Healing wounds, Uncertain future
Healing Wounds, Uncertain Future
The four friends were in a white tent; the air inside was thick with the smell of chemicals and there were dirty rags and bandages littered all over the floor. It was now afternoon and the smoke from fires still raging throughout the city blocked the brilliant beams from the sun. The once lush and beautiful city of Philydelphia would now be forever stained by the atrocities of the Alicorn Destiny. Aside from firefighting ponies the town was also full of royal guards. The day in which they all had something to look for quickly turned into the worst day of their lives; moreover, their lives would never be the same.
Alpha was the first one to wake up; she opened her eyes quickly and gasped for air as if waking up from a nightmare. She tried to remember how they got there but thinking only made her head hurt. She heard Omega groan and was relieved to see him open his eyes.
“Brother! Are you okay?”
“What kind of question is that sis? Do I look okay to you?” he answered with a hint of frustration.
“Excuse me for worrying then, oh, and by the way, I’m fine thanks for asking,” she replied sarcastically. Still, she was relieved inside and felt a little better.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m so…confused and disoriented. I don’t even remember wha-” the memories of that morning started to slowly return to his head. It seemed like it was going to be a perfect day. Alpha and he were going to check into a hotel and then Virtuoso was going to give them a proper tour of the city. He planned to get some more delicious Fillydelphies and later check if Lightning had found a job and a house. However, all that seemed like a past life or a fantasy. He started remembering Destiny. The tall grey Alicorn with long blond mane had done something to them before she left, but he couldn't remember what.
Virtuoso was the next one to wake up. The first thing he heard was a buzzing in his ears, after a while the noise faded and he heard Alpha and Omega talking. It seemed they were reminiscing on happier times. He tried to sit up but the sudden movement only caused him pain. “AH!” he screamed.
The siblings were startled and turned their heads towards him.
“Haha, that wasn’t a very smart move, now was it,” he replied to their gazes as he lay there awkwardly.
Alpha let out a breath of relief, “That’s three of us, now let’s just wait for Lightning to wake up,” she said as she turned to Lightning with a worried expression.
They started talking about the day before, when everything was normal. Now and then one of them made a joke and even though it hurt, they laughed. The conversation eventually descended to silence and eventually they got so bored they started playing games like twenty questions and I spy, although in a small tent like the one they were in that game didn’t last long.
“Hugh! This is stupid!” groaned Omega. “I would rather be out there helping anypony that needs a hoof,” he tried to stand up but only managed to get two legs off the bed before the pain became too great to ignore. “Gosh darn it! Why the hay haven’t we seen any nurses or doctors!” he screamed before lying down…defeated.
“Calm down, I want to help as much as you do but we can barely move. Besides, we can’t just leave Lightning,” said Alpha firmly but understandingly.
“She’s right. There will be time for helping, but for now we must recuperate our energy,” said Virtuoso fluffing his pillow with his magic.
Another dreadful two hour passed with not much to do or talk about. Alpha drifted in and out of sleep. Virtuoso started thinking of lyrics for a song about this whole experience and Omega started daydreaming. Still, Lightning wouldn’t move. In the silence the only thing they could hear was the wind coming in from the entrance to the tent and each other’s breathing. Omega’s hunger was influencing him to try to make another attempt at standing up and leaving when Lightning finally seemed to stir. He sat up suddenly and violently and started gasping for air. “NOOO!” he screamed and looked around frantically.
“Lightning! Calm down! We are all fine. Snap out of it!” said Alpha trying to calm him down.
He looked around and breathed heavily. “Guys, I was having a horrible nightmare. I…I saw you all die and…and…” he couldn’t stop the hot tears from falling down his face. “We had just met…” He slowly regained control of his emotions and for the first time noticed how stiff his body was. He lied down and after noticing his friends were staring at him he blushed.
“Lightning you have no idea how relieved we are to see you awake. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say we were starting to get worried,” said Virtuoso.
Just then, a nurse walked into the tent, “Is everypony okay? I was passing by and I heard some screaming.”
“About time some personnel showed up!” exclaimed Omega, “We haven’t had anyone ask us if we even want water since we woke up.”
