• Published 16th Apr 2016
  • 715 Views, 9 Comments

O Blessed Night - Dafaddah



This night is going to last forever. This night is never going to end. O Celestia, what are we to do without you?

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Alone in the Night

Sweetie Belle

Sweetie Belle’s eyes closed of their own accord. Celestia, but I’m tired!

She let her thin foreleg drop down. The heavy iron horseshoe clumped loudly as it struck the rough hewn planks of the platform on which she stood. The impact raised a thin rust coloured cloud of the ever-present dust. Three times her height, the platform was just large enough for her to stand on. Divots in the wood showed where the spiked cleats of her shoes had dug in. Sometimes her mind wandered during her long shift upon the platform, and she absent-mindedly gouged the wood as she shifted her stance in the cramped space.

I hate this dust! She fought the urge to cough. The reddish powder coated everything and everypony that dared step outdoors to traverse its low-lying, gritty banks that roiled in the fitful breezes of the night. The moon was approaching the horizon. Sweetie rubbed the base of her horn with her right fore hoof, then she wiped the sweat from her brow and spared her dusty limb a glance. If Rarity had ever seen me like this she would have had a fit! She smirked in distaste at the yellowed, matted fetlock and the ochre stained cuticle beyond it. Scootaloo has it easy, being rust coloured to start with!

The thought almost made her laugh, until she remembered the soot stains and burn scars that Scootaloo and all the other members of the Infestation Brigade wore when they came home from a cleansing. Scoots would spend hours grooming to rid her coat and feathers of the stains and bitter smells. The members of the brigade were only allowed precious water for washing when they had taken down some monster escaped from the Everfree. Despite the ever-present hunger, most ponies couldn’t eat with the scent of blood in their midst. On those days Scoots wouldn’t eat at all. She would sit, smelling of soap while rubbing patches of her wet fur over and over as if some stubborn stain refused to leave her coat, a haunted look in her eyes. She had once confided to her friends that some of the monsters would beg for their lives, and she had nightmares about it.

Sweetie's was the tallest platform in the produce field. Big Mac had erected it in the very middle to provide the most coverage possible for her uncommonly powerful magelight. The half-dozen unicorns of the next shift slowly made their way past her, stopping only to climb onto a small mound or empty crate, each one a less lofty version of her own lonely platform. The other unicorns couldn’t produce magelights anywhere near as bright as hers, so the ponies stood vigil at the center of one critical crop patch or another, situated where their light would generate the highest yields.

With her replacements finally in place, Sweetie could relax. The glow around her horn faded, and the magelight she had been projecting dimmed and flickered out. She climbed down from the platform and stood surrounded by corn plants struggling to reach her withers. Under her magelight they had shone a tender green, but in the pale glow of the moon the stalks had become ghostly spears of silver and grey. Close by, a patch of kale was now an impenetrable pool of midnight black.

By the dim light, Sweetie spied Diamond Tiara approaching, a look of disapproval on her face. Stopping a pace away, she glared.

Here we go again!

Sweetie waited patiently for the mare to repeat her usual remonstrations.

“You have to stop doing this!” Diamond said without preamble.

“Doing what?”

“Pushing yourself beyond your limits! I saw you rubbing your head, Sweetie Belle! We’ve talked about this before, if it hurts you need to stop.”

Sweetie heaved another sigh.

“I can’t stop. Not before my shift ends anyway,” she replied. “And you know better than most exactly why.” She carefully sat down on her haunches, dust be dammed, and again massaged the base of her horn. She faced Diamond, her eyes hard. “If I stop, somepony starves. Tell me, who will it be?”

Diamond stood, her jaw trembling in shock.

That was very ungenerous of you! called the voice of her sister’s ghost. And so unladylike! For shame, Sweetie Belle! Sweetie realized that didn’t care about being ladylike anymore. She was tired of all the arguments both voiced and unvoiced about who lived and who died. Still, a tiny spark of the filly she used to be felt regret at causing another pony pain. Especially this one.

