Chapter 1
Heather watched through the eyes of her drone. Her mate, Zach, coughed up a green slime onto the blanket that covered him. Her mate was dying. Everybody always died when the plague got this bad, but Heather had personally watched it kill many of her drones. And now the same thing was happening to her mate. His chitin was cracked and oozing in places as he continued to cough. He took a long wheezing breath and looked over at the drone she was using to watch over him.
“Heather, you shouldn’t sacrifice a drone just for me. You have so few left.”
“It’s okay, Zach. You’re worth it. I need to stay by your side. Even if this plague takes you, I’ll save you.”
“Will you have enough magic left for yourself if you do that? You need to survive, even if you’re the only one.”
Heather went back to her own eyes. She was sitting on the edge of a cliff above the town. She had made her little hive in a cave nearby. She kicked a rock off the cliff and watched it bounce down toward the edge of the the lifeless town below. The crops were all yellow. The ponies that would have watered them were all gone. The only figures below were her drones that still survived.
Her sick drones were in rough shape. They sat listlessly down by the little mound where they had helped bury all the dead citizens. But this time she had a little hope. Even if she hadn’t saved the others, she could save her mate. Bishop Elway, the leader of Genola, had traded a lot to get the other changeling queen to teach her the magic. She knew it would work. Heather wiped away a tear and went back to the mind of the changeling looking over her mate her little home.
The little cabin-like house had been their home in Genola after Bishop Elway had married them. Even if Heather’s new urges had driven her to make a hive in the caves, the little house had always been special. A detailed painting of her and her mate hung on the wall above the little stove they used to heat the place. A few artifacts that reminded her of her past life were scattered around the room. Her attention turned back to Zach. It was so hard to see him like this. He was thin and fragile now. Zach coughed. His breathing was growing shallower. He smiled as he felt Heather’s presence return to the drone’s mind next to him.
“Everyone here loved me and you and all our children so much. Remember what Bishop Elway said. Keep the faith and spread love and charity. That will be enough for us to be saved.”
Heather wondered if that was really true, but she turned her thoughts to her magic. She hadn’t really had to try this spell before. She knew it took a lot of energy to power it. The dying people of her village had loved her and her drones until the end. They had all been great friends. She lost focus and had to wipe a tear away.
“Zach?”
No response. A very faint raspy breath escaped her mate’s lips as her drone stepped closer. Heather could feel the first signs of infection in this drone, too. She had so few that were healthy. She had caught the plague before many of the others, but she had survived, even if it had left her drained of most her energy.
She had gathered the love and gratitude of her friends and neighbors as her drones tended to the dying, but she had withdrawn to her hive to limit the chance of any further exposure. Her drones had fallen to the magical plague as quickly as the villagers. Zach had lasted much longer than almost anyone, but he was finally at the end of his suffering.
“Zach? Zach!”
She had the drone shake him, but there was no reaction. The drone pulled down Zach’s eyelid, but he stared straight up at the ceiling. The drone nuzzled against his neck as Heather tried to feel a pulse, but there was nothing. He had the rotten smell the plague left on all its victims.
“Okay, Heather. Time to focus.”
She had no trouble calling up the magic and remembering the steps. She pulled on the deep connection she had with Zach. Normally this would pull his attention to her, but now it felt much different. It was like she was trying to hold onto a kite in a hurricane. It took all her focus and magic to hold on. She pulled in Zach’s consciousness and placed it in the egg she had cradled between her hooves.
She was panting from the effort. She flared her magic just enough to feel how much she had left. Transferring Zach’s mind to the egg had taken most of it. She’d have just enough for a few simple spells or transformations, and she was feeling the sort of hunger she hadn’t known since Bishop Elway had first taken her in. She could feel all the connections to her drones draining some of the little magic she had left. It was painful, but she’d have to do something about that.
She had ten drones left. She originally had about 30, and she had cared carefully for each. Even if they weren’t as smart as people or ponies or whatever everyone happened to be these days, Bishop Elway had taught her that they were still special souls entrusted to her by God. He had also taught everyone in the village the same thing, so they had come to trust and love her drones as they helped with the farming and construction around town. So many of her little ones had died tending to the sick.
She cried and kicked a few more rocks off the cliff. It broke her heart to do it, but she cut off the connection to the weakest drones. Six of them were by the burial mounds. They had caught the sickness as they had cared for the ponies of the town. Heather had tried everything, but she had been unable to save anyone but herself. That meant only four drones were left with full connections to her.
