> Adventures of Diamond Dancer (Mission Logs) > by RarityEQM > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Mission #07 : Night Eater > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assignment 07: Night Eater This is Assignment number seven. Code named: Night Eater. My own personal account of my part of the story. Geez, I hate recording these things. Nox'garth. That's the word Princess Luna used. That's the thing that I was staring at; a creature stitched together out of the very fabric of the night itself. An attempt at greatness by some wayward sorcerer fancying themselves a Necromancer and master of things of the night. An affront to the Princess of the evening, it was a large midnight colored creature. Massive, bulky, muscular arms, and a boxy grayish skull with glowing yellow eyes. Giant, leathery fan like ears. Tusks and fangs protruded from its jaws and spikey, bristly fur jut out from every inch of its body. And it's carrying a club, which looks like an uprooted tree. Awesome. If you saw me, standing there; a tiny little filly, no older than ten years old, staring up at this monstrosity of a creature, you'd probably think to yourself: "Wow, that filly is either really brave, or really really stupid." It's the latter, I promise you that. I'm Diamond Dancer, Star Seeker, Impossible Pony, and Night's Errant. I work for Princess Luna and I'm the scout for the Night Crew. I found this guy first. Right on the outskirts of town. Yay for me. So I charge forward. You might have heard about me: I'm the Fantastic Filly. Invincible to physical damage like Wondermare from the comic books. Yeah, that's me; 'The Miracle Mare'. Trust me, it ain't all that it's cracked up to be. My mind goes blank as I rocket towards this thing. See, when you charge towards a towering beast of a creature standing fourteen feet tall and wielding a tree as a weapon, you tend to forget the little things: like every inch of training you've received, an focus all on not wetting yourself. I admit it- I'm scared. But I shoot forward anyway. Princess Luna wants this abomination of a creature secured and that is what the Night Crew does- whatever the Princess wants. Time slows down to a crawl as I race forward and my thoughts lose coherency, drifting into single words and phrases. Run. Fly. Fight. Dodge. Duck. I try to catch it off guard. Who would expect a tiny filly to attack? But he's faster than me. Pretty swift for a massive ugly brute. He takes a single swing with that giant club of his. I can't dodge it in time. It connects. It cracks me across the face and the blow knocks me clean off my hooves. I bounce across the ground like a rubber ball. Doesn't matter. Get back up. Keep flying. Keep fighting. I realize I don't really have a plan. I never do, really. Just keep it focused on me. Keep it from entering the town. Keep it trying to kill me. Yeah make it want my blood. I lower my head and charge forward again. Don't let it enter the town. I increase my speed, chewing up the ground beneath my hooves. I'm the only thing standing between it and the suburbs of Canterlot until the rest of the team gets here. But Canterlot is a big place. It could take a while. I decide I refuse to fail this mission. Can't fail. Don't fail. Won't fail. It sees me coming, and takes another swing with that club. Catches my face at an awkward angle and pops me up into the air. I spiral down to earth and slam into the planet with my body weight landing entirely on my neck. Shoulda killed me. Get back up. Keep flying. Keep fighting. My cutiemark is in determination, but it might as well be obsession. Once I focus on completing a task, I don't stop until the job is done. I won't stop until the job is done. I CAN'T stop until the job is done. Doesn't matter how scared I am, or the nightmares this thing is going to give me, I keep going. Back on my hooves. Power forward. Keep it's attention. Don't let it attack the town. Where are the rest of the Night Crew? How long can I keep this up? I'm scared. No. Put it out of your mind. Fly! Fight! I launch myself into the air- aiming for his chest with a furious headbutt. I connect. 75 pounds of a little black and white missile sailing into its middle. The thing doesn't even flinch. No damage. Not even a wince of discomfort. Crap. It grabs me in a grotesque hand and starts to squeeze. It's trying to shatter me. Crush me into dust. This is what I wanted. This is what I asked for. I begged for this on a silver platter and it's delivering. Yeah. Keep the focus on me. This is what I want right? Where are the others?! It squeezes me. Harder and harder. I can't feel any pain, and my bones don't shatter. I'm invincible, after all. It won't crush me- but there's another problem. I can't breathe. Being invincible is all well and good but my lungs still need air and they ain't gettin' any. I wiggle. I squirm and struggle, and kick. No use. Suffocating. Can't breathe! Panic starts to set in. An on rush of fear I can't do anything to stop. I'm going to die. It's going to choke the life out of me and I'll never get to see my brother Bardigan again. I scream. I'm crying. I can't stop the tears. I want out of this things grasp, but it won't let me go. I kick, I struggle, and finally I bite. I bite as hard as I can into this thing's fingers, and it drops me on my butt. I scramble to find my limbs underneath me. I spit on instinct. Mouth is filled with blood. Its blood. I've probably swallowed some of it.. That's what happens when you can't taste anything. Great- I'll have to get a poison screen when all of this is over. But it isn't over. Not yet. It kicks me away. Frustrated- no, furious that I'm still moving. Still alive. I defy it. I bounce and crash across the manicured lawns of Canterlot's suburbs. Damn it, did the fight progress close enough to homes?! The world is spinning. I can't stop my trajectory from the kick. I hit something. Hard. Rocks and debris crumble down around me. There's screaming now. Loud, panicked screaming. Ponies scrambling past me. A home. I was knocked through the wall of somepony's home. Keep flying! Keep fighting! I try to pull myself from the rubble, but it's heavy. A nice, large chunk of debris is laying on my tail. Can't move. I can only watch. I watch the family I startled scream in panic. I watch a screaming mother and a father. I watch them scoop up a little unicorn girl, my age, into their arms. They're so scared. A monster attacking their home in the middle of the night, by throwing another pony through a wall. They're shocked and terrified. Screaming. It draws the Nox'Garth's attention. It lumbers towards them, still channeling the fury I gave it from failing to kill me. Oh, those terrible, glittering yellow eyes say it all. It's going to murder something tonight. I scream at them to be quiet. Not to draw it's attention, but it doesn't work. They're too frightened to think properly. So am I, for that matter. Being invincible doesn't solve a damned thing when you can't use it to help anypony else. I try to lift the rock again. It won't budge. No! No no no! I can only watch. It lumbers towards the family. They squeeze the little girl tightly, like their soft, fleshy bodies will provide some sort of shield. I won't let this happen. I scream for it. I curse with every word I know, insult it, yell at it. I don't know if it can understand me, but it can certainly tell my tone is hostile. And annoying. A shrieking little ten year old's squeaky voice, screaming at the top of it's lungs. I tell it that it's dumber than a sack of hammers. Smells like Big Foot after free burrito day. Tell it that it's a living disappointment; what kind of creature can't even kill a ten year old, unarmed filly?! It finally turns towards me. Hurray. I can't move. The debris from the house is still atop my tail. All I can do is watch it lumber towards me. It's going to kill me this time. It's going to murder me without a second thought or hesitation. I get to watch my death walk up to meet me. I start to think of all the things I'd never get to do. Never get to grow up or meet the Wonderbolts. Never get to have a first kiss, or even a first date. Never get to visit cool exotic places. It's over. That giant tree it wields comes down with a thunderous blast around me. It's instantly dark. I'm buried under the wood and rubble. I can't breathe, can't see, can't move. I'm defiant to the last, though. I scream something about how ugly it is. I'm sure it can't hear me, but it lifts the tree anyway, and brings it back down on my skull. Should have killed me. It doesn't, but it's enough to shatter the debris holding me prisoner for this punishment. I can't move anyway, though. My ears are ringing like crazy, and I can't see straight. Dust in my eyes. Completely helpless. I yell at it again. Still defiant. Still angry. Still determined. I wish I could check on the family, to see if they've escaped, but the way this creature continues to pummel me into the ground with it's club doesn't offer me a whole lot of options. By the stars, why won't it stop?! It crushes me again, and again, and again and again, and I can only lay there and wait for my body to finally break down. To give up it's 'miraculous' durability, and the next blow is suddenly my last. The next blow is different; a sweeping blow that sends me sailing like a golfball into a dirt road. I need a minute. I have to get my bearings, find my legs, find the ground. It doesn't give me the time. I'm it's personal insult now. It was going to kill me, and every movement I made just reminded it of it's failure. I roll over onto my back, panting heavily, trying to scoot away from it. I just needed a minute, just a second to orient myself. It brings the club down again with a shattering smash, crushing me into the ground. I suckle down whatever breath I can, trying not to fall into a blind panic. Where was the Night Crew?! How was I supposed to deal with this alone?! Why won't anybody help me?! I scoot back. Further and further. Sliding backwards on my butt, trying to flex and pump my wings. I can't feel my body of course, so getting up into the air from a cold take off wasn't happening. I was grounded. I could imagine a dirty, bruised, beat up filly, trying to fly from sitting position. Left wing fluttering wildly, while the right wing aimlessly flipped and flapped along. No, I wasn't going anywhere, and this monster seemed to know it. It crashed the club into me again. My body was made for it's amusement. I was its plaything. Thats all I was good for. It clubbed me again. Worthless. I was worthless. I wasn't saving anypony. I was delaying the inevitable. There was no ending to this fight. It would continue to crush me, until it got tired and wandered off to destroy the lives of some Canterlot nobles, and all I could do was watch. I wasn't strong enough to actually hurt it, and eventually it would figure out I wasn't a threat. Not by myself. The club fell again, flattening me into the ground. Something bright and yellow shot by overhead in the midnight sky, but I didn't get a good look at it. Whatever it was vanished under the giant tree that slammed into me again. I gasped for air, coughing and sputtering when I accidentally inhaled a mouthful of splinters and blood. Blood? My blood? It's blood? I couldn't tell. Suddenly the tree came tumbling down. The monster had dropped it right atop of me, pinning me to the ground. I took what air that my little lungs could hold, and did my best to keep breathing. It was getting harder and harder. Trees are heavy, if you didn't know. Above me, the creature stumbled forward and backwards, while an ebony coated pony buzzed around it wildly. Virga. A pegasus with ice powers and a member of the Night Crew, and one of my 'partners.' Took him long enough to show up. I noticed something to my left. Something waving frantically to get my attention. Firefly. Another member of the night crew, a pegasus, like me. She was screaming something at me, but I couldn't make it out. My ears were ringing from the multiple impacts from the tree that was resting on my chest. The world turned bright yellow, and suddenly the tree was gone- smoking cinders tumbling from the sky like rain. Did I mention Firefly had these weird lightning powers? She zapped the tree and exploded it, and even though I was caught in the blast, she knew very well I wouldn't be hurt. Still, I was blinded and deafened by the bolt, so I wasn't much good to anypony in my current condition. Thats what I thought, at least. Firefly, had other plans. The bigger pegasus scooped me up, and took me for a ride. High, high, high into the air. Me, I couldn't see and I couldn't hear. Couldn't feel, taste, or smell. I was just along for the ride, and once we were high enough, Firefly grabbed my tail, and whirled me around like a shot-put. When she let go, I ended up sailing towards the ground at mach 2- charged and infused with a bolt of Firefly's lightning. She'd turned me into a living weapon. I couldn't see where I was going, but Firefly's aim was perfect. I slammed into the creatures head with a skull crushing impact and electrocuted it at the same time. We both dropped like rocks to the ground. I was the one that kept breathing, though. The next evening, Luna tells me I did a good job- when I wake up, at least. She's a merciful boss. Made sure the dream I had that night was about getting tickets to see the Wonderbolts perform in Canterlot, and not some horrible monster mutilating my body for it's amusement. She tells me the Night Crew saved Canterlot and the would-be Necromancer was caught, and serving time in the castle dungeons. The Night Crew were busy apprehending this jerkazoid while I was keeping his 'pet' entertained. Couldn't have done it without me, she says, as if she somehow knew my reservations about my level of worth to the team. Hearing praise from my princess makes me smile. I appreciate it- I really do. So I don't have any problems with the next assignment we're given; stopping "Draqual" the Blood-Pony from ravaging the city of Detrot. But thats another