“So, want to hear a story?” Light Patch asked as they treked through the swamps near Ade. “How about I tell you about the time our three heroes dared to tread where the dead refused to rest, Jakob’s Cove?”
“Sure, why not?” Purple Heart sighed. “If it’ll pass the time between here and Ade, it’s fine by me.” Navee tinkled cheerily by his ear in agreement, her sprite form illuminating the murky water below.
“Hang on.” Wits End avoided one of the many muddy areas of the path, holding the ends of his robe away from the water. “Is any of this story gonna be true?”
“Yes,” Light Patch snapped back in his best Marcus impression. “Probably...most of it.” He paused for a few moments. “You're adopted,” he said quickly, looking at Wits End—eliciting a mock whine—before turning back to Navee. “Anyway, our heroes were summoned by Doctor Ned, who isn’t Doctor Zed from the other story, to assist him in saving the inhabitants of Jakob’s Cove from the dead arisen from their graves.”
With a splash and a yelp, Wits slipped into a puddle. “Gah! All of that work, ruined!” He rung his hat out with a grumble. “I swear, if this village doesn’t show up soon, I’m gonna- Oh, wait. Is that it up there?”
Purple Heart leaned around Wits’ smaller form and peered through the trees, Navee resting on his head comfortably. “It certainly looks like a village,” he commented. “Twilight did mention its lack of occupants, save themselves. Want me to toss you above the trees to get a better look?”
“I could also just fly up and check it out,” Light Patch noted, giving his wings a couple of flaps.
“I could too,” Wits muttered. “If I knew how. Who would’ve thought using an entirely new pair of limbs would be so difficult?” Light Patch raised a hoof at Wits comment.
“Flying would’ve saved your hat too,” Purple Heart mused. Navee tinkled beside him in her own amused fashion.
“Regardless!” Wits continued. “If the town really is empty, looking up ahead won’t be that useful. If there’s secret ambush ponies waiting for us, all we’d be doing is announcing our presence. Let’s just get in there as soon as possible. I get the feeling this tunic is gonna start chafing.”
Purple Heart snorted and made his way through the remaining swampland, creating a channel that the minty unicorn could walk safely through. Light Patch fluttered above, slipping around tree trunks as they stood in his way. It didn’t take long for them to escape the murky confines of the swamp and reach the main gate of Ade. They entered, Wits grumbling under his breath about his ruined clothes as they searched for the mares.
“Any idea where they might be?” Purple Heart asked, his gaze flicking from building to building. He reached into his pack and slid his gauntlet on, wanting to be ready for any unexpected encounters.
“I’ve got this.” The mint-colored unicorn took a deep breath in. “DARING DO IS A TERRIBLE ARCHEOLOGIST!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. Purple and Light blinked.
“Welp, that’s one way of finding out,” the purple earth pony mused. “May she have mercy on your sorry arse. At least some of it.”
A few seconds passed in icy silence. Then...
With a massive sonic boom, a cyan bolt rocketed down the main lane, slamming forehoof-first with Wits’ jaw and sending the two of them into the wall of a nearby shop with a crash and a comical squeak. “You take that back right now!” Rainbow Dash screamed, wrapping her hooves around the unicorn’s neck.
Wits, on the other hoof, made a weak, strangled noise that may have been intended to be the words, “found one.”
“You don’t say,” Purple Heart chuckled bemusedly. “Come now, Rainbow. He’s already squishy enough without you softening up his jaw.” Navee harrumphed and fluttered as far away from the cyan pegasus. Purple Heart ignored his irate subordinate and moved over beside the feral Rainbow Dash and tried to pry her forelegs away from Wits’ neck. His brow furrowed at his initial failure and he redoubled his efforts, this time shoving at her with his shoulder, setting his entire body weight behind it. When that failed as well, he sighed.
“Light, gimme a hoof here,” Purple Heart beseeched, looking at his gray friend. “If we don’t get her off him, he’s gonna become less useful as an asphyxiated husk of a mimic.”
Light Patch stepped up and tapped his friend on the shoulder. “I got this.” He turned to look at Rainbow Dash before he cleared his throat. “Can I get a little help here?” He asked to the surprise of the others. Suddenly, out of a nearby bush bounced Pinkie Pie, a crowbar held in hoof. Navee fluttered back behind Purple Heart’s head, hiding from the new arrival.
“You had but to ask,” Pinkie said cheerfully before swiftly sticking the crowbar between Wits’ throat and Rainbow’s hooves. With a pop, the two separated.