“I apologize, it’s just that there are so many ponies to take care of. Somewhere along the way we must have forgotten about this tent.” The nurse changed their bandages, gave them food, and informed them on the state of the city. She was getting them ready to sleep when suddenly the flap of the tent flung open.
Everypony turned to see who had entered except Omega who said, “Can’t I just get some decent sleep already.” Alpha threw a pillow at him and he sat up startled. “What was that for?” He hissed. With her hoof, his sister pointed at the entrance and his jaw dropped.
Standing there with royal guards on each side was Princess Luna. The princess wasn’t wearing her usual attire however. She donned brilliant black armor made to resemble a dragon. There were many kinds of small gems which sparkled like the stars in the night sky. The leggings she wore had a particular set of mean looking spikes that would surely cause serious damage to anypony who was hit by them and her helmet had the fierce expression of an angry dragon. The ponies weren’t used to seeing any of the princesses in battle armor so the sight filled them with awe and a little bit of fear.
“Princess Luna, forgive my manners,” started Omega, making an awkward bowing gesture while lying in the bed.
“It is alright, there are currently more important matters than formalities. But first, I want to thank all of you for your exemplary courage during this morning’s events. I hear you were the only ones brave enough to stand up to Destiny.”
“So word of what happened finally reached Canterlot?” asked Lightning.
“Yes, I’m sure you saw Destiny’s power. I didn’t travel here just to congratulate all of you, no, there is something very important I must speak with you about,” The princess looked at the nurse who had been quietly standing by Alpha’s bed. The nurse realized she was being asked to leave. She bowed and stepped out of the tent without a word.
“Now,” started the princess, “I need you to tell me exactly what Destiny did to all of you”
Virtuoso closed his eyes and tried to remember the order in which events happened. “We were getting ready to depart from my house when a short earthquake happened…then…I remember various explosions throughout the city. They were rapidly getting closer when a stallion ran our way and told us to run. He was in the middle of explaining what was happening when…a bolt of red lightning hit him. He was lifted a couple of feet and managed to scream ‘run’ before falling to the ground…dead” remembering the whole scene made his stomach turn. “I’m sorry…it hurts to think.”
The princess nodded in understanding, “Can anyone else continue the tale?”
“I can,” responded Alpha, “after destiny killed the stallion, she proceeded to destroy the home of Virtuosos’ grandparents. He tried to stop her by slamming her into the ground but I think that only annoyed her. She was about to zap Virtuoso with the same magic she used on the stallion when my brother and I tackled her. We only managed to keep her in the ground for a couple of seconds before she used some sort of spell and zapped us with a small field of electricity, this single spell drained us of our energy and we just laid exhausted on the ground. After that, she used her electricity spell and was about to finish us off when Lightning jumped in front of the blast and managed to survive using his magical earring.”
“May I see thy earring?” said the princess turning her head towards Lightning.
“Yes, your majesty.” Lightning moved his mane and showed her the earring, “It allows me to transform my coat into different colors and resist various types of elements. It was given to me by my grandfather…before he passed away…”
“What a most useful tool it must be, and I’m sorry about what happened to your grandfather.”
“It’s alright Princess. Anyways, although I managed to stop her first spell she began to cast a second one that I couldn't notice in time. Virtuoso pushed me and took my place in what appeared to be ball of electricity. When the ball exploded I was sure Virtuoso had died but…” He looked at Virtuoso and smiled, “I’m glad I was wrong. I remember feeling extremely angry and was about to get up when she used her magic to choke me,” He looked down at his hooves “It felt awful, I was powerless, I thought I had just seen one of my friends die, and I thought I was next. She let me go when she heard Virtuoso speak. Ha…the look on her face was priceless. She must have been surprised we were actually fighting back and were still alive. That’s when…it happened.” Lightning suddenly stopped talking and sat in silence.
“I know this is hard for you to talk about but it is important. So I ask, what exactly happened?”
“First,” started Omega, “she picked us up and slammed us into the ground. That part wasn't necessary if you ask me; we weren't getting up any time soon. Then, she shot a beam of light into the sky. Four beams shot back down into us and I vaguely remember seeing in front of us four silhouettes of what appeared to be four different ponies doing everyday stuff. Now comes the fun part…I remember a sharp pain in my chest which slowly increased. Then our hearts ripped out of our chest…I need to repeat that because it sound so crazy! Our hearts RIPPED out of our chests! Princess, how are we still alive!”