“I’m sorry, Diamond. That... that wasn’t very nice of me.”

Sweetie stared upwards at the full moon and star spangled sky. Her expression softened. “Isn’t it a gorgeous night, though? Bright with stars sparkling like diamonds, just like when we were fillies and we watched the sky spinning above us!” As her gaze lingered, the firmament indeed seemed to shift ever so slowly. Her horn throbbed. The feeling brought a tightness in her chest and a flash of vertigo. Still staring upwards, Sweetie shuffled to keep her balance.

Diamond’s voice sounded distant, all-of-a-sudden. “Sweetie? Sweetie! Are you okay?” The mare stepped forward and screeched in alarm as Sweetie Belle’s forelegs folded and she fell into Diamond’s embrace.

Sweetie stared up into the mare’s face and chuckled. “You’ve got some dirt on your muzzle, Di! You can’t let him see you like this!” She tried to raise her hoof to wipe the dirt off, but her limb barely made it off the ground before her eyes closed again and her head dropped limply forward.


Diamond Tiara

Diamond Tiara struggled to hold onto Sweetie Belle as she carefully lowered her to the ground. “Big Mac!” she screamed into the night. “Macky, come now!”

There was the sound of a destrier galloping, plate armor clanking dully in syncopation with his strides. Finally, a hulking mound of stallion slid to a stop, looming over the two mares.

Big Mac took in the scene and quickly lowered himself next the pair. “Sweetie Belle’s done passed out agin’?”

Tears sparkled in twin tracks down the sides of her muzzle as she nodded. “Uh-huh! I’ve told her a million times not to overextend herself!”

Diamond gently loaded the unconscious unicorn onto his broad back, then sniffled and wiped her eyes. “I told her, Macky. I did. Honest!”

“I know you did, sugarcube.” He leaned down and nuzzled the weeping mare. “You try real hard to take care of everypony.” He tenderly lifted her chin up with a hoof. Smiling into her tear stained face, he gave her a saucy wink. “But that’s only part of why I done married you!” He rose to his full and considerable stature. “Let’s get her to the house. She probably just needs to rest a spell. Applebloom’ll scold her somethin’ fierce when she comes to, but the foals‘ll be thrilled to have company tonight.”

Diamond Tiara nuzzled her husband’s broad chest, and shook herself. Assuming her usual upright posture, she stepped aside as Big Mac paced slowly forward. The second shift unicorns looked on with concern as they passed them by on the way to the farmhouse. She knew what they were thinking: if Sweetie fell ill, many of the crops would die, and ponies would indeed starve. She paused and gazed out towards Ponyville. The mere hoof-full of lights glowing showed how few of the fortified houses were still inhabited. Memories of ponies screaming in the night made Diamond turn away from the depressing sight.

Their destination wasn’t very far. Farming by magelight was of necessity a highly concentrated affair. Security concerns meant that fields had to be located near the farmhouse. The wards hung around their necks glowed briefly as they passed the line of scare-ponies guarding the perimeter of the produce field. Applebloom had erected skull and crossbones signs to make sure ponies knew better than get close without a ward. Every once in awhile some starving unfortunate chose to ignore the warnings. They buried them in the family cemetery, or at least what was left of them.

A moment later and the homely sounds of dinner preparations emanating from the house called out to her, pushing her unhappy ruminations aside and putting a smile on her face as well as a spring in her step. The thick stone wall surrounding the farmhouse loomed close. As she did every time, Diamond shivered in relief after passing through the huge cast iron gate and entered the safety of home.


Applebloom

Applebloom looked up from the pot of stew she was stirring with a huge wooden ladle. When she saw the tear-streaked fur on Diamond’s face she put down the ladle and rushed to the mare.