assignment for another night. > Mission #08: City of Blood > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Teleporting. Teleporting isn't exactly the most fun means of travel, especially when you can't control it. Ok, so, imagine you're walking into your room. That's easy, right? That's just walking through a doorway, and then, bam, you're there! Teleporting is like that, only instead of walking into another room, you're suddenly just in that room, without the walking part. Now imagine if you're not expecting to go into that other room. You're just sorta hanging out, reading a book, and suddenly you're in the middle of the city. Detrot city, as a matter of fact. This is my account of the mission. Drakul the Blood Pony is wreaking havoc on the City of Detrot. I don't know who this guy is, but he seems to have some sort of history with Princess Luna. Doesn't matter to me one way or another. Princess Luna wants him stopped. That's all I need to hear. Princess Luna asks if we're ready to go, once the crew is gathered. We're down. Poof. Teleported right into the heart of the city. I will NEVER get used to that. Me, Princess Luna, Firefly, and Virga. And for some reason; Dinky Hooves. Dinky is apparently the Princess's personal student. Learning the dark arts of Necromancy, or something. Magic is a bit over my head, but I do hope Dinky will end up joining the Night Crew at some point. It would be nice to have someone my own age to talk to. But I push thoughts of Dinky out of my head. The princess brought us here for a reason, and that's to find Drakul. That's where I come in. I'm the scout. I like this job. Makes me feel important. Like I'm really doing something. Like I'm a real member of the team and not just some tag-along. I'm not just some kid! I'm a grown up! A real mare! A pony to be reckoned with!! Firefly pats me on the head and smiles down at me. Illusion shattered. "Fly swiftly, Errant." She intones. Still, I flash her a smile. I like Firefly. I'm up in the air in a moment, pumping my wings and giving the group a little salute. "Be careful, Dia." Virga says. Virga. Always acting looking out for me. He cares about me kind of like the way I think a dad might. If I had a dad. I like Virga. I toss him a smile as well, then I'm off like a shot, flying as fast as I can through the concrete jungle of the city. Geez, Detrot is a big place. Huge, really. Like really really huge. Much bigger than Manehatten, and only after a few turns and streets, I'm utterly lost. Not a big deal, really. The night crew will come to me- all I've got to do is find Drakul. That's the problem, though. This city is freakin' empty! I mean the place is quiet. Too quiet. No ponies to be seen anywhere! The entire city is empty! Freakin' creepy! I zip along for a while, looking left and right, scanning abandoned streets and empty alleys. For losing most of my senses to Icarus Syndrome, I've got pretty darned good eyesight. Probably my pegasus heritage. I can even see the cracks in the concrete ground if I focus enough, but what I'm looking for is- there! A pony! Standing all by himself, in the middle of the street. Now, if I were anypony else, I'd think twice about walking into what is so obviously a trap, but I'm Diamond Dancer! Miracle Mare! I zip right down and land on my face a few feet away from it. CRUNCH. See, my wings don't work quite right, and with Icarus Syndrome siphoning away my ability to feel touch, trying to land is not often an option- so I just crash. Only thing it hurts is my pride, and I ran out of that stuff a long time ago. So, anyway, I'm up on my hooves, approaching this pony, hoping it's a survivor or something and it can tell me whats going on. He turns around. He's missing half of his neck, and one of his eyes. His face is covered in blood. Zombie. Great. Not really a big deal. Not what I was looking for, but not something I'm afraid of. I mean, it's just one zombie, right? And I'm the Fantastic Filly. Even though he's bigger than me, Zombies are stupid. I can totally take this guy. Piece of cake. Wrong. Why can't it ever just be one zombie? It's never just one zombie. Is there like, a zombie union or something I don't know about? Rules say there can't just be one? Cause just one zombie would be nice. But of course, this dude is not alone. I guess my crash must have made more noise than I thought, because suddenly these things are all over me. From where I am on the ground, I can roughly count sixteen opponents approaching me. All crawling out of the woodwork. All of them decaying. Dying. Dead. Hungry. The pony closest to me gets my attention first. I bounce forward. A fierce headbutt to send it stumbling back. Now I have room to take off, and I immediately pitch myself into the air. Icarus Syndrome kicks in. Can't feel my wings. See, normally I fly via muscle memory. It's natural for a pegasus to just take to the air, but when I'm stressed, or frustrated, or scared, and I'm thinking to much, I try to fly by thinking about it. You know, as opposed to um...not thinking about it. So my left wing flaps too hard, and my right wing not enough, and I end up in a half-step-chicken-walk. Embarrassing. Not that the zombies care. No, they're all over me like white on rice. (I actually don't know what that means. I just heard Firefly say it once) Ok, so this is bad. I'm surrounded and pinned down on my back. They're biting me. Chomping at my neck, my arms, my legs, my sides, greedily reaching for me with disgusting, decaying hooves. No, it doesn't hurt. But it's terrifying. I can see it in their eyes- nothing. There is nothing there. Mindless drones. Killing machines. No heart. No consciousness. No pity. No mercy. And I'm surrounded by them. There is nothing more here than the desire to kill me and there's nothing in the world that can sate that desire. This is gonna be nightmares for a few months to come. I struggle. I kick, and I wiggle, and I buck. Get off! Get off, get off GET OFF!! My left hind leg manages to catch one of them in the jaw. Sends him stumbling back. Good. Enough freedom for me to work with. I still need more room if I'm going to escape, though. My right foreleg swings around to clock another zombie in the head. Stunned. Just long enough for me to right myself. On my hooves now. Oh, they're still trying to hold me down, but now I've got a fighting chance. Flying isn't an option, so I try to scramble away. I head butt the closest zombie and I twist, and flick my feathers and kick my hooves, and try to tug myself free from these terrible things atop me. Zombies. Ick. Finally, I manage to make a little headway. I wriggle, and twist and- YES! I'm free! Being small has it's advantages! So here's what this looks like now: There are maybe sixteen or so zombies lurching for me. I'm only a few steps out of their grasp, and I'm not looking forward to fighting these guys. I'm not afraid I'll get turned, no, that's not it. I'm invulnerable, so all those bites and chomps have no effect, but they could hold me down forever trying to pierce my skin. And they'll try. Cause zombies are pretty stupid. They won't realize I'm not dying, they'll just keep biting and biting and biting. I may be invincible but I'm not very strong, and these are full grown ponies I'm dealing with. So my options boil down to one simple phrase: RUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!! I race down the street. Turn left. Zombies. No good. Turn right. Empty street. Try the alley. Yes! It's empty. Open. Safe. Wrong. The alley is closed off- ending with a brick wall, and these things are approaching fast. I just put myself into a corner. Smooth moves, Diamond. One option. Come on wings, don't fail me now!! Please!! I scramble up into the sky in jerky little broken movements, but I get airborne none the less. Now I can see a LOT of zombies from where I am in the air. Tons of them. All crawling out of the abandoned buildings with the noise I've been making. Swell. Hopefully, the rest of the Night Crew is safe. No time to check on them, though. Gotta find Drakul. I'm off again, trying not to think about my wings, and flying full steam ahead. Ok, lots of zombies, but no sign of Drakul. If I were controlling an army of the dead, where would I lead it from? Military strategy. Also not one of my strong points. I mean, point me at something and say "Crush that, Diamond." And hey, we're good. But ask me about making plans and attacks and retreats and, ugh. Just ugh. But if I had to guess, I'd pick some focal point, like City hall, or someplace in the center of town. But then, Maybe Drakul wants to be protected and hidden away, so why not someplace secure, like a sewer or something? Then again, maybe he wants a place he can hide, so maybe near the park, where he can use trees for cover or something? ARRGGHH. I have no idea where I'm supposed to be looking!! But I've got to find him, so I figure I'll search everywhere. First, I'll start with City Hall. Is City Hall usually in the middle of town? Check that, I'll start with the middle of town. I shoot off in that direction- or at least the direction I think it's in. Scanning over rooftops and city streets. There. I spot something. A pony that seems a bit larger than the rest. Also covered in blood. And he's wearing a cape. Kind of a clue. So I'm guessin this guy is who I'm lookin' for. Time to signal the team. I rocket into the air, pumping my wings at full speed and glance behind me. There's a sparkly trail. My contrail. Like Rainbow Dash or Firefly, when 'Elite' class pegasi go fast enough, we leave a contrail behind us. My contrail is a bright white light. Princess Luna says it's akin to a shooting star. Makes me smile every time I think of that. Anyway, with my contrail glowing behind me, I shoot up,down, left, right, down and glance behind me. In the air, glowing bright is a large white star. It's slowly starting to fade away. It only lasts for maybe a second, but it's bright enough to serve it's purpose. My signal for the team to come and find me. Now to stall Drakul until they get here. I head back down towards the ground, crashing into the street behind him. Drakul is not what I expect him to be. First of all, he's almost got all of his flesh attached. Almost. I won't describe whats missing, cause it's totally gross, but I can tell this dude is a zombie. Next he's surprisingly young looking. Like, mid way between me and Twilight. Like he's a teenager. He flashes me a jagged smile, and points a hoof at me. Already zombies are closing in, converging on my position. "Ahhhh, another eager recruit for my army! Welcome, welcome!" He cackles. I switch to battle mode. Single thoughts. Fragmented ideas. I glare. Hold my position. He glares back. "DRAKUL!" Big booming voice. I know that voice. Luna. The Night Crew. A blast of ice takes care of the zombies closest to me. Virga's on the scene. He lands next to me, and offers me a nod of approval. I did a good job. Found the target. Focus on Drakul. Him and Luna are yelling at each other. Dinky is on Luna's back. New goal: Keep an eye on Dinky. Just in case. Virga goes to work. Blast of ice. More zombies frozen. He's efficient. Powerful. Ruthless. I admire him. I want to be strong like that, one day. Fearless. Behind me , Firefly zooms in and grabs me in her forelegs. I already know where this is going. We've practiced this before. "Ice to meetcha" maneuver. Wish I had some warning prior. Doesn't matter. I'm ready. Firefly takes me into the sky and whips me down at the iced over zombies. I crash into them, shattering them into shards. Effective. The next part of the plan is trickery. I lay still. Virga freezes in mid air. Alarmed. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! DIAMOND?! DIAMOND!!!!!" He screams. Firefly looks alarmed too. Drakul laughs. Hook line and sinker. He's monologing about great plan he has. I keep quiet. Remain still. I'm dead. Around me, Zombies shuffle by. I expect them to stop and attack, but they don't. Instead they start casting a spell. Whats going on? Some sort of ritual? They're controlled by Drakul. He's cackling madly. Suddenly there's something else on the battle field with us. From where I am, it's a giant glowing skeletal horse. Massive in size, and charging towards the team. Virga fires a blast of ice at it. No effect. Firefly strikes with lightning. Nothing. Drakul shouts something about the unicorns casting the spell. While they're casting that thing is invincible. Is that a fact? Spring to my hooves. Surprise! Shoot forward like a missile. Full contact. I catch one of the zombie spell casters in the side. Bounce off his body like a pinball. Aim for the next one, pumping my wings to keep my momentum going. Crash into him nice and hard. I take his head off with the impact. Yuck. The third spell caster is a piece of cake. I leap up from the ground and wrap my arms around his head. I cling with all 75 pounds of filly I have. I throw all my weight to one side. Twist. Crack. He goes down. The skeletal horse stops glowing. No more spell casters. It's vulnerable. I'm still eager to prove myself. I want to help take this guy down. I shoot forward, throwing my energy into tackling this giant demon horse from behind. I go for the legs. Maybe I can cripple him. This was a bad decision. I can't exactly tell you what happened next. I was out of the fight by this point. See, this giant demon horse trampled me. Big time. Crushed me completely under one of his hooves. As far as the world is concerned, I'm invincible. Complete and totally. This is what I tell ponies and they believe me. The secret is, not so much, even if it takes a lot to put me down. This giant demon beast doesn't even break stride, kicking me forward with one of those giant hooves of his. When it finally stops for whatever reason, I'm trapped underneath it. Buried under this massive hoof. Can't move. Can't breathe. No air. No hope. I start to suffocate. I can feel my mind going. Getting sleepy. Try to raise up. Fight back. Force my way out. It's to strong. Getting sleepy. Kick. Bite. Wiggle. Squirm. Getting