Chapter 45
Equestria
Canterlot
Royal Library
10:47 PM
Twilight sat amongst countless tombs, carefully cataloging each one before levitating it to its assigned location. It wasn't her job, but she found the entire process cathartic, as it allowed her to have a bit of order in her crumbling life. Since she was a filly, she had been organizing books, and the process had nearly become second nature. The mare could almost shut off her brain while doing this; however, this moment of reprieve was short-lived like many things.
"Princess Twilight!" Her consciousness was brought back from the abyss as Jet Set and Upper Crust rushed into her view. A young guard just barely trailing behind them, looking flustered.
"Your highness! I attempted to stop them, but they wou-"He was cut off by Upper Crust clearing his throat.
"You simply must do something about the Crystal Empire! High Princess Celestia has refused to hear our calls on the matter!" Jet Set shouted without much decorum; however, it seemed more desperate than an order.
"Please you mu-"They were silenced by Twilight's piercing stare and faint sparks flicking from her mane.
"I came here to relax, I have only been recently informed of the happenings, and while I'm sympathetic of your lost holdings, there's nothing we can currently do." She let out a deep breath attempting to calm herself, but the look on her face remained.
"We don't care two mules about the holdings! We want our grand-niece back!" Upper Crust bowed her head to the floor, cowering but refusing to flee.
Twilight suppressed her urge to look surprised. "Your… Niece?…"
"P-please she went up with her friends to see the empire, but we haven't seen her since! All contact has been closed off, and we haven't heard a word! N-no one will tell us if she's a-alive or… or…." The older mare began to break down while her husband pulled her close.
"P-please princess… we'll do anything… w-we just want our niece back…." Jet Set hugged his wife tight.
Twilight watched the two of them, seeming to be in deep thought. "I will look into the matter… but I ask for your patience… with things as they are; it takes time…" She attempted to sound neutral.
"Please, princess… I don't know how much longer we can wait…." Upper Crust mumbled into her husband as they retreated.
Twilight levitated the remaining books to their assigned spaces, glancing back at the cart. "Brass Helmet… as you were…." She shook her head, leaving the poor guard stallion in the dust.
The travel through the Canterlot library wasn't eventful; she had memorized the layout of its halls since she attended Celestia's School. Once she passed through the doors, the purple Alicorn began to light up her horn before vanishing in a flash.
———————————————————————
Equestria
Cloudsdale
Ruins of the Weather Factory
11:49 AM
Organized Labor stared down at the Pegasi sheltering in the decrypt factory, lines of cots and makeshift beds, many of the once-proud locals sheltering around small fires attempting to warm themselves. None of the Cloudsdale militia had returned, and from what hazy view of Ponyville in the distance, it was doubtful they ever would. Labor slowly trotted to the edge of the catwalk and cleared his throat, leaning forward to the speaking trumpet.
"My fellow Pegasi… it's time you hear the truth." The various Pegasi below him looked up, their hollow gazes doing little to help his mood. "Cloudsdale is falling, the outer limits of the city have collapsed into the ground below, and main street is already buckling under its own weight. We can only assume the fires have spread to the foundations of our city."
Below panicked murmurs began to fill the crowds.
"Our fire brigades can't put out the fires fast enough, and even so, we've been on borrowed time since funding for maintenance dried up… it pains me to say this, but we must evacuate."
"We can't! This is our home! Where will we go!? What would our ancestors think?! Generations of Pegasi spilled their blood for this place; we can't just give it up!?" There were so many complaints and frightful shouts he could barely make sense of any of them.
"You don't think it pains me to say this? That our ancestral home is collapsing underneath our very hooves while we're powerless to stop it?! Believe me, I begged our cloud engineers to come up with a solution… but the damage is too extensive! Even if we had the money, it's too late! It's a matter of when the city falls, not if! The Wonderbolts Academy was only a preview of what's to come!"
His voice echoed through the stone walls of the factory, reverberating through the skulls of the refugees. Fear gripped them all as they seemed terrified that the very ground beneath their hooves what about to collapse from under them.
"So what?! We leave the city… and then what?! Those earth pounders will kill us the moment we touch the ground!" Another pony spoke up, followed by another.
"Without the safety of Cloudsdale, well become target practice!"