Princess Luna had a look of concern. “Did she say anything before leaving?”
“She gave an entire speech about the pointless life cycle of all ponies or something like that. She mentioned something about the silhouettes being the remaining vessels needed to awaken some kind of power. She also mentioned some artifacts, they were called The Artifacts of…umm…the artifacts of...GAHH! I can’t remember!” Omega’s eyes started to become watery, “It was supposed to be a great day…”
“Calm down brother,” said Alpha in a calm, soothing voice. Then to the Princess, “Our hearts turned into orbs, each of a different color. There were eight in total, the other four must have been the hearts of the four ponies whose silhouettes we saw. Apparently these orbs are the keys to awaken the power she mentioned. The orbs flew high into the sky and went their separate ways…she also said we were dying, and so were the other four ponies. If we want to save our lives and all of Equestria we are going to have to find them and awaken this power. But princess, the orbs must be all over Equestria! We don’t even know who the other four ponies are! What’s more, why would she tell us a way to defeat her? I’m not sure if we have any right to know, but it would help if you shared with us your knowledge of Destiny…she claimed she almost defeated you and Princess Celestia”
Luna closed her eyes and thought about the situation at hoof. “Equestria wasn't kind to Destiny. She grew up poor and neglected, this kingdom wasn't always the rich land you see now. There were towns with hardly enough food. Just like any other kingdom, our history isn't perfect, there existed periods of time when food was scarce and animosities existed in the hearts of many ponies. Destiny had the misfortune to be born in one of the worst villages at the time.” The Princess suddenly appeared very tired, as if remembering this was physically exhausting for her, “When my sister found her she was a scared and battered unicorn...she felt great pity for her and took her in. Because of her past, Destiny focused on helping fillies and colts that were in situations similar to what she had gone through. After some time, she appeared to fully understand generosity and the importance of helping those in need; thus, my sister helped her become an Alicorn. Destiny even received the villages that were in poor conditions. My sister does not like to think about it because it is one of the biggest regrets of her life. Destiny helped restore these villages and bring happiness to the ponies…at least that’s how it was in the beginning. The immortality that comes with becoming an Alicorn didn't have a positive effect on Destiny. She became attached to many of the ponies she helped and when she continuously outlived them…well you can only imagine the great pain it must have caused her. Over time her heart darkened but she kept quiet about it, this is why me and my sister were never able to help her. Eventually sadness turned to hate and one day she started ravaging villages in a quest to ‘End the pointless cycle’ as she put it.” The princess closed her eyes and stayed quiet for a while until she said with a tone of command. “I understand all of you won’t be able to move freely for a couple of days, so I need you to rest for now. However, once you have gained enough of your energy back I ask that you go to Canterlot immediately. As for why Destiny would tell you a way to defeat her…I cannot say. Now, I must bid you all farewell,” with these final words the princess walked out of the tent and left the four ponies to think about the story they had just heard.
The next day they were transferred to an actual hospital and upon request they were all given the same room. The hospital was nothing special, the big grey building stood out from the city because it was located in a mostly residential area where most buildings were no taller than 2 floors. The room they were given was big but rather bland; it only had two windows and not much for entertainment value. The only picture in the room that wasn't medically related was a poster showing a cat hanging from a tree branch with the caption “Hang in there” at the bottom.
“How cliche,” had said Omega the first day.
The days passed by slowly, every morning they would wake up take their required medications or treatments; then they would lie in bed slowly recovering. After three days they regained enough mobility to stand up and walk around but they weren't ready for Canterlot just yet. They would talk for countless hours, sharing stories and jokes. The outside world couldn't affect them in the hospital, but they all still had a feeling of dread in the back of their minds. How were they alive and would everything be ok? Who were the ponies whose silhouettes they saw and how were they coping with not feeling their heart in their chest. Surely the four unknown ponies must have all realized something was wrong by now. There was also still so much to learn about Destiny and her past. For now though, they focused on getting better.