sleepy. Call for help! SCREAM for help! Where is the crew?! Get it off of me!! Getting sleepy. The last thing I can think of is my brother. The pony who adopted me. Bardigan. And how sorry I am I'll never get to see him again. Then everything goes black. Anyway. Since I can't tell this story anymore, I'm gonna ask my buddy Virga to fill in for me. He was there when I was under a hoof. But this is the end of my account of this story. > Big Brother Bardigan > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a brilliant and gorgeous day in Ponyville. The sun was bright wand warm; splashing everything in view with glittering rays of sunlight, and left and right ponies were out enjoying the healthy spring day- which meant Bardigan was fast asleep in bed. As a pony of the night, Bardigan found himself mostly awake during the evening hours, and sleeping during the time most ponies were up and awake. Much like right now, and much the way the rest of the day would have gone, had it not been for the dreadful, terrible scream that rattled his ears. The first scream- that first, terrible, helpless shriek of horror- is what woke Bardigan from a fitful slumber. But it was the second scream that had him up and running from bed, spilling over sheets and scrolls, quills and ink, just to get to it's source: Diamond. In the few short seconds it took for Bardigan to spirit down the halls of his house towards his little sister's room, a billion things had already run through his mind. Diamond was a pony of odd origin and even odder....everything. Her skin was like diamonds, and her body was quite possibly the most hardest thing on the planet- aside from her head. Whatever made her scream like that was enough to send him barreling into her room, ready and willing to lay down his life for whatever was distressing his little sister so, but when he burst into her room nothing was there. Oh, nothing was there to combat, or to struggle with, no no. Diamond was sitting up in bed; her sheets twisted around her legs, and tears racing down her eyes. She'd had a nightmare, again. One of many, but the truly horrid ones where the ones where she woke herself up screaming- and Bardigan found himself sitting in the exactly same position he was in now. With the sunlight peeking through the shut blinds, silhouetting the terrified filly in bed, Bardigan slowly approached and rested a hoof on the end of her bed. "Little Gem?" He asked softly, waiting till she recognized him to move in closer. Some of Diamond's nightmares, he discovered, were so terrible that sometimes, she lashed out at the first thing in her room. He'd been on the receiving end of that more times than he'd care to admit. To his surprise, however, she shied away from him when he approached. "Little Gem?" He asked again, biting at his lower lip. Painfully, she let her gaze fall over him, and shook her head, messy mane splattering all over her head with the movement. "I dun wanna leave." She sniffled. He nodded his head, slowly, as if he understood, and took another cautious step forward. "You don't have to go anywhere, Diamond." He whispered as comfortingly as he could. Diamond shook her head again, sniffling back more tears that threatened her face. "Was ...was da ponies wif da hats. Dey came ta git me. Dey said I wasn't allowed ta be you'se sistah no more. Deys, dey said I was a bad sistah, cause I let you'se get shot. "Diamond sobbed quietly, pounding her hooves into the bed in front of her while Bardigan quietly crept closer. Oh, he was listening, he just wanted to do so with his arms wrapped around his sister's shuddering frame. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Bardy! Dey said I had ta go back to da orphanage! I wasn't allowed ta stay no more. I don't wanna go back! I didn't like it dare!" Diamond trembled, regardless of Bardigan's arms wrapping around her, and hoisting her up onto his back. He didn't say anything, only proceeded to trot downstairs, where he started making a warm cup of coco for her, and set her down on the couch. "Diamond." He said pointedly, sitting down next to her. "No pony is going to come and take you away. I promise. I won't let them, and it's not something you ever, EVER have to worry about. " He explained, but Diamond shook her head. "B, but dey said dat I wasn't-" She started, but Bardigan shook his head. "Don't care. I don't care what they told you, or what anypony has told you. You're my little sister, forever. And I won't let any pony take you away from me, understand? You are the most wonderful, lovely, perfect little sister in the world, and there isn't anything you can do to change that. There isn't anything ANYPONY can do to change that. I promise, Diamond." Bardigan whispered, pulling the little filly against his side, squeezing around her shoulders. "You are my sister. I am your brother. We, are siblings and we are a family. No one can break us apart, and I won't let them. And if someone wants to try, I'm pretty sure they've got to go through you- right? And YOU, Diamond, are the Miracle Mare, right? The phenomenal filly!" He exclaimed. Diamond blushed, and shook her head. "D, dats da 'Fantastic Filly." She corrected. Bardigan grinned and rolled his eyes playfully. "Oooooh, 'Da Fantastic Filly.' Right, right. Well I'd call you fantastic, phenomenal, and amazing, how about that?" He giggled, watching his sister blush bashfully. "You'se ain't nevah gonna let me go back...you'se promise?" Diamond quipped softly, resting her head against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her neck and held her quietly, nodding solemnly. "Promise." He whispered quietly, cuddling her close. "It isn't your fault I got shot. At all. I jumped in front of the blast, Featherfang pulled the trigger, and you didn't have a THING to do with it. It isn't your fault at all, Little Gem. No pony is going to come and get you, and tomorrow, I am going to the records office and make a copy of your adoption certificate, that way no ponies can ever claim you. Hats or not. "He explained quietly, calmed by the look of relief that washed over her face. "Awww Bardy...y, you'se is da best bruddah *yawn* any filly could evah have..." She stammered quietly, struggling against the weight of sleep that suddenly pressed against her eyes. Bardigan smiled quietly and nodded his head. "You'll be here when I wake up...right?" Diamond asked quietly, only to receive a reassuring squeeze. "Right here." Bardigan whispered, watching his sister slowly trickle from consciousness to slumber. He cuddled her tightly, giving her one last reassuring squeeze before joining her. > Mission #23: Shake Down > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- So me n' Virga, right? We're headin to this little out of the way bar in Winnyappolis called The Bit and Bridle. Eh, not really a huge thing for me. It's Virga's mission, not mine, but I asked if I could tag along, and he didn't say no, so here we are. "Make yourself useful, kid," He says to me with a wink, once we're outside. I flash him a smile and give him a salute. Happily, I march into the bar, while Virga waits outside. See, we had this conversation a little while back, when I was tellin' Virga all bout how I was afraid I was a worthless member to the team. Virga gave me a hug, and told me I was the most important member. I go in first to make sure whatever happens to me, doesn't happen to them. I am saving their lives countless times every single day! I never thought of it like that. I am AWESOME! Anyway, I slip right in. Place is packed. Lots of ponies, lots of cheer, lots of drinking and lots of smiles all around. Not for long. I chuckle quietly and wriggle my way up to the bar. We're supposed to be tracking down this necromancer in this city. Supposedly he was going to steal this gem from Princess Luna to power some dark enchantment or something. He had an inside pony who let the beans slip, and now we're out here seeking this guy out. Supposedly this bartender knew where to find him. We were hot on the case. Well, okay, Virga was hot on the case. This was his assignment. Never the less, I climbed up onto a barstool and gave my hoof a tap across the bar with a grin. "One cidah, please!" I grin. The tender doesn't give me a second glance. I know that I can't taste anything, but thats the joy of cider! I don't have to taste it! I drink enough of it and I feel all dizzy and bubbly and happy and goofy! Anyway, I tap my hoof on the bar again. He rolls his eyes. I peer around the room. Packed, but not TOO packed. Only a few ponies that look like they could be a threat. I make a mental note, and tap my hoof on the bar one more time. "One cidah!" I repeat. This time the bartender has had enough. Good to know how far I can push him. This will make Virga's job easier. He points at the door. "Beat it kid. We don't serve minors here. Scram, I've got real customers to serve." He snaps. I hop off the bar stroll and twist around, trotting right outside where Virga is waiting. "Yeah, dats definitely our guy. Place is packed but dare are only a coupla threats to you'se. Dink you'se can make every pony clear out with a strong show of power. He didn't give me no cidah, though," I explain. He gives a nod and heads into the bar. I follow suite, climbing right back up onto the barstool again. "EXCUSE ME?! EVERYPONY CLEAR OUT! RIGHT! NOW!" I demand. The bar goes dead silent. I hop up onto the bar itself, glancing around. Draw in a breath. Use my big super booming voice. The Royal Canterlot Voice. The one Princess Luna has been teaching me. "I, SAID, CLEAR, OUT!" I demand. Louder this time. The patrons of the bar start to chuckle quietly. Thats when Virga does his thing. His eyes turn white, and the room starts to grow cold. Colder and colder still. Icicles forming along the ceiling, bottles start to shatter. That pegasus has some crazy powers. Me, I just watch and grin. Ponies start to freak out. Now there's a mad rush for the door. Even the bartender is making for it, but I step over and stop him from leaving. "Not so fast, buttercup. We gotta talk," I grin at him. I catch Virga grinning too. The bartender stands there, stunned and eyes wide as the rest of the patrons rush out. Now it's just us three. I hop back onto the barstool and grin my head off. Virga nods his head, lifting a hoof to tap it on the bar. "I believe the lady requested a cider," Virga says stoically. Did I mention that I buckin' love Virga? Like, a lot? He's like the best partner ever. He says if I'm old enough to go on suicide missions for the princess, I'm old enough to develop a chronic drinking habit. Me, I couldn't agree more! Bardigan doesn't think so, but it's not like he's around to stop me! HA! So the tender gives me a cider. And I have a drink. I set my little plot down and spin around on the bar stool. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~ I down that cider like it was water in the desert. Now the room is spinning. Mostly because of me spinning around like a moron on the barstool. Its FUN though! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~ "Anodah cidah!" I demand. Virga and this tender have been talking. I'm pretty sure Virga is making some threats the way this tender is turning pale in the face. With shaky hooves he gives me another cider. I griiiiiiiiiiin. Virga narrows his eyes at me. I grin at him too. I already know he's cutting me off after this. Don't care. I'm bucking TEN. I deserve to have fun, right?! It can't ALL be fighting and missions right?! RIGHT?! Good thing about being so tiny, it only takes me two mugs of cider and I'm in a good mood for the rest of the day! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~ I uh, don't really remember what happened next. I got a third mug of cider though. I think we did okay, cause I'm not fired! So....CASE CLOSED! :D > Mission #36: Sol regrets. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a top secret mission from Princess Luna! I'm SO psyched I get to finally talk about it, since I've been holding this in for months! Even if no one will ever get to read this, it feels good to record my exploits! I came to with my head swimming and my vision blurred. The world was a tilt-a-whirl and I wanted the ride to stop. Ugh. Drugged. I'd been drugged. I've been drugged before, back when I had to spend those months in the hospital...with Doctor Holiday. Gotta say- not a fan. I hate drugs. And hospitals. They remind me of them. Rosie and Criss Cross. But this isn't a story about them. This is about me, waking up in a strange room on a strange bed that wasn't my own. When you can't taste nothin', every meal is one drop of poison away from your last. I guess I got lucky this time. Heh. Lucky. Sure. I take a minute to get my bearings. Stoney room. Nothing on the walls. Off gray white. Boring. Wooden bed frame underneath me, with some sheets and pillows. A holding cell, or some sort of waiting room. Either way, I didn't like it. No windows. No idea what time it is. Single door to the left of the bed. Probably locked. I could break it down with a well placed charge forward. My "Dazzling Dash." Slam forward, head first, let the invulnerability take care of the rest. Problem is that would make a lot of noise. Whoever foal-napped me doesn't know I'm awake yet. That's to my own advantage at the moment, so I need to play this really stea- The door opens up, and a bright golden stallion with long white hair trots in. He's all sunshine and smiles, looking at me with big blue bright eyes and a bright white too-wide-smile. Terran Pony. Stronger than me. Way stronger. He's decked out in weird looking yellow and white armor, like some backwards brand of the stuff that Princess Celestia's Sun Guard's wear. He's got muscles, too. The type of muscles you get from fighting. The sinewy kind that bleed through your fur. The kind I had. Wonderful. Before I can make a move, he's already trotting over too me. Smile smile smile. All smiles. I hate that smile. "Hello Sleepy-head! How are you feelin' sweetheart? That was quite a nap you took," He's smiling at me. His