Recollection of the Past. Hope for the Future
It was a crisp and beautiful day; the children were out in the street playing while parents lined the front lawns to grill and gossip. The sun shined brightly as a gentle spring breeze graced the sweat ridden faces of the Minotaurs, their fur covered faces intensifying the heat. Richard Ironhoof was among the crowd as he watched his young daughter play in the street with some of her schoolmates. His black fur glistened with sweat as he did his best to wipe it away with a nearby towel. A young boy ran up to him, a grin a mile wide. He offered Richard a cool glass of lemonade which Richard happily accepted. His wife came up and gave him as kiss on the cheek as he chuckled and as he downed the glass of cool and bitter liquid in a single gulp. The day could be described as perfect, without a care in the world.
It all happened so quickly: a flash of light, his ears began to ring. He felt himself thrown to the ground as if the weight of the world was sudden on his shoulders. A huge gust of wind ripped houses apart sending planks of wood and piles of brick flying into the sky. He managed to raise his head up, his brown eyes darting back and forth as he tried to find his daughter. He could hear her crying out for him.
“Daddy! Daddy, help me!”
He spotted her, only a few yards ahead of where he lay. He could see her holding desperately onto a nearby pole as she tried to remain upright. He stretched his arm out, using every ounce of his remaining strength to try and reach her, but it was too late. The wave of light passed over them, and he watched in horror as his daughter let out an agonizing screech. Her skin slowly began to melt from her bones, it bubbled as it oozed off her like hot tar, mixing with her melted internal organs until the only thing that remained was her small skeletal frame, covered in the bubbling mess of liquid that used to comprise her. Not even that hideous form remained however as soon her bones were incinerated, leaving nothing but a blackened pile of ash behind. Richard wanted to scream out and cry, but his eyes were already beginning to bubble out of his sockets and his vocal cords had been seared away as he felt himself being slowly cooked, like a piece of meat over an open fire as he watched his friends and loved ones suffer a similar fate before his world went black.
He awoke with at start and a yell, a layer of cold sweat coating his fur and body. He felt dazed and confused as he slowly brought his hand up to his face and ran his shaking palm through his fur. He felt his body rock slightly as he observed his surroundings, letting out an exhausted sigh as he did so.
“Another nightmare.” His voice was hoarse and low as he drew in deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He could hear the soft patter of rain on the covered hood of the truck he sat in as it made its way down a non-existent road. He turned his head to the side to observe his fellow passengers, Minotaurs like himself. Most were asleep, as Richard had been a few moments ago. Others had either taken to the bottle of whatever alcohol that had managed to obtain from their Griffon escorts or were smoking. All were ragged, and tattered; most of them were bandaged in someway and their uniforms were little more than rags at this point. With the exception of one, the Minotaur who sat directly across from Richard. He wore a white lab coat that was caked slightly in mud at this point, but it was clear he had done his best to keep it clean as best he could. His brown fur was groomed and his horns were trimmed and polished, very much the contrast to the dirty mess that comprised the rest of the passengers. He pushed his square-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose as he whisked a beaker of liquid around, peering into as if it would somehow answer all of life's questions. It was clear he wasn't a soldier like Richard and the rest. Richard was getting ready to just ignore the odd fellow and try to settle back into sleep when a cold and steely voice spoke up
“Must have been a hell of a nightmare.” the man in the lab coat had spoken, never taking his eyes off the beaker as he slowly reached for a stirring rod in his pocket.
“Yeah, it was. Saw my wife and kid.” Richard spoke, only finding it slightly odd that the man across from him had spoken. For someone who appeared so geeky, his voice was very deep and somber, and carried with it a wisdom that seemed to far exceed the age of the man that spoke it. Realising he wasn’t going to get much sleep after what he had dreamt, Richard decided to continue the conversation with this strange man.
“They were in Labyrinthine. I saw a flash and then I saw...”
