> The Apocalypse Ponies: Origins
>  by PlagenShiki
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> Prologue
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Long ago the world was broken into many countries. Each race and species powerful enough to maintain one ruled a nation as they saw fit. However, these past lands were not harmonious. Turmoil, disease, and misfortune was everywhere. Many nations practiced isolationism, and cut themselves off from the others. Among these nations were four major countries belonging to the three races of pony kind.

The Scarlet Empire was created by the union between a group of unicorns and a group of earth ponies. Together they created the empire and chose one among them to lead as their emperor. Pegasi, however, were treated poorly, since they had cast aside the ground for the skies above. The empire is ruled by an emperor and his appointed officials. The emperor’s word is law and to go against him is to go against all of the Scarlet Empire.

The Sky Flotilla is the nation of the Pegasi. They have vast cities in the skies and only a few farming villages on the earth. They look down upon the unicorns and earth ponies who dwell on the ground and treat them with hostility. As such, the Sky Flotilla is make up entirely of Pegasi. The flotilla is governed by a democratic system of government where their leaders are elected by popular vote. Those selected to rule do so with what is believed to be the will of the people behind them.

The Magical Symposium belongs to the unicorns. They embrace magic and shun those who cannot use it. As such, both pegasi and earth ponies are disliked and looked down upon by the unicorns. They view the other races as barbarians and treat them as such. The magical Symposium is ruled by a council of elder unicorns who showed great magical abilities and leadership capabilities. Once appointed to the council, councilors serve the council for the rest of their lives. The council lays down the laws of the land and sets regulations for magical research.

The Moon Kingdom is ruled by the Earth ponies. However, the moon kingdom is the most accepting of the four major nations, and welcomes unicorns and pegasi equally. Despite this, only earth ponies are eligible for nobility. Pegasi make up only a small portion of the population and the majority of them live in poverty. The unicorns, while outnumbered by the amount of earth ponies, make up a decent chunk of the population and range in social status. The kingdom is ruled by an Earth Pony king who appoints his children and family to positions of power around his kingdom.

Over a period of a few decades, these four nations of pony kind were thrown into the webs of fate and their destinies were linked by a series of events known as The Great Tragedies. During this period, four ponies would be faced with these tragedies and their fate would be forever altered. They were normal ponies who simply disappeared from the pages of history, but the impact they would cause upon the world would never be forgotten.
> Act 1: Chapter 1 - The City of Death
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The Apocalypse Ponies
Chapter 1 - The City of Death


Morning descends upon the small town of Crescentville and the sun is approaching halfway to the top of the sky. Ponies begin to go about their day like they always have, dealing with the hardships of their current lives and hoping for the future. Shops open and patrons surge through the dirt streets of the town. In the town’s center begins the very same event that occurs each and every day, as it has for months.

A white cloaked unicorn entered the center and began to ring a bell he carried with him. His face was hidden behind a bird’s mask; the mask encompassing his entire head, save a hole for his horn. As he rang the bell, using his magic to send its chime resounding throughout the town, he enhanced his voice with his magic as well and spoke to the town as a whole.

“Citizens of Crescentville, I welcome you good morning and hope you have lasted through the night as best you could. I doubt all of us are that lucky however. The Plague is still thriving, a cure, unfound. But, you can all do your part for prevention! Bring out your dead! While you may have cared for them when they were alive, keeping them with you will only cause you harm. Bring them out and help load them onto the carts as they make their rounds. Not only is The Plague spread by the living, but it is spread by the decomposing dead! Bring out your dead! Only then can you minimalize your exposure to The Plague. Countless have already died, so know that you are not alone in your mourning. Bring out your dead! And only then can their mourning begin, as the holy flames destroy The Plague from their very souls!”

“As a reminder to all citizens, withholding the dead and hiding them is punishable by hanging. The dead are not only a threat to you and your families, but a threat to the town as a whole. Count Crescent feels your pain, and mourns the loss of each of his subjects. The Count’s own daughter, Waning, was taken by The Plague just months ago. Trust me when I say that he knows your pain. So please, do the responsible and noble thing. Bring out your dead!”


===============~*~=============


The typical speech. It encourages everyone to take their dead family members and neighbors who died overnight from The Plague and load them into carts. Though, the part about the Count’s daughter was added only shortly after her death. The carts get loaded, each and every day. At approximately this time, each, and every day. And so my family’s clinic gets these carts and their dead passengers, each and every day. Of course, it wasn’t always like this.

Two months ago the carts went to the undertaker’s house. However, after Rust the undertaker’s death from The Plague, all of his work became our work. It was just a simple matter of moving backwards up the chain of events. Our clinic would inspect the dead and determine if they died from The Plague, and needed burning, or if they died from something else, and could be buried. Rust would take care of burning the corpses or burying the dead. But, that was before he died.

Now, my father and I have taken up Rust’s job as well. My father, Sawblade, had been teaching me about medicine. He had wanted me to take over the clinic when he died, as was tradition, like his father, grandfather, and so on had done. My mother, Serenity, and younger sister, Lyric, tend the housework, cooking, and shopping. So far our family has been one of the few who have been lucky enough to not feel the effects of The Plague. Speaking of The Plague, I suppose I should explain exactly what it is, at least to our knowledge.

Supposedly, the first case happened around a year ago when a rat bit somepony. The Plague has only been in our town and Kingdom for a few months. But, it is a very deadly and infectious disease. At first, you will develop a slight cough. The next morning, you will find yourself paralyzed. After a few more hours blood will begin to trickle from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Within another hour, sometimes up to two, your throat will close up, and you’ll begin to suffocate. But, that is the least of your worries. Before you suffocate your internal organs will begin to fail and rupture. The pain is excruciating, and you will scream throughout your final night. In total, the time it takes to die from the disease is two nights from contraction.

The Plague is what ponies call it. Personally, I think that is kind of a dumb name. That is like calling a type of tree, The Tree. But they do it because, thus far in history, it is the single most devastating sickness to befall ponykind. Though, I should also mention that it isn’t just ponykind. The disease also infects griffons, zebra, buffalo…really it infects many of the intelligent creatures. The disease spreads through the air and bodily fluids, even cross-species. The only way to stop the spread is to burn the corpses, isolate the victims, or wear a Plague Mask, like The Mourners wear.

The stallion from this morning, the one yelling ‘bring out your dead!’, is a Mourner. The Mourners is an organization established by our kingdom, The Moon Kingdom, to fight The Plague. However, due to the limited nature of the herbs required in the manufacture of Plague Masks, the herbs which filter out The Plague, only The Mourners have Plague Masks. King LeMoon has ordered The Mourners to every town, so each town has at least one. Some larger towns have more, however. I should note that Count Crescent is the 13th son of King LeMoon and was granted land in recognition of his royal birth.

However, The Mourners are a joke. In reality, they are just nobles who oversee how The Plague is dealt with. They pass down noble decrees and direct us around. But in reality, my father and I are the ones who combat the disease, in our town at least. The Mourner just sits in the Count’s castle, safe behind his mask and never lends us a hoof in dealing with the dead, or The Plague. He just gets up, gives his speech, and returns to the castle. Safe and sound, no more than a coward.


===============~*~=============


I woke up this morning to The Mourner’s cries. It seems that I had slept in longer than usual today. No real loss, however. My work didn’t start till the corpses arrived anyway, and that was still a few hours away from when The Mourner gave this speech. I rolled out of my bed of hay and onto my hooves, trotting over to my mirror to inspect myself. As I approached the mirror, I came into view. My black coat was slightly ruffled and my white mane and tail were a tangled mess. I levitated up my brush and began grooming myself.

After I finished brushing, I turned and looked about my room. It wasn’t anything special, the floors were wooden and the walls were made from stone. The ceiling, like many buildings in our town, had wooden supports below a hay roof. My room was small and only contained my bed, a mirror, and a small table on which I set my brush. It wasn’t lavish by any means, we weren’t rich like the Count and other nobles, but we made do with what we had. I was at least happy that it had a window with a view that wasn’t either another house, or the dying town. I could look out over the countryside, which was always a welcome sight to the things I saw over the course of each day.  Trees dotted the landscape and hills rolled as far as I could see. It was a peaceful scene.

I left my room and went to our kitchen where my mother, Serenity, was cooking. She had a white coat and a red mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a wooden spoon, made sense since she was a brilliant cook. However, it struck me as odd that she should be cooking at this time of day, and I asked her as much.

“Oh, good morning, Grell. I thought you might be waking up soon, and would be hungry. So, I figured I would make something for you. Its only carrot stew, but we can also eat it for lunch.” Serenity told me.

I trotted over to our table and sat down as I asked her. I didn’t know how, but she always managed to do this. I could wake up any time of the day, and she would know when I was going to and have food ready for me. She always called it ‘mother’s intuition’, but I was curious if that was really all there was to it. After a few minutes of thinking to myself, my sister, Lyric, came into the room.

Lyric began walking around and setting up the table. She had a red coat and her mane and tail were brown. Lyric helped my mother with much of the housework, despite being younger than me. However my mother would often shoo her away so that Lyric could play. It was probably due to this that Lyric had gotten her cutie mark at a remarkable age. Her cutie mark was a musical note. Mother thought that fillies of her age shouldn’t be stifled in the house helping their mothers all day and encouraged her to go outside and play with friends. Though Lyric preferred to find a quiet place and sing, and had become quite good at singing. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that she would become a notable singer in the future.

“Where is father?” I asked to them both. I hadn’t seen him yet, but I figured like always he would be in the clinic which adjoined our house. “Hm, I think dad is in the clinic. He should be setting things up for today.” Lyric told me. I had figured as much. He really needed a hobby, he spent too much time in there.

With that realization, mother finally finished cooking and gave me a helping of carrot stew. I thanked her and ate it quickly, time was slowly running out and I had work to do. It was delicious. I finished eating and thanked my mother once again. Then I got up and exited the kitchen through the door leading to our clinic.

Father wasn’t here, but I did guess that it was about that time. He was busy elsewhere at this time. The clinic was where all of our medical treatment to our live patients happened. It had several counters which had medical supplies and items lay upon them. Above those counters were cabinets filled with medicines, bandages, and other healing items. In the center of the room was a table the patients would sit or lay on, whichever was required. Along a wall was a bench where waiting patients would sit while we helped the current. Like my room, it wasn’t luxurious; however it was one of the better buildings in our town, save the Count’s castle. I took a final look around the room before I left the clinic and entered our adjoining surgery room.


===============~*~=============


With The Mourners being useless, this means that my father and I are this town’s only hope. Our town’s population was 21,329 before The Plague. As of today, deducting last night’s deaths, our population stands at 5,261. Even though I am still young in my years, this sort of work has long since become mundane to me. It no longer causes me shock and disgust. Even before taking up Rust’s job, my knowledge of medical aid and procedures, and witnessing them done, my senses began to deaden. However, despite my medical knowledge and prowess, which began to evolve further than my father’s, I still did not have my cutie mark.

It wasn’t until we took up Rust’s undertaking job that I got it. A week into digging graves, burning corpses, and dealing in the dead, I got my cutie mark. It was a somewhat ominous one, but it felt fitting. My cutie mark was of a staff with two serpents winding up it. And atop of the staff was the skull of a pony. The staff and serpents made sense; it had long been associated with medicine. However the skull was out of place. But, I soon decided that it was symbolic of my workings involving death. And so I reasoned that it was my destiny to heal the dead, or in more reasonable terms, cure The Plague.

That was my belief, anyhow. And I lived my life with hopes of doing just that. I studied The Plague, learned all I could about it, but things aren’t always as easy as they seem. Today’s haul of corpses gave me more test subjects. But before I can run tests on them, we have to do the routine inspections. Don’t want to burn non-infested corpses, after all. We got 14 corpses in total. Today was a good day. I once had a day with 127 deaths…it was a long day.

Sawblade unloaded the corpses and put them into our holding room. I brought out the first two and laid them on the two tables we used for dissections. As he unloaded the rest, I laid out our tools and prepared the bodies. Once prepared, I awaited Sawblade to begin the dissections. As I did so, I looked at the two ponies in front of me, lied upon our tables.

The first one, which Sawblade would be dissecting, was a familiar looking stallion. He had been the baker’s assistant, if I’m not mistaken. I never knew his name. He showed no clear signs of being infected with The Plague. Many didn’t though. Many ponies wanted their loved ones to look good, even if they were infected. So, they would clean up the blood which would help give away The Plague. It was foolish, however. They were going to be burned anyway, I didn’t see the point. Not only that, but since The Plague is transferred via bodily fluids they put themselves at risk of getting infected. But without going into homes on a regular basis and stopping ponies from doing that, there was little we could enforce. Every pony knew, fliers were everywhere around town about preventing The Plague.

The stallion had a brown coat with a grey mane and tail. His cutie mark was a rolling pin. I opened his eyes and looked at them, they were blue, and had once been so full of life. Now they were dull and lifeless. I couldn’t see any blood lingering about around them, either he didn’t have The Plague, his eyes didn’t bleed, or whoever cleaned him was very thorough. I closed his eyes once more, and opened his mouth. Well, he had decent teeth at least, I’ll give him that. Oh! What’s this? Some blood is lingering around his gums. That could be a sign he had The Plague, but a few other diseases do that too, so we can’t just assume. A full dissection is necessary.

I left the stallion alone and turned my attention to the other pony, the one I would be dissecting. This pony was a mare. She had a grey coat with a black mane and tail. She was somewhat pretty, but not really my type, not to mention she’s dead. Anyhow, if I recall correctly she was the daughter of…some family…They did some sort of farming, but that’s all I knew. I turned my attention to her eyes, as I did with the stallion’s, and opened them. They were amber in color, and just as lifeless as the other’s. If there is one thing you can trust the dead to be, it is predictable.

In all the examinations I’ve done, I actually have discovered two ponies were alive, and simply paralyzed, and were thrown onto the cart by their families. All thanks to looking into their eyes. It actually amused me, discovering that a family had thrown away a perfectly good pony. Life is precious in these times, after all. And upon reuniting with their families, the anger their released at being thrown into a cart full of corpses and thought of as dead, is too humorous to ignore. Within a month, however, both of those I found alive returned to my table thanks to The Plague.

But, back to the mare who is currently resting on my table. Her eyes were devoid of blood residue, so I opened her mouth. Her teeth were not as good as the stallions, however she had no blood in her mouth either. Maybe she didn’t fall to The Plague, but we can’t know for sure yet. I close her mouth and take a look in her ears, still I find no blood. Well, there is still one place infected mares will bleed from that stallions will not. I lay her head down upon the table and make my way around to her flank. Not bad, I think to myself, but again, she’s dead. I drew my gaze to her genital. No blood residue outside. But, given family cleanings and all…I draw myself closer and open her up, looking inside. Well, she is definitely pink, but nothing out of place in here.

“Well, well Grell! Getting friendly with the young lady there?” a voice calls to me.

“Hm? Oh, Sawblade. Finished up storing today’s bodies?” I ask my father. He was always an upbeat fellow. He didn’t let The Plague get him down. He had a brown coat with a black mane and tail.

“Oh, you’re no fun son…I expected a reaction out of you,” Sawblade looking disappointed. “I remember when I was training under my father. I used to stare at the flanks of the cute dead mares too, when I was your age. He would always abruptly enter the room to get a reaction out of me. Embarrassed me to death most of the time.”

“I’m not doing anything to be embarrassed about. I’m simply looking for signs of The Plague. I’m not as perverted as you,” I retorted. “Anyhow, are you ready to begin? I looked yours over and he had bloody gums, but no other signs. Mine seems to be clean, but you can’t be too sure.”

Sawblade sighs, “Sometimes I worry that these times have taken a toll on you. But, you’re a valuable assistant. Let’s begin.”

At Sawblade’s decree, we begin to dissect our bodies. I always think of these side-by-side dissections as a race between Sawblade and I. In the past, I was quite slow. But, I’ve gained speed. So much so, that we finish almost at the same time. Though, I’ve begun to finish first. Regardless of who finishes first, the procedure is basically the same each time.

I lay the mare on her right side and walk around to her belly. Using my magic, I pick up my scalpel and hover it at the center of her breast. I focus my magic, and pierce the blade into her flesh. Slight blood begins to trickle out from the blade. If she were alive, there would be a lot more blood. I continue to pull the scalpel horizontally down her belly about a pony’s head long. With the main incision complete, I pull out the scalpel and place it once again at her breast, this time slightly above the first cut. I pierce her flesh once more, and drag the blade vertically down till it hits the first cut and continue down further creating the letter ‘T’ on her underside. I pull out the blade, and place it down where the first incision ended, only higher. For the third and final time I pierce her flesh, and drag the blade vertically once more, mimicking the second cut. I pull out the blade for the last time and her underside now bears the letter ‘I’.

I know it is odd, but I call this series of cuts the Lateral Tissue Incision. Mainly due to the fact that that it has the initials ‘L.T.I.’, it involves cutting of tissue on the side, and it is an incision. And as you make the cut you make a lowercase ‘l’, a capital ‘T’, and an uppercase ‘I’. It isn’t exactly what the professional name is; I don’t really care of official names because you end up with things being called The Plague. I prefer naming things myself, so that way I can quickly explain and know what I am talking about. Regardless, this is just the first step anyhow.

I float aside the scalpel and levitate up some pins. While the pins float I grab ahold of the mare’s newly created flaps of flesh and pull them outward. They make a squelching sound as they pull away from the remaining skin, muscle, and bone. Once I pulled them open, I float the pins to hover over the corners of the flesh and using my magic, I pierce her skin once more and pin her flaps to the table. Now her bones and organs are naked and exposed to my eyes. I peer inside as I float the saw up to her and begin sawing at her ribcage. 

Before I learned to maintain my tools, this part used to take a while. My saw would be dulled and barely make any headway through the ribs and sternum. I soon learned that if you sharpen your tools and maintain them properly, the time is significantly cut down. Speaking of which, I’m already done sawing. Nothing beats well maintained tools. I float aside the saw and grab hold of her ribcage with my magic, while it is only half it is still a large amount of bone. I carefully ease it out, and as always it shows little resistance. I set the ribs on the table and take in the view of her no longer obscured organs. Say what you will about outer appearances, how some are beautiful or handsome while others are not, but everyone looks the same on the inside.

Well, not quite. Males and females have different organs, that much is apparent. However, I also learned that those who frequently drank alcohol will have their livers discolored, but all the same regardless. And this mare wasn’t an exception. Heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, everything was there. I inspected each carefully, but I didn’t see any sign of the organ failure and rupturing which would be the telltale sign of The Plague. I smiled, looks like this one will get a burial.

“Well, looks like this mare was lucky. She didn’t die of The Plague. She will get to be buried and can have a grave her family can visit to remember her,” I said, directing my voice towards Sawblade. “How is your dissection turning out?”

“It appears mine is not so lucky. His insides are infested with The Plague. Another corpse for the pyres…”

“Is that so? Unfortunately, that is the news many families receive these days. All we can do is give them an invitation to watch the pyre. They don’t get a special place to mourn their loss.” Irritation began to show in my voice.

“You’re starting to sound like an old stallion looking back at how horrible things were. But, we can’t allow The Plague to spread. Burning those infected so they can’t infect their loved ones is all we can do for those that remain alive. I wish you could have been born after all this mess ended, son.” My father stated. His voice was filled with worry and sadness.

It always made me angry when he said things like that. If I hadn’t been born when I was, who knows what would have happened. Perhaps my father would have caught The Plague and died before he could have had me. Then, I wouldn’t have even been born in the first place.

“Don’t say that, Sawblade. If it wasn’t for the times we currently live in, my medical skills would not have developed as quickly as they did. You couldn’t have known The Plague would show up. In a way, it is both a blessing and curse. No need to worry or be sorry about it.” I hoped my words would put him at ease, and we could get through the day without many more conversations like these.

“I…I suppose you are right. But, I still don’t think a colt your age should have to witness things like this.” A hint of worry still showed in his voice.

The conversation died off, and we returned to our work. The dissection was complete and she showed no signs of being infected. All we really did was look inside to check the condition of the organs, anyhow. I levitated up the removed ribcage section and replaced it back into her body. Using some wire, I tied the loose ribcage to the remaining ribs. It just had to look good till she was buried, and this would do the trick. I pulled out the pins holding the flaps of flesh back and moved the flaps back against her body as I floated the pins aside.

I then floated up a needle and some strong thread and proceeded to thread the needle. I placed a hoof on the mare’s cut flesh, holding it in place. Floating the needle over to the top of the left cut, I stabbed the needle into her flesh and began to sew her cuts up. Stitch. Stitch. Stitch. Stitch. I finished the left side in about a minute, cut and tied off the thread, and moved to the right side and began to stitch that cut up. Stitch. Stitch. Stitch. Stitch. Another lovely stitch, I cut and tied off the right side and began stitching the middle. Stitch. Stitch. Stitch. Stitch. I finished tying up the final cut and sat the needle and thread back down on the table.

“Finished. How about you, Sawblade? Did I beat you this time?” I asked him with a smirk. I know that I did, I just wanted to gloat slightly.

“Already? You certainly are getting faster…I only began stitching my second cut. Well, good work.”

“Well, practice makes perfect. Anyhow, I’ll place her in the storage room and grab another one.”

I levitated the mare onto my back and trotted into the storage room. It was slightly below ground level, and was cooler than the rest of our house and clinic. This way the corpses would stay relatively fresh and not rot too fast. Mother would complain about the smell if the rotting progressed too far and the sent wafted into the house. 

Since we didn’t have many bodies today we could lay them out without stacking them, and even had room to spare. I walked to the back corner of the room, which was empty and away from the uncut bodies. I floated the mare off my back and laid her down. It was unfortunate, but her burial had to wait. The longer we held unknown cause of death corpses, the higher risk we ran of The Plague spreading. I wasted no time after setting her down and levitated up another corpse, laying it across my back and trotting back into the surgery room.


===============~*~=============


After the routine inspection and cutting open this stallion, a cream coated gent with a burgundy mane and tail, I began to inspect his organs. His eyes, ears, and mouth were all bloody, so I expected he was infected with The Plague. His organs confirmed my suspicions. Mostly all of them were blackened and leaking blood, bile, acids, and other such normal fluids, well, normal inside of the organs, not inside of the body cavity. In addition to the normal fluids, there was plenty of pus.

I never understood The Plague. Where most other diseases targeted one thing in a pony and destroyed it, such as alcohol does with the liver, The Plague goes after every organ, sparing none. It is almost as if The Plague wanted to get rid of everything that was Pony inside the host. It was a dreadful, disgusting, and painful way to die. Even if having it wasn’t enough, the mental realization that you could spread the disease to your loved ones and infect them with it as well…well…Let’s just say we have had numerous ponies kill themselves at the first signs of The Plague.

However, the first sign is coughing. Plenty of other, very treatable, diseases involve coughing. This unfortunately meant that many of those who killed themselves, attempting to prevent spreading The Plague to their loved ones, were not actually infected with it and thus killed themselves in vain. I find the practice both noble and foolish.

Nevertheless, I quickly sew up the stallion and took him into the storage room. At this point, my father had already finished with his first, and grabbed a second. I made sure he placed him in a separate area from the previous mare. I didn’t want any mix-ups about which bodies were clean, and which were not. Luckily, he did, and I followed suit, dropping this stallion next to his. I grabbed another and set to work.

This was very repetitious work, and slightly bored me. Despite being quite squeamish my first dissection, I am quite calm about it now. With the hundreds of bodies I have dissected, the things I have seen, I did not have time to be squeamish. Once The Plague reared its head, my dissection count rapidly began to rise. Prior to it, I had probably only done two or three at most. After about ten you start to gain composure. After 50, you are so professional at it you could basically do it in your sleep. After 100, you start to see them less as ponies and more as hunks of meat. Then after a few more, you finally stop caring completely and just do your job; especially, if those stages came and went within a few days.

Despite the boredom, it was my job. And I pushed through as quickly as I could. Even with stopping to eat lunch, the carrot stew mother made, we had finished at a decent time. In total, I conducted eight while my father did six. I was faster, and my mindset helped. He was too playful and silly and tended to goof off. At the end of the day we had twelve plague related deaths and two unrelated deaths. Each of us got to dissect somepony who wasn’t infected, that can’t be said every day, so today was good.

It was barely into the afternoon, and most of our work had been completed. Unless anyone came into the clinic for something, all we had left to do was burn the infected and bury the clean. Attempting to save as much time as possible, I told my father, who decided to take a break after the dissections, that I would go prepare the pyre and graves. He nodded, but looked worriedly at me. I swiftly left the room before he could say anything.

I went to my room and threw on my saddlebags, then trotted outside and towards the undertaker’s shack. After taking over that job, we decided to leave all the tools of that trade in the shack, instead of bringing them back and forth with us each time we needed them; which had been each and every day for months, so it was a good idea.

Crescentville had a very simply layout to it. In the center there was the town square, well, it was a circle really. For a short distance north of it trees, long dead now, stood on each side of a street. At the end of this street rose the count’s castle, surrounded by walls and protected by guards. In every other direction, and spreading behind the castle as well, were streets and buildings. It was laid out in cobweb-like fashion; A circle of buildings with a road in front and behind them, then another circle of buildings around that circle, and another circle, and another. In total, there were about fifteen circles of buildings, both shops and houses. Of course, there were small roads connecting each ring. However, the planner had clearly not planned far ahead, as these roads were not straight, but instead caused you to zigzag to get from one side of the town to the other. It was a mess.

My house was on the thirteenth ring and luckily the undertaker’s shack was on this side of the town, not the other. It was set off a good distance from the rest of the town and I could make it there in ten minutes at a decent trot. If it weren’t for the roads, I could probably make it in five or less. 


===============~*~=============


I arrived at the shack, a small all wooden structure with a stone floor. It was about two ponies square and three high; nothing fancy. It contained a bed, a bookcase, and a table with tools on it. These tools were all we needed to do the undertaker’s job; an ax to gather and split wood, a shovel to dig graves, a hammer, and some nails to make grave markers from split wood. I floated the ax and some nails into my saddlebags, and slipped the shovel through the top of one, since it was too long to actually fit inside. With everything I needed gathered, I set off toward the graveyard close by.

Despite the thousands of dead citizens, our graveyard had barely expanded. The piles of ash around the pyres however, continued to grow. The pyres victims didn’t get markers, there was no way to remember them once they were gone, besides the ash which mixed with the others. I decided to first start digging the graves, since I only needed two.

While the digging wasn’t all that taxing on me, since I was a unicorn, I really wondered how Rust, an earth pony, managed so well at this job. He either hid his exhaustion well, or he was stronger and tougher than he looked. For him digging a grave would take around an hour each. For me, it took roughly fifteen minutes, thanks to my magic. It would take me only thirty minutes to dig these two graves.

By my calculations, however, I finished a bit faster than that. I stabbed the shovel in the ground, since we would need it here later anyway. I turned my attention to getting wood for the grave markers and the pyre, so I galloped to the forest which was a short ways away.

The forest had seen better days. It was never that big to begin with, and Rust failed to replant any of the trees after he cut them down. I start doing just that, but since they take years to grow the forest was slowly shrinking. Depending on the size of the tree, one would last us only a week or more. Today, I was fresh out of wood, so I had to cut another down. I found a decently sized one and began to hack at it.

Again, I wondered how Rust had managed doing this. It took me only minutes to cut through and fall the tree. I cut a few branches off of the tree and chopped them into manage pieces. I levitated those over near the stump. I floated one onto the stump and chopped it in half, then chopped one so it was shorter than the other, and finally cut each half so that they were each flat on each side. I took both of these pieces and made a cross, using the hammer and some nails to connect them. Lastly, I cut the bottom of the cross so that it was a point. I repeated this process to make a second cross.

With the crosses complete, I swung the ax into the stump and took the crosses back to the graves I dug previously. I thrust the crosses’ points into the ground just above the grave and used the hammer to pound each securely into the ground. The graves were now mostly complete; we just had to bury the bodies. The families would be notified and could write on the graves later, if they wanted to. I floated the hammer back into my bag and trotted back into the forest.

I magically pulled out the ax from the stump and began to chop up the other branches on the downed tree, using the stump to split them into more manageable pieces. I slipped the wood into my saddlebags till they were full, at which point I buried the ax back into the stump, and levitated some more wood around me. I could only carry a small amount, but the more I could carry now, the fewer trips I would have to make. I began trotting toward the pyre to start stacking the wood.

While I approached the pyre, my gaze wandered back towards town. I noticed my father pulling a cart behind him. He must have finished his break and decided to bring the corpses here. It was about time. Any longer and I could have taken care of everything myself. I turned my attention back to the pyre. Our pyre consisted of a slightly raised circle of earth, about three ponies in width, on which some wood and the bodies would be placed. Around this circle there was a slight gorge in which more wood would be placed to surround it entirely with flames.

I floated the spare wood I was levitating onto the circular platform and arranged it as flatly as I could across the top. I did the same with the wood in my saddlebags until the platform was covered. After doing that I only have a few logs left, and I magically tossed those into the gorge. It was at this point my father got within talking distance.

“You’re hard working as always Grell! Dug the graves, made the markers, and even started on the pyre! Good work, son. Did I really take that long?”

“No father, I just work fast. I have had a decent amount of practice at it, you know,” Crap. Why did I say that? Now he is going to give me one of his worried looks and speeches. But, thinking quickly I added, “Go ahead and lay the clean ponies in the graves, I am going to get more wood for the pyre.” I told him, as I began trotting towards the forest.

“Ah…Ok. I will see you in a while then, Grell.” He replied. Speech dodged.

When I was halfway to the forest I looked back at him. He was doing as I said, and was levitating the two clean ponies into the graves to bury, but he still had an unsettling look on his face. He worried about me too much, but I still loved him. He was both my father and teacher, after all. I reached the newly fallen tree and began collecting more wood.


===============~*~=============


When I returned father had finished burying the two clean ponies and had piled the diseased corpses on the pyre. I took the logs I had with me and placed them in the gorge surrounding the platform. I had just enough to complete the pyre. My father stood watching as I backed away from the pyre and walked to his side.

“Is it ready Grell?” My father asked, his voice was full of sorrow.

“Yea, it is ready whenever you are.” I told him. He nodded to me, and slowly trotted up to the pyre.

Sawblade stood at the edge of the gorge and looked over the pyre. He breathed a sigh and lowered his horn to the wood in the gorge. His horn lit up with a flash and then sparks came out, showering over the logs. They slowly caught fire and began to burn brilliantly as he walked back to my side and turned to stare at the pyre with me. He always got depressed while watching the pyres. I told him many times he could go back to the house and I would make sure it burned out safely, but he would always decline my offer. As I drifted into thought, father bowed his head and began to prey.

“Oh Gods in the Stars above, I ask you to look over these souls as they make their way to you. I beg your forgiveness in defiling their corpses so. As much as it pains me, a proper burial was impossible. Watch over the families and loved ones of these poor souls who had to depart before their time. I pray to the two Gods which look over us each day and every night. This plague on our land continues to take a terrible toll. I pray thee and your thousands of brothers and sisters, bring about a swift end to this plague. Guide the souls of those who died from it, and see that they are happy in the afterlife.”

He always said a similar prayer each time we lit the pyre and watched the corpses’ burn. I suppose it was as much for his benefit as it was for theirs. I bowed my head a quiet respect to those who died. The Church of Stars and the thousands of gods they worshiped…If they truly existed, they would have stepped in by now, right? I cannot say that I still follow my father’s religion, but I can at least understand the need to pay respect to the dead.

We continued watching the pyre until the ashes of the logs combined with those of the pony corpses’ ashes and the fires burned themselves out. We gave one last moment of silence to the dead and then turned to head back home. It was still only mid-afternoon as we trotted back home in silence.


===============~*~=============


Mother and Lyric were busy with housework, so mother had asked me to go into town and do some shopping. I threw on my saddlebags and got the list of what to buy from her. She kissed me on the horn and thanked me for running the errand. I said it was my pleasure, smiling slightly at her. Work had finished early, and there was little else to do, so I was glad for the distraction.

I left our house and began trotting towards the town center. The sun was beginning to go down, but I still had plenty of light left to get the shopping done. I could even dawdle a little and could still make it before dark. Nothing on the list was needed right away anyhow, so speed was not necessary.

As I walked towards the center of town, I noticed how very empty the streets were. I was only a few blocks from town square and I still hadn’t encountered anypony. Even months ago the streets were busy and filled with ponies going about their business. But now the streets were lined with boarded up houses, whole families having died out due to The Plague. 
The whole town was becoming a place of ruin. Empty and abandoned houses littered it, and no new ponies moved in to fill the gaps. The houses began to become dilapidated and hazardous. It was sad to see the town in which I grew up in such a state. It made me remember how horrible the times we now live in are.

As I neared the town center, the last bastion of liveliness in our town, I caught a glimpse of a white coated mare with a pink mane. Her name is Candy, and she was the daughter of the town’s sweet maker. She was a beautiful mare, and was always cheerful, despite the gloominess of the town around us. And she herself has learned to make sweets from her father. Her sweets are delicious and have a unique decoration which represents her personality. They are one of the few things in this world left that are able to spread happiness. And she hands them out freely to those who cannot pay. She is truly a beacon of hope in this darkness.

I have fancied her for a while, and luckily none in her family have been stricken with The Plague. I have never made my feeling for her known, however. Being surrounded by death, in a rapidly dying town, kind of ruins the romantic mood. If The Plague should ever be cured, and this terror ends…if we both survive it…I want to tell her that I love her. But…The way things are going…My hope of doing that is draining.

Ah, I’m getting distracted. I shouldn’t dwell on such depressing things at the moment. Today was a good day; perhaps The Plague is dying out? I can at least try to have hope, I suppose. I returned to my task and purchased what mother asked me to. With the state of the town, prices change all the time. Some things have run out and other things are running low. It strains our budget, but some things are simply necessary. With the supplies gathered, I returned home for the night.


===============~*~=============


For weeks things continued in a similar fashion. The sun would rise each day and the Mourner would give their speech. The dead would be brought out and taken to our clinic. My father and I would inspect the bodies, slice them open, sew them up, and then dispose of them properly. And the sun would set. However, my hope that The Plague was dying out was quickly dashed. The bodies started coming in mass. A day didn’t go by where there wasn’t over 100 dead. One day peaked at 197 deaths. Our town’s remaining population of 5,261 rapidly declined to 2,116 remaining ponies.

A week into this large number of deaths, the stallion who pulled the corpse wagon died himself. And so my father took over for him and the wagon became ours. He would wake up hours earlier than usual just so he could collect the bodies. It took its toll on him. He became exhausted, running some days on only a few hours of sleep. His usual chipper and carefree attitude changed into a gloomy daze and he rarely talked. I didn’t realize until then just how much my father meant to me. I always loved him, yes. But now, seeing how this sudden changed completely altered his personality…It was hard to see. Instead of greeting me in the mornings with a happy joke, he just gave me a defeated nod.

The monotony of this was ended one night when a Pegasus buck fell from the sky. The fall had broken his neck and his body was taken to our clinic. It was…strange. I had never examined the body of a Pegasus before. Our town was mostly earth ponies and a few unicorns, no pegasi. All pegasi belonged to the Sky Flotilla, the kingdom of the pegasi up in the clouds. Seeing one for myself was odd. For a group of ponies who think they are above all others, they certainly seem as normal as us.

Since he arrived in our clinic after our work for the day had completed, both my father and I had the chance to look him over. Rumors floated around that the pegasi were immune to The Plague and thus only we beings confined to the ground were dying. I was curious to see if this was true or not. His body was bloody enough that it looked as though he had The Plague. However, that could be contributed to the fall. So after a slight outer examination we decided to cut him open.

I did the honors in cutting him open and exposing his insides, same procedure as the others. My father and I gazed at the insides of the Pegasus buck. Before our eyes we saw that the rumor was just that, a rumor. His organs were blackened, ruptured, and bloody. Sure, the fall could have caused some internal damage, but nothing on the scale we were looking at. He had The Plague; that much was certain. And if the pegasi in the sky, safely above the diseased world below, could catch and die from The Plague…the hope of survival took a downward plunge. We had seen enough and quickly sewed him back up. It was late, so instead of burning his body today we just put him in the storage room. We would burn his body tomorrow, with the others.

After father and I cleaned up the clinic and ourselves, it was already time for us to sleep. It had been a long day, and the Pegasus buck had given us some short lived excitement. I bid my father good night and we went to our rooms and prayed to the Stars that the number of dead would be low tomorrow.

…He shouldn’t have gone to bed that night.

> Act 1: Chapter 2 - Child of Misfortune
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Apocalypse Ponies
Chapter 2 – Child of Misfortune


I was face to face with a Mourner. The bill of his beak was inches from my face. Our surroundings were white, no ground or sky. There was no background at all. In a world of emptiness we were the only two souls. “W-What is this?” I asked the Mourner. He just stared at me for a few moments before speaking in a monotone voice, “Misfortune. This world is drowning in disease. Many have suffered from misfortune because of this. You. You are no exception to this. You have seen horrible things in your short life. But you have been lucky thus far. Surrounded in a world of death, you have been excluded from misfortune. From this day onward, you will know true misfortune.”

I didn’t understand what he meant. I was surrounded by death each and every day. “What do you mean? What misfortune is greater than having your entire town die before your eyes?” I asked him. He moved closer to me, his beak touching my muzzle. “You will encounter vast misfortune. You must brave it. Whatever happens, you must face whatever happens to you. You misfortune is great, but it will make you great. In time, you will understand.” He backed up and turned to walk away. “Wait! I don’t get it. What is going on?!” I called after him. He turned and stared back at me. I don’t know how, I couldn’t see his face, but somehow I knew…he had a look a pity on his face. The world slowly faced into darkness as he gazed at me…

…I was being shaken. Somepony was shouting at me, “…up! Grell! You have to wake up! Father, he…Grell! Wake up!” I slowly opened my eyes as my mind began to take in the panic in this voice. “Hu? W-what’s wrong Lyric? Why are you waking me up so early?” I asked my sister. “It’s dad! He…he is paralyzed!” My eyes widened and I scrambled to my hooves. “What?! How?! He wasn’t even coughing…” I trotted past my sister and headed to my parent’s room. She followed, informing me in along the way. “Mother said right before they went to bed he began coughing. Father just shrugged it off as a minor ailment and went to bed.” I gritted my teeth. I couldn’t believe it. What was he thinking? He should have known better…Damn!

As we reached the door to his room, I turned to my sister, “Lyric, stay out here. Under no circumstance enter this room unless I say it is ok. I’ll send mother out as well, keep her company. Be strong for her.” Her eyes got wide and started to tear up a bit. But she bit her lip and nodded slowly. I opened the door and stepped inside.

What I saw was exactly as I expected. Father was paralyzed on his bed and mother was crying by his bedside. He was doing his best to console her. I walked over to her and placed my hoof on her shoulder. She knew what was going to happen. We all did. Father would be dead within a few hours. “Mother, go outside with Lyric for now. I will tend to father.” I spoke softly, trying to calm her down. “G-Gr-Grell…H-How could this happen? He…He will recover…right? He has just succumbed to exhaustion…right? Please…” She looked at me with pleading eyes wet with tears. She wanted lies. My mother who was usually such a strong mare looked so fragile at this moment. As if a mere touch would cause her to shatter. “I…I don’t know mother. You know how this goes. Only time will tell. But I will do what I can. So please, go with Lyric.” I lied to her; I had to get her out of the room. “It is alright dear; Grell is good at what he does, maybe even better than me. Go keep Lyric company.” Father tried his best to reassure mother, and finally she slowly exited the room.

