The War of Equestria

by rainbowtiger00

Creatures of Madness.

In a long, ago time there had been two ponies that ruled over the rest of the lands. They were the ultimate force in deciding what is wrong, and what is right. They raised the sun, stars, and moon. All creatures had served them. A long-held rumor was that the rulers left one day to leave the lands in human's hands.

Not one believed those legends nowadays. But they did pop in Jonathan's mind as he looked around the enormous building of stone. The building was damp and chilly. Bats resided inside, hiding from the light. The stone was ancient and held a mossy green color.

It had a ceiling that was far above his head, and lights that burned dimly in their sockets. Vines crept up the stone walls, leaves unfurling in the darkness. The floor was cracked and chipped. Burnt marks were here and there on the floor like a fireball had been tossed around. Statues of miniature horses stood at attention along the walls.

They wore armor, as silly as that sounded. Helmets and all. Some had horns, others had wings. A few had neither. Books littered the floor, paper pages ripped and lying on the ground.

A staircase led to the top, but below it was an altar. On the altar was a letter that had been handwritten. The letter was wrapped in a scroll-like manner. It had a red silk ribbon tied around the middle. The echo of their footsteps gave the atmosphere even more creepiness.

Lena unrolled the letter. It was written in a language that none of them could read. Argon scratched his head. "Wonder what it says?" Lena shrugged.

Johnathan glanced at it. "Seems like someone left it there recently." Johnathan heard a crunch under his foot and looked down. A lavender blue feather edged with pink was lying on the ground. The feather was as long as his foot.

It had been broken in half. Johnathan slowly picked it up. The feather was silky smooth and very soft. The light from the glowing bulbs above made it have a sort of ethereal glimmer about it. The feather had been well washed, no greasy oil was there.

The feather was clean and seemed to have been recently dropped. There was, however, no sign of who had. Lena raised an eyebrow. "What bird left that there?" Argon looked at the staircase. "Maybe that bird went up there." A noise sounded up there that sounded like footsteps.

Heavy ones. Murmurs sounded from up there. Somebody was talking. Jonathan raised his head. "Who's there?"

Whoever had been talking quickly fell silent. Then another loud boom sounded out. The whole building shook violently. Jonathan grabbed onto one side of the altar as Lena held onto the other side. Argon fell onto his back as the floor shook.

Pieces of stone the size of pebbles fell from the ceiling. For a few moments, Johnathan truly believed that the ceiling would fall in. But after a few more minutes of shaking, the building came to rest. Once Lena was certain that the building wasn't going to shake again, she leaped down and helped Argon onto his feet. "What in the lands was that?"

He cried out. Johnathan shakily removed his hands from the altar. "I'm not sure." He glanced at the staircase. "But I am going to go find out."

He ran over to the staircase, and leaped up them, two at a time. Argon shouted something at him, but he didn't hear it. The stairs led to a dark and slippery hallway. Dead leaves piled in the corners. Johnathan looked around but did not see anything wrong. Then he heard a voice.

"Die. Die. Die. Die. Die."

The voice was raspy and old. It sounded like fingernails being drawn across a chalkboard. Johnathan winced at the painful voice. The speaker was nowhere in sight.

The sound of the voice was coming from the end of the hallway. Johnathan slowly crept on the unknown voice as it chanted that one single word. "Die. Die. Die.

Die. Die." The end of the hall was covered by a heavy vine covered wall. Jonathan tried feeling for any cracks in the wall. A small crack was felt near the edge.

He tried to pull at the crack in order to separate the wall, but pulling it only made it move very slowly. Slowly enough for whatever creature that was behind the door to scurry away with a clatter of metal. Jonathan pushed himself between the crack and continued to work on the wall. A hand grasped at his shoulder roughly. Jonathan started, only to see that it was a very annoyed Argon along with a peeved Lena.

"Johnathan! When superbly crazy stuff happens, you should not, I repeat, you should not go running off! You could have gotten killed!" Before Johnathan could reply, Argon smacked him across the back of the head. Johnathan felt a brief flare of pain from the smack.

"Ow! What was that for?" Lena crossed her arms and glared at him. "For running off like that. Don't you dare do that again."
Johnathan held his arms in the air. "OK! OK! I get it. Now could you please get this wall open?"