“Enough, I don’t want to hear anymore,” the man raised his hand to stop Richard from finishing, his eyes a mixture of depression and anger as he set the beaker down beside him. “I’m sorry for your loss, comrade. Most of us knew somebody who was in Labyrinthine or Byth or Singard. So many friends and loved ones, gone in an instant.” The man slowly leaned out of the back of the truck and Richard followed to peer out into the desolate wasteland that was once the proud homeland of the Minotaurs, Labvia. The once green flatland of the central plains were now little more than ash covered tracts of land. The life giving light of the sun barely managed to pierce the veil of ash and soot that had been thrown into the air and that had blotted out the sun for over a week. Once proud Minotaur armies had marched across those fields in glorious triumph; now all that remained of them were being carted away like cattle to some far off land. Richard couldn't handle the sight of the devastation anymore and he drew his head back into the covering. The fellow across from him continued to observe their surroundings for a while longer before he too returned his head under the covering.
“So, you were on the front when the bombs were dropped I’m guessing?” The fellow spoke as he returned his attention to the beaker. He began to stir the mixture as he waited for Richards reply.
“That’s right. I was in the 10th Infantry Division. We were on the border of Grifftannia, near Feathershire. We were massing for another assault; we thought we had worn the Coalition forces down and one final push would break the line. After that, it was a clear line drive to High Talon and victory.” Richard spoke with a small grin, remembering that sense of inevitable victory that he and every other soldier in his regiment had that day.
“That’s when it happened though, right?” the fellow spoke, his tone mellow and hollow, as if he had heard this same tale a dozen times already as he continued to stir his concoction.
“That’s right. Just as we were getting ready to attack, our communication with Headquarters in Singrad was lost. We had received telegraphs and calls from other divisions stating that massive explosions has been seen near Singard and then Byth. I didn’t hear about Labyrinthine until after the attack.” Richard slammed his hand against the wall in frustration and anger, only receiving a small nod from the fellow across from him before he continued,”The damn Griffons attacked first, swooping in from the air in those damn dive bombers of theirs. That horrible screeching as they bombed and shelled our line, as I watched men get torn in two from explosions and shrapnel. Then their infantry charged, along with those ponies. Those damn ponies; they overwhelmed most of our positions with their infantry and armor. We were in such disarray we could barely fight back.”
“Tell me about it. I was in the 13th Division, near Beakberry. When the ponies attacked across the front, we were one of the hardest hit sections. The drove those massive tanks of theirs straight over our lines, crushing some of my men under their threads. After that they swarmed with their infantry, it was only a matter of time until we had to surrender.” Another Minotaur joined in on the conversation. He sat a few feet down from Richard; he was drinking from a beaten up flask. His fur was grey, and he wore an eye patch over his left eye. After he spoke, he took a swig of his drink, a hard liquor made in Byth. He offered the flask to Richard, who happily accepted and took a swig as well, the liquor warming his cold body and easing some of the pain he felt. He returned the flask to the man with a small smile.
“The name is Richard, Richard Ironhoof.”
“John Greybread.” The man raised his flask slightly as he took another swig of his drink.”So, you served in the 10th did you? You were based out of Karhoof I believe then, correct?”
“That’s right. I went through basic at Camp Bloodhorn.”
“Ah, good old Bloodhorn. I remember when I went through basic there. Is the grull still made of mystery meat?”
“Yeah it is! A lot of us liked to joke around that is was made out of cats and mice!”
John let out a laugh as he wiped the excess liquor off his greying bread. ”So son, what’s your story?”
“Your typical one. I was a car salesman in Labyrinthine before the war, damn good one too. When the war started and we were invaded, I answered the call and joined the army. I was full of patriotic pride back then; I just wanted to crack some skulls and kill me some Griffons for the Motherland! I didn't realize just how bloody the war was going to be. I saw so many men die, in such horrible and painful ways. The only thing that kept me going through all the horror was the spirit of brotherhood in my regiment, and the fact that I had a wife and daughter waiting for me.” Richard’s voice began to crack as salty tears ran down his eyes and into his dirty and disheveled fur.”They were near the center of the blast, nothing was left of them. Now I have nothing left.”
“That ain’t true. You have all of us. We are all in this together, as brothers and sisters. As family. Don’t you ever forget that, Ironhoof. “ John nodded sagely at the younger soldier as the greybeard stared at his rusty and tattered flask. Richard felt comforted by the older man’s words. It was good to know that they were all in this together. That despite all that had happened, the prideful spirit of the Minotaur hadn’t vanished.
“So what is your story then, John?”