“You’re welcome,” the pink mare said, stowing the crowbar in her hair.
Light Patch trotted over to Wits End. “Need a quick heal, or you good?”
Wits End coughed. “Air,” he wheezed. “Air is good.” He waved a hoof as he stood back up. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” He turned to Pinkie. “So, where’s the rest of Mystery Inc.?”
“Oh, we holed up inside of what must have been the mayor’s office,” Pinkie chirped, dragging a still seething Rainbow Dash away from Wits. “Whole town is empty, not a laugh in sight. Or to be heard. It’s very quiet.”
“So we’ve noticed,” Purple Heart hummed. “A ghost town. Huh… I smell plot devices. We should probably reconvene to plan what to do next. Where’s this hole-up place you’ve inhabited?” Pinkie pulled Rainbow’s tail again and hopped down the street, dragging the mare behind her.
“This way,” the pink earth pony said cheerily. “I wanted to hide in the bakery, but Twilight said it wasn’t defensible enough. I don’t know what she’s talking about. Cakes and pies are great weapons of mass confection.”
The group followed Pinkie and the still simmering Rainbow Dash through the empty town. Light Patch’s head constantly turning and twisting to take it all in. “Figures, ” he said quietly. “We find a place perfect for Scooby Doo puns and I can’t think of anything.”
“Ooh! I’ve got one!” Wits cleared his throat. “Let’s split up, gan- Oh wait. That’s our lives.”
“I was gonna say we’d already made that one,” Light Patch replied just before Pinkie bounced through the door of a large building. The colts and the still hidden Navee followed her through to encounter Rarity fussing around a couple of curtains on the opposite side of the entrance hall.
“If I had purple flowers for this vase maybe that’d make the red of the barricade fit in better,” the fashionista muttered, unaware of the bouncing Pinkie behind her.
“Rainbow and I found the colts!” the pink mare shrieked.
With an unlady-like scream, Rarity whirled around, pulling the curtains down in the process. “Oh, it’s just you, Pinkie. Thank goodness. I do wish you wouldn’t sneak up like that.” She turned to the colts, plus one small glowing sprite. “Well, it’s about time you showed up. Twilight’s been on the verge of a fit ever since she contacted you three. Come on, then! She and the rest of our little troupe are in the main hall.”
Navee tinkled in Purple Heart’s ear as they followed the unicorn fashionista. Purple Heart arched an eyebrow at his subordinate.
“What’s got your wings in a twist?” he whispered. “Wake up on the wrong side of the pony?”
At her squeak of indignation and anger, he frowned. “You’re jealous?”
Tinkle.
“Of the Mane Six?”
Confirming tinkle.
“Why?”
No response.
“...Spill.”
Still nothing.
“Fine. Be that way. I don’t mind you not liking them, but please at least be cordial?”
Resigned tinkle.
“Thank you.”
The pair fell silent under Wits and Light’s bemused gazes as they walked into the mayor’s office. Twilight was standing by a desk that dominated the center of the room, looking at what appeared to be a map of Ade and the surrounding countryside. Applejack and Fluttershy stood on either side of her.
“The colts are here, Twilight dear,” Rarity announced.
The alicorn turned to them, smiling when she saw them. Her smile of greeting morphed into a frown of confusion at Wits hiding behind Purple Heart when Rainbow made another dash at him, only to be restrained by Light and Pinkie Pie. “Do I want to know how that happened?” She waved a hoof at the straining trio.
“He chose… poorly,” Light Patch said, struggling to hold Rainbow Dash back. “He said Daring Do was a terrible archeologist when he shoulda said that Indiana Jones was a better adventurer than Daring Do.”
“What!?” Rainbow Dash shouted, whirling angrily on the pegasus stallion.
“Sweet merciful Cthulhu,” Light Patch whispered before he was grappled by Rainbow and put in a wing lock as the mare shouted for him to take back what he’d said.
Purple Heart sighed and strode over to the wrestling pegasi, making sure to use his gauntlet enhanced hoof to pry the pair apart. “At least Daring Do didn’t get her own face copy-pasted over her own face,” he grumbled, successfully pulling Rainbow Dash off Light Patch. “I thought you’d have learned after Wits nearly got squashed.” He arched an eyebrow at Rainbow’s flailing limbs. He then turned and blinked at Twilight. “Either you restrain her somehow or I’m knocking her out. I’d prefer the former, if you don’t mind.”