The one with Zach’s body was also getting worse, but she could still make use of it. She took control of it. She gently wrapped the blanket around her mate’s body. He felt far lighter than he should have, and his chitin felt flimsy. She controlled her drone’s hooves as if they were her own and carefully pulled the wrapped up body out the door. The wool blanket dried out the drone’s mouth, but Heather had it hold tight until it reached the burial mounds. The listless drones she had cut off looked up and obeyed the simple command from the other drone to dig one last hole. The rocky soil was tough, but Heather felt the rough wood of the shovel through the drone.
Heather lost track of time, but the dirt and stones piled high as the pit deepened. Her drone pulled the body in. She had it pull the blanket down. She wanted to see her love’s face one last time. She burst into tears and had to pull back to her own mind.
She rubbed the little egg that she held. Without Zach, she didn’t think she’d have the strength to go on, but it would take time and love to make his egg hatch into a healthy male. Before she had met him, she had always felt isolated. She had been the only changeling in the group of ponies in this rural town. Bishop Elway had gathered the outcasts from surrounding settlements. They were all returnees that the larger towns didn’t really want to take care of, especially after the war that had destroyed many of their roads or machines. They had eventually come to accept and love Heather, but it had taken her even longer to accept herself.
She had once been a beautiful young woman. She had been doing well in college until the old world ended. Bishop Elway said it was God’s judgment on the world. God had reduced mankind to something just above the animals to strip them of their pride. A traveler from back east had once told Heather a different story about magic and princesses, but that had seemed a little crazy. Bishop Elway’s story made more sense to her, even if it didn’t make accepting her life as some strange alien bug horse any easier.
She checked in on the drones again. They had finished burying the body. She took over the healthiest one and had it go back to her little home to gather anything important. She really didn’t have much. Nobody in Genola did, especially after the battles had cut off most of the trade from the north. The little rural town had never had much in the way of technology. Her drone gathered what few precious things she had left. The most important was on the mantle of her small fireplace. It was a little golden locket with a picture of her and Zach inside. On the outside, the phrase ‘families are forever’ was engraved.
She could still believe that. There hadn’t been any temples left, but Bishop Elway had married her and Zach with what power he had. He had said that God’s greatest power had been taken from the Earth, but if they followed the faith, they’d have all the blessings and power restored to them when the time was right. Heather would have to be the one to keep the faith now, but maybe she could find some other returnees with the old faith. Once this plague died out, she’d find them. She’d keep going. She needed the love of God from the hearts of good ponies to survive, and she’d find that somewhere.
It was what she’d have to do for her and for Zach.
The summer sun beat down on Heather in the dry landscape. The ruins and remains of some of the oldest and grandest buildings of the city were visible from here. The temple had fallen during a recent war, but one set of its towers still stood. She glided over the simple road. It had once been a huge highway. All the shopping centers and suburbs were long gone, and the sagebrush and stunted trees had reclaimed the landscape.
Heather used some of her remaining magic to appear as a pegasus. She meant her disguise to be very plain, so she had chosen a light brown for her coat and a darker brown for her mane. In Genola, everyone had loved and accepted her for what she was, but Bishop Elway had always said that it would be better for her to hide her true form among non-believers. She always thought it strange that ponies would fear something that lives off love and happiness, but the wicked had always cast out the saints and angels. She liked to think of herself as being a little like them, even if she wasn’t nearly as good or as self-sacrificing, and she didn’t have some grand mission from God, even if that would have made everything easier.
She was down to only three drones now. The sick one that had tended to her mate had become too sick to travel with her, so she had been forced to leave it behind. With so few, it was easy to control them all directly. One watched the road behind her. The other watched the road ahead, and the last one watched the other directions. They were all well hidden, but she could sense them nearby. Depending on what she found on the road ahead, she might have them join her in whatever was left of the largest town, but after the plague, she didn’t even know if any ponies would be left. If there were any left, they’d be in the terribly renamed Salt Lick City.
She thought she had gotten used to her new life, but there were always times like this that reminded her of what she missed most besides her family and friends. She missed the luxury and technology she had taken for granted. Looking at the ruins of the city reminded her of those things, but her mind was far better at prioritizing now. It was easy to store her emotions away and think about what she had to do for herself and her hive, even though it was so small now. She carried her mate’s egg and a few others in a padded saddlebag. They’d need her to feed them love soon or they’d have no chance of hatching.
Her drone alerted her of a group of ponies on the edge of town. It hid and watched them. They looked to be a grim and tough bunch. There were two earth ponies and one unicorn. They already seemed to have spotted her. The drone crept closer to listen.