“I was the mayor of Singard, recently elected. I had just gotten into politics and was hoping to one day hold the councillor seat for my prefecture in the Assembly. It seems that won’t be the case anytime soon though. I was commissioned as a Lt. General and I eventually came to command the 13th.” John took a swig from his flask as Richard’s eyes widened. He had realized he had been speaking to a divisional commander this whole time!
“I’m terribly sorry, sir. I hope you will forgive me for my insubordination.” Richard saluted and sat as erect as he possibly could. Both John and the other fellow let out a chuckle.
“It’s alright, lad. Nothing to forgive here. The war is over, and I’m no longer a part of the army. At ease.” John waved his hand, motioning for Richard to lower his salute and relax. Richard was relieved, he had heard stories about generals that went ballistic if they weren't addressed properly. John clearly wasn't one of them.
It was at this point that John and Richard turned their attention to the odd fellow with the beaker. As the two veterans had introduced themselves, the fellow in the lab coat was peering into his beaker with a magnifying glass before he pulled out a notepad and began to jot down notes furiously. He was so immersed in his work that he almost didn’t notice John and Richard were looking at him, waiting for him to introduce himself as well. With a swift sigh he pocketed his notebook and look to his companions.
“Dr. James Armistead, at your service.” The doctor bowed his head slightly as he put his stirring rod away. A brief silence filled the room as each of them listened to the soft patter of the rain above them. Finally, John spoke up.
“I still can’t believe what happened though; three cities eradicated in the span of four hours. Over half our population dead or injured.” John took a long swig from his flask, as if drinking would make him forget the sight of the terrible explosions that could be seen from miles away.
“I couldn’t even imagine such destruction. So much death and carnage not seen in this world since...” Richards statement began to taper off; he was getting ready to breach a very sensitive subject, one that was not to be spoken of lightly due to the tragedy of the event.
“Not since Canterlot.” James finished, his voice unwavering and firm. He had broken the taboo and spoken the name of the worst tragedy in recorded history, but that was before Singard and Byth. Before Labyrinthine. A cold silence filled the air for a few moments each man gathering his thoughts before John finally spoke.
“You’re right. Nothing like this has happened since Canterlot. After all, all of Dr.Lightbringer’s research was destroyed fifty years ago in the event. Everyone hoped that would be the last we ever saw of such a weapon.”
“Never call that pony a doctor. He was far from it. Instead of working to better society and save people, all he did was plunge it into an era of death and chaos.” James tone was harsh and had a judgmental barb to it.
“The world wouldn't be what it is today without Lightbringer and what happened in Canterlot. Despite how bad it was, it opened the worlds eyes to scientific truths. We lived in ignorance back then, a blissful and innocent ignorance.” Richard spoke up as he pulled a cigarette out of his breast pocket. He lit up and took a drag as exhaled the smoke from his mouth. He offered John a stick and he accepted as he spoke.
“Lightbringer was a crazy bastard. He thought himself descended from on high. A god among mortals who came to show them the truth and wipe clean the slate of society.” He lit his cigarette and took a drag as well as James silent rage grew.
“He was a lunatic and a madman. He slaughtered thousands of innocent civilians, and we have him to thank for what happened to our cities. He have him to thank for the weapons that helped slaughters millions during this war.” A silence once again befell the trio as John and Richard slowly took drags from their cigarettes, exhaling as they gathered their thoughts.
“Still, Canterlot enlightened us. Pushed us along the right path. We stopped looking to old archaic ways of thought. After Canterlot, things had to change.” Richard spoke, smashing his cigarette against his chair as he put it out. “People thought the sun and the moon would fail to raise after Canterlot, but that turned out not to be the case. The planet continues to rotate around the sun, and we continue to have day and night. Not because two sisters raised and lowered the celestial bodies, but because that’s how our planet rotates, nothing more, nothing less.” Richard leaned back and looked to James for a reply. James merely sat for a moment, lost in thought before he muttered his reply.
“I suppose you are right there. Modern science owes its very existence to the Canterlot incident, as morbid as that might sound. The scientific community made huge discoveries once we shifted the way we thought. Cellular and atomic research were at the forefront with physics and chemistry not far behind. New medicines and surgical innovations lead to an increase in life expectancy. We mapped out our solar system and began to peer deeper into space. It was a wonderful period to be a scientist I am told.” James let out a disappointed sigh, his eyes full of longing as he wished he could have been around during the great Scientific Revolution. John let out a chuckle as he too put out his cigarette and reopened his flask.