I looked at my father. Mixing emotions of anger and sorrow swam within me. I could hear mother and Lyric sobbing downstairs. “Dad…How…Why?” It was the only thing I could think to say. “Grell…I know. You must be…angry. We both know what happen when you go to bed with a cough. I guess…I don’t know. Perhaps it was the exhaustion. Perhaps I just forgot or pushed that thought from my mind. No. The truth is…I am tired, Grell. My friends are dead and my town…well the way things are heading…the entire town will die within a month. Even the Pegasi are dying because of The Plague. I suppose I am just tired of trying to be happy…trying to live through this. The things I have seen…the things WE have seen…I don’t know. I just gave up. I caught The Plague, why try to fight it?” His voice was weak and gloomy.

Despite his current state, I found myself getting angry at him. “But what about mother and Lyric? What will happen to them once you are dead? Did you think of that?” He moved his eyes away from mine. “I don’t know…In the last few weeks I haven’t been much of a husband or a father. Work consumes my day and my mind. I feel I am more of a burden to them than anything else. Things will be better this way.” This made me even madder at him. “What?! Then what about me? The bodies are continuing to pile up, and with you gone I’ll have to take over all of the work!” I stared at him as he kept his gaze away from mine. After a few moments of silence, my rage had died out.

“I’m sorry. I just…I can’t believe this is happening, dad. After all we have been through…For things to end like this…I’ll be right back, let me get some medications for you.” I walked out of the room without another word. My anger had gotten the best of me, at a time when my father needed me the most. I was ashamed of myself. I trotted to the clinic, trying my best to avoid the kitchen where mother and Lyric were at. I got the medicines from the clinic and returned to father.

After mixing a few herbs and medicines together, I put the mixture into a syringe. “Here father, this is the same mixture we use before we amputate a limb, some of our strongest painkiller. I have increased the dosage enough to last for four hours, more than enough time.” I jabbed father with the syringe and injected the painkiller into him. At this point, it was the only thing I could do for him. He would feel no pain up until his death. “Thank you Grell. It is too bad we don’t have enough of this to go around.” I nodded to him. “How long have you been awake, dad?” I wanted to know how much time he had left. “I-I think it has been about an hour.” So, he had about an hour left before things got ugly. I suppose it is time. I left the room and returned with mother and Lyric. “Mother, Lyric. You have 45 minutes. I will be back by then. Do what you need to; I have to take care of some things.” They both stared at me, tears welling up in their eyes. I nodded to them, and then to father before stepping out the door and exiting the house.

I had given them time to say good-bye before the bleeding and other horrible things happened to father. I didn’t want them to see him after that began to happen. But, I didn’t lie. I had something I needed to do. I would spend the next few hours at his side until he died, so I would be unable to collect the corpses for today. I still had some friends who were alive in the town. One such buck owed me a favor. I went to his house and asked him to collect the bodies for me, and informed him of my current situation. He thankfully agreed to help. I thanked him and returned home 30 minutes after I left.
I gave them 45 minutes to make peace with what was going to happen. It was the most I thought I could allow. With the remaining 15 minutes I had, I readied the clinic to receive and deal with the bodies of this today. I then sat in the kitchen and waited for the time to pass.


===============~*~=============


When I reentered the room, all three of them were crying and hugging each other. “I am sorry, but time is up. I need you two to leave and no come back into this room until I say. Go and preoccupy yourselves. I will stay with father till the end.” A new wave of tears began flowing from their eyes, and they said one final good-bye before exiting the room. “Grell…You don’t need to be here either. You don’t have to see this.” He was right, I did not have to. I knew the timing and could just as easily come back after he was dead. But...Just thinking about leaving my father alone to die filled me with grief. “I can’t do that. I won’t allow you to die alone. And besides, neither of us has seen the stages of The Plague manifest before. If nothing else, I can use this as a learning experience. Although, I would prefer to say I’m spending the last hours of my father’s life with him.” It was true; I could use it as a learning experience, but, if prefer to keep him company till the end.

“Thank you, Grell,” is all that he said. I nodded and sat in silence for a few minutes. I couldn’t really think of anything to say. And I think father was preparing himself for the worst, in case the painkillers did not work properly. I finally broke the silence, asking him, “Dad, tell me about what the world was like before The Plague.” He moved his eyes to look at me curiously. “In case…I don’t survive to see a world without The Plague. I was only born shortly before it began, so I don’t remember much. I…I want to know.” He accepted this, and smiled at me.

“Alright son. Before The Plague everything was so…peaceful. Carefree even. I remember back when I was but a foal and I would run around town with my friends playing all sorts of games. Sometimes we would even pull pranks on the adults. The world seemed brighter back then, compared to the gloom we live in now. I don’t know how to quite explain it, but it is almost as if nature is affected by The Plague as well. The colors and wonder I felt while looking at the world around me were vibrant. Now when I look around, all I feel is sadness. I don’t know if that is because of The Plague, or because of growing old, but I am certain things were happier back then. No one worried about if tomorrow they or their loved ones would be dead. Everyone was so content with their lives. The markets were booming and nothing was in short supply. Anything you wanted was at your hooves.” His eyes were sparkling, remember better times. I am glad I had asked him about this.

“I remember the first time I saw your mother. I think I was about your age. You know that saying about love at first sight? I suppose that is what happened to me when I saw her. Her flawless white coat and curly red mane…She is still just as beautiful today as the day I met her. She was helping her mother with the shopping and I was running past with my friends. But when I saw her…I just stopped and stared for a few moments. I only snapped back to reality when one of my friends galloped back and bucked me firmly on the side. Every day after that, I made it my mission to go back to the market at that same time, hoping to catch a glimpse of her again. A few weeks later, she was alone and without her mother. I saw my chance and made my way up to her. I don’t remember what I said, or the short conversation we had at our first meeting, but whatever it was…I think that your mother fell in love with me then too.” Tears started to form in his eyes as he remembered his past. It pained me to see him this way, but I also felt this was helping him as well.

“From that day forward we met each other often and would enjoy each other’s company. I remember this one day; your mother planned a picnic for us, food that she made herself. It was the very first time I tasted her cooking, and it made me fall that much deeper in love with her. After a couple of months, I finally asked her to marry me. As you can guess, she accepted. We were both so happy, so very happy.” He stifled back a cough and fought back his tears. His speech was getting slower, and his breathing was heavier now.

“A month after I asked her to marry me, we had our ceremony. It was beautiful. Your mother had decided we should have it in a flower garden, and there were flowers everywhere. She looked…So very beautiful in her dress…So much so that I---I taste blood…I…I smell it too. And…” He was right. I could already tell that the bleeding stage was beginning. Tears ceased pouring from his eyes, and blood replaced them. I suppose you could say he was crying blood. His nose was bleeding, and I could see blood begin to dribble out of his mouth as he spoke. He had about an hour left. “Dad…Close your eyes. Continue your story, and remember the good times. Take your time.” Even if he couldn’t cry tears, my own eyes were shedding tears for him.

“When I…saw your mother in her dress…I could help but blush. She was radiant. It was the happiest day…of our lives. Well…Until you children…were born. We bought a house…this house…and I opened this clinic. We had a perfect life…we loved each other…we only needed each other. It was a few months later…that your mother became pregnant with you. We were…so happy…soon, we would have a child…of our own. Sometime later, you were born…our first…and only son, Grell. I was so…proud. We raised you…as best we could. Things were going well. Our future looked…so promising, so very promising…until…The Plague began. Ponies started…to get sick. Horrible things began…to happen. I knew that I…couldn’t shield you from these…horrors forever. But this was too soon…” He began coughing. He had to pause numerous times due to this and had to compose his thoughts. His breathing was becoming shallow. I think his throat was beginning to close up.

“We had not…planned to have another…child. But when your mother…became pregnant again…I kind of felt…hopeful. But sorrow was…mixed in with the hope. I did not want…to bring another child into this…horrible world. But who would I be…to deny life a chance? It wasn’t long…before our daughter, Lyric…was born. We were happy…but protective. We loved you children…so…so…very much. Worry was always on our minds…Would one of you…catch The Plague? What would…we do if it happened? I…we…were so happy…as years went by…and sickness did not touch our family…We still are…But I…I just…” His voice was coming out is rasps now. It was barely audible, but I heard every word. I refused to miss a single one. My father deserved someone to hear this. I placed my hoof on his. “I know father…I know.” But I don’t think he could hear me anymore.

“I wish…I could have…seen you…and Lyric…marry somepony…have children…families…of your own…to have…a grandchild…one…last date…with Serenity…Grell…Grell I…I…love…” His voice broke off, and he said no more. “Father…I…I love you…too…” I leaned over him, his chest barely rising and falling, and kissed his horn. “I promise. No matter what...I’ll make you proud.” I leaned back and watched my father’s chest slowly stop moving. “I promise you….”


===============~*~=============


When I rejoined mother and Lyric they were sitting solemnly at the kitchen table. They both looked up at my entrance and new tears began to flow from their eyes. “He is gone,” I told them, “and I’m sorry. I cannot let you see him.” I did not want them to see him as he was now. I wanted them to remember father as he had once been. “When you are ready, please go into town and do some shopping. I will clean things up here.” I didn’t want them to see him when I removed his body. And I also wanted to clean the room of any lingering blood. They nodded as I want into the clinic to see how many corpses I had to look over today, and give them an opportunity to leave.

I couldn’t believe it. Today of all days, there were 227 corpses, more than any day in the previous few weeks. The Plague was not going to give me a break. It was going to try and tear me down like it did my father. But I refused to allow that to happen. I had to be strong now. Not just for myself, but for mother and Lyric too. For the entire town. For dad’s memory. I emptied the cart and then returned to the kitchen. Mother and Lyric had left.

I worked fast, moving father’s body to the clinic and cleaning up the room. I made sure that there wasn’t a drop of blood left in the room before I finished. I then tended to father’s body, cleaning it of any blood exposed on his body. I had to make him presentable to mother and Lyric. And I had just finished tidying him up when they returned home. I called them into the clinic.

“Mother, Lyric, I cleaned him up as best I could.” They looked at father’s body, growing colder every minute. “Would you two like to join me in…burning his body?” I would have loved to bury his body, but I knew it must be burned. However, I would be damned if I just tossed him on a pile of other ponies and burned him with them. No, I would give him his own pyre. Mother started to tear up, but nodded. Lyric glanced at mother before nodding as well. “Follow me then.” I floated father’s body up and began walking outside to the cart. “But Grell, don’t you have to tend to the other ponies?” Lyric asked me as she followed me outside. “Yea. But there are so many today, it won’t matter if I start later or not. Besides, father deserves to be burned alone.” I placed father on the cart and instructed mother and Lyric to follow behind as I pulled it. In this formation we made the trek to the graveyard.

Once we arrived I quickly set about making the pyre using the left over wood from yesterday. I laid his body on the pyre and lit the fire, then backed away to join Lyric and my mother. Together the three of us watched the fire consume his body. Mother was crying and praying to the Stars, Lyric was looking at the fire with downcast eyes, and I looked on as I remembered the final story he told me about his past and the world before The Plague. We stood there, the three of us, watching Sawblade’s body be turned to ash by the flames of the pyre, until eventually the flames burned themselves out.


===============~*~=============


I returned home, but mother insisted she stay for a while longer. Lyric stayed with her, attempting to comfort her. It was a good three hours after we normally started tending to the corpses. Without father the time it would take to do so would almost double. And with the large amount of bodies we have recently been dealing with, I would be lucky to get much sleep anymore. But this is necessary, I had to do it. The dead needed to be disposed of, and the Mourner was certainly not going to help…bastard. While this town dies, he lives comfortably in the castle.

I tended to the bodies, all 227 of them. Cut…cut…stitch…stitch...cut…cut…stitch…stitch…So many times I had to slice open a pony, and so many times I had to stitch them back up. Sure, I had done this many times in the past…but never like this. Never this many at once. By the time I had finished, my magic had all but drained. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Mother and Lyric had both returned, began cooking, and offered me lunch, then dinner as it passed in turn. I turned both down. I did not have time to eat, and I really did not have the appetite. Mother said she would leave some carrots for me when I got hungry.

I had finally finished, and took a 5 minute break. I needed to recharge my magic. I didn’t know if I could handle this, if thing continued as they are. If they did, I would have to burn the bodies of everyone in town, unless I caught The Plague before then. After listening to father’s story and going through this…I understood why he had given up hope…but I had promised him, and I wasn’t about to go back on that promise. I needed to finish this.

I got up off the operating table I was lying on and began transferring the bodies onto the cart. The sun had already set, and it would be hours before I finished. I made the journey to the graveyard for the second time today, pulling the cart behind me. It was heavy without dad’s help. I dug the holes for those who were clean and buried them. I burned the rest. I don’t know when, but at some point while watching over the pyre till it burned out, I had fallen asleep.

I was in a familiar white space, nothing around me except the pony standing before me, wearing a white cloak and a Mourner’s mask. As soon as I saw him, I got furious. “You! Why!? Why didn’t you tell me my father would die? I…I could have stopped it!” He just stared at me, silently watching. “I know misfortune now. Oh yes, I do. Now what? What happens now?! You caused his death, didn’t you!? For what purpose!? ANSWER ME!” He continued to stare, but slowly raised a hoof to his mask. He pulled off his mask and exposed his…nothing. He had no face, no head, nothing. The inside of his cloak where is head should have been was simply empty. “W-what are you?” My fury drained and was replaced shocked terror. “You do not know true misfortune. Not yet. But you will.” I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know misfortune? My father just died and I burned his body myself, how is that not misfortune? But somehow, I couldn’t say anything further to the empty Mourner. “Misfortune is coming for you. You must bear with it. Have courage.” He put his mask back on, turned away from me, and began to walk away. “And Grell…”

“…Grell! Wake up. You shouldn’t be sleeping here. Come on Grell, wake up. Mother is worried.” My sister’s voice replaced the Mourner’s. I woke up and looked around me. My pyre had long since burned out and darkness was upon us, only kept at bay by Lyric’s lantern. “Lyric? What time is it?” I was fairly sure I knew already, based upon where the moon was at. “It’s a little past midnight. We should head home.” That sounded right. I nodded to her. “Sounds good. Jump in the cart, I’ll pull us back home.” She hopped in, and I began pulling us home. My body was exhausted, but I got us there.

Once we neared the house, we were greeted by mother, standing outside with a lantern of her own. She galloped towards us as we approached. “Grell! I was so worried about you! After your father…I…” I think that she would have been crying, if she could. After all the tears of today, I am sure she was cried out. “Sorry mother, I fell asleep. This was more work than I thought it would be.” Lyric jumped down from the cart and joined mother’s side. “You two head to bed; I will put the cart away and plan to sleep right after.” Mother nodded and put a hoof around Lyric, guiding her back inside.

I pulled the cart a bit further before unhooking myself from it. I immediately collapsed to the ground, exhaustion had returned. I lay there, on the cobblestone road, and thought about what tomorrow would bring. I would sleep for a few hours, wake up, begin collecting corpses, cut and stitch them up, and then bury and burn them. I would repeat this process each day. My body seemed to get weaker as I thought of this. I pushed myself up onto my hooves and began to groggily walk into my house and into my room. When I got near my bed, I fell upon it and seconds later, I was asleep.


===============~*~=============


For the next week or so my life was the same exact thing day after day. I woke up shortly before sunrise and prepared the clinic to receive the bodies. I would then eat something and take some time to relax. When the Mourner began his speech, I would begin pulling the cart to collect the day’s bodies. Once they had all been collected I would return home and begin cutting them up and then stitching them in turn. This would take hours, and often the sun would be setting by the time I had finished. After finally checking all the bodies I would load them back into the cart and take them to the graveyard. I would then cut the wood needed for the pyre and dig the holes for the clean corpses. Then I buried the clean and burned the tainted. After cutting more wood while waiting for the fire to burn out, I would return home, pulling the cart behind me. Once home, I ate the food mother left out for me and promptly went to bed. It was a tedious and maddening process. My days were 21 hours long, meaning I only got 3 hours of sleep each night. My only reprieve was that the Mourner in my dreams had not returned. But, like father, I quickly became exhausted.

Since I was now working alone, and I had no spare time, this meant that I had no time to tend to the normal ailments of the town ponies. Their health quickly deteriorated and some died from simple illness I could have prevented. It was an odd positive, since it meant fewer ponies died from The Plague. It also meant that I had more corpses to bury, which took longer than just burning them. I could slowly feel myself being driven insane. Something had to change, and I decided that “something” was my process.

After that hellish week, I decided that I would cut out the discretions and looking over the bodies. Of course, this meant that I couldn’t tell which pony was infected and which was clean. Instead of burying anypony, I would instead burn all the dead, even those who were not infected. It wasn’t the best plan, but, this wasn’t the best of situations either. I needed more free time, more time to sleep, and most importantly, I need more time to tend to the remaining ponies in town.

I had quickly lost an actual count of the remaining population, but I estimate our current population stands at around 600. We have gone from a booming city of around 20 thousand to a barely functioning society. Many important shops have closed down and the peddlers who used to come through weekly have ceased to show, if not because they died of The Plague, but because they feared to catch it from us. Father had witnessed his town and friends dying around him, and it helped drive him to his death. I was determined to save this town. But, as the Mourner said in my dream…I had even more misfortune to experience.


===============~*~=============


After I had decided to burn all the corpses, I quickly got rid of my exhaustion. I was able to complete my work early in the morning, and then return home for lunch. After that I would open up the clinic and begin treating the citizens who were sick. Some just had slight ailments; a few of the elderly had pains that I gave them painkiller for. One buck came in with an infected wound he got from tending his fields two days ago. He was extremely thankful that I had reopened the clinic and I was more than happy to help. I had gotten though all my patients by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day was mine.

I decided to go back to the graveyard and ready the pyre for tomorrow. It would save me even more time if I began to get a stockpile of wood going, instead of having to cut new wood each day. Doing this now was somewhat…relaxing. I wasn’t under a time limit and I could take my time. I leisurely cut enough for about another week, built the pyre I would use tomorrow. By this time the sun was beginning to set. I wanted to make it home for mother’s dinner tonight, for the first time in a week, so I returned home.

I was about a block from our house when I saw mother pacing around outside. She looked…worried. I quickened my pace and called out to her. “Grell! Quickly, come inside. It’s Lyric…She…” My eyes widened and I ran inside and to Lyric’s room. I was just outside her door and about to open it when I hear it. Coughing. I stopped dead, staring at the door. Mother had caught up to me and was also looking at the door, tears beginning to form in her eyes. I steeled myself as I opened the door and entered Lyric’s room.

“Hey sis…how are you feeling?” The Plague started with just a cough. Nothing else, it didn’t make you feel sluggish, icky, your throat wouldn’t hurt, nothing like that. It wasn’t like a normal sickness. I hoped, prayed she said she had another symptom. Please, Lyric…Say you’re feeling awful. Please! “I don’t know Grell…I feel…fine. I just got this cough. That is the first symptom of The Plague, coughing, right? That’s why mom is so worried, right? But, if I’m feeling so well, I can’t have The Plague…right?” Right sis, you can’t have The Plague…is what I wanted to tell her. I tried to put on a brave face and not betray what was really happening. I smiled at her. “Right. I’ll go calm mother down.” I turned and put a hoof around mother, guiding her out of the room and shutting the door behind us.

I took her into the kitchen which was out of earshot of Lyric’s room. After she had sat down she immediately asked me, “Will she be alright?” I let out a sigh and looked down at the table. “Mother…she feels fine and only has a cough. Father had told you about The Plague symptoms, right? Well, Lyric has it. As much as I don’t want to believe it myself, it is staring me in the face. I will do all I can for her.” Mother just stared silently at me for a few moments as tears built up in her eyes. She too looked down at the table before she started crying. “Grell…why is this happening to us? First your father, and now Lyric? I…I’m not sure how much more of this I can take…” I tried to comfort her. “I don’t know mother…everypony else is going through the same. It was only a matter of time…the way things are going. But trust me, Lyric won’t feel any pain.” I mostly didn’t want her cries to carry and Lyric to overhear.

She had calmed down slightly, but was still crying. “But Lyric…my little pony…I never imagined I would…have to witness her…death. I thought…maybe I would have to…see Sawblade…die…someday. But even that was…too soon…” She was still consumed with sadness. Who could blame her? “I know mother. No parent should have to see their foal or filly die before them. But you need to be strong. We have to tell Lyric. Dry your tears, and when you’re ready, let’s go.” Mother nodded and began to get herself under control.

“Ok Grell. I think…I’m ready.” I nodded to her and led the way to Lyric’s room. When we reached her door, I looked back at mother. She nodded slowly to me, and I opened the door. “Hey Lyric, any change?” I asked, giving her a slight smile. Mother sat on one side of her bed and I sat on the other. “Nope! I still feel ok. Once this cough is gone, I’ll ready to help mother again!” I saw mother tense up and then smile at Lyric. She was doing her best not to cry. “That’s…good to hear sis. But…I uh…I…” I wasn’t sure how to continue. How could I tell my little sister that she was going to die? “Sis…The first symptom of The Plague is coughing, yes. But there is more to it than that. That is the only thing that determines the onset of The Plague. If you are feeling sick, it could be something else. But, if you feel fine and are only coughing…the chances are you…have The Plague. So sis…You’re…not going to be alright.” Her eyes widened for a moment before they started to tear up. “Oh…” It was all she could say. She knew that tomorrow she was going to die.


===============~*~=============


“Lyric, if there is anything that you want, anything you want to do before you go to sleep tonight, I will make it happen.” It was the least I could do for her. Tomorrow, she would be unable to move from her bed when she awoke. “I…I guess if I could do anything one last time…I want to go out and see the stars. And…help mother make carrot soup one last time.” I was surprised how composed she was. After a few minutes of crying, she had settled down. “Sounds good, we can do both. Which do you want to do first?” I was glad we could grant Lyric her last wishes. But before Lyric could answer my question, mother chimed in, “We should start cooking first. The later it gets, the darker it will be, and the more stars we will be able to see.” Mother had cried just as much, if not more, than Lyric did. But now, she was smiling sweetly at Lyric. “You’re so smart mother!” Lyric said to Serenity as she hugged her tightly.

I followed them to the kitchen and sat at the table, watching them cook together…for the last time. If I didn’t know any better I’d think it were just another day. They were laughing and having fun as they cooked. I couldn’t help but smile at them. Even with death looming on the horizon this moment gave me hope for the future. It wasn’t long before the soup was done and we all sat down together to eat. Even though it was the same soup we had eaten on countless occasions, it was the most delicious meal I have ever eaten.

We finished eating and cleaned the dishes before starting on Lyric’s next wish. Mother got a large blanket while Lyric and I waited near the door. “Lyric, how can you be so…calm? Knowing that you’re going to…” I couldn’t finish my thought. I couldn’t bring myself to be that blunt with her. If I were in her position, I’m not sure I could deal with it. “Once I die, I get to see father again. And even though I am leaving you and mother, I know that once day, eventually we will all be reunited again.” Of course. Lyric had always been a follower of the Stars. I refused to believe in the Stars. If they really were gods, they would have stopped The Plague, wouldn’t they?

Mother soon returned to us with the blanket and we left the house. We headed for a hill on the outskirt of town, a good place to see the stars. Mother was right; since it was darker there were many more stars in the sky. We picked a spot to lay down the blanket and then laid side-by-side on our backs, gazing up at the night sky. It was beautiful. For hours we laid there just looking at the sky, pointing out groups of stars that made objects. After a while, Lyric stood up and began singing a song she thought up herself. She often sung it at night as she gazed at the stars.

The Stars above look down on me, 
Giving me a reason to believe.
Even though we are so small,
The Stars shine down upon us all.
While they shine every night,
If I close my eyes real tight,
I quickly begin to think,
Will they remain if I blink?

It was a beautiful song, and I felt that it fit her perfectly. As she sang, mother and I watched her. She was shining in the light of the moon, and she almost seemed otherworldly. This night, more than any other helped me to realize, that there was still beauty and goodness in this world. I would never forget that night.


===============~*~=============


The next morning Lyric was paralyzed, as I had expected. She had been awake for an hour before I had woken up. I quickly went to the clinic and made the extreme painkiller I had made for dad, and then gave it to Lyric. Mother talked with her until the gruesome part was nearing, while I was out collecting the dead. I returned shortly before that happened. “Mother, you should go now. Things are about to get…bad. I’ll stay by her side.” She looked at me for a moment, before saying, “No. I wasn’t there for Sawblade, but I will be here for Lyric.” I was about to argue with her, but decided against it, and just nodded. “Lyric, is there anything you want to talk about?” I decided to offer her the same escape I gave to dad. “Could you…tell me what’s going to happen, Grell?” I flinched slightly. “You mean…before you die?” She nodded.

I took in a deep breath. “In a few moments you will start to bleed. But, it won’t be like how you normally bleed from a small cut or something. You will bleed from your eyes, nose, and mouth. You will taste the blood, smell the blood, and your vision will be tinted red because of it. It is a slow but continual bleeding and it will last for an hour.” She closed her eyes as I told her this, seeming to imagine it happening to her. Mother was silently crying and holding onto one of Lyric’s hooves. “After that your throat will begin to get tighter, until eventually you will be unable to breathe. Hopefully, you will die before that though. Around the same time, your organs will begin to fail and eventually burst. This will be what ends up killing you.” Lyric opened her eyes, which had started to tear up. “Thank you, Grell.” I nodded to her.

Shortly after my explanation, it started to happen. I sat there, holding one of her hooves just like mother was. She had tried to keep her eyes open, despite the blood, but was eventually force to shut them. Lyric eventually asked mother how she and father had met. It was the same exact story father had told me before he died. I thought he might have stretched the truth a bit, but mother recited it almost word for word. The story took up most of the time she had remaining, and shortly after mother and finished telling it, Lyric passed away.

Mother started sobbing over Lyric’s body and I went over to her and wrapped an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her once more. After a few minutes I spoke up, “Mother, I am going to clean up Lyric and her room now. Then I need to deal with the other dead for today.” I wanted to give Lyric her own pyre, just like father. But mother spoke up before I could do anything. “No, Grell. I will clean up Lyric and her room. You tend to the other dead for now. Once you return, we will tend to Lyric.” I nodded her and began to walk out.

I had made it about half way into the next room when I heard something. At first, I thought I was hearing things. But, I had to make sure. I turned and walked back towards Lyric’s room. I heard it again, a cough. My pace slowed to a crawl and I reentered Lyric’s room and turned to slowly look at mother. “Grell…I…*cough*” I hadn’t been hearing things. I really…REALLY wish I had been. Mother had started to cough. “Mother…no…” I didn’t know what else to say.

After a short while, we stuck to our original plan. I went to tend to the dead and mother stayed to clean Lyric’s body. As I was taking the dead to the graveyard I couldn’t help but be swept away by sorrow. A week ago, father died. Just today, Lyric died. And tomorrow…mother would die. Would I start coughing soon, too? Was this the misfortune I was destined to have? To watch everyone I loved die, and then die myself, leaving the town helpless? DAMN! Why was this happening…? I was in deep thought as I started the pyre, watched it burn, and made a pyre for Lyric.

I returned shortly after and entered the clinic. Lyric’s body was cleaned and on the operating table. I wondered if mother was still cleaning her room. I headed into the main part of the house and began walking through the kitchen. I stopped dead. In the kitchen, hanging from the rafters…was mother. She was hanging by her neck, a rope tied around it. I…I didn’t understand it. I felt my legs drop out from under me. I just stared at my mother, hanging by her neck, the life having been strangled out of her. I didn’t want to believe it. But no matter what I did, I didn’t wake up. I wasn’t dreaming.

When I finally composed myself, I saw a note lying on the table. It was in mother’s writing. I levitated it in front of me as I read it:

Grell,

I don’t know what I am doing. This seems…foolish, but…I know I don’t want what happened to your father and Lyric to happen to me. I guess I am just scared. Even though you can make it painless, just imagining it happening…I…I don’t want that. Losing your father was hard on me, to say the least. But after losing Lyric as well…I no longer wanted to exist in this world. But now, knowing that I am going to die, to leave this world, because of the same thing that took them from me…I won’t allow it to do that. It won’t take me too. I am sorry, Grell. I shouldn’t be putting you though this. You are still so young, but you are wise beyond your years. I have faith you will do great things, and it pains me that neither me nor your father will witness what you do. I love you, I always will. I cannot put into words how sorry I am for leaving you alone in a world like this. I am sorry I was selfish in what I am about to do. Please, remember me as I was before things went bad.

I love you,
Serenity

I laid the note back down on the table as tears poured from my eyes. “I am sorry mother. If only I was better…I could have cured The Plague before this happened…” I had promised father that I would make him proud, and I still will. But now, I knew what I would do. I would cure The Plague, the thing that destroyed our family, and the lives of many others. I used my magic and let mother down from the rope. I carried her into the operating room and laid her on the table next to Lyric. I wasn’t a follower of the Stars like the rest of my family, but as I looked at the bodies of my last two family members, I said a prayer for them.

I returned to the graveyard for the second time that day, with one extra body than I was expecting. And even though mother had hung herself before The Plague could run its course, it still infected her body. I placed them on the pyre I made for Lyric. I placed them facing to each other, and hoof in hoof. I looked them over before lighting the pyre.


===============~*~=============


It was the afternoon after both Lyric and mother died. I had returned to my empty house after burning their bodies. I slept, woke up the next day, collected and burned the bodies of the day. I was returning home and nearing my house when I spotted the Mourner of the town standing around outside. He saw me approaching and turned toward me.

“You there. You are Grell, are you not? The pony who now deals with the dead?” he started questioning me as soon as I was within earshot. “Yes, I am. Why?” What did the Mourner want from me? Was he finally here to help? “It has come to my attention that you have not been checking the bodies for The Plague before burning them. You elect to burn all the bodies instead of burying those who are clean. Surely you must know that burying the dead is the highest of respect in the eyes of the Stars. Burning is only a necessity. Cease this at once.” Of course. A lecture from a follower of the Stars. “Look, after my father died, as the number of dead continued to rise, I was overwhelmed. And since YOU elect not to help us, it is all I can do. Would you prefer I let the sick and injured go untended because I am too busy cutting up and burying the dead?” He walked up closer to me. “Know your place, commoner. Tend to the dead properly, or I will have your head.” I was about to say more to him, but he turned and promptly walked away.

That was it. I refused to let the Mourner get away with this. I decided to attempt to get an audience with Count Crescent. I headed straight to the castle and talked my way inside. The inside of the castle was richly furnished and showed no sign of The Plague. While his subjects were suffering the count was living it up safely in his castle. And the Mourner was no better. But surely the count would see things my way and force the Mourner to either back off, or to help me. Something had to go my way for once.

The guards had instructed me to wait outside the throne room for the count to be ready. I had been sitting there for three hours. How long did it take the count to get ready for an audience with the only doctor in town? Surely I was worthy of some hasty attention? But apparently not. I sat there just thinking things over. I think our town now had…400 ponies who still lived. Each day’s death count was slowly getting smaller. I suppose that could be attributed to the lack of population to infect.

I was deep in thought when I caught a glimpse of movement in front of me. I looked up to see a young mare who was finely dressed walking past me. She looked familiar. I just couldn’t quite place my hoof on where I had seen her before. But after a few seconds of thought, it came to me. “Hey! You’re…you’re Waning, right?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. If I was right, this mare was Count Crescent’s daughter, the one who had supposedly died from The Plague. She turned, startled, to look at me. “Hu? A commoner? Wait, you are the doctor of the town, are you not?” I ignored her question. “Your name is Waning, isn’t it?” I asked her a bit more harshly. “Yes, it is. No need to be rude.” I was right. Then, that would mean that the Mourner and the count had lied, waning had not died. Liars. He had not experienced loss like we had. His life was still perfect.

I got up and walked away from Waning. I was going home. The count wasn’t going to help me. “Doctor, where are you going? Are all commoners this rude? Hey!” I ignored her. She was no better than them, talking down to me, calling me a commoner. I would find no help at this castle.


===============~*~=============


When I got home, I was furious. The count that was supposed to protect us, love us, and sympathized with us was nothing more than a self-important noble. He would rather watch all of us die from the safety of his castle and lie about feeling The Plague’s effects instead of lifting a hoof to help us, his own people! My anger was seething and I took it out on my house, bucking tables, chairs, and shelves. By the time I had worn myself out, the inside of my house looked like many of the abandoned houses in town. Once I had finished with destroying my own abode, I turned the kitchen table right side up again and floated a chair over to it, and plopped down at the table. I located a bottle of alcohol I hadn’t broken and floated it over to me, opening it and drinking from it deeply.

I had never really drunk much before, but by the time I went to bed tonight, I would drink four bottles in a row. I would have drunk more but I had broken the rest of the alcohol in my rage earlier. So I sat there, with four bottles in front of me, just slowly drinking down bottle after bottle while staring at the table. I had never understood why other ponies drank so much before, but now after my family is gone and I learned the count is nothing but a liar, I understood it now. There is only so much a pony can deal with and the alcohol helps to numb your senses and help you to forget. And I needed to forget.

After going through all the alcohol I wondered wobbly to my room. I had nothing left to do, no bodies to deal with, no patients to mend, no family to talk to…and no more alcohol. All I could do now was sleep and hope tomorrow brought something different, something better…maybe more alcohol. My world was now filled with misfortune, and I dared that faceless Mourner to show his…facelessness in my dream tonight, I would buck him right in his mask’s beak. I fell asleep that night with thoughts of such things floating around my mind.

But I did not meet him in my dream that night; in fact I had no dreams at all, at least no dreams that I could remember. My sleep seemed to last the blink of an eye.
> Act 1: Chapter 3 - Death Awakens
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Apocalypse Ponies
Chapter 3 – Death Awakens


I awoke around the same time as always, I guess even in its current state my body’s internal clock still functioned. My head was pounding and my mouth seemed filled with cotton. I walked to the kitchen and searched among the destruction for something to drink and found a jug of apple juice. I drink it down and attempt to rid my mouth of this feeling. I once again sit at the table and try to calm my head’s pounding. I sit there for a good while, slowly drinking the apple juice, and waiting for my body to regain normality.

After about an hour or two my mouth feels normal once again, but my head is still slightly pounding. It is less than before and I can begin to think clearly once more. Last night’s discovery comes back to me and my expression becomes a scowl.  “DAMN!” I shout aloud. No one is around to hear me but my own voice causes my head some pain, causing me to flinch slightly. So the count was a liar…looking back it seems almost obvious to me now. He never walked around outside much before The Plague and after it began he never stepped hoof outside. We were abandoned by him long ago; I don’t know why I didn’t see that before. While I am deep in thought about this subject the Mourner’s bell began to ring throughout the city.

*ring* *ring* *ring* *ring* “Good morning citizens of Crescentville! I hope that most of you have made it through the night, but I fear that we all cannot be so lucky. Do what must be done, citizens! Bring out your dead! It is your duty to assist in dealing with The Plague. It is only through your cooperation we can ever hope to be rid of this terrible disease!” Bla, bla, bla…the same old speech telling people to bring out the dead and attempting to inspire hope that The Plague will end. He talks all about assisting to deal with The Plague and yet he lends not a single hoof. I’m getting angry just thinking about it.

“Our town has suffered deeply, and we are but a small group now compared to our once thriving city! Know that I feel your pain when I see the cart full of bodies wheel by, and it fills me with grief. It is truly a tragedy!” And now he says our town…like he is part of it or something. He has never been part of it and doesn’t show any signs of wanting to be part of it. He seems content to live a life of luxury in the count’s castle. Bastard.

“And it is not me alone who feels your pain and sorrow, but Count Crescent as well. Remember the he too, not long ago, lost a loved one. His own daughter, Waning, was taken from him by The Plague. He grieves over her each day and every night the count visits the graves and pyres of his people. He knows of your sorrow and mourns along with you!” What? Are you serious? He visits the graves and pyres each night? I know for a fact that is not true. “LIES!” I shout at the echoing voice of the Mourner. He cannot hear me, but he will. I get up from the table and fetch my cloak from my room. It is a black cloak with a hood and a silver clasp to hold it around my neck. I recently bought it to fight against the cold of the mornings.

I storm out of my house and head straight for the center of town. As I walk, the Mourner continues his speech, and continues to spout out lies. Every step I take, I become more and more angry. I begin to shout at the Mourner who can still not hear me, but others in the town can. Some poke their heads out of their houses to see what is going on, and some even ask me what’s wrong, but I ignore them. I pick up speed and push forward, rapidly filling with hatred for both the Mourner and Count Crescent. They must pay for their lies.

I am about two blocks away and have gone into a full gallop. I spot a tool standing against a house in front of me, the house of our only remaining farmer, I think. I put a magical field around the tool and float it along with me. I spare a glance at it, it is a scythe used to cut down wheat. In a few more seconds I am yards away from the Mourner.

“You bastard, stop your lies!” I yell at him as I continue to approach. He sees the scythe I am floating with me and drops his voice augmentation spell, cutting him off in mid-sentence. “W-what do you mean lies?” He asks as he faces me, “I tell nothing but the truth and spread hope to the citizens of Crescentville.” I stare at him, slowly inching my way towards him. Every step I take, he takes back in response. “You know what lies. YOU KNOW.” I spit at him, “You are not a part of this town. You do NOT feel our pain. You lend NOT a hoof to help any of us. But you know what, if those were all the lies you were guilty of, I could forgive you.” By this time a crowd had gathered in the town square, curious onlookers drawn in by my yelling and the abrupt ending to the Mourner’s speech. 

“W-why you…I’ll have you know I do everything I can to protect this town. It is you who is lying.” If he wasn’t wearing a mask, I was sure his response wouldn’t be convincing at all. “The count does NOT visit the pyres and graves nightly. I know that for a fact, there have been nights I have stayed there from sunset to sunrise, and I have never seen the count there once. But that is not all. His daughter, Waning, he isn’t mourning her.” The crowd looked to each other and the Mourner stopped backing up. In fact, he took a step towards me. “That is preposterous! What father wouldn’t mourn the death is his daughter? Are you really that cruel?” The crowd looked at me, some appalled, others curious. I smiled at the Mourner, “He cannot mourn his daughter’s death, when his daughter isn’t dead. I saw hear, very much alive, just last night.” Murmurs broke out in the crowd and the Mourner took a step back. “Y-You’re lying. Surely you are seeing things. Perhaps the death of your entire family has caused you to imagine things.” I stopped, looking at him questioningly, as if I were considering this. “Even if that were the case, you have lied to us too much. You are still guilty of that much.”

I charged straight at the Mourner and swung back the scythe, seconds later I brought it back swiftly. “DIE!” I cleaved through the Mourner’s cloak, through his flesh, and through his spike. In one swing I cut straight through his neck, severing his head. It flew through the air as his body fell limp, spilling blood from his neck. The onlookers screamed in shock and many fled the square and ran home, but a few were paralyzed with fear and couldn’t move. The Mourner’s head hit the ground and rolled a bit before the mask’s beak stopped it. I turned to the remaining crowd and said softly, “Return to your homes.”