"M-maybe we could n-negotiate with the Ponyville Militia?"
"We could try the other cloud settlements; maybe they will take us in?!"
"I've gone over the options left to us… we can't stay here… even those who didn't support the militia's actions… can we really say we resisted them? How many of you chose not to fight but to open your stores to them? Offered your rifles? Or just held your tongue when your colts signed up because it meant a hot meal? As far as they are concerned, we are all guilty; there's… no place for us here now. Leaving us only one option… Fluttervalley."
"We'd never make it!"
"The journey is treacherous even for those experienced and well prepared!"
"The princess ruled it was a preserve!"
"There are no other ponies there; it's far across the badlands… away from this brewing powder keg. My father saw it coming; he thought we could brute force our way through it; he was wrong, our only option to escape it! Because if we don't, the last bastion of pure Pegasi culture will fade into obscurity!"
"But what about supplies?!"
"We will salvage what we can from the city! Tear down buildings if we must build chariots to carry the foals and elderly! Tear up grass from below to make Hay tack! It will be a rough journey, but staying here is certain death for us all. I ask you, who will make the journey with me?"
The Pegasi below him spoke amongst themselves; fearful looks dominated the crowd. But as time went on, determined eyes began to show as they all looked above and raised their wings to him. A smile grew on his face wiping away the tears from his cheeks before clearing his throat. "Alright! Any pony who has experience making cloud chariots get to work! Everyone else scour the city! We need camping supplies, non-perishable food, and water! Anything and everything! Leave no pantry unopened or rubbish bin unturned!"
———————————————————————
Zebrica
New Prosost Prison
The Pitt
12:13 PM
Rainbow stood near the center of the pit, slowly circling around the edges while her opponent followed. The two of them sizing the other up, searching for weaknesses to exploit. The former pegasus was drastically different from how she arrived in this hell on Equis. Her small, skinny frame and flawless coat were replaced with defined muscles and scars. Meanwhile, the zebra to the opposite of her looked wirier; it was easy to discount the stallion. But she knew all too well what he could do; those eyes of his even after her time in the pit stood out among others.
She scarcely blinked before he was out of her sight, panicking; she searched around before feeling a breeze under her stomach. She didn't even think, instead of jumping and rolling away, getting a glimpse of the striped stallion just where she had been standing a moment ago. He seemed surprised but laughed it off quickly, righting himself to his full height. Rainbow just spotted the small stone blade embedded into his hoof.
"Heh~ not many manage to avoid my first move~" He smiled, showing off his unnaturally sharpened teeth. "I think this will be an amusing fight."
Rainbow snorted in response, keeping an eye on the bloodthirsty zebra. Inhaling, she closely watched his movements, which seemed aloof. He rocked his head side to side, almost as if he was bobbing his head to an unheard beat. But she didn't focus on his head, instead turning her attention to the rest of his body. Then faster than she could blink, she saw his muscles tense.
Holding her ground, she watched the zebra rush at her, keeping her head still; her eye followed as he turned to rake her side. Just as the blade approached, she turned quickly and gave him a mouthful of her back hooves. A stomach-churning crunch filled the cavern as his teeth shattered. Not missing a beat, she turned back around, unable to suppress a smirk seeing the zebra struggle back to his hooves. Moaning as he reached a forehoof to his mouth and felt what she had just done.
Watching him cough out blood, she laughed. "Your fast, maybe one of the fastest in the cave… but that's no good against me." She taunted.
Growling, the stallion roared before charging, his eyes entirely focused on the mare's smug look. Just a moment before he got within reach, she stepped out of the way leaning her leg out, tripping him.
Watching the striped stallion fall face-first into the gravel in a heap. Before he could recover, Rainbow bucked his lower back with a well-aimed strike. A painful crack echoed through the cavern while the poor zebra screeched, overwhelmed by the pain of a broken back. The blue mare watched the poor creature howled and shook, the pain overwhelming his senses. Glancing at the crowd seeing Gábriel nodding his head, motioning for her to finish it.
Biting her lip, she looked down at the pathetic, sniveling heap; had it been anyone else, she would have felt pity. But considering what he tried to do, she wasn't willing to show mercy. Taking deep breaths, she straddled his back and wrapped her hooves around his neck, pulling him into a headlock.