Twilight nodded, eyes still wide in shock. Her magic wrapped around the cyan pegasus, pulling her away from any ponies she might be interested in punching. “I see you got your gauntlet fixed,” she noted. “Congratulations.”
Purple Heart inclined his head in acknowledgement. “Now that we’re all here and reasonably sane,” he blinked at Light Patch and Rainbow Dash before continuing, “how about we talk about why Ade is deserted?”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Rarity agreed, walking over to where Light was getting up. “Hurry up!” She whacked him upside the head, sending him back to the floor.
“Oh come on! I didn’t even do anything to deserve that one!” Light Patch whined as he picked himself up off the ground again.
“Egging Rainbow Dash on, probably,” Wits mused, trotting out from behind his pony shield. “Of course, if it were that, she’d hit me too.” Rarity smiled evilly.
“You’re right, Mister End,” she said cheerily, smacking him upside the head. She turned to Purple Heart, eyebrow raised in question. The large purple earth pony moved into the room, edging his way around the two smacked colts.
“Hey, I just tried to break it up,” he defended. “You have fun with your curtains.”
SMACK.
“Three for three,” Light mumbled.
“Shaddup you,” Purple Heart grumbled.
“For once, it’s not me,” Wits snorted.
“In anycase,” Twilight said, glaring at the ponies around her, “we should share what we’ve managed to discover while we’ve been here. Obviously, the village is empty, I’m sure you lot have noticed that on the way in. We couldn’t even find any signs of a struggle or conflict.”
“Unlike this room,” Rarity muttered darkly as she shifted her gaze between Light Patch and Rainbow Dash.
“It’s like they all just got up and walked away. Even in the middle of things,” Pinkie chimed in cheerily, missing the small frown on Twilight's face because she’d been interrupted.
“Welcome to life after ponies,” Light Patch murmured. “Any idea how long it’s been since they got up and walked away?”
“Well, we don’t have a definite time, but,” Twilight was cut off as Rarity moved up and began talking in a huskier tone of voice.
“It wasn’t exactly easy for us, but after a bit of sleuthing, we managed to find a couple of clues as to the general time line,” Rarity said, talking and moving like she was a detective in a noir film. She missed the look of annoyance from Twilight at being interrupted again.
“All of the food was rotted away to dirt basically,” Applejack threw out.
“Spoil sport,” Rarity said quietly.
“Hum.” Purple Heart frowned. “Not a plague or there’d be at least some trace of the infected ponies… Mind control perhaps?” He looked at Light Patch curiously. “Could it be Just Duty?”
The Mane Six blinked. “What has Just Duty got to do with this?” Twilight asked, her gazing switching between the two colts.
“Suddenly I’m an expert because I almost hoofed a dangerous artifact to a dangerously motivated paladin?” The pegasus stallion bit back before thinking for a few moments. “I don’t think so though… If the food rotted away, that’d at least be several weeks or a couple of months. That would make it while he was in the capital with us, or while he was with me in the ruins.”
“So, they left of their own accord,” Applejack wondered. “Why would they leave though? This area doesn’t seem dangerous.” Purple Heart blinked.
“Oh carp,” he swore, turning to Wits and Light. “On the way to Mistakwe, I encountered a boar. It was massive, but it was also absurdly sick.”
“So?” Wits drawled. “What’s a wicked sick pig got to do with the lack of civilians here in Ade?”
“I’m getting to that,” the purple earth pony snapped. “This boar wasn’t just sick, it was infected with...something. Something alive.”
Wits arched an eyebrow. “You mean ‘burst through your chest’ alive or ‘creepy crawly’ alive?”
“I mean ‘creepy crawly kills everything it touches’ alive.” Purple Heart shuddered. “I’m pretty sure it wasn’t caused by a little metal ball, if you catch my drift.” The Mane Six and Light Patch just looked on in confusion while Wits’ eyes widened in recognition and horror.
“You’re, uh, joking, right?” he chuckled weakly. Seeing Purple Heart’s serious expression, he shook his head. “Not joking. Why is it never not joking…” Then Wits frowned. “But that wasn’t focused on ponies, just wildlife. How could that make the civilians leave? They’d at least take some sort of provisions with them instead of leaving their food to rot.”
“I’m sure I’m gonna regret this, but I haven’t got a clue what you guys are talking about,” Light Patch said. “Are we talking ‘creepy crawly’ like ‘tyranid bio weapons’?” He thought for a few moments longer. “Or is it something more like Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis?”