I wasn’t done yet, I still had anger to burn and the count was just as guilty as the Mourner. I float the Mourner’s head along with me as I walk towards the count’s castle. As I near the gate, unsurprisingly, the two guards try to stop me,”You there! Halt!” I throw the severed head at one of them as I attack the other, slicing through his two front hooves. I then turn on the other guard and drive the blade of the scythe into his chest, killing him. I yank the scythe out once more and float up the head. The first guard tried to talk, but before he could utter more than a few words I swing the scythe and cut off his head, and then proceed to enter the castle.


===============~*~=============


My murders hadn’t gone unnoticed and soon the castle was a buzz of activity with guards swarming everywhere. I had originally planned on charging in killing the count and charging out, but now my tactic had changed to sneaking around the guards. It wasn’t that I did not want to kill them, they were just as guilty as the count was, but I knew I couldn’t take them all. I stuck to the shadows and peaked around corners, often having to backtrack and choose a different approach. My current path took me into the dining hall, a huge room with an equally long table and dozens of chairs around it, with one which stood out from the others. Luxurious tapestries and paintings hung from the walls and the table was set with two plates made of silver, one for the count and one for his daughter. The count’s wife had long since died from giving birth to Waning. I kind of hoped that at least she would have been appalled at what was going on after her death.

I stuck to the walls and moved my way towards a door at the opposite end of the room. It wasn’t like I knew where I was going or anything, I was in fact lost. I figured I would eventually find the count, be forced to fight my way out, or would be overwhelmed and killed by the guards. I reached the door and entered the next room, a spiral staircase leading upwards. “Well, at least I’m getting closer,” I mutter under my breath. The count was probably on the second floor, where the throne room was and, I suspected, his bedchamber as well.

Climbing the spiral stairs, I began to think about my current situation. I had gone off in a blind rage and killed a Mourner, a member of the organization which reports directly to the king himself. I had also killed two guards and broken into the count’s castle with the intent to kill him. In the right state of mind, I wasn’t sure I would do this again. But I completely agree with my maddened self, the Mourner and the count deserved to die. There is a saying, noblesse oblige, which means “nobility obliges”. It basically means that those of nobility should conduct themselves nobly and not neglect their duties. Both the Mourner and count could care less about their people and cared only for themselves. They don’t deserve to be nobles. I reached the door at the top of the stairs. “And so I will end them all,” I whispered as a smile crept across my face and I pushed open the door.

Behind the door lies another hallway. I swear if all castles have as many hallways as this one does, the architects must be drunk while planning them. Another reason I am lost, thanks architects, everything looks the same! I enter another room and it appears to be servants’ quarters, due to the low quality bedding, clothing, and furniture in the room. I quickly exit the room through another door in the back and end up face to face with two guards. My entrance is so abrupt we just look at each other for a few seconds before anypony moves. I float the Mourner’s head down to the ground as I prepare myself for the coming fight.

The guard on my left adjusts the spear in his mouth and strikes out at me. I quickly jump forward, but his spear grazes my chest leaving a small cut across it. I roll and recover from my dodge, turning to face the two guards, both now posed to strike me down. I swing my scythe towards the closest one, but he moves his spear in the way and blocks it. While this guard and I struggle against each other the second guard stabs his spear towards my head. I quickly duck and turn on my hooves, raising my back legs and sending a strong buck directly in his chest. He exhales heavily and fumbles backwards giving me a chance to focus my attention on the other guard. I pull my scythe away from his spear and pull it behind my back and then I swing it towards him again. He tries to block it like before, but this time it is too much and his spear is cut in two and my scythe’s tip imbeds itself in his neck. The life slowly drains from his eyes and he goes limp.

I yank out the scythe as the other guard recovers. “Shit…my ribs…*cough*…You bastard, you’ll pay for that.” He picks up his spear again and stands up, then charges at me again. I dodge to the right while I swing the scythe at his neck, but he adjusts as well jerking his head forward and towards me, causing my scythe to go behind his head and his spear ends up in my shoulder. He smirks as I gasp in pain, almost losing the focus on the scythe. I regain focus and a smile plays across my face, a look of confusion hits his face. “Gottcha,” I spit at him as I pull the scythe that is behind his neck towards me with all my magical might and wedges itself halfway through his neck. His look of confusion turns quickly to a look of horrified pain as he falls to the ground, leaving his spear sticking out of my shoulder.

I release the scythe from my magic as I take the spear in my shoulder into my mouth and pull it out. Well, that could have gone much worse, I think to myself. I slump down on my haunches as I catch my breath and tear some cloth from the two guards’ cloaks. I use the torn cloth to mend the wounds on my shoulder and chest. It is a good thing I am a doctor or this would be pretty bad. However even with my wounds mended, due to the wound on my shoulder my front right leg now hurts when I put too much pressure on it and I won’t be able to dodge as easily now.  With my wounds mended I wrap the scythe in my magic again and attempt to pull it free, but it seems stuck fast. I decide to float up the tip of the broken spear and completely sever the guard’s head to free the scythe.

Getting to my hooves, I float up the scythe, the Mourner’s head, and I decide to carry the unbroken spear along with me. Due to my wounded shoulder my already slow progress got even slower, I was focusing on avoiding any more unnecessary combat and resorted to listening carefully before opening a door. Five doors and three hallways (again why so many hallways!?) later I found myself peeking through a door which leads to the area outside of the throne room. I remember this area because of how long I sat waiting for the count last time I was here. It looks the same but with four guards in it, one on each side of the door and two standing with their flanks against the hallway. They seemed antsy and alert, I suspect some more guards had found the two I had slain minutes ago and spread the word.

I step back from the door, throw it open and hid myself against the wall of the room I was in. I heard the hooves of the guards against the wall begin walking towards me. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” one of them called out. I waited for a couple more seconds and then magically tossed the Mourner’s head through the door and sent it rolling past them. “What the hell!?” another guard called out, and I heard them turning to watch the head. Using this distraction, I pushed off of the wall and charged through the door. The two near the throne room door saw me and readied their weapons; however the two standing in the middle of the room had their flanks to me as they were looking at the head.

“Look out!” the guard on the left of the door called out, but I simultaneously threw the spear at one of the guards in front of me and charge for the other. Within seconds the spear lodged itself in its target’s back and I get to the other guard as he begins turning towards me. I lower myself near the ground and sweep the scythe at his legs, severing both of his left legs. He falls and I swing my scythe into his chest to finish him off. Without missing a beat, I wrap the spears of the two slain guards in my magic and send them at the guards near the door. I pull out my scythe and charge towards the two guards, as I close the gap one of the spears hits the guard on my right, who was using a halberd, in the chest. The other guard, who wields a sword, manages to dodge the spear.

I wind back the scythe and swing it at him, but he blocks it with his sword and sends it into the floor. Before I can pull the scythe out, he goes on the offensive and swings his sword towards me. I pull backwards but the tip of his sword leaves a slight cut across my neck. I back up and attempt to regain my footing, but he continues his assault and stabs his sword towards me. I manage to barely dodge it, falling back onto my haunches, and his sword strikes between my legs. Before I can get back up he stabs at me again, but this time I don’t have time to fully dodge and can only scoot backwards. His sword plunges into my chest, I can tell it isn’t too deep, but if I don’t end this quickly I will bleed to death soon. He pulls his sword out and goes to swing at me again, but I painfully roll out of the way. 

As the guard moves towards me again I wrap the other guard’s halberd in my magic and swing it at him, but he ducks and I only get a few hairs from his mane. “Damn!” I mutter under my breath as I scan the room. I focus on the three spears scattered around the room and send each at the guard. He gets a few steps closer before they impact him, causing his body to rock one way and then another, but he remains on his hooves with the three spears protruding from his sides. He takes another step towards me, then another, and another. I back against the wall, “Why won’t you just die!?” I yell at him. He keeps coming closer and closer and blood is starting to come from his mouth. Inches away from me, he raises his sword to strike me down. As he swings his sword downward he misses me by mere inches as his sword drops from his mouth and clatters to the floor before he himself falls over dead. “T-that was close.”

I tear apart the guards’ clothing and armor to make bandages for my wounds. The wound in my chest is bleeding badly. I decide to take a few minutes to rest and keep an eye on this wound before I move on. I change bandages multiple times, and eventually the amount of bleeding subsides enough to be considered non-life threatening. I rest for a few more minutes to regain my composure and to pull my scythe from the floor.

After a while I get to my hooves and approach the door to the throne room. I am about to open it, but I decide against it. I turn around and look over the room. Four dead guards, one with three spears sticking out of him. I decide to gather up their weapons and lay their bodies next to each other, attempting to give them at least some semblance of honor. I float up all the weapons and the Mourner’s head and look around me at the floating armory.  I have my scythe, three spears, a sword, and a halberd. I kick open the throne room door and step inside.


===============~*~=============


Count Crescent sits upon his throne, with Waning sitting next to him. He looks straight at me and smiles, “Ah, so you are the commoner who is causing trouble in my castle. I hope you enjoyed you fun, because it is about to end. Guards!” At the count’s word, six guards charge out from behind his throne and form a half circle around me. “Now, commoner, go quietly to the dungeon and be locked away forever. You are an annoyance, no…a plague on this land. Just like The Plague you have gone and taken the lives of several ponies.” I stared at him as I opened my muzzle to talk, “You call ME a plague? Me, the pony who now fights against The Plague alone, without any help, am a plague? Don’t make me laugh. You are the plague here, count, you and the Mourner.” At this moment I float forward the Mourner’s head and show it clearly to everypony in the room. Some of the guards gasp, Waning looks away, and Count Crescent narrows his eyes. “You two have done nothing to help in the fight against The Plague. All you two did was sit safely behind the castle’s door, hidden away from The Plague and spout lies to your people.” I scowl at him.

“Enough of this, guards! Kill him!” the count spits. “Oh,” I reply, “somepony will die, but it won’t be me. Not today.” I toss the Mourner’s head into the air, distracting a few of the guards. I use this opportunity to send out the spears, impaling three guards. I then charge at the guard to my right and slam the halberd down upon his back, slicing him in two. Turning, I throw the sword at the pony across from me, hitting him in the face. I then charge at the remaining guard, and using the dead guards’ blood I slide across the floor and use my scythe to sever all of the guard’s legs. He falls to a thud as I get on my hooves and face the count.

The count’s face changes into an expression of terror as he looks at me. “S-stay back y-you commoner!” I shake my head at him. “You never learn, do you count? Even when facing death you cling to your superiority and look down on others. You earned the death I will grant you, so accept it properly.” I slowly walk towards him and when I near his throne, he stumbles off it and starts crawling away. I catch up to him and stomp down on his trailing cloak, preventing him from crawling further away. He continues to wiggle in an attempt to get away from me, but I wrap my scythe around his throat. “W-wait! I can give you anything you want! Money, land, mares, anything you want!” He tries to barter for his life. “It is too late for that.” I reply to him. “Y-You can marry my daughter! Just le-“ I cut him off, literally, severing his head from his shoulders. I then turn back to the two thrones in the room.

Waning is still sitting in her throne shaking in fear and I slowly approach her. “N-no! Stay away from me!” she screams at me. I set down the scythe I had been floating with me, “No need to fear, Waning. I do not plan to kill you. Besides, your father already killed you off with his lies.” She is still shaking, but seems to become less hysterical. “W-what do you mean he killed me off?” she asks me. “You mean you didn’t know? Well, that is even worse. He had the Mourner tell the town that you died to The Plague so he seemed sympathetic with them,” I tell her. “He did? I…I don’t believe it,” she said in disbelief. “If you don’t believe me, just walk amongst the town. I’m sure they will be surprised to see you alive. Anyhow, do you know why I spared your life?” She shook her head. “It is because you aren’t guilty like them. You don’t know any better, given your raising. But given the chance, you could become a truly great countess. I am giving you that opportunity.”

She looked at me with a confused expression. “What do you mean?” she asked. “It is simple, your father and the Mourner took advantage of their noble title and neglected the ponies they ruled. Due to this, our once busy city has all but died. If you use your abilities properly, you can help a lot of ponies, perhaps even save the town. But you must rule for your subjects, not for yourself.”

After some more discussion and explanation, Waning agreed to take over ruling the town as the new Countess. At one point we were interrupted by more guards, but Waning quickly calmed them down and dismissed me of my crimes. I helped to clean up the mess I made of the castle and gave all the bodies a proper burial. It was deep into the night before I made it home.


===============~*~=============


A few weeks passed by and I watched over the town. Waning was true to her word and often walked amongst the ponies of the town. She organized projects such as renovating the ruined houses in the center of town using materials from the furthest outside. Ponies were moved inward and everyone was helping each other. New water well was being dug and the old one would be closed off once the new one was complete. Despite her young age, she was doing wondrously. 

Waning even sent for a new Mourner, this one was actually helpful and assisted me in my work; the new well was his idea. He said the old one could be tainted, causing the high amount of deaths. Many of the ponies in town now refused to let me treat them. Word had spread from those who witnessed my slaying of the previous Mourner, and most of the town now feared me. When I approached they would look away, hide, or flee. It was all I could do to get the supplies I needed, like food. With the Mourner helping, I really didn’t have a purpose in the town anymore.

I asked for an audience with Waning and the Mourner one afternoon. It was swiftly granted, as Waning encouraged the citizens of Crescentville to come to her with anything they needed. I told them of my plans, of how the citizens now understandably feared and avoided me, and that I would be leaving the town. The amount of dead each day was now into the single digits and growing smaller. Our town was shaking loose of The Plague, but news from other towns was bleak at best. I decided I would wonder the kingdom and help everypony I could, and while doing so, seek for a cure to The Plague. They both assured me they could handle things in my absence and should I return, I would be welcomed. I thanked them both and wished them the best of luck.

I swiftly returned home and packed what little I had, including some food and drink to last me a while and some medical supplies. It was when I stepped out of my family’s house for the last time that I became nervous. I had no idea where I should go; I had never left the town before. This could even be the last time I would see my home. I decided I would pay a quick visit to the graveyard before leaving completely.

When I got to the graveyard, I stood near the pyre. “Father, mother, Lyric…I just wanted to say goodbye to you before I left. I am going to fulfill my promise to you all. I’ll do great things…I’ll cure The Plague. I miss you all, and even though I don’t believe in the Stars, I kind of hope they are real, so that you can all be watching over me, together. I don’t know when I’ll be back here, but I’ll never forget about you all. I love you.” Having said my final words to the last resting place of my family, I left Crescentville behind in hopes of helping other ponies and someday finding a cure for The Plague.


===============~*~=============


For the next year I traveled the kingdom helping ponies in need and seeking a cure to The Plague. In doing so I learned a great many things and helped a great deal of ponies. From the day I left Crescentville I began keeping a journal of my travels and activities, so that if ever I needed to remember something I had only to look through my writings. I also kept notes of what I learned of The Plague. The diary is as follows, though most is omitted due to it being tedious and boring.

Day 1-

As I sit in front of the fire I built for the night, I wonder where my journey would take me. I haven’t a map of the kingdom, so I have no destination and no clue if I am heading to a town or not. I just followed the paths in the hope of finding one. But I decided I would start a journal of my travels, so here I am. Since today was nothing but walking, I will note what I know about The Plague thus far.

The Plague is a horrible disease spreading throughout the world. It is rumored to have started from infected rodents and then made the jump to ponies. Since then, it has wreaked havoc on all species equally. It spread through the air, water, and bodily fluids. To prevent the spread, sanitation is a high priority and all corpses must be cleansed through burning. In addition, many trade routes have closed and countries have sealed themselves off from one another in an attempt to save themselves. The only thing that can prevent the contagion is a mixture of herbs which compose the filter of Mourner Masks, which are in short supply. And even those herbs only block the disease, they do not cure it.

The symptoms of The Plague start with a simple cough with no other symptoms. When you next sleep you will awake to your body having been paralyzed. From the moment you awake your death in inevitable, and in a few hours you will bleed mildly from your eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, females will also bleed from their genitals. It won’t be enough to kill you, though. In about another hour your throat will start to swell and close up, causing your breathing to get tougher and sometimes resulting in suffocation. However, at the same time this is occurring, your internal organs will begin to fail and eventually rupture, turning black and some bleeding into your body cavity. At that point you will die from blood loss or organ failure. The process will be painful, but a good doctor can alleviate that pain and make it bearable, if not remove it completely.

As of this moment, that is all the information I have about The Plague. While I continue my journey I will seek out more information, but until then this is all for today’s entry.

Day 5-

I passed a town today, I say passed because staying in it would have been pointless. There wasn’t a pony alive in the town and some of the houses had been burned to the ground. I do not know if the entire town died or if the last remaining members all left, but that town no longer exists. From signs on the outside of the town I learned its name, Moonshire. Perhaps things are worse than I thought; I hope not all towns are like this.

I have nothing else for today’s entry.

Day 47-

Today yielded a breakthrough! In the small town of Lunar Cliff, a quaint little town settled atop a cliff as the name implies, I have been working with the doctor here for about a month. We have done much the same work as I myself did, however we also worked with an herbalist named Daffodil who would venture into the wilderness, collect herbs and plants, and mix together medicines she hoped would cure The Plague.

Over the course of the month things were normal and nothing happened, however. She discovered some herbs that when mixed created toxic poisons and herbs which would make wounds heal faster, to name a few. But one day she discovered an herb called Mantiglove the herb by itself causes paralysis, but when mixed with a plant named Poison Joke it cures the paralysis Mantiglove would normally cause. We applied this mixture to a Plague victim suffering from paralysis, and after a few minutes they were on their hooves and moving around.

However, we kept them under watch and unfortunately the next stage of The Plague occurred regardless. The scene was a horrible one, as instead of being unable to move, the victim flailed around howling in pain and destroyed half of his house. Daffodil had the idea of use Mantiglove on him, thankfully, and he became paralyzed again. We also administered some pain killers to him. He died like all the others.

But through his death we gain some knowledge to help us combat The Plague. This herbal mixture was only part of the calculation, however. We still have a ways to go.

Cure Notes:
Mantiglove and Poison Joke cures paralysis.

Day 51-

Daffodil has died of The Plague. Without her we are ignorant of herbal mixtures, even though I had her teach me a bit about it. I can now make the anti-paralysis medicine she created. However no further breakthroughs have been made and so we are a few steps forward, but slipping on ice and cannot move on.

I have decided that if I ever perfected the cure, I would name it after her since she gave me a place to start. I would call it Daffodil’s Nectar. I think I will leave Lunar Cliff soon. I should spread the recipe for this medicine around and see if I can learn anything new.

Day 103-

I have been in the town of Starlight for about a week now. The death toll here is similar to that of my own town, and much of the city lies empty. I barely have time to seek a cure, let alone sleep. Some days are easier than others, and I can look into things. This town will be my home for a while; if I were to leave they would be overwhelmed. The two doctors and Mourner have been a huge help, but this city is nearly twice the size of my town and that means a lot more work. They recruited the help of the local blacksmith named Horseshoe and he pulls a cart around town to collect the bodies, he is a strong and able-bodied buck.

Today Horseshoe took an interest in the medical work and decided to watch us. I informed him of the work-in-process cure I had and we began talking about various things regarding improving and perfecting it. He had some decent ideas, for a blacksmith, and I will try them in the coming days, should I be able to find the time.

Day 123-

Over the past week I tried out Houseshoe’s suggestions and not one yielded a result. Well, a promising result, there was a case where a subject couldn’t stop laughing due to one of the mixtures. Today I went to hourseshoe’s smithy to discuss any other ideas he might have. 

He said that he was sorry, but he didn’t have any more ideas. While we talked he was working on making some horseshoes for some of the ponies in town. He became distracted by our conversation, and when swinging his hammer to strike the heated iron he missed and struck his foreleg. It was hard enough to draw some blood and horseshoe quickly went over to a workbench of his and rubbed something on his wound.

When I asked him what it was, he told me it was iron dust and that it helped to close the wound faster. It was a long shot, but I asked him for some of the dust and he gave it to me. I quickly went back to my temporary home and ground the already fine dust into an even finer powder. I then made up a dose of Daffodil’s Nectar and mixed in the iron powder. I thought since the iron helped close Horseshoe’s wound it might combat The Plague.

I found a victim who was a late sleeper and would awake shortly after I arrived. Once he awoke, I gave him the medicine and like the others he was cured of the paralysis. After a few more hours, nothing happened, not a single drop of blood. However after another hour he said his breathing was becoming strained, and in a few more minutes he began screaming and a bit longer he dropped dead. The nectar was still incomplete.

The good news, however, is that we are able to make the deaths cleaner. This should help to decrease the spread of The Plague, if nothing else.

Cure Notes:
Mantiglove, Poison Joke, and Iron Powder cure paralysis and prevent the bleeding stage.

Day 147-

I am leaving Starlight tomorrow in search of more ways to cure The Plague. The deaths have subsided so I don’t have to worry about them becoming overwhelmed. My time here was long, but I did a lot of good. I hope other towns are like this, although hopefully involve less death.

Day 153-

I have been traveling from Starlight for about a week now and today I passed the second ghost town in a row. This one was still burning and corpses were in the streets. It was as though I had arrived the day after the last pony died. Before I left that town I burned all the bodies I could find, 13 in total. Tonight I am camped on the outskirts of that town, and I can still see the fires burning the town.

Day 237-

Everypony in Whole Moon is now dead. When I arrived there were only 100 left and they had no doctor or Mourner. I stayed here to help, but they slowly died before my eyes. This is the first time I have witnessed the complete death of a town. I have seen a town dying, and a town dead, but I have never witnessed the last pony in a town die.

Today I did, and I hope I never have to again.

Day 253-

Damn it! I have contracted a cold. A cold mind you, not The Plague. I feel like shit and I am in no position to help anypony today and by my diagnosis for a week I will be confined to my bed. Disgusting.

Day 293-

I passed through the town of Night Light today. I say passed because the Mourner there refused to let me stay, he actually prevented me from entering and I had to walk around the town. He told me that they were quarantining themselves from the outside world. It wasn’t that they were horribly infected; they simply wanted to avoid any further contaminants from entering the town.

I said I could help, but he would not allow me to do so. Instead I offered him knowledge of Daffodil’s Nectar, which he accepted and I went on my way.

Day 349-

Outside of Moonhaven I found a plant I had never seen before and I picked a bunch of it to run tests on. I returned to my dwelling in Moonhaven and began testing the plant. It had strange properties to say the least. The previous day I found a rabbit with a broken leg and began treating it using standard medical supplies. I decided to grind up the plant and apply it to the rabbit’s broken leg.

Something very interesting happened. Within a few minutes the broken leg was healed and the rabbit was bouncing around perfectly fine. The plant seemed to be able to rapidly heal serious injuries. At this point in time I would mix any plants I found with Daffodil’s Nectar in an attempt to find a possible cure, and this new plant was no exception. 

I mixed the plant into Daffodil’s Nectar, the nectar with iron powder in it, and applied it to a Plague victim. Time passed by, a lot of time. Not just the normal three to four hours, but a good 12 hours. The Plague victim didn’t die. There was no cough, no paralysis, no bleeding, and no swelling of the throat and death.

I asked around the town about this plant, but no one knows the name of it. Until I learn that it has a different name, I will name it after my sister, the Lyric Blossom.

Did I create the cure? A complete cure? I cannot be certain just yet. I will have to monitor this subject for a while to make sure she doesn’t die.

Day 356-

The Plague victim, Lilith, who I first administered Daffodil’s Nectar to, is still alive. So are the other victims I administered the Nectar to. As of today, no one in the town is showing signs of The Plague. I think I have found the cure! There is no time to waste; I gave the recipe to the Mourner and the doctor here. I told them I was heading to Moon City, the capital of the Moon Kingdom. I will inform King LeMoon of my discovery and using his power he can get the word of the cure out.

I am packing my things tonight and will leave in the morning.

Cure Notes:
Mantiglove, Poison Joke, Iron Powder, and Lyric Blossom combined cure The Plague

Day 363-

I have almost reached Moon City, it is on the horizon and I can see it clearly. Tomorrow I will reach it and seek an audience with the king. I have galloped as fast as I could to make it here, and with every second I delay, another pony could die from The Plague, but now we have a way to fight back.

Tomorrow is the day everything changes; our world will no longer be shrouded in death!


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I arrived at the gates of Moon City at noon; it was a huge city, much larger than it appeared from a distance. From what I have heard it is seven times larger than my town, giving it a population of around 175,000 ponies before The Plague. A large outer wall surrounded the entire city, with some houses outside the wall used for farming. Inside the wall the houses and shops were clustered densely together and in the center there was another wall. This wall encompassed the castle, military barracks, and the Mourner academy.

I spared no time with sightseeing, and made my way straight to the castle. Some guards stopped me before I could enter the castle, but once I told them of what I discovered and asked for an audience with the king, one of them guided me to the throne room. The king was waiting for us there.

The king looked me over as he said, “What is this about?” The guard stepped forward and saluted the king before informing him, “This citizen claims to have found a cure to The Plague and asked for an audience with you, my liege.” The king seemed to consider this before stating, “Many have claimed the same, hoping to fool us into granting them wealth and power. But all proved to be lying and now reside in our dungeons. I will hear what you have to say, but know the dungeon awaits you should you waste my time.” I nodded to him as I bowed and proclaimed, “Yes, my liege.” The king nodded to the guard, whom then turned to stand at the door.

I told the king everything. My life, how The Plague affected me, and the journey I underwent; I left out the parts that involved killing, however. Then I told him about the cure, Daffodil’s Nectar. I told him how to make it, where to find the ingredients, and I showed him what each looked like. When I had finished, King LeMoon had a Mourner come in, “Take a dose of this “cure” and administer it to a victim. If what this buck says is true, they should be cured. Return to me once you know.” The Mourner nodded, took a dose of Daffodil’s Nectar from me and left. The king and I spent the next few hours going over the finer parts of my journey. Each and every village I passed through and told of the cure.

The Mourner returned and informed the king that, of course, the cure worked. I gave the Mourner most of my herbs and told him to make as much as he could, and cure who he was able. He left us again as the king had more to discuss with me.

“So, it seems you did find the cure, good work citizen. What is your name?” He asked me. “I am Grell, your majesty.” He smiled, “Well Grell, once again, good work. You have done something nopony else could. Now, guard. If you would…Take him to the dungeon and dispose of him.” The guard moved in on me. “What!? What do you mean? Why? I told you the truth! I found the cure, the Mourner proved that!” I screamed at him. The king looked bored with the conversation, “Yes, you did find the cure, the Mourner did prove it. However, with you gone my Mourners can take credit for the cure and we can sell it to everypony and my coffers will swell.” I burst into rage. Another corrupt noble! “You can’t do this! Ponies will know, I have told people! You won’t get away with this!” The king simply laughed, “You think some diseased commoners can stop me? I will have each town you visited wiped out and burned to the ground. No trace of you will exist in this kingdom anymore. Now guard, get him out of my sight.”

The guard escorted me down into the dungeon and threw me in a cell telling me, “Don’t get too comfortable, the king wants to dead by sunset.” I yelled, pleaded with him, “You can’t do this! You can’t let him get away with this! Please!” He didn’t say anything to me as he walked away and left me in darkness.


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In the past few hours I screamed myself hoarse and quickly lost hope that I would live throughout the night. I had killed Count Crescent for being corrupt, but I never expected the king to be corrupt as well. And if the king could be corrupt, anypony could be. I was depressed and my only comfort was that there was now a cure, but even that was a double edged sword. I planned to distribute it freely, but the king is greedy and plans to make his subjects pay. Many will not be available to afford it, and many will still die. My thoughts were interrupted by my cell door being thrown open. “Get out.” A guard commanded.

I got to my hooves and stepped outside the cell. Three guards were standing there and two flanked me and guided me to a strange contraption in the dungeon, the king was standing near it. “Ah, good, the entertainment has arrived.” The contraption consisted of a large vat of whitish bubbling liquid. A pole was positioned next to it and a pole coming out of that one was positioned over the vat. At the end of that pole was a pulley system with one end of a rope attached to a crank and the other end had a harness on it.

The guards walked me to the harness and strapped me in it. Two of the guards continued to watch me while the third moved to the crank and looked to the king. “Proceed.” The king commanded and the guard began to turn it. I slowly rose into the air and moved above the vat. The guard once again looked at the king who nodded, and then the guard proceeded to slowly lower me towards the vat.

It felt like it took an eternity to descent the few inches to the top of the liquid, and then my hooves broke the surface. Sudden intensive pain spread through my body and I screamed out in pain. “How do you like our acid bath, Grell? Really cleanses the body, doesn’t it?” The king laughs. The guard keeps lowering me slowly into the vat and every second more and more of my body is exposed to the acid.

As the seconds tick by, my strength slowly leaves me and by the time I am in the vat up to my knees, it is all I can do to keep my head from dropping into it. I cannot scream anymore and only inaudible rasps come from my throat. Once I am in up to my thighs, I can no longer keep my head up and it slowly drops into the vat. The acid starts to eat away at my nose and mouth and as I am lowered into it, it eats away my muzzle. I can no longer feel, no longer think straight, and feel myself slowly slipping away. I cast one last hate-filled glance at King LeMoon before I slip into darkness.


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Darkness. Everything is darkness. There is nothing around me; I can’t even tell if I am there. My body feels weird, like I have some new appendage I never had before. I try to look at myself, but I cannot see in this complete darkness.  Instead I feel my back and when I do, two new limbs are there. They are almost like...wings?!

Suddenly a beam of light strikes down in front of me. In a few seconds a Mourner materializes in the beam of light. “Grell, do you know where you are?” he asks me. “N-no. Last thing I knew, I was being submerged into acid and then…A-am I dead? Why do I have wings?” I ask him. “In a way, yes, you are dead. You are in the space outside of time.” He informs me. “W-why am I here?” I am confused. What was going on? “A good question,” he replies, “Your life has been filed with misfortune and death. You know death better than anyone from your time. You have been chosen, you are to become Death. We watched you as your life progressed. We know everything you have done, everything you will do.” This confused me, what did he mean “we”?

I asked him. “We are time, we are forever and always. However, we have no physical interaction with the worlds we watch over. And you have been chosen to perform a duty. You will guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife.” I was informed. “So I am going to be killing ponies? And what afterlife? The Stars exist?” I asked him, very much confused. “No. You are not allowed or able to kill ponies except under specific conditions. You simply guide the souls of the dead. You are the guide to every afterlife, not just one. The Stars are but one of the afterlives, there are many different ones. You can also not exist before now, to prevent you from interfering with your own past.” I just stared at him for a minute and then asked him, “So when everypony dies, I guide their souls to their afterlives? Thousands die each day, how can I possibly manage to collect all their souls?” He gestured around him, “We are outside of time. When here, you can look at any moment past, present, or future and go there instantly. Years can become mere seconds to you, and seconds become years. You will always be able to attend each death and collect the soul.” I took a few minutes to take all of this in.

Time went by and I spoke more with the Mourner and learned about the role I would play as Death. I grew wings and am now an Alicorn, giving me the ability to fly and also giving me more magical power than I had before. I am now able to move through time as one would move through a door. I am immortal and cannot die, however my body remains the same as it was the time of my death. The bones of my legs are now exposed up to my thighs, and my face is bone from my snout to half way up my muzzle. I am able to use my magic, so I can use an illusionary spell to prevent others from seeing this. Others can see me and I can interact with them, however I cannot tell them of their deaths or kill them prematurely. I also no longer need to eat or drink. So many new things filled my mind as the Mourner told me what I could now do, what I now had to do.

He told me of an important duty I must complete, more important that guiding souls. I needed to find three other ponies like me, each with their own kind of misfortune, and make them join me. When we united together, our mission was to protect this world, to make sure it would not die, no matter the cost. If the world should be threatened, that is the one time we are allowed to kill ponies, any creature, before their time. I didn’t know how I felt about this new task facing me, but I had no choice and accepted it.

“Oh, and before I forget, take this.” The Mourner holds out a hoof and an exquisite looking scythe appears. He hands it to me. “We modeled this after the weapon you used against Count Crescent. Sometime, souls won’t go willingly and you will have to use force. This will aid you. You can summon it whenever you like. Good luck in your work, Death.”

And thus began my story as the Apocalypse Pony of Death. But that tale is for another time. My story ends here, for now. It is another’s turn to tell his story.
> Act 2: Chapter 4 - The Great War
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the notes of a historian:

When The Plague had reached a high point in its lethality, a turning point occurred. A cure, called Lunar Remedy, was discovered in the Moon Kingdom; however the king at the time charged highly for it. Shortly after this cure was found, this king began to destroy some of his own towns and villages for reasons unknown. However, when his armies reached the town of Crescentville the town’s militia, led by Countess Waning, drove them back. This countess rallied the citizens of the Moon Kingdom against their king and his corrupt ways, and soon a civil war broke out.

This civil war lasted for seven years before Countess Waning came out the winner and the king was killed. The countess took over the Kingdom and become its new queen. Queen Waning swiftly dealt with the affairs of the county, including restoring the damage done by the civil war, as well as distributing the cure for The Plague to all of her citizens. She also sent out messengers and Mourners to other countries and spread the cure across the world. It was through this the queen earned her place is history as the pony who eradicated The Plague, the actual creator of the cure unknown. Three years after the civil war, The Plague was completely gone.

The countries of the world began rebuilding and coping with the massive loss of life they had survived. Ten years after the eradication of The Plague, the world’s nations began attacking each other for resources or in an attempt to exploit another nation’s weakness caused by The Plague. The world was plunged into chaos once again, but the cause this time was war. The nations engaged in a free-for-all and attacked who they pleased. While war became prominent everywhere, the Scarlet Empire felt it the most heavily. It was situated between four other nations, the Moon Kingdom, Sky Flotilla, Magical Symposium, and the Griffin Homeland.

Ten years into this war, the boundaries of nations changed drastically, but the Scarlet Empire was holding strong and was one of the few to lose barely any land to another. It fought in many bloody battles and its council was determined to push outward and gain as much land as possible. In this determination many offensives were launched against the surrounding nations. One such offensive was aimed towards a town called Dawn, belonging to the Sky Flotilla. It was one of the few pegasi towns on the ground, a farming town for the nation, and provided them with food and supplies for the war effort. Taking this town would strike a hefty blow against them. It was ten years into this war that the offensive against Dawn was launched.


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30 years after Death…

I awake from my sleep to the sound of rain. The temperature has dropped drastically since I was last awake, possibly in part to the rain. Stretching, I get up off my cot and look around the tent; it would seem the rain is leaking in under the edged, but the center is still dry. I yawn as put on my armor, forged from steel and marked with my country’s crest, a red plaque background with the symbols of a horseshoe in the center and a unicorn’s horn between the horseshoe, the great Scarlet Empire.

As I am preparing to leave my tent, a soldier enters and salutes me before saying, “Sergeant Crimson! Lieutenant Sheath requests your presence in the command tent.” I nod to the soldier before telling him, “Thank you, I’m on my way.” The soldier leaves the tent and I turn to my mirror and examine my armor.

Everything looks in order and I admire the armor’s crest, which has the same red as my coat, crimson. My black mane is barely visible beneath my helmet, and my specially made armor shows my cutie mark, a silver gear with two swords crossed in front of it. I pull on my crimson cloak, head out into the rain and make my way to the command tent.

The camp seems abuzz with activity as soldiers run everywhere giving reports, moving supplies, or looking for some slight rest. After a short walk through the maze of tents I arrive at the command tent, a large crimson tent embroidered with our nation’s crest. As I enter I am greeted by the glances of about a dozen other stallions gathered around a table that has a map of the area on it. I quietly make my way to join them at the table and wait to be addressed.

“No! Absolutely not! We cannot throw any more troops against that side’s defenses. I am telling you, we need to come up with another approach or we will continue to get slaughtered.” One of the officers proclaims. “Then what do you suggest? The opposite side of the town is blocked by a trench. Sure, we could climb into and then attempt to climb out of it, but the damned pegasi will just rain arrows down upon us before we manage up again,” snarled another. “Calm yourselves gentlecolts. We must simply think up a proper strategy which will catch them off guard and exploit their weakness.” The General said in an attempt to calm his officers before turning to me. “Now then, Crimson, I am glad you are here. As I am sure you are aware, Lieutenant Blackhoof was KIA this morning. That leaves your squad without an officer. Well, congrad-u-lations, you are now Lieutenant of Maroon squad. Don’t make us regret this decision. Now then everypony, you as well Crimson, let us continue our planning.”

And just like that in a matter of seconds, I became a lieutenant; although, all too recently this has happened quite often. At least four of the other stallions around the table were field promoted like I just was, without any proper training in leadership and decision making. Unlike them, however, I had planned to eventually become an officer. My overall ambition was to become one of the five generals in the Scarlet Army and bring glory and wealth back to the Scarlet Empire. War does wonders for a pony’s military career.

I listened in to the conversation and planning that was going on around me. Since I was new, I wasn’t about to suggest anything right off the bat and risk a mistake. Instead, I would wait for an idea to show itself to me. I looked over the map of the town of Dawn and its surrounding countryside, making note of all the fortifications on both sides and thinking about what we could do. While I examined the map and listened to the other officers argue around me, messengers from the frontlines would run in every so often with reports and the map would change, if ever so slightly. This battle was a stalemate, for now.

After a few hours of arguing the officers were silent for a few minutes. The general looked at me after a while, and soon the others slowly did the same. “Crimson, you haven’t said anything for a while. Do you have any suggestions or anything to add?” Great, this is exactly what I didn’t want to happen. But, I did have a plan, I just wasn’t sure if it would work, it was a bit…risky, at least for one squad. I looked at the general, and then at the map, placing both of my hooves upon the table.

“The town has two entrances, this one which is an upward battle for us and we have been pushing for days, and this one which has a trench dug in front of it preventing us from moving in mass against them.” I pointed to each in turn. “From the scout reports, the trench entrance is slimly defended, and only so to warn the others of an attack from that side, as we have tried and seen. We have tried many approaches, including focusing solely on both and splitting our forces equally between the two. Even scaling the walls between the entrances proved futile.” I was mostly getting things straight in my head, not informing them of what they already knew. “In short, they are too swift to react to our efforts thanks to their aerial view of the battlefield and we cannot gain an upper hoof; we need to take them by surprise. So, I suggest that we wait till nightfall, when they will have limited visibility and our unicorn troops can use their magic to light our way or make us even harder to see. Then we have the mass of our forces attack the front while one squad will attempt to sneak through the trench entrance and get the drop on them. Any more than a squad and I fear our visibility level will be too high, and while the pegasi are distracted with the front we still trike them from behind.”

They general and other officers looked from one to another, some muttering amongst themselves, before they turned back to me. “It sounds good; we shall try this, Crimson.” The general said to me, then asked, “Who will lead the solitary squad?” He looked around at the officers, each of whom attempted to avoid his gaze. I sighed slightly before I spoke up once again, “I will sir, me and Maroon squad.” What was I getting myself into?

> Act 2: Chapter 5 - The Pegasi Scourge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Waiting for your word lieutenant.” The new Sergeant of Maroon squad tells me. Maroon squad currently consists of eleven soldiers; four unicorns and seven earth ponies. We have gathered about a hundred yards from the trench of Dawn, beneath a tree help cloak our presence. A few hours have passed since nightfall, but the attack won’t start for a few more minutes. The main force will attack, and then after a few more minutes we will begin our infiltration.