“What is it, Di?” Images of recent challenges in her crop rotation plan came to mind in a rush, leaving a sour taste in the pit of her stomach. “Is it the squash? Ah knew Ah shoulda kept them plants in the nursery a few days longer! Ah –” She paused when Diamond shook her head. She put a hoof on her sister-in-law’s withers. “What is it, sugarcube?”

Diamond sat down on her haunches. “It’s Sweetie Belle, she... she did it again.”

“Oh.” Applebloom’s expression grew grim. “How bad?”

Diamond Tiara’s ears drooped low. “She was rubbing her horn as she was finishing her shift. And then she just fainted right in front of me.”

“Is Sweetie okay?” Called a deep voice from behind Diamond Tiara. Spike filled the hallway from which Diamond Tiara had just emerged.

The mare turned her tear-stained face towards Spike and tried to smile. “Macky’s brought her to the guest room. We’ll see how she feels –” Spike’s muscular frame disappeared with a clatter of claws as he propelled himself up the stairs “– when she wakes up.”

Applebloom gestured to the stew with her muzzle. “Mind keepin’ an eye on supper, while I go calm the big galoot down?”

Diamond Tiara nodded. Appleboom gave her sister-in-law a quick nuzzle, then trotted up after the dragon.


Spike

Spike stared down as Sweetie slept under the thick comforter. Sitting down on his haunches next to the bed, he took her thin white foreleg into his agile claws. Even in repose, she looked so haggard! Looking up into the dresser mirror he saw his own visage, all planes and angles, such a far cry from the chubby face he’d seen in better times. A shadow appeared beside his reflection. Turning his head, he saw Applebloom standing by his side.

“She looks so thin!” he said barely above a whisper and looked back into the two faces in the mirror. “We all do.”

Applebloom nodded. “We all been doin’ what needs doin’, is all, Spike. Things’ll get better, and so will Sweetie Belle, mark my words.”

He looked down at the hoof in his claws and slowly shook his head. “What if things aren’t getting better?” He locked gazes with Applebloom. “All it’ll take is one more raid. We’re at our limit, Bloom. Sweetie can’t continue like this. We can’t. Ponyville can’t.”

Applebloom swallowed. “Scoot’s found a few more moonplants that ain’t poisonous. The way those things grow fast, we’ll know in a day or two if they might make good grazing.”

Spike chuffed a bitter laugh. “A day or two. Real funny, Bloom!”

“You know what I mean, Spike!”

He raised a single eyebrow. “Yes, I do. We find another nightweed that grows nicely for a week or two, and then mutates into something that sickens anypony that touches the stuff.”

“There’s edible plants out there, Spike! There’s still ponies alive outside Ponyville, and they’ve been gettin’ their vittles somewhere!”

“You and I both know what and whom they’ve been eating Bloom! The raiders have taken the last of our ponies and crops they’ll ever get. Mark my words: I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect us. To protect her. I’ll... I’ll crush them all!”

Trembling, he looked down at Sweetie’s limb clasped in his claws. The same claws that had killed in order to protect Ponyville and the ponies he loved. Sudden warmth surrounded him as Applebloom wrapped her forelegs around his torso.

“What would Twilight say, Bloom, if she saw us now? How could I face her, having strayed so far from the path of Harmony?”

Applebloom’s ears drooped. She gestured to an oval framed picture that stood just in front of the mirror. It was a photo of her, the Element Bearers, Big Mac and Granny from before, back when things still made sense.

“Ah think she would would say that you’ve been the best friend anypony ever had. Ah think she’d say that she was proud ‘o ya bein’ the defender of Ponyville an’ all. An’ I think Rarity would be mighty obliged at how ya done protected her little sister like she was your own. Ah think all six ‘o them would say you’ve been a true champion of Harmony in a world that has otherwise forgotten it.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek. “And Ah’d say hooves off my hubby, girls, the dragon’s mine!”

