//------------------------------// // Chapter Eleven: Bonds, Old and New // Story: Cantering Death // by Scriber //------------------------------// As Fluttershy dozed, she dreamt. Dark, amorphous shapes, only vaguely equine, assaulted her sleep. They lurked in the shadows and in the corners of her mindscape, silent, menacing figures that stalked her even in her slumber. Her mind took her back to her cottage, of the single, split-second glimpse of the not-pony that Twilight had mauled in order to save her life. The head was smashed, a massive wound near the center of mass, puckering and dribbling an ink-black ichor that soaked the splinters of wood embedded in the flesh. Bits of skull, gleaming bright white in the soft lighting, mixed with the soft, muted greys of the mushy brain matter that was scattered about the floorboards. She only saw it for a second. The memory would last a lifetime. ---- For those not entirely used to the sensation (namely, everypony but Twilight), teleportation can be a somewhat...nauseating experience. Spitfire hunched over upon touching down on solid ground, clutching her midsection; Rainbow Dash felt lightheaded and fell onto her flanks, eyes going screwy. “H-holy...holy hell, Twilight...” Rainbow Dash managed, clutching her head with her front two hooves. “Sorry, girls - I just...I needed to get out of there,” Twilight murmured, staring off into space. Across the room, Fluttershy stirred from her uneasy slumber. To her left, Owlysious stood perched upon the end of a bookshelf, never really seeming to blink. Spike was already in the process of groggily negotiating the ladder, trying his hardest not to miss a rung and go sprawling down a fair distance. “Twilight! You’re back!” he called out, managing to reach the base of the library unmolested. The baby dragon happily slung his stubby little arms around the unicorn mare’s neck. After a few moments, though, he hesitated. “Twi? You ok?” “...fine, Spike. I’m fine,” Twilight said in a much more firm voice, allowing a smile to grace her muzzle. “Just...Cloudsdale was pretty bad.” Spike’s eyes sank. “Does that mean that this is everywhere? That this is happening to everypony?” “I...I guess it might, Spike. I’m not really sure right now. But...what matters is that we’re safe, and we’re together, and that we’re not hurt. I-” Suddenly, there came a frenzied flurry of knocks on the library’s front door. Familiar voices rang out as best as they could through the thick oaken door. “Twilight? Fluttershy? Are any’a y’all in there?” Applejack shouted, doing her best to keep an eye out for...them. Inside, Spitfire moved without a word. Before anypony could offer up any form of protest, she trotted quickly to the door and flung it open with her hooves, allowing a trio of mares and a trio of fillies to come galloping through. “Girls! You’re all ok!” Six mares cried out in unison, gathering together for a frightened, relieved group hug. The three fillies didn’t really have a say in the matter, either - they found themselves encased in a warm, breathing gesture of alleviated anxiety. Spitfire and Spike stood off to the side, the former wearing an expressionless face, the latter trying his best not to cry in joy; Owloysious, shockingly, still did not blink. After the moment had passed, all present sat down and recuperated as best as they could. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire remained silent; Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy talked in hushed, short tones while the Cutie Mark Crusaders rested silently on the couch adjacent to the fireplace. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were in a similar state, sprawled out on the rug in front of said fireplace. There had been talk of lighting a fire, but a brief talk came to the conclusion that the smoke might attract unwanted attention. Now that they were all together and in a (relatively) safe environment, it was in unspoken agreement that the utmost caution should be taken, in order to avoid any contact with the infected horrors that now roamed the streets of their once-peaceful Ponyville. After a time, Twilight spoke. “We should think about getting some sleep, everypony. I’ll cast a spell on the library that should block out any sound we might make during the night, and we’ll have to keep the blinds shut, just to be safe.” Spitfire nodded her head, finally