The night was peaceful, hardly a sound to be heard as the land rested and relaxed. The stars shone brightly down on fields of long waving grass that swayed gently in the cool winds. It was almost completely uneventful.
Almost.
Fires burned brightly in the town, towering infernos of light. From a distance they appeared as mere pinpricks, but up close they were pillars of crimson, shining beacons of hope for all around. Upbeat music, almost tribal in nature, blared from the musicians crowding the streets, which themselves were overcrowded to the point of insanity.
But nopony cared. This was a time for celebration, not common sense. In times when the spirits of the average pony were lifted so far as to be above the clouds, they would only dance and drink and make merriment, enjoying themselves in whatever way they could before the sense of elation faded.
And this was one of those times. Adversity had been crushed in the face of the community, and they had reigned triumphant in the end. Something had tried to destroy all that they held dear, but they’d succeeded, and eradicated the threat.
That’s not to say that the townsponies hadn’t experienced their own troubles. Death had visited the household of almost every inhabitant, and had done so more than once on many occasions.
Evidence of these hardships became even more apparent when one was to look at the fires; Many of them had bodies in them, burning fiercely in the searing flames. Thick plumes of ash and smoke spiralled into the sky, rising above the rooftops to disperse among the clouds and beyond. Some might think that this was horrible, that this was disrespectful, to celebrate and dance and kajol around the dead, but those that were of that opinion were misinformed.
These ponies were celebrating the lives of their deceased, and the dancing was their own way of sending away their friends, and lovers, and family members - their own personal way of saying goodbye, of saying that although they might be leaving, they’d meet again in time, and that there was no reason to be sad.
The song changed, and the dancing rose to another level of frenzy, shadows being thrown around in the wide dirt streets, bouncing around the newly built houses of Canterlot, into the tiny alleys and around the treeline only a short distance away. It had been built at the foot of an enormous mountain, one which the pegasi,
Earth ponies and unicorns alike loved. Even the leaders of the ponies, the Alicorn princesses would use it to help in performing their astral duties.
Small snippets of laughter and conversation could be heard, but nothing large. At one moment you might hear someone mourning with a friend, at another you might hear cries of elation and happiness.
And the party wasn’t even limited to ponies. No; Many buffalo could be seen dancing in their own lumbering way along to the music, which was more similar to their own traditional tunes that those of the ponies’. Zebras were weaving among the crowd in their own style, their superior agility lending a hoof when it came to dancing, and their stripes wove a mesmerising pattern in the heated air, their jewelry jangling as they moved.
Perhaps the strangest addition was also the most unexpected. The occasional burst of emerald green fire lit up darkened patches as the strange visitors fooled around. The Changelings had joined the party, but no one cared at all. The Changelings were there for the same reason as everyone else. Even the Queen herself, Catarat, was present, sticking to the edges of the firelight and having quiet conversations with ambassadors and friends alike, a small and withdrawn smile on her face.
Indeed, beings from every corner of the globe were massed in the small town. And it would soon be like this all over the country, if not the world. Absolutely everywhere that you could go, there would be some sort of rambunctious appreciation of the peace and success.
But there was also a sadness. For there to be so much cooperation, there must have been some terrible occurrence, and for there to be such mass conjoining of nations, then the event must have been near-apocalyptic. More than one nation had fallen to the force that had plagued the world for so long, the once mighty Changelings themselves only barely escaping from their once beautiful homeland, leaving it a scarred waste.The Buffalo had nearly lost theirs, but it had survived, though it would too be barren for many years to come.
One of the least devastated places had to be the pony homeland, and even it had gone through some rough patches - so difficult that to emerge victorious, all three species of pony had banded together to fight for survival. Even so, they had still lost their original homeland, and so they moved on to a new place.
They were going to call it ‘Equestria’, and it was going to be free. It would be a place for any race and any breed to come together and live in harmony. It was by the two young princesses’ instructions that this would happen, but no being alive would dare dispute that anyway, as all of them agreed that they could and would live together.
But the message of acceptance hadn’t originated from the princesses. Instead it had come from a far more powerful and influential source.