“I’m betting it’s a survivor this time.” A large black earth pony spoke in a deep voice. “Those returnees couldn’t fly that good. Maybe if she’s cute, I could keep her for some fun.”
The lean orange earth pony spoke next. “You know we can’t spare any survivors for your pleasure. I just hope it isn’t a returnee. We already have enough for the next sacrifice. I just hope it’s someone we won’t have to kill.”
The two turned to the unicorn who was a faded, dusty yellow. He seemed to be the leader. “Either way, we’ll get someone useful. The survivors all sign their lives away for the chance for a little food if they’ve been on the road for long. Still, I’m sensing something. Not sure what. I doubt a returnee would have any magic.”
Heather wished she had thought ahead to hide her bag with the eggs somewhere. She flew off to the side and hid behind a tree. The ponies at Genola had usually felt full of love and happiness. There had been small doses of other emotions like sorrow or anger, but it had been a peaceful town. From the three ponies ahead, she felt a strange mix of dark emotions or twisted versions of good ones. They were excited and maybe happy to see her, but their other emotions and words betrayed them. She’d have to get closer to really read them well.
They didn’t move, even after she hid. She called a drone in close and had it take the saddlebags. It would protect them with its life. As long as it remained hidden, they’d be safe. She only wished she could say the same about herself, but she had no other choice. The insatiable hunger that had long been under the surface was gnawing at her mind. If she didn’t feed off the other ponies soon, she wasn’t sure what it would drive her to do.
She circled back up above the road. The three ponies below stepped out onto the road and watched her. They motioned for her to land. She glided down and stopped a short distance from them.
“Hello there, young mare.” The unicorn stepped forward. “Welcome to Salt Lick City. Or what’s left of it. Where you from?”
“A little town down south, but it’s gone now. Nobody’s left.” She tried to sound as sad as possible. She felt a little bit of compassion from the two earth ponies for just a moment.
“I’d ask which one, but I don’t care. I’m Hayseed.” The unicorn smiled, but it was the sort of smile Heather would imagine on a wolf before it pounced on a helpless sheep. “I’m new around here, but I came with Captain Moonbow. He’s the leader of this little town now. We’ll be glad to have you, but first there are a few rules. And to keep out the plague, I have to make sure you’re not infected. It’ll only take a few spells.”
He had slowly stepped closer as he spoke until he was just a few steps away. His horn flared with magic. Her drones perked up, but she had to quell their desire to come to her to protect her. She only felt a sort of content smugness from the unicorn, so she allowed his spell to hit her.
The magic washed over her. The first spell was a simple one to detect disease, as Hayseed had said. But right behind it, another spell hit her. She couldn’t quite tell what it was looking for, but it was some other sort of detection spell. One final spell coursed through her. It was a binding spell. She could feel her wings lock up and her legs tighten. It was unexpected, and breaking it would reveal her own magic. She said a silent prayer for protection and hoped things would turn out alright.
She could feel excitement and even happiness from the three ponies now. They surrounded her and looked her over. Hayseed stepped in front of her and looked down into her eyes.
“My spells don’t lie. You’re a returnee. We have special rules for your kind, since it’s your kind that caused the plague. Flint, you go check and make sure nopony is hiding by that tree she stopped by earlier. Sandstone, you go get the cart.”
The big black earth pony stepped past her and started galloping down the road. The orange one galloped the opposite direction. Hayseed continued to speak.
“But you’re not a recent returnee or you wouldn’t be able to fly. I know exactly what we’ll do with you. We’ll work you hard, use you, and then sacrifice you. I think we still have plenty of useless returnees for sacrifices, so we can save you. We might as well get all the fun and use out of you while we can. I could let Flint have his way with you, but I’d like to have my own fun first.”
Heather felt like her heart was in her stomach. She had never felt such hatred. She was now understanding the emotions she had felt buried in these ponies. Hayseed was devoid of the love of God, and his current happiness mixed with his rage only made her more scared. Still, Flint and Sandstone seemed to almost feel sorry for her. It was wrong to hurt other ponies except in self-defense, but only Hayseed had directly attacked her so far. Maybe she could save the others if they weren’t as evil.
Heather suddenly thought of her eggs. They couldn’t find those. She had been dumb to bring them this close. The drone by the trees could slip away if she somehow called more attention to her, but she’d have to do this right. She needed to save as much of her energy to feed her eggs and keep herself going. She tried keeping track of things through all three drones, but Hayseed gave her a sharp kick. She cried out. He laughed and kicked her again.
Her disguise shattered. All three drones hissed and flew up into the air. Flint yelled out as the drone by the tree rushed past him.