The stomach-churning sounds of his broken back threaten to make her vomit; forcing it back down, she growled. "So you think the strong can take whatever they like?" She whispers into his ear. "Well, I think I know what I'm gonna take…."
The stallion froze, eyes widening as he realized what she was saying. "N-no I-"
A third crack was heard with a jerk of her hooves, making the zebra twitch before going limp in her grasp. Flicking her ears, she listened, but hearing nothing, she let him fall from her grasp. Working herself back to her hooves, she had an unreadable expression on her face; grasping his Mohawk, she began dragging the corpse through the parting crowd. Slowly making her way up the spiraling trail, her eyes wandering to the highest peak, where the shaman waited.
His cold eyes watched as she approached, eventually stopping before him with the tarnished corpse. They seemed to stare each other down before the shaman gave a twisted grin, stepping to the side and motioning her to enter. Eventually, the door closed, the heavy bolt locking behind them.
———————————————————————
Zebrica
SilverSage region
Inyanga Chateau
1:32 PM
Pale Ale, or "former" Princess Luna to those who knew, sat on the balcony of her home looking out at the sprawling orchard. The berries had just begun to sprout, turning the brown hills surrounding her into an odd mix of rich dark blue. It had a strangely calming effect on her; while she was still a year away from having enough fruit to produce any ambrosia, the progress she had made was considerable. Her winery was nearly completed, vast fermentation pools just waiting to be filled with crushed fruit, storerooms stocked with casks and rich blue bottles, even the vast copper still was being tested for leaks. Her living quarters were far from the palace but still maintained a rustic plantation feel.
Glancing at the sun, she sighed, slowly working herself up from her cushion. It was about time she left for her dinner reservation. Dusting off her colorful sashes, she made her way down the Adobe steps. A simple but elegant carriage waiting for her, with a nervous-looking zebra watching on. Once she had slipped in and sank into the soft velvet seats, the stallion began to pull.
Looking out the window, she watched the groves lining the dirt path. Occasionally a laborer could be seen working on some irrigation pipes while a foreman barked orders. Closing her eyes, she imagined the days yet to come, dozing off a bit as the zebra pulled her up the mountain to Duskclift.
She would eventually wake up to the gentle tapping; opening her eye, she saw the nervous zebra had unhitched himself. Attempting to wake her up before she opened the door, as it would be rather unclothe for his employer to fall out of her carriage like a common drunk. Straitening herself up, she nodded her head and motioned him to open the door.
Once it was open, she took a dainty step out of the carriage and gazed up at the destination. The Eclipse, one of the nicest establishments for miles, already the mouthwatering smells we reaching her nose. Nodding her head to the stallion, she watched him leave as she slowly trotted to the front door. The guard looked her over and checked his list before nodding his head and letting her through. All while numerous creatures groaned, trapped behind velvet ropes, having been waiting for hours just for a slight chance to sit inside.
Inside dark stone walls mixed with adobe, curtains lined the windows where the wheat and fruit orchards field below the plateau. A hostess quickly pulled out a chair to a secluded corner near one of the windows, motioning her over. Wading through the tables and well todo patrons, she sat down in the velvet chair. Immediately grasping the wine menu and looking it over.
Once the waiter arrived, she pointed to a middle-priced bottle; the zebra stared but shrugged, taking her order. Once he was gone, she leaned her head into her hoof as she waited for her wine. Glancing back at the specials, she suppressed the urge to drool; the Coulibiac looked incredibly delicious. But the former princess couldn't deny that the rich shellfish soup or roasted boar looked equally as tempting. Rolling her eye back to the doors of the kitchen, a knowing smile formed on her muzzle. Just as the waiters exited with others' orders, she caught sight of a familiar orange coat for the briefest of moments before the doors closed again.
The waiter took her order wordlessly after leaving her wine, already the rich woody aroma of the alcohol flowed into her nose. Taking the glass into her hoof, she brought it in closer, savoring the smell before taking a small sip. Working it over it over her tongue before swallowing it, humming faintly before looking back to the patrons around her. So many had chosen the most expensive wines, no doubt wanting to show off to their partners or those around them. But to the experienced, it just showed their lack of taste.
