Regression

by chief maximus

First published

A traveling gem merchant and his son enter Equestria to sell their wares, only to find the cities they pass through are deserted, with only a few skittish residents who refuse to talk. Something has gone wrong in the pony kingdom. But what?

It's been said in prophecies that nopony will know the time or date the magic of Equestria that empowers its citizens would leave. I thought it was just superstitious nonsense written by ancient witch doctors. In a sense, they were right. But I would have never expected it to come like this. —Princess Twilight Sparkle, 05/05/1268

AU tag added due to the Cutie Mark Crusaders getting Cutie Marked.

Grass-Fed

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Argos


Argos' cart rattled along the rutted dirt road leading to the Equestrian border. He'd made this journey countless times as a traveling gem merchant from the Iron Mountains. This time, however, marked the first time he'd make the trek with his son, Eros. He was really just a hatchling in his father's eyes, only twelve years old. He had the magnificent golden brown feathers of his father and the dark blue eye and head plumage of his mother. His eyes were light brown, flecked with gold that shone when he smiled.

His son sat listlessly in the drivers seat of the cart next to him. The ride from the Griffon empire had been a long one, and Eros seemed well tired of having to ride along at a snail's pace. Argos' tail had already fallen asleep more than once, and he could only assume the same for Eros. Flying to the market in the Equestrian capital would have been much quicker, though hauling the gems for trade would have been near impossible without the use of the cart and dumboxen.

His son's enthusiasm had been high at the outset of this trip, but by this, their third day on the road, he was impatient as any child would be. "How much farther?" Eros asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Won't be long now," Argos answered. "We should be coming up to the border crossing."

Just as he'd finished speaking, two guard towers crept up over the vast, sweeping plains. The amber grass was about neck high on a griffon and undulated in the wind as far as the eye could see. Argos had always enjoyed the rural beauty on his trips through the countryside, though Eros was not as breathtaken. To him, it was just a bunch of grass. But, in time, perhaps he would grow to appreciate it as much as Argos did.

The grasses began to creep closer to the road as they went, the ditches on either side shrinking as they approached the border. Eros was tasked with keeping the dumboxen on the path while his father kept an eye out for bandits and predators. They were certainly uncommon this close to the checkpoint, but a merchant of fine gems could never be too careful. Predators would love a meal strapped to a heavy cart, and thieves would love a merchant without dumboxen to pull it.

Keeping his eyes scanning across the endless golden sea, a rustle in the grass on the right side of the cart startled both of them. The gems rattled against each other as the oxen stamped to a halt. "Quick, Eros, get Bessie," Argos whispered urgently.

The younger griffon fumbled with the nondescript trunk behind the driver's seat. Griffons had natural defenses in their talons and sharp beaks, but nothing scared away a bandit or frightened a predator like the crack of gunpowder. Argos took the weapon from his son and cocked back the hammer, resting it against his shoulder as he aimed at the stalks of grass staying still in the breeze.

"Come out, or I'll blow you away!" he growled. Eros was frozen by his side. Argos had only been robbed once before he'd decided to buy the blunderbuss he gripped tightly in his talons. He could feel the wood of the stock grow slick as he waited nervously for either a thief or a wildcat to come out of the grasses.

The seconds seemed like hours as they ticked by. Eventually, the grass parted, revealing a brown pony clad in border guard's armor, though without a spear or helmet. Argos breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his weapon, uncocking the hammer.

"You gave us quite a scare!" he laughed, tilting the weapon over his shoulder. "I almost took your head off!"

The guard's mouth moved as though he were going to reply, though he did not speak. He seemed to be chewing on something. He kept his eyes on Argos and his cart, though his ears flicked in every direction, as if scanning for a threat. After a long silence, Argos spoke up again.

"So, have they moved the checkpoint closer to the border?" It was unusual to see a guard away from their post, especially one with only body armor and no weapon. The stallion snorted, bending down to take another mouthful of dry grass. He lifted his head back towards them. He chewed his grass slowly, a look on his face as though he was considering how to answer Argos' rather simple question.

Before he could, another creature bounded out of the grass on the opposite side of the road. A prairie lion about the size of a large stallion pounced on the back of one of the dumboxen. As the golden brown blur passed before him, Argos whipped himself around, cocking Bessie's hammer and leveling the weapon. In a roar that echoed through the plains, the shot hit its mark. The prairie lion tumbled off the back of the panicking dumboxen before it could deliver a mortal wound.

A large bloody pool formed around the animal as it lay there, a spot of fur the same color as the grass all around them matted with crimson. As Argo caught his breath, he glanced to where the guard had been standing. In the distance, he could see the grass parting as the stallion put as much distance between the frightening scenario and himself as possible.

"Some guard he was," Argos panted, setting Bessie across his lap. The barrel was warm, bordering on hot as he retrieved the tools needed to reload the weapon from the trunk. As he stuffed the gunpowder down the barrel, it dawned on him that Eros hadn't spoken a word since the encounter.

"You alright?" he asked, glancing over at his son whose eyes had been transfixed on the carcass of the prairie lion.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay."

"This was probably the second time I've ever had to fire Bessie in defense," he said reassuringly.

Eros ignored the remark. "Where do you think that pony went?" he asked.

His father shrugged. "Can't say. Didn't seem like much of a guard turning tail like that, did he?" his father joked, setting his weapon back in its case and hopping down from the wagon. "C'mon now, lad, help me check the dumboxen for injuries."

Eros joined his father and inspected the animal that had been attacked. There was some blood on its back, but the scratches all seemed superficial. The two climbed back onto the cart and pushed their team onward toward the towers in the distance.

Once they were within sight of the crossing, they found it deserted. There were a few abandoned carts by the side of the road, but not a pony to be seen. They slowed their oxen down as they reached the gate. It stood open, a creaky hinge squealing in the breeze. This was the only installation for miles until the first town, though there was no sign of a struggle or anything to indicate bloodshed of any kind.

"Aren't there supposed to be inspectors here or something?" Eros asked. His father stood up and peered around. With a flap of his wings, he was ten feet in the air. Such a vantage point let him see nearly into the next town along the road. He scanned the surrounding area but found no trace of any civilized life.

"Yes, there are..." Argos replied, landing softly beside his cart. "Hello?" He called to the small guard's hut near the gate and noticed the door was closed as he walked closer. The oxen shuffled nervously on their hooves, keenly aware of their surroundings after the prairie lion attack. Eros steadied them as his father knocked on the sturdy wooden door. From the outside, the building looked rather small. Two, maybe three rooms at the most. Bars on the east-facing window led Eros to assume it was also a small prison for thieves and smugglers. He watched as his father opened the door after receiving no reply to his knocks.

The dry prairie wind blew across the open fields, pushing the iron gate. The squeal of its hinges startled Eros, but his heart rate slowed after he realized the source of the noise. He shielded his eyes against the bit of sand kicked up by the wind and turned back to the guard hut, the heavy oaken door now open with a shaft of sunlight illuminating the dusty floor a few feet inside.

His father seemed to take ages inside the building as Eros waited. Just as he was about to dismount the cart and follow his father, Argos reappeared in the doorway. He set a brisk pace back to the cart, though something about his gait was unusual.

"Did you find anyone?" he asked as his father pulled himself onto the driver's seat. A weight dropped to the very pit of Eros' stomach. His father seemed shaken. The young griffon could feel the fear that had gripped his heart during the animal attack creeping up on him.

"No," Argos answered curtly, as if the question itself was offensive. His tone was off. In Eros' eyes, his father was a tough as they came. The time he'd told him about his cart being robbed, he said he managed to fight off two of the four bandits before they made off with some of his lesser quality gems he stored in the outer compartments of the wagon. He'd come home, had a few drinks and told Eros the story, much to his mother's disapproval. He laughed at it, and at the bandits foolish enough to try and rip him off. This time, he wasn't laughing. In fact, a smile was the farthest thing from his face.

Argos took the reins and ushered the oxen onward without a second thought.

"We're just going through?" Eros asked. Although this was his first trip, he wasn't completely ignorant of the workings of international travel.

"We need to let the next town know there's no one staffing this crossing. It'll be a haven for bandits and smugglers if they don't post someone." Argos' words were those of a parent, telling his child the argument was over by virtue of his authority. Eros took a look back toward the small guard's hut. The door hung open lazily as it disappeared around the front of the building. Another barred window came into view as the cart moved along down the road. A white cloth had been tied around one of the bars, blowing in the breeze as though to wave them goodbye.

He turned around to face the road ahead, fighting the chill running down his spine. He was still with his father, and as long as he was, everything would be fine.


Argos felt his eyes drooping as the sun shone its last rays on the plains, casting his cart and oxen team in a long shadow. Eros had fallen asleep nearly as soon as they'd left the empty border crossing, and he couldn't wait to join his son. The town of Prairieville sat in the middle of a picturesque field. Like many frontier towns, this one had walls, but they'd hardly seen a day of battle. Instead of archers and pikeponies, the banners of the Princesses usually hung along the battlements, the white stone of the ramparts standing in stark contrast to the color of the wild grasses in the fields. He felt the usual breeze that seemed to always blow downwind of the settlement. In journeys past, it had carried with it the sound of laughing foals as they played in the meadow, of fresh baked breads and grilled vegetables beckoning him to an inn with a warm bed and a solid roof.

But not this time.

It was the same wind he'd looked forward to countless times before, only it brought nothing but a chill. His son stirred beside him as the breeze ruffled his feathers. The closer their cart got to the open portcullis, the more Argos felt the hope leave him. He'd hoped the border checkpoint was simply the result of a miscommunication, but the state of things said differently. The horror he'd seen inside the guard's shack should have smothered that hope then and there, but Argos was nothing if not an optimist.

There were no guards outside the gates, and the torches along the wall were usually lit by sunset. He noticed his son sit up from his slouched position next to him. He heard Eros gasp as they reached the gates. A cart of spears and armor was tipped over, its contents spilled onto the roadway. The buildings beside the gatehouse had their windows shattered. It looked as though the town had been ransacked, though there was not a trace of gore to be found. No blood, no broken spears, or shattered armor. Eros let out a whimper as he realized this town was the same as the border crossing.

"D-dad, I wanna go home."

His father reached behind Eros, unlocking the trunk and setting Bessie across his lap. He felt his son cling to his arm, scooting closer to him on the bench as though the earth itself would snatch him away. Argos remained silent, hushing his son as their oxen continued down the street into town. As they came to the town center, not a single living thing stirred. One could be forgiven for thinking it was the early hours of the morning, were it not for the setting sun.

Though he was used to seeing Prairieville's town square emptying out by the time he arrived, Argos felt a chill creep down his spine as he noticed the moving black masses hovering above the vendor's food carts. They were flies, swarms of them, helping themselves to the wares no one had either seen to or been around to store. The stench of rotting fruit and decaying greens hit them both like a putrid wave. Eros covered his beak in disgust as his father halted the wagon. He reached back behind the trunk that held Bessie and into another chest. He pulled an item wrapped in a grey cloth into his lap over his weapon. Unrolling the cloth, Argos held a short-sword up in the dying sunlight. The final rays of orange glistened off the polished blade as he glanced to Eros.

"I was saving this to give you on our return trip," he explained, setting it back on the cloth and handing him the hilt. "But I suppose now is as good a time as any." Eros briefly forgot his fears as he gazed at his reflection in the blade.

He reached for it, but hesitated. "We aren't going home?" he asked, voice quivering.

His father sighed. "No, I'm afraid we can't until we sell these gems."

Eros' brow furrowed in confusion. Something was very clearly wrong here, and his father wouldn't turn back until the two of them made money? Surely, his father wasn't that greedy.

"Wha... but what if whatever got these ponies comes back for us?" he stammered.

"We can't go back. Your mother can't work, and I'm the only thing between us and begging for food on the streets," his father said as comfortingly as possible. He'd done well to hide this truth from his son over the years, but his profession depended on the high price and quality of gems mined from the Iron Mountains.

After a long silence, his son spoke. "What will we do now?"

Argos' expression softened. Perhaps he was being a bit reckless. He figured his wife would chase him into the afterlife herself if she'd ever figured out he'd risked his life and that of his son for gold. "We'll stay for the night. I know an inn I use when I visit. When the sun rises, we can head back to the Iron Mountains."

Eros was a bit confused by his father's sudden change of heart. "But, what will we do for food without money?"

His father sighed, resting his talons against the sword on his lap. I should never have mentioned the money... he thought. "I'll find us the money to survive until I can make a trip to the Mixed Cities. I'll borrow some and take double the gems to make back the loan." He looked to his son and smiled, mussing the plumage on his head. "I wouldn't risk you for all the gold in Canterlot."

Eros gave a small smile in return. His father offered him the sword once more, only this time, his son wrapped his talons firmly around the hilt. He felt empowered. Once, a friend of his from school had found an old dagger while playing in the forest around the Iron Mountains. They split time keeping it at their houses, hiding it from their parents and hoping they could find another one to play-fight with. Unfortunately, Eros' mother discovered it while it was his turn to keep it. He'd gotten quite the talking to about how dangerous weapons could be and how they were not meant for hatchlings.

That was two years ago. His father joined his mother in insisting blades were dangerous and he needed to be punished for hiding something like this. And now, his father was giving him a sword of his very own.

"Wait here with the dumboxen. I'm going to see what I can find." Argos hopped down from the cart, Bessie cradled in his arm as he walked toward the town square. The buzzing of the flies seemed to be the only sound in the entire city. Apart from the rotten food, nothing seemed out of order. It was as though the inhabitants simply walked away from their lives in the middle of the day.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted movement. He whipped his head around to face it and drew his blunderbuss to his shoulder. He lowered the weapon when he saw the outline of a few ponies in the dying sunlight. He squinted at them, trying to confirm whether these were actual living things or perhaps just debris that had taken on coincidental pony-like form. As he watched silently, he noticed one drop its head, paw at the ground, and then look back at him. Hope rose in his chest as he approached.

For the usually brightly colored folk of the equine lands, these three were rather drab. One was dark brown, with a tail as black as coal. Another was more of a gray, with a similar colored mane and tail. The third was a hay colored pegasus, with a matching mane and tail. None of them wore any clothes, though that was not unusual. What was unusual, were the matted-ness of their manes. Most ponies usually took time to comb their mane and tail at least occasionally, but these mares looked as though they hadn't seen a brush in weeks.

As Argos got closer, the mares seemed to become more wary of him. They stood in a small patch of grass on the otherwise barren streets. Each was slowly chewing, some blades of grass stuck to their lips and cheeks.

After realizing he'd slowly been walking toward these ponies without uttering a word, he decided to ask the first question on his mind. "What happened here?"

They flicked their ears toward him, and one took a few cautious steps backward. The pegasus of the group fluttered her wings nervously, more than a few feathers coming loose and gently floating towards the ground around her. Argos was close enough now to notice their condition. They hadn't been preened in weeks and there were patches of pink skin showing beneath where her feathers had either fallen out or no longer grew.

He took one step too many, and the mares retreated at full gallop down the street and into the creeping darkness. Argos rubbed his eyes. The only ponies he could find in the area were too skittish to talk. They looked as though they'd just been through a war, but he'd only been in Prairieville a month ago! He turned back the way he came, certain Eros was tired of being alone with the dumboxen in such a scary place, if only for five minutes.

He rounded the corner of the main street and smiled, seeing his son still sitting in the wagon seat, his eyes wide open and his sword in his talons. Argos fluttered the rest of the distance back to the wagon and took the reigns.

"Did you find anyone?" Eros asked.

"No," he replied, driving the oxen forward at a steady pace. The inn he usually frequented was just up the street, and he meant to make it before nightfall.

"If there's no one here, then where will we sleep?" Eros asked, as though it'd just occurred to him.

"We'll stay in the inn until morning, then we'll head back," his father said, his eyes glancing from building to building for any signs of life. "If someone is there, we'll pay them, and if not, we'll stay there anyway."

Eros smiled. "Who's going to stop us?"

"Exactly."

They reached the inn and pulled the cart to a stop. It was almost too dark to see outside without any torches, though a griffon's naturally sharp eyes helped them in the new moon's darkness. They unhitched the oxen and led them to the barn outside the inn. Once they'd both been placed in a stable, Argos doused the wounded oxen's back in alcohol to fight any infections that might be brewing in its scrapes. The animal voiced its displeasure loudly, its cries echoing eerily off the walls of the buildings.

They secured the wagon to a hefty pole with a heavy iron chain and headed inside the lobby of the abandoned inn. Argos could practically smell the coffee the old gray mare that ran the place brewed every evening. She'd wait behind the desk, intimidating any who entered with a dark glare until she saw your purse. Once she was sure you had the money, her mood brightened considerably. She would always chat up Argos, and he even managed a discount on his stays, simply because she 'liked' him. True or not, he took the rate all the same. As he and his son stepped into the darkened lobby, he wondered what had become of her.

Inside, the cash register had been cleaned out, and lay on its side on the floor, but otherwise, everything seemed to be in order. A torch on the wall sat above a bucket of oil and a striking stone. Argos walked over, the floorboards creaking in protest as his did, Bessie still in his arms. He peered down into the bucket and sighed in relief. There was still a bit of lamp oil left. He took the torch off the wall and soaked the rags in as much of the remaining liquid as he could. Striking the stone on the wall with a talon, he sent a shower of sparks onto the fabric. The lobby lit up as he held the light to his face, Bessie now resting on his shoulder in one talon.

Eros took in the surroundings, noticing everything seemed to be coated in a fine layer of dust. It was near pitch-black by the time they'd entered the lobby, and the light brought with it a few more disturbing facts about the building. Every window in the lobby was boarded shut, and behind the front desk, torn posters and faded parchment sat peeling off the walls as though they'd been stuck there as wall paper far past its prime. Eros gripped his sword tightly and crept behind the desk as his father followed with the torch. With the sword pointed in front of him, he leapt behind the desk, setting his back against the wall as he readied himself to fight off an attacker that wasn't there.

Argos sighed in relief as his son lowered his sword. "The room keys should be in a drawer somewhere. See if you can find us one."

Eros rifled through the drawers until he found one that jingled with keys. He grabbed a fistful and spread them on the desk. "How about 108?"

Argos nodded, beckoning his son back over the desk. With a hop, he was behind his father as his torch lit the way down the dusty corridor. As they went, most of the doors were closed, the room numbers rising slowly. Argos noticed a door open, the number 108 reflecting the light of their torch. They stepped over a few overturned chairs and hallway tables before reaching the open door. Argos handed his torch to his son and whispered, "Stay right behind me."

Eros nodded, taking the light in one talon and his sword in the other. His father drew Bessie to his shoulder and took careful steps around the doorway. He turned quickly, Eros in tow, shining a light into the darkness. Argos held his breath as he quickly scanned the room.

Nothing. He exhaled loudly, lowering his weapon and taking in the dancing shadows cast by the torchlight. With heavier steps, he entered the room, Eros following behind him. The room was dirty, but that was to be expected in an abandoned city. The sheets were taken from the bed, and like in the lobby, the windows were boarded up.

Argos pulled a hay stalk from a hole in the mattress and lit it, lighting a lamp on the bedside table. Eros set his sword on the floor and climbed onto the bed. It wasn't as soft as his bed at home, but it would do for a night. Much better than his bedroll on the hard ground. Argos felt his stomach rumble. He could've slapped himself. He'd forgotten to bring in the food!

He turned to Eros, who had taken up his half of the bed and was nearly asleep himself. "Don't sleep just yet. I'm going back to get the food."

His son groaned. He'd eaten enough jerky and hard cheese to last him a lifetime. At this point, the alternative might have seemed preferable.

"It's that or nothing," Argos replied, trying to brighten the mood. "I'll be back in a second."

He closed the door behind him and stepped into the dim hallway. The rest of the doors to the rooms were shut, and he had no inclination to open them. Argos reached the lobby and shouldered his weapon. He knew there was nothing there during the night that wasn't there during the day, but Bessie helped calm his nerves all the same.