Hayseed barely had time to look up as two drones leapt from the bushes and grasses nearby and started kicking and biting the unicorn. Heather was still in pain, but she tried to focus and control them. She couldn’t reach their minds through their frenzied rage. The only thought in their mind was of destroying the one who had hurt her. A squeal of pain was cut short by a terrible gurgle. The binding spell was broken and Heather looked up to see that one of her drones still had its teeth in the unicorn’s throat.
It continued to bite, and she could feel it somehow drawing energy from the dying pony. It felt much like the energy she’d get from love, but it felt twisted and awful.
“No, stop!”
She shuddered and looked away. The drones finally let the unicorn’s body drop. Part of her had wished to somehow punish or stop the evil unicorn, and the drones had taken those emotions and acted. Her ears perked up as she heard hooves approaching from both directions. Flint was on one side of her and her drones. Sandstone was on the other.
“Go get some backup!” Flint yelled. “These monsters killed Hayseed!”
Heather had a drone fly to the other side of Sandstone before he could run. She kept a drone between her and Flint. She was having trouble reading these two. They were shocked and afraid, but she had expected them to be angrier at losing their friend. Perhaps they hadn’t been friends.
“Wait! Don’t go. I didn’t mean to kill him, but he…”
Heather looked over at the blood pooling underneath the body. She felt queasy and looked away.
“Don’t eat me!” Sandstone backed away from the drone and stepped into the thick grass on the edge of the road. “I’ve heard of your kind before. You drain the feelings of ponies, but if you can’t get enough, you eat them instead.”
Heather stood taller. She took the same tone of command as she used in her head for her drones.
“If you run, I’ll have to kill you. I don’t want to kill any other ponies.”
Flint laughed. It was a hollow sort of laugh without any real humor behind it.
“You should be the one running. If anyone else sees you, they’ll attack you just like Hayseed did. You won’t get to feed off the ponies here. What are you hoping to do?”
Heather sized him up as she looked into his brown eyes. She could feel fear but there was defiance and hope, too. She looked back over to Sandstone. His fear was quickly changing into a hopeful sense of relief the longer he remained safe. She directed her questions to him.
“What was that spell that the unicorn used? How did he know I’m a returnee?”
“Oh, umm, his spell tells him that. I’m not sure how it works. If you aren’t a natural-born pony, it knows.”
She thought it over. If anybody else used the spell on her, they’d find her right away, but her drones had been born naturally, or at least as naturally as little bug horses could be. She had always thought it strange how much she had loved the little ones. They were hers. It was their job to serve and sacrifice, and her job to guide and protect. She felt like a little goddess around them. A drone couldn’t gather as much love or emotional energy as she could, but they would have to do. She wasn’t going to get the energy she needed anywhere else.
“I’ll let you both go on two conditions. The first is that you promise to tell no one about me or my drones. The second is that you each take one of my drones to explore your town.”
Sandstone’s ears perked up at her offer. Flint still seemed hateful and resistant.
“If any harm comes on these drones, I shall give you the same or worse.”
She stared down Flint. He held firm against her gaze for a long time until she pushed with the smallest bit of her magic. He turned away and his defiance sunk from his main emotions.
She looked over her three drones. She took the saddlebags from the one who was holding them. The one who had attacked and killed Hayseed still had some blood splattered over its neck. She’d have to clean it up, so she had it step back. The other two took places next to Flint and Sandstone. In a flash, they transformed into pegasi.
Her hunger must have been affecting her thinking. The drone by Flint had the same colors as a mint candy with its whites and reds. The other was a mix of chocolate browns.
“I don’t want to be your enemy. But I need to see your town. Now, do we have an understanding?”
Sandstone nodded quickly. Flint thought it over before agreeing. She’d have to keep an eye on him. She felt his resentment even if he wasn’t showing it like before.
Heather sat in a little cave in the mountains above Salt Lick City. It was a tight little cave, but it was on a cliffside that would be hard for anything to climb. There wasn’t much to it besides some dirt and rocks. It was chilly enough in the early morning that she was wrapped up in some blankets. She closed her eyes and focused until her drones below woke up. They both yawned and stretched. Sandstone was between them. Their movements woke him up. He nuzzled them both and got up to make them breakfast.
Heather’s hope for Salt Lick City had grown dimmer by the day, even if her hope for Sandstone had grown each day. It had only taken a few days to see that it was a place of evil and fear. But there had always been that old story about how a city with even a few righteous people was still worth saving. This place still had a few good ponies like Sandstone, but could this place be saved? The hatred and evil was being taught to even the young here.
