A Land Without Magic

by LostGuardianNexor

Chapter 1

Comet Sparkle stared at the television screen in front of him, a documentary playing that Comet watched despite having seen it many times before. It seemed routine now, despite the dark implications of the show. It was history, it was tradition - and it was the only chance he ever got to see a peaceful Equestria.

The documentary was currently displaying a lush forest that, despite the eerie feel, looked simply beautiful for the fact that it was an ACTUAL forest. Birds chirped, butterflies flew by gently, and grass blew in the wind. Just the sight made Comet feel a pain in his chest as memories passed over him of walking with his mother down to his aunt Fluttershy's house. This very forest was right there for him to explore, and he only now realized how precious something like that was - especially in this new Equestria.

"But when members of the Resistance started making secret bases in the Everfree Forest, our wise leader took the steps required to clear out the threat, at the cost of a beautiful landscape." The narrator started, the picture on-screen becoming a huge landfill filled with junk and pipes spewing steam. "She flooded the forest with gas, killing all rebels inside and all life in the forest. Seeing some use for the land, Motherboard ordered it be converted into the Everfree Landfill. Since then, ponies living nearby complain of toxins emitted from the waste, but Motherboard has released statements that the pollution levels created are too low to damage ponies. Still, lungrot spreads through Equestria."

Comet's lips dropped to a frown, his eyes narrowing at the word 'lungrot'. That illness that left babies coughing blood and stallions collapsing in the street had already taken his father away, and even he now felt the effects of the disease. He bit back a bit of bile rising through his torn throat, coughing as the sour taste made him gag. He rushed to his bathroom and vomited in the toilet, retching and cringing as bloodied bile filled the bowl. Wiping his mouth, he flushed and looked in the mirror.

A grey stallion stared back at him, a wild copper-brown mane partially obscuring a pair of olive green eyes that looked full of sadness at their owner. Comet sighed and picked up a comb with his magic, brushing his mane to somewhat tame the mass of fuzz and stray hairs. Wincing when the brush caught in the locks, he set it down and humphed. Trotting out the door, he looked over the railing a few feet away to see his uncle Spike helping a filly check out a book. Looking to the corner of the library's lower level, he also saw a black pegasus staring up at him and pointing nervously at her forehead with eyes filled with apprehension.

Comet looked up, and gasped when he saw his horn protruding from his mane. Moving his curls over it, he nodded a silent thanks to the pegasus before trotting down to her.

"Thanks for saving my tail, Glow. There could've been an Ironside in here for all we know." Comet stammered before glancing around, eying everypony suspiciously. Glow Stick giggled, flicking her neon-green hair back.

"There is, featherbrain! He's sitting at Desk-2, and he's been staring at a copy of War and Peace for three hours already. It'd be okay cover, if he were actually reading it!" She stifled a snicker, pointing to the stallion in question.

A blue colt sat at the desk, his swirly light-mint mane drooping over his face as a pair of grey eyes looked up and down the cover of the book seemingly perplexed. Comet smirked, thanking Celestia that Ironsides were idiots. The stallion looked up at the two ponies, who immediately looked away nervously.

"I think we should talk someplace else. Bots have ears, after all." The unicorn suggested.

"Good idea." Glow Stick nodded, turning around a trotting toward the door. "Bye Spike!" She waved a hoof at the dragon as she passed him. Spike waved back, stopping Comet as he tried to walk by.

"Whoa! Where do you think you're going?" He asked suspiciously. Comet stammered, looking furiously for an excuse. Thankfully, his friend had one ready.

"He's going with me to Fluttershy's house." She winked at Comet, who smiled.

Spike shrugged. "Fine, just be back by sundown. And stay out of the Wastes!"

"I promise I'll be back, uncle Spike." The stallion nodded.

"Then get going, hotshot! You only have a few hours." His uncle chuckled. Comet trotted off after his pegasus friend, opening the door and stepping outside.

The town he was welcomed to was more of a small city, with large buildings everywhere and ponies rushing by in huge crowds. Luckily, Comet could move through these crowds without drawing attention so he ducked into the first one to come by. Glow Stick joined him, walking alongside the unicorn down the street. The two ponies occasionally got shoved by impatient ponies behind them, but the trip was altogether calm. Turning onto the path that led to Fluttershy's house, Comet glanced back to see if they were being followed. Sure enough, a few of the ponies from the crowd were walking behind them.

"Workers from the mine up ahead. Don't pay them any thought, Comet. Let's keep going." The mare explained to calm him down, walking down the path without him.

Galloping to meet up with her, Comet smiled in embarrassment. "I-i knew that.." He chuckled. The two ponies turned on a fork in the road, heading straight toward the home of Aunt Fluttershy.

The unicorn and pegasus did not notice the two mares following them with cold grey eyes.

Author's Note:

My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro.

--

Chapter 1 is up! I'm sorry if it seems short and/or rushed.

Also, special thanks to PrinceDolph for pointing out my spelling errors.

Comments

[Mr101]

A bit short, but an interesting idea, will keep an eye on this

[LostGuardianNexor]

1911844

Thanks for pointing that out. I'll fix it right away.

[Narrative Style]

1911870 You're welcome. Here are a few for this chapter:

...waved a hoof the dragon as she passed him.

There's a missing word here. Or, more accurately, not here.

Galloping to met up with her,

That should be meet.

I'm sorry if it seems short an/or rushed.

And. I couldn't resist.

And an easy way to make it feel longer and less rushed would be to devide up the paragraphs a bit. A good place to start would be with the dialogue. Generally a new speaker begins a new paragraph. It both makes paragraphs easier to digest, and the speaker easier to track.

Have another .

[TheSkaBouncer]

archive.heinessen.com/boards/k/img/0123/19/1343595508698.jpg

[Artist]

I love this story.