Eros


Eros sat up from the bed after his father had left. He clutched his sword as he walked around the room. Even though he'd only had it for a few hours, he was sure to never let it get too far away from him, especially in a place like this. So far, he and his father had only encountered a wild animal, some rotten fruit and a skittish border guard. Nothing particularly terrifying, but something about the atmosphere of this city made his down rise in a chill. Adding to the sense of foreboding that sat over the entire town like an early morning fog, were the boarded up windows. As he walked toward them, he noticed the boards nailed to the building from the outside as though the town were preparing for a storm of some kind.

Of course, Dad had to pick the creepiest building in town, he thought to himself, turning back toward the bed. In the open space of the small room, he practiced his swordplay. He'd seen the imperial guard practice in the courtyard of the palace on the weekends when his father would take him to watch their drills. He imitated their thrusts, parries, and slashes as best he could, fighting the shadows cast on the ground by the lantern. After a bit of vigorous fighting, he set his sword by his side of the bed and climbed back onto the sheetless mattress.

He glanced back at his sword, admiring its blade in the lamplight. It was polished steel, not a knick or scratch anywhere to be found. He reckoned his father had spent a good amount of money on it. He also knew his mother would try and say he was not old enough for something so dangerous. Eros' thoughts drifted back to what his father had said earlier about going back to the Iron Mountains empty-taloned. He said he would just borrow the money, but Eros couldn't begin to imagine from whom he'd borrow it. His grandparents on both sides weren't particularly well-off, and neither his mother or father had any brothers or sisters.

The creaking of the door startled him as Argos appeared in the doorway with a burlap sack over his shoulder, the stock of Bessie protruding from it. "Hope you're hungry."

He couldn't deny that. Perhaps jerky wouldn't be so bad for just a few more nights. As his father divvied up the food, Eros spoke up. "Dad, where will you get the money from?"

"What money?" Argos replied, his mouth full.

"The money we'd need to live on if we went back home," Eros said flatly.

His father never looked up from his plate. "I'd find it. Don't worry."

Argos used his most reassuring tone, but Eros was unconvinced. After all, if finding the money was no trouble at all, surely they would have turned back at the first sign of trouble?

"I want us to keep going."

Argos stopped chewing and looked up at his son. The boy's face was as serious as they come. It was as though giving him that sword had changed him from a hatchling to a valiant young griffon in a few hours time. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't want our first trip to market to be a disaster."

Argos smiled at his son, taking a piece of jerky in his talon. "Then we will. But if your mother asks, nothing was out of the ordinary."


Argos


The night wore on as they finished their meal and packed away their remaining stores. They bid each other goodnight as they laid on the barren mattress. Eros went right to sleep, but Argos' mind wandered.

Why was this city abandoned? What could have caused everyone here to flee in such a hurry? Why did those mares run from me? These thoughts and more raced through his mind. The city was quiet, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Not even the song of crickets could be heard behind the walls. Try as he might, his thoughts drifted back to the horror he'd seen in the guard shack. When his son decided he wanted to soldier on, Argos neglected to mention what he'd witnessed.

No use telling him that before bed, he thought. It'd just give him nightmares. Argos rolled over, facing what would have been a window, had it not been boarded up. Through the slits in the wood, beams of moonlight streaked in. Pony lore had it that their princesses raised the sun and moon each day. Whether that was true or not was up for debate, but no one in any kingdom could doubt their power. The sight of the moon filled him with a bit of hope. If the pony legends were true, then maybe this city just needed to be evacuated for some reason. Perhaps the lives of the rest of the equine lands went on as usual everywhere but here?

Just as soon as he'd allowed himself to hope, he felt the dread return. The same dread he felt in the guard shack. He'd entered, walking past the empty reception desk and down the halls, listening for any sign of life. As he rounded a corner, he came to the holding cells. In them was the horror he'd chosen not to reveal. A pony hung by his neck from one of the bunks, another dead in the corner. His fur had fallen off almost completely, and the skin had tightened, revealing the bones beneath in the arid heat. On the wall, a message was scrawled in a ghastly ink:

Better dead than grass-fed.

There was no explanation for the message and no one around to explain it. The eyeless sockets of the dead ponies unnerved him the most. Soulless black pits with mouths shriveled into a permanent, silent scream. However, just like outside, there was no sign of a violent struggle. No dried blood, nothing to indicate there had been anything done to those prisoners except what they themselves willed. Had it been some kind of terrible monster, or black plague, he would have turned around and headed straight for the Iron Mountains. He'd seen woodcuts of towns beset by plagues, and this town was nothing like one. There would be bodies in the street. There would at least be a warning to others outside the city walls not to enter.

But here, there was nothing but emptiness.

That was something Argos simply couldn't make sense of. There had been no travel warnings, no imperial order to suspend trade with the equine lands, no nothing! And what of the message on the wall? Did the rulers issue some sort of decree about eating grass? Why would someone rather die than follow it? Equestria was known as one of the wealthiest and best-stocked kingdoms in all the world. In fact, their aid helped starving civilizations across the globe! How could they have been reduced to eating grass in one month's time?

None of this made any sense. Thankfully, Argos' heavy eyelids won out over his racing thoughts as he finally drifted off to sleep.


Eros


The dawn seemed like it arrived a few hours early. Though the windows were boarded up, sunlight still found its way into the room, bright enough to wake young Eros. During the night he'd had a terrible dream. He was back at the guard shack, only this time, he was alone. He had his sword with him, but nothing else. The door to the shack swung open as white cloth snakes crept from the darkness and towards him. He raised his sword to strike, but found it now weighed thousands of pounds. Try as he might, his arms simply wouldn't lift it. The cloth serpents coiled around his legs and deftly pulled him off his feet. Eros rolled onto his belly and clawed at the hard packed dirt, trying desperately to slow himself down as the darkness of the shack came ever closer. He watched helplessly as his sword lay in the dust, getting further from him as the shack pulled him into its maw-like doorway.

He hooked his claws into the doorframe, stopping his momentum for a moment. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came. The half of his body in the darkness was cold. He remembered that distinctly. Eros fought to stay in the sunlight, but soon more cloth snakes took hold of his arms and pried his talons from their embedded position in the mortar. Once he was inside the shack, the door slammed shut, startling him awake while it was still dark out.

Argos was still asleep, so he settled back down, reaching for the hilt of his sword and lifting it, just to make sure he still could. He fell into a fitful sleep for the remaining hours, but he was more than ready to put some distance between himself and the shack. His father shook him awake, offering him more of the same fare for breakfast. They ate in silence, grabbing whatever useful items from the room they could find and loading them onto the wagon. The trip to Canterlot would take them through one more small town. Ponyville was a quiet little hamlet and home to some of the best apples for miles. He recalled the friendly locals wistfully, praying to the gods of griffondom that whatever had happened to the ponies here had not happened to the citizens of Ponyville.

"So, I was thinking about naming my sword," Eros said through a mouthful of jerky and hard cheese.

His father glanced up at him. "Is that right?"

"Yeah, all the heroes gave their swords names. Mine should have one, too."

Argos nodded. "Fair enough. Have one picked out already?"

Eros thought for a moment. "I was thinking... Titan."

Argos smiled. The same name the monster slayer Syrell christened his sword. It was his son's favorite legend. "Such a fierce name for a small sword, don't you think?" he teased.

Eros chuckled at his father. "I'll be needing a sash to hold it. I can't carry it around everywhere."

"I think we can dig something out of the cart for you to holster it," Argos said, finishing the last of his breakfast. "Now, lets get on the road, shall we?"

The Blades

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Argos


Outside the inn, the morning stillness almost made the empty town seem normal. If not for the derelict vendor stands and carts, one would think it was just a lazy Saturday. Argos had finished hitching the dumboxen to the cart after inspecting the injured animal's wounds. They had scabbed during the night and showed no signs of infection.

Argos and Eros climbed back onto the cart they had spent so many hours in over the past three days and began down the empty street. The same deserted buildings greeted them as they rode down what should have been the busiest thoroughfare in town. Bakeries, clothing stores, banks, and all manner of storefronts had been vandalized in some way. An early morning breeze blew through the open portcullis as they approached it. Unlike the one they'd entered, this one had a large poster nailed to the wall. Faded and worn from the weather, its language was still legible in places. Argos stopped the wagon.

At the top of the poster, the royal seal of the sun, moon, and starburst superimposed over one another heralded the authority of its warnings. Below the seal, large, block red letter trumpeted a cryptic warning.

Do not see the blades!
Do not smell the blades!
Do not eat the blades!

Seek Canterlot. Your princesses will protect you

Argos supposed the poster had more to say at one time, but the bottom half had been torn away.

"What do you think they needed protecting from?" Eros asked.

His father shrugged. "I don't know. Let's pray we don't run into it on our way there." He snapped the reigns, urging his oxen onward as they put the ghost city to their backs and headed down the country lane to Ponyville. The ride was uneventful. Inside the borders of Equestria, the only dangerous animals resided in the forests. It would be another day of traveling to get there, and after that, they could easily make Canterlot by noon the next day. Argos felt all his hopes rise as the sun moved slowly across the sky. He'd never wanted to believe a pony legend more than at that moment.

The oxen seemed to keep pace despite the prairie lion attack the day before. Eros sat in his usual slouch on the bench next to his father, Titan secured around his waist by a heavy, woven belt. A talon supported his chin as he propped himself up on the armrest. Argos looked out over some of the fields between the towns. It was mid-summer, and the ripe grain waved gently in the breeze, waiting for a harvest that hadn't come. A few farmhouses dotted the countryside, but none showed any signs of life. In the distance, he'd thought he'd seen a few ponies standing in a meadow, but to stop the cart and trek all the way out to them would cost them time. If whatever had happened in Prairieville was just an isolated incident, he would sure like to know what caused it.

Curiously, the ponies in the meadow seemed to not be doing much of anything. Just standing around each other, craning their heads to the ground and raising them again. He turned back to the road ahead. It was only an hour at the most until they reached the outer edges of Ponyville. Argos smiled as he remembered the farm where that nice family lived that grew those tasty apples. He remembered the laughter of the filly with the red bow as she played with her friends in a vacant field next to the farmhouse and how willing the mare that sold the apples had been to take a few gems in exchange for a bushel of them. He recalled the strong, silent, red stallion whose name he never learned and the old mare who spent most of her time in her rocker on the porch.

They were honest, hardworking folks like him. Argos' smile morphed into a grimace as he thought of what could have befallen them if whatever happened in the last town happened there.

"Something the matter, Dad?"

"Oh—nothing. Just ready to see some civilization and put that craziness behind us."

Eros nodded. "Me too. That guard shack back there at the border gave me the creeps."

His father exhaled through his nose and nodded. You aren't the only one, he thought.

The cart rattled along the road as the familiar farms on the outskirts of Ponyville came into view over the horizon. The fields and orchards sat full of vegetables and fruits, some well past their harvest time. Argos' chest tightened as they continued. Usually there would be one or two ponies on the road for whatever reason by the time he made it to Ponyville.

This time, it was just as barren as Prairieville had been. The sun was already descending beneath the hills, keeping the small hope in Argos' heart alive. Hope that an entire nation hadn't been wiped out in a little over a month's time. The signs continued to point to tragedy the further towards Ponyville they ventured.

Eros was jarred from his light sleep as the cart came to an abrupt halt. He sat up and took in the farmhouse they'd stopped beside. "What're we doing here?" he yawned.

Argos dismounted from the cart after handing his son the reigns. "I'll be right back. Stay here with the cart."

Thankfully for Eros, there were no creepy shacks for him to stare at this time. In fact, where they were now seemed leaps and bounds different than the ghost city they'd first encountered. The farmhouse seemed inviting, with its rocking chairs on the porch and clubhouse in the tree a ways away from the barn. Eros recalled visiting a friend's house and playing in one after his pal moved from the Iron Mountains to the Mixed Cities. He'd wished he could have had one, but there were few trees where he was from. He smiled to himself before glancing down at Titan, gleaming in the setting sun.

Eros' face hardened. He was almost an adult! His father had trusted him with a sword, and adults no longer thought of silly things like playhouses in trees. In fact, in two years, he would be considered an adult in griffon society. He looked back toward his father standing on the porch of the farmhouse as he knocked on the doorsill.

Argos prayed to see a mare in a stetson, a stallion in a yoke, even the old mare he suspected of disliking him. Someone, anyone to let him know whatever happened to the previous city was just an isolated event. After his knocks, he waited. His heart sank as the house remained silent. He opened the screen door and knocked loudly, on the door itself this time. He didn't know why. He knew if no one heard him the first time, a second time wouldn't make someone appear.

He noticed the door was open slightly, as if someone had left but not seen it shut all the way. Argos had decided against Bessie, but for a split second as he rested his talon on the door, he had wished he had it. The door creaked on its hinges as he pushed it open. Peering inside, the flicker of hope he'd been harboring evaporated. The home didn't appear ransacked, but there were plenty of things missing, if the dusty outlines of pictures on the walls were any indication.

"Hello?" he called into the house, though it sounded more like a defeated sigh than he intended. He took a step inside, leaving the door open behind him. The screen door closed with a slam, startling him. He walked farther in, coming into the kitchen. Fruit and vegetables, long since spoiled, sat on the counter. The flies and smell were particularly bad in here. He backed away, thankful not to find any horrific surprises like in the guard shack.

Making his way back to the front door, he caught sight of the stairs. The second level of the house was dark, and he feared what might be waiting for him in the bedrooms of the former occupants. He sighed, making a mental note to toast the family that owned this farm with his next drink. After stepping out of the house, he looked toward Eros. He motioned for him to join him.

Eros hopped off the cart and walked briskly towards his father, Titan swinging from his belt as he went.

"I saw a few trees with apples still on them. We can pick some for dinner tonight."

Eros smiled widely, the thought of food besides jerky and hard cheese exciting him to no end. They hovered over to a tree filled with ripe apples. They plucked them from the branches, carefully to stacking the fruits in their arms until they could hold no more. As Eros was picking, a thought occurred to him.

"Dad, are we stealing?"

Argos exhaled loudly. "No, son."

"So the ponies in there said we could have these?" he asked.

"No, there were no ponies," he answered solemnly. His voice sounded as though he had lost a friend. A pregnant pause came between father and son.

"Did you know them?"

Argos stopped picking apples and landed. Eros followed him. "I did."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"It's not your fault, Eros." He smiled at him. "Let's just hope there are ponies in Canterlot."

"And that they still want to buy gems," Eros added somberly. How could anyone want shiny rocks at a time like this?

Argos scratched his head with his free talon. "That's right."

They loaded the apples into their cart and fluttered back toward the orchard. Before picking another apple, an angry snort drew their attention. Emerging from the barn was a large, copper colored stallion wearing a workhorse's yoke. Argos recognized him immediately, but the stallion only saw trespassers.

Argos heard his son draw his sword, though the light reflecting off the blade shimmered as his son's unsteady talons gripped the hilt. He motioned for his son to stand down. He took a step toward the stallion, who pawed the ground threateningly.

"We aren't here to hurt you," Argos said calmly. He received only a snort in response. Behind the angry stallion, four mares wandered timidly out of the barn. "We aren't here to hurt your mares," he assured him, though his words seemed to bounce off the overprotective pony.

The other mares were drably colored, most of them being earth ponies, while one was a pegasus with streaks of color still in her mane. Her wings seemed much smaller than usual, and were almost devoid of feathers. Argos took a step back, spreading his wings. He and his son took to the air as the stallion watched them go. From the sky, they watched the alpha male of the herd shepherd his mares back into the barn.

They landed back atop the cart, sitting in silence for a time. Eros looked toward his father, whose feathers had seemed to lose a bit of color from the encounter. He could guess why.

"Did you know him?" he asked quietly.

His tone sounded like sorrow itself as he replied.

"Yes."


Spike


A slender dragon with green and purple scales and a messenger bag slung across his shoulders stepped softly down an abandoned street. The city in which he walked was dead. Some buildings had been burned to the ground, others simply vandalized beyond recognition. It had amazed Spike how quickly the society he'd been raised in, the only one he knew and loved, had collapsed in on itself.

As he made his way into the heart of what used to be Canterlot, he stuck close to the sides of the buildings and near the alleyways. The cities were flooded with wild animals. It wasn't as though he couldn't defend himself, but one timberwolf generally alerted his friends, and if he had to make a dash back to the palace, he'd rather not bring company. On top of that, he wasn't sent out here to fight beasts. He was sent out to gather food.

Spike had matured quite quickly since all of this began. He worked for the few remaining ponies still holed up inside the grounds of Canterlot castle. He was their lifeline, their best hope for survival. They were the last ones. The few remaining ponies of a once dominant nation. Once they farmed fields, shaped the weather, and controlled the very ground itself with their magic. Now, they hardly ever went beyond the high walls of the inner keep. He hurt for them. Especially for the foals and the free spirits. What kind of life was being trapped in such a small area for the foreseeable future?

With the exception of the possible hazardous wildlife, Spike cherished these walks. He was the only one who could leave, and he was thankful. He sometimes brought back toys for the younger ponies and a few gems if he was lucky enough to run across them. And if they were lucky enough to survive the trip back to the palace.

He arrived at a former farmer's market in the old section of Canterlot. Most of the food was spoiled, with the exception of the dry goods sealed in barrels. That's what he was after. Though many in the castle complained about eating the same thing every day, there wasn't much he could do about it. When fortune was truly smiling on him, he'd find a fruit tree or some miraculously preserved celery or carrots.

As he wandered through the overturned carts and spoiled food, he noticed a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye. He whipped his head around but saw nothing out of the ordinary in the shattered glass of a former storefront. He eyed the scene suspiciously before turning back to his duties. Inside an old bakery, he knew there were still many barrels of stored grains and wheat. Not the most flavorful dinner, but it kept the ponies alive, and that's all that mattered. He reached into his bag and pulled out a scroll and quill. He scribbled a quick note onto it and blew it away in a wisp of green fire.

He began loading fistfuls of food into his bag, the dust from the grains irritating his sinuses. He closed his eyes, quickly trying to stifle his sneeze. In a burst of fire, the grain he'd been collecting went up. In a panic, he tossed the burning barrel out of the broken shop window and into the street. Thankfully, there were still about twenty barrels unharmed. Just as he was about to break into a new one, a growling from outside drew his attention.

Near the burning barrel, a large timberwolf waited, snarling at him. Spike's expression hardened. He tightened up his bag around his shoulders and clenched his claws into fists. In a flash, the timberwolf charged. Spike shut his eyes and concentrated. He could hear Twilight's words in his ears as if she were beside him. Draw your power from inside. Keep the outcome of your spell in the forefront of your mind, and you'll never be without magic. His eyes shot open, the green reptilian pupils replaced by a uniform sapphire glow. The wolf was close now, and no doubt his friends would be nearby. The beast leapt into the window, intending to pounce on Spike and score an easy meal.

Spike had different plans. He raised his claws in front of him, an aura matching his eyes coming around his claws and the wolf itself. The creature hung in the air, snapping and growling within inches of his nose. With a mighty thrust, Spike shoved the aggressor backwards, sending him out of the window, across the street, and into the next building where it scattered into twigs and sticks.

"Aw, yeah!" He smiled, pumping a fist in victory as his eyes returned to their normal color. Unfortunately, his celebration was short-lived. Howling of other wolves echoed throughout the city as he gathered up a few more clawfuls of food and stuffed it inside his bag. Spike dashed out of the bakery and down the street, hoping to leave before the wounded timberwolf reassembled.


Eros


Eros decided not to tell his father about his dream. After all, grown griffons don't let nightmares scare them! Syrell the monster slayer probably never had a nightmare in his life! Besides, as long as he had Titan and his father, nothing could hurt him.

When Eros and his father made it into Ponyville, they found it deserted as well. The only inn the town had was nothing but charred embers, and the other buildings were missing doors and windows. The only building that appeared undamaged was rather peculiar. It seemed to be a house built inside a tree. Upon further inspection, they discovered it used to be a library. The gaps in the shelves and books scattered on the floor suggested that this place had been looted. After stabling the oxen, they headed into the tree and settled in. The sun was still up, but it wouldn't be for long. Argos was dead tired, and after a quick dinner of apples and jerky, he was ready for bed.