Beneath it all, there was still a bit of love. Sandstone had come to genuinely enjoy the company of her drones. Flint had remained cold and rebellious, so she had pulled her drone back. Both drones stayed with Sandstone while the third stayed nearby the cave to help protect her.
She had enough love for her and the eggs, barely. They would be hatching soon. She couldn’t help but remember the absolute feast of love she had back in Genola. Everyone there had loved and supported each other. Salt Lick City had same group loyalty, but it was twisted with the fear and hopelessness. The ponies in Salt Lick City had given up on anything better and accepted Captain Moonbow as their protector and absolute ruler. They’d have to want something different before anything else would change.
Sandstone called her two drones from the kitchen. They rose from the bed and went into the other room to find some bowls of steamed oats waiting. They didn’t eat much, but after Heather had explained that a little food was okay, Sandstone had been happily making small meals for them. It was more the love from him that fed her drones and herself, but eating his food seemed to make him feel genuinely grateful.
“So, what’s the plan for today? We really need to find a place for Peppermint. Ponies will talk if I have two mares at my place for too long. And I’d like Forastero to stay with me, if possible.”
Sandstone had named her two drones. The red and white one was Peppermint. The one with lots of browns was Forastero. Sandstone liked them both, but his feelings for Forastero seemed a little stronger.
Heather had given up on naming most her drones. After her first few had hatched and shown very little will or personality of their own, she had given up on naming them, but the two seemed to be responding well to Sandstone’s attention. She could sense there was more to their minds than before.
“I must see what this sacrifice is. If it’s what Moonbow is doing to all returnees, then I must see what is being done.”
Sandstone’s ears drooped. He finished off his food before speaking again.
“It’s not going to be pretty, and I’ve already told you all about it.”
“Yes, but I must see.”
Sandstone had explained as well as he could about the blood magic and the sacrifices that had driven away the plague. It made Heather’s skin crawl to think about it, but if there had been the option to sacrifice one or two ponies to save Genola from the disease, she knew she would have done it.
She had already decided Moonbow was a murderer, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t learn useful things from him. Salt Lick City still had about two hundred ponies left. Moonbow had about thirty guards, although many of them were usually busy attacking and capturing the nearby deer. Sandstone said that the deer were also being used in these sacrifices, but Moonbow seemed to prefer using returnees if they were available.
Sandstone had cleaned up breakfast while Heather had been thinking things through. The drones had already followed him out the door, and the three were cantering quickly down the street. They had developed a surprising amount of will in such a short time. They were already almost as good as her best drones from before the plague.
They walked the short distance from Sandstone’s little house near the center of the town. The ruins of the old city were mostly scattered around. Someone had restored the wall that surrounded the central city block, but the rest was still in ruins. A few pieces of the old structures, especially the basements, were being used to store food and supplies. Moonbow had repurposed a room in the last standing piece of the old temple for his throne room. He’d be waiting there until the ceremony before the sacrifices began.
The square where the sacrifices took place had once been a sort of plaza in front of the old conference center. It had once been a place of faith and hopeful messages shared with the world. Now it was a place of dark magic. The old cracked stones had been smoothed and some posts with chains stood in the center. Two ponies, a gray earth pony and cream-colored pegasus, were chained up. The marks on them showed that any struggle or energy had been beaten out of them.
A small crowd lined the path from the gates of the walled city center to the plaza a block away. Heather left Forastero with Sandstone and focused on directing Peppermint to a better position to see it all.
Flint and Moonbow’s other guards stepped out of the old temple and shouted at the crowd until they formed an orderly line on both sides of the path. Finally, Moonbow himself stepped out into the sun. He was a sturdy unicorn with a dark purple coat and a mane and tail the color of a washed out rainbow. His procession marched forward and the crowd gathered behind him as he began his speech.
“Citizens of Salt Lick City, the time of plague and fear is over, and the age of sacrifice has begun. The weakness and corruption of the old world must be purged from us as we become strong again.”
Moonbow passed by where Peppermint was watching. Up close, she could feel his confidence and cold determination. He had no remorse over what he was doing today.
“Today, we sacrifice some of the old to remind us to seek for the new. Our strength and favor with God will grow as we are reborn with blood and sacrifice.”
A robed unicorn next to him began to cite verses of scripture about sacrifice and purity. Heather shivered. She had expected a bloody tyrant, but he was using many of her same beliefs to justify his actions and get the support of the ponies around him.
Heather had to quickly disconnect from her anger. She didn’t want a repeat of what happened with Hayseed, and her drones wouldn’t stand much of a chance with so many guards ready and waiting.