voice is condescending as Tartarus. I hate his guts, but I told my tongue, giving a girlish little yawn and rub the back of my hoof against an eye. "Heeeey..." I squeak. Oh, I'm fully alert, and quite ready to bolt for the door as soon as I get the chance. But Firefly's been training me. She tells me my real strength lies in my ability to convince the world that I'm not a threat. As far as this bozo is concerned, I'm an innocent school filly, not an agent of the dark. I want to crush him. "Do you know where you are, honey or how you got here?" He asks softly, kneeling down a little, as if looking into my eyes would somehow save him from a furious headbutt. I hold it back, and shake my head. He smiles at me again. That big bright too-wide-smile. "Well, sweetie, my name is Shimmer-Strike, We found you asleep out on the playground, all by yourself, and thought we should bring you inside. This is...well...you can call this place a very special club house, okay? You see, we've been watching you for a while, and we'd like you to join our club, okay?" More smiles. Luna, how I wanted to bash his teeth in. Fake smiles and empty warmth weren't winning me over. I didn't like this guy or this place. I yawned again and looked around. Playground? I must have passed out while flying. Still don't know when they slipped me the drug, but if they've been watching me, it could have been anytime. I swallow my anger and play it cool. "Club...house?" I asked sleepily. Shimmer Strike gave a chuckle and nodded his head. Oh, that's right you horse apple. I'm just an innocent little filly. I'm not a threat to you at all. Keep smilin' at me. Watchin me, though? How long have they been watching me? What do they know? "Yup. Thaaaats right. We're called the Soldiers of Light. We're a...special group that help out the town, and do super important special missions for Princess Celestia. You like Princess Celestia, don't you? You wanna help her out?" He asks. I stare at him and slowly nod my head and swallow my raising panic. Keep it together. You can do this. You've got this. Soldiers of Light. I'm in serious trouble. I mean big time trouble. This isn't some random filly-napping for a ransom. This is a rogue splinter group from Celestia's sun guard. Solder's of Light. Fanatics. Religious zealots that believe Celestia is the one true god, and any pony who doesn't follow their specialized brand of mania is a candidate for a brain painting on the wall. "Yeah! Princess Celestia is my favorite!" I say sweetly. Sweetly as I can. He smiles a little wider. "Goooood! She's really something special, isn't she? Well sweetie, we noticed you hang around the palace quite a lot, and sometimes seen talking with Princess Luna," He explained. There's an unmistakable hint of warning in his voice. I choose my words carefully. "Yeah huh! Princess Luna is Princess Celestia's sistah! She's, she's like, she's like, she's like, she's da moon, and Celestia is da sun, and, and I wanna find out all I can about Princess Celestia, but shes really supah dupah busy a lot, so I ask Princess Luna!" I explain, fiddling with my hooves. I don't make eye contact. I act shy and bashful. I stutter my voice to make it sound like I have trouble spitting out my words. I act like the innocent little girl he thinks I am. "What a smart little girl! Princess Celestia would be very proud to know you wanted to know so much about her! I'd love to tell her for you!" He explains. I hold back a scoff. I've never seen this turd at the castle before. He's lying through his teeth. My eyes grow wide and I give a silent little squeal. "You'se know Princess CELESTIA?!" I gasp in shock. He chuckles at me, nodding his head, and reaching out to pat my own to try and calm me down. "Thats right I do. I'm a good friend of hers. In fact, she's the entire reason our little club exist! So wouldja like to join honey? If you do, you might be able to meet her and talk to her!" He explains. I draw my hooves up to my chest and squeal. "OH! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!"I bark wildly, nearly hopping off the bed. Shimmer Strike gives another laugh and a gentle smile. "Allllllllright then! I'm gonna make sure Princess Celestia knows your gonna be one of our brand new, very best helpers! Now, sweetie, Princess Celestia has a very special job she needs your help with. Do you know the story of Nightmare moon?" He asks me. My face goes blank. I shake my head slowly, as if trying to figure out what he's talking about. Of course I know about Nightmare moon. I'm on the Night Crew. He frowns. "Well, Diamond, long long ago, there was a terrible pony named Nightmare Moon. And she did terrible things, and wanted the sun to go away for ever. Now Nightmare moon was actually Princess Luna in disguise, Princess Celestia's own sister. Since then, Princess Celestia has been worried that Princess Luna might still secretly be Nightmare Moon. And she wants you to help keep an eye on Princess Luna. Can you do that Diamond?" Shimmer Strike asks me. I grit my teeth, but smile. Big smile. A spy. They wanted me to be a spy on my own princess. This was the last straw. The absolute worst. But I couldn't act now. No. Keep it together, Diamond. "Yes sir!" I squeak, giving him a salute. He laughs and pats me on the head smiling warmly at me. He nods at me and turns towards the door, jerking his head towards me with that smile. "Wanna have a look around the club house?" He asks. I give another yawn. I really want to look around and get a feel for my surroundings, but I'd feel better if I could report in first. I blink my eyes and sway a little bit on the bed. "Actually, I'm...I'm sleepy...I wanna...nap..."I explain, and start to curl back up onto the bed. Shimmer Striker coos softly at me, as if I were a baby. "Awww, okay honey, you just have a nap and I'll come check on you later, okay?" He says with that horrible smile of his. I smile back, and pull myself into the bed. This is bad. Very bad. I'm deep in enemy territory and I have no idea where I am. Yeah, the best course of action is to check in with Princess Luna. I draw in a deep breath, perking my ears to sounds in the room. Shimmer Strike has already left. I hear him walking outside the door and to the left. I'm alone. Good. I take in another deep breath. Hold it. Focus. Concentrate. Keep it together. I picture Midnight Castle in my mind. Picture the dark, deep black halls, and the shadowy corridors. Just focus on the castle. Breathing slowly. Slower. Slower than that. Slower than that. Slower...relax...breathe deeply...think of the castle...count to ten... And then I'm there. I've fallen asleep and now I'm in the dream realm, charging towards the castle at full speed. I need to get to the throne room before I wake up, but the guard at the front gates stop me. Bat Pony. Large, male, frowning. I know him. Blood Fang. Vampire type of Bat pony. He's high ranking. Almost as high as I am, which kind of sets us to a rivalry. He thinks just cause I'm a filly I don't deserve a spot on Luna's night court. Ugh. He steps in front of me, peering down with those blood red eyes of his. "The princess is busy. State your business." He snaps at me. I scowl. I could be woken up any minute by these bastards in SoL. I don't have TIME for his better-than-you-narcissistic-power trip. ... So I don't stop. I continue forward, increasing my speed until my contrail flickers to life behind me. A glowing white streak of light. Blood Fang isn't prepared for a full frontal assault. I slam into him, head to chest, bowling him over and sending us both tumbling into the castle. I'm going to pay for that one for sure, but for now, I need to reach Luna. No time to explain! I've got to warn her SoL Is moving against her!! Blood Fang doesn't take kindly to my attack. No, he's already ringing the alarm behind me as I charge through the castle. He's summoning bat ponies. Claiming I attacked him, which I did, and that I'm a traitor to the crown. Great. Bat pony guards. They start to swarm the hall, trying to block my passage. Me? I'm small and swift. Also invincible. That helps. I race forward, simply increasing my speed and beating my wings as hard as I can. I stay grounded, running forward and trying to keep the Bat Ponies off balance. They're natural fliers, so them trying to catch me on the ground is awkward. I can out maneuver them down here. Slide! Twist! Leap! Underneath one of them and over top another. There! The Throne Room!! "PRINCESS LUNA!" I bark as loud as I can, barreling into the Throne room. There she is, peering at documents and looking utterly pissed off at the entire world. And I have bad news. Awesome. Even better, Blood Fang tackles me out of nowhere. Just side swipes me, tumbling us both onto the floor with him atop me, holding his hooves against my neck. He knows my weakness. Invincible, sure, but I still need to breathe, and he's choking the life out of me. "Your highness! Diamond Dancer refuses to obey proper protocol and assaulted me outside of the castle! I recommend she be stripped of rank and interrogated!" He snarls. Now I'm furious. I don't have time for this. It's an emergency trance I'm doing, putting myself a sleep, deep in enemy territory, and Blood Fang is complaining about protocol. I want to slap him, but instead I'm too busy trying to squawk out an explanation from underneath his hooves. "IT'S SOL! IT'S SOL!" I squeal. To my horror, Princess Luna narrows her eyes, standing up with a trembling display of power. Oh, she was in a bad mood before, but hearing about the group that was constantly attempting to oust her of power was the icing of the cake. And I was the one delivering the bad news. "Leave us." Princess Luna snarls, directing a hoof towards Blood Fang, who stares in shock. "But...Y-Your highness, she-" He tries to argue. Oh, I've learned quite well not to argue with the princess when she's like this. You nod your head and back away as quietly as possible and pray to whoever's listening that she'll spare you her wraith. Blood Fang has not learned this lesson, and before I can say anything, a black, gulping portal opens behind the two of us. A terrible, dark sphere of all encompassing darkness. I don't know where that portal leads, nor do I want to find out, but Blood Fang is lifted off the ground and turned towards the gaping abyss with Luna's magic. "YOU. HAVE. A. CHOICE." Is all she needs to say. Blood Fang is released from her grasp, and he immediately tears through the throne room to the exit. Leaving me and Luna alone. Now she's glaring at me, waiting to hear what's so terribly important. Awesome. > Training: Balance > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- These are the training sessions I go through to stay in tip top shape for the Night Crew. Being a part of the night crew is kinda like special forces. See, we don't do situps and wing-pushups, or stuff like that. No jogging, or military minded exercises. No no. Ours (and mine) are a bit more...creative. I didn't know what they were talking about. I didn't really care. Politics. Bleh. Something about the Gryphon Empire and the Crystal Empire, and the Cervine Provinces. Blah blah blah. All they talk about in the castle are politics. Not the guards, though. They don't talk. Just the princess and whatever guest she's speaking with. It was always the same, really. Each and every single time. You'd think spending time in Canterlot Castle would be exciting, or interesting, but the sad truth of the matter, is that every single day here is mind numbingly boring. I twitch, and fidget and shuffle my rump back and forth across the perfectly polished floors, while the Princesses talk. And talk. And talk. And talk. And talk. And talk. And talk. And talk. And talk. And talk. And talk. You think that's a lot of talking? You haven't spent a day in Canterlot Castle, then. Personally, I can't stand it. It makes me crazy. It's boring and I have to move, I have to go somewhere, I have to DO something...but I can't. I sit there, bored out of my skull, listening to politics that don't interest me in the slightest. But thats the training. That's the whole point. I pretend I'm a gargoyle, still as a statue, watching ponies come and go. I can't feel anything, so this is good practice for balance, says Firefly. Also for my attention span. Humph. She's right though. Next to Princess Celestia I remain, perfectly still and silent. I can't exactly feel the weight on my head since I don't have feeling there, but I'm certain that she's placed the tea cup down. Thats right. Diamond Dancer. Miracle Mare, Fantastic Filly, and tea table for Princess Celestia. I keep my focus as best I can. When she moves, I move. The job is to stay by Celestia's side for the afternoon, and remain perfectly still, balancing this little plastic tray on my head while the princess yabbers on and on and on. I use my eyes and ears to maintain balance, which doesn't really make sense, but it works for me. I keep a fixated point in the room, and my eyes level with it. It's hard to describe, but the point is, I spilled the tea three or for times. Not too bad, says Firefly. Sometimes the Princess and I talk, while she's signing papers and things. I don't know much about Celestia, but she always seems charming and cheerful. She's very relaxed, I guess I would put it. Kind of a stark contrast to Princess Luna. I try to stay still when I answer my questions, but I'm guessing this is part of the balance training too. Talking and holding still. She asks me about where I grew up, what the Manehatten slums are like, how I got my cutiemark, if I have any crushes on any ponies in ponyville, how do I get my mane to stay up the way it does. I ask her what sensations are like. Difficult questions. She said she never had to describe the sun warming you on a gentle summer day. I guess I'll never know exactly what she's talking about. These are somewhat less strenuous sessions than battle techniques or point precision flying. But boring. Super duper boring. Bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored... Shoot! I fell