In the time remaining I go over our plan once again with the squad. The unicorns will be using illusionary magic to assist in cloaking us from the sight of watchful pegasi. Due to the strain on their magical reserves this would cause the four unicorns will alternate and work in teams of two to cloak the whole squad. We will move swiftly yet quietly into the trench and begin climbing out of it again and once on the other side, we will take out as many pegasi as we can quietly and when detected we will charge the opposite entrance where the main force is attacking. Once we engage the pegasi at the main entrance, they will be caught in a two-sided battle and we should gain the upper hand.

The main force begins attacking and we can hear the fighting from here; our attack beings soon. Using this remaining time, I elect to give the squad some words of inspiration. “Alright squad, listen up! Our attack will begin soon, and we must succeed and take this town tonight! This is a risky operation, and the chance of our defeat is high. However, if we stick together, work as a team, and use our training properly we will come out victorious! Taking this town will strike a devastating blow against the pegasi, and help to secure our border against them. Whatever your reason is to fight, remember it and use it to crush the pegasi vermin from this town, a town which should rightfully belong to us, who reside on the ground! Come, my brothers! Let us take this town for the Great Scarlet Empire!” I raise my hoof to punctuate my statement. And as I do so the rest of the squad raises theirs and let out a quiet cheer as we begin to march towards the trench.


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We have made it across the trench and into the town without being detected. If it wasn’t for the battle raging at the gate, it would seem like a ghost town; all the non-combatant citizens having long since left. We made our way into one of the houses to give our unicorn members a rest. The spell had exhausted them and they were not fit for combat right away. However ever moment we rested is a moment one of our soldiers could fall. I decided to adjust our plan slightly. “Alright everypony, we are going to split up to give our unicorn brothers a chance to rest. Cog and Saber, you two stay here and watch over them and catch up with us when you can, the rest of you with me.”

I led the rest of the squad to the stairs leading to the town’s wall. There was a pegasi standing near the top, looking over the area we had crossed to enter the town. I motioned for the squad to stop while I snuck up on him, unsheathing my knife. I crept up right next to him and quickly reach my hoof around to grab his muzzle while I used the knife in mine to penetrate a gap in his armor and stab him in the neck. His body tensed as is dropped to the ground lifelessly and I motioned for the rest of the squad to move up.

We split up further and crept along the top of the walls taking out the soldiers on the ground; occasionally some would fly overhead and we would have to hug the shadows to avoid being detected. The stallion I had brought with me, Ironside, and I had killed around ten before the other group of three signaled that they had been spotted. Ironside and I began charging atop the wall to regroup with our other squad members, running into a few more soldiers along the way. Ironside brought his war hammer down upon one such fellow’s back, breaking both his wings, before tossing him over the wall to fall to his dead. Oh irony.

As we approached the other three, four pegasi were swooping down upon them while another was shooting arrows toward them while hovering in the air.  My squad members were doing their best to fight them off, but none of us had ranged weaponry so it was a losing battle. It was all they could do to fight them off. Once we caught up to them, Ironside hit one out of the air as it swooped down and the pegasi crashed to the ground. However more pegasi with bows flew in and began to shoot at us and we had to keep moving to avoid getting hit while still combating those still swooping down at us.

Slowly we were being pushed into a corner, and just when it seemed we would be overwhelmed, Cog and Saber appeared on the wall in a puff of magic, impaling two of the attacking pegasi with their spears. At the same time, two of our four unicorns, who had bows, appeared on a near-by rooftop and quickly shot and killed the last pegasi who had close ranged weaponry. They then turned their attention toward the airborne pegasi and began launching arrows at them. While they engaged the pegasi in the air, we began running to the town gate where the main force was attacking. Cog and Saber informed us that the two other unicorns were in the same house and had used magic to teleport the others up, but will be in no condition to catch up with us for a while.

The pegasi archers split into two groups, one pursuing us, and the other attacking our unicorn archers. We ran across the top of the wall toward the gatehouse our main force was fighting near, dodging arrows all the while. When we neared the gatehouse, we saw lines of pegasi archers on the wall raining arrows down upon our soldiers.

My squad and I quickly charged the grounded archers and began doing away with them. They were caught off-guard and we managed to slay nearly fifteen of them before the rest took to the skies. Ignoring the flying pegasi, we charged inside the gatehouse and I ordered Cog and Ironside to begin opening the gate while the rest of us fought off the pegasi.

The gate was almost fully opened when a pegasi archer took a shot through an arrowslit in the wall. Saber quickly stuck his spear back out the arrowslit and stabbed the archer, however the arrow had struck Ironside in the chest and he was bleeding badly. I ran over to him and laid him upon the floor as I took over his task and finished opening the gate. Once the gate was open, I told Cog to tend to Ironside as I went back to fight off the pegasi to prevent them from closing the gate.

As my squad held the gatehouse, I could hear triumphant shouts as Scarlet Empire soldiers galloped through the gate and began overrunning the town. A few minutes later the two unicorns, who had been recovering in the house after teleporting the others, galloped into the gatehouse and rejoined us. I ordered them to relieve Cog and see what they could do for Ironside.

The battle for Dawn raged on for hours as each force was stuck in a staring contest, the pegasi waiting for openings to swoop down and kill one of us, and us waiting for them to swoop down so we could kill them. However thanks to our unicorns’ magic we were able to shoot them out of the air and their forces began to dwindle. The sun was beginning to rise as the remaining pegasi fled the town of Dawn, leaving us to stand triumphantly in victory. 
My plan had worked. We had taken Dawn.


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After things settled down and clean-up began, the officers had conducted a head count on how many had died on our side. We had lost a few hundred soldiers this battle, but we had killed nearly double our losses. However, Ironside did not survive the wound he received and I later found out that one of the unicorn archers in my squad had been killed as well; the other had received multiple wounds and would be unfit for combat for at least a few days.
While those who were fit to work secured the town, the other officers and I gathered in the command tent once again. Even after a victory, we had no time to rest; we had to plan our next move. As I entered the tent, a messenger pony galloped out; no doubt he was on his way to the capital of the Scarlet Empire, Amaranthia, to report news of our capture of Dawn.

As soon as I entered, the general spoke to me, “Good work Lieutenant Crimson, keep this up and your career looks promising. Now that we have taken Dawn, the pegasi will be hard pressed for supplies and should pose less of a threat to us. However, we still need to fortify our position in this area so we will be taking the neighboring towns of Morning Dew and Nightingale. They are both fairly smaller than Dawn, and have no importance, but we can use them as bases of operations if nothing else.” The officers around him nodded in agreement as they looked over the map of the area. “To take these as soon as possible, we will be splitting in two groups and take them simultaneously. But first, we will camp here for a day and tend to our wounded; however we might as well start discussing the basic plan.” The officers, including myself, sighed slightly, we wanted to rest, not formulate plans. But the general continued.

“Come now everypony, the best time to make plans is when your adrenaline is running, not when you are relaxed and dulled. Now then, Lieutenant Cross and I will remain here and defend Dawn with our forces. Colonel Sharphoof, you will lead the attack on Morning Dew with Captain Blackmane and Lieutenant Clover. Major Crystal Spring, you will lead the attack on Nightingale with Captain Arid, Captain Iron Order, and Lieutenant Crimson. Come tomorrow morning, form ranks and march upon the town of your conquest. Since we have no idea what defenses each town has, I will leave your method up to you. Alright everypony, with the exception of Colonel Sharphoof and Major Crystal Spring, your all dismissed.” He nodded to us as we took our leave.

So, my next battle would be for the town of Nightingale, a battle that would be almost meaningless and give us no advantage. Very few pegasi choose to live on the ground, most of those who do are farmers or their families. Because of this the Sky Flotilla has very few towns on the ground; I think the number is around ten. We cannot exactly take the towns they have in the clouds, so once we take the towns they have on the ground, all that is left for us to do is defend them. And to be honest, I’ve heard that we don’t plan on moving in any further than we currently are, meaning that Morning Dew and Nightingale will be our last conquests against the Sky Flotilla.

If that is indeed the case, I plan to apply for a transfer to another front. Perhaps against the Magical Symposium, I hear we aren’t faring well against them. With thoughts of the future battles to come in my head, I walk back to my tent to rest for the coming march and battle that tomorrow will bring.


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After resting in my tent till noon, eating, and helping to secure the defenses of the town of Dawn till nightfall, I returned once again to my tent where I set about drafting a letter.

To my dearest Ivory Snow,

How are you doing, my love? I am doing fine, thankfully, and have only sustained a few scratches. Today I am writing from the town of Dawn, a former pegasi town we have most recently taken from them. Just before the final battle for it, I was made a lieutenant! My goal of becoming a general is closer, and hopefully my career won’t end here. Not only that, but my promotion also means a higher pay grade! We will be able to finish the baby’s room before they arrive, hopefully.

Speaking of which, it won’t be long now, will it? Only a few more months, right? I hope I can take leave and be there to witness our child’s birth. Have you been thinking of names, by the way? I would like to keep to my family tradition of naming children after the color of their coat. That way, they won’t end up with a name like Hammer when their cutie mark is a carrot, like my great-great-great-etc. grandfather. But, we can decide on that together.

Tomorrow morning I march for the town of Nightingale, but by the time you receive this letter hopefully we will have taken it and moved on. I wish I could be there with you now; I miss your snowy white coat, your elegant black mane, and your brilliant ruby eyes….Ah! How I love you.

I am sure it is tough managing the housework and daily duties yourself. But, the Great Scarlet Empire requires my help, and I am proud to do my duty for the empire. 

Yours always,
Crimson

I often write to my wife after battles, I like to keep her informed of my safety and where I am, I don’t like it when she worries about me. And the moments when I receive a letter from her fill me with happiness and comfort. I wipe a smile from my muzzle as I step out of my tent to give the letter to a messenger pony, who will deliver it once he goes to relay news. After delivering my letter, I return to my tent, remove my armor, and settle into my cot before drifting into sleep.


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To my dearest Ivory Snow,

How are you doing, my love? I am writing this letter a few days after the most recent battle, and I am now in Dawn once more. This past battle, for the pegasi town of Nightingale if you recall, I managed to make it through with only a cracked rib! The unicorn doctor here will have it mended in a few days, so don’t worry. It doesn’t pain me much, so please don’t fret over it.

The town was lightly defended, compared to the forces we had at our disposal anyhow, so the battle lasted but a day. I am sure you are asking yourself, “If it was lightly defended, how did you get injured?” Well, it was simple bad luck. When I was galloping around a corner to flank some of the pegasi, one was waiting there for me and struck me in the side with his mace; thankfully the armor took most of the blow.

To be honest, we really didn’t have a plan except for charging in and overwhelming them. Major Crystal Spring decided their defenses weren’t anything to make a fuss over and we should just run in and take it from them. How he made it to Major is beyond me, but we did manage to conquer the town with few casualties.

The same cannot be said for the attack on Morning Dew, however. From what I heard of the attack on it led by Colonel Sharphoof, the pegasi who retreated from Dawn regrouped there, got reinforcements, and gave the Colonel a run for his money. Both Captain Blackmane and Lieutenant Clover were killed in the combat that ensued, resulting in Lieutenant Cross being promoted to Captain to replace Blackmane, and two Sergeants being promoted to replace Clover and fill Cross’ old position. Other than officers, about a third of the soldiers attacking Morning Dew were either killed or badly injured. I either got lucky by getting assigned to attack Nightingale, or I missed out on an opportunity to show my merit at Morning Dew.

The only good news is that roughly ninety percent of the pegasi who defended Morning Dew were killed, while those who remained alive surrendered. From Colonel Sharphoof’s report it appeared they did not feel retreat was an option, and it was only when all the pegasi in positions of leadership were killed that the others surrendered. As with all captured prisoners they will be marched to the iron mines outside of Amaranthia and can work their way to eventual release by mining the iron we use to forge our weapons and armor, but of course some will refused and be killed on the spot.

On to other news, the General informed us that we would indeed just be defending against the pegasi hence-forth, so we can focus our offence elsewhere. I requested to be transferred to the Magical Symposium front, which is under the charge of General Blood Hoof, where we are having the most trouble. The unicorns are ferocious opponents and I am glad those on our side sided with us, instead of going to the unicorn “homeland”. Hopefully transferring there will help to hasten my career.

Now, on to you and the baby! Is everything going alright? No troubles with anything? If something were to go awry, it would take an army to prevent me from reaching your side, in fact, for you, I could defeat that army and reach you unscathed! And even though I am transferring to another front of the war, I will try my hardest to get leave to be with you when our child is born, as long a time as I am able so I can help you with whatever you might need.

That is all for this letter darling! Say hello to your mother for me! She is helping you with the housework and what-not, right?

Yours always,
Crimson

Another battle, another letter to my lovely wife! Oh how I miss her…But, the war goes on, and I am needed to fight for the Great Scarlet Empire! Still, I hope to take leave and witness my child’s birth. For now, however, I will deliver this letter to a messenger and rest up for my journey to the Magical Symposium front, once my wounds have healed enough. I hear the combat down there is fierce and many on our side have been lost for minimal victories. If my lucky streak continues down there like it has up here, I will no doubt earn myself a good leave to visit my wife when she gives birth, and possibly another promotion! But until then, I will simply rest up and prepare for what lies ahead.
> Act 2: Chapter 6 - The Unicorn Menace
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few days’ rest my wounds were healed and I was transferred as I had requested to the unicorn front. It took a few days to travel from the north of the Scarlet Empire border to the border on the south west. While in transit, various convoys merged with our own, apparently a lot of troops along the northern pegasi front were transferred by force. Some other smaller convoys also came from the eastern front against the Moon Kingdom.

Its queen, Waning, is apparently a fierce leader and her generals equally so. However she also deplores unnecessary violence and as such has reached out with peace to her neighbors. The Scarlet Empire remembers what the Moon Kingdom, especially Waning, did for it in the past when The Plague threatened to destroy everyone. And since we are facing war on each of our borders, agreeing to this armistice was an easy decision to make. However, her other neighbors aren’t so noble as to show appreciation for what she has done in the past. In the end, only we accepted her armistice.

We soon reached the unicorn front, but it was not what I was expecting. The entire area was a charred partially burning wasteland with our tents pitched in the midst of it. We were outside a recently taken unicorn city whose name I do not know, however the general later told me he has taken to renaming all unicorn cities they capture, and this one he named Scarlet Hoof. He went on to explain how it represented how the Scarlet Empire was going to cruse the Magical Symposium under its hoof.

As the newest additions to the combat here and I arrived, we were corralled to a large open area with what looked like a stage in front of us. As an officer I was told to stand near the front and did so as the rest of the newcomers arrived. Soon, roughly a hundred ponies were gathered before the stage, only three others stood alongside me, my fellow officers. A few minutes passed before three ponies trotted onto the stage. One stood at the podium in the center while the other two stood at attention beside him. The one at the podium began to speak.

“Welcome to the fight everypony. Allow me to introduce myself, I am General Blood Hoof and I lead the fight against the unicorn menace and these two here assist me in doing so. To my right is Brigadier General Forge and on my left is Colonel Gizmo. Now, with that out of the way let me say right now, the fighting here is unlike anything any of you have faced before. The unicorns are brutal, bloodthirsty, and will stop and nothing to eradicate us “inferior” ponies. Now, I know some of you are unicorns yourselves, well let me tell you they hate you as much as anypony else. If you so much as look kindly at a non-unicorn you are committing treason in their eyes. They are an idealistic group who believe that unicorns are the supreme beings in this world. Unicorns do have their strong points, those of you who are fighting with us I am glad to have you, but the supreme beings? I have two words to say to that, Horse Shit.”

“Enough on that matter, we are here to fight, not talk. I run things very differently than the other generals, I need to. Things here get messy and I need to ensure my troops can and will do their best. Your past generals probably just gave orders while sitting at some HQ, am I right? Well fuck those cowards. I fight with you, I lead charges, I strike the enemy first and as such I will need to rely on you all at times. If I cannot expect myself to do as I command, how can I expect you all to follow my orders, and you will follow my orders. I can be a kind leader or a cruel tyrant all depending on how you carry yourself, and I have a zero tolerance for any treasonous acts, including aiding the enemy, fleeing from the enemy without command, and just down right cowardice. I treat traitors one way, I send them home. In a casket. And on that note, send up the traitors.”

At the general’s word, two ponies are led onto the stage, one unicorn and one earth pony. The unicorn looks like they have given up all hope; however the earth pony still has fire in his eyes. “This is bullshit general! You know it is!” he spat at the general. The general smiled and said, “Gag him.”  One of the soldiers escorting the traitors moved to put a muzzle over his mouth, but the earth pony got some words in beforehand, “Don’t let the general fool you! What we did is right! Don-“ But he was cut off as the soldiered slipped the muzzle on and the general began to speak once again.

“I am sure many of you have noticed the charred and burning state of the land around us. That is due to a tactic we use to weaken the enemy. We simply set fire to the surrounding countryside of a town, burning all the houses and crops that could aid the enemy. During this tactic, it is not rare for enemy soldiers to get caught in the fires and burned alive. It is acceptable, and I welcome their death to the flames of war. One less unicorn to fight against, right? Well these two took it upon themselves to attempt to rescue a small group of unicorn combatants from being burned alive in a house. They succeeded and the unicorns fled back into the city we later took. Because of the action of these two ponies before you, more of our brothers had to die in combat at the hooves of those who should have been dead. These two are just as guilty of the killings as the enemy is, and for that they will be executed.”

The general unsheathes his sword and turns to the unicorn before slashing his throat and then the earth pony’s. He then stabs his sword into the stage and turns back to face us.

“These traitors make a mockery of our great army. If it was up to me, it would be my pleasure to execute every traitor we come across; however I have my hooves full fighting on the frontlines defending our homes. If you all obey orders and fight to your fullest, we won’t have any problems. Fight with me and you will quickly become seasoned veterans and maybe even earn yourselves a promotion or two. I look forward to fighting with you all in defense of our great empire. That is all. Go and find your assignments, officers, report to the command tent.”

With that he turned, as did the Brigadier General and Colonel, and the three of them walked off the stage heading for, what I assume, is the command tent. On stage, the soldiers that escorted the traitors up are now hauling off their bodies, and a new soldier galloped up to retrieve the general’s sword. Around me murmurs could be heard as everypony talked amongst themselves. I was uncertain of how to interpret what I had just seen. The general certainly seemed cruel, but maybe he was just putting on an act in front of the new troops? One thing was certain; my time here was going to be interesting.


===============~*~=============

An entire month has gone by since I arrived at the unicorn front. Soldiers have perished and new ones have come to replace them. The general was right; this front was unlike the others. It was gory, taxing, and deadly, and sure all war is like that but this…This is something else. In my time here I have come to think of General Blood Hoof as a kind leader, he expects nothing of his soldiers that he doesn’t expect of himself, and as he has said he fights at the front. His many scars on his ember coat are proof enough of that. It would also appear he has taken a liking to me, having me lead important missions and diversions.

In this month we have fought only two battles, but they were both taxing and we lost many soldiers. And somehow through that I managed to gain two promotions, and only the first was due to a death, I am now a Major. The general thinks that with my help we can end the war with the unicorns within a year, and he has already told me that if I keep this up more promotions will be ahead. At the moment however, there is a lull in the fighting, even the best-oiled fighting machine needs rest. Since my wife is due to have our child in less than a month, this is as good a time as any to ask for leave. I make my way to the command tent to talk with the general.

As I enter the tent I see that the tent is empty aside from the general and brigadier general. “-know that. Things have been progressing roughly at best, and every step forward is met with heavy resistance. I hear the east is sending us more troops thanks to the armistice, but the north and south have none to spare. Fighting in the south is almost as bad as it is here, and the north still needs some troops to defend in case of pegasi counter-attack. We must make do with what we have for now.” The brigadier general was informing the general. But the general just slammed his hoof down. “The other fronts are nothing compared to our fighting force. If I were in their position of leadership, I would have finished long ago and sent aid to another. We have taken all the smaller towns we can, our next siege must be their fortress. But with what we have, it will be very deadly.”

I stepped up to the table. “Uh, sorry to interrupt general. I have a favor to ask.” The general looked my way before asking flatly, “What is it, Major Crimson?” He wasn’t in a good mood, but I pressed on. “General, you see my wife is pregnant and due in less than a month. I would like leave so that I could be with her when it happens, sir.” The general seemed to grimace when I asked for leave. “There is no doubt in my mind that you have earned leave, but at this time, on the precipice of a siege on a fortress, I am not sure we can handle your absence.” The brigadier general chimed in, “Oh come on general, he’s having a kid. Crimson, is this your first?” I nodded. “His first kid! Come on general! He will be back before we know it. And what’s more, he will come back refreshed and ready for action!”

The general looked from him to me and finally at the map lay open on the table. He sighed before saying, “I will consider it. Return here tomorrow at this time and I will have an answer for you.” My face immediately lit up as hope soared throughout my being. “Thank you sir! I will see you then!” and I left the tent, heading for my own.


===============~*~=============


Brigadier General Forge turned to General Blood Hoof, “Oh? You are actually going to consider allowing our up-and-coming officer to go on leave before a fortress siege?” Blood Hoof smiled, “Of course, he deserves leave after all. Of all the soldiers under my command he has fought the hardest. And even if he decides to take his leave, he won’t be gone long. He will be back before we know it.” Forge raised an eyebrow, “Do you think he loves war that much?” Blood Hoof shook his head, “No, I don’t think he does. But, he seems drawn to war, it suits him. Perhaps he has what it takes to become a great general someday. That is, of course, if he can focus on military duty and forgets about being a devoted father and husband.”

Forge let out an awkward laugh, “You really can be cruel, can’t you general?” Blood Hoof just grinned, “It comes with the territory of being a general. And I’m not cruel; I simply understand the needs of war. The Great Scarlet Empire needs to expand its borders and protect itself from its enemies. Nothing will get in the way of our defense.”


===============~*~=============


I have been antsy all day, waiting till it was time to hear the general’s decision. Would I get to go home and see my wife or would he force me to remain here till after the fortress siege? I arrived shortly before the specified time and waited outside. I would have entered, however I heard some muttering that I couldn’t make out and decided against interrupting. It wasn’t long before the flap of the tent opened and a masked pony in a blood red cloak walked out.

I have never seen one in person, but that pony fits the exact description of the emperor’s elite guard. The wooden mask painted red that keeps the muzzle exposed and painted with a gold gear over the right eye, the blood red cloak, and the steel halberd. The legends surrounding them say they only talk to the emperor and his generals. Perhaps the general is looking for reinforcements while I am away?

Ah! But it is time for me to hear the general’s decision. I enter the command tent, as the talking ended once the elite guard left. As I do so, the general notices me, “Ah, Crimson, right on time. I have considered your request for leave, and am happy to grant it to you, should you wish to take it. You can leave when you are ready.” My eyes widened and a grin spread across my muzzle, “Really general!? Thank you so much! I will leave tonight and be back as soon as I can!” The general smiled, “I know you will. However, an elite guard just informed me of something. Apparently a small group of unicorns have broken through our line and are wreaking havoc at our slimly protected villages. Be careful you do not meet these scum while you are on leave. Now then, go and hurry back. We have a war to finish.”

I nodded my head, saluted the general, and trotted back to my tent to pack up everything I needed. Hold on honey, I am on my way home!


===============~*~=============


My home, given to me by my father, who got it from his father who built it, a quaint little hovel on the edge of town, the house that my wife and unborn foal reside in…Is ablaze with the fires of hell. 

I got into town late at night, but I could see smoke rising from somewhere. I galloped towards the smoke only to discover that it was my home that was ablaze. The fire must have only recently started, as nopony else had gathered and the alarm had not been raised. As I sprinted towards the door, four silhouettes came into view. Four unicorns clad in the armor of the Magical Symposium. Were these the unicorns the general had spoken of? 

I swiftly drew my sword and charged the unicorns. I was upon them in seconds and before they realized what was happening I had taken the heads off of two of them. The other two were quick to respond, but not quick enough as I slit one’s throat and stabbed my sword in the other’s chest and left it there.

I bucked open the door of my burning house and charged inside only to be hit with a wave of heat. I shielded my head with a leg while I looked around the house. It wasn’t long before I saw my wife lying in the middle of it and I ran to her side. As I got closer I noticed she had various wounds on her sides, but she was still breathing, barely. I hauled her onto my back and carried her outside as quickly as I was able, staying low to the ground to avoid the smoke.

I burst forth from the doorway and into the cool air of the night. A crowd had started to gather and some guards had been called. I headed a far distance away from the burning house and laid Ivory on the ground. As I did so I told one of the ponies in the crowd to go get a doctor and I cradled Ivory’s head in my hooves.

“Come on Ivory, stay with me. You’re going to be fine; the doctor is on his way. Come on baby…” I whispered to her. She was losing a lot of blood and without aid she would die soon. “C-crim? I-I’m so happy…to see you…” Ivory’s voice was barely audible. “No, honey, don’t speak. Keep what strength you can.” I told her. She gave me a weak smile as she said, “I love you, Cr-Crimson…”

After uttering those words she closed her eyes and didn’t open them again. I held her head close to my chest and cried into her mane. I was too late. If only I had been minutes, seconds, faster getting here she might not have died. Lost in my mourning, I don’t notice the doctor approach us.

“Crimson, back up give me some room.” The doctor said. “She’s already dead doctor, there’s nothing you can do.” I told him. “I can see that,” he told me. “But if we act quickly we might be able to save your foal.” Upon these words I immediately lay Ivory’s head down and gave the doctor some room. “Please doctor, if there is anything I can do just let me know.”

The doctor cut open Ivory’s abdomen to gain access to her uterus, and within minutes he pulled our foal from my wife’s body. I looked to the doctor, smiled and asked, “Well doctor, do I have a colt or a filly?” Immediately after asking my smile disappeared. The doctor wasn’t smiling, he looked grim. He looked at me and said, “Crimson, I’m sorry…but your colt didn’t make it.”

I fell to the ground in utter disbelief. “A colt…we would have had a colt Ivory…Thank you doctor, but I’d like to be left alone for a while.” The doctor nodded and laid my colt’s body next to its mother before he walked away. I sat there next to their bodies for what seemed like hours.


===============~*~=============


The following morning I had a lot of business to attend to. Ivory’s body had been taken to the undertaker’s the previous night along with our colt’s, who I decided to name him Cinereous because his coat was coppery gray color. We were going to be holding a funeral tomorrow for the both of them. 

I had to go through the process of picking out their grave plots and coffins. I also had to inform the guards of what I encountered and hire somepony to clear the wreckage of my house, which had completely burn down. I had nothing left in this town to call my own, the fire and those unicorns saw to that. I decided to sell my land my house was on and to dedicate the rest of my able-bodied life to destroying the unicorn bastards that caused the death of the ones I loved.

I wouldn’t become rich from fighting in the military, but when I can no longer fight I will have enough money set aside to buy a house and live out the rest of my days. It won’t be a happy or easy life from now on, but if I can prevent another innocent death, prevent somepony’s wife and foal from being killed, it will be worth it.

The day following the death of my wife was a day full of sorrowful looks, words of sympathy, and acts of pity. At one point I wondered into an alley way just to get a break from everypony looking at me. I curled up in that alley for a few hours before carrying on with my business. When I finally returned to the room I was renting, I couldn’t even sleep. The night passed by me as I lay on the bed. My mind was filled with thoughts of my wife, colt, and the life we could have had. 

When the next morning finally rolled around I was thankful to see the sunrise. Today was the day of the funeral, the last time I would see my wife’s or colt’s body. I prepared myself and made my way to the graveyard. No one else was there, it was far too early for the funeral, but I had nothing else to do and I really didn’t want to be alone in my room the whole day. I stood before the dug graves and waited, lost in my own thoughts. After quite some time the funeral assembled around me.

I returned back to reality for the duration of the funeral and hearing everypony’s kind words to me giving their condolences. The coffins of my wife and colt were lowered into the ground, their graves about a foot from each other, and buried. Words were said, shoulders were patted, but the whole thing passed as a blur. Like it had appeared, the funeral slowly disappeared around me as I stood before the two fresh graves.

The sun began to set before I turned from the graves and returned to my room. I had nothing keeping me in the town any longer. The next morning I would return to fight against the unicorns. I promised myself that I would return to my family’s graves again once the unicorn menace had been crushed. They killed my family and now I will not rest till their army lies in shambles.

> Act 2: Chapter 7 - The Price of War
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For years I continued to fight against the unicorns. General Blood Hoof was right; as I stated before, this fighting wasn’t like anything I had experienced before. For every push we made into their territory they pushed us back. I saw any soldiers come and go, many in caskets. Through the years I moved up the ranks from Major to hold the rank of Colonel. The previous Colonel, Gizmo was killed in the bloody battle of Salmon Ridge.

As I showed my might on the battlefield knowledge of my name began to spread. Soon the whole western army knew the name Colonel Crimson. Tales spread about my feats on the battlefield, some tales grew to mythical proportions. I heard one tale that told of me single handedly killing four-hundred unicorns without getting a scratch. While many tales ended up getting some falsehood sprinkled on them, the tales weren’t unwarranted.

While tales of killing hundreds might be exaggerated, I am a force to be reckoned with on the field. With all the fighting I have endured, I haven’t emerged unscathed. My numerous battles have left me with many scars that would never fully heal. I have a long scar running down my back, one on my left foreleg, one that goes diagonally across my muzzle, and one on my neck, just to name a few. I also lost my left eye when a unicorn charged me and stabbed his horn into it.

Needless to say, I look intimidating. While many new recruits or transfers avoid me at first, as they get used to me they will follow me blindly into battle. I have earned their trust and my soldiers are some of the most loyal in our army, and we are a force to be reckoned with. When the general need something done without fail, he calls on us. I think the only thing holding up another promotion for me, is that Brigadier General Forge is still alive and fighting.

In these years we have been fighting against the unicorns we have managed to gain most of their land. Our next conquest is the last fortress they possess before their capital city. The land they owned is now a charred husk of what it once was. It will be unusable for a short time, but when it is, it will be some of the most nutrient rich land in the world. Tonight we are burning the land around the fortress.

We have been planning our attack while we were camped a good distance away. They can see our camp, they know we are coming. Some of them even ran when they saw us marching upon the horizon, but they were killed by their own before they made it too far beyond the walls. Tonight both our forces and their will watch as the scarlet flames consume their land.

===============~*~=============

The fires are starting to go out as I am making my way towards the command tent. Many of the troops like to watch the fires and drink while singing songs. Not only does this boost troop morale, but it frightens the enemies. From captured unicorns we’ve heard them talk of the “Songs of Death” that are sung during the fires that eat their lands and precede the decent of the Alicorn of Death, that some say come for the souls of the dead.

I wave off some stallions who call out for me to have a drink with them, telling them I’m heading for the command tent. They “aw” and stagger on their way. As I near the command tent I hear talking from within. “Seems someone has arrived before me,“ I mutter to myself. But before I enter, I stop as I hear my name.

“…Crimson has been invaluable to our war efforts General. A lesser general wouldn’t have been able to do what you’ve done, they fail to see the larger picture and get caught up in the ethics of things.” This was Brigadier General Forge’s voice. 

“Hah, but of course. That is why I am, and will always be the greatest general the Scarlet Empire has ever seen. Things really turned around once Crimson arrived, didn’t they? A lesser general would have been content with pampering him and giving him exactly what he asked for. ‘Sure, take a leave before a major battle’ they would say, or ‘sure you can sit this one out’. Whatever would keep their little soldier loyal to them, but not I. I found his weakness and removed it, and we both know just how well that has worked out.” General Blood Hoof was saying.

“Of course sir, he has almost single handedly driven the unicorns from these lands. He has massed the strongest fighting force behind him and strikes down his foes without mercy. And to think, all we had to do was get one of the emperor’s elite guards to hire some unicorns to kill his wife and burn down his home. And that story about the unicorns that had been attacking villages within the empire? Brilliant sir.” Forge was commending the general.

“Yes. Of course I hadn’t planned on Crimson killing them, they were our own soldiers after all. If only he had arrived a bit later than he did. But no matter, Crimson’s new-found drive more than makes up for their loss. He has taken us from barely holding our own to knocking on the capital’s door soon enough. All thanks to wife being brutally murdered by the ‘savage unicorns’.” The general said.

They continued talking, but I was no longer listening to what they were saying. The unicorns that had killed my wife, my foal, and burned down my house were soldiers in our army? And what’s more, they were ordered by the very general whom I had placed my up-most trust and faith in? I couldn’t believe it. I had killed thousands of unicorns thinking that I was avenging my wife and foal, I had murdered mares and foals in addition to the soldiers. In my eyes, every unicorn who wasn’t in the Scarlet Empire was my enemy, and I killed them without hesitation. But now…I…I killed them for what? They weren’t the ones who had killed my family, I know that now.

I stepped away from the command tent and began to wonder back towards my own tent. As I did so, I looked at my hooves, the hooves that had wrongly killed thousands. Sure, they were my enemies, but I killed them for the wrong reason. Not because I was ordered to, because they were going to kill me, or anything like that, I killed them because I had been fooled into thinking they wronged me, personally. But they did not; it wasn’t them but my own superior, General Blood Hoof.

When I finally reached my tent my rage was boiling over. I was no longer in shock and my anger was pouring out. I bucked over my table, scattered my scrolls, and knocked my armor into the dirt. As I did this, my rage began to subside and I calmed down. I was still angry, hateful, but I had to calm down and think. If the general did this to me, surely he could have done, or will do, similar things to others. I couldn’t let this go unpunished, and I surely wasn’t going to let him continue to do this.

But I have no proof. I know, I heard them, but Forge can just back up the general, and who else knows who is in on this. If I just accuse him of this it will be played off as slander. No, I can’t use words. There is only one thing the general will understand, one thing that will beat him, and that is force.

===============~*~=============

For the rest of the night and into the hours of the morning, I set about making plans to take down the general. When I didn’t show up for the meeting a messenger was sent to get me, but I waved him away saying that I wasn’t feeling well. I wasn’t interrupted after that and I formulated a plan. I couldn’t just take the general on myself, he wouldn’t allow it. I also don’t know exactly who he has under his hoof, but I know who I can trust. My plan was simple, gain support, assassinate Blood Hoof, and execute Forge. From there, I would take over as general. A simple coup d’état. Any who opposed me afterwards would be executed like Forge.

First thing is first, I need support. After the meeting of the officers had finished, I went around to the ones I knew I could trust. Most were under my command, but others I knew weren’t too keen on the general, Major Snow, Captains Blade and Mint, Lieutenant Lance, and Sergeant Autumn. They all agreed to help me and spread the word to the troops under their command. Our total force was only about a third of the entire western army, but it would suffice.

I relayed the plans and made sure everyone knew their place and what had to be done. Once everything was prepared, I slept for a few hours. I needed to be sharp and ready for what was going to happen later that morning. When I awoke I picked my armor up off of the ground and cleaned it off before putting it on. I made sure everything was in place properly, and that my sword was fastened securely. Once I was ready, I stepped outside my tent.

===============~*~=============

The strategy meeting was about to begin, and the general was just taking the stage. I was at the back of the crowd of soldiers gathered before him. I was looking around and making sure everyone was in their place when Captain Mint came up to me and whispered, “My troops are lining the center of the crowd, as you instructed. When you give the signal, they will give you a straight shot to the stage and hold everypony back.” I nodded to him and he returned to his usual place. It was time to begin.

The general cleared his throat and began, “Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Before I interrupted him, “Yes, General, let’s get down to it, shall we?” As I said this Captain Mint’s troops created a path to the stage and made sure the others stood in their place. The other officers had troops placed around the outsides to make sure nopony tried anything. The general narrowed his eyes before saying, “What is this, Crimson?”

I began to walk down the path made for me in the crowd. As I did so, I spoke, “You of all ponies, general, should know the answer to that. I know what you have done general, I heard you talking about it last night.” The general didn’t seem fazed, but said, “And just what is it you are talking about?” I looked around me before saying, “I know what you did to my family.” Some ponies in the crowd started muttering. “I know that you have been lying to me. I know the truth.” He narrowed his eyes further and asked, “Do you know what you are saying? Just what are you intending to do?” I smiled as I reached halfway through the crowd and said, “I am going to avenge them!”

I stopped walking and drew my sword before charging the stage. As I drew my sword, so did the soldiers who were on my side. When I reached three-fourth the way through the crowd the general commanded, “KILL THE TRAITORS!” Some in the crowd drew their weapons and started fighting with the soldiers keeping them in, others were unsure of whom to follow and looked around panicked, but I kept charging the stage.

When I was a few feet from it, I jumped into the air and landed on its edge just a few feet away from the general. I pulled back my sword and I continued my charge and prepared myself to pierce his chest. But when I was just inches away I felt intense pain hit my sides. I thrust my blade forward; however it fell just short of reaching the general.

I stared at him, with hatred in my eyes before I turned and looked at my sides. Four stallions had managed to get to the stage with halberds and aimed for the gaps in my armor. All four had hit their mark and they were slowly backing away, wide eyed, as their weapons stuck out of me, two in each side. I looked back at the general as I coughed up some blood. He was staring at me, shocked.

Slowly, I took a step closer to him, and then another before bending my neck to pick up my fallen sword. I could still kill him, I just needed my sword. As I bent my neck I coughed up some more blood and my vision started to get blurry. My body quickly began to lose its strength and I couldn’t move my legs or neck anymore. I was still standing with my neck bent, but I couldn’t move another inch.

I heard the fighting around me fading and the general seemed to regain his composure as he drew his own sword. “Nice try, Crimson, but not even you can lay a hoof on me. All of you listen to me! You know my thoughts on treason; no matter your rank you will get what you deserve. I will spare you all a prolonged execution, and slay Crimson right here. In fact, I know many of you were fooled into this by him, so I will spare your lives, this time. Now, Crimson, despite everything you have done for the Scarlet Empire, you will pay for your traitorous ways. Good-bye.”

At those words he raised his sword above my neck. So, this was it? This was how I was going to die. I wouldn’t be able to see my family in whatever afterlife there was. Not after all the things that I have done. But in a way, I deserve this. I should have realized sooner, and this is my punishment. I closed my eye as I prepared for the strike.

===============~*~=============

As I watched these events play out, I suddenly got a strong feeling. It wasn’t the feeling that told me I have a new soul to collect, it was something else. “It couldn’t be…” I said aloud. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it had to be. I had witnessed this stallion’s entire life. It had to be him. I opened a portal and prepared for the jump.

===============~*~=============

The general swung his sword downward and I prepared for the coming impact of the blade upon my neck, but it didn’t come. Gasps and screams came from the crowd and I opened my eye. I wasn’t dead, what happened? As I turned my head, I noticed a curved blade on the right side of my neck encased in magical energy. When I turned to the left I saw a figure standing in a black cloak whose legs were…skeletal up to the thigh? What was going on?

I heard the general drop his sword which had been stopped by this unknown weapon around my neck. “W-Wha-What the hell are you?!” he shouted. The mysterious figure levitated the weapon from my neck before addressing the general, “General Blood Hoof…correct?” As the figure spoke, I felt the halberds being removed from my sides and I collapsed to the ground. They were surrounded by magic, the same color as the…scythe!?