Finally, the day came when they planned to leave for Canterlot. They awoke anxiously and eager to leave the bland rooms of the hospital where the 6 days spent there seemed like an eternity. They packed the few possessions still belonging to them and stepped outside, hoping to never return in the same conditions. The sun outside felt great and they were happy to see a hint of normality returning to the city. These feelings didn’t last long however, they passed a newspaper stand and what they saw inflicted them with worry.
The headlines read: “Dangerous Creatures Sighted across Equestria.” There was also a picture of what appeared to be a three headed snake attacking a small village. Lightning bought one of the newspapers to read on the way to Canterlot.
“Alright guys, I guess we won’t be going our separate ways anytime soon. Is everypony ready?” asked Omega. Looking around, he noticed Virtuoso was nowhere to be seen, “Where did Virtuoso go? Our train leaves in about 30 minutes.”
“Over there!” pointed out Lightning.
Not too far away they saw Virtuoso sitting by the rubble of his family’s house where a couple of days ago they had all partied. Omega was about to call him over when Alpha put a hoof to his mouth and started walking over to Virtuoso.
From the corner of his eye Virtuoso saw the three ponies approaching. “Oh, sorry guys. Go on ahead, I’ll catch up…momentarily…” Instead of obeying his request the three ponies huddled around him and comforted him. Soon after the emotions became too overwhelming and he started to cry.
After some time Virtuoso stood up. “Thanks guys…back at the hospital I asked if my mother and grandparents had made it. It seems my mother will pull through, though I didn’t get the chance to see her, but my grandparent…” he seemed to hold back more tears. “They passed away this morning…”
Alpha walked over to him and put a wing over him. “We are sorry for your loss, and we want you to know that we will always be here for you. Just like we know you are going to be there for us.” And with a forced grin added “I don’t think our relationship is that of normal friends anymore…”
“Humph… I guess you’re right. Now let’s be on our way, we certainly don’t want to miss that train,” the four friends hurried to the train station and boarded the train heading to Canterlot. When the train was miles away from Phillydelphia they all looked back at the shrinking city hopping to someday return and have fun.
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First chapter has been sorta re-done and it has added details and format is fixed! Thanks for the reviews guys! 2nd chapter is out as well
Okay, I just have to say this before anything; commas, everyone has problems with commas, even I do sometimes. It is hard to know for sure when one should be placed half of the time.
Add the commas and you get...
“Excuse me for worrying then, oh, and by the way, I’m fine, thanks for asking,”
the ones in green are actually dependent on the character's speech and are correct either way, the one in red, isn't. (I know they are kind of hard to see... I personally read it with the commas and that's why I pointed it out.) Commas also go before direct nouns, ex. "What kind of question is that, sis?". (yes, in this case, sis, is a noun, as that's what he's calling her.) Basically, commas go wherever there is a pause in the sentence, although, in the case of direct nouns, there doesn't always have to be a pause. Also, "Excuse me for worrying then..." is one sentence, the rest is another sentence.
Also,
Just read this one aloud, "Alpha and he were...". Should be "Him and Alpha were...", also needs more commas after "hotel" and "then".
This one is just a pet-peeve of mine and my own opinion but,
Personally, I feel that it's more fluid if it's phrased as, "... Alpha said...". This, and some other speech phrases, I feel, go smoother when it's phrased, name, type of speech. ex. said, groaned, asked. This is just my personal opinion and is not incorrect the way it is.
He laid down, not lied. Lied is past tense of the lie, as in, to not tell the truth. You lie down, as he lays down, he laid down, he is laying down.
You mean, when she outlived them, right?
If it seems like I'm just ranting about this, it's because I'm in an analytical mood while reading this and I'm pointing things out as I go. I hope this helps you, even a little.
Other than that, just a couple errors, not too bad, and not things that would bother a lot of people.
This was a good chapter and I hope to see more. Keep up the good work.
2740059
That actually helps a lot. Thanks for the feedback, and also thanks for pointing out the mistake when Luna is telling Destiny's story.
'We are sorry for your loss, and we want you to know that we will always be here for you.'
It reminds me of the mane six. Good friendship. Good emotion.