Everypony else in the room looked stunned either at the large word coming from the stallion or just that they didn’t know what it meant. “Ophiocordy Unialias what?” Rainbow Dash asked
“That ant fungus.” Light Patch replied
“Yeah, like that,” Wits End confirmed.
“Oh carp,” Light Patch swore, his pupils shrinking to pin points.
“So, what?” Applejack asked. “Somethin’ controllin’ the ponies of this town. Could it have somethin’ ta do with that Lady of th’ Sun Wayward was talkin’ about?”
Twilight frowned. “Maybe… this isn’t the first time we’ve dealt with a queen that can control ponies’ minds. If this is where she’s working out of, it’s possible everypony here’s under her control.”
“Hang on,” Wits interrupted. “Wayward? Like, Wayward Sun?”
“You’ve met him?” Rarity asked.
Wits weighed his options. “Yeeeees? I met him on my way to Mistakwe. He said he was coming from Lost Izalithsomethingorother. Who’s this Lady of the Sun?”
“Somepony powerful,” Twilight explained. “Apparently she showed up here a while back and took over. Wayward said her influence reaches right up to someplace called Ibuntas Pass. Sound familiar to anypony?”
“That's the capital town of Just Duty’s fief,” Light Patch replied. “What do we know about this lady of the sun?”
“That’s everything!” Pinkie cut in. “She’s spooky, mysterious, and we know nothing! Isn’t this exciting?!”
“For certain definitions of exciting,” Twilight muttered. She reached into her saddlebag, retrieving the Caverns & Cutie Marks rulebook Discord had given her at the beginning of this fiasco. “If this Lady of the Sun is as powerful as she sounds, and she’s in control of the mind control creatures, that would make her extremely dangerous.”
“She’s probably an alicorn too, what with the level of power she’s seems to have displayed,” Light Patch noted.
“Probably Discord poking fun at Celestia?” Purple Heart wondered. “But yeah, too powerful too early. I think we’d amount to a bunch of flies compared to her. Irritating to deal with, but still easy to take care of.”
“Regardless,” Twilight continued, “it would make her too dangerous for our current level, according to this. We’re only, what, level three? It’s like Discord’s jumping ahead before we’re anywhere near ready.”
Wits End coughed. “Yeah, uh, about that. I, uh, kinda learned a thing. By accident, I’m pretty sure.”
“Oh?” Applejack turned a searching look on the mint colored unicorn. “Do tell.”
“Is it super secret secrecy things?” Pinkie asked conspiratorially. “Or devilishly diabolical deeds? Spill!”
“Alright, alright.” Wits shook his head, as if to prepare himself. “Fillies, gentlecolts, and other. Allow me to introduce a close friend.” The unicorn became engulfed in light, and transformed into the slender, dark-maned pony known to the colts as Keen Palm. “Now,” the pony started, “I’m sure you’ve got a lot of questi- GWAK!”
Applejack tightened the lasso around the green unicorn, tying him up in a hogtie. “Gotcha, ya Changeling varmint! Now, what’d ya do with Wits?”
“I am Wits, you crazy cowpony! Geroff me!”
“I’m pretty sure that if you were Wits, she would,” Purple Heart offered. Twilight and the other mares stared.
“You knew about this?!” she screeched. The purple earth pony reeled back at the noise, shaking his head to clear his ears.
“Of course we did,” he retorted. “Granted, the shapeshifting we found out not long ago, but come on. We’ve known him for years. Also, if we’re on the topic if letting out secrets, I’m now Primarch of a cult.” On cue, Navee appeared in pegasus form beside her commander.
“Greetings,” she said, scowling irritably at the mares. Wits managed to scramble free of his bonds as Applejack was now dumbstruck like the rest of the mares. Pinkie Pie spoke up after a short silence, asking the most important question.
“What’s a primarch?”
* * *
“So let me get this straight.” Twilight was pacing in front of the three colts, who were seated in a line like children in the middle of a scolding. The alicorn turned to Purple Heart first. “You became the leader of a cult worshiping a powerful demon, and they think that you and it are somehow related.”
“Through some fashion of shenanigans pulled by Discord, yes, correct,” Purple Heart nodded.
Twilight moved on to Wits End, back in his mint-colored form. “You got a hold of a scroll that let you look like any of us, and the spell somehow became sentient because of Discord’s influence.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Wits mused. “Then again, everything with Discord is, right?”