I could feel my strength slowly return, but I could only manage to move my neck and look around. The general was backing away slowly, wide eyed. He stiffly nodded at the cloaked figure. “Good. You should know what…who, I am.” It said. “A-are you h-here for me?” The general asked shakily. The figured seemed to laugh at this before saying, “You? No. But I will see you again soon. I have business with this one, Crimson, you call him.” It motioned towards me.

The figured approached me before getting down to my level and then used its magic to pull back its hood. Its…its face was missing from it muzzle, leaving only bone exposed. It had a unicorn’s horn but…wings too!? I felt myself going pale. “The Alicorn of Death…” I whispered to myself. It…smiled? Before saying, “Very good. This is somewhat, new, for me. I don’t usually transport whole ponies back with me, let alone ones that are alive. You might feel some discomfort.”

Before I could say anything it wrapped me in magic and hauled me onto its back. It then swung its scythe and the air itself seemed to split open and darkness began to leak from the cut. It turned back to the general and the crowd of onlookers and said, “See you all later,” before jumping into the darkness.

===============~*~=============

When next I regained consciousness I was laying on a bed in what appeared to be a bedroom of a normal house. Was I dreaming? Did all of that just happen? I was about to dismiss the whole ordeal as a dream until I was the Alicorn standing beside my bed. I sat up with a shock.

“What is going on?!” I asked. “Calm down, Crimson. Everything is fine, I’m Death.” He told me. “Is that supposed to make me relax!? Am I dead or what?” I asked him. “Yes and no. Technically, you are dead.” He said. “But, you saved me from dying, didn’t you?” I asked, confused. “Err…Sort of. I saved you from being decapitated. But, it was your time to die. So you are technically dead. I just wasn’t sure if losing your head would have any negative effects on our work, so I saved you, brought you back here, and let you bleed to death!” He informed me.

“You let me bleed to death!? What the fuck is wrong with you!? Who does that!?  And if I died, how are we talking right now?” I questioned. “Uh. Well. You see…Damn. I really wish those disembodied voices were here to help me explain this…haven’t seen them in years though…” He rambled. “What does that even mean? Do you even know what is going on?” I asked him. “Hey! Come on now, give me a break. This is a first for me. Uh, let me explain what happened to me first, I suppose.” He said.

And he told me, everything he knew. How he was alive, died, and brought back to perform the duties of Death and that three others would eventually accompany him in this endeavor. It was…a lot to take in. “So, in short, when I saw you about to die I got this feeling and decided that, ‘Hey, this stallion must be War!’ and that brings us to here. Any further questions?” He finished up.

“Yea, my wounds healed up, but you are still missing muscle and skin. What’s the deal with that?” I asked. “Ah! The voices told me about that. When we become immortal all of our wounds heal. However, that which isn’t there cannot be healed. Since my muscle and skin was dissolved in acid, it couldn’t heal. But, the stab wounds you received could be healed since all you skin was still there. Oh, but it doesn’t heal everything, which is why you still have numerous scars and are still missing an eye.” He told me.

“That…makes sense. Somehow. Ok, so why did you grow wings and I did not?” I asked him. “I am wondering that as well. Perhaps it has something to do with magic or maybe it was first come first get? I am not sure. Becoming what we are makes us stronger; you should notice a large difference in your strength. Perhaps your physical strength is even greater than mine is? We can test that stuff out later.” He said.

“OK, one last question. What exactly is my job? Do I just guide souls like you do?” I asked. “I’m really glad you asked. Well, War, and I do hope you don’t mind me calling you War, as War, you will guide the souls of those who die in battle. But, not only that, you guide the souls of those who die violently, excluding things like earthquakes. Violently as in strong feelings involved, like deaths from suicides, assaults, murder, etc. I handle everything else. I used to do your job, before you got here, that is.” He replied.

“I see. I only deal with a small portion of deaths then, hu?” I said. “Yea. But, at least now we can have fun doing it, together. One more thing,” as he said this, a halberd materialized from out of nowhere. “This is your weapon. Look familiar? It is just like the halberds that killed you. Of course, this one is infused with magical properties to make it stronger. And like my scythe, if you think of a portal and slice the air with it, it’ll create a portal back to our dimension outside of time! Lastly, to summon it just imagine you are unsheathing a sword or something. To make it disappear, sheath the sword, simple as that!” He said.

“Now then, let’s get to work shall we?”

And so I became the Apocalypse Pony of War. I didn’t quite understand what that meant back then, but my fate became tied to the other three. And now it is the third’s turn to tell her story.
> Act 3: Chapter 8 - Aftereffects
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the notes of a historian:

Starting towards the end of The Great War food shortages began to become common place in all countries. Even those who had emerged from the war victorious, like the Scarlet Empire, felt the effects of the food shortage. The Scarlet Empire sealed its own fate, however, by using the tactic of burning croplands and rendering them unusable for years to come.

Not all nations caused their food shortages, however. The Mystical Symposium had lost much of its croplands to the Scarlet Empire’s attacks, but managed to get by with what was left. They had managed to halt the Scarlet Empire’s advance with the defeat of General Blood Hoof at their last remaining fortress. By this time, however, they could not recapture their lost land and successfully defended what they had left until the end of the war.

The Moon Kingdom, while avoiding war with the Scarlet Empire, lost some of their land to other forces who did not accept the treaty Queen Waning had offered. The queen did not lose hope however, and managed to rally her forces and defend the majority of her supply lines thanks to the work of her generals. The Moon Kingdom was one of the few nations to not suffer heavy losses due to this world-wide food shortage, and the queen, being more open-minded than her predecessor, sought to aid the rest of the world as best she could.

The most heavily hit by the food shortages was the Sky Flotilla. The pegasi had lost all of their land against the Scarlet Empire and others and could no longer grow crops in mass. The only food they had was the food produced in small gardens up in the clouds, primarily by the rich citizens. As the pegasi who had once lived on the ground farming returned to the clouds as refugees of war, the cloud cities grew overpopulated and the poor and hungry lined the streets. In many cities the rich sold excess food to the city, who then sold it to the poor.

However, the food was so scarce in the clouds that it was rationed to one food item per pony, and was rationed out in a first come first served basis. Many times the food rations ran out before all ponies in the line had received food, and more often than not many ponies would receive no food for days. It wasn’t long before the cities grew dark, haphazard, and dangerous. Many ponies turned to crime, stealing money to buy the food or just stealing food. It was a dark time and many pegasi lost their lives to starvation.


===============~*~=============



Two years after War…


I crouch upon a roof-top overlooking the Ration Station and look down at the ponies below. As always, there are numerous guards standing around the Ration Station, protecting the food from thieves such as myself whom would try to steal it, the guards were always well-fed though. Here in the cloud-city of Cirro, you can get food three ways. You can be born into a rich family who has their own garden, work and earn enough money to hopefully buy food from the Ration Station, or join the town guard. Of course, those are just the legal ways of obtaining food, you can also steal it. However, stealing food is punishable by death, so only the most courageous fools do.

I am one of those brave and foolish enough to steal food. Of course, I don’t go about it sloppily. I pick my marks and where I rob them very carefully. First, they have to be in a dark, unguarded street. Next I make sure they won’t starve. If I have not stolen from them for a while, or they look on the plump side, they are eligible marks. I also make sure my mark is slow and either weaker than me or dim-witted. I watch them as they collect their food and follow them along until they seclude themselves from others. My rule of hoof is that if I feel I am being too cautious, I’m not.

My mother and father both work hard, and stand in line for the Ration Station themselves. However, I also have a younger brother and a younger sister. Needless to say, two items of food barely sustain us, let alone give my parents enough energy to work. So why don’t I work? All the jobs are taken. Cirro is overpopulated as it is, and anyone who can work has a job. Many are jobless, homeless, and starving.

I often ask myself, ‘How things could have been allowed to get so bad?’ Having watched the quick fall of our city, I can only blame our leaders. They stood idly by as waves of refugees flooded the city and our food stores ran low. Our so-called leaders now rarely leave their homes. But they don’t have to worry about the food situation like us. They have their gardens. They always have more than enough food. Sure, they sell some food to the city so we can eat, but it isn’t enough. I have peaked through windows, seen how they eat. Compared to us, they have feasts. Daily.

If our leaders really cared, they would share the food equally, not horde it or sell it for profit. If I thought I could, I would steal food from them, but they have personal guards who patrol their homes and guard their food. It is way too risky to attempt to steal from them. I have only been stealing food for two months and am not confident in my skills yet. I fear that I would almost certainly get caught.

And sure, I feel bad about stealing from those who are starving themselves, but I feel that as long as my family and I have food, everything will be fine. I suppose that makes me like our horrible leaders, but what makes us different is that if I had extra, I would share it, not squander it. I do not know what I can do yet, but I will someday, somehow, find a way for everyone to eat and no one will go hungry.

But that day is not today. I return to looking out over the Ration Station and soon spot one of my usual marks, a buck on the plump side who is always near the front of the line. I watch as he gets his food, a loaf of bread, and begins to make his way home as I tail him from the rooftops. He goes down alley after alley with me scoping out the area all the while; until he turns down an alley with no other traffic and hidden to prying eyes. I wait till he is half-way through it and then rapidly dive towards him.

He hears the sound of me jumping from the roof and turns around quickly, but before he can make a sound I am upon him and quickly slam his head against the wall, knocking him out. I make sure he isn’t injured too badly and prop him up against one of the alley’s walls before picking up the loaf of bread and withdrawing to the rooftops. I hastily flee the area and return home.


===============~*~=============


Upon my arrival home, I discover that mother and father are back as well, and have returned from the Ration Station with an apple and a carrot. They quickly notice the loaf of bread. “Welcome home, Flora, where did you get that bread?” father asks. “You didn’t steal it, did you, Hun?” mother asks with a sad expression on her face. I look at both of them and shake my head, “Of course not! Somepony told me I looked like I could use it more than them and gave it to me.” They exchange speculative glances before nodding and deciding to believe me. I am sure they know where the food is really coming from. I think they are either trying to lie to themselves or just accept the fact that I am stealing and choose to eat it because of necessity. That being said, I don’t steal daily, just every few days. Not only would this make my parents worry about me even more, but the town guard would grow ever suspicious of me.

“Give me the bread, I’ll get it ready for dinner, dear.” Mother holds out her hoof expectantly and I give her the bread. Moments later I am tackled to the ground and instantly fear shoots through my body. Could it be the town guard? Was I followed or did mother and father sell me out? But my fear quickly subsides as I hear, “Big sis! Big sis!” Two voices call out in unison. My little sister, Dawn, and little brother, Dusk, the rambunctious twins. “Now, now you two, get off of me, I can’t breathe,” I said laughing, relieved that it was just them. “Aww, but sis…your wings are so soft and warm!” Dawn complained as she and Dusk, who was nodding in agreement, got up. Dusk rarely talked to anyone besides Dawn, so she would talk for the both of them.

As they helped me off the floor, mother came back out from the kitchen to tell us that dinner was ready and we all went and sat at the dining table. Five plates were placed around the table, with father sitting in front of one. Each plate had a slice of bread, a few slices of carrot, and a slice of apple on it. As we all sat down, I noticed that mother and father had the end pieces of the bread, the smallest part of it. The five of us ate our meager meal and talked about our day. After we had finished, mother and father went to bed and I cleaned up the dishes.

They were both really hard working, I rarely saw them in the morning and only talked with them at dinner before they immediately went to bed afterwards. They worked almost twelve hour days. Because of this, I would wake up and get Dusk and Dawn ready for school and walk them to it. Then I would wander the city in search of work or free food. I wasn’t alone either, beggars, refugees, thieves, and others looking for work lined the streets, all starving.

I am used to it now, but I wasn’t always. I am lucky enough to remember before the war, when we had crops on the ground and abundant food for everyone. Then the war came and our farms on the world below were destroyed and captured. It used to be painful, the hunger pain. My stomach used to throb and call out to me, begging for food. It was used to more. But over the years it slowly adjusted and the pain subsided. Now I only feel the pain if I go without food for two days straight.

That is just how things are now. Dusk and Dawn are unlucky to have been born without knowledge of what they are missing. They are too young to remember the abundance of food and the gloom of depression that hangs over this city isn’t so tightly wrapped around them. The younger ones always seem so happy, but they are few in number. Ever since the famine started, ponies have stopped having foals to prevent even shorter food supplies.

The mistakes of the past have hurt the present and may even scar the future. I cannot help but feel that greed and other such ulterior motives have caused the world to turn into a place of despair. If our leaders continue to turn a blind eye to their populous, nothing will improve and the world will continually fall into an even deeper sense of despair. What I do, stealing, isn’t right and certainly isn’t helping, but I need to survive. I have to.


===============~*~=============


A week later I was once again looking for a mark at the Ration Station. I soon notice my old mark, the plump buck and begin to tail him like usual. However, he might be suspicious of me, as he is taking a different route, one with more ponies and less blind spots. I follow him until he enters a house, presumably his. My mark got away, but having come this far, I am curious to see how he lives. I fly to the ground and peek in through the window.

The plump buck is gathered around a table with his wife and two foals. He cuts the apple he has into four pieces and gives three of them to his family, keeping the smallest for himself. I noticed that was the only food they had, his wife must not be working. Then it dawned on me. He was the only one who provided for his family, a family similar to mine.

I looked away and flew up to a rooftop, sitting down and hanging my head. I thought I had only been stealing from him, but in reality I had been stealing from his entire family, preventing any of them from eating. How many times had I stolen from him? I couldn’t remember. How many nights did I cause his foals to go hungry? I didn’t know I was doing this, I thought that because he was plump surely he must be doing just fine, but…I was wrong. What have I done? If I had done this without knowing, could any of my other marks have similar circumstances?

I kept thinking and thinking, who else did I hurt? Then a thought struck me. Everypony. I am hurting everypony I steal from. I shouldn’t be stealing from those who can’t go without, those who barely have anything, no. I should be stealing from those who have an abundance, those with gardens who squander their goods and care not for the starving masses outside the walls of their home. I decided then and there that if I ever had to steal again for food, it wouldn’t be from the starving, those who barely live, but instead those who hold feasts daily and turn a blind eye to the slow death of the ponies around them.

The more I thought, the more determined I became. I would need to become better, stronger, and stealthier. I couldn’t do anything the way I am now. I need to know the layout of the city like the back of my hoof, know how to evade capture, and more importantly how to enter and exit a place without being noticed. I was a small time thief who just stole because she had to, but no more. Once I am confident in my abilities, I shall steal from those who do not know what it is like to go without, I will steal more than I need and give it to those who truly need and deserve it.

This is it, no more waiting for things to change. I shall stop waiting and begin making things change myself. I will do all I can to see that the citizens of Cirro get the food that they need and that no one goes hungry ever again.
> Act 3: Chapter 9 - The Thief of Cirro
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I cannot believe it has only been three months since I vowed to stop the hunger in Cirro, and one month since I founded a band of thieves to help me. In the first two months I trained my body, making it both stronger and faster. At the same time I practiced moving quietly and getting from one side of the city to the other as quickly as I could without alerting anypony. I also learned how to pick locks and broke into a few houses as practice. Of course, they weren’t guarded houses and I didn’t steal anything from them, but it was good practice.

After I had gotten confident in my own skills I began to seek out others who felt the same way I did and were capable thieves. A month ago I recruited four them and we soon discovered an old church near the center of the city in the Stratos District. It had closed down due to it being hazardous and many of its patrons had died from starvation. Most of the city now attends the large church in the north. The day we found this old church, we made it our hideout and founded our band of thieves.

It was a nice place, despite being a bit run down. It was secluded and had plenty of places to hide, if we ever got raided. There was also a bell tower which gave a nice view of the city. It would be a place to hide the food we stole until we could give it away. And for two of our five members, it would be a place for them to call home. Those two, Lunk and Pocket, were orphaned brothers, whose parents died in the war, were refugees from the world below. Until now they had been living on the streets stealing to survive. Lunk had a cutie mark of a door lock while Pocket had one of a lock pick. They were both completely black and blended in well at night. Having only a dark yellow coat myself, I was a bit envious since I was easier to spot. 

Even though I was only there some of the time, the rest of the group insisted I take the room which would have been the priest’s office. The room still had its desk, chair, a bookcase and some books on it. However I soon furnished the walls will maps of various parts of the cities which showed guard routes and other such useful information. I put some straw on the ground in a corner for a makeshift bed, should I need to sleep over. I also hung up our wanted posters, sort of like trophies. There were only two at the moment, because three of us didn’t have pictures. Unfortunately the other two members of the group, Sapphire, a blue coated mare with a dagger cutie mark, and Glint, a white coated buck with a cutie mark that resembled mist, were each seen stealing by some of the guards while escaping from a heist previous to joining up with us.

Sapphire and Glint both belonged to poorer families and lived relatively close to each other. They became friends before the war and once the food rationing set in, they turned to stealing together to get more food for their families, similarly to me. However unlike me, they had larger families. Since they get along and work together so well, they always stick together and I like to assign them to the same part of jobs. Personally, I think they like each other as more than friends, but neither of them will admit it or show it very openly.

The rest of the church consisted of six rooms, besides the massive one which was still filled with pews which we used to discuss our strategies for upcoming jobs.  Two of these rooms we used for storage of the stolen food and storage of our spare thieving devices such as noisemakers, lock picks, spare sacks, etc. The other four rooms became the rooms of the rest of the group and each one arranged it to their own tastes. Each had a straw bed in them, but Lunk and Pocket made theirs a bit more livable, as they didn’t have homes to go back to.

Nevertheless, despite having the old church become like a second home to me, I always went back to my own home each night. I didn’t want to make my parents any more suspicious than they were already. I also continued to only bring one food item back every-so-often, despite my group getting large amounts from the rich ponies. What we didn’t sparingly eat ourselves, we would store for a few days before carefully handing it out to those starving on the streets. Slowly, the number of deaths caused by starvation alone reduced.

Despite this, malnutrition continued to run rampant and this led to sickness. While the sicknesses were easily curable, many times those who had no jobs and couldn’t afford to be treated would die of the sickness. And while the amount of dead lining the streets went down from starvation, sickness make sure that our streets would not be free from corpses.


===============~*~=============


A loud knocking wakes me from my thoughts, “Hey. Flora. You ready? We are going to have to start things without our fearless leader if you don’t hurry up.” I shake my head to regain my senses before saying, “Yea, yea. I’ll be right out Lunk, thanks.” I heard his hoof steps as he walked to the heart of the church. ‘That’s right,’ I thought to myself, ‘Tonight is the planning of our fourth heist.’ I smile to myself as I grab a few maps from the wall and head after Lunk.

When I get closer I see that all four of my friends are already sitting and waiting in the pews up front. Sapphire sees me coming and says with a giggle, “Well, well, look who decided to show up.” I approach the altar and turn to face them, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

I open my eyes, unroll the maps, and slam them on the floor so everyone can see them.  I point at the first map, the map of Cirro. “Alright. Our target for tomorrow night is Sing Crest Manor in the Cumulus District. Previous scouting has gotten us the basic layout, not to mention the floor plans courtesy of the Architects’ Guild, right, Sapphire?” She smirked and nodded, having stolen the floor plans the previous night. I continued, “We also know that their windows are barred, doors are deadlocked, and they have a private guard of around twenty.” Lunk and Pocket exchange excited glances, happy to put their skills to the test.

“Like the majority of the manors in the Cumulus District, Sing Crest has a roof access, which is unlocked, but under guard by no less than five at all times. Sing Crest is a unique manor, however, and has a cellar entrance in the alleyway behind it for deliveries, but it is kept locked. Only tomorrow, it will be left unlocked. A certain servant of the manor doesn’t particularly like the manor’s owners, and has agreed to unlock it for us for a short time. Now then, on to the actual plan.” I move aside the map of the city and bring the maps of the house to the forefront.

“Lunk, Pocket, we are going in through the cellar. Two guards are in it, and we will take them out quick and quiet. The servants and owners keep to the first and second floor at night, so we should be alone in the cellar after that. Leave the food in the cellar alone till we leave. We will then sneak up to the first floor and make our way into the kitchen. If we encounter anyone, knock them out. Once in the kitchen grab any food you can find, but don’t rob them blind. If we leave them foodless, we are no better than they are. Once we have obtained a decent amount of food we will return to the cellar, loot it, and get out.”

“Sapphire and Glint, since everypony knows your thieves already, you will be the distraction. Five minutes after we go in, fly up to the roof and take out the guards up there, if you can. If not, just get their attention and have them chase you around the city. Do what you will, but get out in fifteen minutes.”

“I want this to get done quickly and smoothly. If we get spotted split up and lose the guards. Make sure you lose them and head back to the church, don’t be followed. And if the worst happens and you get caught, remember: you work alone. Any questions?” I asked. My four comrades shook their heads. “Good, then get some rest and meet here tomorrow night before the job.” I started to roll up the maps as my friends wondered off, Lunk and Pocket headed to their rooms while Sapphire and Glint went to leave the church. I went back to my room in the church and put the maps where they belonged before heading home myself.


===============~*~=============


Night fell the following day and we gathered in the church to go over the plan briefly one last time. We put on saddlebags, mostly empty, from the storage rooms along with other equipment like lock picks and noisemakers, and threw on black robes to blend in with the night. Having prepared for tonight’s job we set off towards the Cumulus District and Sing Crest Manor. We clung to the shadows and back alleys, moving as quickly and quietly as we could. The night continued to grow darker as we make our way to Sing Crest Manor. The night was quiet, aside from the occasional refugee coughing from sickness or groaning in hunger. We make our way past a few groups of these refugees, but they were too distracted in their own worries to pay us any mind.

It wasn’t long before we go through the gates of the Cumulus District and nestle upon a rooftop a few buildings away from Sing Crest Manor. I nod to Sapphire and Glint as Lunk, Pocket, and I fly down to the back alley and approach the cellar door of Sing Crest Manor. I look at Lunk and Pocket and say, “Ok guys, five minutes till Sapphire and Glint start the distraction. Keep as quiet as possible till then.” They nod and we quietly lift the cellar door and slip inside.

Like the servant said, there were only two guards in it. They were sitting around a table at the other end of the cellar, and I wave a hoof towards them while looking at Pocket and Lunk. They smile as they begin to creep towards the guards, whose backs were turned to us. As they near the guards they grab the guards’ heads and slam them into each other, knocking them out.

“Good work,” I whisper to them, “the first obstacle is out of the way.” I looked around the cellar and it was packed with various kinds of food and bottled ciders and wines. I noted the locations of everything while Lunk and Pocket check the hallway outside the cellar. Seconds later I joined them and quietly followed the map in my head towards the kitchen.

The hallway was basically just a divider between rooms, and the cellar door was at the end of it. The kitchen was the second door on the right down the hallway after exiting the cellar. The first door on the right was a storage closet and there was also a room on the left, which was a library. Further down the hall and on the left was an atrium of sorts with stairs leading to the second floor and other hallways branching out on the first floor leading to various other rooms.

As we make our way down the hallway I slightly open the doors to the closet and library to have a peek inside. As expected, the storage closet is empty and has no food in it, just cleaning supplies. In the library, however, sits an old buck reading a book next to a fireplace. While I looked at him, a large amount of hoof beats sound above us on the second floor. Moments later, a guard rushes into the library from the opposite side of the room and strides up to the buck I am looking at.

The old buck shut his book and glances up at the guard before flatly saying, “What is all the commotion? I am trying to read.” The guard hesitated a moment before replying, “Nothing to worry yourself with, sir. Just some hoodlums on the roof. We shall take care of them immediately, sorry to disturb you, sir.” The old buck narrows his eyes and said, “See that you do. And be quiet about it.” The guard nodded and left the room from the door he came from while the old buck returned to reading.

I quietly close the door and grin at my two companions. The distraction was working, all the guard should be heading to the roof. Though, those “hoodlums” might just give the guards a run for their money. I return my attention to the task at hand, and continue down the hallway towards the kitchen. However as we near the door, some hoof steps came from the atrium. I quickly wave Lunk and Pocket back and point towards the supply closet. They both quickly and quietly turn and run into the closet with me right behind them. We push together inside the tight quarters of the closet and I close the door most of the way after us, so I could just barely see outside.

As I watch the atrium door, it opens and a mare comes out, who then goes into the kitchen. “Stay here,” I whisper to Lunk and Pocket as I creep outside the closet. I stick to the wall and move towards the kitchen door and carefully look inside. The mare is getting some food from one of the pantries, I watch as she does so and begins to walk back toward the door I am at. I backpedal into the closet with Lunk and Pocket and wait for the mare to leave once again, which she does shortly after. Seven minutes have passed since Glint and Sapphire began their distraction

With her out of the way Lunk, Pocket, and I enter the kitchen and begin to fill our packs with any food we can find. There is so much it is almost dizzying. They have bread, jam, carrots, hay, apples, etc. and plenty of each. We soon have our packs almost full and head back to the cellar. By this time about ten more minutes had passed and Glint and Sapphire should be pulling out now. We fill our bags the rest of the way with the ciders and other food in the cellar and get ready to leave the way we came in.

However, just as we are about to exit the doors one of the guards we had knocked out earlier wakes up, sees us, and shouts, “Thieves! Thieves in the cellar!” without skipping a beat he gets shakily to his hooves and attempts to wake his companion. Startled, Lunk, Pocket, and I just stand there staring. But when the guard’s attempts to wake his companion fail and be behinds walking unsteadily towards us, I snap back to reality, nudge Pocket and Lunk, and hiss, “GO!” We fly out the door and the guard comes crashing out of the cellar behind us.

The three of us fly up to the rooftops and look around for Sapphire and Glint, who we spot quickly. Without wasting a moment we give them a few of our bags, so we are each carrying an equal amount, and then split up. As long as we follow the plan, everything should work out. I look back towards the manor to see guards flying towards us from both the cellar door and the rooftop entrance. I pour on the speed and dive into the alleys below, cutting off line of sight from my pursuers.

By this time word has spread and the alarm has been sounded and the city guard joins in on the pursuit. Now things get complicated. They will be watching the skies and the district gates and moving in the open will be very dangerous. Luckily I know these streets better than anypony else and there are ways to stay on the ground, move between districts, and not go through the gates. But for right now I need to stay put for a short while, maybe let the guards think I got away or wait till they thin out. I stay put in the darkness of an alleyway, huddling between two carts and waiting for a chance to escape.


============~+~============


An hour later I stand up between the carts and peer around the corner of the alley. A few guards are still searching around, however not as many as there were earlier. I take note of the buildings around me and recognize my location, about two blocks southeast of the northern gate which leads into the Alto District. Once there, the western gate of the Alto District leads back to the Stratos District, and our church. With this in mind I carefully plan my main route, secondary route, and a third route if things get dicey. I begin walking the main route, which leads through the Cumulus District’s north gate.

From the corner I was just at, I walk west back into the alley I was hiding in and to the other corner and peer around that one. I see two guards walking towards me and duck around the corner again, sticking to the shadows. I wait as they pass by the alley and continue down the street. Once they are a fair distance away, I creep across the street and into the next alley. As I walk down this alley I mutter to myself, “And right about here there should be…bingo.” I turn right at a split in the alley and begin heading north until I reach the end of the alley, and another street.

I cautiously look around the corner and into the street, and seeing no guards I run to the other side of the street, which does not have another alley for me to go into. I stick along the walls of the houses as I continue to move west and get to the edge of the block. I look around and see the coast is clear, except for the three guards watching the northern gate at the end of the street. “Well, that complicates things.” I mutter under my breath. “Right then, route two.” I run from my corner to the corner west of me and walk down the street until an alley appears at my right.

I proceed to the end of this dead end alley and look around. I quickly notice a white hoof print on the wall above a crate and go over to it. “Found you!” I say as I move the crate aside. Beneath the crate is an entrance to the old cloud maintenance tunnels. I climb into the tunnel and replace the crate on top of it, keeping it hidden.

Once inside the tunnel, I wait a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the total darkness. Many of these tunnels were sealed off when newer tunnels were created. But we found them, opened them, and hid them with a mark, the white hoof print. Some of the tunnels were just sealed up holes, great for hiding in, but others, like this particular one, is a tunnel which happens to lead under the gate and into an alley in the Alto district.

Once my eyes adjust, I carefully move down the tunnel and a few turns later I reach the other end. I push up the crate slightly and look out into the alley, to make sure the coast is clear, before pushing it off the exit and getting out. I replace the crate and then look myself over. My coat and mane are a complete mess, covered in dirt and filthy. I sigh, “This is why I hate these tunnels, useful as they are.” We really should take some time and clean them properly, I think before I return to the task at hand.

I should be three blocks northwest of the gate back to the Cumulus District, which means I am also six blocks east of the gate to the Stratos District. I look around from the safety of the alley. As I thought, the Alto District has less guards than the Cumulus District did. But I’m sure they are still watching all the gates in the city. With the lack of guards, I decide to take to the rooftops to speed up my return home.

The Alto District’s buildings have a variety of heights, some are only one story while others are three stories, unlike the Cumulus District where almost every building is a large manor with a flat rooftop. The Alto District has roofs with peaks and shingles, and the difference in heights allow for more hiding places from aerial pursuers. The Alto District’s rooftops are like my own personal street.

I fly up to a nearby roof and begin to make my way towards the western gate, occasionally having to hug the roof to avoid the eyes of a guard. It isn’t long before I reach the gate to the Stratos District, and flying over it isn’t going to be an option. A few guards are standing at the gate while a few others are standing on the rooftops, keeping watch. “Of course,” I curse under my breath. Looks like I wouldn’t be going through or over the gate. Luckily, there is another route I can take. And thankfully, I don’t have to use the tunnels.

I glide down to a house which separates the two districts, two houses left of the gate. This house, unlike most, has its door in the Alto District and a window looking into the Stratos District. I glance in the windows to make sure no one is home before I begin to pick the lock on the door. Moments later I hear the satisfying “click” as the door unlocks. I enter the house and relock the door behind me.

I don’t often like to enter other people’s houses, unless they are the target, but cases like these are an exception. I walk through the house, passing through a few rooms, before I pass through the kitchen. I look at the table there for a few moments, thinking. My hoof reaches into my bag, grabs out a loaf of bread, and sets on the table. “Thank you for letting me use your home,” I say with a smile, before continuing on. I find the stairs soon after and reach the window overlooking Stratos District soon after that. I open up the window, climb out of it, and close it behind me, like I wasn’t even there.

The Stratos District, home to the majority of vacant buildings, poor families, and homeless beggars. A small portion of vacant buildings in the southeast had caught fire months ago, and now only the charred remains are left standing as a reminder of what once was. In this district, even on sunny days, a dark gloom hung over it. The vast difference between this district and the other five districts.

Stratos is the heart of the city, at least in location. Alto is on the east, Oros the west, and Pileus the south. Cumulus is south of Alto and east of Pileus. Nimbos is on the southwest of Oros. Stratos is the gateway between the two sides of the city. Nimbos contains all the factories, many of which have closed. Oros contains many of the homes in which the factory and maintenance workers live. Stratos is by far the largest of the districts and is split into two groups, the slums in the north and the lower-class in the south. Alto contains the middle class housing and is the district in which the majority of trade takes place. Pileus contains the hospital and Ration Station, as well as more shops and housing. And lastly, Cumulus contains the homes of the upper-class and the governing offices.

I take stock of my surroundings and make my way to our church hideout. It is about five blocks west of the gate I just passed and six blocks from the eastern gate. It is further into the southern part of the district, than the actual center. Lucky for me, Stratos has even fewer guards patrolling around than Altos did, so I should be safe in no time.

As I make my way closer and closer to the church my speed picks up and I quickly close the gap between myself and the church. It isn’t long before I see it rising up on the horizon and soon after, I am a block away. I slow my pace and stop before going any further. I walk around the perimeter of the church, go down a few street and then come back, walking slowly and looking around. Once I am convinced that no one is following me, I enter the church and close the door behind me, breathing a sigh of relief.

I begin to walk to the storage to put away my gear and store the food when Pocket pokes his head out from his room. “Welcome back, Flora.” I wave at him while asking, “Is anyone else back yet?” He shakes his head while coming closer, “Not yet. We all went off in different directions and depending upon where the guards concentrate, it might be a while before everyone else gets back.” I enter the storage room with Pocket standing in the doorway, “True,” I say as I began to unload my stuff, “But, I had hoped I would get back first, I guess you win this time,” I laugh. “Yea, yea,” he says, “You might know the city better than me, but I am better at getting from place to place faster, especially if I know where they both are.”

While we talk, the door of the church opens and closes again. “I’m back!” announces a familiar voice. Soon the figure of Sapphire comes into view. “Aw dang, you two are back already? I wanted to be first,” Sapphire pouted. She nudged Pocket aside and entered the storage room and began to unload her gear as well. I smile at her, “Not this time, Sapphire.” I begin to leave the room and head towards the pews.

“See Lunk or Glint while you were out there?” Pocket asked Sapphire as I walked past him. “I saw Glint a while after we all split up, but just for a moment. I haven’t seen Lunk though.” I sit down on the pew, “Yea, Lunk is the slowest of us, he will probably get back last. Honestly Pocket, you two are complete opposites when it comes to speed.” Sapphire laughs as she comes out of the storage room. “It isn’t that funny…” Pocket insists. The two of them join me in the pews, resting from our latest job.

Time passes and we begin discussing what routes we took back. “Wait, let me guess Flora,” Sapphire says, “Judging by the state of your coat and mane, you went through a tunnel, right?” I roll my eyes, “Yea. We really need to take some time and clean those out. I went through the tunnel near the north gate. It was fairly heavily guarded, so I had little choice. Then I went through a house near Alto District’s western gate and made my way here. Nothing special.”

“Yea, you always do find the best routes,” Sapphire says, “I used some of the food to pay some beggars to cause a diversion near Cumulus’s west gate and just walked on through it into Pileus. But, Pileus was heavily guarded, almost more so than Cumulus, so my progress slowed to a crawl. But I eventually got to the Pileus’s northeastern gate into Stratos and managed to talk my way through it. Then it was just a straight shot here!” she reported.

“Geez, Sapphire, sounds like you just had a walk in the park, “Pocket says, “Mine was a lot more direct than both of yours’. I went directly northwest to the wall between Cumulus and Stratos, as I took note of all the guards patrolling I tossed out a few noise makers away from the walls and the guards turned their attention away from it. Then I simply went over the wall and made my way back here.”

I laugh, “Yep, and that is how we know you and Lunk are related. There wasn’t a gate linking Cumulus and Stratus, so you just made one. Always using force when subtlety would do fine,” sapphire began laughing as well, “No wonder you got here first” Our laughter was cut short when the church door opened and closed. We all turned to see the figure of Lunk walking towards the storage room, “I’m back,” he says.

“Ha! Looks like Lunk beat Glint this time, Flora,” Pocket brags for his brother, “Not so slow now, is he?” I roll my eyes, “Yea, yea…Glint can’t beat him every time. That would be just sad.” I stick my tongue out at him. While we bicker back and forth, Lunk joins us on the pews.

“See Glint out there?” Sapphire asks Lunk. He shook his head, “No. I just kept my head down, stuck to the shadows, and walked home. I didn’t do much looking around,” he says. While waiting for Glint, the four of us continued to talk about various aspects of the job and how we got back, and even start talking about what house we should target next.

However, Glint never showed up, even as the sun began to rise.
> Act 3: Chapter 10 - Betrayal of Famine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

None of us went home that night, we were too worried about Glint. We kept waiting for him to eventually walk through the door like nothing happened, but as noon approached the following day, the possibility of that happening looked dismal. It was about this time when a town crier began to echo through the city streets.

“Citizens of Cirro! Listen and hear!” the crier began, “Last night, a robbery occurred. Food items were stolen from a house in the Cumulus District by dastardly thieves! While the guards locked down the city and the majority escaped, one of the evildoers was captured. Any information leading to the arrest of his accomplices will be greatly rewarded. A life-time supply of food, ensuring you never go hungry again. The execution of this criminal is set for today at sunset, followed by an announcement from the mayor himself! Come and bear witness to the end of this criminal’s spree!” He continued to shout this speech again and again as he passed through the city, ensuring that everypony heard the news.

Sapphire went extremely pale as she heard the crier mention a captured thief. When he mentioned his execution, she ran to her room, tears streaming from her eyes. Pocket, Lunk, and I could only sit in stunned silence, not knowing what to do next. Glint had been captured and was going to be executed, we had to do something, but I knew better. There was nothing our small group could do to help him now.

As the day progressed, Sapphire finally stopped crying, her eyes were red and bloodshot and she didn’t say more than a few words to anyone. Pocket and Lunk understood the situation and weren’t their usual rowdy selves. We were all sitting in the pews, spread out and not talking or saying a word, just waiting.

When the time for the execution came we began walking back towards Cumulus District and to the courthouse within it. Sapphire wore a hood pulled low to avoid being recognized and we walked beside her. As we walked, a crowed started to form around us, other ponies heading to watch the execution. It wasn’t long before we were in front of the courthouse, with a newly assembled stage and gallows in the courtyard.

The courtyard was full of ponies who had gathered to witness the execution, as well as to hear the mayor’s announcement. Guards stood watch around the perimeter and on the gallows, watching for anyone who might try to make a move. But, we knew better. We weren’t fighters, just thieves, and if we got caught, we expected not to be saved.

The time fully arrived and the mayor came out onto the stage beside the gallows, escorted by a few guards. He looked out into the crowd as the crowd quieted down, whispering occasionally to a guard. Once the crowd had quieted a good amount, he held up his arms started waving for the remaining ponies talking to be quiet, and then he began speaking.

“Greetings citizens of Cirro!” he bellowed, “I am glad so many of you could make it here today, to see the execution of this horrible criminal.” He turned towards a guard and said a bit quieter, “Bring him out.” He then turns back to face the crowd as the guard moves back towards the buildings and comes back moments later with Glint in tow. Glint looked beaten and ragged, as though they had questioned him about us. The guard takes Glint to the gallows and puts the noose around his neck before returning to the mayor’s side.

The mayor looks at Glint, smiles, and then turns back to face the crowd. “Citizens of Cirro, this is the criminal, the scoundrel who, with his accomplices, plundered the food from Sing Crest Manor last night. He was caught fleeing from the manor with bags stuffed full of food and drink. But let us not forget, he has been a wanted criminal for a while now, with various counts of theft and resisting arrest. And to his accomplices who are no doubt in the crowd today, in the end, they all get caught. You can run and hide, but you will slip up eventually.”

He then turned to Glint, “Any last words, before you meet your maker?” he asked. Glint did his best to smile as he said, “You might kill me here and now, but I was right in what I did. You, and those who horde their food, are the guilty ones. Someday everypony will see that,” the mayor raised his hoof as Glint continued, “someday they will rise up and…” Glint was cut off as the mayor waved his hoof down and the floor fell out from under Glint. “Yes, well, that is enough of that,” the mayor said as Glint’s body swayed limply from the gallows.

“Now, let that be a reminder to his accomplices and others who wish to steal food. Guards, if you will?” The mayor motioned towards a few of the guards, who then moved over to Glint’s body, cut it down, and began transporting it back inside. “For the last order of business, I have an important announcement to make today. Due to the recent thefts from various food donators, they have decided to cease the sale of food to the city. What this means for all of you, is that the Ration Station will run out of food within a few days.” As the mayor says this the crowd began to talk among themselves, some shouting out at the mayor and guards.

