye owes me and use anything experimental that's in the works to see if that helps. And if there's nothing in the works, I'll have to force Glasseye to... Wait. What's that? It sounded like an explosion of some kind. Something's rising into the night sky from the other side of the city... Smoke. Oh no... I take off as fast as I can and race through the city square. Soldiers have rushed to main street and the numerous shops, all of which have been hit with bursts of magic. Smoke rises from broken signs and shattered windows as soldiers dash in and out to evacuate injured ponies. But I ignore them all as I run to Frosty's. It's been blown apart like all the rest, and ponies lie on the grass outside. Stonehoof's there, along with Mangus, both stunned and bleeding once again, and... oh, thank Celestia, Beakbreaker's next to them! I run to her. “Beakbreaker?!” Coughing, Beakbreaker raises her head. She doesn't look injured, nor are there any signs of blood or cuts. “Silverspeak-” “Are you alright? What happened?!” Bracing herself against the earth, Beakbreaker gets to her hooves. “We were trying to eat some more of the ice cream when there was an explosion. The wall burst apart and several changelings rushed in. I tried to fight; so did they-" She points to Mangus and Stonehoof. “-but there were too many of them. Next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground out here.” “What's the password?” “What? Oh, uhh... zebra grass.” Good. Now I just need to find my parents. But where are they? I don't see them on the grass. Maybe they were taken to a medical tent. “Beakbreaker? My parents, were they taken to a tent?” Beakbreaker doesn't answer. “Beakbreaker?” “Silverspeak... before I was knocked out, I saw changelings swarming around them. I tried to get to them, but... But the changelings grabbed them,” Beakbreaker says. “The last I saw of them, they were being dragged into the forest.”