Finally, Twilight turned to Light Patch. “And you befriended a noble, and not only got him back into adventuring, but turned him from somepony who tries to help others to one who’s obsessed with enforcing his idea of ‘right’ on the world.”
“Yea, basically,” Light Patch said with a sigh.
“I see…” Twilight paced back and forth, the other mares seated around the room as the processed the new information. “I guess there’s only one more question.” She paused, taking a moment to gather and calm herself. “ARE YOU THREE TOTALLY INCOMPETENT?” she screamed, the force blowing the three colts’ manes back like a hurricane.
Purple Heart blinked. He looked aside at his two compatriots, seeing the same blank look mirrored in their own faces. He shrugged, followed by the other two colts. They all looked at Twilight.
“Most likely,” Purple Heart offered.
“Entirely possible,” Wits conceded.
“Probably,” Light replied.
“Honestly, I’m surprised we managed to get through Gallopilli’s political minefield without some nation declaring war on us,” the purple earth pony commented. “That, or all of us getting imprisoned.”
“Certainly came close,” Wits said. He turned away for a moment. “Or worse,” he muttered.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What was that?”
“Nothing. Yes, total incompetence here.” Wits gestured at himself. “But to be fair, no-pony is dead. At least, none so far as we know or care personally about.”
“I’d like to think we’re not totally incompetent. Like Wits said, no-pony’s dead,” Light Patch noted before waving a hoof at his two friends. “And I can’t speak for these two, but I didn’t exactly wake up and ask to be whisked away by some mad god to play in his little game, along with being turned int-” A coughing fit prevented Light Patch from finishing his sentence.
“Honestly, for someone who’s never been in a life threatening situations, I’d like to think I’m doing fairly well,” he said, getting louder after his coughing fit was over. “Unlike you six, who’ve had to save the world five or so times, this is my first. I never asked to be a hero; to leave everything I ever knew to be someon- pony’s play thing for months on end,” he shouted, tears beginning to stream from his face. “So I’m sorry I’m not exactly up to a five time world saving hero’s standards!” he shouted before stomping out of the room.
The remaining ponies were silent as the sound of a door slamming was heard from the entry hall. Eventually, Wits spoke up. “Well, that got surprisingly serious all of a sudden.” He stood up and turned away. “Regardless, he’s got a point. We’re not gods or even heroes. We’re normal.” He pulled his cap on and adjusted it. “Tiny, insignificant ponies… just trying to keep up with the rest of you.” With a sigh, the unicorn followed his friend’s path out. “I’m gonna go look around town.” Out of sight, he paused for a moment. “It’s a terrible day for rain.” With that, the door closed once again
Twilight turned to the one remaining colt in the room. “Well? Anything from you?”
Purple Heart shrugged, his jaw set. “If you’re expecting a rant, you’ll be waiting for a bit. I’m saving mine up for when we meet Discord. That aside, seems you’re stuck with me.”
“Great.” Twilight sighed. “As much as I’d like to give those two some time, we’re in the middle of a potential threat’s stronghold. Who’s gonna go check on the- Pinkie?”
“Luchapink must see to defeating the unhappiness pinning Light Patch,” Pinkie said, having donned a luchador mask. “If others wish to join me in this match, speak now.”
Fluttershy stood up slowly. “I, um, should probably go with Wits End, actually. It’s not good for him to be alone like that, even if this town were, uh, completely safe.”
“Ah’ll go with ya, ‘Luchapink’. Ah think Ah can help calming him down. Ah suspect that he’s missing his family something fierce, and that's something Ah think several of us can relate to,” Applejack said, moving to join Pinkie by the door. “Unless y’all ponies got anything you need to tell us, Pinkie and Ah had better git goin’ to find him before he gets too lost.”
“Don’t prod him too much,” Purple Heart suggested. “That’s the first time I’ve seen him seriously ticked off about anything. And that’s saying a lot. Considering the numerous things he finds fault with, though that list isn’t as long or detailed as Wits’. What I’m saying is, ‘be careful’.”
“Then perhaps I should go with you, darling,” Rarity said to Fluttershy. “Besides, I’ve got my own questions for our unicorn friend.” She turned to Twilight. “What about you, darling? Any questions for Mister End?”