Closing her eyes again, she allowed her mind to wander, but more importantly, she let her nose explore. Pork smothered in garlic sauce, onion marinated steak, and chicken stuffed with mushroom risotto. While each had a strong scent, they didn't compete; instead, each only amplified the other. While each dish was a work of art, it took the work of true masters to make them work in harmony. She didn't have long to ponder hearing her meal be set onto the table. The Coulibiac looked relatively simple, with only a dusting of sesame seeds; it resembled a square loaf of bread.
Grasping a fork and knife in her hooves, she slowly cut into the pastry releasing fragrant steam. Swallowing her drool, she cut the morsel in half, seeing the pink salmon and rice spill out. Bringing the fork to her lips, she couldn't help but inhale the food, unable to wait much longer. The salmon and rice were rich with butter and garlic, with spices she couldn't hope to name.
As she ate, the restaurant and its patrons just seemed to fall away. Even the band which had just arrived didn't pierce into her own little world. The only thing that seemed to matter was her meal; it was hard to know how long she was like that. But she would eventually hear the sound of her fork scraping against an empty plate. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with only crumbs, leaving her dumbfounded. She certainly felt full, but it felt like it ended too soon. A slight pout formed on her lips, disappointed that it had ended seemingly so quickly.
Had the princess lost the last of her self-control, she would have moved on to the dessert menu. The waiter quickly took the empty plate, before they could ask for her next order, she spoke. "The meal was delicious. Would it be an imposition for you to deliver a message?" Before the zebra could respond, she tossed a bag of coins onto the plate.
The zebra opened the bag, his eyes briefly widening at the contents. "I'll see what I can do…." He quickly trotted away, vanishing into the kitchens.
———————————————————————
Zebrica
Duskclift
The Eclipse
2:28 PM
Summers swallowed nervously as he slowly slipped out the back door, taking a hesitant look around the narrow alley. He felt his heart stop seeing the figure waiting for him, leaning against the stone walls. Steadying his breath, he slowly trotted closer, recognizing the Lunar Princess; he bowed.
"Have you come to render judgment on me?…." He asked, instinctively resorting to his etiquette training.
The princess didn't move, her teal eyes burrowing into his; at that moment, he was sure it was the end. Before her head started to bob with a snicker giving way to a joyous laugh. Leaving the portly stallion confused as to whether he should run or join in.
"I'm not here as an executioner, young knight." She finally collected herself after wiping a tear away from her eye. "I just wanted to thank you personally for the delicious meal." She smirked.
"B-but your the princess of the night, pun-"He was silenced as she raised her hoof.
"Currently deceased, as far as my sister knows, I perished in a fire I set because of my own grief." She sighed, shaking her head.
"W-what…." He blinked.
"I'm not surprised it hasn't reached here yet; my sister is likely trying to keep it under wraps." Luna shrugged. "I doubt it will last much longer."
"But… your here…." He reached out as if expecting her to be a ghost.
"Very perceptive…." She was a bit annoyed, snapping him out of his stupor.
"Did you really just want to thank me for the meal?…" He stood up straight.
"Well, I suppose I was curious if you were available for catering?" She tilted her head.
"The Eclipse is open for events, but we don't normally cater off sight." Summers frowned.
"Oh no, not The Eclipse, you." She chuckled.
"You want me to cater for you?…." He was surprised. "What's the occasion?"
"I'm planning on having distributors try my trial batch while I'm still a year away from mass production; getting those relationships now will save a lot of time. It would help to have some good hors d'oeuvres to keep them occupied."
"Well, I suppose I could…. What's the pay?" Summers couldn't help but wag his tail.
"Show me a menu, and we'll negotiate." She ruffled her wings under her dark blue sashes as she turned to leave. "Oh…. And send a message to Pumpkin Patch…." She leaned her head down and whispered into his ear.
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Britannia
Province of Germany
Isenstadt
Castle Wolfenstien
High-security testing labs
10:54pm
Chrysalis cuddled the small filly close to her barrel as she followed after the doctor, attempting to hide her nervous look from the foal. Flurry whined as they traveled deeper into the labs, sensing something was wrong, the gentle rocking barely calming her. The doctor, meanwhile, had a cruel smirk on his muzzle as he led them to a heavily reinforced bulkhead. Chrysalis's eyes glowed, the changeling queen struggling to surprise he flight instinct.