Eros, however, wasn't quite ready to bed down for the night. His nightmare from the night before replayed in his mind when he closed his eyes. That, combined with the little bit of daylight still outside, kept him awake. Eros stood from his bedroll and grabbed Titan. The clank of steel on the hardwood floors woke his father.

"Where ya off to?" he yawned, not bothering to open his eyes completely.

"Uhm... just to check out the rest of this place," Eros told him. He wasn't even sure he'd heard him, as drowsy as he seemed. Truthfully, Eros was going to check out the rest of the library. But he was also going to explore the town. He figured there was nothing to hurt him out there, especially if he had Titan with him. He had an almost foolish amount of trust in a sword he'd never used.

He climbed the stairs to the upper floor of the library to find a small bookshelf overturned across a single bed. On the bedroom wall, a note was pinned that seemed out of place with the rest of the dusty old books and scrolls scattered on the floor. It seemed... newer. As though someone had come back to this place and pinned it here. He stepped closer, squinting at the scroll in the dim light.

If you can read this, go to Canterlot Castle.

Maybe there were ponies left after all. Not like that one they'd encountered at the farm. Something was certainly wrong with him, but Eros couldn't place what. He had met ponies before coming here, but they all seemed so... civilized and polite. Their manes were usually brushed and their tails combed. But that stallion and the mares behind him looked like they hadn't bathed or groomed themselves in weeks!

What would make ponies act that way? Would being here mean he and his Dad would start forgetting to preen or start eating worms and hunting rabbits and eating them as soon as they were in their talons? Eros retched at the thought of eating raw animal meat. To his left, the fading daylight cast a long shadow from a balcony window. He tried the knob and slowly opened the door, mindful of any squeaks the hinges might make.

Thankfully, it was silent as he stepped out onto the balcony, breathing deep the still twilight air. With a flutter of his wings, he was on the ground. He kept a talon near Titan as he walked, looking over the ruins of a town his father had once described as 'picturesque'. He'd always thought that was a pretty fancy word for such a small town, but Eros imagined it was probably a lot more picturesque when it still had ponies living in it. As good as the apples had been, he still craved a bit more variety in his meals. On top of that, he never ate his fill during mealtime. His father said he could eat like a tornado's winds blow. His mother was always quick to defend him as a 'growing griffon.'

Eros smiled. Perhaps when he was older, he would tell his mother about the adventure he and his father had in the equine lands. He began down the main street, his head moving from side to side as he scanned the buildings for any sign of unspoiled food. He knew ponies didn't eat meat, but there was still the off chance a crate of it imported from the griffon empire was stored safely somewhere.

As he wandered, he came upon the town square. Streamers hung limply from streetlamps, their colors only a dull hue of what Eros imagined they'd once looked like. There were a few overturned tables in the square, as well as vendor carts and stands sitting untouched from their previous tenants, just like in the cities before.

Even though this town was just as empty as Prairieville, something just felt more inviting about this place. Prarieville had been a rough-and-tumble frontier city, if his father was to be believed. This place seemed like any small town. He recalled his Dad mentioning how friendly the ponies were in general, and how any griffon prejudiced against them was either ignorant or hadn't actually ever met one before. To think that such a kind race of creatures could just disappear from their cities and towns was a bit saddening, made scarier by the fact that they'd been fine only a month before.

A sound nearly startled Eros out of his feathers. He whipped around and clumsily grabbed for his sword. In the act of drawing it, he nearly flung it out of his talons. He regained his grip and held the blade in front of him. It trembled as Eros tried to steady himself. He'd trained with a wooden sword for a while after school, but it was really nothing more than a hobby to make his father proud. Though a blunderbuss might have been simpler to operate, there was a long history of honor in griffon culture that came with mastery of a sword.

Eros was far from mastery.

He pointed the blade at the source of the noise, a darkened doorway inside an old pottery shop. "C-come out!" he tried to yell in his most terrifying voice, though it simply sounded terrified. "Show yourself!" he said again, a little bit steadier, but still with the squeak of a child.

Why did I come out here? This was so stupid to sneak out without Dad! What if it's a prairie lion, or a timberwolf, or worse? How do I fight a cockatrice with a sword? It can turn me into stone! Thoughts of doubt raced through his mind as he waited for whatever snarling beast hid in the shadows to reveal himself.

Out of the doorway stepped a young mare. She was the brightest shade of buttery-yellow Eros had seen thus far. Her red mane was a bit dirty, but not nearly as bad as the ponies he and his father had encountered on the farm. She wore a ratty old bow in her mane as well, though the splotches of dirt and fading color suggested it had seen better days. He lowered his sword, letting the tip drag in the dirt as he caught his breath. His adrenaline was still pumping as he tucked Titan away in his belt.

The mare looked at him, her head titled to one side, bow and mane flopping lazily. "You can talk?" she asked.

Eros looked as though her words had punched him in the gut. "Y-you can talk?" he repeated dumbly. The silence of the town surrounded them as they gawked at each other. "I'm Eros," he said softly.

The filly took a few steps toward him from out of the darkened shop. She had a saddlebag strapped around her. The clasp was half of a giant green apple that sagged a bit around her thin frame. "I'm Apple Bloom."


Apple Bloom


The library door burst open, startling Argos from his sleep. He grabbed for Bessie before recognizing the outline of his son in the moonlight standing in the doorway. Behind him was a shape very unfamiliar. He squinted at him before hearing the sound of hooves on hardwood.

"Eros? Where have you been?" he demanded.

"I was checking out the town when I found her," he replied as his father lit a small candle he'd found in the library. He held it up, shining the dim light upon a yellow earth pony standing behind his son.

"I'm Apple Bloom," she said hoarsely. Argos' eyes widened. She could speak!

With a dried stalk of hay, Argos transferred the flame from the candle to a much brighter oil lamp they'd brought with them from the inn. "I'm Argos."

Apple Bloom looked toward the food stashed just behind Argos, licking her dry lips at the sight of their canteens. "I don't mean ta be rude, but do y'all have any water?"


Spike


Spike leaned against the battlements of the inner keep. He could see most of the city from up here, and he used that to his advantage when planning where he would go to search for food in the ruins of Canterlot. He'd heard from survivors that in some places, the towns and cities were intact, just empty. He'd liked to believe that, but the chaos in Canterlot when all of this started woke him from the dream that all ponies were rational, well-tempered beings. Riots, looting, the fall of law and order... he'd seen it all from behind the castle walls and it sickened him.

He was the only one to ever come up on the ramparts like this. The others were afraid to. Afraid that whatever had claimed many of their friends and family, would get them next. Only fillies and colts dared tread here whether that be due to hubris or ignorance.

He remembered the old mantra, the one strategy that seemed to work in most cases.

Do not see the blades! Do not smell the blades! Do not eat the blades!

He huffed at the thought. If that had worked, there would still be an Equestria.

"Hey, Spike." He turned to look down beside him. He'd grown quite tall since Twilight's coronation. Almost as tall as the princesses. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo trotted up the stairs to the wall, their heads nearly allowing them to see over the edge, something that was absolutely not allowed.

"Hey, girls," he replied with a smile. "What are you guys up to?"

"Can't sleep," Scootaloo replied.

Spike nodded. "Me neither." Strange, considering he was almost a professional sleeper when all of this began.

"Anything new out there tonight?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Nothin' much. Just the same old nighttime."

A pause came between them before Scootaloo asked a question that had been asked in one form or another countless times.

"Do you think we'll ever get out of here without becoming grazers?"

Spike had his reply ready as soon as he'd heard the question. "Yeah, she's working hard on a cure. She just doesn't know how long it's going to take."

It was the same answer they'd always received, but it offered them some small comfort nonetheless.

"You know what would be awesome, Spike?"

"Hm?"

"If you found some cupcakes, somehow," Sweetie replied, salivating at the mere thought of something besides dried hay, grain, and the occasional pickled vegetable.

"Oh yeah, I would kill for some of my Mom's roasted squash!" Scootaloo added, her wings fluttering in excitement.

Spike smiled. "Yeah, I could definitely use a few gems." He yawned into his hand, looking down at the crusaders. "Alright, now I'm getting sleepy. I'm headed to bed." He got off the wall and started back down, the fillies ahead of him. He toook one last look in the direction of Ponyville when he saw something unusual. He stopped, turning back around and squinting at what he thought had to be a mirage or light trick of some kind. He stared at it for a few seconds, before moving along the wall, waiting for it to disappear, as a reflection of moonlight would.

Instead, the glow stayed, and it was coming from Ponyville! Suddenly, the light went out, confirming Spike's suspicions.

"I don't believe it..." he whispered to himself. "Someone's still in Ponyville!"

The Road To Canterlot

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Apple Bloom


Eros and Argos sat beside each other as the hungry filly ate the apples and even a few bits of jerky. She looked like she'd skipped a few meals, but all-in-all no worse for it. Once she'd slowed down her chewing, Eros asked her the question that had been on his mind since the journey began.

"What happened here?"

Apple Bloom stopped chewing, wiping the crumbs from her lips. "I dunno."

That wasn't exactly the answer either of the griffons were looking for. "Where did everyone go?" Eros persisted.

"Ta Canterlot, I suspect. One day the newspapers started tellin' folks about ponies that lived near the woods actin' funny. They'd just stand around and eat grass all day. At first, folks thought it was just some weird fad or somethin', but then it started ta spread. Before ya know it, everybody knows somepony that's been eatin' grass. Then they stop talkin', their coats get all dull, their feathers fall off, their horns go away..." her voice quieted as she stared into the flame of the lamp between them. "One day I woke up, and my brother Macintosh told me ta get in the storm cellar, and not ta come out till he came and got me. I couldn't tell ya how long I was in there. I ate all the food, I even tried ta save some for my family, but I couldn't. When I had no other option, I went outside. Everything looked fine. The house and barn were still there, apples were still in a few trees, but nopony was around."

She sniffed, and through the darkness, Eros spotted the twinkling of tears beginning to form in the dim lamplight. "After that, I just wandered around lookin' for somepony, but the whole town was empty. I went back to the farm, and I found Mac, and my sister, but... they weren't themselves. They wouldn't talk, they ran away from me when I tried ta go near them. Somethin' was wrong, but I didn't know what."

A stunned silence entered the darkened library.

"I-I'm sorry Apple Bloom..." Eros squeaked.

"I heard some ponies went to Canterlot. That's where I would've gone, but I can't go by myself. The road there is too dangerous." She wiped the tears from her eyes before they had a chance to fall. "And I don't know if I can leave my family behind."

"We're on our way to Canterlot," Argos said. We can take you there, if you like."

Apple Bloom considered it. She had seen the royal announcements plastered all over town when she emerged from the cellar. Was it possible that the princesses had been able to protect some ponies from whatever was happening?

"I... I guess I would like that. But, d'ya mind if I go back to the farm first? I want ta see if my family's still there."

Argos nodded. "Canterlot isn't far, we can stop there and still make good time."

After a bit more chatting, the three of them bedded down for the night. Once Argos was asleep, Eros whispered to Apple Bloom.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, what was this place like before?" He heard her bedroll shuffle as she shifted towards him.

"It was great. There was always somepony around to talk to or play with, plenty of food ta eat and fun games to play. Heck, lookin' back on it now, school wasn't so bad compared ta this."

"There were streamers and stuff still in the center of town. What was that about?"

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. "Oh, I bet it was for the summer sun celebration. That's a really fun time. The princesses come down and everybody dances and plays games until nighttime!" her enthusiasm caused Argos to stir in his bed. The children looked at him tensely, before realizing he wasn't awake.

"That does sound fun. We don't really have too many festivals in the Iron Mountains."

"That's too bad. You should tell them ta throw more."

Eros smiled, though he doubted she could see it in the dark.

"Ya know, Eros, you're the first griffon I've ever met."

"Really?" Eros rolled over, proping his head on his talon. "I wish I could say you were the first pony I ever met, but Dad does business with them a lot."

"Well, I guess technically Gilda would've been the first griffon I'd ever met, but I didn't really meet her. I heard she was a jerk anyway."

"Yeah, not all griffons are as nice as me and my Dad."

Another pause came between them before Eros spoke again.

"Apple Bloom, I'm sorry about what happened to your family."

Though he spoke, the silence persisted. For a moment, Eros feared he'd said the wrong thing, and that his new friend would hate him.

"Thanks, Eros. I'm glad you and your Dad found me."

He smiled again. "Me too. Goodnight, Apple Bloom."

"G'night, Eros."


The ride down to the farm was quiet. It was a short trip, but for Apple Bloom, it felt like the longest she'd ever taken. They stopped outside the farmhouse and Apple Bloom hopped out of the cart, steeling herself against what could lie waiting for her.

"You want me to go with you?" Eros asked, a talon on his sword.

"No, I'll be alright," she replied, walking towards the barn where her father had told her she could find a pony wearing a yoke. They could see the barn from the cart, and watched quietly as she made her way towards the doors.

"Macintosh?" she called into the darkness of the barn. "Applejack?"

The same copper stallion as before appeared from inside the barn. He looked her over, snorting defensively.

"Do you remember me, big brother?" The stallion tossed his head from one side to the other, as if in response. She took a step towards him, but he pawed the ground as he did when Argos approached. Eros went to get off the cart but his father gripped his arm tightly. "Stay here. If he charges, I can get her much faster than you can," he whispered. Eros hated to admit it, but his father was right. He'd only been flying for a few years.

Mac's defensive posture stopped Apple Bloom in her tracks. "Mac, I'm goin' ta Canterlot. I hear the princesses are still there with other ponies." Her words had no effect, as the stallion continued to snort and whinny threateningly. "Maybe they'll find a cure and change ya back..." she mumbled weakly. "I'm sure they will." Apple Bloom fell to her haunches and bowed her head. The tears she'd managed so well the night before dripped onto the dry dirt in front of the barn.

By now, the mares Macintosh had been protecting stepped lightly out of the barn to see the commotion. Mac retreated into the barn, content that the thing that had trespassed onto his territory was no threat. The other mares kept their distance, but one with a golden coat and straw colored mane approached the crying filly.

Apple Bloom felt a shadow cast over her and looked up. "A-applejack?" she asked quietly. There would be no reply. The mare bent down and gave Apple Bloom a lick across her damp cheeks. "I'm leavin', Applejack," she whispered. "I'm goin' ta Canterlot. The princesses are there... they'll find a way ta fix this."

Applejack nuzzled her sister, though whether she knew her or not was debatable. A final lick across her cheeks brought Applejack back into the barn with the other mares. Apple Bloom wanted nothing more than to be with her family. She looked at the grass in the orchards. That's what started all this. Ponies eating grass. Once they started, it wasn't long before they ended up like her family had. Maybe that was what she should do. Maybe the answer to all these problems wasn't to cure her family, but to become like them. She reached for the grassy patch beside her, but before she could take a bite, talons gripped her beneath her forelegs and carried her into the sky.

She looked above her. Argos was taking her back to the wagon. As she saw the world stretched out beneath her, she felt hope renew itself in her heart. Maybe there was something wonderful waiting for them in Canterlot. Maybe the princesses were on the verge of a breakthrough cure for what had happened to her hometown. Argos landed on the cart, sitting her on the passenger bench while his son rode in the back atop the gems.

"Everything okay, Apple Bloom?" Eros asked, a bit concerned over his father's sudden action.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. Let's go to Canterlot."


Spike


"Are you sure that's what you saw?"

"Positive! It had to be a light, there's nothing else it could have been," Spike replied confidently.

The princess ran a hoof through her mane. Sending ponies beyond the wall was always a tall order. They had to wrap their heads completely so as not to be corrupted by the blades, and it would be up to Spike to guide them. They could still see, and still breathe, but their senses were dulled to the danger that awaited them. The prospect of a pony surviving outside the perimeter wall, where the grass was abundant was too juicy a research opportunity to pass up. After all, if a pony had lived in the wild for this long, they could be the key to defeating the grazers.

She sighed. "Okay. Gather whatever ponies volunteer and take them to search for the survivor."

Spike bowed, turning on his heel and heading out into the courtyard, when the princesses words stopped him. "Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise."

Spike stepped out into the early morning light, the courtyard he entered now completely devoid of plant life. Everything was paved over, stone and cement ensuring no plants could grow anywhere near where the normal ponies were living. In his bag, he retrieved a horn, releasing a shrill blast into the stillness of the early morning. Within a few minutes, the able bodied stallions and mares gathered around him.

"The princess needs volunteers for a mission out past the walls," Spike announced. A murmur went through the crowd at the thought. "There's a survivor in Ponyville, one that's been in the wild for weeks. I don't have to tell you all what finding a pony immune to the blades would mean for Twilight's research. Anyone want to go with me?"

Spike scanned the gathered crowd of about fifteen ponies. Only four hooves went up. "Meet me in the armory."


In order to reach the armory, Spike had to cross through the stables. That was the nice term for them. Unlike other places designed to contain, this place was not for criminals. In fact, the stables currently housed the two reigning princesses of Equestria. The most unnerving thing about the stables were the creatures living in them.

Spike opened the door, a twisting mechanical knob only usable via magic or dexterous claws. At the sound of the hinges, the creatures in the stables looked up. He walked down the isle in between the stalls lining the walls. Some of the stables were still empty, but the occupants here tugged at Spike's heart. One, in particular. Five stalls down from the door on the right side, a white pony with a fading purple mane snorted to herself, indignant at being awakened from her nap.

These visits both brought Spike hope, and sorrow. He stopped outside the stable as the white unicorn mare approached him. Her horn had been shrinking. Now, it was no larger than a filly's. Spike reached into his messenger bag, producing a small white square. He'd found them in an old coffee shop. Sometimes he'd give them to a few of the foals, but mostly he saved them for her.

She looked the same as the image he held in his mind, with the exception of her mane, which had streaks of white in it to match her coat. Spike extended a gentle claw. Rarity stepped forward, rubbing into his hand. He scratched her head softly as he held out the sugarcube in his palm. She licked the cube, having gotten used to Spike's treats by now. He hated what had happened to her. It wasn't fair! She didn't deserve this. None of the ponies did.

Her eyes flicked up at him as he continued to scratch. She trusted him. He'd like to think so, anyway. He recalled asking Twilight what had happened to her. He asked if she was going to be like this forever. When all of this started, she was sure they'd figure out a way to turn everyone back to their normal selves. That was over a month ago. As the days wore on, more and more ponies became grazers, and panic spread. Before long, it seemed like all other cities and towns had gone dark. Only Canterlot remained, and of that, many had already succumbed. When Twilight decided to close off the inner keep, there were around seventy five ponies holed up, guards and servants counted. As of this day, there were now only thirty.

"We're going to find a pony that's been alive out in the wild," he whispered. "They might hold the key to finding a cure for all this." Rarity snorted lightly, as if in reply. "We'll fix this. I know we will." An indignant grunt and whinny came from the stall beside Rarity's, drawing Spike's attention.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you two," He smiled, walking to the next stall. An alicorn with once graceful and majestic wings nuzzled Spike's open hand as he reached out to rub her ears. Princess Luna's coat had grown darker, more of a black now than midnight blue like she had been. Her horn was now about the length of a normal unicorn, as was her sisters beside her. Spike gave both she and Celestia sugar cubes, making sure they got a head scratching for just as long as Rarity had. He didn't want to start any problems between the three of them.

It was a wistful thought at best. Truth be told, neither he nor Twilight could know for sure whether the pony these 'grazers' used to be was still inside them, or lost forever. Maybe the thought of the ponies down here feeling jealousy, impatience and selfishness helped Spike believe that they were still the beings they were, just hidden away or put to sleep by whatever was causing the Equestrians to act like this.

"You know the Princesses get jealous if you spend too much time with Rarity," A voice from behind him echoed. Spike turned his head and stepped away from the royal stables. Twilight's hoofsteps softened as she came near. "It's not good for you to dwell on this, Spike."

"I'm not dwelling on it," he replied defensively. "I'm just down here to keep her company." Spike sidled back over to Rarity, giving her another sugarcube while the princesses busily licked their lips in search of more sugar. "Besides, this is the way to the armory."

"This isn't the only way there," Twilight reminded him, stepping up next to the princesses stables.