asleep and spilled the tea. And now I get to start all over again. Awesome. I think this is gonna take a while, soooo I'm gonna end this here. Next time I'll talk about battle training! That's the fun stuff! > Mission: ??? Dark Promise > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal log...This is my hardest mission. I don't think I'm gonna be able to complete this one. I won't give up though. I am jolted awake by my own body. See, Icarus Syndrome sometimes feels the need to let me know it's still stalking through my veins, pushing me to an early grave. Sometimes I can ignore it- pretend that I'm just a normal filly with another birthday coming up. Some days; like today, it reminds me my time is borrowed, and there's nothing I can do to change that. My body is twisted and tangled underneath me and I can see sunlight streaming through the windows of my room. I work the night shift, of course, so I sleep during the day. I figure it's maybe 3 pm...or if you're a regular pony, it's 3 am. Whichever. It doesn't matter. If I were able to feel temperature, I'm sure I'd be feverish. But since I can't, the only way I can tell things are bad is by the thick pool of sweat I'm laying in. Ick. Icarus Syndrome won't let me forget I'm it's slave. Today it reminds me in spades. I'm only awake for a few moments before my body lurches forward, and I puke helplessly into my bed. Brownish, greenish bile that ripples through my frame and pools on the covers. Ugh. I try to call for Bardigan, my big brother. I need him. Whenever I'm scared and things start to turn dark, he's always there to cheer me right up. But before I can get his name out of my mouth, I throw up again. Harder this time, my body seizing up and twisting around itself while my stomach empties itself onto my bed. No no no...I fall to the floor, trying to make my way to the bathroom. If I'm going to throw up, I need to do it in the toilet. But I only make it a few steps before I'm paralyzed again- vomiting profusely onto the floor. By now I've got nothing left to expel, so I'm just dry heaving and my stomach is cramping in on itself. "No...No more...Please no more..." I beg my own body. Please, please, please no more. I just need to get to the- I throw up again. Now I can't breathe. My throat is closing in on itself, my frame shuddering and I gasp for air. I'm sure if I were a normal girl, I'd be cracking my own ribs with how hard my body was fighting to destroy itself, but I can't feel anything anyway. I drag myself across the hall way and into the bathroom. By now my body won't respond to my commands anymore. I'm so tired...I'm so so so tired...I just want to sleep, but my body lurches again, twisting me onto my back and doing it's best to heave my stomach right out of my throat. I can't breathe again, gasping and choking on my own tongue. My eyes water up. I'm dying. I know I'm dying, and there's nothing I can do about it. I hack and cough and gasp. For a brief, flickering second, I can see my own feathers, floating there above my head. At first I don't know whats going on- am I upside down somehow? No. No. Icarus Syndrome is causing my feathers to fall out. Frail and fragile, not strong and dependable. They drift lifelessly to the ground while my body seizes in another dry heave. My feathers. My beautiful, beautiful feathers. Whats a pegasus without feathers?! Why does this have to happen to me?! Whatever I did wrong, I'm sorry already! PLEASE!!! Another lurch. Another horrible dry heave. I can feel bile oozing through my nose. I can't breathe! I can't call for help! Luna, somepony, ANYPONY!! After an eternity, my lungs finally stop seizing up, and I can breathe again. Ragged, gasping breaths, doing my best to suck air in through my nose. The episode is passing. I can breathe again. I'll live for another day, even though my body is reminding me to cherish the time. Each day, things will get worse and worse, though. Each day more feathers fall out, and it gets a little bit harder to fly. Laying on the bathroom floor, looking up at the ceiling, seeing the brightest, whitest stars in my eyes. My vision is swimming. The air tastes so sweet in my rancid lungs, and I can't stop myself from crying. This is my fate. The fate of the Miracle Mare. The Fantastic Filly. The Impossible Pony. My own body shuts down on itself and sentences me to a pathetic, sobbing demise. I try to roll myself onto my tummy. No. No I don't want to die like this. I don't want to submit to this sickness!! Of course...I don't have a choice. It's killing me. Slowly. Methodically. Shutting down my insides one part at a time. It's already robbed me of my beautiful silver coat. My sense of taste, touch and smell. My ability to fly properly. My dignity. It's taking everything from me, and it won't stop until it leaves me a hollow shell of my former self. Of course... Thats where Princess Luna comes in. Thats why I love her so much. She's the only one that can save me. Her and her dark promise. Why do you think Luna sends me on so many terrible missions? No little girl should ever have to fight the monsters she sends me to face. No little girl would survive half the missions I'm sent on. The guards in Canterlot Castle all hate me. They can't understand why Princess Luna would adopt a little ten year old with a terminal disease into the Night Court. They can't understand why the Princess would send a filly on dangerous suicide missions. They can't understand that it won't be Icarus Syndrome that kills me. It won't be this disease that finally ends my story. It won't be this debilitating sickness. It will be my loyalty to Princess Luna. And her dark promise that will finally close my book. And I couldn't be happier. > Training: Personal Techniques > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiya! This is a run down of allll my personal techniques I've created for myself! See, I got the idea when I saw Rainbow Dash preform her Fantastic Filly Flash, and then the Sonic Rainboom. I figured coming up with my own special moves would be sure to get Princess Luna's attention, so here are all the skills I've come up with so far! Midnight Missile/Moonlight Missile Ahh, the Midnight Missile! This is my go-to skill for most situations. Any, situation, really. I lower my head so it's completely in line with my spine, and then I charge forward as hard as I can! KA-BOOM! Ha! Since I can't feel pain, usually I hit stuff a LOT harder than I think. The Moonlight Missile is basically the exact same skill, except instead of running forward, I fly. I call it the Moonlight Missile because if I can go fast enough, my contrail kicks in, and I leave a bright light behind me! I slam head first into whatever it is I'm aiming at! Useful for taking down monsters or opening doors! Comet Crasher: This isn't exactly perfected quite yet. My Comet Crasher maneuver ( notice how they're all star related and space themed? Hee hee) involves me racing up to my target, usually a bad guy, and grabbing them, and flying up with them as high as I can. Then I wrap my arms and legs around them, and drop like a rock. I can't feel anything, so basically, I let gravity do all the work and the impact pretty much takes out whoever I've grabbed. The problem is, I'm not very big, so this only works on really small enemies. Galaxy Grenade: This move only works when I'm wearing my armor Princess Luna gave to me: The shatter Plate. Crystal armor that shatters on impact into thousands of shards of shrapnel. Usually, Virga hurls me at the ground over a lot of enemies, and I crash into it head first, sending shards flying everywhere. Veeeery dangerous. I hate the clean up afterwards. Yuck. Filly Flicker Flash (Diamond's Version) The reflective properties of my crystal coat, combined with my contrail has a really really weird reaction sometimes. If I'm going fast enough to til my contrail kicks in- and then stop, the light from my contrails reflects against my own fur, and creates an illusion of me for a few seconds. It's really kinda cool. I use the Filly Flicker Flash to dart and zip around making monsters think I'm in places where I'm really not. Radiant Ricochet: This move only works when I'm surrounded by enemies in tight corners. I mean, I never actually pulled this off properly, but, you know it works in theory! I basically bounce around from bad guy to bad guy, using my trajectory and momentum to carry me around, changing direction with my wings and hooves. Since I can't feel anything, uh...doesn't really...work out so well...heh heh heh... Starlight Stride: Star Strider taught me this one! If I go fast enough, I leave a bright white contrail behind me, right? So, sometimes, at night, I'll fly fast enough and zip in different directions, making designs and patterns. I've gotten really really good at drawing stars- but they don't last very long, the contrail fades away after a few seconds... Dazzling Dream Drop: This is my ultimate move! I got inspired by watching Rainbow Dash preform a Sonic Rainboom, and I just HAD to see if I could do the same! uh..not so much. I flew up as high as I could and tries to do a dive bomb, figuring flying straight down would make me go faster, right? Not so much. I couldn't pull up in time and crashed into the ground. Funny thing though, the crystal properties of my coat reacted to the ground, and KA-BOOM, there's suddenly this huge mega big blizzard of crystal shimmery flakes fluttering down around me. It was really cool- kinda like a bomb going off! Star Seeker's Strike: Ummm...This only works in theory...I think.. > Before the Princess : The Terrible Trade > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The air up there. The air up there is cold, and uncaring. It doesn’t matter if you’re a veteran flyer, or just a filly trying to save a life. It doesn’t matter if you’re a glory hound, seeking fame and fortune, or a Bolt-Head with a crush on Spitfire. It doesn’t matter, because the air up there is all the same; Cold, and cruel, and crushing. Nopony expected a filthy little orphan to compete in the world’s highest flyer competition. With wings so small, and a task so tall, what was this little filly doing there at all? I was trying to make a miracle. Flying as hard as I can. Flying like a life depended on it, because it does. Flying like the sky was water, and I was drowning for air, and the faster I go, the sooner I get to the surface. I flew like I had nothing left to give, no other reason to live, and I fly like there’s no other way to save the day. And it doesn't mean a bucking thing when there are seven other contestants. Seven other full grown pegasi pumping full grown wings with well practiced strokes, shooting past and leaving me with laughter ringing in my ears. But I can’t stop. Everything has lead to this point, this contest, this drive to strive to save the life of a pony planted in a bed doing his best to protest joining the dead. And I’m trying so hard. I can’t stop, even if my wings are burning and my lungs ache and pegasi left and right shoot by me, like I was dragging a cart behind me filled with the weight of regret. I know it’s crazy. I know, I’m crazy. I know. I’m no angel. I’m not anything even close, so trying to make a miracle happen is about as likely as having 6.7 billion ponies in the world, and the one with the miracles hearing an orphan like me screaming “PLEASE!!!?” Please…. I fly like I’ve never flown before. Pain is a myth, and I reach for the sky, like down wasn’t an option and earth was just a fading dream. I fly harder than I have ever pumped my wings before, and breathe in cold shards of ice instead of air. Frozen feathers and cold joints warmed by a burn in my lungs and the screaming in my muscles, but I can’t stop. I won’t. Even if the other competitors are out of sight; either too far above or too far below, too hot or too cold, I can’t stop. The stars are so close, and yet so far, and I’ve never seen them so clear; so near, like I could reach out and cup them in my hooves. And that’s all I need. I just need one. Just one star. Just one wish PLEASE, if ANYTHING is listening, PLEASE. If you want a follower, if you want a servant, if you want a slave, if you want me to be ANYTHING, please. Now is the time. Now is the only time. Let me touch one star- just one wish: PLEASE- “let Criss Cross be okay.” It’s so cold I can’t breathe, cause the air is ice. I can’t see, cause my eyes are frozen shut. I can’t feel, because the cold wraps around me like a blanket. But I don’t care. I can’t stop. Stopping is for ponies who don’t have a foal in a hospital depending on you to keep them alive. I won’t let Criss Cross die. I’ll do everything I can, so even if the angels ignore my prayers- it won’t be because I didn’t try. The wind is so loud it’s like a tornado in my head. The air is so cold it’s like I’m buried in snow. Theres ice in my lungs and my eyes are frozen shut. I can’t feel my wings- but I know I’m falling. I can’t go any higher because there’s no higher left to fly. Not for a filthy little filly from the slums. I can remember the darkness swallowing me up- my last fleeting moments of consciousness. I was torn between wanting to see Criss Cross one last time- just to tell him I was sorry. Just to let him know how I really felt about him. Or maybe I wouldn’t see him again at all. Maybe it would be too late. Or maybe this final plunge into the earth would be my last…would that be so bad? After all, how do you tell the foal you had a crush on, that you couldn’t save him…that you tried but you failed. Is “I’m sorry” good enough? It really didn’t matter how badly you wanted it. The air up there was cold, and crushing, cruel and careless. I’m plummeting to the ground faster and harder than I ever have before, cursing the sky, and the wind and the air up there, the thousands of ponies who spend a single bit on a wish- the cost of a miracle tossed into a well without an care in the world. And I’m not scared. I’m not mad, or angry or disappointed. I just have one wish. One thing I want. One thing I'm begging for- before darkness takes me, and everything fades away, and the ground swallows me up, and my world ends. I was too high to survive this fall. But it was alright. I only had one wish. “Please. Let Criss Cross be okay. I don’t have any bits to spend, or anything to trade, and I know he’s dying, and I’m really trying, and there’s nothing else I can do, so please. Please. Please. Let. Him. Be. Okay,” * * * * * Three broken ribs. Right wing shattered in seven different places. Broken nose. Hairline fracture on right foreleg. Two cracked ribs. Concussion. Severe case of frostbite. 