There was a groan from the bed. A grayish-green eye opened slowly and focused on Spike and Applebloom. “And this is what I wake up to, pathetic mushiness!” The eye closed. “Now I can add nausea to my migraine. Thanks a lot, you two!”

Spike leaned forward so fast Applebloom was pulled along with a screech. She ended up draped like a cape over his back, her head peeking over his shoulder, her customary red bow askew.

This time both of Sweetie’s eyes opened. A leer split her muzzle. “Now that’s more like it!”

Spike felt his face grow hot. “This isn’t the time to kid around, sis.” He tried his best to glare at her, just as Applebloom mustered what dignity she had left while sliding off of his back. “If you burn out that’s one quarter of Ponyville’s food production that gets affected.”

“Yer brother’s right, ya know!” She said while pulling the bow back into place in her mane.

Sweetie’s smile faded. “Yeah. I know.” She sighed. “That’s why I can’t let everypony down.”

“And that’s why you’re cutting your shift down to ten hours from now until the migraines go away!” declared Spike in a voice that brooked no argument.

Sweetie Belle turned her face away. “You may be my brother, but you’re not the boss of me, Spike.”

Applebloom coughed. “That’s true, he ain’t.” Spike’s turned towards his wife, his eyes wide in surprise. She crossed her forelegs and glared down at the unicorn mare. “But Ah am the boss o’ this here farm, includin’ all the lightshiners, an y’all will do exactly like he says. Am Ah bein’ heard Sweetie Belle?”

“And what are we going to do when it affects production?” Sweetie’s head was still turned away.

“We’ll”– Applebloom bit her lip –”we’ll plant some lovage seeds around the base of your platform. It grows fast and should provide some extra grazing to compensate for the delay in the corn harvest.”

“That’s the last of the lovage seed you have,” said Sweetie in a quiet voice. “If those plants die off early we’ll never have it again.”

Applebloom leaned past Spike to place a hoof on Sweetie’s withers. “Ah know. So we’ll just hafta make sure we grow em to maturity.”

“Ahem.”

Everypony turned towards the open bedroom door. Diamond Tiara stood there smiling shyly and wearing one of Granny Smith’s old aprons. “Supper is ready. Sweetie Belle, should I have a bowl sent up?”

The figure on the bed sighed. “No, that won’t be necessary, Diamond. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Taking the hint, Spike and Applebloom followed Diamond Tiara out of the bedroom and back down the stairs.


Scootaloo

Scootaloo stood in the kitchen, ears laid back against her neck, patiently waiting while the farm’s inhabitants clumped down the stairs. She chewed nervously on a hoof while she waited. She knew it was a bad habit, especially in her line of work, but it was one which she couldn’t entirely control.

Diamond Tiara was the first to enter the kitchen, with Applebloom and Spike close behind. The smiles of greeting on their faces faded when they saw the grim expression on hers. Applebloom glanced down at the dark soot stains on her orange coat and gritted her teeth.

“Well, spit it out, Scoots. What’s the damage?”

Scootaloo wiped a dark spot on her chest. “The last stand of moonplants we were trying to grow went feral. We had thought we got it all in time, but we must have missed a seed in the dark. It landed in the carrot patch.”

“How bad?” asked Applebloom into the stunned silence.

“We lost most of the carrot plants before we got the infestation under control. What was affected... isn’t salvageable.” She felt the tears come at last. “It’s all my fault!” she said. “I thought I’d finally found a moonplant we could use!”

Her three friends stared at her in shock. Unable to bear the devastation in their eyes, she turned and fled out of the kitchen, taking flight from the back porch. She heard the shouts from the ponies behind her calling out. But she knew that this time, ponies would starve from her carelessness. This time, there would be no forgiveness, and no home to go back to.

O Celestia, I’ve killed us all!

The words hammered all other thoughts from her mind as she put distance between herself and her shame. Behind her, the lights of Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville faded into the silvered darkness of Nightmare Moon’s Eternal Night.