"So, what happens if we find this pony and it's exactly what we hope it is?" Spike asked.

"I don't want to get your hopes up, but if that pony isn't a grazer by the time they get here, then we may have a shot a figuring this thing out."

"What about your other projects?"

Twilight sighed heavily. "They aren't coming along like I'd hoped. Without a sample, I can't discover what's causing all of this. I still don't know if it's some kind of visual trigger, or a fungus, or a spore... I have more questions than answers right now."

Spike stepped back from Rarity's stable and faced Twilight. "I'm gonna try to get us some answers," he told her confidently.

Twilight smiled. "Just be careful."


Eros


Argos had shifted the contents of his cart to allow Eros and Apple Bloom to sit in the back and talk. The drivers bench could only hold two, and squeezing one of them in up front was uncomfortable. For a moment, as they rode along the street to Canterlot, Argos smiled. The conversation behind him was peppered with laughs and giggles, something he felt sure the filly they'd found hadn't done in quite some time. The cobblestones they traveled down had weeds growing from in between them, the weeks of disrepair showing in every bump and pothole they ran across.

"Then we made a float which we booby-trapped to get revenge on her for bein' so mean ta us!" Apple Bloom explained, Eros listening intently as she continued.

"So did she fall for it?" he asked.

Apple Bloom smiled sheepishly. "Well, we kinda saved her before it went off."

Eros laughed. "You went through all that trouble to get your revenge, and then you ended up saving her?" he asked in disbelief.

"She's still my cousin, no matter how much of a jerk she was!" she shot back. The lighthearted tone shifted as Apple Bloom's smile faded. Concern flashed across Eros' face as he leaned forward a few inches.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine, it's just..." Apple Bloom considered opening up to him. Though she had only met him less than a day ago, he was the first sentient creature she'd seen in weeks. "Nothing. I'm just worried about my family."

"Maybe some of them ended up where we're going," Eros said hopefully, trying to bring back the smile she'd had moments before.

Apple Bloom nodded, though it seemed like she was simply going through the motions. Eros could see it on her face. She was tired of the world she'd woken up to. Even though he was a foot away from her at most, he'd never felt more distance between someone. There was no way he could hope to try and relate to what had happened to this filly. All he could do was offer his condolences, which meant nothing out here in this forsaken kingdom.

Eros looked ahead, letting the silence take hold. He hadn't really thought about the future until now. What happens when they reach Canterlot? Are he and his father simply going to sell what they can and leave? Leave this filly and whoever else might still be alive to their fate? Heroes never left the innocent to suffer. Heroes helped in any way they could!

But Eros was just a young griffon. What could he do against some mysterious plague? What if he started eating grass and wandering around the wilderness next? What if he and his father were already infected and they just didn't know it?

"What are th' Iron Mountains like?"

Eros turned his head in surprise. The somber expression Apple Bloom had worn only seconds before had morphed into neutrality. "Oh, uhm... well, it's kinda like this place. Only not as colorful. And not as many festivals. And it's cloudy a lot up there," he explained.

"So what is it that griffons eat?" Apple Bloom asked, trying to keep the conversation off of her depressing surroundings as long as possible.

"Mostly meat, though we can eat vegetables and stuff—"

"Not that Eros ever does," his father chimed in from the drivers seat.

"Dad!" he moaned, a bit of blush coming over his cheeks, making Apple Bloom giggle.

"Anyway, we eat all kinds of stuff," he finished, moving a talon to rest on the hilt of his sword. "I didn't know ponies could eat meat, though."

Apple Bloom smiled weakly. "When you're hungry enough, you'll eat anything."

"Well, as long as you don't mind the same thing for every meal, you won't go hungry with us," Eros replied.

Before Apple Bloom could thank him, the cart stopped abruptly. The two in the back slid forward against the front of the cart. Eros raised his head and was about to chastise his father when he saw what waited ahead of them. Four creatures, clothed completely in ragged, dark colored clothes that covered their every inch. They had the shape of ponies, but there were no eyes, ears, mouths or nose exposed to the outside. A taller creature in a brown hooded cloak that appeared to be made from burlap lead them. He lifted a talon and pointed toward the cart. The other creatures advanced on his command.

Argos fumbled with the chest behind the drivers seat until Bessie was within easy reach. He turned to his son and Apple Bloom. "Get down and stay quiet."

Memories

View Online


Argos


Eros and Apple Bloom ducked down among the chests and barrels inside the wagon. Argos shouldered his weapon, making sure the creatures at the end of the road could see it. If they could see, that is. In the blink of an eye, the beasts split up, darting into the woods on the side of the road.

Argos could hear the shrubs and trees rustling in the forest as he swung his weapon from one side to the other. I've got to make this shot count, he thought, readying the hammer. Before he had time to pick a target, he found his cart surrounded on all sides by the creatures, their leader standing straight ahead of him.

He wasn't sure who they were, or what they wanted, but Argos was sure that they wouldn't be taking it from him. He raised Bessie and trained her on the target in front of him. He squeezed the trigger, but found it jammed. He squeezed as hard as his talons would allow, but the metal piece wouldn't budge. He glanced at the mechanism and found it bound in a purple magical aura, keeping it from firing. When he looked back toward his target, it was already upon him. A scaled claw grabbed the blunderbuss and twisted it away, but not before cracking Argos in the head with the stock of the weapon.

Watching his father fall from the cart, Eros stood up. He unsheathed Titan and held it in front of him, the weapon shaking as though it were in an earthquake. The hooded leader of the group approached him, the other creatures holding back. Eros pointed his sword at it as it stepped ever closer. The leader was only a sword length away by the time he'd turned to face Eros. His weapon seemed to weigh a thousand pounds as it sagged in his arms. The hooded creature looked down at the tip of the blade now poking him in the chest. It swatted the sword away as though it were a fly. The weapon flew out of Eros' nervous talons and stuck into the road beside the cart. He stumbled backward against the edge of the wagon, Apple Bloom still cowering under a blanket near his feet.

The creature raised a glowing purple claw and Eros found himself paralyzed. He floated out of the cart and onto the ground near his unconscious father.

Eros' heart was set to racing as he watched the hooded figure reach into the cart and cast away the blanket Apple Bloom had been hiding under. Her scream filled his ears as he tried to shout, but his cries caught in his throat. He was helpless, just as he had been in his dream.

"Spike?" Eros heard Apple Bloom's voice, only this time, it wasn't a cry of terror. It sounded like... relief. In a flash, the figure tore back his hood, revealing the scaled face of a young dragon.

"Apple Bloom?" The dragon seemed even more surprised than she had been. Eros watched in stunned silence as she threw her forelegs around Spike in a hug tighter than she'd given in quite a while. They held each other for a while before Apple Bloom remembered she wasn't traveling alone.

"Spike, this is Eros and... what th' heck happened to his Pa?" she asked in shock, seeing him on the ground.

"Sorry, he had a gun!" Spike said sheepishly. He turned and pulled Eros' sword out of the ground, handing it back to him. "Sorry about the sword."

Eros finally found his tongue after he tucked Titan away. "Forget the sword, what about my Dad!" he shouted.

Spike nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that, too. It's hard to talk when I'm wearing the hood. I would have just asked him to drop the gun, but before I could, he tried to shoot me," he said flatly, kneeling beside Argos and resting a glowing purple claw over his forehead. Within seconds, Argos' eyes fluttered open. He sprang upright, looking frantically for his weapon before Eros and Apple Bloom assured him it would not be needed.

"Apologies about the whack, but you did try to shoot me," Spike said, standing. He turned to Apple Bloom, unable to help his smile. "I can't believe it's you! I saw lights coming from Ponyville, but I never would have guessed it was somepony I'd know!"

Apple Bloom looked ready to cry. The smile on her face not matching the tears forming in her eyes. "Does this mean there are other ponies besides me?" she asked.

"Yeah. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are gonna lose it when they see you," Spike replied. Her eyes lit up like a gas lamp.

"They're in Canterlot too?" she gasped. Spike nodded.

"Well what are we waitin' for? Let's go!" she said excitedly, hopping back in her place on the wagon.

Spike helped Argos off the ground and handed him his blunderbuss. "So, you're from Canterlot?" Argos asked, rubbing his cheek.

"Yeah, we're holed up in the inner keep of the palace." Spike motioned to his party members. "Let's head back."

The group walked together down the road to Canterlot, Spike and Argos talking while Eros and Apple Bloom sat in the back of the wagon.

"So, a merchant eh? You must be pretty hard up for money to make the trip out here," Spike commented as they went.

"I've been making this route for years. First time I've ever seen this, however."

Spike nodded. "Yeah, we're working on that. So what do you sell?"

"Gems form the Iron Mountains."

Spike stopped in the middle of the road, bringing their convoy to a halt. "Did you say you sold gems?"

"I did indeed," Argos replied, reaching behind him for a small sack of samples. "But I don't usually sell to dragons that attack me."

Spike looked at him with regret in his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry I hit ya, but I haven't had a gem in days! We've got gold back at the palace, I can pay you then, just let me have one!" Argos chuckled. It looked like he should have just offered him a gem the first time and all this ugliness could have been avoided.

Argos paused, eyes examining the dragon just to make him sweat a bit. "I'll give you half now, and the rest later. How's that?" He spilled a few brightly colored gems out of his bag and into Spike's claws. In an instant of crunches and flashing fangs, the gems were gone.

"Oh, that was so good," Spike said mournfully. "You've got more of those, right?"

Argos smiled. "The cart is filled with them."


Twilight


The scratching sounds of quill on parchment had been erratic at best. Many books, papers, empty ink wells, and broken quills littered the area around the old, candle wax-stained desk. Twilight sat back in her chair, her wings fluttering in frustration. Her every effort seemed to hit a wall. Every experiment was inconclusive, every test yielded nothing she could use. The grazers grew more numerous every day, while the numbers of survivors in her camp dropped monthly. It was a sad cycle.

One day, they'd find a pony of theirs outside the wall, grazing on the grass as though they didn't have a care in the world. It was easy when the pony that had succumbed was a loner. Nopony would really miss them, hurtful as it seemed. It was when a pony with a few friends left, that she had to station extra guards around the exit. Their friends would beg them not to go, to try and fight the cravings, but it was futile in every instance. In days—weeks, in some rare cases—the pony would be gone, out to graze on the plants growing wildly with nopony to tend them or cull their growth. Twilight would then have to keep a close eye on their friends and family in order to keep them from becoming grazers as well.

It was a tough job. Besides magical intervention, the only other real way to keep ponies from becoming grazers was to secure them, and the implications of holding ponies against their will was not something Twilight took lightly.

She sighed, rubbing her eyes and relaxing in her seat, thinking back to happier times. The times when she had just earned her crown and wings, the times when her brother and her foalsitter, her mentor and her sister had been there to guide her. They were long gone now. It pained her to think of her mother, her father, her brother Shining and her sister-in-law Cadence. No one knew what happened to the Crystal Empire after the spread of the grazing.

Maybe Cadence and Shining found a way to make the empire disappear for another thousand years.

As Twilight remembered, Celestia's voice came through clearly. She recalled the night the princess had told her of the great change that was coming. A change that would sweep the world.

Twilight found Celestia in her observatory that evening. It was unusual for the princess of the sun to be awake during the night, but not unheard of. This was the usual time Twilight would make her observations on the movement of the planets and the grouping of star clusters within their cosmic view.

"Princess? What are you doing up so late?" Twilight asked. It was well past midnight, and Celestia woke early every morning to raise the sun and begin the seemingly endless parade of nobles and commoners alike that requested an audience.

Princess Celestia pulled herself from the rather large telescope, as though she didn't sense Twilight approach. "Just observing my sister's work," she replied, though the look on her face suggested otherwise.

"It is a lovely night out, isn't it?" Twilight said, stepping toward the balcony and peering through the instrument.

"Yes," Celestia sighed. "I could never manage the heavens quite like Luna."

Twilight pulled away from the telescope and turned to face her teacher. She'd never seen the concern on Celestia's face until now. "Everything okay, Princess?"

Celestia's eyes flicked towards the heavens, then back down to her student, her tail twitching from side to side. "Twilight, a great change is coming."

She raised an eyebrow. "Great change? What do you mean?"

The alicorn princess had no words for her student, only a brief silence. "You know of the seasons, don't you Twilight?" she asked, retreating from the balcony to the inner chamber of the observatory.

"Of course," she replied. "Winter, spring, summer, and fall."

"When you were crowned princess, our kind lived in the fall of our nation. Now, I fear, we may be entering the winter."

Twilight enjoyed cryptic speech as much as the next scholar, but simply couldn't make head or tail of what Celestia meant. "Winter?" she repeated.

"Twilight, my dearest student. Do you know how our kind came to be?"

"Of course!" Twilight answered happily. "Our mother Epona created the universe through the magic of her horn, and decided that there should be three pony races, with alicorns to guide them through the ages!"

Celestia smiled. Her student had studied ancient Equestrian lore more rigorously than any of her former pupils. "Yes my dear, but what do you know of the end of magic?"

A puzzled look fell across Twilight's face. "The end of magic?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes. A day will come when the magic of our race fails. The day when it begins to leave us, just as it had come."

Twilight was taken aback. There was nothing about this in the books of the library, not even the restricted section! "Leave us?"

Celestia settled herself on a large cushion as Twilight sat on the floor in front of her mentor. "There will come a time when the magic given to us by birth will leave. It happened once before." Twilight leaned forward, hanging on Celestia's every word. "My sister and I stopped it once. We used the elements of harmony, bartering with our mother Epona. We gave up our mortal lives so that the rest of the ponies we cared for would live on with the blessing of sentience." The torchlight in the observatory cast long shadows about the room as Twilight listened, unsure of what to make of what was being revealed. "We were told a time would come when the magic lent to our kind was due to return from whence it came."

Confusion settled over Twilight as she tried to process what her teacher had revealed. "Return? But... what's going to happen to us?"

"I can't say," she replied mournfully.

"Is there some way to stop it? You and Princess Luna stopped it, right?"

Celestia nodded. "We did, but at a price. I have no way of knowing if the same deal can be struck again."

"But... there must be something we can do!"

Princess Celestia seemed to ignore the question, instead looking into her pupil's eyes, cherishing the moments they had together while they were still able to enjoy them. "Twilight. Promise me that if we are unable to stop what is coming, you will not linger here."


"Princess?" A knocking at her chamber door roused her from her memory. Twilight removed herself from her desk and trotted over.

"Yes?" she asked the guard who had come to fetch her. They still wore the armor of old, though very few of the guards could actually find any helms that could fit them. Most of the armory's supply had been out with the guards sent to keep the peace in Canterlot, and had never returned. It was somewhat painful, seeing royal guards in their armor. It reminded her of Shining. Twilight only thought of him and Cadence in the privacy of her chamber, where it was okay to cry, and okay to miss those you knew you could not do without.

"Spike has returned to the city," The tired looking guard reported.

"Is he and his company by himself?" she asked urgently.

"No your Highness. They have found the travelers."


Eros


Eros found himself enjoying Apple Bloom's new demeanor. Somber wasn't a good suit for her. After a trip along the deserted road, they reached the city gates of Canterlot. Like the other cities Eros had visited, this one was abandoned. However, unlike the others, this one showed signs of violence and strife. Burned out buildings and collapsed roofs hardly began to tell the story of all that had gone on here. Apple Bloom seemed just as surprised as he had been.

Her eyes lost the shine the news of her friends surviving had brought her. Eros noticed and leaned toward her from his side of the cart. "Everything okay?" he asked softly.

She glanced up at him, distracting herself from the ruins of a city that once represented everything she could hope to become in her lifetime. "Y-yeah. I'm just fine." Even though Eros had only known her for a short period, he could tell she was a terrible liar. Thinking quickly, he changed the subject to one she might appreciate a bit more than the gloom that surrounded them.

"So, who are your friends? Sweetie Belle and Scooterloo?"

Apple Bloom smiled, smothering a giggle. "Ya mean Scootaloo? They're two of th' coolest fillies you'll ever meet!" she told him, her voice picking up a happy tone. "I don't think they've ever met a griffon before, either," she added as Eros smiled to himself.

"I hope I make a good impression," he replied. The gentle swaying of the cart lulled them both back into silence. Eros was hesitant to comment on the ruin of the city, and he was certain Apple Bloom simply wanted to see her friends. After all, according to her, she had been alone for quite some time. The sparsely populated outskirts seemed even more unsettling than the city he and his father first encountered. In Prairieville, there had only been large, similar non-descript buildings, with few dwellings to speak of.

But here, the damage to the homes and neighborhoods seemed to chill Eros to the bone. These had been ponies houses. Perhaps they'd worked all their life and saved up every spare bit they had to buy it to raise their family in it and live happily together until their children did the same.

Now, they were husks of their what he imagined they once were. Most of the straw roofs were gone, either blown away by the breeze, collapsed, or burnt out. Only a few homes seemed livable, despite the shattered windows or broken doors. Furniture and personal items littered the yards and streets. Everything from tables and chairs, to children's toys and books. The scene was pure chaos, even though nothing but the wind blew through the empty alleys and cul-de-sacs. Eros looked to the head of their convoy. A castle sat perched on the side of the lone mountain jutting up from the otherwise hilly landscape around them.

The trees lining the road still bore leaves, as though nothing was out of the ordinary. It was an startling contrast, Eros thought. The dominant species of this land were gone, to who knows where, and the non-sentient beings simply carried on as though nothing were out of the ordinary. Birds here still chirped sweetly, bees still flew to the flowers marked by their brothers to collect pollen. Everything was fine, except for one glaring absence.

Eros glanced back to Apple Bloom. She stared stoically at her hooves, seeming to want to avoid the world around her. He frowned.

He couldn't blame her.


Spike


Spike and Argos walked beside the cart, Argos holding the reins with a spare talon as they went. They had spent much of the journey from Ponyville to Canterlot in silence as Spike savored the few gems he had given him. Once they'd entered the outskirts of Canterlot, however, Argos could hold his tongue no longer.

"So, what happened here?" he asked keeping his voice down in case they answer was something he'd rather the children not hear.

To his surprise, Spike smiled. "Same thing that happened everywhere."

Argos almost smirked himself, though the somber surroundings made him reconsider. "And that would be?"

"We're still not sure."

"We?"

"Twilight and I. You'll meet her once we get to the castle."

Argos nodded, allowing a brief pause before continuing with his questions. "Apple Bloom told us what she knew, but it wasn't much."

Spike glanced over his shoulder at the tired-looking filly. She smiled warmly at him, as he returned her gesture. "Good. Honestly, the less she knows, the better," he replied, turning back to the road ahead of them. "It started four weeks, and six days ago. That's when the grazing began to spread. The first reports came in about three months ago, but it was only near the forbidden forests. Places like the Everfree, Timberwolf Tundra, real wilderness areas," Spike began an indifference in his tone that seemed as though he were having a conversation about the weather. "Whatever it is, it makes ponies into animals. Not vicious ones, but... docile ones, I guess. It starts with eating grass. They just do it occasionally, whenever they get hungry. Then they start eating it more and more. Soon it's all they eat for all three meals. After that, they're sleeping outside just so they can eat grass as soon as they wake up. After that, they quit talking, they ignore their friends and family, their coats change color..." his voice trailed off, as though reliving a particularly painful memory. "They lose their horns their wings, almost everything that made them who they were. They just stand around eating grass and sleeping."

Argos was at a loss for words. He'd never heard of anything like it. He muttered a hum of agreement and looked down at his paws as he walked. He didn't feel the need to press the issue further, but still had a few questions about his traveling companions. "So, why do your friends have their heads wrapped up?" he asked, gesturing to the other ponies walking beside the cart.

"We're not sure what triggers the cravings for grass, so until we know, anypony that comes outside the walls with me covers their eyes, nose, mouth and ears. I don't know if it does any good, but better safe than sorry," Spike replied.

"And why don't you wear what they do?"

Spike's grin returned. "I don't eat grass."


Twilight


Twilight stood below the wall with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, two guards beside them. A spell she had cast allowed her to look safely over the wall without fear of being affected by the blades. She scanned the horizon towards the road leading to Ponyville.