“I’ve got several, but I suspect that asking them might only serve to make him hide his answers harder.” Twilight finished with a sigh. “In all honesty, it’d probably be best if I avoided all three of them, but I doubt they’d let that happen,” she continued in a whisper. “For now I guess I’ll just stick with Purple Heart.”
Rainbow Dash folded her forelegs over her chest. “I’m staying here too.”
“‘Cause y’all pummel one’ve them for talking bad on Darin’ Do?” Applejack asked.
“...Yes.”
“Good call.”
Twilight swivelled to look at Purple Heart. “Anything else you want to say?”
The purple earth pony shook his head. “Not right now,” he replied. “I’m sure I’ll think of something, though.” Twilight sighed and looked to the other mares.
“Good luck with those two then,” she said. A great rustle filled the room as two thirds of the Mane Six left, leaving Twilight and Rainbow Dash alone in the mayor’s office with Purple Heart and Navee in pegasus form. Silence fell upon the room shortly after the four mares left. The remaining ponies shifted around, feeling awkward about the tension that had recently filled the room. Rainbow Dash flapped beside Twilight, eyeing Purple Heart and Navee, just daring them to make a snarky comment. Twilight was pouring over the map once again. Every so often though, she’d flick her eyes up to where Purple Heart stood with his subordinate. The purple earth pony had his eyes closed and he was swaying back and forth in thought. Navee stood beside him, switching her attention between her commander and scowling at the other two mares.
Purple Heart spoke, pulling the three mares’ attention to him.
“Navee, go gather a force from the Legion,” he ordered. “We’ll need reinforcements if this thing goes south. Knowing Discord, it likely will..” The green maned pegasus bowed her head in acknowledgement to the command, cast one more scathing look at Twilight and Rainbow, and then she trotted over to a large window. She opened it and took off, leaving Purple Heart alone with the two mares against her better judgement.
Twilight looked at the window, curious as to why Navee seemed so hostile to the Mane Six. The alicorn princess shook her head and put the thought at the back of her mind. She turned, eyeing the purple stallion, weighing a question she had been wanting to ask him since they left Gallopilli. Eventually, her curiosity won out over her conscience.
“You don’t seem too choked up about leaving Amber behind,” Twilight mused, glancing aside at Purple Heart. “Do you miss her?” A frown creased the earth pony’s brow as he lifted his head and swiveled it around to look curiously at the alicorn.
“Should I be missing her?” he asked, his voice almost innocent. The purple alicorn couldn’t help but gape in astonishment.
“Didn’t you feel anything for her?” she hissed. Rainbow Dash merely listened, curious as to where this conversation was headed. She remained silent as she hovered above the pair. Purple Heart just shrugged.
“Yeah, I did,” he murmured. “But it’s not like it matters though.”
“Not like it matters?!” Twilight snapped, scrutinizing Purple Heart with a heated glare. “Why wouldn’t it matter?!” The purple alicorn shivered when Purple Heart’s cobalt blue gaze swung around, stopping her cold.
“Haven't you even considered how they came to be?” he countered. “How any of these ponies existed? They were all created by Discord for a mere game, a diversion, entertainment for a bored god-being. None of the ponies we’ve met had lived longer than we’ve been in this world. Every single Non-Player Character we’ve met was programmed with a backstory and a personality. Amber Glitter is no different.” Twilight stared at the purple barbarian, her mouth agape while Rainbow Dash mirrored her expression perfectly. Taking the silence as a signal to continue, he did. “Have you thought to consider what will happen when this game ends?” The purple alicorn shook her head in the negative. Unconsciously, Rainbow did as well. “They’ll just disappear.” Twilight blinked and found her voice.
“Why?” she choked out.
“They’ll have served their purpose,” Purple Heart elaborated. “All they were meant to do was add flavor and texture to the world Discord created. As soon as that world is gone, so are they.” He lowered his head, his eyes dimming. “All the NPCs will disappear.” Silence fell between the three ponies. Twilight opened her mouth several times to say something but always stopped. Rainbow Dash finally spoke up.
“Are you, Wits, and Light NPCs?” she asked. Twilight stared at the bluntness of the statement.
“Rainbow Dash!” she hissed, hoping that Purple Heart would ignore the question. She hesitated upon seeing the haunted look on the purple stallion’s face. All traces of the strong, stubborn, crass earth pony were gone leaving a husk filled with fear. It was painful for Rainbow and Twilight to see. When the purple earth pony spoke, his voice was hollow, his words fearful.
“I sincerely hope not...” Purple Heart whispered.