My Endless Darkness

by Garfield23

My Endless Darkness Chapter 1 Don’t ask me to be brave

I remember that day, the day that any part of me that was still a foal was cruelly snatched from me and my heart turned to darkness. The day was a normal calm day, with the normal ponies wondering around on their daily business and I was a solider of the Equestrian army on a day off. I have never forgotten the calm in the air that day had, I was calm and happy. There was never a calmer place than that of my home town, Hopetown. I was in the center with my sister as we were wondering round.

“So bro, do you know where you’re going to be assigned?” she asked, my sister is the most amazing mare around, she is a white Unicorn with a light red mane, her cutie mark is in the shape of a quill and ink pot “You know you shouldn't be nervous”

I looked at her and giggled “I’m not nervous, I’m just curious and I’m hoping for the best, Silverlight” I said trying to sound real cool about it but doing a poor job of it. I had just completed my basic training in a town only a few miles from Canterlot and had come back to Hopetown to receive orders of where I’d was to be assigned. “I just hope it’s somewhere not too far from here”

We headed for home, I have to admit as a stallion, I’m nothing special, I’m a Pegasus who’s black all over with a white mane and my cutie mark is in the shape of a sword and shield. For years I was an outsider, not the kind of pony who others wanted to associate with but I was cool with that, I was a loner by choice. The reason is simple to understand, when my cutie mark appeared it was clear what my purpose was and no pony liked it. Serving in the army in Equestria is both a great honor and curse; on the one hoof you’re defending your home but on the other in a culture where friendship is valued above most things, a pony who kills is scum and has no place in any level of society. I have always been close to my sister even if we are different but that’s normal for me, I was close with all members of my family and it was part of the reason I joined the army.

As we approached the section of town our home was in, something seemed wrong and I could smell something burning. We turned a corner and the sight that awaited us was horrible beyond description. Our home was among many burning buildings, the air was full of soot and I had trouble breathing. The worst part was the bodies, there was so many of them and there was blood everywhere. I had a hard time processing what I saw but how does one make reason of murder.

“AHHHH!” screamed my sister with a voice full of pain and despair “Bravesteel look!!” she was pointing her hoof at a broken window where we could see our mother trapped in the fire “We have to get her out!”

We ran over to the window and jumped through the window, I was hit by the enormous heat and felt like my skin was beginning to boil with blisters. I wanted out but knew that wasn't an option, our mother needed us and we weren't going to abandon her. We struggled forward, Silverlight using her magic to put out the fire while I tried to get close enough to grab our mum.

“Mother! We’re here!” I screamed regretting screaming as smoke filled me “Please! Mother! Grab my hoof” my hoof was now close enough to grab hers. As our hooves locked I pulled her towards me, we then turned and ran out of the house. Not a moment too soon as we collected ourselves the house collapsed burying whatever remained of our family. I turned to our mother “Mum, who did this?!” I asked shaking with tears and anger.

She weakly raised her head “I..I..didn't…see..see…who..” she flopped in my hooves.

“Mother?” I asked in a voice way too small for me. I put my hoof on her chest, I counted to ten and felt no heartbeat. “No,no,no it can’t be! Mum no, wake up, please, you can’t die!” I screamed I could feel my composure leaving me and I wasn't alone in that.

Silverlight screamed as she burst into tears, tears trickled down my face and I was filled with sadness. It left me feeling empty and cold. We sat there for what felt like hours, we didn't speak or move and we didn't want to. After a while I stood up and looked around for clues but except for more death and despair found nothing.

An hour later the moon was shining above us but what did we care our home and family were gone. So what if Princess Luna was doing her job, was not it also the job of the princesses to ensure we were protected and here we were crying over the corpses of our family and friends. I looked in the direction of Canterlot, it was impossible from this distance to see it but I didn't care. I wanted Justice.

“Bravesteel, what are we going to do?” she croaked, her eyes were a blood red color and she was shaking “We should check the rest of town” she suggested

“But what about Dad? We haven’t found him” I asked with a croak of my own

“We both know, Dad’s dead, he would have been in the top floor when the fire started and Mum did not make it out” she cried “So what chance is there that he did, we both know he was a unicorn and unlike you, he can’t fly!”