Argon and Lena grudgingly helped him open the wall. It was opened slow, but faster than when Johnathan was doing it alone. It opened into a very large room. This one was neat and clean. No sign of damage could be seen.

Plants didn't grow here. The roof was missing, though, allowing sunlight to pour in. In the walls had alcoves in them. Inside the alcoves were weapons of all kinds. They were very high quality.

Each sat in its alcove with a glowing bulb hanging over it. But what really commanded their attention was the large statue fountain in the middle. It was a man with his face turned upwards to the sky, and his arms spread out wide. The man had an almost identical appearance to Jonathan. A broken halberd was at his feet.

One hand held a tiny, broken chain. The other held a feather. Two streams of water were constantly pouring down the man cheeks, falling across his body, and pooling at his feet. The pool held flowers floating in the water. Incense burned at the base of the statue.

Lena's gasp of awe sounded out. “Who is that?” Argon looked at the edge of the base. There were words there. They read.

To give one's life is the most worthy gift. Johnathan's brow furrowed. “That's the same line that was on my aunt's grave.” Lena turned suddenly. “Did you hear that?”

Argon looked up. “Hear what?” Johnathan listened but didn't hear anything. Before he could say so. “Die.”

Johnathan's head swirled around, looking for the speaker. “Die.” Argon's head cocked. “Wait, I heard something.” “Die.”

Lena grabbed her bow. “Sounds like some sort of high pitched growl.” “Die.” Argon nodded. “Yeah.

Maybe it's a wolf?” “Die.” Johnathan's head shook. “I keep hearing a word. Over and over.

Die.” Johnathan walked in front of the statue. He looked back at it, toward the sky. A ray of light hit his necklace, the reflection hitting him in the eyes. “Ah!”

He doubled over in pain. Lena looked at him. “What was that about?” Her voice trailed off, and her mouth dropped open. Argon looked at her.

“What's wrong, Lena?” Then he caught an eyeful of Jonathan. “What in?” Argon's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. Jonathan looked at them quizzically.

Lena's eyes were filled with shock. Argon looked like he would topple over any second. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Lena raised a finger and first pointed at his back, then his forehead, chest, hands, and lastly legs.

Jonathan looked at his back. He gasped. Two large, glowing outlines in the shape of a pair of wings had appeared onto his back, just like the ones that his aunt had outlined onto his back so long ago. The tops towered above his head, and the bottoms brushed the floor. They moved as he moved, and when he held still, the wings quivered slightly.

He felt his forehead. A horn was on there, like the one on the skeleton outside, but larger and slightly thinner. Fearfully, he glanced at his chest. An outline of a six-pointed star with five other stars was glowing there. Jonathan glanced at his hands.

His hands bore the outlines of a single leaf on each. Then finally, he looked at his legs. An outlined tail lay there, moving as he moved. Five other marks were on his legs, two on his left, three on his right. The two on his left were each a mark of something.

One was of three balloons. The other was of three diamonds. The three on his right were also a mark of something. One was of three apples. The other was of three butterflies.

Lastly, one was a cloud with a lightning bolt coming out of it. Jonathan did the only logical thing a human being would do in such circumstances. He screamed his head off. “Ahhhhhhhhhhh!” Lena and Argon both covered their ears.

Then something happened under Jonathan's feet. Glancing down, he saw the mark of the sun and moon appear in the same glowing lights. Then it disappeared, along with the floor. He fell halfway into a pit that suddenly appeared. Argon and Lena each grabbed onto a hand, crying out his name.

“Jonathan!” He held tightly onto each of his friend's hands. “Pull me up, pull me up!” Lena and Argon both tried, but failed. Lena panted.
“I, I think something is preventing us.” Argon looked at Jonathan's necklace. “Jonathan! Your necklace! It is doing this!”

Jonathan looked at his necklace. It was glowing in the same outlined light. An outlined glowing chain was linked to the necklace and was slowly dragging him into the pit. Lena glanced around the room. “I hear that growling again.”

Then something attacked her. Her body hit the stone floor with a thwack, and she went out of Jonathan's view. “Lena!” Argon glanced at her. “Grab your bow, grab your bow!”

Lena cried out. “I'm trying!” Jonathan hooked an elbow onto the edge of the pit. Then he hooked the other. With Argon's help, they lifted him up to waist level despite the chains.