She had Peppermint rejoin Sandstone and Forastero as the ponies encircled the plaza where the sacrifice would take place. She could feel the anticipation, fear, and even hope and admiration in the crowd.
The procession of guards stopped and spread out before the two chained ponies. Both the sacrifices emanated an aura of absolute despair.
“Glory be to God!” Moonbow shouted. “For the sins of the past that plague our land shall be absolved by your blood and sacrifice.”
He motioned for his guards to take their places. Sharp knives levitated up to press against the throats of the chained ponies. Their eyes widened in fear, but before they could struggle or call out, the act was done. The quiet slicing of flesh echoed through the silent plaza. Two basins below the ponies gathered the spilling blood, and Moonbow began to glow with a magic Heather had never seen before.
It felt wrong, but Heather had to understand it. The magic connected with the blood and the energy draining from the ponies as they died. Moonbow channeled it into a protective spell and it washed over the crowd. They would be protected from disease, but as Heather looked at the limp forms of the dead ponies, it was hard to feel it was worth the price. The two sacrifices had done nothing wrong besides once being human.
Bishop Elway had said that many communities lacked the charity to take in returnees or would abuse them or exploit them, but this was far worse than that. The ponies of Salt Lick City had accepted this world of terrible sacrifices. She could feel them all. Some were overcome with a sort of joyous fervor. She could feel their devotion to whatever twisted religion Moonbow was leading. Others felt relief at being protected by such a strong leader. It was all wrong.
“Does it have to be this way?” Heather voiced her question through Peppermint.
Sandstone snorted and looked away from the ceremony taking place. He stepped back far enough to whisper quietly without being overheard.
“It would be hard to change. Moonbow took away the horror and suffering of the disease and replaced it with this. Almost everyone feels a few sacrifices are better than almost everyone dying to the plague. I still don’t feel what he does is right, but what can we do?”
“Why don’t you believe in him as much as they do?”
“My parents were returnees. They died in the war when I was young, but they believed in the same sort of religion you do. I don’t believe the returnees are evil or need to be sacrificed, but I guess somebody has to make a sacrifice to protect us.”
“I survived. I think I could protect someone else from the plague if I only had enough love. I lived because my whole town loved and helped me through it. Maybe we could find somewhere like that.”
Sandstone didn’t seem to know what to say. He and the drones turned to leave the square. He said nothing as he walked slowly to his post at the edge of town.
Heather spoke again. “This city used to be a place where messages of peace, love, and guidance could be shared across the world.”
Sandstone clambered up a pile of rubble and looked out over the desert before speaking.
“That world is buried and gone now. My parents always talked about it, but it never did them any good. We’d have trouble sharing a message even with somebody a hundred miles away now. There’s no way we’d get a message out to the world.”
Heather sighed and thought it over. It was hard to feel hopeful when everything she should have recognized was now piles of rubble grown over with grass and sagebrush. She had Peppermint lean against Sandstone and nuzzle him. The drone drank in his affection, and that made Heather feel calmer and stronger.
“Bishop Elway always said to keep the faith when things were darkest. Those were his last words to me. Maybe we couldn’t save everyone, but I feel like there’s something we could do.”
Sandstone hugged both Peppermint and Forastero. He was shaking. He took a few deep breaths before speaking.
“I don’t want to make you feel sad. It’s just that this city’s old reputation as a place of peace and generosity is working against the returnees now. They come and expect to find others who have some faith and kindness, and they fall right into Moonbow’s hooves.”
“But there are a few good ponies left, like you.”
Forastero gave Sandstone a kiss without Heather’s prompting. The sudden surge of love surprised them both. The stallion finally pushed Forastero away before he could get too excited.
“I just try to be a good pony. I’m not that special.”
“But you are! You’re one of the few shining examples of love and charity in this city. I’ve felt how the others feel. There are a few zealously dedicated to Moonbow and his religion. Others are just grateful to be protected and are thankful that they don’t have be the ones to make a sacrifice. Other are like Flint and try to get away with what they can. I don’t think there are many others like you, but if we had enough, maybe we could change things.”
“Moonbow won’t allow you to change things.”
Heather looked back at the city. Sandstone was right. A direct conflict would be suicide with so few drones, and Heather had to save as much magic and love for herself and the eggs as possible.
“Maybe we don’t have to change things. We just need to get a message out and find those who would be willing to do things differently.”
“It might be dangerous to even try that. Moonbow’s religion isn’t very accepting of other ideas.”
“We’ll never know until we try.”