“Now, now citizens, it cannot be helped.” The mayor changed his expression to one of regret and sorrow, “The gardens are private property and we cannot rightly claim it for our own. If you are looking to place blame, look no further than the executed criminal and his accomplices.” He then looked out into the crowd with a look filled with hope, “However! The donators have agreed that if the accomplices can be brought to justice, they will once again give their food to us. We know there are at least four from the guard reports and the amount of food that was stolen. We also know one is the wanted criminal Sapphire. It can also be assumed that they have a hideout somewhere.”

“It has also been arranged that should an individual come forward with information leading to the arrest of one, or all of these criminals, they will be given free food for life, a rationale amount, of course, nothing extravagant. But, you will never have to worry about your next meal again.” The mayor grinned while looking out from his podium. “Give any information regarding these, or other criminals, to your nearest guard. That is all.” He then waved to the crowd before turning and entering the government building once again.


============~+~============


After the execution we went back to the church. Everyone was visibly shaken up and Sapphire was crying again. I could tell that nothing would be able to fix this except for time, and the sun was beginning to set. With this in mind, I dismissed everyone, allowing them to do whatever they wanted. I told them that unless something important came up in the next few days, to just meet back here in three days’ time. Sapphire wandered out of the church, heading home. Pocket and Lunk both shut themselves up in their rooms, and I left last, heading to my own home.

Upon entering my home, I immediately heard mother and father discussing the announcement the mayor had made. They were trying to figure out what to do when the Ration Station would eventually run out of food. I walked in and greeted them, but they only acknowledged my presence for a short time before going back to disusing the food situation. I went to my room, past the room Dust and Dawn shared, who were currently asleep, and laid down on my bed. I was exhausted from this ordeal and it felt welcoming. It wasn’t long before I had fallen asleep and the night passed me by.


============~+~============


On the first day after Glint’s execution I take care of Dusk and Dawn like usual. I wake them up, get them to school, and then go back home. I don’t really have anything to do, since I have to lay low as both the guards and citizens are all on high alert. Instead I spend my time cleaning the house. I pick up the toys Dusk and Dawn left lying around from last night and clean up the kitchen from where mother had prepared the previous day’s meal. When the time came to get Dusk and Dawn from school, I go get them and then go back home with them. I then play with them for a while, until mother and father get home and we eat dinner.

Mother and father were both quiet and morbid during the dinner. After we had finished I took the kids into the other room, but I overheard them talking. “This might be the last meal we have for a while, dear,” mother said. “Yea, unless those thieves get caught, that is,” father replied. They continued to discuss the food situation a while longer before we all went to bed.

On the second day after the execution, the food ran out. Over half the city had not gotten food when they ran out, and a lot of ponies were unhappy. Bands of citizens began to roam the city, looking for thieves they could turn in to get food or bring about the return of the Ration Stations. A few got lucky and found some minor thieves, who were promptly executed, but the four of us remained safe. Unfortunately, our leaders could tell that those minor thieves were not any of us, and the Ration Stations remained closed.

On the third day, I leave home and head to the church, since we had planned to meet up in three days. Upon my arrival I notice that Pocket and Lunk weren’t in the church, which was somewhat odd. But, it isn’t unheard of that they wonder the city and I was sure they would be back soon. For now, I decided to relax on the pews and think of what to do next.

We couldn’t go back to stealing, not right away, anyhow. We could clean out the tunnels with the free time we have. Scouting out more targets could be a good idea as well. And we should also definitely hand out all the food we have. I continue to think about the various things we can do while things calm down, until I hear the door open. I cut off my thoughts and turn to see which of my friends it is.

However, I am shocked to see not my friends, but eleven guards entering into the church, blocking the exit. One of them steps forward and addresses me, “Are you Flora?” I get to my hooves and turn to face them, “Yes, how can I help you?” I ask, while contemplating my next move. “Then you are under arrest for the crime of thievery, come along peacefully,” he responds. “What do you mean? I have stolen nothing,” I lie, hoping they will not search the church. “Silence,” he growls, “your parents charged you with this crime. Do you suspect they lied?” he then gave a laugh, “Men, search this building, make sure no one else is hiding within its walls, and seize the girl.”

Most of his men begin searching the church while the others come and grab me by the arms. I couldn’t move to avoid them as I was in disbelief of what their leader had told me. My parents told the guards? I couldn’t believe it, “You lie! My parents would never accuse me of something like that!” I shout at the guards. “Oh, but they did, my dear. For our records, we have signed documents from them accusing you. I actually have them right here,” he reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a piece of paper and hold it up to me, “See?” I look at the documents and stare at the signatures of my parents.

While I am staring in disbelief at the piece of paper, a guard shouts, “Sir! There is a bunch of food in here!” Another one shouts shortly after, “Sir! I found some bags and lock picks here!” Their leader grins at me before shouting back at them, “Good job boys! Grab what you can and let’s take this criminal in. Two of you stand guard here, and make sure no one comes in after us. This is a crime scene now.” With that said he began to lead the way out of the church and to the government offices in the Cumulus District.


============~+~============


I was still in shock when I was thrown in a cell and locked up. I just laid where they had thrown me until I heard a familiar voice, “Flora? They got you too?” I got up and looked around, my eyes adjusting to the low light conditions. In the cell across from me I see Sapphire. “Sapphire! Yea. I still don’t quite believe how they got me. How did they get you?” I ask her. “A neighbor turned me in. I have a wanted poster, after all. It was only a matter of time,” she sighs, “Pocket and Lunk are here too, right guys?” I strain my eyes in the dark but I can’t see into the other cells. “Yea, we’re here,” Lunk’s voice announces. “We left with some food to hand out to Ponies, but ran into one of those groups looking for thieves,” Pocket says.

“So, why can’t you believe how you got caught?” Sapphire asks. “Well,” I begin, “I went to the Church and was waiting for you all. But, the guards somehow found out about the Church and came in while I was there,” I say. “How did they find it?” Pocket asks. “I don’t know. But it wasn’t like they just stumbled across it. They came there looking for me, specifically. That isn’t what I can’t believe though. The guard who arrested me had a statement from my parents, that they apparently made, that accused me of being a thief,” I explain. “That’s horrible!” Sapphire exclaims.

“Yea,” I agree, “but the worst part is I don’t know if it is true or not. But, if it isn’t I have no idea how they heard about me. So, it must be true, right? I just…didn’t think they could do that to me…” I trail off. “What’s done is done,” Lunk says, “There is nothing we can do now. If they did, I am sure they had their reasons.” We all look at Lunk. “I think this is the first time you’ve said something that is remotely reasonable,” Sapphire says. We all begin to chuckle a bit. “How is it that now of all times you decide to be insightful?” Pocket says while laughing. As we are laughing at the absurdity of Lunk’s new found intelligence, we hear a door open.

“Ah, so you four are the accomplices of the criminal who broke into Sing Crest Manor?” a voice playfully says. “It was just like the mayor said, round up enough thieves and when four of them eventually recognize and acknowledge each other, you’ve found your culprits.” The voice laughs and echoes though the cells, “Well, don’t you four fret, you will be executed tonight.” The voice trailed off as it seemed to pass through a door which closed after it.

“So, that’s it then,” Lunk says. “Yea, not much hope for us now,” Pocket agrees. “What? We get caught and you two just give up? There is still hope! Right, Flora?” Sapphire pleads. “No. It’s like they say, Sapphire. No one has escaped from here before, and we have no one who would be able to free us either,” I remorsefully state. “But, we had a good run, right guys? We helped a lot of ponies, and if we are executed tonight, the Ration Stations should hopefully start up again tomorrow.” They all mutter agreement and we begin talking about our exploits and all the good that we had done.

The hours went by and a group of guards entered, followed by the mayor. “Hello there,” he greets us. “Now then, you four are the accomplices of that criminal named Glint, are you not? And judging by how easily you two,” he beckoned towards Pocket and Lunk, “were captured by mere citizens and how you,” he beckoned towards Sapphire, “had a previous run-ins with the guards and are a known criminal, I am guessing that you,” he beckoned to me, “are the mastermind behind all of this. Am I correct?” He asks. “Yea, I am,” I tell him. “Good,” he laughs, “I love it when I am right. Now then, guards, if you will escort those other three to the gallows, I will be there shortly.” The guards did as he instructed and escort Pocket, Lunk, and Sapphire out of their cells.

“Now then, miss…” the mayor trailed off. “Flora,” I say, “call me Flora.” He smiles, “Miss Flora. Consider yourself lucky, you will not be hanging with your friends. I have another plan for you. I will tell you about it, but I think it might ruin the impact my speech will have, so I will go into detail about it afterwards. Feel free to listen from that window, you should be able to hear.” He says as he walks out. I was confused as to what he meant, and went to the window, which had a perfect view of the gallows and the platform the mayor would be standing on. A few minutes later, he walks up to the podium.

“Citizens of Cirro! Today we have a treat for you all. I have a few announcements to make, the first of which is the capture of these three criminals, the accomplices of the criminal who stole from Sing Crest Manor! Those of you who rounded them up, I thank you for the good work you have done. With these dangerous criminals off the streets, our city can breathe a little easier. Now, without further delay, I know what they will say if I allow them any last words, so let’s skip that bit, guards if you will!” At his command the platforms beneath Sapphire’s, Lunk’s, and Pocket’s feet fall and their bodies with them, and instantly all three went limp.

I start to tear up at seeing my closest friends’ bodies swaying in the wind and wipe them from my eyes when the mayor starts speaking again. “On to my next announcement, with the execution of these three criminals, it has been arranged that food will once again be purchased and sold at the Ration Stations, however in less quantities than before. And that leads me to my third and final announcement. The mastermind behind this group of miscreants has yet to be captured. As such, the donators are wary of selling too much of their food. The same reward given previously, will be given for the capture of this criminal. Until this criminal is brought to justice, the Ration Stations will have limited food. As always, report any information to your nearest guard. That is all.” He said and left the stage.

Minutes later he returns and stands outside my cell. “You are probably curious why I said we haven’t captured you yet. To be completely honest, in the past few days we have rounded up so many thieves, it would be a waste to take away the citizens’ motivation for reporting them. Of course, since you aren’t the mastermind, your family won’t be getting the reward. Seems they turned you in for nothing,” he laughs. “As for your fate, a simple hanging is hardly befitting of a criminal such as yourself. I thought of a comically ironic fate for you. You stole food, so we shall steal food from you. You shall live the rest of your life in that cell, never leaving it, and without food. Oh, but don’t worry, we will give you water. Wouldn’t want you dying too quick, would we?” he laughs again as he once again leaves the prison.


============~+~============


The next day, it was just like the major said. I could hear that the Ration Stations had been opened again and, just like the mayor said, I was given water a few times a day, but no food. It is fine, I could deal with a little hunger. I am use to it by now. I sure as shit won’t allow them the satisfaction of hearing me cry for mercy.

A few days had passed and I have started to become weaker. The hunger pains I had once gotten used to, came back, and I can slowly feel my body eating itself. Being locked in this cell for every minute of every day is maddening, so I try to sleep as much as possible. Every so often a guard brings me some water, which I try to make last as long as possible. It isn’t much, but it subsides my hunger a bit.

I try to keep track of how long it has been by grinding my hoof against the wall and making a mark for each day. I am up to five marks so far, and thankfully it is easy to keep track since I have a window in my cell. I wonder how long I will make it.

I think I am up to…Thirteen days now? That is the number of marks, but it feels like so much longer. Could I have slept an entire day? I am sleeping quite a lot now so it could be possible. I’ll just make another mark and stop thinking about it. I think I will just think back on the good times, running around with my crew and helping people, it might help pass the time.

I wake up from my sleep and just stare at the wall in front of me for a while. I no longer know how long I have been in here. I stopped making marks, but I can’t seem to count them anyway. I can feel my ribs and a lot of my other bones through my skin now. I can barely move anymore, even when they bring me water. The last couple of times I haven’t moved to get it. I just woke up, but I am really tired. It’s weird, I can’t usually fall asleep like this, since my hunger keeps me up. I should try to stay awake for a while, but my eye lids feel so heavy. I’ll just close them for a little while, then wake back up.


============~+~============


The next time I awake, I am feeling much better. I’m not tired or hungry at all, but the brightness of the lighting is blinding me, so I keep my eyes closed for a while, relishing the feeling. It’s been so long since I felt this way, not days or weeks, but years since I have. Before my imprisonment, before Cirro became dismal and ugly, and before the famine. Way back when we had farms on the ground and everything was perfect. A smile creeps to my face as I think about it.

“Ah! She’s smiling Grell! She must be having a good dream or something,” I voice suddenly calls out from beside me. I open my eyes, alerted to the voice so close to me, and sit up. When I do so, a scarred stallion with a red coat steps back a bit, but smiles at me. “Hey Grell, she’s awake!” he says. “Finally! The fun can begin,” comes another voice. “What’s going on? Who are you?” I ask. I then glance around the room and realize I am no longer in a prison cell and decide to add, “And where are we?” Did they free me from the prison? I look at the red stallion in front of me, noticing his lack of wings. No, they couldn’t have if he doesn’t have wings.

While I am thinking all this another buck walks into the room, this one with a black coat. But what really stands out about him is the fact he has both a horn, and wings. I stare at him with my mouth open for a moment before he says, “Hello Flora, it is nice to finally meet you. I am Grell, and this is Crimson. Though, you may know our other names better. Death, the black-cloaked alicorn, and War, the red-cloaked soldier.” I stare at him for a while longer before bursting out laughing, “The two mystical beings who claim the souls of the dead? Yea, sure, and I am a god of the Church of Stars,” I reply.

They look at each other before Crimson smiles at Grell and says to me, “No, that’s not quite what you are. You are just like us, a ‘mystical being who claims the souls of the dead’, you are Famine.” I roll my eyes at him, “Ok, you two are clearly delusional or something. Thank you for saving my life and rescuing me from that prison, but I’ll be going now,” I say. “You shouldn’t be thanking us for that, we didn’t save your life, or rescue you. You died in that cell,” Grell says.

“That’s why I’m here talking to you two now, right?” I retort. “Look, Flora, I don’t usually do this when I’m not in the field, but I’ll dispel my illusionary magic for a bit, so you can see the true me,” Grell replies. He then casts a spell and his body glows for a moment, then the flesh disappears from his limbs and muzzle. “See? The Alicorn of Death,” Crimson says. “You know, if you don’t believe him this time, he’ll pull out his scythe. So just calm down and listen. Both of us were just like you, thrown into a world of tragedy and forced to deal with it at every turn. More than anypony in all of history, past, present, and future, Grell knows what death actually is. He knows the horrible things ponies do when confronted with it and the losses it can inflict. Similarly, I know more about war, and you, more than anypony else, know more about famine.”

“It is fate, Flora. This was always destined to happen to the three of us,” Grell says. “There is a fourth, but we haven’t found them yet. And even if you did leave, there is nowhere for you to go. If you want to wonder this dimension filled with nothingness for a few years to think about it, you can. But if you need further proof, just look at your body.” I still have no idea what was going on, but I do as he said. For the first time since I woke up, I look at myself. I can see almost every bone, even some organs, moving under my skin and fur. My once lovely golden coat has become a sickly yellow and my green mane is dull and tattered. I touch myself all over, unable to believe what I am seeing, but then I realize something, I don’t have a pulse.

“So, I really am dead?” I ask them. “Yes, in a sense. But you are now immortal and exist outside of time,” Crimson replied. “W-will my body recover if I eat and take care of it properly?” I ask. Grell shakes his head as he says, “Unfortunately, any injuries or damage we have when we die, we retain. My dissolved skin, and Crimson’s…well, show her.” Crimson turns and shows me his side, covered in even more scars. But what really stands out is a large patch of hairless skin that seems to be spread thinly across a wound. I look closer and realize that, beneath the skin is a gaping cavity, devoid of muscle and organs. “What happened?” I ask, wide-eyed. “When I died I was stabbed by multiple weapons, I have a few on my other side as well. These are the holes those weapons left. They would be gaping with no skin over them, but Grell here had the idea of use the skin around them and cover them up, sewing the skin together, covering the holes. Luckily, I can’t feel it anyhow,” he replies.

“Ok, I believe you guys. But, what happens now?” I ask. “Now,” Grell responds, “You take over part of my work load. Until now, I handled every death that didn’t involve war or violence. Disease, natural causes, accidents, starvation, you name it, I handled it. But you, Famine, will take over guiding the souls of those that died from starvation, overeating, choking, any death that was caused by food or lack thereof. I’ll explain the finer details of doing that later, but now I have a gift for you.” Grell’s eyes glow and a swirling vortex appears in front of him. Using his magic, he pulls something out of the vortex, which then dissipates. Moments later, he sets what he was holding down in front of me.

“This is your weapon. It serves as your key to and from this dimension and also as a tool to quell distraught souls and guide them safely to their destination. Given your background as a thief, I thought this weapon would be most appropriate,” Grell explains. I look at the weapon in front of me, a gorgeous, expensive looking dagger, with a sheath to go with it. “Thank you!” I exclaim as I pick it up.

“Anything else I need to know?” I ask. “Nothing pressing at the moment. Take some time to get used to things, make yourself at home. If you need, or want anything, just will it into existence,” Grell answers. “And if you have any more questions, feel free to ask us, assuming we aren’t out on a job, that is,” Crimson remarks. 

Thus I, the once great thief of Cirro, became the Apocalypse Pony of Famine. My friends had died and my family turned their back on me, and while I cannot help but think of what could have been, I was thankful for this opportunity. These three ponies, who I had never met in life, became my closest friends, and allies. But, enough about me, it is time for the last of us to tell his tale.
> Act 4: Chapter 11 - Nightmare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the Notes of a Historian:

While the Moon Kingdom seemed to be perfect from the outside, inside was utter chaos. While it wasn’t hit with the brunt of The Famine, it had various issues of its own. Once Queen Waning had taken control of the Moon Kingdom, discontent began to grow among the nobility, notably corrupt nobles who had favored her predecessor. The Great War prevented them from acting right away; however, with their militaries built up, these corrupted nobles banded together in an attempt to overthrown the queen once the war had finished. However, the queen had the affection of her populous, and gained the upper hand through their assistance. Queen Waning stomped out the rebellion in her kingdom, and learning from past mistakes, executed those responsible for the rebellion.

Towards the end of The Famine, Queen Waning of the Moon Kingdom sent excess food to the cities of the Sky Flotilla. From the reports that her majesty received from her envoys, many of the cities had suffered rebellions and much of the nobility was killed in the chaos. The newly appointed councils welcomed the aid of Queen Waning and once again built a network of communication between the cities, which then began restoration projects to restore the cities to their former glory.

To prevent repeats of the horrors The Famine caused their cities, the Sky Flotilla, created new cities to spread the population around and alleviate cities which were overpopulated. But the greatest project they planned to undertake was that of cities whose sole purpose was to produce food. These new cities, nicknamed, “Green Clouds”, were to become the major food production and trading hubs of the entire Sky Flotilla, ensuring that famine would never again be seen upon their streets.

After the ravages of pestilence, war, and famine took their toll on the lands, things began to resemble normality. While those who died from The Plague, The Great War, and The Famine can never be brought back, the world has gained much in the realm of knowledge. New practices in hygiene and medicine have shown a decline in deaths relating to diseases. Inventions once used to kill one another are now being repurposed to assist in the reconstruction of the post-tragedy world. Better knowledge about plant growth and development has also led to advancement in food production. Peace began to spread across the world as every nation attempted to recover.

The charred lands of the Scarlet Empire began to develop life once more. However, these lands would be unfit for food production for many years to come. But discontent among high ranking officers was creating a divide in the Empire. Some officers had witnessed the accusation and execution of a well-known officer who has fought against the Magical Symposium. This officer had been accused of treason and was executed at the brink of one of the war’s final battles. Those who witnessed his execution say that he never actually died, but will someday return to extract revenge upon those who wronged him. But these account should be taken with a grain of salt, as they also include mystical beings such as the Alicorn of Death.

Despite this discontent and the warrior mind-set of many of the Scarlet Empire’s officers, things were kept peaceful. Records were gone through and officials were interrogated to uncover the truth. Though it took years of work, eventually various plots were discovered in which the Emperor and his royal guard, along with various other high ranking military officers, exploited others to achieve their goals. Even as noble and righteous as some of those goals were, it was no excuse for what they had done.

The acts were exposed and those guilty were tried and executed or imprisoned. However, the Emperor’s power allowed him to forgo a trial and continue untouched. But a few days after this was announced, he was assassinated by an unknown assailant. His son took his place, however whether or not he would follow down his father’s path or not was unknown. In his first act as Emperor, he returned a small portion of land to the Magical Symposium with the message, “Our previous skirmishes were entertaining. Let this be a gift, so that one day we might have an even more entertaining battle between us.”

The Magical Symposium, having been reduced to a small size, accepted this offer, if somewhat curiously. With the introduction of this new Emperor they weren’t sure what to think. Their council had held through The Plague, War, and Famine, but if the Scarlet Empire meant to attack them again, they were unsure whether or not they would be prepared. The land they were returned was still charred, however it was in a good location and once things would grow, it would be perfect. They sent out a decree across their nation offering various amounts of money for military service, restoration service, and land grants in the returned land.

They hoped to bolster their military and restore what land they currently possessed. In addition, they wanted to construct new fortresses in the land they received and garrison troops there as well. The land grants were offers for citizens to move to the new land and build villages, farms, etc. However, since the land was divide of life and unusable for farming, the majority of those that moved there would need to take up work in various other fields of work, including magical research.

This period of time became known as the Reconstruction period and during this time families and villages moved from place to place. It wasn’t unheard of for a family to be in town one night and be gone the next morning. Not only were families moving for work, but also to reconnect old family ties, rediscovering old cousins, or attempting to find family they lost in the chaos.


============~+~============



Approximately ten years after Famine:


I lay in my bed, waiting for sleep to come and take me away for the night. Mother and father had left my door open a crack to let the candlelight into my room. The light from the candle lit up the wall across from my bed and brought me comfort. I didn’t like the dark. Anything could be in the darkness, even monsters. But the light keep the monsters away, it dispersed the darkness and brought safety to the world. With the light keeping me safe, I could usually fall asleep in a few minutes. However tonight seemed I couldn’t seem to fall asleep no matter what I tried.

I had been laying in my bed for hours but still sleep hadn’t visited me. For a few moments I would feel like I was going to fall asleep, but then I would catch myself realizing this and accidentally snap myself from slumber. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get to sleep. Perhaps a monster had put a spell on me? Could they do that, and stop me from sleeping? My mind began to think up various things the monsters would do to me when I heard a hoofstep and the sound of a door opening. Thinking the monsters were coming to get me, I pulled my blankets over my head to hide from them.

Minutes passed before I decided to remove the blankets from my head. When I did, i saw four shadows on the wall the candlelight illuminated. The four shadows looked like ponies, but two of the shadows, which were standing opposite the other two, were oddly shapen. It was almost as thought the candle’s light was passing right through their bodies. I watched the shadows cautiously, ready to hide under my blankets again should they turn out to be monsters.

The two weird looking ones suddenly pulled out what looked to be knives and i could hear an audiable gasp as the other two ponies stumbled backwards. However the weird ones were fast and the four separate shadows became two. There was alot of thudding, smashing, and a few screams, and with each noise my blanket rose higher and higher until it was right below my eyes.

The sounds suddenly stopped and everything was quiet. I lowered my blanket slightly, but then a bright green light shown through my door and caused me to cover my eyes with it. It lasted for a few seconds before it went away and only the candle light remained. I lowered my blankets once more and blinked a few times so my eyes would adjust to the darkness.

About a minute passed by and then my door swung open abruptly. I quickly curled up into a ball, pulling the blankets over myself as quickly as I could. I began to shake, despite trying my best to stay as still as possible. A few seconds passed and then I heard some hoofsteps. They came closer to my bed, slowly, appearing to be in no big hurry. It wasn’t long, however, until they were right next to my bed and stopped. ‘This is it,’ I thought to myself, ‘I am going to die.’

Suddenly the blankets were pulled from me and I looked up to see my mother standing over me. I was still scared, but relief washed over me. “Mom, wha-“, I started, but was cut off. “Now, now, honey. You should be asleep already,” my mother said. As she said this, her horn began to glow and she lowered her horn to my forehead. Once her horn touched me, i was suddenly overcome with weariness and my eyes couldn’t stay open. It was seconds before I was asleep.


============~+~============


“RAAAAACH” the sound echos in my mind, like something was snarling very loudly right next to me. But I didn’t hear anything and three of the four figures in front of me had their mouths closed. The fouth figure had its mouth open and its face was contorted into a snarl, but no sound came from it. The sound in my head was so realistic I pushed my hooves against my ears, trying to block it out, but to no avail.

Two of the four figures I recognize as my mother and father. They are doing the same thing I am, covering their ears from a sound they can’t escape from. The other two figures are black and look like ponies, however instead of fur their bodies are smooth and have they holes in their legs. They also have fangs, horns, wings, and solid red eyes.

“Enough of that, let’s just finish them already,” these words echo in my mind amist the snarling which stops soon after. When I hear those words the other mysterious figure’s mouth moves. “Oh, but this is SOOOO much fun,” echoes in my mind as the first figure’s mouth moves. “I know, but I am starving. Let’s get this over with so we can eat.” The second figure’s mouth moves while this echos in my mind.

I quickly realize that these creatures don’t speak verbally, but instead they somehow put their words into the minds of others. It isn’t something I want to experience for an extended period. I am already feeling like I am losing my mind. As I make this realization and snap back to my senses, I notice the mysterious figures have drawn knives.

I look on in horror as my parents gasp as they notice the knives as well, but they aren’t fast enough to run away, instead the creatures are upon them in moments. My parents scream and try to fight back, knocking some things over but otherwise it is a futile effort.  I scream out, “NOO!” but neither my parents nor the creatures appear to notice. I try to run over and help my parents, but I realize that I cannot move from where I am at.

I look on at the struggle going on in front of me, unable to look away and unable to help my parents. Within a minute or so of the struggle beginning, it ends. My parents have multiple wounds that are gushing out blood and they have stopped moving. The creatures just stand over my parents and stare intently at them, as though they are in a daze.

A few seconds later a flash of green light sweeps over the creatures’ bodies and slowly they begin to change shape. The light is too much for me, and I have to shut my eyes, but after a few seconds the light disipates and I open them again. The creatures have gone, and in their place my parents are standing. I look back and forth at my parents, the ones that are lying on the ground, and the ones standing over them, unable to make sense of what is going on.

I am snapped back to reality as a voice once again enters my mind. My standing father’s mouth moves, “Take care of the child, dear.” This is followed by my standing mother’s mouth moving and the words, “Of course, darling,” entering my mind. My mother that is standing begins to make her way to my bedroom door. With a hoof she slams it open.

I wake up screaming, shaking, sweating, and looking around my bedroom rapidly. I realize that I am still alive and that my room is as it normally is. My door flys open suddenly and my mother appears with a look of shock and concern on her face. She rushes over to my bed, but I push myself away from her. “Feld, what’s wrong?” My mother asks. Her voice doesn’t echo in my head, but is actually audiable. “Did you have a bad dream, honey?”

Concern and worry are visable on her face. ‘That had to have been a dream, right?’ I think to myself. “Y-yea. I guess,” I tell her. She gives a big smile and says, “Well don’t worry about it anymore, mommy’s here to protect you now!” She walks over and gives me a hug. I hesitate for a moment, before I hug her back. ‘Yea. That couldn’t have been real. It was just a dream.’ I think to myself as I let myself enjoy the embrace of my mother.

‘But just in case...I’ll keep an eye on them’ I thought as she let me go.
> Act 4: Chapter 12 - Moving Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ever since I had that nightmare, I kept a close eye on both of my parents. If they were monsters, however, they didn't show it. Every mannerism, everything my parents knew, they knew. They went to work, came home, played with me, we had dinner together, and they read me stories before we went to bed. Perhaps that nightmare really was just that, a simple nightmare. Weeks had gone by and everything seemed normal, including not having nightmares. Because nothing out of the ordinary was happening, I soon forgot about the nightmare I had that day, and things went on peacefully.


============~+~============


As my life continued on in this peaceful way and the Great Famine subsided I soon forgot about tales of monsters. This was also due in part to me growing up, I wasn't a scared little foal anymore and I knew better than to believe in monsters and the like. They were make-believe and I was starting to learn that the real world was far more scary than things that don’t exist.

When I went to school I learned all about The Plague, Great War, and Famine. My teacher said that while these things happened just in recent decades, it was important to look back at them, remembering and learning from them. We learned of all the new advancements made thanks to these tragedies, but we also learned about the horrible lengths some ponies would go to in their selfishness and greed.

These subjects interested me more than any others, for some reason. I was drawn to learn all I could about them. I was born towards the end of the Famine, so most of my memories of it were from when I was a foal. Because of course I couldn't remember much about it. Perhaps this was the reason I was so interested in the three tragedies, or perhaps I simply liked learning about the past. Whatever the reason, I studied these subjects as often as I could.

But my studies only lasted a few years. The Magical Symposium council had decreed new land grants to families willing to move back into newly reclaimed land. While this land wouldn't be useful right away, within years it would be rich in nutrients and would yield high harvests. My parents, always seeing opportunity, decided to take the council up on this, and we started packing our belongings, heading to a new town.

This news seemed to come out of the blue. It wasn't unheard of for families in the town we were living to take this offer, many had already done so. But my parents always seemed so…disinterested in it, that I was caught off guard by the news. Whatever it was that changed their minds must have been huge, because we packed up within a day and were on our way to our new home. It was a town I never heard of called Vanatonem.


============~+~============


It took us a few days of travel, but we finally arrive at the outskirts of our new town, Vanatonem. Looking down at it from the hill we are on, there only appears to be four buildings alongside a mountain and each building has a large amount of farmland next to it. As we get closer, however, I notice that between the buildings there is a well lit cavern in the mountain, that the road we are on continues through. It wasn’t long before we were moving through the cavern and after a minute or so we came to a large open area inside the mountain. It was like someone had hallowed the mountain out, and in places, opened holes in the top. Many of these holes had veins crawling over them, but they still let in plenty of sunlight from outside.

I continue to look around the cavern I was now in, taking in the grassy hills, cobbled streets, and wooden buildings. It was a whole town hidden benieth the mountain, smaller than my previous town, but it still probably had a population of a few thousand. I was speechless at the beauty of the town and the disbelief I had for its existance.

I was in such awe of the town that I didn’t notice we had arrived at our new home. It was a bit smaller than our old house, but it looked decent. I snapped out of my state of awe and began to help mother and father unload our belongings into our new house. I soon realized it was quite similar to our old house, in terms of layout. You enter into the kitchen, which has three doors that lead to two bedrooms and an extra room for storage, or anything we would want it to be.

We spend the rest of the day unpacking, and don’t get a chance to take a look at the town, even though I was begging mother and father again and again to take a break and take a look. They said we would all take a good look around tomorrow, so when I finally crawl into my bed I am to anxious to fall asleep right away.

I think of all the things we will see tomorrow and I cannot wait to ask someone how the town was built. My mind continues to run at full speed, until it runs into a brick wall. A memory I had forgotten about for years. It crawled into my mind slowly, but when it finally appeared, it just wouldn’t go away. It was the memory of that night long ago, when those things had attacked my parents. The nightmare I had had as a foal.

I didn’t know why I had suddenly remembered this, but I wasn’t a foal anymore. Monsters didn’t exist and that was just a nightmare, nothing more. However I couldn’t take my mind from it as it kept replaying over and over in my head. Why was I remembering this now? I continue to think about this question, and about the nightmare, until my mind slowly stops working and I drift off to sleep.
> Act 4: Chapter 13 - Vanatonem
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day following our arrival, mother and father keep their promise from the previous night and we go out to look at our new town. I am so excided that I was practically jumping as we make our way around the town. Our home is in the eastern area of the town and just a few minutes of walking west bring us to the town center, which is marked with a large and sparkling fountain. I had only heard people talk about fountains, as they were extremely rare and reserved for only the most highly regarded of ponies. The fact that my town has one made me even further in awe of it than I was prevously.

As I look around from where we are near the fountain, I soon realize that the town has a circular layout to it, everything spaning out from the fountain. While looking around, I also notice several ponies carrying buckets filling them up at the fountain. Noticing me staring, my father spoke up, “This fountain serves as the city’s well. They use magic to bring the water up from the ground and circulate it through the fountain to keep it from becoming stagnent. It is quite ingenious, I think.”

My mother supressed a laugh as we continued to stroll through the town. The town center also serves as the market place, and was lined with various stalls selling various wares. Everything from fresh fruit to weaponry was being bought and sold. If I didn’t know better, I would never have known that the world was just getting through a famine.

The town, despite its location under what appeared to be a hallow mountain, was surprisingly large. In patches daylight shone in from the holes created in the top of the mountain and what areas were not lit by the sunlight were lit by magical lanterns. For the most part, the areas in which the sunlight shone through were lush with greenery such as gardens or parks. Only a few buildings were ever under direct sunlight.

There was a fairly large clinic located a few blocks west south of the fountain, and it seemed fairly busy as we passed it, but nothing extremely horrible seemed to be going on. We continue walking, about half way between the mountain wall and the center of the city, along the roads that connected the various parts of the city. It was this road, as opposed to a road leading directly to the fountain and town center, that appeared to be the city’s main road. It was heavily traveled, and many of the shops and necessities ponies need were along it.

As we approach the western wall, I notice the road we had taken to get into the town. I wonder if it is the only enterance and exit the city has, I thought. I would be easily defendable, but also be a double edged sword in times of war. The part of me that was facinated by the Three Great Tragedies couldn’t help but rise to the surface. But it soon fades as we continue walking and taking in all the sights.

Just north of the enterance road we pass the school I would be attending starting tomorrow. It was huge, far larger than the one I attended previously. It rose two floors from the ground and took up almost a whole block. It was then I realize something I had been overlooking. I look around me to confirm my own thoughts. Yep. Just as I thought. A large portion of the ponies we had been passing were around my age, some older and some younger, but a lot of them were school-age ponies. My mother notices me looking at them and speaks up to confirm my own thoughts, “This city has a large population of children. Many families who move here, like us, have children. Their parents must be wanting to try to give them a fresh start, just like us.” She looks at my father and they share a smile.

I roll my eyes and continue walking. A short distance later I notice what appears to be a library and immediately dash inside it. As soon as I am inside, I stop, my mouth hanging open as I look upon the wall-to-wall bookcases filled with books. Not only is the school bigger, but the library is too! I exclaim to myself. I am about to run off into the world of books when my parents show up and stop me. “Come now, you’ll have plenty of time to spend here later. Let’s finish looking around for now.” My father chuckles.

I begin to open my mouth to retort, but settle for a sigh and go with my parents. They are right, I can come here anytime. We exit the library and continue looking around town. For the most part the rest of the town is pretty normal. Houses make up the majority of it and the north is where the city hall and guard barracks are located. One odd thing I noticed, however, is that there are a few tunnels in the cavern walls that don’t have roads leading to them. They appear to be mines, however they are closed off and guarded. Perhaps they do have escape tunnels, in case of seige, I thought.

It isn’t much longer till my parents and I return home, having seen all that the city has to offer. Thinking back to all that I saw today, I was struck by how completely different this town was compared to the town I came from and the towns we passed through to get here. Everypony here seemed upbeat and had a positive outlook and the streets were certainly abuzz with activity. In the other towns, ponies seemed beaten and hopeless, the weight of the Great Tragedies constantly on their minds, uncertainty causing them to have a bleak outlook.

But here in Vanatonem, ponies seem almost unaffected by the Great Tragedies that occurred so few years ago. It was almost as if, inside this mountain, they had never happened. I, for one, was glad of this. I had my fill of the adults in my previous town acting hopeless and being depressed. Here things seem to be so much brighter, despite the lack of sunlight.

The sun had begun to set and the city was becoming extremely dark. My parents and I sit down for supper before we turn in for the night. I eat quickly and prepare myself for bed, anxious for what tomorrow would bring. A new city, a new school, and perhaps, new information about the Great Tragedies! I crawl into my bed and anxiously wait for sleep to overcome me, anticipating the events of the following day.


============~+~============


The following day, I get up early, quickly eat breakfast, and practically sprint to school. I could not contain my excitement and I smiled broadly as I went. My first day of classes! I will get to learn more and more! Perhaps even something new about the Great Tragedies! I rush to school, find my class, and sit expectantly in my desk.

As I was for class to begin, time seems to creep by slowly. I am giddy with anticipation and cannot sit still. I decide to distract myself by looking around at my classmates. They are all around my age and the majority of them are talking to each other in small groups. Moments after I start looking around, a black coated buck walks into the classroom and the students break from their groups and take their seats. This must be my new teacher, I think to myself.

“Good morning, class,” he begins, “today, we have a new student joining us. Feld Grau, if you wouldn’t mind introducing yourself?” I flinch slightly at being put on the spot so soon but get out of my desk and go to the front of the class. “Hello everyone. My name is Feld Grau. I recently moved here with my parents. It is nice to meet all of you.” I look to my teacher, who nods to me. I then go back and take my seat once more.

That was painful, I say to myself. I don’t like dealing with other ponies that much, even less so when I am put up in front of a group of them. I prefer the quiet tranquility that books offer, not to mention the less judgmental air books give off. I sigh to myself as my teacher begins his lecture.

A few hours pass and we take a lunch break. We covered various topics in the morning, such as the government of the Magical Symposium, mathematics, and some grammar. I make my way towards the cafeteria and get my lunch. While deciding where to sit, three ponies wave at me. I look around, and finally decide to go sit with them.

“You’re Feld, our new student, right?” a teal coated mare asks me, “My name is Aurora. It is nice to meet you.” She smiles at me from across the table. I give a nod and reply, “Yea. Nice to meet you as well.” A brown coated buck sitting next to me smiles as he says, “I’m Hem, by the way. Nice ‘ta meet ya.” Next a dull yellow coated buck speaks, “And I’m Lucky. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” I nod again before saying, “Good to meet you both as well. We, uh, aren’t in the same class, are we? I don’t recall seeing any of you. ” The three of them shook their heads and Aurora says, “No, we aren’t. But news about new students travels fast, and the three of us are on the forefront when it comes to news about newcomers.” The three of them were giving me their full attention. “This leads me to ask you the question I ask all the new students here—“

Suddenly I hear hoof steps from behind and my teacher is standing over our table. “Well, well. If it isn’t our three little resident conspiracy theorists, Aurora, Hem, and Lucky. I do hope you are not filling our newest student’s head full of your delusions,” he says. Hem and Lucky avoided his gaze, but Aurora held it firmly. “Of course not, Mr. Hourglass. We are just getting to know him, him being a new student and all, I’m sure you can understand that,” she says to him. Mr. Hourglass closes his eyes and smiles, before opening them and stating simply, “Of course, Aurora. Feld, I’ll see you in class.” He turns from our table and walks away.