choosing to speak. Her voice was hushed, perhaps a touch ragged - she hardly lifted her bronze eyes from the floor as the words left her lips. “We should sleep in shifts. It’ll be more practical that way, in case any emergency arises. We should let the filles sleep through the night; I don’t even want to begin to imagine what they’ve been through. There’s eight of us; we should sleep in rotating shifts of six. I’ll take first watch. Anypony not quite tired just yet?” There was a beat of silence. Then, “I’ll stay up,” Rainbow Dash said, meeting everypony’s eyes evenly. “You girls get some sleep. We’ll talk more after we recover from all of this...well, as best as we can, anyway.” “Thank you, Rainbow Dash...Miss Spitfire,” Twilight said. “Please, Twilight. After what you’ve seen? I think we’re on a first name basis by now, don’t you?” Twilight blushed a little, despite herself. “I suppose you’re right...Spitfire. Good night.” There were various murmurs of “Good night,” and six mares and a dragon settled in for what was sure to be an uneasy slumber. -------- “I appreciate you staying up with me, Rainbow. Even though we’ve only really gotten to know one another recently, I feel like I’ve known you for a long while. A friend, even. I don’t have many friends.” “You know what they say, Spitfire.” “Hm? What’s that?” “...friendship is magic.” “Oh, please. Don’t tell me you actually believe that. I was best friends with Soarin, and look where it got him,” she said bitterly. “Spitfire...” “Don’t. I don’t even want to talk about it, ok? I just...don’t.” Spitfire looked aside, her eyes shimmering. “Please.” “...ok.” The two mares sat in silence, perched on a ledge jutting out from a third floor window. Beyond, Ponyville still smoldered, the shapes of the living dead flickering and flittering this way and that as the light danced maliciously across their vision. “I never really lived here, you know,” Rainbow finally spoke. “I mean, yeah, all my friends live here, and I hang out here every day and stuff, but...my home is in the clouds. And yeah, it’s corny, but...but I mean that in more ways than one. Anyway, I still haven’t been back since all this shit started. I wonder...hey! I wonder if Twilight can cast that one spell...” “Hm? What are you talking about, Rainbow Dash?” Spitfire found herself smiling at the ambitious young pegasus mare, even with the lingering, suffocating guilt of what she had been forced to do hanging about her. It was about all she could do to keep from screaming. “Well, remember when I won the Young Fliers’ Competition?” “This is hardly the time to be bragging, Dash.” “No, hear me out! I was kinda freaking out before the competition started, and then Twilight found this one spell that lets non-pegasi walk on clouds for three days...I wonder if we could fall back to my place, if we need to bug out? Does that make any sense?” “Well, if what you’re telling me is true...I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t work. But let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point. Even if Cloudsdale is lost...fuck. It hurts to even say it. But even if it’s lost, there still might be survivors here in Ponyville. Despite all that’s happened, I’m still a Wonderbolt, and I’m still going to help. Come morning, I’m going to do an aerial sweep for signs of...signs of life. Heh.” “What’s so funny?” “H-...It’s nothin’. It’s...it’s just a bit ironic, is all. The dead come back to life. They kill the living. The slaughtered innocents get up and kill and kill and kill again, and...and what if that’s all that’s going to be left? What if-” “-but we haven’t heard from the Princesses-” Rainbow Dash tried to interject. “-The Princesses?! What do you think the Princesses know about any of this, this fucking madness?” Spitfire shot back, trying her best to keep her voice hushed. “Remember when Shining Armour and Princess Cadance got hitched? Remember when the Changeling Queen bested Celestia, right in front of everypony? What if she can’t do anything to stop this? What if we’re well and truly fucked? What if-” Rainbow put a cyan hoof on Spitfire’s orange-yellow lips, silencing her with a smile. “Let me tell you a little bit about the Elements of Harmony, Captain,” she began in a gentle tone. “When Nightmare Moon came back after a millenium, the six of us - me, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity - discovered that each one of us embodied an Element of Harmony. Mine’s Loyalty - I don’t leave my friends hangin’, no matter what. Even if it kills me. We joined together and - get this - shot a sweet rainbow tornado right at Miss Sassy-Flank, and banished the Nightmare from Princess Luna! Yeah, it was pretty sweet...that day, I found five PFFs...you know, Pony Frie-” “-Pony Friends for Life, yeah.” “Right. So, about a year later, Discord rolls along-” “Hey, yeah! I remember that! There was all that chocolate rain and weird animals and shit-” “-yeah, and Pinkie Pie couldn’t’ve been happier, she fuckin’ destroyed a whole pile of those pinks clouds-” Rainbow held a hoof to her mouth, trying her best not to laugh out loud. Spitfire felt a chuckle or two coming on herself, thoroughly enjoying the temporary escape from the grim reality of it all. “Anyway,” Dash continued, “that’s why I haven’t given up the ghost just yet. That’s why I keep telling myself that - even though things are bad, really, really bad - there’s just gotta be a way to fix all of this. The Elements of Harmony, if ya believe what Twilight says, are some of the strongest magics known to all of ponydom. We’ve saved Equestria twice before using them. Who’s to say that third time’s not a charm?” The question lingered about the two of them for a time. Spitfire furrowed her brow, weighing her thoughts and emotions against one another. For as long as the vibrant yellow mare could remember, she had always valued the cool, calculated aspects of her personality that allowed her to think logically, without the cloying apprehensions that emotion and self-doubt inherently brought along for the ride. But now...now, she found herself awash with strife, with grief. In less than ten hours, her hometown had been ransacked by undead monstrosities, and she had lost her best friend to the virus that plagues them. “I guess I’m just not over the shock,” she found herself saying aloud. Rainbow Dash looked up at the sound of her voice, but chose to remain silent. “Soarin is dead. He’s really, really dead. Well - I guess he was dead twice, technically. Still doesn’t change the fact that I killed him. Goddesses damn it all, I feel like a fucking-” “-monster?” Rainbow offered. “...y-yeah,” Spitfire replied weakly. “You’re not a monster, Spitfire. You just said it yourself, you’re still not over the shock. When you get your head in a right place and when you’re not worried for your own life and the lives of those around you, you’ll realize that. I can’t even begin to imagine what you must be going through right now...fuck, if I had to kill one of my friends...I don’t know how I’d survive. But you can. I know you can. You’re Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts. Thousands of ponies look up to you - present company included, y’know.” Dash slid over a bit, slinging a foreleg over the crestfallen Wonderbolt’s shoulders, drawing her close. “You can get through this. You know it. I know it. But you don’t have to do this alone, Spitfire. If you ever need to talk, or need a-” “-shoulder to cry on?” Spitfire’s voice cracked, melting into the embrace. Already, tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. “...yeah. A shoulder to cry on.” And Spitfire wept. ---- Applejack and Rarity offered to take next watch; the two pegasus mares were grateful for the relief, and settled down to at least try to get some sleep. The two friends sat in an upstairs study on either side of a small, wooden table, a deck of cards in states of various disrepair scattered around its surface. “Thanks again fer takin’ me down a peg back’n Sugarcube Corner, Rarity.” “Think nothing of it, darling. Do you have any threes?” “Nah. Go fish. Y’know, I’ve been thinkin’...thinkin’ about what you said, s’all. ‘Bout how, before this is all said ‘n done, I might have ta kill again. D’ya think...d’ya think Big Mac ‘n Granny are all right? D’ya think Mac’d be the type’a pony to kill to protect his family?” “To be perfectly frank, I imagine so, Applejack. There are very few things in this world a pony values more than his or her family and friends.” “...ah suppose you’re right. Got any fives?” “Afraid not, darling. And what of Big Macintosh and Granny Smith? Do you think they are faring well through all of this?” “Mac might be a gentle soul, but that pony’ll hit like a runaway cart in a fight. Saw ‘im get into a