That was another reason for the undercurrent of sadness that ran through the crowd. They may have won, but at what cost? They had lost their biggest asset, their flag bearer, and the one that they all looked up to, even in death.
Their leader.
She had been a pony, often called the most beautiful that would ever live. Of course those stories were all told by the colts, but that was to be expected.
But what was accepted as fact and agreed on by all was the idea that if she hadn’t been there, all life would have been lost. When death had come knocking, she had answered, and then retaliated with gusto. She might not have been intimidating, and may not have been the most fearsome in battle, but all respected her.
She had sacrificed herself for the good of all, and for that, they would never forget her. They were celebrating in her honour more than anything, as well as for all others that had fallen to the evil entity that plagued them.
But she was only the leader, and the leader is only as strong as the rest of her group. And she had gathered the best, the strongest, the most reliable of beings. It was they who had made the final push.
And it was that effort was remembered, the ultimate sacrifice made by so many, for the good of the greater mass and no other reason.
But even in the bliss of victory, the inhabitants of the entire land, and even those of distant nations, knew that they had to be wary in future. Even though the crisis had been averted, it might not be gone forever. And so there was a common understanding that they would never forget, and that the races of the world would live together in harmony, never fighting one another. They would never know when it might return, but if it did, they would be ready for it, even if that happened thousands of years in the future.
If they weren’t...
… All life would be utterly lost.
The forest slept as the corruption spread, a cancerous lump lodged in the center of the forest, poised and ready to spring.
It had existed for longer than most ponies had ever known or speculated, and almost none knew of it. It had been forced to retreat, but they would never expect for it to return now.
And so, under the cover of darkness, it crept silently, a thief in the night.
The dirt shifted imperceptibly as something snuck past, bubbling up from the deepest reaches of the planet.
And as the scourge of all life flowed up from the subterranean reaches of existence, rifling around beneath the surface, the rest of life lay still, completely unaware of the danger that was approaching.
And all it would take was a foothold…
The slightest of breezes sighed through the grass, slightly bending each blade, water droplets sliding off the ends. The morning dew still hung heavy in the air, a hot curtain of mist so heavy that it clogged the lungs and clung to the fur. The humidity of the air was easily apparent, and every single animal could feel the moisture that drifted in lazy spirals around the tree trunks and through the vines.
The quiet gurgling of a nearby brook could be heard from behind the trees, playing a beautiful accompaniment to the calls of the birds of paradise, their colourful feathers flared out, even in the early hours of the new day. Their territorial calls were the most amazing music, an a-capella of the sweetest voices in nature.
Even the trees could be heard, swaying in the morning gusts sending shafts of light shooting through the canopy to disperse on the mist. Some of them were pondering, some were talking softly, all were nearly inaudible.
The forest was completely at peace, not the slightest disturbance. Everything had its place, and everything knew its place. There was no outside influence to care for anything, but inside the ecosystem was a tightly knit community of flora and fauna, all woven together in the most delicate of dances, to the point where the slightest of touches could disturb everything and bring it all crashing down.
I sat. There was no reason to do anything else at that time in the morning, in the hours before the day started, while everything held its breath, awaiting the forecast. The wet grass cooled my down, a delightful contrast to the hot, sticky air that clung to my coat. I let out a slight giggle that rocked my body as the green blades tickled me slowly. The mist was only just starting to disperse, being burned away as the sun began to pierce the roof of leaves above my head. I could already tell that it was going to be a hot day, even in the initial moments. It’s just one of those things that you learn to judge after a while.
I let out a sigh of contentment, happily listening to my friends as they went about their daily routines, helping each other in their times of need. It was a carefree lifestyle, and it was the only one that I’d ever known.
But I’d heard tales and rumors of the creatures that lay in other places. Stories of carnivores and omnivores and every other manner of being that would happily snap up an innocent forest dweller in the blink of an eye. And so I stayed here, in my own little paradise, at peace with the inhabitants. Not surprising considering that I was one.
The sun glided a little higher in the sky, and a single beam of light glared blindingly into my eyes, even when I closed them. I let out a groan, knowing that my time of rest had come to an end. The grass shuffled and swished as I rolled over and lifted myself up gently, but not enough to completely emerge from the grass, still trying to get as much relaxation as possible before I started my day.