There they could see what was attacking Lena. A black mass was writhing on top of her. It was shaped like the small skeleton horse outside. It even had the horn. But instead of bones, this one was covered in flesh.

Lime green eyes glared at her. An ugly wound was on its chest. A flaming red mane rose and levitated in the air. Snarling, it said one word over and over. "Die.

Die. Die. Die. Die." The words were not said loudly.

Instead, they were spoken in a whisper, like it was with its very last breath. Johnathan looked at Argon. "Argon, get my halberd. It's by your feet." Argon nudged the halberd over to him, a worried look on his face.

"What good is that going to do?" Jonathan wiggled his hand. "I've got my elbow on the edge, let go of this hand."Argon looked him straight in the eye, glanced at the struggling Lena, then slowly let go of his hand. Jonathan grabbed at the halberd.

He then lifted the halberd. Then threw it at the creature. The halberd sliced through the air and hit the creature. It didn't go through the creature entirely, but it did lodge itself into its back. The creature howled in pain and got off of Lena.

Growling viciously, it tried to bite at the halberd as its back legs bucked at the air violently. Lena scrambled away from the creature and ran over to the pit. She grabbed her dropped bow, and aimed at the creature. The creature snarled, and bucked a final time. Its hooves hit the halberd, hard.

The halberd went flying above Jonathan's head and fell straight into the pit. Jonathan groaned. “That was my favorite,” Argon growled. “It doesn't matter, we can get you a new halberd.

I just gotta make sure that I don't lose you. I can't get a new Jonathan.” With that, Argon held Jonathan's arms tighter. The creature snarled a final time before running out of the room. Lena ran after it.

Argon struggled to get Jonathan out, but no matter how much he tried, the necklace wouldn't allow him. He tried to take it off of Jonathan's neck. But once Argon's skin touched the cold jewel, the necklace glowed brighter. A spark zapped his fingers, and Argon's hand quickly drew back. “Ow!”

Jonathan felt a cold feeling sink into his heart. “What are we going to do now?” He thought.

A scream rang out from the hallway that Lena ran down. Jonathan felt his stomach clench in fear. Argon bit his lip hard. Footsteps sounded, getting closer. Argon tugged at his arms.

"Come on, we are getting you out." Loud noises sounded below. Bits of rock fell from what was left of the ceiling. Lena ran out from the hallway. She ran a few steps more, then collapsed at the edge of the pit.

Her arm had a nasty looking bite on it, and her foot was black with ash. She was panting hard, her hair a mess. "There... Is more of those creatures outside." Jonathan looked at her with fear.

"How many?" Lena gasped, and brushed her forehead with a hand. Her hand was scratched badly. "Forty? Maybe?"

Jonathan turned to Argon. "Argon, drop me." Argon reared back slightly. "What! Never!

Have you gone crazy?" Lena glared at him with a mixture of shock and anger. “What sort of friends would we be if we let you fall down that pit? How could you suggest such a thing?” Jonathan shook his head.

"No, I have not gone crazy. Those creatures are in the forest, heading down the trail. The town, guys. Those things will destroy the town. You need to go protect it."

Jonathan looked in his eyes. "Argon, you need to go protect your family!" As soon as he said the words, the realization hit him. The creatures would attack the town, and hurt everyone. Argon stopped short, his eyes widening.

Lena stopped short as well. There was a bad feeling in everyone's stomach. Everyone they knew... Corina. The five Sisters.

Trisha, and her unborn baby. Argon's father, Felix. Elder Onyx Ashstone. Even rotten old Rayon. He didn't deserve to die from the creatures.

Argon's eyes welled with a few tears. He shook his head violently. "No! Elder Onyx Ashstone will help them! I gotta help you."

Jonathan blinked a few times, then sighed. He knew that if he didn't do something, Argon wouldn't let him go. Not because he cared about him more than his own family. Argon cared for him and them equally. But ever since Argon experienced Jonathan 's aunt die, he became very protective of the people he cared about.

He didn't go out of his way to hurt people, but if someone did to them, Argon would pounce on them like a tiger. The worst he did to them was a bloody nose. So in order to make Argon leave him behind... "Die. Die.

Die. Die. Die." Lena gasped. "Oh no, they are back!"