few scruffs back in high school with some folk even bigger’n he was at the time. Didn’t end up too pretty for them. I don’t doubt that he and Granny are probably holed up somewhere safe...maybe the cider cellar under th’ barn.” “Goddesses, what I wouldn’t give for a good drink right now...” “...say, y’know what? Reckon Twilight keeps any hooch around?” “Why, Applejack! That would be simply scandalous!” Rarity cooed. Then, she added, “We should probably check the drawers and closets first.” The two mares shared a mischievous grin, then set to work. After a surprisingly brief search, Rarity came across a veritable treasure trove of spirits; attached was a sticky note, which only read, “Items of interest for proposed Experiment 11-b-d.” “Say, Twilight’s got some pretty good stuff hidden ‘way here. Didn’t think the girl had it in her.” “I’ll say,” Rarity answered, already selecting a bottle of particularly fine vintage whiskey. “Huh. Didn’t take you for the bourbon-drinkin’ sort, Rares.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Please, Applejack - this is a fine sour mash, single malt, aged nine years in an oak barrel. It is not simply a bourbon.” “Sheesh, ok, ok. Don’t get yer tail all twisted. S’long as it’s strong, I don’t rightly care what it is.” “And I expected no less, Applejack.” Glancing across the room, Rarity spotted a pair of clean coffee mugs resting upon a desk. She levitated them over to the table, and sat back down at her seat. Applejack followed. “Now,” she began as she poured them each a stiff one, “I expect you to drink this like a proper, civilized pony. No ‘chugging,’ no ‘pounding,’ - a sip here and there, to preserve the flavour.” “All right, all right,” Applejack muttered under her breath, bringing the cup to her lips. “Say, y’don’t think Twilight would mind us dippin’ into her hooch like this, do ya?” “Given the present circumstances, I’m sure that she’d be willing to part with her...experiment supplies.” “Heh. Reckon you’re right.” The orange earth pony took a sip of the strong-smelling whiskey, her eyes lidded as the superior flavour and quality set her taste buds ablaze. She could feel the pleasantly cool drink slide down her throat and into her stomach, setting them both alight. “Damn, that’s a fine drink. You really know how to pick ‘em, Rarity - I gotta hoof it to ya, you really do.” “Was there ever any doubt, darling?” Rarity sang in a sing-songy voice, levitating the cup to her lips and following suit. “Some of the best distilleries in all of Equestria are found in Scoltland. Someday, I’d like to visit...that is, if there still is a Scoltland to go to.” Applejack was silent for a moment. “Y’think this thing’s everywhere, Rares? I know that Princess Luna said to the unicorns in her message that it was, but...could it really be? How could a thing like this just pop up overnight?” “I haven’t the faintest idea,” Rarity replied, furrowing her brow in thought. “The main aspect of her address that I still have yet to figure out is this, though...why did she tell everypony to gather in the centre of town? You saw what happened when everypony was all crowded up...it was a massacre. What possible benefit could that have had? What was the Princess thinking?” “Ah don’t rightly know. Doesn’t it seem off to you, though?” “Hm? How do you mean, ‘off’?” “Well, think about this whole situation here - we got strange orders from one of the Princesses, no word from Princess Celestia...she hasn’t even writ Twi-” “-written, dear.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Right. Written Twilight or anythin’ like that. Even aside from the fact that up until tonight, the dead didn’t just git up and walk ‘round, tryin’ ta eat folk...how could this be everywhere, instantly?” “I’m starting to see what you mean, Applejack. Something - I don’t quite know what - but something here just doesn’t seem to add up.” Applejack snickered. “Y’never were too good at math, Rares. ‘member back in high school? With Miss Isosceles?” Rarity moaned. “Oh, don’t even get me started on that piece of work!” The two mares shared a brief moment of snickering with one another. Rarity cleared her throat. “No, I mean it, Applejack. I think you may be onto something. We should ask Twilight about this when she wakes up...she was always the one among us more suited for solving mystery.” “If her shenanigans on the Friendship Express