A few of the smaller animals were already up, busy going about their daily routines, not that there was much to do, but it was still something. I giggled as one of the tiny squirrels tripped on his bushy tail, and the rest of his friends quickly scampered over to jostle around.
We had our own makeshift community here, and I was just glad to be a part of it. Even the trees joined in on occasion, but that was very rare, they liked to keep to themselves most of the time, and when they did talk it would usually only be me they communicated with.
The sun kept rising, and the rays kept shifting. I knew it was only a matter of time until one of them shone in my eye again, so I unsteadily rose to my hooves and lurched out of the taller grass. A low grumbling reminded me that I hadn’t eaten since the day before, so, groaning slightly and disorientated beyond belief, I staggered off in search of something to eat.
This had been my habit for the last twenty years or so, my whole life, and I was used to it. A quiet morning, meet up with some of the forest critters, and generally relax in the sunlight and relish in the atmosphere. It had been unchanged the whole time, except for one occasion, many years ago.
A strange looking animal had stumbled through here with a bandage on its wing. It had looked a lot like me, but I didn’t have wings, so it was obviously a different species. Everything else was the same though, and I almost approached it, but I was young and nervous. I’d only seen it for a day, and then it was gone, vanishing into the night. I’d stayed hidden the whole time, so I was safe at least.
And then I was back to my normal life.
I was interrupted from my thoughts as I almost stumbled into the stream, something that I’d done more than once in the past. The mist was only just starting to evaporate fully into the air, leaving nothing behind but a beautiful day.
Something caught my attention, a small CAW! as something approached. A second later I was on my back as a large phoenix slammed into my side, completely tipping me over.
And another second later I was in the water.
Sopping wet and dripping, I clambered over the bank and pulled myself up, clinging to the roots of a few trees in an attempt to pull myself. Once I had emerged, I merely glared at the offending bird. He blushed, if that is possible when you’re always as red as that.
“That was a little mean you know,” I grumbled under my breath, crossing my hooves.
He cast his head down, "Awww, you know it was an accident, didn’t mean it... And not even you can stay angry forever." The Phoenix’s ‘voice’ was a light baritone, a constant joking tone present.
He brushed his head against my muzzle and almost purred. He was right though. I’d found Axin when I was just a young pony, and he’d been left behind after breaking a wing. All I’d had to do was help out and we became fast friends. And I could never stay annoyed at him.
“You never know, this might be the time,” I said mock-seriously, trying to put a glare into the statement, but I was a bit unprepared for my stomach to start rumbling again. We both burst out into laughter and Axin slapped me on the back with a wing, "Come one, let’s find you something to eat".
It’s hard to say no to a bird that’s practically your height, so I trotting slowly after him as he flew along. The forest sounded oddly quiet, but I passed it off as just being a quiet morning, that kind of thing does happen sometimes. The other animals had emerged out of their hiding places, bleary eyed and bushy tailed and ready for another day.
Axin and I tried to make small talk as we walked, or flew, and joked around. The sun was starting to break the tops of the trees and shine down into the clearing, finally starting the forest in motion. The two of us just kept going across the clearing, even after we’d picked some juicy fruit off some nearby trees. Enjoying each others’ company was a great pastime.
It was unsuspecting, the initial event that is, absolutely nothing to say that it would cause that much disruption. Axin tried to tell a joke, failed miserably, and I laughed at it anyway. But as the laughter wore off I saw something.
It was an apple tree, pure and simple. I'd seen many of these spread around in the forest, and I knew what they were like, and I knew that I like the fruit, so I walked over to it. The tree looked healthy, the leaves green, the bark brown. The only different thing was the roots.
They were a dark black, but I didn’t pay any attention.
And then I kicked it, which probably saved my life. I was expecting it to shake and wobble, and hopefully drop some of its precious payload.
It didn’t do that. Instead the tree snapped like a twig, completely severing its connection to the rest of the roots. Jagged tears in the wood sent chips spraying everywhere as it collapsed with a crash that echoed throughout the area.
I slowly walked over to the stump, shocked at the development. I’d never even been close to breaking a tree like that before.