"Well? We've been here for an hour!" Rainbow said impatiently, Fluttershy staying silent beside her.

"No sign of them yet... they must be on a bend in the road."

Dash stepped forward. "C'mon, let me see if I can find them." She attempted to nudge Twilight out of the way, but she held her ground.

"Just let me give it one more..." Twilight gasped, adjusting her magic to enhance her view. "I think... that's them! There's Spike, his party, and..." her voice trailed off as she removed her eyes from her magic periscope and rubbed them. Could it be?

Before she could check again, Rainbow stole her spot, putting her eyes to her spell and gazing across the deserted city. Dash reacted the same way Twilight had. "Is that... Apple Bloom?"

Fluttershy shoved Rainbow out of the way and took her turn at the magical device. "It is!" she squealed.

Rainbow's wings fluttered happily. "Just imagine the look on squirt's face when we tell her!"

Twilight turned to her guards. "When Spike gets here, he'll be traveling with two griffons and a pony. Once they're inside, scrub them of blades and bring them to me."

"Yes, Princess." They saluted, resuming their post at the only exit to the inner keep. The remaining Elements of Harmony trotted away from the gate, a renewed sense of vigor adding a spring to their step.

"So, this is enough of a reason to break into our keg of cider, right?" Rainbow asked hopefully.

Twilight smiled. "I think so."

"Yes! Party tonight!" Dash shouted enthusiastically, fluttering away to tell the other ponies milling about the courtyard the good news.

"How do you think Apple Bloom survived out there with all that grass?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight shrugged. "I can't say, but if I can figure it out, it may be the final clue I need to figure out how to stop this. Maybe even reverse it." For the first time since coming here, Fluttershy smiled. "You should probably let Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo know who's coming." Twilight smiled, knowing the joy on the young mare's faces would raise Fluttershy's spirits even more. "If Rainbow hasn't already beaten you to it."

She nodded and followed after Dash, leaving Twilight in the cement courtyard. Watching the surprise on the other ponies faces kept her smile lingering. This was not a large kingdom by any means. She could walk from one end to the other in a few minutes. But it was the last bastion of what her mentor and her sister had built, what she and her five friends had fought and sacrificed to protect. It was Equestria's last hope.

Twilight looked up at the moon, suspended in the same position since the grass had claimed Princess Luna, even during the daytime. I'm trying, Princess Celestia. I just need a little help.

The Masks of Power

View Online


Eros


Eros gawked at the magnificent buildings surrounding him as they entered the center of the city. Even in such disrepair, they were even more beautiful than anything he'd ever imagined. Griffon architecture was mainly functional, with little time spent on aesthetics. These buildings seemed to have both in mind, and integrated wonderfully.

Apple Bloom seemed to notice his stare. "Pretty neat, huh?"

He turned to her and nodded before resuming his attempts to take in his surroundings. "What are all these buildings for?" he asked.

Apple Bloom moved to his side of the cart and sat next to him. "That one's the temple of the sun and moon," she said pointing to a grand structure in the distance. "That's where the legends say the Princesses defeated Discord and founded Equestria."

Eros squinted against the sun. "They beat him in that building?" He'd heard of Discord, but only thought he was a legend, not an actual being.

"No," Apple Bloom laughed. "They built it over the site. They froze him in stone and stuck him in the palace gardens."

They continued down the bumpy road, Apple Bloom wearing the smile she'd had since Spike delivered the news of her friends being alive.

Eros couldn't blame her. Try as he might, everything around him seemed so surreal. It was as though none of this were real, as though he'd return home to the Iron Mountains after all was said and done, and go back to his normal life of schoolwork, friends, and dodging detention. He could picture his home now. Eros closed his eyes for a moment, swearing the smell of his mother's wood-burning stove wafting through his neighborhood as he made his way home from school.

His modest house filled with the smell of her cooking around sunset, and he could almost feel the dust beneath his paws as he pushed through his front door, the hinges announcing his presence before he ever had to. His Mom would smile, tell him dinner was nearly ready, and ask him how school had been that day. Inevitably, he'd tell her it was 'fine' and usually nothing more, but she was fine with that, it seemed.

A particularly nasty jolt pulled him from his memories, accompanied by the snap of splintering wood. The cart heaved violently, nearly dumping Eros and Apple Bloom into the street. Eros' glanced across the cart to see Apple Bloom with a hoof rubbing her jaw.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just bit my tongue." Apple Bloom climbed out of the cart and spit on the ground beside the cart. A streak of crimson mixed with her saliva as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hoof. Eros jumped out of the cart and inspected the damage with his father. Argos knelt beneath the cart and sighed heavily.

"It's just a broken spoke, but it'll take some time to fix," his father said as Spike came up behind them.

"Sorry, I should have kept a sharper eye out for potholes."

Argos shook his head. "No, it was no fault of yours. I was the one driving the team, I should've kept better watch."

Spike glanced down the road and smiled. "Good news is, we're almost there. You think it'll make it a quarter of a mile?"

"I think it will, but we'll need to lighten the load as much as possible." Argos turned to his son and the filly that had walked beside him. "I hope you two don't mind walking for a bit."

"No sir, I'm fine with walkin'." Apple Bloom answered.

"Me too!" Eros followed, as though she'd beaten him to the punch.

His father smiled. "Well then, let's press on, and hope the wheel will last."


Twilight


"Your Highness, Spike has returned with the outsiders."

Twilight's head rose from her scroll. She set the quill back in her ink jar and removed herself from behind her desk. With a quick spell, her crown and hoof-guards adorned her as she walked to the door of her chambers with the guard that had summoned her.

"What was the final count of their party?" she asked, shielding her eyes from the sunlight with a wing as they entered the courtyard.

"One adult griffon, one adolescent, and an earth pony filly."

Twilight's heart jumped in excitement, even though she'd known Apple Bloom was with them before. The grazing wasn't known to attack griffons, and thought of an earth pony having resisted the grass for so long outside the protection of her compound stirred a feeling in her she'd not felt since before this disaster visited her kingdom. "How is she?"

"She's fine. She answered questions, never tasted the grass, and seems normal overall." Twilight couldn't help but smile. The expression felt almost alien on her lips. It had been so long since she had a reason to do it genuinely. She put on a brave face for those still under her rule—as well she had to. If her subjects thought even for a second that she'd contemplated all hope being lost, then she would be ruling nothing but an empty keep, waiting alone for the cravings to take her. Twilight stopped at the statue of Celestia and Luna in the courtyard. She could see the outsiders cart being inspected by the guards, and they themselves being checked for grass.

It was a necessary, if not a bit degrading step. Twilight was still unsure what exactly triggered the grazer's cravings, but keeping any and all grass out of her domain seemed to be working.

The fluttering of wings drew her attention over her shoulder. "Are they here?" Rainbow Dash asked, with Fluttershy landing softly behind her, each with a Cutie Mark Crusader on their back. Twilight smiled at both fillies, their wide eyes looking to her expectantly.

"Rainbow Dash told us you had a surprise," Scootaloo said impatiently.

Twilight looked to her. "You didn't tell them?" she asked.

"Nah, I figured you could use a win." Dash winked, letting Scootaloo slide off her back as Sweetie Belle did the same.

Princess Twilight nodded a wordless thank you before looking down to the fillies she'd practically seen grow into young mares before her eyes. "We have visitors from outside today," she said softly. "One I think you might know."

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo exchanged glances. "Someone we know?" Sweetie asked.

Twilight stepped out of the way, motioning toward the gatehouse where Spike and three figures approached the statue. The way the two fillies eyes widened was worth all the freshly foraged food and sips of stored wine in the world. Wordlessly, Apple Bloom broke into a run, as did Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Twilight cringed in anticipation of the three of them colliding, but instead, they stopped, simply content to stare at each other for a time. She could guess what was running through their minds.

Twilight tried to imagine herself in their position. She imagined it was Princess Celestia coming home to her, or her brother, or her parents, or Cadence, or Rarity, or Applejack, or...

She paused, feeling a stinging in her eyes as she watched the fillies hug each other, tears and sobs serving as the only greeting between the three of them. No mistake about it, Twilight was happy she was able to give the girls something to be happy about. In fact, she'd wager every pony in the compound would be happy to hear the news. But, for whatever reason, she couldn't dwell on what they'd found today, only what she'd lost in the months prior.

Twilight desperately wished it were her celebrating a reunion. But instead, she would go back to her dreary lab, back to making hard and unpopular decisions for the best of the ponies still untainted by the blades. For an instant, she forgot herself, and allowed the true pain to show on her face. With a swipe of her hoof, the tears were gone, and her false smile had returned.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

For a brief, joyous moment, Twilight had mistaken Fluttershy's voice for one she'd longed to hear.

"Yes. Yes it is."


Eros


There had been a lot of hugs, and even a few tears once Apple Bloom had been reunited with her friends. Eros was happy for her, though it was a bit awkward at first. Eventually, they got around to the introductions.

"Girls, this is Eros," Apple Bloom said, motioning to the young griffon standing quietly behind her. "He found me in Ponyville with his Dad and helped me get here."

Eros blushed, not that anyone would have noticed. "I-uh... we were just passing through and..."

"Don't be so modest!" Sweetie Belle chided.

"Really, Eros," Apple Bloom agreed, turning to face him. "I don't know what I'd have done without y'all."

He glanced away from his paws, feeling the heat on his cheeks. Before the moment could get any more awkward, Scootaloo came to the rescue. "Hey, you guys should come check out the castle!"

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle chimed. "We've got some time to waste before dinner."

With that, the four set off into the stone hallways of the once bustling castle. Eros had never seen such a palace. The ceilings were so high, he wasn't sure he could even see them. The echoing hoofsteps of the fillies he had been following led him to believe this place was a lot bigger than it looked. Only a few torches had been lit, though there were spots for many more.

"I forgot how creepy this place was..." Apple Bloom mumbled to herself.

"Hang on a sec..." Scootaloo said, stopping in her tracks. "Before we go any further, we have to do something." She turned on her hooves and strode towards Eros. "What do you know about the great and important secrets of Equestria?"

"The what?" Eros asked.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Scootaloo probed further.

"He saved my dang life!" Apple Bloom protested.

"Good enough." Scootaloo turned to her fellow Crusaders. "Looks like we'll have to perform the rites here."

Eros shifted on his paws. "Rites?"

"Eros the griffon, do you solemnly swear to uphold the truths, secrets and values of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?"

He shifted his uncertain gaze between each of them. "Uh... sure."

Scootaloo smiled. "Good! Girls, welcome the newest member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Sweetie clapped her hooves while Apple Bloom and Eros held their confusion.

"What's a Cutie Mark Crusader?" Eros asked, his question echoing through the empty hallways.

"We are! And you're our first male member," Sweetie Belle explained.

"Oh. So, why was that necessary, exactly?" he asked as they continued their walk down the darkened hallway.

"Because, only crusaders are allowed into the clubhouse!" she continued.

"You guys have a clubhouse here?" Apple Bloom asked.

"You bet! The Cutie Mark Crusaders are nothing without a clubhouse. C'mon!"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle galloped into the darkness as Eros and Apple Bloom raced behind them. As he ran, the intermittent torch light illuminated tapestry after tapestry of Equestrian history. He hadn't known much about the subject, but judging by the illustrations, this had once been a great nation indeed. Though it was known throughout the land as a peaceful nation, Equestria seemed to have just as many banners depicting battles as well as times of celebration.

"Are you keeping count?" Sweetie asked.

"Yes, I'm counting!" Scootaloo snapped. "Twenty three, twenty four, twenty five! Here we are."

Eros stared at the blank brick wall before them. Before he could ask, Scootaloo reached a hoof to an empty torch mount and yanked straight down. With a grinding rumble, a section of wall swung open, revealing a tunnel small enough for the fillies and their friend to pass through. Cautiously, Eros followed his new friends down a hallway somehow darker than the one they had just come from.

For a moment, he followed the sound of their hoofsteps alone. Before long, a faint green glow appeared at the end of the long hallway. In a few short steps, he found himself inside what looked like a crystalized room. The ceiling was far lower than the decadent hallways they'd come through. In fact, he cleared it by only a few inches. Thanking his lucky stars that he wasn't claustrophobic, he continued to the center of the room, where a jar of fireflies cast their glow on the pages of coloring books and the few worn out toys that littered the room.

"Here we are." Scootaloo smiled, as though she had just come home from a hard day's work "Our clubhouse away from the clubhouse."

"It's... cool." Eros mused. And cool it was. Having a place to call your own, away from the rules most children are forced to live by was unthinkable. But they had it, sure enough.

"I know it's not as nice as the old one, but it'll have to work until Princess Twilight figures out how to fix everypony," Sweetie said, settling in on a soft but dirty looking cushion. Scootaloo took a seat near a scooter missing a rear wheel while Apple Bloom sat in the opposite corner. Eros took the hint and found the remaining corner.

"So, what was it like outside the wall?" Scootaloo asked. Eros had only just met this filly, but he could tell she hated being cooped up here more than her other friends. He sat up, shifting his weight so his sword rested naturally on his side. "Well, it's kinda..."

Apple Bloom spoke before Eros could find the words to describe the abandoned country.

"Lonely."


Argos


"Your son makes fast friends," Spike commented as he helped him repair the broken cartwheel in the courtyard.

Argos smiled. "He's always been a social one."

He followed the dragon's eyes over his shoulder, spying an alicorn and her friends walking toward them. "We'll unload the cart," Spike said, grabbing a large sack from the back of the cart. "I think Princess Twilight might want a few words with you."

Argos nodded. "I know how many gems are in each sack," he warned Spike as he strode toward the princess.

"Don't worry!" Spike laughed. "They'll be safe with me."

Before he could question the truth behind that statement, he found himself bowing before the ruler of the castle.

"Princess, it's an honor," Argos said sincerely.

"I appreciate the courtesy, but we haven't had much use for formality here," Twilight replied, bidding him rise. "Girls, do you think you could help Spike unload the cart?"

The mares by her side fluttered into action without a word.

"Would you like a tour?" Twilight asked, the first genuine smile she could remember coming across her lips.

"I would, your Highness."

She stifled a chuckle. "Please, Twilight is fine." The two began their walk through the castle grounds. Argos recalled what this place used to look like. Immaculate gardens, gleaming spires, polished marble, everything fit for royalty presented for all to see. Now, everything was the dull grey of concrete, hastily poured to cover every inch of vegetation or soil. The ponies within the castle walls wore masks of cautious optimism. Argos figured visitors were fairly rare. Looking around, he noticed a peculiar instance. The foals of the castle played games in the courtyard, as though they had been all their lives. As though nothing was the matter, as though a scourge hadn't ravaged their population and nearly wiped out their civilization. Something about it filled him with the same optimism he witnessed growing on the faces of all the adults he'd passed on his walk with the Princess.

As they went, Twilight began explaining the desperate times that had fallen upon their once spectacular nation.

"No doubt you've seen what's become of our lands on your way here."

"I have," Argos answered. "I've made this trip many times over the years, and always look forward to it. Suffice to say I was shocked."

Twilight nodded. "I'm sorry you and your son had to see us in our hour of peril. I'm working on trying to reverse whatever is happening, but it's a slow process." As they walked through the stone courtyard, they stopped at a fountain of Celestia and Luna, the water that once flowed from it having long since dried up. Argos stood before the once magnificent deities and held his silence. His guide continued to stare at the statues, as though through will power alone she would be able to keep the fountain flowing.

"They trusted me..." he seemed to hear Twilight whisper.

"Pardon, Princess?" he asked.

"Nothing." She shook off her brief moment of vulnerability like a fox shakes winter snow from its coat. "I don't suppose they need any introduction?" she asked, motioning to the statues.

"Not at all. I was never lucky enough for an audience, but a gem merchant doesn't usually require one." Argos wondered what had become of them, though he wasn't sure it was his place to ask. For the time being, he held his tongue.

Twilight moved on from the fountain and started toward the entrance to the keep. "Forgive me, Princess, but do you know what caused this to happen to your kingdom?" Argos asked, following her.

"I have a few ideas, but nothing proven," Twilight sighed. "But, with your arrival, my fortunes may have just been reversed."

"How is that?"

Twilight stopped at the gates, the two guards posted at the door saluting as she approached. "We will discuss that later. For now, I'm sure you're exhausted from your journey." Argos couldn't argue. It had been a while since he had bathed and preened properly, and he had no doubts he was nowhere near presentable to royalty. Twilight turned to her guards. "Make sure Argos and his son have everything they need."

"Yes, Your Highness! Please, follow us." From a distance, the guards looked as any other Royal Guard might have looked, back when the kingdom was untouched by this plague. Upon closer inspection, Argos noticed that one of the guards was barely more than a colt, and the other a frayed-looking old stallion. Their armor hung loosely from their frames, as if meant for a much stronger and fitter pony. When Argos glanced back toward Twilight, all he caught was her tail disappearing into the shadows of the inner keep. As he did, his eyelids began to grow heavy. Silently thanking the Princess for keeping the tour brief, he followed his escorts to his and his son's new accommodations.


Twilight


The old corridors held so many memories, Twilight sometimes loathed walking down them. If it weren't for her constant efforts to conserve her magic, she'd simply teleport everywhere. In truth, there were only three rooms she ever visited. She steered clear of the throne room. It simply held too many reminders of how far they had fallen. She scoffed at herself. Imagine, her, Twilight Sparkle, savior of Equestria, afraid of a room! Though she may have been a savior in the past, she certainly didn't feel like much of one now. How could anyone be called a savior in any capacity when they watched helplessly as city after city fell into madness and suddenly went silent?

She was no savior. Not until she passed this; her final test. Celestia had always told her that she could do anything she put her mind to. This time was no different. Though, it seemed much much different. She'd already lost some of her friends, and even her mentor herself. Where was she to turn now? Spike was there for her, but even he could only do so much. The answer to her problem was out there somewhere, she knew. But where?

A smile played at her lips at the thought of Apple Bloom. She had survived outside the walls, for weeks on end. She had been exposed to the grass, and yet nothing had become of her. She was still a normal filly, by all accounts. Twilight had to figure out what made her immune to the blade's power. For now, however, she would let the newly re-united Cutie Mark Crusaders have their night of happiness and joy. There was truly not much of that to come by as of late. Tomorrow, she would interview the newcomers in hopes of getting some useful information about the outside world and what had become of it.

But for tonight, a celebration dinner was in order. Tonight, she would have a reason to smile genuinely. And that pleased her.

Principem Lunae

View Online


Argos


Argos followed the ponies down a dimly lit hallway after gathering his belongings from the cart. Briefly, his mind wandered to his son, and where he and those three fillies had rushed off to. The thought was fleeting, however, as the guardsponies stopped at one of the many identical doors and turned to him. They were the older pony and the near-colt he'd seen outside the gate of the keep.

"Your room, sir," the older stallion said, giving the door a push as the latch released from the doorframe. The old hinges creaked in protest, evoking the memory of the abandoned hotel he and his son had found shelter in two nights before.

"Thank you," he replied, stepping into the room and setting down his bags in front of the doorway. For a moment, it was all he could do to simply marvel at the grandeur before him. It seemed as though this room hadn't been used in quite some time, yet it was just as ornate as anything he'd expect to find in the seat of one of the richest nations on the planet. Gold plating, marble, antique and exotic furniture, and priceless works of art, all coated in a fine layer of dust.

Snapping himself from his thoughts, he turned to thank the guards once more and offer them a tip, before realizing they had gone. He huffed to no one, realizing how silly it would have made him look to offer the guardsponies a tip, as though they were butlers, or more so, what they would have done with any currency of his if they were trapped behind the thick, graying walls of a castle all day.

With a steady talon, he closed the door behind him. Sunlight shone through a narrow gap in the midnight blue curtains. The room itself was massive. High, vaulted ceilings gave way to a large bed raised on a platform. On the bedspread were a crescent moon and a smattering of stars. Argos had seen them before, but he couldn't recall where. A desk sat stately in the corner, next to a brittle-looking feather sitting in an ink jar that had long since dried up. Argos strode to the first of three massive floor-to-ceiling windows and tore back the curtains. Sunlight poured in, illuminating the floating dust in the room as it danced on the currents. For a moment, Argos shielded his eyes. He had climbed three flights of stairs to get there, which gave him a commanding view of the city and the hamlets surrounding it.