I knew she was right but I did not want to face it. Despair was all I felt as we walked away from the site of our former home. We headed back towards the center but we realized that there was nothing to head to because there was nothing, just a smoldering pile of ash and bodies of ponies of all kinds. We walked looking for survivors but for about half an hour we found no pony. Then a cry, a cry of a foal, a foal in pain and we charged towards the sound, my wings would not allow me stay grounded and I took off.

I could see the outline of a small shape in the distance, I flew as fast as I could, desperation fueling my system. The desperation to reach the foal and help as best I could. It took me less than minute to reach the foal but it felt like an eternity. I landed with a thump near the foal and could see it was a small mare earth pony next to the shape of another mare earth pony.

“Hey, Kid are you okay?” I asked as I approached , the worst possible question I could have asked but I've never been good at the social thing “Do you know who did this?”

The foal looked at me with a strange look and then did the thing I was sure she wouldn't do, she ran forward and hugged me “My..my…sister...she’s not moving help her”

I was a bit startled but I walked over to the older mare and placed a hoof on her neck and my heart sank with horrible thump. She was dead. My mind went so blank, what now, dare I turn and tell the worst truth possible or could I lie? No, I thought she deserves the truth but was that my place.

“Bravesteel!” I heard a voice shout, I turned my head and was so relieved to see Silverlight “You shouldn't fly ahead of me! It could have been dangerous!” It’s probably worth pointing out that my sister is seven years my senior, something for which I’m often grateful for and here’s why, she has better foresight than I do and she uses reason over emotion. “Honestly you can’t keep relying on luck”

As she approached I pointed to the dead mare, I whispered to her “she’s dead but I don’t have the heart to tell her sister over there” indicating with my head towards the foal. “Please help!?”

Credit where credit is due, no matter how mad my sister was with me, she was able to adjust to any new circumstances and this was no exception. As soon as she glared at me, she assumed the look of a very calm mare and approached the foal. “Hey, are you okay? My name is Silverlight” she asked the now shaking foal “Can you tell me your name?”

The small foal looked at Silverlight with a mixture of fear and sadness “My name is Applebliss. Is my sister okay?” she asked but I got the feeling she knew the answer. The air was stiff with the smell of blood and sadness. I look back now wishing I was a better brother but I knew no amount of sugar-coating would change the outcome. “She’s all I had left?”

Again credit to Silverlight, the way she handled the situation was a marvel “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that she’s okay. She’s dead, but I’m sure you have other family?” she said in a voice that was so soothing it melted my heart “We just lost our family and we can understand your pain but we have to be brave for them, can you be brave?”

At that moment I thought that the foal was going to burst into tears but was studded when she sniffed and wiped her eyes “Yes, I can be brave” she croaked but I got the feeling the scars in her heart would never heal.

If I’m honest my next action was heartless but it had to be done “We have to leave here, let’s head to Canterlot and inform the Princesses of this atrocity” I said with a bitter voice, I felt anger, hate and hurt for those who had massacred our friends and family. Silverlight stared at me as if I had just stated the worst possible thing. Applebliss was looking at me with what could only be anger. “I’m sorry but if we hang around, another village might suffer the same fate as Hopetown and there might not be survivors!”

Applebliss suddenly said something that surprised me because how could I have forgotten “Ponyville has a princess” she stuttered with such a small voice “I want to go there”
To her credit Ponyville was closer and Hopetown did not have a train station so the decision should have been obvious. I looked at my hooves and then at Silverlight “We’ll take a vote” I said, looking back it was stupid idea “I vote Canterlot”

Silverlight looked at me and groaned “Ponyville, it will take us only five days to walk there however Canterlot will take twice as long and we have no bits”

Applebliss looked at me and smirked for the first time “Ponyville” she said simply.

Silverlight shook her head and turned “Well, come on then, we should start for Ponyville and if we hurry we might get there sooner” she said, as Applebliss ran ahead, Silverlight turned to me and said something I've never forgotten “You did well”

As Silverlight trotted ahead I looked at my wings and felt a strange sense hope. Little did I know the next five days would be the days where I would need that hope. I looked back at the smoldering remains of Hopetown and walked away, with the feeling I would never see it again but I didn't care and I was ready to do my duty. No more time for feeling down and I wanted to get my chance at my new purpose.

Chapter end.

Author's Note:

Alright my first attempt at MLP fan fiction. That was okay but I look forward to see what you think, so please remember to review because that’s the only way I can improve.
Garfield23 Out.