are any indication, then yeah. I suppose yer right.” “Don’t you mean ‘Pinkie’s Shenanigans,’ dear?” “Nah. She wore the hat n’everything - tell me that wasn’t hilarious!” “Oh dear, stop! You’re simply awful!” Rarity teased, holding a dainty white hoof to her lips to suppress a giggle. After a moment had passed, the two sat in silence, drinking their fine spirits. “Y’know, I’m glad I had you girls with me, in the thick of it all. As awful as things got - hell, as awful as thing have yet to get - I’m just glad you girls’ll be there for me. For each other.” “Couldn’t agree more...PFF,” Rarity spoke softly. “Say, Rarity?” “Yes?” “Got any eights?” ---- Zero hour Luna Canterlot Castle The two regal sister watched in silence as the barriers were erected. The sun had just sunk over the horizon, leaving a deep, crimson hue dancing across the sky. “May the stars forgive us for what we have done,” Luna spoke remorsefully, her ancient eyes gazing over the sight of it all. “Sister, it is time. You must raise the moon, no matter what may come this night.” “But sister, we knoweth not...I...I don’t know what will happen. I am...for the first time since the Elements cleansed me, I am frightened.” Celestia leaned in close. “To tell you the truth, little sister, so am I. We worked so hard...we have sacrificed so much over these thousands upon thousands of years...” Luna stood firm. “Do not lose hope yet, elder sister. Bleak though it may be, it has yet to reveal itself unto us. Perhaps...perhaps it will be like before...” “...Luna, I didn’t tell you...” “...oh...oh Celestia, no...” “It was six hundred and sixteen years into your banishment. Somehow, a shadow of his former self was able to manifest in some of the tribal zebra villages across the Great Shimmering Seas - it was...” “We do not even require a description, elder sister. We knoweth the...I remember.” “Do you want to know how many?” “No. But I must.” “This time...upwards of seventy thousand. The infection spread more quickly than we had anticipated. What we first thought to be an inherent regional aspect - namely, the heat...it matters not. Time grows short. In any event, it was during that outbreak that I first discovered the massive deposits of raw arcane energy under the entirety of the United Zebra Nations. It aided the virus’ spread exponentially. Once it made its way into the Badlands...” “Celestia, the wellsprings-” “-yes. It spread everywhere. There was a total infection of the entire nation within forty-eight hours.” “Bovine faecies!” Luna swore in an ancient tongue, earning a rather surprised look from her elder sister. “Luna!” “Sorry...” “It’s...it’s not the that, I just...well, I haven’t heard that tongue in years. It just took me by surprise, is all.” “Heh. I suppose you wouldn’t have heard it for a while now, according to my studies.” “Quite.” There was silence again between the two for a beat. Luna ruffled the feathers of her deep blue wings. “So, you were able to kill him? Even with all the power he no doubt absorbed?” “Yes. I was.” “Fortunate for you, then. I wasn’t around to help you.” “I know. That’s what made it so difficult for me...I missed you. All those years, I missed you.” “...I missed you, too.” The two alicorn sisters shifted toward one another and nuzzled each other affectionately. “What do you think is going to happen, Celestia?” Luna whispered. “...if the Heavens are just, then he will not appear. Should he manifest, we will do battle. Should we fail, the Elements will avenge us...as they have before.” “Let us pray that this does not come to pass.” “Here’s hoping.” And the Heavens, as if to mock their hope, opened up. The Princesses shuddered, and turned their heads skyward. ---- The Library Despite their previous intentions, Rarity and Applejack both were hardly in a state to be solving great, ancient mysteries with their self-proclaimed ‘egghead’ of a PFF. Twilight was not even annoyed in the slightest, completely understanding their desire for a bit of an escape - Pinkie Pie, Twilight’s watch partner, had adamantly suggested that they follow suit. “Aw, come on, Twilight! One teensy weensy little cup of gin didn’t ever hurt anypony!” “Pinkie, I...guh.” Twilight harrumphed in defeat. “Fine. One glass. But not gin - scotch, please.” “Oooh, nice choice, Twilight! I’m a bit of a scotch drinker myself! Well, that, and punch, sometimes vodka, maybe a bit