Only months earlier, this view would have been splendid. In a way, it still was. The trees, river lands and forests had not been touched by the scourge, and the landscape remained as idyllic as ever. But the cityscape was another story entirely. The tattered roofs and collapsed buildings reached crookedly towards the skies like tombstones in a graveyard forgotten by its caretakers. He figured it had been a graveyard for some ponies. Ponies who hadn't the will or the nerve to let the grass take them. Ponies like those two at the checkpoint.

Argos shuddered, stepping away from the window and noticing the desk again. It was certainly fit for royalty. Carved inscriptions ran the length of its frame, while crescent moons decorated its corners. Out of curiosity, he opened the top drawer. A cloud of dust rose from the movement as Argos fanned it away with a wing. Once the dust had cleared, a small, dark blue book stared back at him. On the cover was the same pattern from the bedspread.

He reached in the drawer slowly, as though his touching of the book would cause the drawer to slam shut at any moment. Picking it up, he blew the rest of the dust from the cover, revealing an inscription.

Principem Lunae?

He pulled the seat out from the desk and sat down, the wood squeaking as he set his weight upon it. He opened the cover to the first page and gasped.


Eros


Eros sat quietly in the oddly pulsating light of the firefly lantern in the center of the room. Apple Bloom had taken to answering her friends' flurry of questions about the outside world. He was content to listen. After all, he had spent but a few days living among the ruins, while Apple Bloom had spent weeks.

"Ah think the worst part about it is the quiet." She spoke softly, as though she could succumb to the grass simply by speaking too loudly about what it had done. "Sure, there were birds and critters still makin' noise, but... it ain't right." Apple Bloom chewed her lip, struggling to find the right words. "I walked to Ponyville square once ta look for food. There shoulda been ponies carryin' on and buyin' stuff, but there wasn't. I could hear papers rustle in the breeze two streets over. It just... wasn't right."

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked away uncomfortably. Compared to the life their fellow crusader had been living, they may as well have been on vacation.

Eros sensed the awkwardness. "But it was also in Ponyville square that we ran into each other."

Apple Bloom's expression brightened. "Yeah, it was!" she exclaimed, as though she had nearly forgotten. "I was out lookin' for somethin' ta eat when I found him. He must'a thought I was a timberwolf or somethin', 'cause he was pointin' his sword at me and was nervous as all get out!" Apple Bloom laughed.

Eros blushed and mumbled something about not being nervous, but merely surprised.

"Don't feel bad, Eros. Apple Bloom probably hadn't had a bath in weeks! I bet she was plenty scary," Sweetie Belle said. Eros cracked a smile as the conversation died down once again.

"Hey guys, you wanna go explore the castle?" Scootaloo asked hopefully. Like her idol, sitting around was not her thing, unless it involved napping.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun!" Apple Bloom agreed. Eros nodded as the group looked at their last holdout.

"I don't like the castle... it's too spooky," Sweetie Belle said mildly.

"C'mon Sweetie Belle, we'll be with you the whole time," said Scootaloo.

"And Eros has a sword!" Apple Bloom pointed out. "If we run into any trouble, he'll take care of it for us!"

Sweetie Belle cast an anxious glance at the blade bathed in the green glow of the fireflies. It certainly looked sharp enough...

"Have you ever used it?" she asked innocently.

"Well..." Eros began. In truth, the only combat experience he had was in the schoolyard and during his swordship classes at school. "Not exactly, but I've been trained to use it since I was nine!" He twirled it expertly in his talons, though he was sure not to admit that he only knew a few novice tricks.

Sweetie Belle rose to her hooves. "Okay, I'll go."

"That's the spirit, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo cheered. "Alright, let's go!"

They filed into the tunnel that had brought them to the crystalline room, the lantern in the lead filly's mouth.

Eros could see why Sweetie Belle would be hesitant to explore this place. He was sure it had been a lovely palace once upon a time, but now, it seemed it was merely a hollow shell of its former glory. They arrived in the same dark hallway that had lead them there. Somehow it didn't seem as foreboding to him as it had before. Perhaps it was his new friends that made the creeping darkness reaching in from every corridor a bit less frightening.

They walked down the hallway further into the bowels of the castle.

"So, how big is this place?" Eros asked.

"Huge," Scootaloo replied. "We've been wandering around here for weeks, and still haven't been everywhere." She stopped, and turned to her group. Sweetie Belle was still not as enthusiastic as the rest of her party. "Why don't I take you guys on a 'highlight reel' of all the cool places we've found before we start exploring?" Scootaloo noticed her friend's expression brighten.

"Sounds like fun!" Apple Bloom said happily. Eros liked her new attitude. It suited her much more than the scared filly he'd met in the ruins of Ponyville. "Where to first?"

"How about the throne room?" Sweetie Belle suggested.

"Throne room it is!" replied Scootaloo. Swiftly, they ran down the hallway and soon came upon a set of ornately carved wooden doors that stretched as high as the vaulted ceilings above them. It was as though giants once walked through these halls.

The doors themselves depicted the moon on one side, and the sun on the other, with an alicorn beneath each celestial body, its wings spread wide as the ponies on the earth and in the sky below them praised and exalted them. Eros had never seen such fervent praise for one's leaders. In the Iron Mountains, the emperor was revered, and never criticized, but he certainly wasn't worshipped. Scootaloo put her hooves against the door and pushed with her hind legs, though the massive oak monoliths refused to budge.

Taking the hint, Eros, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom helped her push. Slowly, the heavy doors inched inward. As they moved, the stale air from inside the abandoned room wafted over the four of them. Eros grabbed a torch from the hallway and carried it inside. The small light revealed even more unlit torches lining the columns supporting the massive room. This was easily the biggest room Eros had ever seen in all his life. In fact, he couldn't even see clearly to the other side! He walked slowly over to an unlit torch and shared his flame with it. One by one, he lit the torches along the columns until the room revealed itself. Two thrones sat at the end of the room, with a banner behind each one.

A fine layer of dust rose with every footstep Eros took. His torchlight reflected off of mighty stained glass windows that lined the walls. Each one depicted a significant event from pony history, though he could only identify a few. He recognized the banishment of Discord, the punishment of Nightmare Moon, the war between the races, in which the griffons and ponies fought for one hundred years before the Old Griffonian empire was broken apart by the victorious ponies. In his history lessons, he'd learned that the ponies were cruel warmongers that had attacked his people without provocation. Many of his kind treated the ponies living in his country with suspicion and some even outright prejudice. Those people were few and far between. The war had taken place over a millennia ago, with the damage and hostilities long since buried with the bones of the pony and griffon soldiers.

Eros looked toward the thrones. The girls had already taken to playing princess as though they had never been separated. He walked toward the thrones, the fillies sitting upon them issuing commands to ghostly servants in their best royal voices. Eros couldn't help but smile. He and his friends certainly never played 'princess', but they occasionally would play 'imperial guard' with a willing female classmate as the empress.

"Eros, changelings in the throne room!" 'Princess' Apple Bloom shouted, pointing a hoof towards the shadows dancing in the torchlight.

He smiled and drew Titan from its scabbard. Every time he drew his blade, he couldn't help but smile. He looked toward the shadows and stepped forward. "Fear not, princesses, your imperial guard will protect you!" he replied, swinging his sword. He thrusted, parried, and blocked with all his might.

"Lookout! It's Queen Chrysalis!" Scootaloo screamed.

Eros had learned of the changelings in biology. They were dangerous creatures that numbered in the millions, and assimilated any creatures in the way of their expanding territory. He had also learned that the most dangerous changeling of them all was their queen.

"Stop right there, changeling scum!" Eros leapt forward, his wings flared and chopped downward, his sword nearly striking the marble floor. He stabbed into the air, held his blade for a moment, and then withdrew it. "The evil one has been defeated!"

"Hooray!" Sweetie Belle cheered. "The kingdom is saved! Come and receive your reward!"

Eros stepped forward, taking a knee before the throne. Sweetie Belle grasped his sword in her magic and levitated it in front of her. She touched the flat of the blade on one of his shoulders, then the other.

"Arise, Sir Eros, of the Iron Mountains," Sweetie Belle said softly. She returned his sword to him and he placed it in his scabbard.

The hall fell silent.

"Now where?" Eros asked.

Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin. "Uhm... how about the east wing? I haven't explored very far down that way!"

Apple Bloom nodded, and Eros agreed as the group looked to Sweetie Belle.

She pawed the ground, and glanced up at her friends. Eros smiled at her and pulled his sword from its sheath a few inches.

Sweetie Belle smiled back. "Let's go!"


Twilight


There were still casks of wine in the cellar of the castle.

Rainbow will be happy she thought, the dim smile from before still playing on her face.

She climbed the rickety steps leading to the ground floor. They creaked under her hooves as she walked, the dusty air threatening to draw a sneeze. Twilight left the casks and headed back to her chambers. Truth be told, she was beginning to detest her chambers. Spike was right, she spent far too much time locked up there. One thing Spike couldn't understand was the pressure she was under. She had to keep the remaining ponies safe and sentient. On top of that, she was trying desperately to find a way to reverse the regression eating away at her kind.

Twilight stopped in the hallway outside her chambers and pounded her hoof against the wall. It was all so frustrating. She recalled the day she received her crown and wings. She had restored her friend's rightful cutie marks and stood before Celestia, ready to receive what her mentor had planned for her long ago. For a fleeting moment, before Celestia cast her spell, she'd had an unsettling thought. What if she wasn't ready for this responsibility? She loved what she had! She loved the library, she loved her friends! She loved her life as it was! Was this all about to change?

If she had known it would have lead to this, she would have refused them. She wasn't a leader. She wasn't Celestia, nor Luna, nor Cadence. Half of her friends were gone, and she woke up every day wondering if that day would be the day she'd learn that Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy had gone beyond the wall. She dreaded it every day. Every moment she was without a cure or reversal spell, she knew she was one day closer to losing another pony she loved.

She felt tears roll down her cheeks. They had a way of sneaking up on her lately. This whole scenario was so unfair. Celestia never had to deal with anything like this. She knew, she had studied Celestia's reign nearly her entire life. Even more unfair, was her mentors departure from her life. Twilight had never seen or heard of Princess Celestia giving up or admitting defeat for any reason, and when the first reports of the grazing came about, she simply rolled over.

It wasn't like her.

Twilight had been tested by her mentor many times before, sometimes without even telling her. She figured this was simply another test. A test that would cost her kind everything that made them what they were, should she fail. There was only an hour before dinner, and she couldn't present herself like this. She wiped the tears from her eyes and thought of Apple Bloom. She had managed to survive for weeks beyond the wall, with the blades all around her. If she could just figure out what made her so resistant to the grazing, she could engineer a way to keep her remaining subjects safe from sentience loss until she could figure out a cure.

Twilight donned her formal regalia and glanced at a picture she kept on her desk of herself and the royal family at a picnic before the advent of the scourge of the blades. She wouldn't fail them. She still had Celestia and Luna in their stables. Their horns and wings had shrunk, but they were still there. They would be the first ones she reversed. Twilight strode towards the door and stopped short, closing her eyes and concentrating on her mentor's voice. It was one of her fastest fading memories. She concentrated on the sweet sound that seemed to float on the summers breeze.

Twilight, there is nothing you cannot do. Your powers are limitless, but even the most powerful among us must realize their place.

"Needlessly cryptic," she mumbled to herself. A knock at her door startled her as Spike's nose poked through the space between the doorframe.

"Dinner's ready, Twilight."

"Spike... can you come here for a second?" She said weakly.

He pushed through the door and shut it behind him. He stood nearly six inches taller than her now, and was seldom seen without his brown cloak. That wasn't her usual tone. "Is something wrong, Twilight?"

She stepped towards him and threw her forelegs around his shoulders and began to cry once more. She loved Spike, more than anyone left in her desolate world. He was the one she didn't have to worry about protecting. The grass wouldn't affect him. He was her one constant throughout all of this. Her advisor, confidant, and steadfast friend.

"Twilight... please don't cry," he whispered.

"I'm supposed to know, Spike..." she sobbed. "I'm supposed to know how to solve this, but I just can't figure it out!"

Spike stroked her back, hugging her tightly with the other arm. "You'll figure it out, Twilight. I know you will," he replied softly. He pulled back from her hug to look her in her reddened lavender eyes. "If you can't do it, then it can't be done."

Twilight sniffed up her tears. "That's just it, Spike..."


Eros


The intrepid group filed down a darkened hallway while Eros lit the way. They came to a set of spiraled stairs and stopped. Torches along the stairwell had been lit!

"Have you guys been here before?" Eros asked.

"No..." Scootaloo replied, stepping towards the stone steps.

"What do ya think is up there?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I dunno, but I wanna find out!" Scootaloo shot back confidently. "Who's with me?"

They all nodded and followed her up the stone steps. As they climbed, they seemed to go on and on forever. Finally, they reached the top landing. More torches lined the hallway as they gasped for air. They slowly followed Scootaloo down the hallway until they came to a door. It was nondescript, not like the door to the throne room they'd entered earlier. Luckily for them, this door didn't take all four of them to open. Scootaloo pushed on the door, but found it locked.

"I guess this is as far as we go," Scootaloo sighed.

"Not so fast," Eros said, brandishing a sharp talon. He knelt in front of the keyhole and inserted a talon expertly into the lock. With a few twists and a very satisfying click, the door creaked open.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Dad keeps candy locked in his traveling trunk!" he replied proudly.

The four of them stepped into the room. It smelled like hay, and the air seemed heavier here than in the rest of the castle. No torches lit this room, save for the one in Eros' talon.

"What do you think this room is—" Sweetie Belle ended with a shriek as a rustling from the far end of the room startled the group. Eros lit a larger extinguished torch on the wall. The far walls were divided into stables, their gates blocking a view of the occupants, each numbered one through seven. The light drew more rustling from the stalls. All took a step back towards the wall, frozen in place.

"Wh-what do you think's in there?" Sweetie Belle asked, backing into Eros as Titan hissed from its sheath. He stepped forward, slowly approaching the first stall. A whinny echoed from the stables, followed by an indignant snort.

Are there... ponies in these stalls? Eros thought. The stalls were looking more like prison cells with every passing second. Before long, he was ready to peer into the waiting darkness of the stables. He stared into the abyss, and the abyss stared back at him. In an instant, a blur flew from out the darkness and was upon him. Eros fumbled with Titan and it clanged to the floor. He was more than ready to grab his sword and make a run for the door, when he realized the creature upon him was a pony. He breathed a sigh of relief and the pony stuck her head over the gate. She was white, with a moderately sized horn and a set of wings that seemed to be losing feathers. Her mane was a mix of green, blue and pink, with streaks of white coming through. He extended a talon and gently patted her.

His group followed behind him and gasped.

"I-is...is that Princess Celestia?" Apple Bloom asked weakly.

"It is..." Scootaloo whispered as Eros withdrew his talon.

"Oh Syrell, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pet a princess!"

Scootaloo raised herself up to the princess's level and nuzzled her. "I don't think she minds."

A sharp gasp drew the group's attention to the end of the room.

Sweetie Belle was seated in front of a stall with a large number five painted on the door. Leaning over the gate was a white horse with a faded purple mane sniffing at the crying filly.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo padded over and drew their friend into a hug. Eros joined them, holding the torchlight to the stall, he read the name stenciled on the gate.

"Rarity."

Princeps Autem Solis

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Argos


The full moon is due tonight. It is identical to countless nights before, only this time, there is a tension I've not felt in many hundreds of years. Something is wrong. A storm has been brewing on the horizon, and I fear my sister knows of it as well. What's truly worrying, is that she refuses to acknowledge it. The impeding worry covers her like the heaviest cloak, and yet, she pretends everything is fine. She may ignore it, but I believe I know what is coming.

The blades are coming. Another case has been reported in Manehattan. The EIA has been exceptional at concealing the cases from the general public, but they're mounting. They can't be hidden forever.

Celestia refuses to renew the covenant. We renewed it once before. Discord, Celestia and myself all gathered in the Hallowed Ground. It cost us dearly. Epona can be a cruel deity. She demands so much from us to keep our children safe, to allow them the same gifts that we have enjoyed.

I'm afraid my sister's tolerance for the renewal has disappeared. I cannot lay blame upon her. It is truly a dreadful process, to be renewed. For the kingdom, it is good. Wonderous, no doubt. The lethargic are granted energy, the sad are given joy, and the angry are given peace. But for us, there is naught but misery. A torment beyond comparison, beyond the mere words of any language awaits us for every bargain struck with Epona. Our life, the lives of all creatures on this planet flow from her, and through her. It is only through her grace that we live, and it is only fitting, that through her grace, we should recede.

I proposed a different solution. What if Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadence took on the covenant? Bonding them in sisterhood as we had been bonded would allow all beings to continue to thrive, while freeing us from our burden, and allowing us to join our ancestors after such a long and arduous journey.

She wouldn't dream of it. Celestia vehemently denied her credentials. I had seen this way of her before. With former students, she had the tendency to become attached. I knew why. I would be a terrible sister if I didn't, and I confess I had shared this pain of hers from time to time.

Celestia desperately wanted the one title she could not have. The title of 'mother'. She presided over untold thousands of our subjects, and thought of them all as her children. But alas, the personal proteges received the most doting. With Twilight reciprocating the feelings of maternity toward Celestia, it only made it worse. She would not have her would-be daughter suffer the agony of what she and I had endured. To even think it put her in a sour mood indeed. But I had to press the issue. Soon it would be too late for us. Soon, there would be no pony left to stem the black tide that would soon wash over the globe like a tidal wave, sweeping all of our achievements away with it.

I must show Twilight Sparkle the rituals of the covenant. The ancient texts are hidden away, but I know how to access them. Even if Twilight decides not to renew it, I can go into the dark of night knowing that the end of the world was not my choice alone.

The pages had been torn out past that entry, leaving only a single page at the very back of the book, with a short, but horrifying sentence scribbled on it.

Celestia has doomed us all. Damn her...

Argos jumped, the small book tumbling from his grip and beneath his chair as a guard opened his door.

"Sir, the Princess has requested your presence at the royal dining hall this evening. Shall I tell her you'll be attending?"

"Uh, sure," Argos managed, still a bit surprised by the intrusion. It had seemed only a few minutes ago that the guards had shown him the room in the first place. Once the guard had left, he picked the book up and examined it. It seemed to be the only thing in the old room that wasn't bolted down, the last vestiges of a wealthy noble finally shuffled off this mortal coil. Only, Argos knew that this room wasn't just any nobles. It was the queen of the night's herself. Princess Luna was known far and wide, well beyond the borders of her own kingdom.

He recalled studying in his international history classes in high school about the equine civil war. It was said that Princess Luna had built a fearsome army of bat-pony hybrids, capable of feeding on the blood of their enemies and stalking the night in search of hapless sources of food. Of course, this was over a thousand years ago, and some historians were prone to embellishment. Before the war of the Night and Day, as it would come to be called, was over, untold thousands of ponies had died, and entire cities were laid to ruin. Only after Princess Celestia managed to banish her sister did the healing finally begin.

The ponies were certainly fortunate to have such a powerful monarch. He recalled many nations were allegedly eyeing the pony lands with envious eyes, armies ready to sweep down from the hills and mountains at a moments notice. However, out of either fear or respect, not a single nation crossed the remaining princess for another thousand years.

Argos stepped towards the door, taking a last glance at the interior of the room. He couldn't help but marvel at how a society lifted to such spectacular heights could have fallen so quickly.


Eros


Although he had just met these fillies, Eros felt a connection with them, and seeing one of them meet their grass-fed sister was not his idea of a good first adventure.

"Sweeite... I know how it looks, but Twilight's working on a way to fix her." Scootaloo could only say so much. They all knew ponies lost to the grass, but until now, only Apple Bloom had to witness her loved ones regress to grazing. Eros couldn't fathom what she must have been feeling, but tried to keep his chin up all the same. He was here with his father, and he knew his father would do what he could to help these ponies. Whether that simply meant getting the word out, or foraging for food during their time here.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Sweetie Belle dried her tears. "I knew this already happened to Mom and Dad, but... I always thought Rarity would figure out a way to get through this." The white pony exhaled heavily through her nostrils, beginning to gently lick the young filly's cheek. Sweetie Belle stood up, nuzzling her older sister before stepping back. "Do you think she remembers me?"