The same creature crawled out of the hallway and saw them. It growled loudly, proclaiming the same word over and over. "Die. Die. Die.

Die. Die." Argon snarled. "Can't you creatures say anything else?" Lena leaped to her feet and grabbed her bow.

With a swift move, she took an arrow and notched it in with a hunter's speed. The creature ran forward, bits of the smoke falling off as the momentum of the wind pushed them away. Lena aimed and took a slow deep breath. Then her arrow flew off and buried itself into the creature's wound. It stopped short.

Then it let out a piercing scream of rage. Jonathan could see the sharp teeth in its mouth displayed for all to see. Argon was distracted by the noise. Jonathan bit his lip in hesitation. He knew what to do in order to make Argon let him go, but.

Was this the only way? Then the creature came closer, much more slowly, but still coming. It was decided. Jonathan leaned forward and allowed the necklace to touch Argon's bare skin. A painful scream came out and Argon reared back all the way.

He fell onto his back, but Jonathan could still see his face. Argon had a look of pure shock plastered on his face. Lena glanced over and started. Her mouth dropped open. Jonathan leaned back.

"Protect your family!" With that, Jonathan unhooked his elbows. Lena screamed. "Jonathan!" Argon ran over as Jonathan fell into the pit.

He outstretched an arm at Jonathan's falling figure. “No!” Lena screamed again. “Jonathan, you better not die!” Jonathan refused to scream in front of Lena, or Argon.

Not after making such a decision. The creature reached the pit and struck Argon across the face. He yelled, and Jonathan swore before they went out of sight that he saw a few drops of blood. Then his head hit something. The pain filled his head and he blacked out.

Memories flashed before his eyes, showing periods of his life. Him playing with a wooden ball as a toddler, as his parents watched him. Smiles were on their faces, and if he looked past them, he could see his aunt in a rocking chair. Tears came to his eyes. He blocked out the memory, and his brain delivered another one.

Jonathan slowly opened his eyes. They were heavy from sleep. Pins and needles pricked at his body, from being too still for too long. Sunlight was pouring over them, warming him to the core. It was spring, and the flowers on the apple tree were blooming with full force.

He was on top of the hill that looked over Argon's house. The five Sisters were playing nearby with a jump rope. Two held the rope while one jumped. The other two jumped up and down with joy beside them. If one tripped and fell, another one would take her place.

Trisha was laying on a picnic blanket, her hands over her enlarged belly. The baby inside was going to come out in the fall. Felix was sitting beside her, looking at her tenderly, and stroking her hair. Corina was weaving her mother's hair into a braid. Jonathan's eyes raised up and saw Argon's face above him.

He was sitting in the tree, leaves and flower petals all over his hair. He was grinning. "Hello to John. You awake there?" Jonathan smiled and nodded.

Then he caught sight of Lena who was also there. She was sitting beside Argon. A wreath of flowers was in her hair. A slight blush crept over Jonathan's cheeks and he looked away. Argon landed beside him, a teasing light in his eyes.

"Say. You are blushing." Jonathan gave him a warning glare. "So?" Argon began to laugh quietly.

"Well, what do you know. John has a crush on Lena." Jonathan lightly punched his shoulder. "Argon..." He warned.

Argon shrugged. "What?" Jonathan continued to glare. Argon stuck his tongue out. “Well if you are going to be like that, then maybe I should tell Lena how you feel about her.”

Jonathan started. “You wouldn't dare.” He growled. Argon gave him a teasing grin. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

“Le.” That was as far as he got before Jonathan tackled him. The two went rolling down the grassy hill, wrestling each other. Oddly enough, they were laughing. “I've got you now, John.”

“No, you don't.” They reached the bottom with Jonathan on top. “Ha.” He said. “I win.”

He glanced at Lena who hadn't heard anything. She had rearranged the crown so that it was hanging from an ear. It was cute looking. She looked down. "Hey, Argon?"

Argon looked up. "Yeah?" Lena looked at the five Sisters. "Your sisters like to be chased right?" Argon nodded.

"Yeah, they do," Lena smiled. "Good." She jumped down and ran other to the girls. With her arms outstretched above her head, she made a loud sound that sounded like a roar.