But what I saw terrified me. The inside of the stump was filled with a black ooze like substance that trickled out of the wound, spreading onto the ground around it. The wood that had touched it was blackening and rotting before my eyes. One of the apples that had dropped during the commotion had been crushed completely as it hit the ground, any strength vanishing as the inside molded and died in seconds.
I started backing away from the stump, trying to get away from the black substance. The grass immediately surrounding the stump was dying instantly, withering into husks in an eyeblink.
But that wasn’t where the real damage was happening. I could feel the roots beneath the surface crying out in pain as the black liquid slithered past, sucking them dry of their nutrients. The trees themselves were shouting in a cacophony of shrieks of pain and distress, pleading for help from something, anything!
I almost reached out to wipe the ooze away from the stump in an attempt to clear it, but Axin slapped my hoof away with a wing and shook his head, "Watch..."
And I did, but only because he was literally holding me back. Everything in me wanted to help in some way, to clean to trees and save them, but I stopped struggling when I realized what was happening.
Anything that touched the liquid was dying, instantly and without warning. It wasn't a slow process, one moment the thing would be alive, the next it was dead. The grass around the stump had already crumbled to dust, and the area around it was soon to follow. It tore my heart out to admit it, but I knew that there was nothing that I could do, if I touched the stuff I'd die. To see something that simple, especially when it's that close to you, start killing everything...
The forest screamed, and there was nothing anyone could do.
I backed away from the source of the ooze, hoping that I could get away, all thoughts of making a stand fleeing in the face of the liquid death, Axin hovering beside me.
I quickly made it back to the main clearing of my patch of the forest and froze, dumbstruck. Axin almost fell to the ground as he forgot to flap.
To say that it had changed would be an understatement. The once happy families of woodland animals were in absolute disarray, spread about in panic. A small droplet of the ooze had been sprayed through the air in the initial explosion and hit a squirrel dead on, and it was the center of attention, the reason for the commotion.
It now had a hole in its middle, a completely smooth hole, the edges sewn together, cut and cauterized in one smooth movement. The rest of the animals, only minutes earlier enjoying the serenity, were sprinting away, some darting out of the clearing and out into the forest proper, and some burrowing, or climbing, or flying in any direction. Even though they didn’t know what the stuff was, they sensed that something was dangerous, and that they stood no chance.
Without thinking I ran further into the clearing to check on the rest of the animals, Axin flying alongside me again, his heavy wing beats interspersed by my ragged breathing. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath and took a glance around at my home.
The black substance had spread quickly and evenly, flowing through the dips and curves of the clearing and the areas around. All of the trees that surrounded the source were dead or dying, slowly cracking until they fell completely into the ooze, never to be seen again.
And everything was gone. All of the small animal life that had been so abundant only a few minutes ago was gone, scared away by the black death that trickled after them, unstoppable. The small nests and holes were almost torn apart, decimated in the rush to escape as quickly as possible, no holds barred.
I could hear Axin take in a deep breath in shock as the reality hit him. A quick look confirmed my suspicion, his eyes were wide and his beak agape, while his wings were loose at his sides. He actually rubbed his eyes to check if it wasn’t his imagination.
I almost did too.
But I had to do something constructive, if I just stayed still then eventually the ooze would catch me and kill me, and that couldn’t happen. I hadn’t lived for that long just to die one day because some black liquid shot out of a tree stump and killed everything.
But what could I do?
I lowered my head as I realized what options I had, and none of them looked very good. There was no way to save this patch of the forest, the only patch I’d ever known. Already I could see the effects of the ooze, rotten corpses, both of flora and fauna. There was no way for me to stop the death. It would use anything; tree root, the lay of the land, anything as long as it would spread.
So I did the only thing that I could think to do in the heat of the moment. I turned, grabbed Axin’s tail feather in my mouth, ignoring his squawks of protest, and I ran towards the edge of the clearing, past the trails that I'd trodden for years, and into the treeline.
I ran away from my home, the only place that I’d ever known, the place where I’d met all of the family and friends that I had, the place that had kept me safe over all of those long years.
And I abandoned it.
As everything died, as it turned into a wasteland, as the liquid started its crusade, I ran.