Apple Bloom put a foreleg over her friend's shoulder. "Ah'm sure she does."

Sweetie smiled, tears still occasionally falling from her eyes. "I think we should go."

Eros nodded. He had remained silent, but something about the grass fed ponies unnerved him. It was as if they were simply husks of the vibrant creatures they had once been. In history class, he had been taught that most, if not all non-equine civilizations grew in the shadow of Equestria, who had progressed by leaps and bounds since the dawn of recorded history. It was from them that the Griffons derived mathematical formulas making tall buildings and magnificent castles and towers possible, the know-how to forge iron and steel and the most efficient way to distribute food and administer a nation.

Eventually, the Griffon Empire united all feline avians beneath the Emperor's banner, and cooperation and the occasional war was had. Until this. Back home, he had heard nothing of the plague that had swallowed all of Equestria. In the Iron Mountains, business continued as usual. Some ponies lived there, and they were none the wiser. He wondered how news of this would effect them. Some of his friends had friends that were ponies. Would they rush back home, only to fall to the blades that had claimed so many already? Would they stay in the empire, running from the grass? Was the grass here the same as the grass back home? Too many questions for Eros to handle at once raced through his mind as he led the crusaders down the stairs they'd climbed by torchlight.

They found themselves back on the ground floor, the stained glass of the heroes hall filtering the dim twilight a pale blue.

"Now what?" Eros asked, sensing the mood for fun and games had all but evaporated. The fillies looked at each other. "I dunno... I'm gettin' kinda hungry," Apple Bloom replied, her stomach rumbling in agreement.

"Wasn't there supposed to be a big dinner tonight?" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle seemed to perk up a bit. "Yeah, I overheard Fluttershy talk about it."

"We should go see how that's coming along," Apple Bloom suggested.

With a nod, they set off down the hallway, Scootaloo leading the way this time.

As they walked down the empty corridors, a ruckus from outside drew their attention. They climbed up to a window ledge with some of the glass missing. Outside, Eros saw what he could only describe as madness.


Argos


The dining hall was well maintained, in comparison to the rest of the castle. Argos understood that Princess Twilight didn't exactly have her usual compliment of housekeepers on staff, but it seemed extra attention had been paid to the royal dining hall. Banners of the races still hung from the arches, their colors flashing brightly in the well lit room. At the head of the table, Princess Twilight sat, with a pegasus with a mane of many colors, and a timid pegasus with a pink mane seated next to her. Twilight stood and greeted Argos, and introduced her friends.

"Argos, so glad you could join us! These are my friends, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy."

One greeted with just a nod, another with a meek wave of the hoof. "Very nice to meet you both," he replied, taking his seat. The massive hall before him could have accommodated hundreds of guests, but at present, only three rather short tables had been set. "It seems I arrived a bit early," Argos said, observing the emptiness of the hall.

"The others will be here soon enough—"

"Princess Twilight!" The old guard that had shown Argos his room burst through the doors of the dining hall. "You must come quickly, Minuette has escaped!"

Twilight's eyes narrowed as she tossed the napkin from her lap. "Excuse me, Argos, duty calls."

As she and her two companions exited, Argos decided to follow. As he neared the main entrance, he could hear the shouts and noises coming from outside. Princess Twilight flung the doors open and stepped into the courtyard. Backed against the perimeter wall, was a light blue unicorn with a two tone mane and an hourglass mark on her flank. Ordinarily, she looked like any other unicorn Argos had seen, but what she held before her had caused four guards to surround her, spears pointed in her direction as she shook the chunk of dirt and grass she held in her magic menacingly.

"This is it!" she shouted. "This is what you're all afraid of! You've given up your freedom because of this!" The guards made sure the citizens couldn't get too close while she brandished her toxic weapon.

"Minuette, stop this immediately!" Twilight shouted from behind the guards.

"I won't!" She shouted in reply. "I can't live like this anymore! I can either live like an animal in here, or I can be an animal out there! At least out there, I can go where I want!" She turned to the crowd, the chunk of grass still in her magic. "Don't you see? We're prisoners here! We can do nothing but sit here and wait for ourselves to go crazy, or starve, or we can free ourselves!"

"That's not true!" Twilight answered. "I'm working on a cure! I can fix all of this, I know it!"

"Then why haven't you? How much longer is it going to take? How many more of us are going to starve before you figure it out?"

Argos looked to Twilight. She had shut her eyes, something between a snarl and a frown on her face. He'd seen that expression before.

Frustration.

"She's looking out for us, what have you done to find a cure for this mess?" Rainbow piped up in defense of her princess.

"I didn't lock anypony in their rooms for two weeks, all because I didn't want to live this way anymore!" Minuette glanced back at the grass still in front of her and smiled. "And now I won't have to." In one swift motion, she ate the grass, leaving only dirt behind. Once the grass was gone, the guards swarmed her. Once they made sure she had no more grass on her, they brought her to Twilight.

"What shall we do with her, your Highness?"

Twilight didn't appear angry. In fact, she seemed sad. Argos felt he had seen that expression on her face far too often since meeting her. "Take her to the infirmary for observation."

Before taking her away, Minuette looked at her princess with the same tearful eyes that stared back at her. "It can't be stopped, Princess. We weren't meant to live like this."

Twilight turned her head sharply. "Take her away."

In an effort that seemed almost rehearsed, Twilight banished all her feelings of frustration and despair, and brightened her eyes, smiling warmly at the subjects that remained in the courtyard. "Come on, everypony, the banquet is ready!"

After such a tense display, the remaining citizens seemed relieved to get some semblance of normalcy back into their decidedly abnormal lives. The feast went wonderfully, Eros and his new friends finally showed up and ate their fill. The fare was decidedly less decadent than the dishes he'd heard having been served during the height of Equestria, but he most certainly understood the circumstances.

As Argos ate, Princess Twilight had left the table to make the rounds, greeting her subjects and connecting with them as much as she could, especially after the mayhem that preceded this fine meal. From his side of the table, he looked over to the new ponies Twilight had introduced him to. They seemed to be having a rather heated discussion. From over the noise of the dining hall, he could only catch bits and pieces of their conversation.

"... lunatic was right! We aren't supposed to spend out lives cooped up in a castle!"

"...only trying to keep us safe and you know it, Rainbow!"

"...care! She leaves us in the dark about all the science crap she's up to, and nopony knows if we're closer to a cure now than we were weeks ago!"

"...not trust Twilight?"

"...trust Twilight! I just... think maybe she's in over her..."

"...aren't thinking of doing what Minuette did—"

"No! Don't be silly."

"Argos?"

He jumped. He was certainly not expecting the princess to make her way around to him so quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Twilight said with a smile.

"No problem, Princess."

"The kitchen is closing, did you and Eros get enough to eat?"

"Of course, it was wonderful, thank you."

Twilight nodded. "Glad to hear it."

"Oh, princess, before you go..." Argos must have been seized by a fit of madness, but curiosity is often one of the many forms madness can take. "What's going to happen to that mare?"

Her warm smile faded. "She ate the grass... all we can do for her now is watch and wait."

Mercifully, he decided not to bring up the house arrest the crazed mare had mentioned during her rant. However, he figured the diary he'd found in his room might be of some use to the Princess. "Also, I believe I'm staying in what used to be Princess Luna's room."

Twilight's frown deepened. "I told them not to use the princesses rooms..." she mumbled.

Argos couldn't make out what she had said under her breath, but pressed on all the same. "I think I found her diary. It mentioned something about the blades, but I didn't get any farther than that. If it interests you, it's in the writing desk drawer."

Twilight seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Thank you, Argos, I'll send a guard for it."

Argos smiled with a nod and stood up. "If you'll excuse me, your highness, I'm going to round up my son."

"Of course."


Twilight


The stunt Minuette pulled was not what she needed right now. Though the diary had been a bit of good news, she doubted it contained any profound secrets. She had already torn through every book in Canterlot looking for information on the blades, but there was none to be found. All her research had to be done from scratch.

She retired to her chambers after the feast, her cramped and cluttered writing desk mocking her in the corner. So far, her only hope in discovering anything remotely useful about the blades lay with Apple Bloom. Twilight was eager to get started, but she decided to give the filly the rest of the day to relax with her friends. She had to keep in mind that this was one of her best friends little sisters, and she was not just some test subject.

Inside her waited the key to unraveling this mystery, Twilight just knew it. All she had to do was attain it. After a few minutes alone in her study, a guard knocked on her door.

"Yes?"

A guard that turned out to be Spike. "Princess, Minuette has been secured in the infirmary. It seems the grass is already beginning to take hold."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. It usually never acted this quickly. The fastest she'd seen it take effect was nine hours.

"Take me there," she replied, following him out of the room. She had to observe such a rapid transformation for herself. Had the blades somehow gotten more efficient at turning ponies into animals?

Before long, they reached the gloomy and dimly lit infirmary, where Nurse Redheart stood by the heavily breathing Minuette, her forelegs and hind legs secured to the bedframe.

"How do you feel?" Twilight asked.

The rabid defiance had left entirely. Now, she was simply terrified. It showed in her eyes as bright as the noontime sun.

"I shouldn't have done this, I shouldn't have eaten the grass!" Tears were beginning to well in her eyes as she pleaded with her princess. "You have something that'll help right? A cure? Something you think might work? Anything?"

Twilight shut her eyes and sighed, the loss of millions of sentient beings weighing heavily on it. "No, I'm sorry."

"Princess, please, I'm scared! I don't want to go to the other side!"

Twilight put a hoof on Minuette's to try and comfort her. "I'm sorry Minuette... I let you down." She felt a scaled claw on her shoulder.

"Please, don't let me go, don't let me become a grazer, please!" It was horrifying to have to sit through this. This was Twilight's fourth subject that had become a grazer before her very eyes. Twilight leaned in and hugged her, if nothing else than to let her know she wouldn't have to got to the other side alone. "I'm sorry..." Twilight whispered.

Minuette's breathing picked up, her chest nearly heaving as Twilight held on, her tears now beginning to streak down her cheeks. After a minute or two, her heavy breathing stopped, and normalized. The Princess raised herself up, and looked down at a creature whose eyes no longer held fear, sadness, hope, or joy.

They held nothing.

The pony before her snorted, whinnying and struggling with her restraints. The guards removed them, and allowed the creature to stand. It sniffed each one of them, before trotting into the corner and laying down on a spare mattress laying in the corner. Spike drew Twilight into a hug as she continued to cry.

"It wasn't your fault, Twilight. You tried to save her."

"I know, Spike. But trying isn't good enough."

Outside the Walls

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Argos


The night passed uneventfully as Argos and his son enjoyed the plush bed formerly owned by royalty. The sunlight shone through the curtains and blinded the eldest griffon. He rolled over, followed by his son..

"What time is it?" Eros asked groggily.

Argos put a talon on the nightstand, feeling for his pocket watch. "Seven thirty..."

He sat up, rubbing his eyes with a talon. The excitement of the night before was still fresh in his mind. He pitied the plight of his hosts, but felt there wasn't much he could do for them. He promised that the rest of the world would know of the tragedy that had befallen their kingdom, but short of that, their future seemed bleak.

"Dad?"

Argos snapped out of his daydream. "Yes?" he yawned.

"After we leave... what's gonna happen to Apple Bloom and her friends?"

For a moment, he was speechless. " I... I don't know, son."

"Can't they come with us?"

His father sighed. What could he do? With the collapse of his main trading partner, he and his wife would have to scrape by to provide for Eros alone until he found a new job. He simply couldn't take in three other mouths to feed, regardless of how terrible their circumstances.

"Son, we can't take them."

Eros angrily hopped off the bed. "Why?"

"Where would they sleep? What would they eat?"

"They can sleep in my room! And we're not poor, we have food!"

Argos sat in a lavishly decorated chair, his shoulders slumped. For now, anyway. "This whole thing isn't just bad for the ponies. It's bad for us, too. We aren't poor, you're right. But I need another job, and it may be some time before we can find one.

"So we're just going to leave them here?"

He hated having to admit the unpleasant truth, but, like it or not, it was the only viable option. "I'm sorry, Eros, but we have no other choice." This was usually the part where his son would argue, grasping at straws to get his way if he thought, even for a moment, that there was a possibility he could convince his father to see things his way. Instead of bowing up for a fight, his shoulders slumped.

"Can I at least tell them goodbye?"

"Of course," Argos said. "Take this, and meet me at the gate in an hour. Spike and I should have the cart loaded by then." Argos handed his son his pocket watch from the nightstand. It was an elegant, polished brass affair, with intricate carvings of the majestic vistas of his home in the Iron Mountains. He had never seen his father without it, but felt pride swell in his chest as he looped the chain around his neck.

"That's my favorite watch, you know," Argos said with a smile. "When the big hand reaches the twelve, come find me in the courtyard."

"Okay, I'll take good care of it, I promise!"


Twilight


Twilight stared at the runes before her. All complete nonsense as far as she was concerned, a dead language none but the princesses themselves could decipher, and they weren't talking much anymore. This was the last book in her library, and happened to be the one she couldn't read. Scouring her memories, she could neither find nor remember anything about this mysterious language. Her memories brought her nothing but frustration at herself and anger at her situation. So many were counting on her, so many needed her to come through, but she wasn't any closer to figuring out this problem than she was at its onset. Apple Bloom presented no distinct characteristics that would help her overcome the scourge of the blades. Her vitals, and physical exams yielded nothing different from any other pony under Twilight's protection. Perhaps it had just been dumb luck keeping her safe.

Twilight tore her gaze away from the book, rubbing her tired eyes with her hooves. All she seemed to be anymore was tired. Celestia had given her this book without the key to translating it. The only clue she had found was that the encryption key was inside the castle of the two sisters, well outside the protection of her compound, and much too far to send a search party out to recover. Even if she did find a group of brave souls or hearty fools to take up the challenge, not even she knew what she was looking for. Twilight had thought for some time after Celestia and Luna's crossing over, that the book might contain the cure, but if it did, surely the princess would have simply read it herself? Why allow her subjects to suffer when she could have stopped the entire tragic event?

A chill raced up Twilight's spine. Perhaps the book didn't hold the cure. Perhaps it was simply the confessions of a matriarch as she lay dying, her sentience slowly beginning to leave her. She had no idea, and it appeared she never would.

A knock at the door drew her from her thoughts. "Come in."

"Your Grace, the gem merchant and his son are about to depart," an elder guard informed her.

"Very well." She packed her book in a saddle bag and headed down to the courtyard.

Perhaps this was just the thing to clear her head. Perhaps Argos would even send help of some kind. Twilight shielded her eyes form the sun as she stepped into the noontime day.

"Princess, thank you for your hospitality," Argos said, tying down the last bit of gold to his cart. He wanted to refuse her payment, but he knew the ponies here had no use for gold, and Twilight insisted he take them.

"I wish we had more to give,"

"In better times, I know you would have. Trust me, I'll spread the word of what happened here. If the Emperor has a shred of decency, he'll send aid."

Twilight smiled.

A sound in the distance perked up her ears. Spike stopped working on the cart's wheel and took notice, as did the other ponies milling about the courtyard. It was a rhythmic deep bass, like a massive drum being played for the cadence of a parade. Or an army.

"Your Highness, the wood line!" a guard on watch atop the wall shouted. Twilight fluttered beside him with Argos following her as Spike scurried up the steps. Squinting into the distance, she recognized a line advancing out of the trees. At first, they were too distant to identify, but soon a banner rose from the fifth line, the talon and lightning bolt of the Grand Imperial Army snapping and fluttering in the breeze.

Twilight's hopes began to rise. It was known that the pony and griffon kingdoms were rivals, but they hadn't gone to war in over 1000 years. Surely this was an aid mission!

Her optimism was short-lived. Further back in the advancing column, oxen pulled large cages, followed by siege engines. Aid convoys didn't normally bring weapons of war. As they marched, a few soldiers would stop, light torches, and fling them into the abandoned houses in the suburbs of Canterlot. Columns of smoke slowly rose in the army's wake as it moved toward the castle.

"Princess, we can't fight them, I suggest we abandon the castle."

Twilight scowled. "And go where? We have nowhere safe to run!"

In a snap decision, Argos turned to her. "Princess, they won't be here for at least another hour. If we load up all the supplies and split up, we've got a better chance of escaping. I can take some of the fillies with Eros and I, we'll be safe in the Iron Mountains."

The guard whirled around from his post. "Where are we going to go? The grass is everywhere! We won't last two days outside the walls."

Twilight glanced at the pastures outside the walls. "Apple Bloom did. I don't know how, and I don't know why, but we have to try. It's either that, or wait and see what those cages are for." She had no illusions. "Load the carts. We'll be out of here before they get there."


Apple Bloom


Eros found the Crusaders in their new clubhouse, the fireflies still doing their best to illuminate the windowless cavern.

"Howdy, Eros!" Apple Bloom said with a smile.

He couldn't help but return one. "Hey guys."

Sweetie Belle noticed his tone didn't match his expression. "Something wrong?"

"Yeah... my Dad wants us to leave today." The smiles faded from the room. "I came to say goodbye. I tried to get him to take you guys with us, but he wouldn't budge."

"What makes you think we'd want to leave?" Scootaloo asked.

"You, you'd want to stay here?" He replied, surprised at her question.

"Well, yeah, our families are here!" Sweetie Belle added.

"What's left of them..." Apple Bloom sighed.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I just thought you guys would want to go somewhere that you didn't have to be afraid of a bunch of grass."

"And where would that be?"

"The Iron Mountains. There are a few ponies there, so you wouldn't be alone, and you could all be safe there while Princess Twilight figures out the cure."

Eros fidgeted with Titan's hilt nervously as he waited for the fillies reply. Apple Bloom was certain he hadn't meant to insult them, but she knew a life in the Empire would be better than a life living in a castle you aren't allowed to leave and eating the same stale food over and over again.

"Girls... Ah think he's right."

The other crusaders gasped.

"What?" Sweetie Belle asked in shock. "But I can't just leave Rarity in that musty old stable!"

The youngest Apple turned to her. She had only just found out about her sister even being there in the first place. She knew what she must have felt better than anyone, having seen her own family succumb to the grass. "Ah know it's hard ta leave your family behind, but there ain't gonna be anything we can do for them until Twilight finds a way ta fix this." It pained Apple Bloom to watch the tears begin to well in Sweetie's eyes. "Sweetie Belle, Ah know this may be hard ta hear, but Ah don't think the ponies that eat the grass remember the ponies they were before. Ah'm not even sure if my family remembered me—"

"No! You shut up!" Sweetie demanded, her outburst startling everyone and echoing noisily around the crystal cavern. "Rarity's still in there! She knows who I am and I'm not leaving her!"

The echoes died down, and silence blanketed them once more, Eros now more than sorry he'd brought on a fight between friends.

"I've seen what they're like, you know," Apple Bloom whispered. She looked Sweetie in the eyes as tears dripped silently down her cheeks. "They ain't like you and me. They don't talk, they don't think like we do. All they do is eat, sleep, and run. That's it. Macintosh, Applejack... they didn't remember me." Apple Bloom's smile seemed to surprise even herself. "In fact, when I went to say goodbye, Mac wanted ta run me over." The chuckle at the end of her sentence surprised herself even more. Nothing about what she was saying was funny. She vividly remembered the event in question, and it was one of the most heartbreaking moments of her short life. Yet, here she was, giggling at the memory of her brother acting like a wild animal.

"Ya know, I was out there for so long, I didn't even think of them as ponies anymore. They were like... rabbits, or birds, or bears. They just minded their own business, and didn't have a care in the world 'cept where they'd find the next patch of grass."

"Rarity isn't a grass-eater! She's a proper lady, and I won't let my big sister outside to be an animal!"