of strawberry lemonade, water-” “-I think I get the idea, Pinkie. Please try and keep your voice down, by the way. The others are still sleeping.” “Oh - oops! Sorry, Twilight.” “No harm done, Pinkie.” Twilight levitated the mug to her lavender lips, taking a bit of a larger swig than she had intended. She made a choking sound and coughed a few times, blinking a few tears out of her eyes. Pinkie giggled. “Been a while, huh?” “Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Twilight deadpanned. “Aw, cheer up, Twilight? I bet once you finish that cup, you’ll feel a whole lot better.” “You know, Pinkie Pie, there’s a lot to be said about that statement.” “Huh? What’s that?” “Never mind.” Twilight’s eyes scanned her bookshelves: having memorized each section, she knew where to find certain books in certain places by heart. With a faint glow of purple, translucent magic, she levitated a few hefty-looking medical textbooks down onto the table. “Ooh, you know what they say about drinking and reading, Twilight.” “Oh?” “It makes your eyes go all screwy!” Pinkie Pie grabbed the nearest book, flipping to a random page and somehow managing to extend her eyeballs a good half-foot forward to speed-read the text. “See?” Twilight giggled. “Pinkie Pie, you are so...well, Pinkie Pie.” “I know!” “So, Pinkie...you seem to be handling this well.” “Yeah, I’m managing. It’s just...” “Just what?” “Twilight, I...did you see anypony die tonight?” Twilight was taken aback. “Well...yeah, Pinkie. Yeah, I did. It wasn’t pretty. And...and you?” “Yeah.” The pink earth pony’s normally frizzy mane deflated a little. “What I saw wasn’t very pretty, either. It was actually pretty horrible. Twilight...how could this happen? You’re a smart pony...what do you think is going on?” “To be honest, Pinkie...I don’t really know. I mean, there could be few different, logical explanations...but then again, the dead reanimating and feasting upon the living doesn’t exactly fit into the textbook definition of ‘logical explanation,’ if what I’ve seen is to be believed. At first, I thought it was some sort of mass illusion - maybe even a byproduct of hysteria, or...as an outlier, perhaps one of Princess Luna’s pranks gone too far...but it can’t be. I don’t know of any illusion that could appear that real. Ponies have died. Ponyville is practically destroyed. No, I think...I think this is really happening.” Twilight took a large swig of the mug. “The only thing that I know of, that I’ve read, that sounds even remotely similar to any of this...there are old Zebra legends of a curse, a sort of plague that could affect an ‘unspeakable area.’ Scholars believe that the phrase, translated from ancient Zebrican, means a geographical area. Of course, this is universally regarded as nothing more than ancestral legend in the academic community...but what if it wasn’t? What if it wasn’t Pinkie? What if...what if what’s happening out there, what’s apparently happening all across Equestria at this very moment is a very real manifestation of that ancient legend? And - this might be the scotch talking - but I think I’ve got a pretty decent track record when it comes to predictions and prophecies, if the whole Nightmare Moon thing is any indication.” “But how could you be sure, Twilight? What if there’s nothing more to go on than speculation and hearsay?” “Ooh, nice adjectives, Pinkie!” “Thanks! I’m still enjoying the calendar.” “Well, here’s the thing, Pinkie - in all the classes I’ve been in, even when I was getting my postgraduate degrees at Canterlot University - this legend has never even once been discussed. We just never talked about it...never studied it, never even acknowledged its existence. Really, the only way I know about it at all is because I like to read so much.” “Have you ever tried writing to the Princess about it, Twilight?” “The Princess...the Princess! That’s it! Pinkie Pie, you’re a genius!” “Of course I am! Wait, what?” “I’ll write a letter to the Princess! I need to get my quill, and my parchment, and-” “-and wake poor little Spikey-wikey up from his sleep?” “And...uh, oh yeah, that...he’s probably been worried sick about me, huh?” “Maybe so, Twilight.” “But...gah, I know. I should let him sleep. You’re right, Pinkie. Hopefully...hopefully, it can wait until morning.” “So...what do you wanna do ‘till then?” “Beats me,” Twilight said. “Wanna play tic-tac-toe?”