"Do not be frightened… this is where it all began and shall begin again…. You and your little sister are about to see something truly…. Wonderful…." He looked back, showing his twisted smile, the hydraulics groaning as they forced the iron door open. The sheer amount of darkness that waited inside seemed to seep inwards, even as the elderly doctor grabbed an electric torch, the concrete floors giving way to cobblestone, which surrounded a vast pit.
Chrysalis bit her lip as she followed the doctor instead, squeezing the filly close. Twitching her ears, she noticed the echo her mechanical legs made against the floors was muted. As if the vast pit was swallowing sound, she craned her head, attempting to look down, but was only greeted with pitch black.
"Mesmerizing isn't it?… your instinct tells you to run, yet something still draws you closer." The old doctor approached a dark iron crane, where a metal gurney waited. "Up up, I must strap you in…. For safety." He chuckled.
The former queen wanted to flee, take her sister and run as far away from this scary place. But her mechanical legs refused to cooperate; only tremors seemed to hint they functioned. His stern look and wolffish smile left no room to beg; only when she obeyed did her legs finally move properly. Once she was close enough, the doctor motioned for her to hand over the filly.
Chrysalis tried to fight it; she knew something terrible was waiting for them. But the trained instinct forced her to obey, watching as she handed over the filly. As if she wasn't in her own body, helpless as the doctor strapped her down to the table. The poor alicorn foal began to cry as she was laid against the cold metal. While the doctor was gentle, he made sure to strap her down tightly. Ensuring her hooves and wings were held fast by the restraints.
Checking the restraints one last time, he nodded his head, moving to the crane controls, pulling a lever to partially lift the gurney, revealing the opposite portion had matching restraints. "Now, my little Schnuckelschneke, it's your turn…."
She could only nod her head slowly, standing on her back legs as she approached. Allowing herself to be strapped in, the leather tightened until it creaked. The changeling's heart pounded against her chest, scarcely able to breathe as the doctor left her sight. For a while, the only sounds that reached her ears were the whimpering of Flurry and her own metallic limbs twitching against the restraints.
"No, no, you should be happy, mien little ones, you're about to see the source." The doctor said as he worked the controls, the old engine of the crane groaning as it began to lift the gurney. Which only seemed to upset the filly further as her whimpers turned to wails.
The doctor was unmoved as his hands worked over the panel, the gurney slowly moving over the center of the pit as the crane extended. Once it stopped, they were left swinging over the pitch blackness below; Chrysalis strained her head against the restraints. Attempting to see what awaited them as they began to be lowered down.
As they began to slip down past the edges of the pit, her eyes widened as she just managed to look down. Watching her lower body vanish into the darkness like a tar pit. Letting out a blood-curdling scream along with the filly as she felt like they were drowning. While the doctor began to cheerily hum an off-key song above.
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neat
Was hoping for a happy ending for Flurry.
Don't think that is going to happen.
Still captivatingly interesting story. Keep it up at you own pace, and stay safe.
Pegasi broken and readying to flee unicorns drowning in denial and obsolescence earth ponies forming ranks im sorry celestia but your great experiment is coming to an end
Pandemic my ass the only people who are scared of this so called deadly virus are idiots who are scared of a overblown flu witch by the way is all covid and all its so called Variance are just the flu. Take a look at the latest variant Look at the symptoms of the latest variance and then look at the sentence treated by Nyquil.
I'm having a bad feeling that in the end of all this not only equestria but the whole world gonna be falling soon . and it's going to may play out to human realm
11121979
😆
Update when?
11117890
Considering how many thousands have died of it each year, you are an idiot.
Whelp, read all of this in one sitting. I can say that it is certainly a memorable tale. In addition I believe that it is one worth waiting for, so thank you for taking the time to continue this compelling story.
11301694
Lol
11301694
More people have died from heart attacks and cancer over the past five years then those of covid witch is nothing more then the flu with a different name yet has the same Shit that comes with the flu
Glad that Luna is enjoying her new life. Celestia's the one who caused this mess so she should be the one to clean it up.
Guess Amethyst either lied or was sorely mistaken when he said Flurry would be safe.