Today was the day. As the ponies of Salt Lick City gathered for the meeting at the old temple where Moonbow or his priests would read and explain the scriptures, she had Peppermint ready to step out. It was time to see just how many ponies would be willing to hear her words.
She had worked with Sandstone to pick the time and place where they could reach the most ponies with their words, and this was it. Twice a week, the ponies would meet and hear Moonbow’s twisted religion, but today, Heather would give them the truth.
A few minutes before the meeting, Peppermint stepped out onto the stairs leading down from the ornate door of the old temple. Heather spoke through her.
“Ponies, hear my words! This practice of unholy sacrifices is not what God would want for you or this town. Love, family, and charity are what the scriptures teach us will last forever. If you continue as you are, blood and sins will be on your hooves.”
The door swung open behind Peppermint. She didn’t bother to look. It was Moonbow. She could feel the crowd around her reacting. Some were curious. Some secretly were full of hope and agreement. Others were furious.
“We can find a better way. Those you sacrifice are no more guilty than you are. Spare them, and we can work toward a better future.”
Moonbow blasted Peppermint off the steps with a bolt of magic. Heather felt all the pain her drone did through her direct connection. The stallion glanced down with only contempt.
“This mare speaks blasphemy. The sins of the humans caused the plague. Their blood and their sacrifices atone for those sins and make our world clean and pure again. It is a sin to allow any of them or those side with them in our midst.”
Moonbow levitated a spear from one of his guards. Heather retreated back to her mind just before it pierced through Peppermint. She still felt the pain and loss as the connection faded. She would have saved Peppermint’s mind for the heroic act, but she didn’t have the love left for that.
She returned to the scene through the eyes of Forastero. Forastero was by Sandstone’s side, as she usually was. The attraction Sandstone felt for her had been changing her, but she still was as loyal and obedient as ever. Sandstone already was leaning against her as if to protect her.
Peppermint gave one last gasp and died. The spear had been driven straight through her. The magic around her faded, and her true form was revealed. All the ponies in the crowd except Sandstone recoiled at the sight of the changeling.
Moonbow descended the steps and pulled the spear back out. It floated back to Flint, who smiled. Heather could feel his twisted delight at having paid her back for killing Hayseed. Moonbow was far more stern, but he also felt some measure of joy in killing her drone. He paced around the body before lifting it up with his magic.
“Look carefully! These monsters are hiding among us, trying to spread lies! We have brought life and hope back to this town with our sacrifices, and these monsters would have you turn away from the truths I have brought you. If you have associated with them, I can forgive you if you step forth and reveal them now. Otherwise, there can be no mercy.”
Forastero looked over at Sandstone. He didn’t move. Sandstone stared over at Flint, who stared back. Heather tried read the crowd’s emotions. Even those who had been more kind and open before were now afraid and suspicious. In one simple stroke, Moonbow had killed both her drone and any hope of finding sympathy or support in the town.
The evening continued with Moonbow and his priests teaching about the deceptions and lies that would lead ponies astray. Heather wanted to retrieve her drone and give it a proper burial, but Moonbow had propped the corpse up on a spear for all to see. As the meeting ended, he commanded wood to be brought forth. The body was burned on a little pyre as a priest shouted out about the fires and pains of hell.
Sandstone went back to his cottage with Forastero. He looked into her eyes in the way he always did when he wanted to directly address Heather.
“Are you okay? Peppermint… she’s gone.”
“I saw and felt everything. You don’t have to remind me. I’ve lost so many of my little ones. Many died and suffered with the plague. But Peppermint… she gave her life for the hope of making this world a better place. I can’t just let her die without trying for that ideal.”
Sandstone hugged Forastero. It reminded Heather of how her old mate would hug her even if the hug was more meant for Forastero than for her.
“I wish I could help more, but there’s not much I can do here. And now everyone is going to be suspicious of any new ponies. Forastero… you are in danger. Flint knows too much. We need to get you out. I know you and Heather need love, but you need to get away. I’ll join you when I can. You need to leave immediately.”
Heather felt a surge of emotions and thoughts from her drone far stronger than any she had felt before. Forastero cried and nuzzled Sandstone. Heather pulled back to give the two some moments of privacy to say goodbye. She focused and filed away her emotions as easily as facts. She took the loss, rage, and despair from tonight and separated herself from them. She’d have to do what was best for her and the hive.
Salt Lick City was a place without love or hope. It was a trap for any returnees or any hopeful ponies looking for aid. She thought things over. If she could divert ponies away from here and get to them first, she could teach them of love and faith before ponies like Moonbow corrupted them. She returned her focus to Forastero.