“That was close,” Hem says. “What was close?” I ask. “Oh, never mind him,” says Aurora, “Say, if you would like we could show you around a bit after class. Show you all the nooks and crannies of the city, if you’re interested.” I consider this for a moment. I would like to go to the library and do some reading, however I didn’t see everything the city has to see yesterday. It might be beneficial to take her up on her offer. “Sure, that sounds good,” I say. The three of them break into smiles and Aurora exclaims, “Great! Then meet us at the fountain after school.”

The rest of the lunch period was rather uneventful. The four of us engage in some small talk, namely discussing interests. However Aurora never asks me that question she was going to before Mr. Hourglass interrupted.

Once I was back in class Mr. Hourglass was continuing his teachings. A few more hours drag on before he says, “Ok. Now class, let us discuss history.” I immediately perk up, anticipating discussion on the Great Tragedies. Seconds turn to minutes and I realize that the school day is running out. Mr. Hourglass has yet to mention anything about the Great Tragedies yet. In fact, he seems to be glossing over them.

I raise my hoof to ask him about it. “Mr. Hourglass, are we going to be discussing the Great Tragedies?” I inquire. He narrows his eyes as he says, “No, Feld. That is not in our curriculum. We here in Vanatonem, believe that we should not dwell on such matters. They were dark and troubling times, far too recent to warrant teaching. We are still in the process to recovering from them, and as such we are unable to fully go into detail regarding them. It was decided that leaving them out was for the best. Now then, pay attention.”

I slump down in my chair in disbelief. Not in the curriculum? Too recent? My previous teacher had hammered into our minds that they were important to learn from, so we didn’t repeat the same mistakes. Why would things be so radically different here? Surely even a small discussion on them would be good, right?

My mind was ablaze with questions that I wasn’t prepared to ask. Mr. Hourglass seemed…different, when I asked him. Almost intimidating. I spent the rest of the school day deep in thought and barely paid the lessons any attention. It wasn’t long before school was over and I was walking out of the doors, defeated.
> Act 4: Chapter 14 - Conspiracy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After leaving the school building, I slowly walk to the town center, where the fountain is located. My head is still swarming with questions about the school’s curriculum and I almost pass the fountain entirely. Before I do, however, a voice calls out to me, “Hey! Feld! Over here!” I snap out of my trance and look around. I notice Aurora waving energetically at me with Hem and Lucky waving lazily next to her.

I head over where they are. “Hey everyone,” I say as  I approach. “Geez, Feld, you seem out of it. What’s up?” Aurora asks me. Lucky is looking at me with a concerned face, while Hem seems to be indifferent about the matter.  “I just learned our school’s curriculum doesn’t include The Great Tragedies. They are my favorite subject, is all,” I tell her, disappointment in my voice. “Ah-ha…So you noticed already, hu?” Aurora gives a forced laugh while smiling weakly. “That is actually part of the reason why we wanted to talk to you,” Aurora explains. “Aurora,” Hem says flatly. Aurora turns her head to look at him, and Hem nods his head to the right slightly. Aurora turns her head to follow his nod, as do I. I didn’t see anything particular, however Aurora must have seen something, as she said, “Well, we can talk about that later. For now, let’s get somewhere more private.”

She begins to walk away from the fountain with Hem and Lucky close behind. As I begin to follow, I look back to where Hem nodded, but still don’t see anything. We walk for a few minutes in silence before turning and going to the rear of a house. Behind the house is a small shed which Aurora heads straight to. She looks around before opening the door and slipping inside, followed by Lucky. Hem, however, motions me inside before looking around one last time, and entering after me.

Inside, Aurora and Lucky move around a table in the center of the shed and take positions at the side opposite the door. Hem closes the door and stands next to the table, between the door and me. Aurora and Lucky suddenly change their expressions to have a serious demeanor, Hem on the other hand looks as impassive as ever. Lucky clears his throat before saying, “Before we continue, I’m sure you won’t mind if we ask you some questions, correct?” Despite his serious appearance, his voice still carries its gentlecolt-like manner.

I suddenly feel a pit form in my stomach as I begin to wonder if I should have followed them after all. Trying to ignore this feeling, I respond with, “S-sure.” Aurora uses her magic to float up a scroll in front of her. “Ok, first question. What country were you born in?” She asks. I look from one pony to the other curiously as I answer, “The Magical Symposium.” She nods and continues, “Question two. Who was crucial in stopping The Plague?” A question about The Plague? I smirk while answering, “Queen Waning of the Moon Kingdom.” Aurora nods again then asks, “During the Great War, which country lost the most land?” Another question about the Great Tragedies? My smirk disappears, replaced with a look of confusion as I answer, “The Sky Floatilla.” Without missing a beat, she asks, “What tactic employed by the Scarlet Empire contributed to the Great Famine?” I answer with, “Scorched Earth.”

Aurora continues to ask me various questions. The majority of which are about the Great Tragedies. I begin to lose track of how many questions she asked me when she final says, “Ok. That’s all. Well guys, how did he do?” Hem and Lucky nod, which prompts Aurora to exclaim, “100% correct! Good job Feld, honestly no one before you has answered all of them correctly. I didn’t even know the answers to some.” Their serious faces return to their normal, smiling selves. All except for Hem’s, whose remains impassive.

“Now then,” Aurora begins as she walks around the table towards Hem and I, “Lucky, if you’d be so kind.” On que, Lucky uses his magic to envelop the table and move to against the wall opposite the door. As he does so, I notice a trapdoor that was hidden beneath it. Hem’s magic wraps around the trapdoor and opens it. “Let’s go!” Aurora says with a happy voice as she begins going down the revealed stairs. Lucky and I follow her, with Hem taking up the rear. The stairway is dimly lit and I can barely see Lucky in front of me.

As we walk down the stairs I hear Aurora’s voice from the front, “By the way, Feld, don’t tell anyone about this, ‘kay?” She says with an energetic voice which quickly turns cold, “If you do…well…” Her voice trails off for a moment before her energetic voice comes back saying, “We’re here!” Suddenly a bright light erupts from a little ways below me, forcing me to close my eyes while moving towards it. After a few more steps, I reach level ground and blink a few times, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the sudden light.


============~+~============


“Feld, allow me to welcome you to our secret hideout!” Aurora says through a smile. “But, let’s get down to business. We can talk privately here, and no one can hear us. So Feld,” Aurora’s expression goes from a playful one to a serious one before she continues speaking, “we believe that there is something very wrong with this city. We have talked to various residents, mostly our classmates and new arrivals. Most are just like us, ponies from a different city whose parents decided to move here. Through some basic questions we found out a decent amount about them. But, one question in particular causes mixed reactions,” she paused for emphasis.

“Did you have a dream prior to moving here, one that stood out like a nightmare you couldn’t forget?” I flinch at her mention of this, which she notices. “So, you appear to have had one, correct? Tell us, what was it about?” Aurora asks. I look around at the others who seem to be listening intently. “How did you know I had one?” I ask. “We have all had them, the three of us, and all of our classmates,” Lucky points out. “All of them?” I ask. “We will talk about that after you tell us your dream,” Aurora says.

I take a breath and tell them what I remember of the dream I had before I came here.  The more I talk about it, the more I more vividly recall the memory and the more it seems real. Once I finish the three look at each other and Hem says, “Just like the others.” I raise my eyebrow. “What do you mean?” I ask. “The dream you had is just like the dream the three of us, and all of our classmates have had, though with small differences. In the dreams, our parents get killed by monsters,” Aurora informs me. “What does that mean?” I ask.

“It means that this town isn’t what it seems,” Hem says flatly. “Yes, but there is more to it than that. The children are the only ones who have had these dreams and the adults we have asked say the same thing ‘No, and they mean nothing.’ Exactly that with no variation. It is as though they are trying to cover it up. But the three of us kept looking into it and as a result we have become ostracized by most of our fellow students and the adults treat us like we are troublemakers, as you have already seen.”

“Ok, but that doesn’t seem like enough to go on to claim a conspiracy. I mean, children have nightmares all the time, and especially with all the most recent tragedies the world has experienced, it wouldn’t be wrong to think that that could cause similar nightmares of parents dying,” I tell them. “Ah, you’re quite logical. I like that,” Aurora says with a smile. “But, let me ask you. Have you ever heard of this city before you came here? Also, why does the school curriculum skip over the Great Tragedies and seem to skip over a lot of history in general? Doesn’t it seem like they don’t know much about it? As though they either didn’t care about the history of ponykind or that they closed themselves off from the rest of the world.”

I thought about it for a moment. It certainly did seem odd that they didn’t talk about the Great Tragedies, but I haven’t been attending the school long enough to know about it lacking history. It certainly sounds suspicious, but I still wasn’t fully convinced. “Let’s say you are correct, and this is a conspiracy. What would we do about it?” I ask. “Well, there-in lies the issue,” Lucky began, “there is nothing we can really do. No one believes us and the adults have completely discredited us. We need support, but we can’t get it since no one believes us. That is why we try to recruit all new arrivals.”

“I see,” I reply, “How long have you been looking for new members?” Aurora put on a disappointed face as she said, “About two years. That is when I realized this town was off and began looking for proof and others to join my cause. It is also when the adults started treating me like a troublemaker. It was just me, but a few months later I managed to convince Hem to join and about a year ago Lucky joined us. Shortly after we discovered this hideout and began using it.”

“So, in these two years not much has happened then? No crazy occurrences or anything that would get more ponies on your side? It doesn’t seem much like a conspiracy if there are no negatives,” I tell them. “But that’s just it!” Aurora shouts before lowering her voice once more, “There are no negatives. Nothing, not a single thing bad happens here. I have been here for two years, and I haven’t witnessed a single crime and there are almost no injuries or sicknesses. For a city this size it is almost unheard of.”

“Which means something is odd in this city,” I mutter to myself. I look at each of the ponies at the table before saying, “I’ll join you. Since I can’t researched the Great Tragedies, I’ll have a lot of time on my hands, I might as well help you all out.” They all smile and stand up. “Great!” They all shout in unison. “Welcome to the Society of Slumber, SoS for short,” Aurora says. “Society of Slumber?” I ask. “Once the three of us got together, we decided we needed a name for our group. Since we think the dreams are what link everything together, we went with Slumber,” Lucky explains.

“Oh, that makes sense, I suppose. Then, what’s our next step?” I ask. Everyone’s face goes blank. “Eh? What do you mean by next step?” Aurora replies. “Like, what are we going to do to attempt to uncover the conspiracy?” I ask, with a bit of concern in my voice. Aurora smiles and responds with, “Haven’t a clue!”

> Act 4: Chapter 15 - Society of Slumber
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For months the Society of Slumber went on with what it normally did prior to my joining. We would meet up in the hideout and just hang out discussing random things. There was no grand plan or methods to uncover the conspiracy. We knew it existed, but none of us had a plan of how to prove it to anyone. And even if we could prove it to all our classmates, without the support of adults we couldn’t do anything about it.

But, that didn’t stop me from trying. Aurora, Hem, and Lucky didn’t seem like the types to research, so I began to do so alone. I looked in the library for any information I could gain to support our claims. However, as I looked I began to realize quite quickly, that if there was a conspiracy they surely wouldn’t leave any trace of proof. There were no books on the Great Tragedies, rarely any books on history, and nothing about the history of Vanatonem. It was as though the history of everything had been erased. 

I didn’t know what else to do so I just began to wonder around town. With no knowledge to consume I felt somewhat empty. However, I could take some solace in the fact that I was growing up and soon I would have to find a job and learn a trade that would preoccupy my time.

But that would have to wait.  For now I was deep in thought about what I would have to do next. My fellow members of the SoS wouldn’t be of much use in coming up with any idea. So I continue to wonder around the town aimlessly. It just so happened that I was passing by one of the closed off mines when I snap back to reality. I look over it the entrance, noticing the guards around it, and turn to continue on.

I stop, however as something crosses my mind. ‘What is actually in those mines?’ I ponder. I had never seen anyone coming in or out of them and they were always under fairly heavy guard. I felt as though the proof to our conspiracy accusation would be found down there. I couldn’t rightly march past the guards and investigate, so I decide to go back to the hideout and discuss it with the other SoS members.


============~+~============


I open the door to the hideout and walk inside. I am greeted by a chorus of “hey”. “Good news everypony, I think I might have an idea of how to get some proof. Do any of you know anything about the mines?” I ask them. They all shake their heads to which I reply, “Good, then I might just be correct. I believe that in those mines lies the proof we need. We just need a plan to get into them.” They look at each other before Aurora says, “Brilliant! Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen inside them ever. Great! This is just what we need! Let’s march down there and demand they show us inside it!” Her eyes sparkle and she breaks out into a grin.

Lucky rolls his eyes as he says, “Come now, Aurora, they aren’t going to just give us a tour. They guard it for a reason, you know.” I nod and say, “Exactly, Lucky. We need a plan, and a good one at that.” “Ugh, fine. We’ll make a plan then,” Aurora says dejectedly, “but, I haven’t really been a mare for plans. I have something else to take care of anyhow, so you guys get discussing a plan, I’ll be back later!” Aurora then left the hideout without another word.

“Heheh…She does that too often,” Lucky says with a slight smirk. “Every time,” Hem agrees. “Yea…Now then, on to the plan. Any ideas?” I ask. Hem shakes his head, as expected, but Lucky begins brainstorming, “Well, how many mine entrances are there?” I think about it for a moment. I recall there being three in total, one in the north, south-east, and west. Each is guarded by two guards at all times. “Three,” I reply. “Which do we try for?” Hem asks. “Good question,” Lucky says, “Perhaps we should  scout them each out, first?” I nod, “Yea, that seems like a good idea for now. Let’s see which would be the easiest to deal with. I suppose we can each take one entrance?” Both nod and we all get up to leave. As I reach the door I turn to them, “Be careful not to do anything suspicious and draw attention to yourselves. Just take a look around.”

I take the Western entrance while Hem takes the North and Lucky takes the South-East. We agree to meet up back at the hideout once our scouting is done. I trot to the west mine entrance and take a look at the surrounding area. There aren’t many buildings around it, and a lot of ponies are moving around the area. The only thing of note was a larger building that rose higher than the others. However, it has too much of an open area, and the guards will see us coming from a ways away.

It would certainly be complicated to get into the mines from this entrance. If there is something in the mines that we aren’t supposed to see, the guards will be on the lookout, for school children especially if all the adults are in on it, and the rest of the adults walking around the area certainly won’t let us just fool the guards and sneak in.

The guards themselves were clad in their usual armor and were completely stoic and unmoving. I am not sure I even saw either one blink yet. They were certainly dedicated to guarding the entrance, I’ll give them that. I turn to leave when I catch glimpse of a pony looking at me through a curtained window. But when our eyes meet they turn away and close the curtain. ‘That was odd,’ I thought, ‘well, not much else I can scout out here. I might as well return to the hideout.’ I turn my gaze from the window and begin walking back to the hideout.

As I got about half way back to the hideout, I spot Aurora going that way as well with some full saddlebags. I trot up to her and say, “What you got there?” She jumps a little at my sudden approach before saying, “Just some stuff for our…” she pauses and lowers her voice, “trip.” I’m confused for a moment before what she means sinks in. “Ah, is that what you meant by having something else to do?” I inquire. “Yes,” she responds, “I’m not a planner, I’m a doer.” She gives me a sly smile as we continue on towards the hideout.


============~+~============


Once we arrive at the hideout, both Hem and Lucky are already there. We swap greetings before I ask Aurora, “So, what’s in your bags?” She gives a wide smile as she puts them on the table and opens them, letting us see the contents. “I wasn’t sure exactly what we would need,” she says, “so I got quite a few things. Food, ropes, medical supplies, that sort of thing. We have no clue what we might find or how long we will be in the mines, so I thought it best to be prepared.” Well, I thought, she wasn’t our leader without reason. She always thinks ahead, even though she never plans anything out. Lucky lets out a whistle and says, “Good work as always, Aurora.”

“Indeed,” I agree. “Now then, how did the scouting go? Personally, my entrance had a lot of traffic and the guards looked ready for anything. I also saw something odd. A pony was looking out a window at me, but when I saw them they closed their curtain and turned away.” “That seems like a no-go, right?” Aurora asks. “Yea, that’s what I was thinking,” I reply. “What about you two?” Hem and Lucky exchange glances and Hem begins.

“North was similar. Lots of ponies, unmoving guards, and not much room to hide. It would be hard,” he says. “Eh? That one too?” Aurora sighs. “What about you, Lucky?” I ask. “Well, my entrance had the same type of guards as you both found. However, there wasn’t much traffic around it at all. While it doesn’t have much in terms of places to hide for the most part, there are a few small buildings near it we could use, if necessary,” he says. We all exchange smirks before Aurora exclaims, “That sounds like our ticket in!” She gets up and heads to the door, “Let’s go then!”

The others and I exchange questioning looks before Hem says, “We need a plan, we can’t just march in.” Lucky stands up as well, “He’s right, you know. If we go at them without a plan of action, we won’t make it far.” Aurora turns around and sits back down at the table. “Fine then,” she says with a pouty look on her face. “Let’s make a plan, I guess.” Lucky sits back down as he uses his magic to float over some paper and a pencil.

“I’ll start us off by drawing up a map of the entrance,” Lucky says as he starts scribbling on the paper. “This goes here, I think this is how this looked…” he mutters as he draws. A few moments pass till he exclaims, “And…Done!” He sets his drawing down in the middle of the table so we can all see it. “This is pretty much how it looks,” he says. Hem and I try to hide a grin, but Aurora bursts out into laughter, “Seriously? That’s your drawing? A filly could have done better!” Lucky just rolls his eyes and says, “Yea, yea, I get it. I’m not an artist…But all the basic details are there. Quiet down…”

Once Aurora manages to stifle her laughter, we continue on with the planning. “So, what do you think Lucky, could we use those small buildings to hide behind while we create a distraction?” I ask. “We should be able to, but how will we distract them? They didn’t seem to move for anything,” he replies. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll do it,” Aurora declares. “I’ll prepare a backup for when she fails,” Hem says bluntly. Lucky and I laugh slightly while Aurora puffs out her cheeks.

Once we finish laughing and everyone calms down we go over the plan in a bit more detail with Aurora stating that her distraction will be a “surprise”. When we get all the details down we decide to put our plan into action tomorrow morning. We say our goodbyes before heading home for the night.


============~+~============


The following day we are currently gathered around the small building, as per our plan. We had met up at our hideout to go over the plan one last time and then traveled here together. Aurora was just about to start whatever distraction she had planned. She looks back at us and we nod to her. She then takes a deep breath and begins to run straight to the guards screaming for help. Lucky almost falls to the ground laughing while Hem and I just roll our eyes.

“Guards, help!” Aurora cries as she runs towards them. “Someone stole my saddlebags!” She runs straight to them while continuing to shout for help and claiming someone stole her bags. “This was her brilliant plan?” Lucky asks. “Yep…Only Aurora could come up with this…” I reply. “Don’t worry. My plan is ready.” Hem says.

Aurora reaches the guards in a few moments, but they remain as passive as ever. “Hello!? Guards!?” Aurora shouts frantically, “Someone stole my saddlebags, can you like…help!?” She begins waving her hooves in front of their faces, “Hello? Anyone in there!? Things got stolen? Guards help?” After a few moments of this she stands there dumbfounded while staring daggers at them before grunting and exclaiming, “Ugh! Fine! I’ll get it back myself! Thanks a lot, guards!” She then turns and gallops back to us.

Lucky can barely contain himself while teasing her, “So, that was your brilliant distraction, eh?” Aurora puffs out her cheeks and says, “Shut it.” Hem and I smile at the scene of Lucky laughing at Aurora while she tries to make him stop. “Ok, enough playing around.” Hem says, “My turn.” He moves to leave our hiding spot when he stops and turns back towards us, “Oh, also,” he says, “This plan requires that I don’t go with you. Find something good.” He then runs out of cover towards the guards.

He covers the distance quickly and when he is close enough, he turns around and kicks one of the guards with enough force to send the guard into the other one. Hem turns to face them as they recover, their passive expressions turning to anger. I hear one of them say, “Why you little…” before Hem turns around and runs the opposite direction from us. The guards get on their hooves and begin to chase him. “Now that, is a distraction, Aurora,” Lucky says with a smirk.

Aurora turns to say something back but I speak up before she can, “Save the bickering for later, let’s get in the mine while they are away!” We dash out of cover and towards the mine entrance. Lucky gets there first, but stops and turns to us, “It’s locked,” he says. “Of course it is, they wouldn’t leave it unlocked, genius,” I say as I levitate out my lock picking tools from my bags and begin to open the lock. “What?!” Exclaims Aurora, “You can pick locks?” “Of course I can. You spend enough time reading books, and you can learn all kinds of things,” I say as I finish opening the lock. I open the door and we hurry inside before I close it quietly behind us.

> Act 4: Chapter 16 - The Mines
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As our eyes adjust to the dim light of the mines, I begin to make out some glowing green crystals providing some slight light. Other than those crystals the rest of the mine is nothing but rocky walls and some wooden supports as far as we can see. “Well, anyone else think this is somewhat lacking?” Lucky asks. “Yea, not what I was expecting,” Aurora says. “I doubt they would have anything of importance this close to the entrance. We have to explore a bit,” I reply. 

We begin walking through the mine. As we do so nothing really changes, and as the minutes go by we begin to notice something. “There is nothing here!” Aurora exclaims. ‘Well, some of us that is,’ I think to myself. “Lucky, you’ve been noticing them as well, right?” I ask. “Yea, those small holes, about half the size of a pony, all over the walls a ceiling, right?” He replies. “Hu?” Aurora says, “What holes?” She looks around and notices the holes. “Eh!?” she exclaims as she turns around to look behind us, noticing all the holes behind us. “Those have been all over!?” She asks. “Yea,” Lucky says with a chuckle.

“They are probably just air holes, though. To keep the air circulating,” I inform them. Lucky nods in agreement but Aurora is still lost in bewilderment and curiousness. We continue to walk through the mines and navigate various branches and different tunnels. We could easily get lost, but thankfully Lucky was keeping track of which paths we went down using some paper he brought along. I just hoped that given his artistic skill, we would be able to read it as we made our way out. Right as I hoped that, I had a sudden realization and stopped walking so I could vocalize my thought.

“Guys, how are we going to get out of the mines?” I ask. Aurora was first to reply with, “The way we came in of course…wait…” She seems to have realized what I did. “Oh no,” Lucky mumbles quietly. “Well, surely they’ll let us out, right?” Asks Aurora. “Think about that for a moment,” I tell her, “If they are hiding something down here, something no one in town should know about, will they just let us out?” Aurora seems at a loss for words for once. “For the first time, I hope our theory of conspiracy turns out to be wrong,” Lucky says with a wry smile.

“True,” I say. “But, we can’t focus on that now since we are here already. We might as well move on.” Lucky nods and Aurora just says, “R-right.” We walk further and further into the mines and the air holes continue to appear where ever we go. After a while, we come to what appears to be a large hole in the tunnel we are currently going down. It stretches from wall to wall and is too far to jump across. “Now that is a hole if I’ve ever seen one,” Lucky says with a whistle. “Yea, it looks like the tunnel continues across it too. Did it cave in or something?” Aurora ponders.

I look down the hole and see that the tunnels continue on down there as well. “Do you want to turn around and take another tunnel?” Asks Lucky. I think about it for a moment before saying, “No. We have already spent a lot of time wondering around down here. We should try going down and exploring deeper. Aurora, you packed some rope, right?” She looks around blankly before answering, “Yea, I think so.” She goes over to the saddlebags Lucky is carrying and searches around in them. A few seconds later, she floats out some rope and gives it to me.

“Perfect! Now then…” I look around for something to tie it to, and spot a rock that should support us as we climb down. I use my magic and begin tying the rope around the rock. Once I am sure it is completely secure I toss the other end of the rope over edge of the hole. “Alright, let’s go. One at a time, no point taking any risks, it is a ways down,” I say.

Aurora and Lucky nod their heads and Lucky starts to climb down first. In a few minutes, he is at the bottom and yells, “Ok, I’m down!” back up to us. Next, Aurora climbs down and then signals me when she is done. I begin to climb down, carefully letting the rope slide through my teeth as I use my legs to keep stability. In a few moments, I am at the bottom of what I estimate to be a 25 foot drop.

“Ok, which way now?” Aurora asks. “Good question,” I say. “Well, we have no idea where we are going. Can’t hurt to just pick one, right?” Lucky proclaims as he begins walking down the tunnel in a random direction. Aurora and I look at each other before we begin to follow him further into the mines.

After a few more hours of wondering around aimlessly, Aurora lets out a grumble as she says, “Gah, this is so boring! I was expecting discovery after discovery, but it’s all just so…so…dull.” Lucky lets out a chuckle while I say, “Yea, yea, of course Aurora. Our mistress of action and adventure has come face to face with her worst fear: Overwhelming boredom!” She rolls her eyes and says, “Seriously you two, how aren’t you bored of this already?” Lucky finishes laughing as he says, “Because, you never know what’s going to be around the next bend or down the next tunnel.”  I nod my head in agreement.

“Geez, I understand but we have been at this for hours! Just how big is this place!?” Aurora yells out. “I mean seriously, this is just getting…wait, did you two just hear something?” She begins to look around suspiciously, looking for the source of the sound she heard. “I didn’t hear anything, Aurora,” Lucky says. “You must be hearing things.” But Aurora keeps looking around, so much so that she stops moving. As a result, Lucky and I stop as well and turn to face her.

She keeps looking around and moving her ears around to catch any noise. Suddenly I hear something, almost inaudible and I can’t make out exactly what it is. Once again it is quiet for a few moments, but then I hear the sound again, this time a bit louder. I sounds like the sound two rocks make when struck together. Over the course of a few moments it gets louder and louder until I pinpoint the source of the sound. I look down and see a few cracks in the tunnel floor and as I continue to watch them I can see them growing bigger and bigger as the sounds get louder.

“Uh, guys,” I call out, “I think I know what’s causing the sounds, we need to move, right now!” They look around and see the cracks on the floor Lucky comments, “I guess this is what happened in that area we climbed down at,” before we all begin to start running from where we are standing. However, the cracks seem to cover a larger area than I thought and before we can escape their range the ground begins to crack open and fall away. Within moments the ground beneath our hooves crumbles away and we begin to fall helplessly.

I can hear Aurora and Lucky’s screams mixed in with my own as I decent into the newly opened hole. My fall doesn’t last long, however, as I quickly hit the ground and pain shoots through my body. Immediately after my impact more rocks fall and hit me as I attempt to recover. My vision starts to blur but I fight to find Aurora and Lucky through the cloud of dust the collapse caused, “Aurora! Lucky!” I call out, but hear nothing in return. I cough as I breathe in the dust while I attempt to call out again.

Before I am able to call any further the dust clear enough so that I can barely make out Lucky and Aurora, laying a few feet away from me, partial covered in rock. I attempt to shout their names, but a sudden pain shoots through my head and my vison goes blurry once more. I try to move my body but it refuses to move as I want it. ‘No, this isn’t good,’ I think to myself. ‘I need to get up and make sure they are alright.’ Despite thinking this, I am unable to will my body to move and I feel my eyelids growing heavy.

Moments before I lose consciousness I see something moving in the darkness. ‘Aurora? Lucky?’ I guess. However as the seconds go by I notice something off. Whatever it is has two blue, glowing eyes. It moves closer, inch by inch, until I can make out that it has fangs. “W-what are…” is all I can manage to say before I pass out.


============~+~============


Darkness. Everything around me is darkness. It is quiet, almost disturbingly so. I try to move, but am unable to do so. I open my mouth to speak but no sound comes out despite my yelling. Suddenly two blue orbs appear in the darkness. At first they don’t move they just float in the darkness, but after a few moments they start getting bigger and bigger and glowing brighter and brighter. In seconds they are almost upon me and I realize that they are eyes before their glow illuminates the sharp fangs below them. It parts its fangs and jumps at me.

With a start, I wake up breathing heavily. I look around me for the monster I had just seen, only to take in the sight of a hospital room. I look at myself and realize I am laying in a patient’s bed. ‘How did I get here?’ I wonder. I calm down and lay back in the bed, attempting to recall what led up to me being here, when the door opens and the doctor walks in.

“Va, it vould seem zat you are finzally avake. I hope zat all is vell?” He says. “Yea, I think I’m feeling ok. How did I get here, by the way?” I ask him. “Vell, zat is a most curious question, yes, yes. Apparentzy zey vound you in ze mines, trapped under ze rocky valls after ze floor collapsed,” he informs me. “What about my friends? Are they alright?” I ask, hopefully. “Vut of course! Zey are in anozer room, vut pervectzy vine!” he assures me. “Vut I must tell you zat you are very lucky. Ze mines are closed vor zis very veason. Zey are vorribally, vorribally unstable and zey are prone to collapse. Zat is vhy ve   close zem off! Zou and your vriends are very lucky to ‘ave survived!” He gives me a concerned look. “Vell, I must be off, ozer patients to attend to.” He turns to leave the room, but looks back at me and says, “Take care, Veld Grau.”

Without another word he leaves the room, leaving me alone with my own thoughts. ‘Thank goodness they are alright,’ I think as I relax in my bed. Now that I am alone, I begin to assess my situation. I move my body and make sure everything is working properly. ‘Good, nothing appears to be broken,’ I discover. However, my body is pretty sore and I can definitely tell I have a lot of cuts and bruises. I shouldn’t be here for too long.

A few hours go by and my door opens once again showing Hem who says, “Hey Feld, you look like you’re ok.” I wave my hoof at him as I ask, “Hey Hem, good to see you. How did your distraction turn out?” He chuckles a bit as he says, “I managed to lose them in the city and I think they gave up and returned to the mine entrance.” I give him a smile as I say, “Well, it is a good thing you didn’t get into any trouble, since we ended up not finding anything. By the way, have you seen the others yet?”

Hem shook his head and says, “Yea, they were fine. Aurora was upset with the lack of discovery.” I laugh. “Yea, that sounds just like her,” I say. We both share a laugh before Hem asks, “So, what’s next?” I shake my head, “I don’t know. I don’t think we should try going into the mines again, I mean, we almost died. The whole time in there, we never saw one indication anything. It might be a good idea to calm things down a bit and lay low.” Hem nods his head. “Sounds ok to me,” he says. “I’ll tell the others.” He turns and goes to leave the room while saying, “Get well soon.”

Like I told Hem, laying low is a good idea. If there is truly something going on, we just exposed ourselves to those that we are trying to shine light on. We have entered dangerous territory. Besides, we are all getting to the age where we need to find our calling in life and start earning a living. I begin to think about the various things I could try out, things that I would be good at. I used to think becoming a historian would be great for me, however, since this town seems to lack of historical knowledge I don’t think that would be an option for me anymore.

While deep in thought the door opens and the doctor walks in again. “Vell, ‘ello again Veld. I vas vondering how you vere doing?” He asks. “Fine doctor. I checked myself over a bit and nothing seems too serious,” I tell him. “Very good, yes, yes. Vell, I zhink you should ve able to leave ‘ere in a vew days,” he informs me with a smile. “That’s good, I need to start looking into working. How about the others? When will they get out?” I ask.  The doctor thinks for a minute then says, “Ze mare, Aurora? Zhe vill be out in about a veek or zo. Zhe had zome vractured vones, nothing too zerious. Vut your ozer friend…” he pauses, “Vell, he has veen zent home already. Lucky vas his name, and he vas lucky indeed. Varely any vounds. A strong vone, he is.”

I sigh with relief. Lucky had always been one to get himself out of risky situations. I notice that the doctor is still focusing his attention on me. “You know, Veld, if you are interested, ve could ‘ave you vork here. Zhings ‘ave been busier as of late and ve could use zhe help,” he offers. I raise my eyebrow at his offer, “Why ask me? I don’t have any training in healing,” I ask him. The doctor gives a slight chuckle and then says, “I know zhat you ‘ave a special ability, zhe ability to learn all kinds of zhings. I ‘ave a feeling you vill pick zhings up quick. Vesides, ve vill start you off vorking reception and helping as need ve. Nothing zhat vill ‘ave zhe potential to harm anyvone. Vell, vhat do you zay?”

I think about it for a few moments. It certainly does sound interesting. Working to heal ponies is always a much needed profession. No matter how things change in the world, this will always be true. It might also provide me with some challenge, given that my previous hobby is now non-existent. “You do not ‘ave to answer immediately, you can let us know vonce you feel vetter,” the doctor tells me. “No, no! That’s fine, I’ll accept your offer. When can I start to help out?” I ask. “Vell, you vill need to get vell, first of all. Ve can’t ‘ave you unvell as you try to help ozers, now can ve?” He says with a smile. I nod my head in confirmation. “Vell, I must take my leave now. Vut, get vell soon,” he says as he walks out of the room.

I lay back into my bed and focus on relaxing. The sooner I can get better, the sooner I will be able to start working and preoccupy myself with other things. Of course, I won’t forget about the goal of the Society of Slumber. We have reached a dead end, but that doesn’t mean we are wrong. We just have to lay low until we find something else to go on. And, if working will raise our reputation while we wait, there isn’t anything wrong with that. Though, I’m sure Aurora won’t be too happy about us sitting around waiting for something to happen. I continue to think about such things until I fall into deep slumber.
> Act 4: Chapter 17 - Doctoral Duties
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week had gone by and I was completely healed. I began working for the doctor, whose name I found out to be Arzt. For the most part, I was just working in the reception area, checking in ponies as they came in, recording their problems and then charging them the cost of their treatment. At first, things were pretty slow. Our town didn’t have a record of illness or injury. However, as the days went by things got a bit busier. Nothing too extreme, though. Dr. Arzt says it was probably just a sickness going around and would pass soon enough.

He was correct, and the amount of patients we had went back down to a more manageable number. After a few days working reception only, Dr. Arzt came over to me and says, “Veld, ‘ow vould you like to vatch me vork?” I immediately respond with, “Of course!” He gives me a smile and says, “Very good, vell, let us meet our next patient, shall ve?” He motions with a hoof and we go into the room he uses to examine patients. Inside the room is a classmate of mine, Checker. Dr. Arzt addresses him, “Hello, Checker, right?” he asks. Checker nods. “Vould you mind if Veld vatches me vork? He must learn the trade, after all,” Dr. Arzt says. Checker looks at me, before telling the doctor, “Sure, I don’t mind.”

Dr. Arzt begins his examination, starting by asking Checker about his symptoms, how long he has had this problem, and how he feels, the usual kind of things. Checker replies with, “Just a cough,”, “About a week,”, and “Mostly ok, but sometimes it gets excessive.” Dr. Arzt nods as Checker talks and takes notes on a piece of paper. Once Checker is done Dr. Arzt pulls out a stethoscope and puts it to Checker’s chest and tells him to breathe. Checker breathes a few times and the doctor takes the stethoscope away, jotting down more notes.

He then turns to me, “You zee Veld, first you must ask about zymptoms and how ze patient is. Get all ze information zhey know and zhen you are able to more adequately assist zhem. Now, Checker here zaid they ze vas ‘aving a persistent cough. As zuch, his lungs must ‘ave zhe problem. Zhus, I listen to ‘is breathing with ze stethoscope. ‘Ere, ‘ave a listen.” He gives the stethoscope to me and allows me to listen as Checker breathes, as he does so I hear a raspy noise. “You ‘ear ze zounds?” Dr. Arzt asks. I nod my head. “Zhat is zhe zound of minor fluid in zhe lungs.”

Checker gave a worried look which Dr. Arzt immediately dispelled by saying, “Nothing to vorry about, it is very common and easily treatable.” Checker breathes a sigh of relief. “Now zhen, I can give you zome medicine and also boost zhe effects using my magic. You zhould ve felling vetter in a few days, assuming you take zhe medicine regularly,” Dr. Arzt tells him as he begins channeling some magic and touches his horn to Checker’s chest. “Zhere, you zhould ve good to go now,” Dr. Arzt walks over to a cabinet and gets some medicine for Checkers, before giving it to him. “Now, if zhe problem doesn’t go avay after a few days, come again,” he tells Checker.

“Thanks Doctor,” Checker says and he gets up and leaves the examination room. “Vell?” Dr. Arzt asks me, “Vhat do you think?” I think for a moment before I answer, “I think I have a lot to learn.” He gives a chuckle and says, “Yes, most of zhe knowledge is gained through experience. You vill learn it quickly, though. Now zhen, shall ve call in our next patient?” I nod and he calls the next patient in.

Over the course of the day we spend our time looking at patients. The doctor examines them first, going through the same procedure as usual. After checking over their symptoms himself, the doctor allows me to examine them so I know what was going on for the particular issue the patient was suffering from. Most of the ponies have the same illnesses; coughing, runny noses, that sort of thing. Nothing too complicated. It was in this fashion that we pass the next few weeks.


============~+~============


When I wasn’t at school or working with the doctor, I was spending it with the Society of Slumber. Not much changed from our usual routines. With no clear plan we just sit in our hideout and mess around. The others had gotten jobs as well, so there is often someone missing from our table. Aurora is working for a baker, Hem is working for a carpenter, and Lucky is working for a banker. Despite our jobs, we are still focused on our goal of finding the truth behind this town.

At first, Aurora was the most against our plan to settle down and get jobs. However, she soon grew fond of her job in the bakery and eventually got her cutie mark, which is a loaf of bread, broken in half. Hem and Lucky had also gotten their marks. Hem has two pieces of wood while Lucky has a few Bits as his. However, I have yet to get mine, which made sense since I felt my true calling lies with history, not healing. Once I come of age and get the money to leave this town, I plan to, in search of somewhere I can truly study history to its fullest.

But for now, we are all just sitting around in the hideout. “So, anything new?” Aurora asks. We all shake our heads. “Nothing? No leads of any sort?” She asks again. “No, Aurora. Like every other day you ask us, nothing new,” Lucky says. “Why do we even meet then!?” Aurora shouts. “Because spending time together is what friends do, right?” Hem says. Aurora puffs out her cheeks as she says, “I guess. But it just seems like we should actually be doing something.” I nod, “I know the feeling, but we can’t do anything if we don’t know about anything,” I tell her.

While I do plan to leave this town someday, I also want to attempt to uncover what I can about its truth. However, those in positions of power in the town aren’t exactly looking on us with good intentions. It will take time to gain their trust again and start uncovering what actually happens here. It will be a slow and arduous process, but we can do it, I know we can do it.

“Well, it is about time for me to head out,” Lucky says. “Duty calls, and all that.” He gets up from the table and heads to the door. “Have a good day at work,” Hem tells him. We all wave as he steps outside and starts heading to his job at the bank. “I should probably be going as well,” I tell Hem and Aurora. They both nod and Aurora says, “Catch you later. Find something out for us to do, will ya?” I laugh slightly and reply with, “I’ll see what I can do,” as I step out the door.


============~+~============


Back in the doctor’s office I am greeted with an overwhelming swarm of patients. Dr. Arzt quickly notices me and motions me over to him and says, “Veld! Good, good! As you can zee, ve are very busy. A little too busy, if you ask me. Vhat I need you to do is use zhe zecondary examination room and ‘elp patients alone. In zhe event you do not know vhat to do, just come and zee me. Ve vill ‘ave to give our all to zee through today! Oh, make zure zhat you take notes vhen you examine zhem.” With that he walks away and calls for another patient.