The five Sisters all jumped and looked at Lena. All five grinned. They knew what was coming. Turning around, they ran and screamed happily. Lena chased them, making loud sounds.

If she caught one, she would lift her up, and toss her around in the air and tickle her madly. Shrieking often came with. One sister waved at Corina. "Corina, come on! You're missing out!"

Corina bit her lip but began to rise. Felix stopped her with a gentle hand. "Corina's fine. You go on." The sister hesitated, but then shrugged and joined back in.

Corina relaxed, but the look on her face was far from happy. Then she coughed, a thin hand covering her pale face. Her black raven hair had a few silver strands in it, signs that she was severely ill. Argon sighed and looked away. “That Healer better know what he is doing.”

He muttered, softly enough that Jonathan didn't hear it. Argon sighed. Corina's illness was getting stronger. By fall, her hair would be purely silver. Next spring, she would be bed bound.

And after she was bed bound, it only took a few more months till she lost the strength to breathe, and felt the agony of her body rotting from the core. Argon gritted his teeth. If only he could do something to help his sister. But he couldn't. No matter how much money had been spent, all the doctors and Healers said the same thing if worded differently.

The words burned under his skin. “It is a lost cause.” One had said. She was the kindest. “It would be best to turn her out onto the streets now, to avoid infecting the household.”

That one had flinched from the glare his Father had given him. The strain to not shout had been evident on his face. “Come on now, think rationally. Do you really want your unborn child living with this thing? I mean we really can't call her a human now can we?

It would be best to kill her now.” The doctor had paused then, unable to see the fact that Felix and Argon were nearly at the point where they were going to jump out of their chairs and pummel the doctor. Corina was shaking slightly, her pale hands moving of their own accord. Even though she was in another room, with her sleeping mother, she could still see them inside. Even though she couldn't hear what was being said, she knew the news wasn't good.

Corina's hand shook her mother's shoulder. “Mother…” Trisha sleepily sat up. “Mm?” Corina pointed a pale hand at the unpleasant scene.

“Father will punch him if Argon doesn't first.” Trisha's eyes widened, then she went inside the room. Swiftly, she greeted the doctor and sat between her son and her husband. Delicately, she placed a soft hand onto each of their shoulders. The doctor continued, unaware of Felix's anger.

“We have developed a new medicine. It will send a person to sleep instantly. Overdose her on the medicine, and she is dead in the next minute. She doesn't even have to know what she is taking. Pretend it is candy or something.”

Trisha gasped softly, her eyes widening. Felix's eye twitched. Twice. Argon squeezed his mother's hand. He knew what was behind the serene mask she was fighting to keep on.

That inside her heart was breaking. “A new weapon was made a few years ago. It's called a gun. It is rather fast. One shot and a full grown animal are dead.

It has been used to kill rabid dogs before. If you have the money, then you could arrange for her to be dealt with it.” Felix was now shaking, nearly about to erupt. Trisha winced internally. “Are you comparing my daughter to a rabid dog?”

The doctor snorted. “Oh please, anything with that disease is no better than a rabid dog. Worse really.” If Felix and Argon did not have Trisha's soft, but firm hand on them, the doctor would have instantly regretted his words. They had walked out, swearing that Corina would live.

Somehow, she would. Argon sighed and wiped the memory from his brain. He looked at Jonathan. He was busy watching Lena. Unknown to him, the blush had come back onto his cheeks.

Argon saw it. “Oh, Jonathan.” He thought. “She'll most likely take you if you do tell her. After all.”

He glanced at Lena, who had gone over to Corina, and had crowned her with her wreath of flowers. The look on Corina's face was so happy.
Lena looked so beautiful in that pose. Smiling softly, her sapphire eyes sparkling, her brown hair blowing across her face, as she smoothed Corina's hair. Argon felt his own blush come as his cheeks redden.

“She'd never have me.”

Author's Note:

Tell me what you think

Comments

[Castok the Shadow]

Oh my Gosh, dat cliffhangerer

[rainbowtiger00]

7130334 Cliffhangers is magic

[Castok the Shadow]

7130576 Cliffhangers is life

what has the internet done to me?

[Blackdust]

Grah! Why the cliffhangers! The literal hanging of Johnathan on the cliff and the metaphorical cliffhanger!

[rainbowtiger00]

7143872 It makes you anxious for the next!