“Sandstone, it’s time for Forastero to go, but I have a plan. It might put you in some danger, but I don’t think Flint will forgive you either.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Come with me. Help me find returnees or ponies before they get trapped here. My old town is still there, even if everyone there died. It might not be too late to save the crops, and we can keep the houses from falling down. Once we get enough ponies, we could build our own little place where we are free to follow the old faith. I can’t do it without you.”
“I… I’ll do it. For you and for Forastero. My parents always hoped for a better world with their faith. I feel you have the same faith they did. I’d like to believe in it again. All the death and suffering made it hard to believe anyone was watching over us, but you… you make me want to believe again.”
“Then there’s no time to waste. We’ll make our own little refuge of peace and faith, and with time, we might be able to save places like this, when we’re strong enough.”
“If we try that, we’ll just end up fighting them. I’m sick of death. Let’s just keep our heads down and make our own little paradise. Please. No more fighting.”
“Okay. I’ll promise you that. You won’t have to fight anyone, but we’ll need to stay hidden. Genola might not be the best place for that. Maybe we could move elsewhere once we have enough ponies and supplies.”
Heather commanded Forastero to help Sandstone pack as they both got up from the bed. Heather stirred from the cave she had been hiding in above the city. She felt a sudden movement from her saddlebags. She prodded them open and could see her little clutch of eggs was wiggling. They’d be hatching soon. Sandstone did love deeply, but they’d need to quickly find more returnees or ponies if she hoped to raise her little ones as anything more than the simplest of changelings. One pony’s love wouldn’t be enough to feed a small hive, but Heather had promised Bishop Elway that she’d keep the faith. She’d build a place where there’d be more than enough love for everyone.
A different part of her mind flipped back to the moment Peppermint had killed Hayseed and drained his energy. That had been very powerful. Maybe she could build a place of love and peace while her drones fought those who had corrupted her faith. She could have both if she played things right. She filed that idea away. It wasn’t something she’d be able to act on anytime soon.
For now, she’d focus on Sandstone and on finding more allies. She flew down to join Sandstone and Forastero once they were about twenty minutes away from Salt Lick City. Her only other remaining drone flew low from hilltop to hilltop above them to keep an eye out for any other ponies. Flint came looking for them as far as the edge of town, but he was already far behind them. He turned back and didn’t pursue them any further. It was more than a day’s journey to Genola, so they’d be safe now. Even Moonbow didn’t have the forces to spare to hunt them that far away, especially with no idea of where to find them.
Heather looked back one last time. She let herself shed a tear.
“What happened to Peppermint was awful, but we have hope now. We might be few in number, but we’re setting out to do something great.”
Sandstone nodded in agreement. “It’s nice to have some hope again for something more than survival. That’s what Peppermint sacrificed herself for. That’s what we’ll give ponies.”
Heather could feel his determination growing with each step. He was leaving almost everything behind, but that was only strengthening his love and conviction to her and to Forastero. If she could build the same faith in others, they’d have all they needed before long. That would more than make up for her drone’s sacrifice.
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An interesting beginning!
So many possibilities raised by the setting.
Thanks!
Wow.
That was... very depressing. Great job on this, man!
Cults.
First, you wrote a very entertaining story and I hope to see it continued.
Second, if this story’s protagonists are successful, I can image a popular School of Friendship will be established in Salt Lick City, washing away the plague as well as ponies’ fears and hatred. According to the television series, the Magic of Friendship is more powerful than all other kinds of magic combined, as Lord Tirek discovered in the episode Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2. If the Magic of Friendship can overcome an evil god of Lord Tirek, it will overcome the plague.
8973873
I do have some ideas of what I want to do to continue it. The school of friendship idea does seem pretty interesting, but I'd have to figure out whether that would fit with the other main ideas I had.
This is pretty good! Any update on that sequel? I'm interested to see where this goes next.
9127515
I still plan on writing more in PaP. It's just been a busy month with a move, some conventions, and a trip. Thank you for the encouragement!
This is an impressive story to me.
I find myself surprised at how each character feels like a rather complete person with their own past and goals, even with how little story time some of them actually get.
Here we have a pony who is instinctively feared trying to create a ray of hope in one of the bleakest times and an inhospitable place, too. I love it, and like her plan.
I hope we get to see her succeed!
Well that was neat! :O
Where can I read about this war? O.o
9642891
I'm not entirely sure there's any PaP stories covering that specific war, but it's sort of mentioned in passing. I could look up the specific reference if you want, but it's pretty minimal.
9644059
That's surprising and unfortunate! :O It sounds like it could be an entire major story!