3 severed arteries. Dislocated left foreleg. That was my diagnosis when they admitted me to Lifeline Hospital in Manehatten; breathing shallowly with labored wheezing. Only barely conscious and unresponsive- wrapped in a blanket of in-coherency and sputtering hisses of protest to the dark place that was trying to pull me into it's depths. Invincible. Ha. You try dropping in from so high over the planet you can't even see it and see how great you do. Silver stars, there goes my reputation. But my injuries didn't mean anything compared to Criss Cross being so sick. I woke up in an unfamiliar bed, lost in silence, and drowning in my own tears. How could I speak when there was nothing to say, and try as I might I couldn't anyway. My voice was buried; lost to somewhere I didn't know existed inside of me. Stricken and silent, in a room bared of any and all sounds other than the buzzing beeps of the machines that crowded around me; I stared helplessly at the newspaper at the foot of my bed. I couldn't make out much other than the headline through my tears, but it was enough. I had flown has high as I could. I took on the odds as if I had flunked out of math class, and I double dog dared probability to stop me. I should have been dead, and I was hooked up to so many machines that I doubted there was room in here for a doctor- but it didn't matter. There was no first-aid kit that could have healed me like that head-line: MIRACLE MARE FROM MANEHATTEN SHATTERS ALL TIME RECORD FOR HIGHEST FLYING FILLY I cried. I cried so hard, because I was so happy, and I 'd never, ever, been in that place before. DIAMOND DANCER ; (Now known, as the Impossible pony) Brought the crowd to a standstill on Monday, when the little filly crushed the world's record for Highest Flying Pony in the history of Equestira. Diamond Dancer, kissed the sky by traveling to the Stratosphere, only 7 feet away from reaching the Mesosphere and broke the held record of highest flying Pegasus (Cloud Kicker, in the early days of Equestria) With a reward of 50,000 Bits, Diamond has dedicated her winnings to a friend in local LifeLine Hospital, suffering from a severe case of Horn Rot. The little pony, against all odds, beat out the competition, and sought nothing more than to reach for the stars, and after a spectacular crash, was discovered to be alive and has been admitted to Life Line Hospital for observation and treatment. Diamond wowed the judges with her flight patterns and sheer determination to exceed goals. When she returned to earth after her flight, the little foal had a distinct marking on her flank that wasn't there when she undertook the massive task. Miracle Mare to be sure, not only did Diamond Dancer shatter the world's record, donate her proceeds to an ill friend in the hospital, but she got her Cutie Mark in the process. This 'Fantastic Filly' certainly displays the sort of courage required to be a Wonderbolt, which is fitting since part of- I stopped reading because it didn't matter anymore. The rest of the story was entirely unappealing to me in the moment. Still I wish I was well enough to actually see my cutie mark. Broken ribs don't offer much flexibility. But really, it didn't matter! I wiggled my hips, with the knowledge my cutie mark was on my flank- I closed my eyes with the knowledge that Criss Cross was going to be ok, and I fell asleep, knowing that when all was said and done... I was the Fantastic Filly. I was the Impossible Pony. I was the Miracle Mare. And everything was gonna be ok. Or so I thought. When I woke up, three days had ticked by I hardly remembered. I was far more out of it than I thought. . Three days since my ‘miracle’ was made and three days since I tossed and turned and my heart would leap with every beep of the machine next to me. Three days since the doctors said there wasn’t much hope for a beat up little filly like me, wrecked and ruined by the events relevant to prevent the death of my friend; Criss Cross. But I remember the nurse coming in; after crying my heart out, and squealing for joy after reading the newspaper somepony left on my bed. She looked nice enough- curly blonde mane, Terran pony, bright pink coat...a sweet disposition, an older mare, the grandmotherly type. And she had a smile- the saddest smile I had ever seen on a grown mare looking at a filly who’d just gotten her cutie mark- a smile for me. I’ve seen those smiles before- those sad, heartbroken-down-on-your-luck-don’t-have-the-heart-to-tell-you-the-angels-didn’t-hear-your-plea-or-maybe-they-just-didn’t-care-smiles. Those terrible, heart wrenching, horrid, soul crushing smiles that are promising precursors to a bad day. The smile she was holding for me was the granddaddy of those type smiles- the most horrible of them all. At first I thought it was Criss Cross. Maybe something happened- maybe something went wrong with the medicine, or maybe there wasn’t enough money! I was the Miracle Mare-, so maybe I could get some more, or maybe, if I asked the right ponies- But no. I babbled incoherently about trying to rescue Criss Cross, or maybe the Wonderbolts decided not to give me the money- or maybe I wasn’t old enough to receive it, or … No. That wasn’t it either. I could see it in her eyes, but try as I might to deny it, I already knew what it was. I was stalling for time, pretending it wasn’t the horrible black splotches on my face that were getting bigger everyday, or the fact that I’d been hiding how sick I’d felt. I wanted to deny that I had Horn Rot- that was something unicorns got. Maybe it was the Feather Flu, but the Feather Flu didn’t turn your coat black. Maybe it was the Pegasus Pox, but I didn’t have spots. Just splotches. Nasty horrible blotches and splotches that started out on my nose and slowly started to get bigger. But it was there- clear and plain on her face. That smile was a heart breaker, and it was my heart she was about to break. But I had to know-… “Is…Is Criss Cross ok?” She sat down next to me, quietly, still smiling that terrible, motherly smile, and nodded her head. Her eyes were misty and her lower lip was quivering. I knew then and there it wasn’t Criss Cross. It wasn’t Criss Cross, or the money, or the Wonderbolts. I could deny it all I wanted but it was me all along, and could feel it in my chest, that it was gonna get worse before it got better. “…Criss Cross ain’t sick no more…but I am…aren’t I?” I asked, my voice nervous and reluctant. She gasped, quietly, and after a brief pause, she slowly nodded her head. I swallowed and closed my eyes. “….I…I ain’t got da kinda sick dat you’se get betta from….do I?” She didn’t answer, but that was answer enough for me. Slowly she stood up, and told me she would go and get the doctor. It hit me like a kick to the stomach. Like a little bubble of a warm dream bursting into cold reality; I didn’t make a Miracle. I wasn’t some savior to a friend or some pony that managed to bring down some marvel from the heavens. I had begged anything that was listening to let me save Criss Cross, and something answered. I hadn’t made a Miracle. I had made a trade. A terrible, bone chilling, unthinkable, unspeakable curse of a trade. I gave my life in exchange for Criss Cross. My good health, my fate, my destiny, all in exchange for the foal two rooms down to keep breathing. … And looking back on it all. I said I’d do anything. I would do anything to save Criss Cross. I flew to the heavens and back, searched high and low, and the only thing I managed to find, was a trade. My life for his. … And I wouldn’t change a bucking thing about it. > Before the Princess 2: Eternity's End > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (This takes place immediately after the events of "The Terrible Trade) "C, can I go outside today? Please?" I asked. Only I wasn't asking. I was pleading. I was begging. I was on my knees looking up at Doctor Holiday who cast a quiet, empty smile in my direction. I hated his freaking guts. "No, Diamond, not today. I think it's raining today. You want to go out in the sun, don't you? No, not today." He said with a wave of his hoof. A wave of disappointment washed over me, and I slumped back to my bed, my ears scraping the sound of my room door shutting. And locking. I had been at Lifeline Hospital for almost three weeks now. Three weeks since I'd crushed the world's Record for Highest flying filly. Three weeks since I'd crashed and crumpled my body into nothing more than a colorful heap on the ground, and three weeks since I'd been told I was sick. See, apparently, going up so high in the sky has it's consequences. Pegasi aren't supposed to fly as high as I did for as long as I did. They aren't supposed to spend time above the sky cap, the place where the air gets to thin and the winds get to cold. So now I'm sick. I'm real sick. We're talking "Ain't gonna get better sick. " ... We're talking no more next birthday sick. ... We're talking six months sick. Six whole months. You never think about that sort of thing. You wake up in the morning, and you hunt for food, and you try to stay out of trouble- you go to sleep, and thats that. Time and your life, and everything is eternal. It just keeps going on and on and on and you never pay attention to it. And just like that, two little words: "Six Months" and you see Eternity's End. Time stops becoming infinite when you realize that the reality of your morality is your an awaiting fatality. Your legacy turned into a sadistic statistic for a book somewhere. A number. Not the Miracle Mare. Not the Impossible Pony. Not the Fantastic Filly. Just a number in a book- the number of recorded deaths from being a stupid filly trying to save a stupid foal. Doctor Holiday promised me he could help though. But my money was all donated to Criss Cross to get him better. There wasn't enough for me- or medications, or a hospital stay. He said there was another way. He said my body was special- something he'd never seen before. All I had to do, was let him observe me, and take samples and experiment, and I could stay at the hospital for free! It was too good to be true. So I accepted. ... It was too good to be true. The first night wasn't so bad. The nurses were really nice and bought me food to eat and I had a bed to sleep on! It was a pretty crummy bed, and the food was like crewing plastic, but it was better than sleeping in the mud in a sewer tunnel. They even gave me a little book to help past the time! A diary! Neat-o! I couldn't wait to get better and go out and see my friends again! All I had to do, was wait for Doctor Holiday to cure me! That was three weeks ago. The second night is when he asked me for a sample of my blood. I asked how and he showed me a needle. It was my first time seeing one, and I asked him if it would hurt. He laughed and told me the "Fantastic Filly" had nothing to fear from an everyday needle. So I said ok. I held out my arm for him, like he asked, and he tried to pierce me with it- only it didn't work. It shattered against my arm. He got a new needle and tried again, and again, and each one shattered. He said he'd be back, and when he returned, he had...he didn't have a needle. He was holding a bone saw. I was having second thoughts, but my protest wasn't exactly something he wanted to hear. I don't know why it scared me so much, but I bolted from the room best I could with broken legs and ribs. Didn't get to far. I went racing down the corridors trying to find the doors to the outside! But it was one big maze! I didn't know where to go! Not that it mattered, because the orderlies pounced me. One of them holding me down on the floor- a giant gray stallion. I screamed, and kicked and tried to wriggle away, but he was resistant to my hapless attempts. Doctor Holiday appeared a few minutes later. I begged him to stop, maybe we could find a different way to take a sample, but he wasn't listening. The orderly held out my arm, and I watched the saw go to work on my wrist. "NO NO NO! STOP!!! PLEASE STOP!! SOMEPONY HELP ME!!! DON'T CUT ME UP!!!" I screamed. The hospital was silent...the only noise was the sawing sound and the beautiful gush of the sample they were looking for. The orderly picked me up after that, dragged me back into my room, and dropped me on the bed. That’s when they started locking the door. That’s when I realized I wasn’t at this hospital for healing. Doctor Holiday started giving me pills after that. He said it was medicine to help me get better. They made me sleepy, and sometimes, I’d fall asleep in the middle of conversations, or looking out the window, or trying to write a letter to my friends. When I woke up, I was always on my bed. I always had a headache, and there were always different bandages over random parts of my body. I told them I didn’t wanna take the pills anymore, but Doctor Holiday ‘insisted’ that I keep taking them. He said they were to help me get better. But the blotches on my nose and body were getting worse. They were starting to show up on my neck and there was even one under my eyes. I wondered if Star Strider and the others were worried about me? Or maybe they gave up and left me behind. I hadn’t seen them since the competition, and I hadn’t heard about Criss Cross. I kept asking to see him, but they kept telling me he couldn’t be disturbed. He was very sick and they were trying to make him better. I was sick too, and I didn’t want to be contagious, did I? So I stayed away. After a while, I asked the Doctor if maybe I could go outside for a little while. He laughed and told me I wasn’t better