I stand around for a few moments to realize what just happened. The doctor had given me permission to examine and help patients on my own, without his supervision. I take a breath and call a patient to the secondary examination room. She come in and I begin the examination. She lists off their symptoms and discuss what she knows with me. I then examine her myself to see what the issue is. It appears as though she had some sort of allergic reaction on their leg and it has broken out into a rash, nothing too major.

I gave her some medicine that would make the rash go away and sent her off. I call in the next patient and examine them as well, then the next, and the next. At first I am a little nervous working by myself and it causes me to take a while with each examination. But as I work I gain confidence in my abilities I begin to get things done faster and faster. However, there were still some things I didn’t know and I have to go ask Dr. Arzt a few times, but for the most part I handle myself fairly well, I think.

The day goes by and the patients slowly dwindle. We are about to close up for the night when one last patient frantically walks through the door. He is coughing profusely and seems to be unbalanced on his hooves. As he enters he calls out, “Doctor, help!” before he falls over and scrambles to get up. The doctor runs out and looks at the buck for a second, before quickly saying, “Veld, bring ‘im into zhe room!” I move to help the buck into the examination room while Dr. Arzt heads there before us.

As I enter the room with the patient I see Dr. Arzt preparing some things on the counter and once I lay the patient down on the bed the doctor comes over to him. “I need you to calm down and tell me about your zymptoms,” he says with a stern look. The patient coughs a bit before responding, “I can’t stop coughing and my body isn’t responding properly.” The doctor nods and asks further, “Do you ‘ave any pain anyvhere?” The patient struggles to reply while coughing with, “Yes, in my chest and abdomen.” The doctor remains silent for a moment before he calls to me, “Veld! Provide zome anezthetic, put ‘im into a zleep! Zir, you vill ve alright, you vill just ve out for a little vit.” I do as the doctor instructs and use my magic to put the patient to sleep using the anesthetic spell he taught me.

“Good, good,” the doctor says. “Now zhen…” he moves over to the counter again. He takes a syringe from it and returns to the patient’s side. “Veld, vhen I zaw ‘im enter, I immediately figured vhat vas vrong. I ‘ave only zeen zhis vefore a few times.It is a rare illness. ‘E vill need zleep and zhis medicine zhat I vill inject into ‘im. If left untreated, ‘e vill zoon ve unavle to vreathe and zuffocate to death.” After saying that he looks at me curiously for a moment before asking, “Veld, vould you like to do zhe ‘onors? You ‘aven’t used zhe syringe yet, ‘ave you?”

I look at him for a moment before nodding and taking the syringe from him. “Now, you must find ze vein,” he instructs me. “Zhere you go, now, put it inside of ‘im” I place the point of the syringe on his skin and push it gently into him. “Good, good. Now, inject zhe medicine into ‘im.” I push down on the syringe and the medicine begins to flow into the patient. “Good, now pull it out and give me zhe syringe.” I take it out and give the syringe back to Dr. Arzt. “You did vell, for your first time, Veld.”

He returns the empty syringe to the counter and turns towards me. “Veld, I vill ve ‘ere vith ‘im vhile ‘e zleeps. You go ‘ome and get zome rest. You did vell today, very vell,” the doctor compliments me. “Thanks Dr. Arzt, I did what I could. We had a lot of patients today,” I say. He nods. “Yes, ve did,” he says. “Mostly kids my age, too,” I tell him. “Vell, voth zhe young and zhe old are zhe most prone to illness, you know,” he informs me. “True,” I say as I head towards to door, “I’ll see you tomorrow, doctor.”

With that I leave the hospital and head home for the night. Since the doctor lives in the hospital, in his own private wing of it, he would be able to monitor the patient as he slept, and should the doctor grow weary himself, he could always turn in to his own bed, and still be within earshot of the patient, should something go wrong.


============~+~============


The following morning, I wake up and prepare to go to school like usual. However, as I begin to groom myself I notice something different. On my flank I have a symbol that wasn’t there before. It is a syringe with a black drop of liquid falling from it. Behind the syringe is a red biohazard symbol contrasting my green coat. I look at it with mixed feeling, part of me is happy to have gotten my cutie mark, but the part is unhappy that it doesn’t have to do with history.

‘Does this mean that my true destiny lies in medicine, not in history?’ I ask myself. But why now after so long working for the doctor, I wonder. It had been weeks and I hadn’t gotten my mark yet, until today, that is. Could it have been because of helping that patient last night? Perhaps it wasn’t my destiny to help heal random ailments, but instead sicknesses that were life-threatening? I continue to think of reasons for me to get this cutie mark, and why I got it now of all times while I get ready for school.

Even at school, however, I cannot shake my mind from it. My classmates notice it and congratulate me saying that they knew I would do great things, and helping ponies with medical issues was among the greatest of things anyone could do. But I just didn’t sit well with me. My whole life I studied history and the Great Tragedies, nothing about medicine or healing. Yet I get this cutie mark. As school drags on, I find that I cannot pay attention to any of the lectures and soon school comes to an end.

I go immediately to work, hoping to take my mind off of this for a while. When I arrive, I am greeted with a wall of patients, almost double what we had yesterday. Dr. Arzt quickly ushers me inside and tells me that we will be doing the same thing as yesterday. I waste no time in beginning to examine the patients, and it helps to take my mind from the issue of my cutie mark.

As the day goes by I help more and more patients and soon the crowd dwindles, but there are still quite a few remaining. Since things have slowed down a bit, my mind begins to wonder to other things. It doesn’t go back to thinking about my cutie mark, but instead is focused on work related things. While it wonders I begin to recall my patients, a great number of which were all classmates of mine. When I realize this, I think back to school today. Even though I was barely paying attention, I remember that there were quite a few students missing today.

‘There must be something going around,’ I think to myself as I call in my next patient, who walks in the room. It is another classmate of mine. They greet me, and I them. I go through the normal routine of asking them questions and then examining them. They don’t have anything too serious and I give them the medicine they require before sending them on their way. I call for the next patient, but no one enters. I decide to walk out into the waiting room.

I see that the waiting room is empty and that the sun is going down. We had worked straight though the day and it was nearly time for us to close up. I decide to check on the doctor and enter the primary examination room. As I enter, I see the doctor with a patient. The doctor looks up and greets me, “Ah, Veld. I take it zhat zhis lovely mare is our last patient for today?” He smiles at the mare he is examining and she smiles back at him.

I nod as I say, “Yea, it seems we worked straight through the day.” He gave a worried look and says, “Yes, it vould zeem zhat something is going around. Ve are getting very busy as of late.” He continues to examine the mare for a few moments before he gets up and goes to the cabinet. He searches around in it for a moment before he turns away and looks at me, “It vould appear zhat I am out of Aloe Vera. Veld, vould you mind getting zome from my main zupply? Ah, vut vait! You ‘aven’t zeen it vefore, ‘ave you? Vell, go down zhe ‘all and enter my personal abode. Vhen inside, you vill turn to zhe right and valk down another hall and zhen zhere vill be a door on your left. It vill be in zhere.” I nod and head out the door and into the hallway.

A few minutes later, I arrive in Dr. Arzt’s personal home. I take a right and walk down the hall, like he said, and find the door on my left. I enter the room, which is filled with large containers of various medicines and herbs. I search for the one labeled “Aloe Vera” and grab some. I exit the room and turn to go back the way I came, but stop as I hear something.

I perk up my ears and listen for a moment. I hear it again, some sort of low whine. I turn around and head past the door I just exited, going further down the hall. As I get further down the hall, the sound gets louder. I am soon able to make out the low whine as a groaning of sorts. I continue walking until I come to a door that the groaning appears to be coming from.

I hesitate for a moment, but push open the door and the groaning gets louder. The room is pitch black so I illuminate my horn. Upon doing so, I immediately drop the Aloe I had been carrying in shock and stumble backwards. I look around the room, my eye widening and my mouth opens. A shiver goes down my spine as I take in the sight before me and I begin to tremble.

The room is filled with metal cages and chains and inside the cages and ponies. Some of who I recognize, others I do not. However, each one I recognize is a classmate of mine, and as a whole, they all appear to be my age. They are all chained up inside the cages, some are asleep, others moaning, and some staring blanking into the darkness. As I look closer, I notice that some appear to be suffering from some illnesses I know about and some have grotesque looking tumors covering their bodies. The floor, cages and chains are all stained with blood in various spots.

I take a hesitant step forward, walking deeper into the room. In total, I count around thirty cages, but only twenty-seven are occupied. However, every cage appears to have been used at some point. My breath becomes heavier as it take in the grisly scene before me. ‘What is this?’ I ask myself. ‘Did the doctor do this? He couldn’t have! But…’ As my mind races my eyes fall upon a pony I recognize, it is the last patient we treated yesterday.

I walk over to his cage and look at him. He is in better shape than the rest, but I can tell he is still suffering. He notices me and looks in my direction. For a moment, I see the life returning to his eyes and he opens his mouth to speak, but takes a sharp breath as his eyes grow wide. He starts to frantically yell, “NO NO NO NO NO!” all the while trying to get as far back in his cage as he can, away from me. “Wait! I’m not here to hurt you!” I attempt to assure him. “Let me hel—,“ I feel a sharp pain in the back of my skull and my body loses its strength as the world around me fades into darkness.
> Act 4: Chapter 18 - Plague of Change
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wake up in a dimly lit room that smells of iron and around me I hear sobbing and whining. My head is pounding and my mouth feels dry, but I look around for any indication of where I am. When I realize where I am my stomach sinks. I look more closely at myself and notice chains around my legs and that I am sitting in a cage. As a feeling of dread washes over me, I hear hoof steps approaching.

“Vell, Vell, Vell. It vould appear as though you are avake, Veld,” A familiar voice says with a chuckle. “It is a pity zhat you just had to znoope into our affairs. And after I defended you and your friends vhen you vent on your ezcapade into zhe mines. Vell, I do zuppose zhat you vere alvays a zmart vone. Though, I do zuppose zhat I am partially to blame for your finding out. After all, I didn’t give zhese ponies any anezteztic. Vut, you can’t very vell blame me, can you? Who vould vaste zhe precious resources on mere experiments? Zhey are vut vermine vhat vill eventually die.” He looks at me pitifully for a moment.

“Ah but you are probably vondering vhat is going on. Vell, Veld, you vere right, you are your little…Society of Slumber club? ‘Zhe conzpirazy! Oh no, ve ‘ave all ‘ad dreams, there must ve zomething going on.’ Vell right you vere! Vut, mere children couldn’t have found that out, no, no. Ve are too careful, vhich is vhy you are ‘ere now, Veld. Anyvone who find out about us must ve taken care of.” I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out.

“Ah, you vish to zpeak! I guess your mouth must ve quite dry, ‘ere, ‘ere, drink zhis vater,” he says as he pour some water into a bowl inside the cage. “Vhile it vould be a vaste to use zhe medicine on you, food and vater are very important. After all, ve vant you alive as long as possible.” I drank the water and tried to speak again. “W-what are you doing this for?” I ask him in a raspy voice.

“You know Veld, I don’t usually zhare information vith zhose who vill die zoon. Vut, for you I vill make an exception. After all, ve vorked together! You zee Veld, my Queen, zhe most beautiful and powerful being in zhis vorld, vished to find zhe veaknesses of you ponies. For years, our kind ‘as veen forced into ‘iding, vut no more! My Queen declare zhat ve vould rule zhis vorld and all in it. Vut first, ve ‘ad to plan, ve ‘ad to rezearch! For you zee, ve ‘ave veen avay for too long, ve ‘ave grown ignorant of zhe pony vays.” His mouth grew into a large smile as he continued to talk.

“My Queen ‘ad zhe most brilliant of ideas! Ve vould create a city, ‘ide in plain zight, and take zhe unsuspecting from zhere ‘omes and bring zhem ‘ere to our veautiful fake city vuilt atop our true ‘ome.” He pauses for a moment, giving me time to ask, “The mines, you mean?” He lets out a laugh, “Very good Veld, very good. I vould expect nothing less from you. Yes, zhe mines are our true ‘ome. Deep, deep down in zhe mines, deeper zhan you vould ever ‘ave gotten. Zhat is zhere our colony lies, avay from zhe prying eyes of zhe vorld.”

“What are you?” I ask. He laughs once more, saying, “Ve are zhe zhings zhat you ponies ‘ave tried to eradicate from zhe face of zhe vorld many, many times. Ve are zhe zhings zhat your legends tell of vhen zhey mention zhe zhapeshifting creatures zhat pray on zhe unsuspecting. Ve are vhat you pony folk call, zhe Changelings. Zhe veings zhat can transform into anything, zo long as ve ‘ave zeen it.” He smiles proudly after stating this.

“Then, the dreams…we were right?” I ask. “Vell, almost. Ze dreams vere not dreams. Zhey vere reality zhat ve vanted you to forget. Vut you ponies are persistent and managed to remember,” he says. “Then…my parents…all of our parents…” he cuts me off, “Yes! Zhat is correct, dead, long, long ago! Killed so zhat ve could take you foals to our city. Of course, ve ‘ad to replace your parents vith our own soldiers. Zhey just ‘ad to change zhere zhape and zuck the vlood of your parents to gain zhere memories and know zhere personalities, and you children ‘ave no idea of zhe change that took place.” He laughs once more.

“But why?” I shout at him, “Why go that far?” His smile disappears, “I ‘ave told you zhat already. Ve needed to research, to know our enemy. Vut zhis? Zhe experiments? Zhey vere all my idea! My Queen put me in charge of finding a vay for us to combat zhe ponies. You zee, zhe ponies outnumber us vy quite a lot. Ve needed a vay to kill as many as ve could, and I suggested ve find out vhat diseases vork the vest on zhem!”

“But, surely someone noticed, right? All these ponies locked up with me, missing?” I ask. “Oh Veld, you still ‘aven’t figured it out? All of zhe children in zhis city, are ponies. All of zhere parents, are Changelings. Zhere are no adult ponies in zhis town, aside from zhe few individuals who found us and moved here zhemselves. Of course, zhey vere zwiftly removed. And zhe best part? Zhen ve take a child for testing, ve ‘ave zhere parents pretend to move avay. Nothing suspicious zhen, right? No vone truly disappeared. You replacement parents vill ve moving today as vell.”

“So you replace our parents, move us here, and then have our parents move away once you capture us, and then you experiment on us? You monsters!” I scream at him. Dr. Arzt just smiles broadly and says, “Not just zhen, Veld. Ve experiment on zhem for zhe entire time zhey are ‘ere. Even you ‘elped me out vith zhe experiments!” He declares. “What? I did no such thing, all I did was help ponies!” I retort. “Oh Veld, you zhink zhat you vere ‘elping zhem? Zhe medicine zhat you gave zhem vas laced vith new diseases. It vould cure zheir current illness vhile giving zhem a new vone!” He broke out into laughter once again.

“I…But I…” I was speechless, unable to think of anything else to say to the monster before me. “Oh no, did I break you Veld? Come, come! Ask anozer question!” he says playfully. I look at him and say, “What are you going to do to me now?” His smile disappears, “Veld, zhat question is no fun. Vut, zince you asked, I vill tell. I vill keep you ‘ere, fed, ‘ydrated, and diseased. You vill ve my newest Guiana Pig. I do ‘ope zhat you vill last longer zhan zhe other vones. Vesides, I do enjoy our little chats.”

He laughs once more as I slide against my cage as my anger dwindles into hopelessness. As he continues to laugh, a door opens and more hoof steps approach, careful, measured hoof steps. “Now, now doctor,” I sweet sounding voice calls out. “Don’t torture the poor thing with your babbling. You might kill it with boredom, then where will you be? Back digging tunnels, if you’re not careful.” Dr. Arzt’s laughter stops when he hears the voice. A few moments later, I see the figure the voice belongs to.

A black figure with blue insect-like wings, sharp fangs, a teal mane that reaches down to half the height of her neck, holes in her limbs, a long horn, and a crown upon her head. The doctor takes a step back and bows to the figure as he says, “My Queen! I did not expect you ‘ere, I vould ‘ave cleaned up a vit ‘ad I—“ The Queen cuts him off with a wave of her hoof, “I heard you ran into an issue up here. I came to see to it personally. I take it this creature is the issue?” She asks. The doctor nods his head.

“Hello there, creature. What is your name?” She asks. “Feld,” I reply. “Feld,” she says, “I am glad that we could add you to the ranks of our experiments. I am Queen Lavari, Queen of the Changelings, a title which I inherited from my mother, when I devoured her and a title one of my daughters will inherit when she devours me. But, that is some time off, I’m nowhere near as weak as my mother was, which is why I will conquer this world. When your kind is enslaved beneath my hoof, I will make sure that your name is remembered, along with all others who aided in our victory.”

“What? I’ll never aid you monsters!” I yell at her. “Vhy you insolent—,” the doctor begins, but Queen Lavari cuts him off, “Oh but you already have! And you will continue to do so, as the doctor here continues to experiment on you and find out just how to exterminate your kind. So, I have an order for you. While I am not your queen, and you owe me no allegiance, I ask that you follow it. I order you to live as long as you can, suffer countless diseases and help my doctor find how to best kill your kind.” She laughs slightly as she begins to walk away towards the door she came from.

As she reaches the door, she turns towards the doctor with some parting words, “Remember doctor, I expect results. If you fail me, I will force you into the tunnels myself where you will dig for the rest of your life.” The doctor winces and Queen Lavari exits the room. The doctor then turns to me and says, “Vell Veld, you ‘eard zhe Queen. Ve ‘ave vork to do, you and me.” He begins to laugh once more as he lifts up a tray filled with syringes. “Don’t vorry Veld, zhe zhot vill not ‘urt. It is zhe disease zhat vill cause zhe pain.”


============~+~============


For the next few weeks, the doctor talks with me while injecting me with various diseases. He starts with simple sicknesses like the common cold and I deal with coughing, snot, and a fever for a majority of the time. At one point, I am puking off and on for about a week straight. During this period I am severely dehydrated and the doctor hooks me into some IVs to prevent me from dying from it. “Now, now, Veld, ve can’t ‘ave you dying now can ve?” he says with a smirk.

By this point I stop talking to him at all and only stare daggers at him. However, this doesn’t dissuade him from talking to me, nor from acting as though I am talking to him. He makes up entire conversations doing this and it is like hearing half of a conversation. I am honestly not sure if he is doing it to mess with me or if he is actually insane at this point. “So Veld, ‘ow are you feeling?” He asks. After a few moments he laughs and says, “Vell, zhat is too bad! Ve vill ‘ave to fix zhat.”

He injects me with another syringe and says, “Zhis vill cure you current illnesses. Vut, cause zome new vones!” He jots down some notes and says, “Vell, zhat is all for you today, Veld. Vut, I cannot vait for our next conversation.” He then moves to another pony and begins prodding them and seeing how their illnesses have progressed. They scream and cower in fear, but the doctor doesn’t say much to them. In fact, he treats them almost as though they aren’t alive.

This process continues for a few days as my symptoms disappear and new ones show up. This time I get irritating rashes all over my body. The more I move, the more it hurts. I try to sleep as much as possible, and when I’m awake I don’t move much. However, the doctor seems to take some sick joy in poking and prodding me to see how I react. After a few days of this sickness he injects me with something else. “Just zome cure zhis time, Veld. Ve vant you to ve perfectly ‘ealthy for zhe next part. Vut, I vill of course keep zhe zedatives going to prevent you using your magic.”

The rash begins to go away and I start to gain my strength back. But, like the doctor said, he keeps giving me sedatives to prevent my magic use. Once I get my normal health back the doctor grins broadly at me as he says, “Looks like it is time! Veld, I have vaited so long for zhis day. Zhese other zhings veren’t vorthly of zhis experiment. Vut, I felt as zhough you deserved a break.” He injects me with another syringe and continues to explain, “Zhis is a veak shot of adrenaline. It vill prevent you from zleeping and you vill be vide avake. You zee, zhis experiment is to zee zhe prolonged effects of zleep deprevation on your kind. I vill ve keeping an eye on you very closely to make zure you don’t zleep.”

He turns as though he is walking away, but turns back towards me, “No Veld, you need not vorry. If you are in any danger I vill of course ensure you live. Ve don’t vant you to kill over, do ve?” He turns once again and walks across the room to where a chair is at. He grabs the chair and drags it across the room towards me while he says, “I know vhat you are thinking. Vhy do I not just use my magic? Vell, it is less dramatic zhat vay, and I do enjoy zhe dramatic.” He continues dragging the chair, causing loud screeching noises causing me and the other ponies to cringe and try to cover our ears.

Finally, he gets the chair in front of my cage and sits upon it. He begins to talk to me but I tune most of it out. Most of what he is saying has to do with the experiments he has been doing on all of us down here. Basically just listing off all his notes he has taken. At one point my mind fades back into the conversation he is having, “…vut you know, I vill try to keep you company as long as I can. You zee, I like to ve a ‘ands on kind of doctor. Zhat is vhy…” he pulls out a syringe and stabs it into himself before injecting it into himself, “…zome adrenaline for me as vell.”

After he does this he continues to talk about his experiments. The hours go by and he gives me another shot of adrenaline, as well as himself. This process continues for about a day. He has just been talking to me the whole time, rarely moving from his chair. At this point however, he announces, “Vhat? No, don’t vorry Veld! I ‘ave done zhis many times. I do zhis often to myself to pull all-nighters. I’ve ‘ave ztayed up many nights just like zhis.” He continues to talk about the various nights he has spent using adrenaline to conduct various prolonged experiments and other various things till I decide to tune him out and stare at the wall.

A few days pass and my body has been shaking uncontrollably for quite some time. I also lost track of time and began to think I saw things that didn’t actually exist. Each time I experienced something new the doctor would exclaim and write down some more notes. However I soon begin to not do anything and just stare at the walls due to severe lack of cognitive ability. After a few days of this, with no new discoveries the doctor decides to end the experiment. He injects me with a sedative and I drift into a much needed slumber.


============~+~============


I sleep for a few day straight and the doctor, surprisingly lets me. He says he wanted to let me recover to my fullest before the next batch of experiments. However, once I am awake he starts immediately. Over the course of the next few months I am injected with various diseases and illnesses. Some I knew nothing about and others I had experience with.  While sometimes it was better not knowing what would happen because of them, other times I was thankful I knew how to deal with them and make them not as intense.

The doctor usually injects me without telling me exactly what it is, but this time it was different. As he injects me he says, “Veld, zhis is a very zpecial disease. Vone zhat I think only you vill appreciate. It vas very ‘ard to get zo I don’t vant to vaste it on zhe others...” he looks towards them spitefully before turning back to me, “Zhis is particular disease is a major part of your favorite zubjects. Zhe disease which zpread across zhe vorld and killed countless! Zhe vone and only Plague!”

My eyes grow wide and I break my long period of silence as I yell at him, “Are you insane!? Do you know what that will do?” He laughs and says, “To ve ‘onest, no. Vhich is vhy ve are testing it out! I do know zhat it kills very quickly, zo I vill be vatching you closely so zhat I might administer zhe cure if zhings get too bad. Ve don’t vant you to die, do ve?” I stare at him as I say, “Do you at least know how it spreads? What if this gets out, do you have enough to cure everyone!?

He waves a hoof, “Of course I know zhat. Vhich is zhy I vill limit exposure to just zhe two of us. I ‘ave just enough to cure us both.” He gives a broad smile as he walks away to conduct other experiments. “You bastard!” I call after him. “This is too much, even for you!” I stare into the darkness where he disappeared, but nothing moves, he doesn’t even say anything back. “So, he doesn’t know what it does…” I think aloud.

A thought then strikes me. Up until now, he had been able to keep me alive by preventing my death as he knew how to administer aid before things got too bad. Now, however it was only I who knew when the critical conditions set in. For a while, I had been hopeful that I might somehow escape, but as time drew on and the experiments got worse and worse, I lost all hope. The latest batches of tests he has been administering have been especially painful and I have begun to wish for him to slip up and kill me. But he won’t, not as long as he can help it.

This is my chance, however. He has no clue what he is doing and I can use that to my advantage. I just wish I didn’t have to use The Plague to do it. I won’t tell him anything, I’ll let myself fall into the critical stage, where death is one hundred percent and the cure cannot stop it. I had sometimes warned him if I was slipping into death, I was first imprisoned here. But, I was hopeful for escape now. Now, I wished for death, an end to this torture, and a way to scorn them. They want to keep me alive for their experiments? Well, I’ll stop that here and now in just a few days.

As I prepare myself for The Plague’s symptoms, I think back to my time in the Society of Slumber. I wonder what Aurora, Lucky, and Hem were doing now. I hope that they would find a way to expose what was going on and not get caught up in this mess like I have been. I’ll not see that day, however. Perhaps it was never meant to be. But, the least I can do is think back to all the fun times the four of us had. While I remember all of the fun we had together to slowly drift into sleep.


============~+~============


When I woke up, the first symptom had shown itself. I was coughing, like a less serious illness. The trick The Plague plays, attempting to make you think nothing serious is happening while it slowly takes over your body. It only takes a day to spread throughout your body and then paralyze you, preventing you from seeking aid by yourself. The doctor comes by after a few hours to inspect my condition, but soon leaves seeing that nothing of interest has happened yet. I try to go to sleep as soon as I can, so I can speed up the spread of The Plague though my body.

The next morning I wake up and as expected my body is paralyzed. My cough has lessened, as usual, to draw less attention to The Plague’s carrier. The doctor comes by and begins jotting down notes furiously, laughing off and on while claiming discover, “Zhis is it! Zhis is vhat ve vill use to kill off zhe ponies! Vhen zhey cannot move, ve vill move in and zlaughter zhem!” He goes on talking to himself as he moves on to other subjects before he returns to me a few hours later.

By this time, my orifices have begun to trickle blood. I had heard tales of what The Plague felt like, but going through it firsthand was another thing completely. My eyes, nose, and mouth burn as though they were on fire and my body began to get hot and despite the paralysis it was shaking slightly. The doctor now isn’t leave my side, he watches intently for more and more symptoms to show themselves talking to himself all the while claiming, “Ve von’t even ‘ave to kill zhem ourselves! Zhey might bleed to death!” He sits in his chair as he watches.

About an hour passes and he is still watching intently. However, my throat starts to tighten up and I begin to struggle for breath. “Ah! Zo zhey also vegin to zuffocate!? Brilliant! I vas vorried zhat zhe bleeding vould take too long. Oh, vut you…yes. Ve zhould administer zhe cure!” He walks away to table and gets the cure from it before walking back and administering it to me.

As my throat’s swelling starts to go down, I begin to let out a weak laugh. It is too late. I can already feel my organs failing. “Vhat is zo funny?” he asks me, with a curious look on his face. “You stupid bastard!” I say weakly, “I’m already past saving. The cure will have no effect and I will die, no more experimenting on me!” Upon uttering this I cough up a large amount of blood. And my vision begins to grow dark.

“Is zhat zo?” he asks with a cough. “Vell, I vill just ‘ave you replace you zhen. You vere a valuable zubject, vut you can and vill be replaced.” At this point I can barely hear him and I can feel my body giving up. He continues to talk to himself as he approaches the table that holds the other dose of the cure. But as he grabs it he stops in his tracks and his face goes pale. I try to move my head to look, but I forget that I am still paralyzed. Instead I move my eyes as far as they will allow me to look.

Standing in front of the doctor is a black cloaked figure. He points silently as the doctor and I can barely hear the doctor say, “No! Not yet! I ‘ave zo much vork to do!” as he begins to back away from the figure. The figure puts his hoof down and walks towards the doctor while saying, “It is not yet your time, doctor. But…” he pauses as he raises a hoof and knocks the cure out of the doctor’s hood. “it will be soon,” he says as he steps on the cure and renders it unusable.

The figure turns towards me and approaches me. “Feld Grau,” he says, “it is time.” Upon uttering those words my vision that had been getting darker and darker finally blinks out and I can feel the embrace of death take me. My final thought is, ‘go to hell, doctor.’


============~+~============


I wake up gasping for breath. I am in a bed, surrounded by three smiling ponies. “Welcome, brother!” they all say at once. “My name is Death,” a black stallion with a familiar voice says. “I’m War, good to have you with us,” says a red earth pony. “And I’m Famine, nice to meet you, Pestilence,” says a yellow Pegasus.

I sit up, confused. “Pestilence?” I ask before saying, “Wait, never mind. Where am I? I thought I died?” They all grin and Death says, “The answer to all your questions is the same. But, I think it’s Famine’s turn to give the speech.” Famine gives a look of surprise as she says, “What? Really? Ok, ok. Feld, you did die. We all have, but make no mistake, this isn’t the afterlife. We are in a plane is existence that is outside of time. As for why I called you Pestilence…That is who you are, what you are. I’m sure you have heard of us, right?” she asks.

“Wait, you mean…?” I start but Famine finishes, “Correct. Our names aren’t just us playing around, we are the Apocalypse Ponies, though we might not look it. Prepare yourself, to gaze upon the real us. Death, if you would?” Death gives a nod and his horn glows. Suddenly magic dispels from the three ponies around me. Death becomes skeletal, War displays numerous scars and wounds, and Famine is basically just skin and bones. I stare at them with my mouth agape.

“Death uses an illusion spell on us to mask our actual appearance while we are here. We like to remember what we once were. And, I think you will want to see your appearance. You haven’t seen it since you were caged up, have you?” She moves aside to show a mirror and in it, my reflection.
I stare at it for a few moments, unbelieving. But, as I move, it moves. My once bright coat has become a dull green, parts of my mane and tail have fallen out in patches, and various parts of my body show the effects of the various diseases I was exposed to. Patches of hair missing, showing raw, irritated looking skin and tumors could be seen in some places. I could also still see the blood around my eyes, mouth, and nose, however as I rub at it, I see that it can be removed.

“You have experienced so much in such a short amount of time, Pestilence,” Famine says, “Of all ponies thought time, you have suffered the most at the hands of disease and illness. Not only did you experience the diseases yourself, you unknowing caused others to contract various diseases. This gives you the right to join us as Pestilence, the pony of sickness, disease, and plague.”

“But I didn’t mean to infect them!” I yell at her. “We know,” she says. “Like you, each of us have experienced our own particular tragedy. We were good ponies, just like you. It was the tragedies that we went through, however, that give us the right to this power. We know what it means to suffer at the very powers we possess, but that is why we are suited for this. We won’t cause unnecessary death and destruction. We are bound by that code.”

“Indeed,” says a voice that seems to be coming from everywhere. Death looks around as though he knows the voice. “Is that you?” Death asks. “Yes, it is us,” replies the voice. “You have gathered together, Ponies of the Apocalypse. It is time your destiny is made known to you. This world is precious and must be protected. That is your duty.” War takes a step forward “But how do we protect it? And from what?” he asks.

“From its inhabitants. There will come a day when the inhabitants of this world will cause its destruction. When you see them begin down this road, you will know it is time. The world will be threatened by their actions, and you must stop them. They must be eradicated, all of them. It is unfortunate, but life will start again. This is your destiny, this is why we have gathered you here.”

“But that’s so-” Famine begins, but is cut off by the voice, “It is necessary! If this world is destroyed to a state in which nothing new can be formed, all will be lost. Though it is a terrible thing, it is also a necessity. You will know when the time comes, just like how you found each other. Watch over this world, Ponies of the Apocalypse.” Upon saying this, the voice seems to disappear.

“What now?” I ask. They all look serious for a moment, but then Death speaks, “Now, we continue like we always have and always will.” Famine and War nod, but I ask, “And what do I do?” Death gives a smile and says, “You will join us in our duties. We will talk more about that later, however. For now, just rest. Your body might not require rest, but your mind has been though a lot recently. Once you’re ready, we will throw you a welcoming party.” Him and the others give me broad smiles as I lay back in the bed and begin to laugh slightly to myself.
> Epilogue: Worlds After Transcendence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Death:

After Grell perished at the hands of King LeMoon the Moon Kingdom began to sell the cure to The Plague that Grell found at an outrageous price. Only the richest of the nobility could afford the cure and it wasn’t long before the common folk grew disgruntled. The commoners rallied behind a rising political figure, Countess Waning. Having taken over for her father after his passing, she began to work to improve conditions for her citizens and when that proved fruitful, she began to spread her influence and aid others.

Eventually, other counts and countesses began to rally behind her in her methods and she earned support. Once she learned of the cure that the King possessed, and the way he was using it, she expressed her disapproval. When her complaints fell on deaf ears, she demanded he stop or she would make him. She was deeply suspicious about his claim about finding the cure himself and deeply felt that her old friend Grell played a part in it.

However, she had no proof of this and Grell was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she worked to build pressure against the King. When uniting various members of the nobility behind her failed, Waning decided that a change must be made. She rallied her forces and marched upon the nobles opposed to her and that supported the King. She demanded surrender, but if that failed she conquered them using her armies. Some joined her, while others were blinded by their greed for false loyalties to the King.

When she inevitably marched into the capital city, the King surrendered. However, Queen Waning, as her forces had begun to call her, was faced with a tough decision. Kill the old king, or let him go and be forced with possible rebellion. After much deliberation she ordered a public execution of the former King.

Upon his execution, she gave a speech. One that denounced tyranny and vowed that she would do all she could to help her people, including distributing the cure to The Plague. She soon after began to tour her kingdom and lend advice on how each count and countess could improve the lives of their citizens and ensuring that her citizens were not being mistreated. She quickly became known as a kind ruler, but one that wasn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty or dealing out justice.

With Queen Waning leading her people, The Moon Kingdom was brought into a new era of prosperity.

War:

When Death intervened in the beheading of Crimson, the legend of Death was renewed. A Pale black horse that came for you when you died. However, when the General witnessed this he denied it ever happened. He ordered his troops to never speak of the matter again, threatening punishment for any who did. Many of the officers who had helped Crimson were punished accordingly regardless. As such, the force the General had was reduced by the incident.

However, on the precipice of a large operation, the General had no choice but to push on. In what was to be the final, crushing victory against the Unicorn Menace, the tables were turned. With the low morale and fewer troops than they expected to have, the Scarlet Empire army was defeated while only inflicting minor damage to the enemy. Many of the Scarlet Empire troops fled the battle field when they realized the outcome, however many were killed.

Some veterans of the battle claim to have seen a black figure flying over the battlefield as the fighting raged on and ponies on both sides died. Among the dead was the General himself, and it is said the same black figure seen flying over the battle was also seen standing by the General’s corpse. However, most couldn’t recall if they had actually seen this figure, or if they had just been imagining things while under the stress of battle.

After the battle had been lost, the Scarlet Empire never launched another attack against the Magical Symposium and instead focused on other fronts. By this point in time however, a great deal of conflict in the world was beginning to fade and some could see peace on the horizon once again.

Famine:

After the death of Flora the city of Cirro continues on as though nothing had happened. However, Flora’s family which had turned her in in hopes of food were left with only sadness and anger at the mayor. The mayor had lied to them, taking their daughter but not granting them the food he promised. Before they even discovered the mayor’s treachery, however, they quickly began to regret their decision.

Flora had been their daughter, and was only trying to look after her family and other ponies who couldn’t feed themselves. They remembered the words of their daughter’s friend Glint as he was executed and began to see the truth in them. What Glint, their daughter, and her friends had been doing was good. It wasn’t them that should have been punished. While they had to dedicate more time to taking after their remaining two children, they began to get more politically active.

The talked to ponies in the neighborhood to begin with, spreading out from there. They rallied their fellow citizens against the mayor and what they called, “a serious injustice and misuse of power.” Support grew slowly at first, but after a few months they grew to a sizable number. After some time, the mayor had ordered they stop their protesting so that peace would be maintained, and used the city guard to enforce this by breaking up their meetings.

As this went on, it wasn’t long before the citizens had had enough. Soon, they revolted against the city guard, the rich, and the mayor. Much blood was spilt during this revolt and when the dust finally settled, many lay dead on both sides. The citizens had taken control of the city and elected a new mayor to the city.

A side effect of this revolt was that due to the amount of dead, food was more readily available since there were fewer mouths to feed. While rations still needed to be enforced, they were able to feed the entire population properly without running out. They managed to hold out and survive until one day when relief came from the Moon Kingdom.

Pestilence:

Following Feld’s death, the doctor began to get sicker and sicker. Without a cure for The Plague, he was unable to prevent its spread. It began slowly, as one Changeling entered to check on him. After that, The Plague began to pick up speed and began infecting Changeling and Pony alike. The army the doctor bragged to Feld about dwindled to almost nothing as almost all of them died from The Plague. However, Queen Lavari managed to escape with a few of her Changelings who were unaffiliated by The Plague.

The ponies, however, were not as lucky. Without a doctor and with no communication with the outside world they had no hope of survival and they died off one by one. The Society of Slumber’s member called Hem got infected first, out of the three remaining members. He shut himself in his room and refused to let them see him, not wanting to infect them as well.

Seeing every around them becoming sick and dying, Lucky and Aurora could only think of one thing: Survival. Aurora gathered food and water from her job and Lucky gathered as many other supplies and he could. Together, the shut themselves away in the SoS hideout. They stayed locked away in there for weeks, all the while hearing the groaning and screams of the citizens in the town above them.

Aurora’s normally happy and bubbly personality was lost and she became serious and fearful. Lucky attempted to hold things together, however there was only so much he could do. Eventually, the town above them became quiet for a period of a few days. After they thought it was safe to leave, Lucky and Aurora left the hideout and ventured back into the town.

They discovered the grisly sight of the town and that the entire population had died, except for them. However, as they looked around they saw weird black creatures littering the streets. Of all the ponies they had known, only their classmates remained. Their parents, teachers, and other adults were nowhere to be found.

However, none of the adult’s possessions had been taken. They took a last look around for any other survivors and gathered as many supplies as they could. Once they determined the town was void of life and they had all they could carry, they went to the town’s entrance. As they went to leave, they both created torches and threw them onto nearby houses, before turning and leaving the city behind them.
As they walked away from the city, it began to burn. Flames engulfed the buildings, plants, and corpses equally. The fires continued to burn until the cavern was nothing but a charred black cave. Any trace of the town or The Plague had been destroyed in the fire.
> Character Discriptions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Death:

Death is an Alicorn that wears a black cloak and carries a scythe. His legs and part of his muzzle are skeletal, the rest of his body is normal. His cutie mark is a skull atop a staff with two serpents slithering up it. His coat is black and his mane is white. Occasionally, his eyes glow a dark red when using magic or enraged.

War:

War is an Earth Pony that wears a red cloak and wields a halberd, like the ones that killed him. His coat is crimson and he has a black mane. His cutie mark is a silver gear with two swords crossed in front of it. He body is also covered with scars and wounds from various battles he has fought, including a missing eye..

Famine:

Famine is a Pegasus that wears a pale yellow cloak and uses a dagger. Her coat is a faded yellow and her mane is a dull green. Her cutie mark is a rib cage with a loaf of bread inside it. Her body shows signs of starvation, and she is extremely skinny. Many of her bones can be seen through her skin.

Pestilence:

Pestilence is a Unicorn that wears a dark green cloak and uses a syringe. His coat is a pale green and he has a slightly darker shade of green mane. His cutie mark is a red biohazard symbol behind a syringe with a black drop of liquid falling from it. His body is a patchwork of various diseases. His mane, coat, and tail have patches of hair missing. Where flesh is exposed, raw, irritated looking skin can be seen. Tumors are also evident in some places of his body.