“Don’t forget the other side of the Enlightenment. The political side. Democratic theory and nationalism also emerged from the ruins of Canterlot. The ancient regimes gave way to a surge of democratic nationalism as the once small nations of old became the great empires that have helped shape the modern world. Canterlot was directly responable for that, for we saw the first true democracy emerge from the ashes of the Royal Equestrian government. “
“Not like that had much of choice, what with the majority of the ruling class no longer present. It was all trial and error at that point.” Richard chimed in. “They were used to having been ruled over for so long, and now they had to establish their government from scratch. The wealthy businessponies on the east coast had the most clout and say in the matter. Being good capitalist they realized that democracy would be the form of government most favorable to them. It was nothing but exploitation.”
“Perhaps at first.” John retorted with a grin as he took a swig of liquor. “ But, it was and continues to be one of the most successful systems of governance to date. Our own parliamentary system was based almost fully on the Equestrian model. The United Federation of Equestria is now the world's leading military and economic power, no one could have foreseen that fifty years ago.” Richard raised a curious eyebrow as John spoke such high praise of their foe. “Just because they beat us, doesn't mean I can’t respect them. They were fierce and honorable opponents, worthy of praise.” John spoke as he noticed the confusion in Richards eyes. Richard seemed to accept this answer and continued their conversation.
“Still, it took the bloodiest civil war in history to make the system stay. The Crystal Empire and her protectorate states were hell bent on independence once they had discovered their so called ‘princess’.”
“That it did.” John nodded his head slowly. “ It cost over a million and a half lives lost, but in the end, Federal forces prevailed, and the Federation remained intact as a single entity.”
“Still, I remember when we used to be the strongest.” Richard spoke up, a hint of pride in his voice. ”We had the world’s strongest military, feared and respected across the continent. Our industry boomed and our people prospered. All the other nations would tremble in fear when they heard the beating of our drums and the chanting of our war cry.”
“Melagor. Melagor. The Lords of the Deep come!”
John and Richard spoke the ancient rallying cry of their ancestors. They both let out a chuckle as they reminisced of days long past. It would never be the same, the blackened land was evidence of that. There was also the soft glow that arose from the ground, and that would slowly make sick and kill all who lived upon it. It was an after effect of the blast, a lesson learned from Canterlot.
“We should be thankful for the ponies, it was they who demanded that we be allowed to settle elsewhere; the Griffons were content to watch us slowly go extinct here.” James spoke up after he had been silent for sometime. “It must be because they know what it feels like, to have such devices used against them.”
“If that was the case, then why did they use them against us in the first place?” Richard asked at the seeming contradiction.
“The Griffons most likely made the decision on their own. Griffon High Command knew we were on the doorstep of their capital, and if they didn't act fast, all could be lost. They did what they had to do to insure their survival.” James replied in a matter of factually manner as he took his dirtied glasses off and attempted to wipe them clean with his lab coat.
Richard had never thought about it in that regard, that the Griffons were a nation fighting for their independence and way of life. He always just saw them as the opponent who he either had to kill, or be killed by. Still, the revelation did little to ease the pain in his heart of having lost his entire family. He wished he could have been there with them, in their final moments. Instead, he was forced to live out the rest of his life, alone and suffering.
“If only we had never allied ourselves with those damn Dragons. Everything went downhill after that. We might have managed to avoid this entire war.” James's voice contained venom and spite as he pulled out his own flask and took a long swig of liquor, surprising his fellow passengers. “Our so called, ‘allies’ drug us into this mess of a war because of that bloody incident with the Changeling Collective. They thought the Changelings were pushovers and they didn't even take into account the fact that the Griffons and Ponies had guaranteed Changeling independence. They had the gall to act surprised when Coalition armies began to invade Dragonia and Labvia.” James took another swig, hoping the drink would calm his frayed nerves.
“The cowards even capitulated before us. We fought on to the very end, and very nearly won it all in the end. The bastards abandoned us.” John added on with anger as he pounded his fist together in frustration. A bitter air of betrayal and defeat hung in the air as none of the men spoke up for sometime. James resumed stirring the liquid in his beaker as John put away his flask.