yet, but if I was a really REALLY good girl, I could if I didn’t give him any trouble. So I took all the pills they gave me, and I didn’t struggle when they held me down to take blood, or samples. I did everything they asked me to do, and… Well… Every day I asked it was raining. Or it was too hot, or too cold out. Or I had a temperature somedays and I couldn’t climb out of bed. Or somedays I was too sleepy after all the pills I took. But I wanted to go outside- I wanted to smell the air and fly…but I wasn’t allowed to fly. They told me I was too sick. I don’t like it in here, Diary. Doctor Holiday says I’m gonna get better, but if I don’t I’ll make a lot of ponies better so it won’t be in vain, and best of all, I was going to make him quite a bit of money. And I asked him what he meant, and he laughed and locked the door. I don’t like my room, it’s too small, and so cramped and I don’t even have enough room to fly! I have to get out. I HAVE TO GET OUT!!! I screamed and cried and banged on the door, and one of the Orderlies came in and told me to be quiet. I told him I wanted to leave and I didn’t care about being sick anymore, and that Doctor Holiday was a liar and a jerkface. …I don’t remember what happened after that. I woke up in a room with weird walls. They were soft and squishy, and I was wrapped up in this weird scarf thing where I couldn’t move my arms or my wings. I don’t like it in here, Diary. It’s scary. I want to go back to Star Strider and my friends. I don’t care if I’m sick. I just wanna go outside. I wanna go home. I know I don’t have a home, but I guess even the orphanage is better than this. I can’t stop crying, and it’s dark in here- there isn’t a light or windows or anything. I just wanna go outside. I promise I won’t be bad anymore. I’ll take all my medicine and I’ll let them take all the samples they want. I just wanna go outside. …please? > Before the Princess 3: Discharge > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When I woke up, the world was in absolute chaos. It was as if my senses had gone haywire, and pure pandemonium was the only input I could receive. The ground was spinning, my hearing was muted, and vertigo was the sweet, horrid mistress of my vision. In short- I threw up. But that was less concerning than why I was awake. I was sure it wasn’t time for my pills again, even though I had been losing a lot of time lately. Every time I woke up, it seemed like it was time for more pills, but this time it seemed different. This time it felt like I was woken up earlier than normal. Groggy and sick, and unresponsive, I was barely aware of Doctor Holiday yelling at me. Whatever he was yelling, it didn’t really matter. I didn’t care. I wanted to go back to sleep. My head was heavy and my eyes weren't responding well- everything was cross eyed, and double vision, and for whatever reason, Doctor Holiday was much, much smaller than normal. I chalked it up to the weird medication they’d been giving me. The doctor, however was relentless in his…well, whatever he was yelling at me. My ears didn’t pick up on it too well. Everything was muted and distorted and it didn’t make any sense. Still, I leaned against him, like I always did, when he was taking me off to get samples. We exited the room, and started down the corridor like normal, but Doctor Holiday was acting strange- stranger than normal, but I couldn't really tell anymore. “That’s right, that’s good. Come on, Double D, one hoof in front of the other, You’re doin’ great, DD, you’re doin great! Come on, come on, we’re getting outta here.” He said. I nodded my head, even though it didn’t make any sense. I just wanted to go back to sleep, really. Maybe I was dreaming. Everything felt like a dream. Nothing felt normal. There were a lot more ponies, in the hallways than usual. All of them were screaming, or scrambling left and right and for some reason we weren’t heading towards the laboratory where the Doctor usually took my samples. Maybe …maybe… “C-canni go Outshide? Pleash? I’ve been a good girl. I really hash.” I sputtered, trying my hardest to sound like I wasn’t too drugged to fly. I hoped, I hoped I HOPED he’d say yes. Maybe that’s where we were going, maybe that’s why I could feel my wings again, flickering lazily in the air behind me. Wait, my wings? They took that weird jacket thing off of me? When did that happen? What was going on? “Yes! Outside, Diamond, we’re going outside, come on, come on, we gotta walk! You gotta work with me, come on, oh, please come on, Diamond! Wake up, wake up!!” The Doctor barked. I shook my head, trying to clear my muddled thoughts but the confusion remained. I stumbled and staggered down the halls with him, trying to make sense of the situation. What was going on? How come the hallways were so crowded? Why was it so hard to hear anything? What was that blaring noise? I learned against Doctor Holiday, sluggishly trying to maneuver my hooves the way he wanted them, and he pushed me towards the elevator. “Punchline started a small erm…fire to cause a distraction. I…Diamond I am so sorry it took us this long to get you.” The Doctor said. I peered at him with one half open eye and gave a snort. Wait…fire?! “W-wha? Theresh a fire? We can’t leave! Wesh, w, wesh gotta git Crissh Crossh. We gotta git him out, hesh shick! PLEASE! I HAFF TO SHAVE HIM!” I sobbed, but Doctor Holiday held me tight, shaking his head. “N-NO! Diamond! D-Diamond! Look at me! I AM Criss Cross!! Oh, what have they DONE to you?! I,-- look,-- don’t worry, I’m gonna get you outta here, come on!” The boy announced, while I leaned against him, trying to decipher what he’d just told me. Criss Cross? But he was still sick, wasn’t he? Was this a trap? This didn’t make any sense, and were we here at an elevator? During a fire? What was going on? But before I had time to ponder the events in question any further, the elevator doors opened with a herculean effort of magic from Criss Cross’s horn. The next thing I knew, I was tumbling down, down, down into the darkness. There was no elevator called, just the shaft that swallowed me up- followed by a warm set of arms that caught me immediately after. “Heya Kiddo- long time no see. “ A familiar voice cooed from the darkness of the elevator shaft. It sounded like Star Strider, but that couldn’t be right. Suddenly, I realized what was happening. It was all so clear now. There were no ringing fire alarms, or scrambling ponies. There was no smoke, no fire, and no Criss Cross. This was all a dream. A nightmare, really. A drug induced hallucination I was susceptible to before awaiting my next horrifying blood drawing procedure. I wasn’t really being held by Star Strider, while Sunset caught Crisscross, and they carried us out to the roof for a slick get away. I wasn’t really being flown back to the abandoned little warehouse we’d been squatting in, where they had designed a bed for me, with pillows of straw and everything soft they could find. My friends weren’t keeping watch over me, while I slept off the drugs, and Criss Cross didn’t really sneak a kiss to my cheek and tell me it was good to have me back, and that everything was going to be ok. It was all just a terrible nightmare. So imagine how confused I was, when I woke up, with Criss Cross sitting next to me, in that warehouse, in the morning light. Even if he was just a dream- he got the tightest hug I’ve ever given anypony. Ever. > Before The Princess 4: Words We Couldn't Say > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Whadda MEAN you're goin to ponyville without us?! What in Tartarus, Diamond?” Star Strider barked, forcing my ears to lay back against my skull. I didn’t know how else to break the news. Tact wasn’t exactly my strong point, and I was struggling to figure out a decent way to telling them. “I’m…I’m goin solo. From here on out. “ I stammered. I didn’t know how to phrase it. How do you tell your closest friends your dying and there’s nothing they can do? How do you burden them with the knowledge that you’ve managed to contract a fatal disease trying to save them? There wasn’t enough money left for a cure. This wasn’t Horn Rot. Horn Rot had a treatment. Horn Rot had a cure. It was expensive, but it was there. This had no cure. Not for me. What was I supposed to say? “I…I thought you were one of us. We just risked it all to SAVE you! I taught you. I taught you everything! EVERYTHING!!! I taught you how to survive! How to live, how to steal, how to eat, how to keep your sorry tail out of jail! I taught you EVERYTHING ….except loyalty you miserable little wretch. “ Strider hissed. I winced. That hurt. A lot. “…S-Stridah…S-Stridah, please, it ain’t like dat! It ain’t like dat at all, I swear!” I sputtered. My mouth felt funny. Ever since I'd gotten out of the hospital, it feels like my tongue is kind of numb. But that didn't matter at all now. Strider had my attention and he was in a mad rage now, pacing back and forth, snarling. “I get it, Diamond. Ooooooh, I get it. Miss Miracle Mare. Miss Fantastic Filly. I flippin get it. You think your too good to hang out with us losers now, huh? Is that it? You think now that you’ve got a ‘title’ you’re gonna go live it up with the big shots? Don’t think I don’t know what your up to. You’re not going to ponyville, you little tramp. You’re going to Canterlot, aren’t you?” He snapped. I bawked. He was right. I don’t know HOW he knew that was the plan, but he was right. I was heading to Canterlot. Ponyville was just a stop along the way. Technically, I didn’t lie when I said I was going to Ponyville, but he’d seen right through my deception. I should have known better: Strider was the one who taught me how to lie in the first place. “You’re gonna head to Canterlot aren’t you? Then what? Whats next for the Fantastic Filly, huh? Ask Princess Celestia for a royal room at the castle? The Miracle Mare deserves one, is that it? Maybe ask for a job befitting of such a celebrity? “ Strider asked, spitting on the ground in front of me. I swallowed quietly, sadly, and shook my head, tears in my eyes. But it wasn’t enough to dissuade him. There was nothing I could say now to fix this. I was going to Canterlot. I was going to talk with the Princess, that was true. But he was wrong about WHICH princess I was going to be speaking with. I wasn’t going to talk with Princess Celestia. I was going to talk to Princess Luna. I didn’t want a room, I didn’t want anything other than to thank her. Princess Luna made the stars in the night. I trained everyday to fly as high as I could to touch one, every single day. I never came close- but all that training paid off- it let me break the world’s record, and that let me save Criss Cross. As far as I was concerned, I owed Princess Luna everything. Even if I was going to die, cold and alone, curled up like a fist protesting death, the last thing I wanted to do in this world, was give my thanks where it was due. Strider could never understand, and I could never tell him. Words I couldn’t say. I’d rather him hate me, than cry for me-and anguish my death knowing there was nothing he could do to save me. “SO GO ON!!” He barked, pointing a hoof away from the circle of us. Away from him. Away from my friends. Towards my end. I turned and stared at them for one last time. My friends. The closest thing I had to a family. Punchline. Our little earth pony prankster. Always laughing, always smiling, always optimistic. Always with a joke. He was staring at me silently. I couldn’t read him. I hoped he wasn’t angry too…but when he was silent, he usually was. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to put the smile back on his face. I wanted to hug him, and hear one of his lame jokes. Just one more time. But those were words I couldn’t say. Sunset, with her long brilliant red hair, and golden eyes. Her pretty perfect pristine coat, and gentle looking wings. She was motherly, and mature, quiet and hopeful. She was searching me for my reasoning. I know she was. I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to let her know I wasn’t abandoning them, and I wasn’t running away, I just couldn’t let them watch me die. But those were words I couldn’t say. Criss Cross looked …Criss cross looked like he was holding back tears and holding back rage at the same time. Like he was hiding behind his cracked glasses, and trying to remain as cool and stoic as ever without the slightest hint of emotion towards me or the drama encircling us. He was the reason all this was happening. He was the source, the cause, the disharmony that set me on my path to destiny. He was the reason I had my Cutie Mark. He was the reason I had my title. He was the reason I had my disease. He was everything to me- and there wasn’t a thing I could do to tell him so. Those were words I couldn't say. I turned around quietly, and shut my eyes- trying to hold back my sobs until I was well out of earshot. It didn’t last. A hoof tapped me on the shoulder. Criss Cross was standing next to me, and before I knew it, we were hugging. Tightly. You don’t need magic, sometimes. You don’t need to be psychic, or have a ‘Pinkie Sense.’ Sometimes you just need a connection with another pony, as tragic as it is, to say the words you couldn’t say. And right there, at that moment, in that time, we both said everything we needed with that simple hug. That crushing, trembling, sob filled hug, choked with emotion and tragedy. I told Criss Cross everything I needed to tell him with that hug, and he told me the exact same things. I took a step back and so did he. We saved each other, and we were even. We were square and the words we couldn’t say, wanted to say, and needed to say, hung silently in the air. Everything we could have said was said in that hug, and in that hug was cruelty at it’s finest. There were no more misadventures to be had. No more thievery in the afternoon to fill empty tummies; working together to pull off a heist of bread and sandwiches. No more late night star gazing, and talking about what it would be like to have a family. No more cuddling together in the winter for warmth, whispering jokes and falling asleep wondering if the guards would find you dead in the morning. These were the last of my Manehatten memories. . I wasn’t going to see Criss Cross again. That hug was a lament, freedom, a testament, tragedy and heartbreak all rolled into one. He didn’t look at me when we shattered our embrace. He didn’t have to, and I didn’t want him to. “Don’t come back.” Star Strider snarled. I nodded my head. With only five months left to live, I wanted to tell Star Strider; my friend; my brother; my partner- not to worry. That I was sorry. That I loved him and I'd come back, and we could be friends again. A family again. And things would be ok. But those were words I couldn't say. > Enemy Number 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...I hate this part. I don't remember too much about it, but I hate it. This is before I met my big brother Bardigan. Just before I met Princess Luna, actually. So, I get to ponyville. I'm there maybe, one or two days, before I've got Fluttershy helping me get an audience with Princess Luna. Running into her was a stroke of luck! Who knew she was a savior to the nation and friends with Princess Celestia!! So, we get to the castle. You are never gonna believe this, but Fluttershy has the castle doctors there, wanting to examine me. Says she noticed I was sick. Me? I'm about ready to collapse. Yeah. I'm pretty sick. I can't smell anything anymore. I noticed it yesterday actually. The air just...doesn't smell anymore. It's hard to describe, cause you're is always smelling something. You just don't notice, right? Right. Doctors aren't my favorite ponies in the world. But they fed me some garbage about needing an physical exam before being allowed near royalty and I ate it up. I was so close to seeing Princess Luna, and if I didn't get to see her, I'd never forgive myself!! So...I went with them. That was not a good choice. It was hectic! So many things going on at once! Blood pressure reading, checking my eyes, nose and throat, listening to my heart. So I remember, one of them, wanting to take my temperature. Ahem. Mind you, this is me not having ever having any medical care before, except for Doctor Holiday. And he just wanted to experiment on me and my blood. So this was...this was a new experience for me. This is also back when I still had some sense of feeling. Anyway, long story short, I beat the living crap out of him. Then they held me down and held a thing over my face. Then things go black. I wake up later in this white room. It's soft in here. Quiet and it smells...smells like...No. Still no sense of smell. I think it's gone for good. I felt sick though. Like I didn't have any strength left. Icarus Syndrome was starting to do a real number on me. Was this it? Was I going to die in this stupid little room, before seeing the princess?! She's the only reason I got as far as I did! I had to see her!! "Diiiiiiiiiaaaaaaamooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnd" hissed a voice. I froze. That was something I wasn't expecting. This...voice I heard in my head and also over my head. It's hard to explain. But I could hear someone whispering to me. It was super creepy. But it's not like there's anywhere for me to go. I'm not feeling so good. I want my mommy (I don't know why) but I'm really getting scared. I'm not gonna make it to tomorrow... "Diiiiiiiiiiiiiamooooooond...Oh, poor thing. You're terrified...I can feel your suffering from here...mmmmmhhh...you're dying...Aren't you? Such a sickly filly...come...releassse me..." The words are echoing in my head. I must be dreaming. The world doesn't feel real. I'm sick. I'm so, so so sick... I'm on my hooves though. I don't know why. I was so tired, but this voice... "Yesssssssss, come...I can help you...I can ssssave you..." I march along sluggishly. Up and out of the room, and down one of the halls. It was weird. There was nobody around. No guards, no anything. Just empty hallway with an open door at the end. I walked towards it sleepily. I didn't feel great, but I couldn't stop myself. All the while, I'm becoming more and more convinced I'm not going to make it to tomorrow. I feel terrible. But this voice. It said it could save me...so...maybe?! Maybe right?! Downstairs the voice led me. Down to a lower room, and to a lower room still. The castle treasury. Not a guard in sight. "Heeeeeere, heeeeeeere yessssssss Diamond, poor filly, look at you, pale as the moon, and so ill...over here, dear, over here, yesss the vasssse...I am a trapped fairy. Long forgotten here in the bowels of the castle. Free me from my prison, Diamond. I can grant you years to live, to grow old, wouldn't you like that? " Okay, so, here's the point where common sense kicks in. I'm thinkin this sounds like a trap. Like, the mother of all traps, right? This is obviously, not a good deal. But I'm sick. And I'm scared. And I just needed Princess Luna to know she impacted my life so much. And I'm not sure how much longer I have. The vase is sitting quietly on a shelf behind a large stack of coins. I imagined the treasury would just be piles and piles of golden bits over flowing, with diamonds and rupees and all sorts of pretty jewels. But actually, it was all very neat and orderly. All of it stacked up nicely row after row. Maybe 50 coins to a stack. Sealed together in paper bags and stacked on top of themselves. I don't have the strength to reach it by flying, but I can certainly climb. I make my way up, climbing over heavy stacks of bits and jangles and gold pieces. There's the vase. "Do it...free me...release me...." Pushy fairy. I really should have asked it why It was trapped in a vase in the first place. I never said I was a particularly bright little pony. Anyway. Vase. Shelf. Easy. I tip it over and watch it shatter to the ground. I have made a grave error. I know this immediately. So, the room turns dark, right? Black and foggy and dark. I can't see it, but I know there's something else in the room with me. You know when you feel the presence of someone, even if they aren't there? It feels like it's right behind me. "Free at last!! I WILL have my revenge on Equestira!! Ahhhh...My assisssssstant. My little helper...I shall grant you life like no other, filly!" And that was it. The last thing I could clearly remember. I knew things happened after that, but it was kind of like trying to remember a dream. You know, you have some parts of it, but not all of it. It was a nightmare. Kind of like the one that possessed Luna. Or, perhaps it was the same one that split itself in two? I don't know how nightmare's reproduce. I'd rather not think about it, really. Anyway. I remember talking with Princess Celestia after that. This is when I find out what my body can really do. I apparently stormed my way through the castle. Feral and snarling, and biting and crazy. The nightmare gave me a kind of strength, a dark horrible kind of blood lust that I couldn't control. I was just along for the ride. I made my way to the throne room, dispatching guards easily left and right. I could just throw one and he'd go flying. Into his companions. The room was a chorus of screams and sickening cracks as this creature wrought it's havoc. Princess Celestia arrives with the sun guard. She commands I surrender. I refuse. She orders them to seize me. They strike. Spears, swords, close quarters weapons. They didn't offer any reluctance to strike at a little girl. I laugh. I'm glad they don't. The spears don't pierce, and the swords don't cut. I don't bleed, and I use that surprise to my advantage. I'm like a wild animal, charging into guards and thundering through defenses. This wasn't me! This wasn't me at all!! I didn't want to hurt anyone! I didn't want to fight like this!! But I moved anyway. I did as I pleased. The guards were no match for this creature. My body... tough like the consistency of a diamond. Or so I've been told. Soon it's Celestia and I. No. That's not right. It was Celestia and the thing inside of me. They barked at each other. Words of domination and conquest. Explaining vengeance towards the sun and the night. I feed off of fear and terror. I absorb it. I can feel it. I tell Princess Celestia I'll give her a choice. To tell the towns people of Ponyville I will feed off of them one, by one, until I'm powerful enough to take over the land. Warn them all. Make them fear me. Yesss...OR...she can keep it to herself. Don't let them know I'm freed. Don't do a thing, and let me take them all off guard. Easier for me, but I feed much more if there's paranoia on top of that fear. Hahahaha. Princess Celestia fires a blast at me from her horn. I dodge and let it carve a nice little hole in the side of the castle. I wiggle my way through it, and out into the night. The Princess sends the rest of the sunguard after me. Wonderbolts too. But it's dark, and I hide in the ever free forest. The creature inside of me finds a nice, shady little burrow at the edge of a swamp. Where I plan my next assault on the castle. > Dancer's Poem > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Theres a hole in my soul Where dreams used to go with a bright and beautiful glow But they've died away like night fades to day leaving me with just scars and decay I was pretty once, but not now. Now I'm like a cow, all black and white An obscene sight among pegasi who, not all but mostly pastel, which gives them insight to tell who I am inside. I'm a disgrace. I a mistake someone tried to erase off my face, and I know said this before but it still echos in my head, over and over and over and over and over and over and over. And It still hurts. One nasty thing to say, is the blue prints for a bad day And one bad day is all you need for one bad week and one bad week can lead to fear, and fear makes for an easy bad year. And after one bad year, you take your heart and your head and you hide under the bed, and try to pretend there's a life without tears. And while you're down there, next to bed as I said you should try and dream. Even if your dreams are dead. MY dreams are dead. At least, thats what I thought. Dreams don't die, they just get misplaced. And if you find there's a dream you miss, that means it still exists, and if you find that dream still exists, hold it tight with your fists, and you might as well keep dreaming. I dreamed that maybe one day I would have a home. And not just a home alone, See, I'd have a home, with no other than a brother, And even if he's a BIT creepy, I love him like no other. And we'd spend our days asleep, and every night of the week, We'd Count Stars. Me and my Brother. My Brother and I We counted more stars than there were in the sky Cause each star was a wish, And each wish was dismissed because each wish was better than the last. And when the sky was empty, and and no stars to see, We wished on each other's hearts Because each heart had more wishes than stars in the sky, and each of those wishes was a reason not to cry. Cause that year of fear had been turned from hurt to hope. And I found, That if you're going down, hold onto that hope like a rope, And pull yourself to the stars. ~Diamond > Sugar Cube Dreams > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another dream. I wrote this one down because I'm pretty sure this was the first dream Princess Luna gave to me specifically. I'm walking in town. It's a usual day. Everypony always says how good it smells around Sugar Cube Corner. I never notice. I hate Sugar Cube Corner. The smells. The ponies. the tastes. Everypony says to try the Razzberry cupcakes. Or the Lemon cupcakes. or the Blue Berry Cupcakes. Icarus Syndrome robbed me of my taste buds. Everything in the bakery tastes like chalk to me. Or packing peanuts. Or styrofoam. It didn't matter. It doesn't change. I don't care. I hate Sugar cube Corner. Pinkie doesn't, though. She's standing there, in the window, smiling that smile. I know smiles like that. Smiles that hide one thousand frowns. Smiles that grin larger than they need to, because thats the only way you can smile when everything hurts on the inside. The ponies that smile the most, are the ones that really need them. My smile isn't anywhere as practiced as Pinkie's. She's almost perfected it- but it's like that last trace of suffering can't be snuffed away under rehearsed giggles, and masterful gleams, all to hide everything underneath. I smile anyway. She needs it- more than I need mine. Then she's next to me- and her arms are around me, and she asks if I want a cupcake. I'm about to break it off, and break away, and throw myself into the sky, because the town is for ponies that can feel, and taste, and smell, and it's not worth anything to me. But she doesn't let me go, no matter how much I squirm. And she tugs me into Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie Pie sits me down in one of the booths. When she returns I'm surprised; she's holding a bowl, not a cupcake. Thick gray mush- "Oatmeal!" She says. I stare at her. She giggles. One bowl in front of me, one bowl in front of her. I don't understand. She says to me, she says she shares cupcakes with every pony in town- but I'm special. I'm special because I can't taste cupcakes. So she had to find a way to sit me down and share a treat. She says Oatmeal doesn't really taste like anything- so we're sharing the same experience. I can't stop crying. She hugs me again- arms around me, squeezing tight. "It gets easier. " She whispers so only I can hear. "The smiles we give are fake, but the ones they give back are real. If we get enough real smiles, maybe, one day, ours will be real too, so spend your days making them smile. Protect those smiles with everything you can, because they're all you have, and they're the most valuable things you'll ever make. One second of one day of one week of one year- a smile makes a life time, measured only in moments, and those moments are the ones you live forever. What's the worth of a smile, Diamond?" Things faded out then. I was sitting in bed, and the sun was shining. The birds were singing. and me? I was smiling.