“So what do you have there exactly?” Richard questioned, his curiosity finally getting the better of him as he asked about the mysterious liquid that James had been messing with since he first saw him.
“I’m trying to make a medicine that can cure the sickness brought about from the radiation of the explosion and residue. So far, I have had no luck. I thought perhaps I had discovered a solution in the latest invention of my lab: nanomachines. They act like white blood cells to a certain extent, only instead of hunting down and destroying sickness, these little machines hunt down radiation. Alas, the nanomachines can’t just clean out the radiation though, it kills all the irradiated cells, but that in turn kills the patient. I just can’t seem to correct for that error.” Jame spoke as he ran his hand through his fur in frustration. He wanted to help his people in their time of most desperate need, but so far he had only ran into roadblock after repeated roadblock.
Richard was impressed by the explanation. Here was a man who was attempting to heal the sick and dying by hard work and effort. Richard in comparison felt like a barbarian, as the only thing he had ever helped contribute to society was violence and death.
“I wish you the best of luck, doctor. No doubt many will need such a treatment in the coming months and years.” Richard patted James on the shoulder and gave him a smile. James seemed confused by the treatment, for years his ideas were openly mocked in the Academy as foolish and impossible. Nanomachine technology in and of itself was in its infancy, having been founded and developed with the help of magic by Ponies, it was often looked down upon by the rest of the scientific community. James had seen the potential though and had dedicated his life to studying and researching as much as he could on this new technology. To hear appreciation for his theory, rather than laughter was a first for the young scientist.
“Thank you, Richard. I hope as well that I can find a cure and help our people.” James returned the smile and patted Richard on the shoulder as well, showing his appreciation for the kind words his fellow Minotaur had offered him. It was then that they felt the truck slow to an eventually halt. A griffon appeared behind their truck. He stuck his head in and informed them that the lead truck had broken down and they were working on fixing it now. With that, he flapped his wings and flew away.
“Well, might as well get out and stretch while we can.” John stated as he began to stand up. He made his ways towards the rear of the truck and the exit. Richard joined him as well, and since he was at the end of the row right next to the exit, he merely hopped down onto the muddy ground. John followed closely behind him. The rain had finally let up and the light of the sun was slowly beginning to pierce through the veil of ash and clouds. John and Richard harassed James until finally the scientist decided to join them as well, if only to get them to be quiet. He grabbed his beaker and hopped out of the back of the truck. As he did so though, some of the content spilled from the beaker and onto the muddy ground.
“Ah, damn it.” James muttered as he realized what a stupid idea it was to take the beaker with him. However, as he looked down to the spot in which the liquid had fallen, his eyes widened, ”You two, look at this.” He pointed down to the patch of ground as the other two Minotaurs gathered around him to look.
The rest of the ground around them was glowing slightly, evidence of the fallout from the blast. They were at the very edge of the spread, so there was no immediate danger to them. It was the fact that the rest of the ground was glowing, while the ground in which the liquid had landed upon had ceased to glow entirely.
“This can’t be...” James said softly, his voice doubtful and full of disbelief as he looked to the beaker in his hand. He poured some more of the liquid onto the ground. Sure enough, wherever the liquid was poured, the glowing ceased to occur. His hands began to shake as he slowly sat the beaker down on the seat in the truck. He turned to look at his two comrades, who weren't quite able to grasp the significance of what had just occurred.
“So, the ground has stopped glowing. Is that important?” Richard questioned innocently as John also cocked his head in confusion. James let out a frustrated sigh as he pushed his glasses up once again.
“That liquid I just made can make the land better. It can make it so people can live here again. This is a miracle.” James spoke simply so that his two non-scientifically oriented comrades could understand. Richards eyes widened as the significance of James statement finally settled in.
“You mean, we might be able to come back someday?” Richard spoke, his voice light and full of hope as he peered back into the wasteland that was Labvia. As he did so, the sun’s loving and warm rays finally pierced the veil of cold ash. The warmth which he had not felt since that fateful day when all their lives were changed. A warmth he had thought lost forever. Now, warmth enveloped Richard and his comrades as they gazed upon their battered and ravished homeland. However, now they knew that this was not goodbye, but only a brief farewell. For with the sun’s warming rays came the hope that they would soon return one day, and restore their homeland to its once beautiful splendor.