Apple Bloom wanted to cry herself. The world she had been used to, the leisurely life of going to school, doing a few chores and eating every single meal with her loving family all seemed like a distant daydream, and the world she found herself in now was nothing but a nightmare. In the old world, there would be nothing that could tear apart the crusaders, and nothing that could stop them from reaching the elusive goal of earning their cutie marks. But in this, the terrifying new world it seemed a single decision would change the track of her life and guide her away from one or possibly both of her best friends.

"Girls, Ah'm not gonna try and tell you what choice to make, but we're doin' nothing here but taking up space. If anypony can figure out a cure for this, it's Twilight. But until she does, I ain't stayin' here, waiting ta lose my mind like that mare the other day. I'm goin' with Eros and his Pa."

Eros perked up, checking the time on his father's watch that he'd secured to his sword belt. "Uhm... but he said I couldn't bring you guys."

"He said you can't bring us, but he didn't say anything about us not following you."

Eros opened his beak to reply, but found no words. She had a point. Technically, his father couldn't stop her from following them.

Apple Bloom turned back to her friends. "Girls, you're all I have left. Ah don't want to leave without you."

The castle shook violently above them, a thin layer of dust floated down from the ceiling.

"What was that?" Eros asked. "Is the cave collapsing?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to wait to find out!" Scootaloo replied, heading for the exit. The others followed suit and made their way to an old broken stained glass window. Apple Bloom glanced out the window in time to glimpse a black blur smash into a spire, sending rubble crashing to the ground.

They sprinted to the courtyard to find ponies running in every direction.

"Spike! Get the fillies and go with Argos!"

"I'm not leaving you here!" Spike shouted back to Twilight from the ramparts.

"Spike, that's an order!"

"But what about you?"

"I'm still the ruler of Equestria, I'm going to see if I can talk to them."

"Talk to them?! They're firing at us!"

"I don't care! If nothing else, I'll hold them off. I want you to take my research with you, and get out of Canterlot!"

"You're not doing this alone!" Dash shouted, Fluttershy right behind her. "If you're going down there, we're going with you!"

Spike turned to Eros and the fillies as they stood trying to take in the scene before them. "Get to Argos' cart, I'll be right back!"

"Eros, girls, hurry!" Argos shouted, securing the last strap to the side of the cart and hopping into the drivers seat. They sprinted to the cart, Eros fluttering next to his father as the fillies piled into the back seat. "Hya!" Argos snapped the reigns and the team of oxen charged forward, toward the open gate. Apple Bloom held onto the sides of the cart, keeping her head low as she peered over the edge to the advancing griffon army. A line of cannons faced the castle she had called home for the past week, each one spewing fire from its mouth, with a rumble to follow. With each shot of the cannons, a piece of the walls and tower came tumbling down. She watched a blue, yellow and purple blur speeding towards the advancing army. She musta lost her mind! she thought. While still looking downrange, she noticed a cannon turn away from the others, facing right toward them. Before she could utter a word of warning, fire erupted from its mouth. All she could do was push her friends heads down as she heard the massive projectile whiz past them, and shatter a large oak tree on the side of the road.

In a split second, she found herself flying through the air, the sky and ground flipping endlessly in her eyes as a hard impact shook her bones to the core. Sprawled on the side of the road in a ditch, she managed to glimpse one look around. Sweetie and Scootaloo were near her, but Eros and Argos were nowhere to be found. The only thing she could see up the road before she fell into darkness were the shattered remains of the wagon, and the massive oak tree that brought it to a halt.

The Valuntas Domini

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Apple Bloom


Apple Bloom felt as though she had a pounding hammer between her ears. She raised a hoof to her head, but found it restricted. She opened her eyes, the blurry world before her swimming into focus. Above her was Spike, the now much taller dragon seemed to be cradling her in his arms! He also seemed to be running, and rather quickly at that.

"Let's go, we're almost to the woods!" Spike shouted over his shoulder.

"I can't leave him here!"

Who was that? That voice simply dripped with anguish. On top of that, it sounded very familiar, but who was it?

"Eros, we have to go! If they catch us, we're all done for!" Spike replied.

Eros. It was Eros' voice, but... who couldn't he leave behind?

"I don't care, I'm not going anywhere without him!"

Spike roared in anger, skidding to a halt and wheeling around. With one arm still cradled around Apple Bloom, he raised his other claw, muttering a quick incantation in a language she was unfamiliar with. His claw glowed bright purple. He kept his arm extended and continued sprinting. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo keeping pace beside her on the scooter from their younger days. She smiled weakly at them, getting a wink from Scootaloo in return. "Hang in there, Apple Bloom!"

Darkness took hold of her once again.


Twilight


Twilight sped towards the front lines, tailed closely by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. She fully expected to catch an arrow to the chest, or perhaps a cannonball through the head. However, much to her surprise, as she appeared within range, the cannons fell silent, and the archers stowed their arrows.

"Just what the hell do you jerks think you're doing attacking a sovereign nation?" Twilight demanded of the ranking officer as she approached the artillery line. A griffon in ornamental armor blew a hollowed bulls horn, its low note rumbling over the hills. A griffon with an eyepatch without a lick of armor and a finely pressed military uniform walked up from behind the lines. He stopped in front of the hovering ponies. To Twilight and her entourage's surprise, he bowed.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle, I am Grand Marshall Carrion. I come with the Authority of the Emperor of the Griffon Empire. We are here to administer what aid we can, and ensure the plague that has befallen this land does not spread." He paused, lifting his eyes to meet hers. "It is with great sorrow that I must inform you that my orders are to accompany you back to the capitol. I must insist you and your entourage come with us."

"You insist?" Dash spat. "Who do you think you are marching in here and shooting at us?"

"For that, I am deeply sorry. It is our protocol to demolish anything that has come in contact with the plague. Our top scholars have been researching an answer, as the ponies living within the empire have also begun to suffer the same fate as many we encountered along the way." Carrion sighed heavily. "I assure you, during the journey, you will be accommodated in a manner befitting your title, as will your companions."

Twilight held her stare, still trying to read her would-be captor, when she noticed the iron expression he had worn from the beginning of their meeting begin to crack, a glimmer of humility showing in his eye. "Please, Princess. We know of your studies, we know of your research, we were just unsure if you were still among the sentient. With your research and that of our scholars, we could find a way to lift this curse."

Twilight looked to her friends before landing. She tucked her wings by her sides and signaled for them to follow suit. She knew full well Carrion could be lying. He could be waiting for her to let her guard down before trussing her and her friends up and delivering them to the Emperor for dinner. Griffons were well known for their cunning. However, she had gone into this fully expecting to have already been killed, so she might as well take this deal and see where it goes. There was nothing left for her in the castle. Spike had freed the ponies she'd kept there that had already turned, and the ponies that had fled during the brief battle were now long gone. Just in case this was a trap, she hedged her bets by neglecting to mention Spike and the girls leaving with her research. After all, if Carrion was telling the truth, then she could begin again.

"Very well, we will accompany you to the Emperor." Rainbow put a heavy hoof on her shoulder.

"Twilight, are you serious? They were trying to kill us five minutes ago!" She whispered urgently.

Twilight turned to quietly confer with the only friends she had left. "We've got no choice. It's either this, or keep trying to scrape by. At least with them, I would have a better chance of finding the cure for all this. They have a laboratory, funding, researchers besides myself!" She pled.

"I think Twilight is right. This is our best option."

They both glanced at Fluttershy, who'd been mostly quiet since they landed.

Dash looked at Twilight, then Fluttershy before sighing. "Fine. If you trust them, then I will too. But if I smell anything fishy, we're leaving."

Twilight nodded, turning back towards general Carrion. "As I said, we will head to the capitol with you."

Carrion raised a talon, a griffon by his side blowing a long, rumbling note into his bullhorn. An ornate carriage pulled by two burly griffons appeared. "I hope this carriage will suffice until we reach the palace."

Twilight looked it over, accompanied by Fluttershy.

"No thanks, I'd rather fly," Dash insisted.

"Very well," Twilight sighed, a griffon soldier opened the door with a bow. The inside of the carriage was just as ornate as the outside, fit for a princess, as she was promised. Fluttershy and Twilight sat in silence while their ride began to rumble forward. Twilight looked outside the window at the smoldering ruins of Canterlot.

"How did we fall so far, so quickly, Fluttershy?"

"I don't know," she whispered in reply, sidling over to her. "But I know if anyone can figure this out, it's you."

Her vote of confidence comforted her, and harkened back to the instructions she had given Spike in case the very events currently transpiring ever took place.

"Don't talk like that, Twilight! Nothing is going to happen to you, or anyone else."

"Spike, I know it's hard to think about, but we need to be realistic. If something were to happen to me, I need you to follow my orders as acting Princess."

Spike paused for a moment. "Okay."

"In the event I succumb, or something else happens to me, and the castle must be abandoned, I need you to free the stabled ponies, and take my book of research and this." Twilight levitated a medium sized book with a simple sun and moon emblazoned on the cover. Spike took it in his claws and looked it over.

"Where did this come from?" Spike asked, opening it and thumbing through the pages covered in a language he didn't recognize.

"Celestia gave it to me. It's called the Valuntas Domini. She told me it held the secrets to the alicorn powers, but it's in a language I don't know how to read."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "She gave you a book you can't read? Why didn't she just tell you what it said?"

Twilight sighed. "She couldn't read it either."

"Then how does she know what's in it?"

"I don't know, okay?!" She snapped. "I'm sorry, Spike, I just... this was the last thing she gave me before she turned, and I know she wouldn't give it to me without good reason."

"Okay. I'll take these books and release the stabled ponies. Then what?"

"Take the fillies and anyone who wants to flee, and head to the Crystal Empire. If there's a chance Cadence and Shining are still around, they'll be able to give you shelter and supplies."

Spike looked at the books, then back to Twilight.

"For how long?"

"...I don't know."


Spike


His legs felt like jelly, his arms burned from carrying Apple Bloom, and his head pounded from using magic to carry Argos as far into the forest as possible. Finally, mercifully, he collapsed, setting Apple Bloom and Argos down in a clearing as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle caught up on the scooter.

Spike rolled over onto his back and stared at the blue sky peeking through the trees above him. If he hadn't known better, he could've sworn this was just a bad dream. The skies were no different now than they were before the blades. Birds chirped sweetly in the trees, squirrels ran back and forth along the tree branches. It was all so perfect, and yet it all seemed so wrong. Spike sat up, and was drawn back down to the reality of his situation. Eros knelt over his father, grasping his talon, a crimson pool expanding below his father's body, soaking the soil.

"Dad... can you hear me?" Eros whimpered.

"I... I can, son," he sputtered, raising his other talon to stroke his sons head. "You were very brave today, Eros."

The young griffon smiled, tears falling from his eyes. Spike had seen everything after the cart had been wrecked. Most had made it through with only minor scrapes and bruises, save Apple Bloom and Argos. Unfortunately, a rogue splinter the size of a spearhead from the shattering oak found its way into the older griffon's chest, buried so deeply that only a hint of it peeked from his bloodstained chest plumage.

Spike knelt down next to Argos, feeling a young set of eyes upon him.

"You can help him, right Spike? With your magic?" he asked hopefully.

"Eros... let me talk to Spike for a moment," Argos asked. "Go make sure Apple Bloom is okay, will you?"

His son nodded, joining the other crusaders in making their friend comfortable.

"Spike, I need you to look after Eros. He's all I have... he's all his mother has. You must keep him safe for me."

"No, there's no need for that, you'll be fine as soon as I cast a healing spell." Spike knew this was a lie, and so did Argos, it seemed.

"Don't give me any of that... I'm don't have much time. Comfort him for me."

Spike closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He took his talon in his claw and firmly gripped it. "I promise, I will."

"May I see my son?" Argos asked, a fit of coughs following his request.

Spike stood away from the pair as Eros rejoined his father. He was far enough away to show respect, but close enough to hear what they were saying.

"Eros, do you still have my watch?"

"Y-yeah..." he sniffed.

"Whenever you feel lonely, or scared, remember that I'm always with you. You have Titan, and you have your courage to defend yourself, and your friends."

Eros sat back, confusion across his face. "What... what are you saying?" he asked, jaw quivering as he slowly came around to a horrible realization.

Argos smiled, taking his sons talon again. "There comes a time when we all must face what frightens us the most. Syrell did, and you have Syrell's blood in your veins."

"Dad... please, I can't... I don't want you to die!"

"Shh... Eros, all griffons must die. It is the natural order of things. I wish I didn't have to leave you."

"You don't have to!" Eros turned to Spike. "Help him! Use your magic!"

"Eros, listen to me!" Argos snapped, coughing up a bit of blood. "It doesn't matter where you go, as long as you think of me, I'll be with you."

"Dad... please, don't go... don't die..." He put his and his father's talon to his forehead as he broke down in tears. Argos pulled his son into a hug, holding him close.

"Eros, I love you more than anything in this world. You are my son, and you've made me so proud on this journey. Never let your courage falter, and always remain loyal to your friends..."

"I will Dad, I promise."

After a brief moment, Argos' talon slipped from around his son, laying limply on the ground beside him.

Eros wailed, begging his father to return to him, but there was nothing to be done. Spike approached him, putting a claw around his shoulder, only to have him shrug it off.

Spike sighed, turning back to Apple bloom. Besides her head injury, she seemed to be alright. He removed his shoulder bag and threw off his cloak. Inside his bag were the few provisions he managed to scavenge and the two books Twilight had told him to retrieve. He looked at the mysterious tome known as the Valuntas Domini. He opened the book to the first page and found something unusual. The page was blank. He flipped to the next page, then the next page, then the next. He made it through to the back cover, not seeing a single word on any of the pages.

"How... how is this possible? I looked through it before we left to make sure it was the right one!"

"Spike!" Scootaloo cried. He dropped the book and ran beside Apple Bloom, as she coughed and sputtered back to consciousness.

Her eyes fluttered open as she counted her friends standing over her. All except one.

"Where... where's Eros?"

Spike and the crusaders looked at each other.

Apple Bloom's eyes widened. "What? Where is he?" She tried to sit up, but fell weakly to the ground.

"Take it easy, AB," Spike said. "Eros is fine, it's just... well... Argos isn't."

She peeked through the gap between her friends and saw Eros still crying over his father. A familiar pain shot through her heart. Celestia help him.


Emperor Talos


"Your Highness, the 3rd Army has reached Canterlot."

The Emperor stood from his iron throne, the echoes of his paws on the marble floor bouncing around the vaulted ceiling as he walked towards his address balcony. "What did they find?" he asked his advisor.

"The city had been abandoned, many ponies were found but all had succumbed to the grass, save three."

His ears perked up. "Three?"

"Yes, Sire, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and her two associates. The rest of the country lies in ruins."

The Emperor wanted to march his army into Canterlot, but not like this. It was his mission to avenge the humiliation of his great grandfather, but this was certainly hollow.

"Was there any aid rendered?" he asked.

"No one was there to receive it, Sire."

Although many hardliners rejoiced in the fall of Canterlot, he took no joy in innocent suffering. It was his sole purpose to best the alicorn princesses in battle, not have them succumb to a plague. "Then ready my podium. I must address the nation."

In minutes, a crowd of thousands gathered outside the imperial palace as Talos stepped onto the balcony. The crowd cheered and waved patriotic banners as he waved and greeted them. In a moment, there was silence. Both ponies and griffons dotted the crowd, hanging on his every word.

"My children, heaven smiles upon our kingdom. But, in our time of good fortune, we must not forget those who have suffered tragedy. Our neighbor nation of Equestria, has been silent as of late, and no doubt you've been wondering why travel to the pony lands has been prohibited these past few months. Well, rest easy, my children, this was not in preparation for war. The truth is, that a terrible plague has been unleashed upon pony-kind, and in an effort to control it, we have sealed our borders. However, we will not sit idly by while our neighbors suffer. We have sent an aid convoy to the heart of Canterlot to help any survivors we may find." The crowd gasped. He picked out a few ponies from the crowd, expressions of fear and worry blanketed every face.

"Our researchers have been working tirelessly to find a cure for this plague, but these things take time. For now, we have sent our armies into Equestria to occupy and protect the remains of their civilization, so that they may be rebuilt once a cure is found. May Syrell bless us, and our nation. Thank you."

He withdrew from the balcony accompanied by his advisor. He removed his royal vestments and sat on his bed, in very un-emperor fashion.

"Silver, you've never lied to me," he said to him.

"Of course not, your Majesty."

He looked his advisor in the eye and took a deep breath. "How many of our citizens have been quarantined?"

Silver checked his clipboard before sighing. "Fifty-seven."

Blue Skies

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Spike


Spike and his group managed to get outside of Canterlot, heading towards the Crystal Empire. In a forest off of the road, they made camp as the sun set.

Spike built a fire, as the fillies and Eros sat around it in silence. He glanced at Eros, staring blankly into the fire. He sighed, casting his own gaze down to the burning sticks. There wasn't much time for pageantry or ceremony when Spike buried Argos. A quick spell to excavate a hole, and that was more or less it. He would have liked to have said a few words, or given Eros one last chance to say goodbye to his father, but they had to move.

Try though he did, Spike very quickly realized he had almost no way to relate to what Eros was going through. However, he knew one among them could. Apple Bloom sat next to him, staring into the flames as well. No doubt they were all thinking about the events of the past few hours. A day ago, they were all relatively secure and comfortable in the remains of Canterlot castle. Now, they'd been split up, on a journey to a place that may not even exist anymore.

He broke out the rations and began dividing them up between the group. Glancing around the campfire, he noticed Sweetie Belle had taken an interest in the book Celestia had given Twilight. To his surprise, the tome seemed to have words printed on its pages once again. Spike shuffled next to her, seeing the strange language he recognized from the first time he laid eyes on the mysterious book.

"Does it make any sense?" he asked.

Sweetie Belle looked up from the book and smiled. "It's weird. I recognize some of the words, but they aren't exactly our language. It's like they're close, but not exactly right."

Spike decided not to mention the disappearing words. After all, there was just as much chance that he'd just been seeing a stress induced hallucination as there was the book was magically altering its contents. In a world where magic was fading from existence rapidly, it seemed unlikely an inanimate object would be able to harness what little remained.

"Twilight said that book was important," Spike said, staring back into the dancing flames.

"Did she say why?"

Spike sighed. "The secret to alicorn powers or something. I definitely wish she would have been a bit less vague."

Sweetie Belle closed the book. "Spike, where are we going?"

"To the Crystal Empire."

What's left of it, he thought.

"Are Prince Shining and Princess Cadence still there?"

"That's what Twilight said."

The guilt of stretching the truth weighed down on him like a stack of heavy library books. He had to admit, he missed his old life. A life that seemed a thousand years away by now. Though he had grown considerably, he was still hardly an adolescent in dragon years. He had managed to increase in height to about as tall as the Princesses, and added on some muscle, but not much else. Being the oldest of the group, it was on him to take charge. He knew that's what Twilight would have expected of him.

Twilight... he thought to himself. He could only pray that she was safe, and not locked in a cage at the hands of the invading griffons, or worse.

"Don't stay up too late, we'll need to get back on the road at dawn," Spike said, rising from the ground and walking to his bedroll. He'd managed to salvage one for each of them from Argo's cart before fleeing. As awful as it was to have lost Argos, Spike realized it did benefit the group. One less mouth to feed meant they could stretch their supplies for a longer period. He bedded down for the night, keeping a watchful eye over the fillies and the young griffon before he slept.

Apple Bloom and Eros talked quietly, while Scootaloo had already turned in for the night. Spike rolled onto his back, looking at the stars above him. No matter how much the world around him changed, the stars always stayed the same, indifferent to suffering, joy, sorrow, or war. They shine on, always and forever. How wonderful it would be to escape this cursed planet, and live among the stars, above the troubles of this world.

Spike closed his eyes. He harkened back to the easy days on the balcony with Twilight as she observed the stars. Perhaps if he tried hard enough, he could awaken from this terrible nightmare.


Apple Bloom


For a long while, no one spoke. The trauma of the past few hours kept all conversation to a minimum. Apple Bloom sat next to Eros, though he stayed as mute as ever. She knew they had all lost someone, but none of them had seen them die before their eyes. Besides, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo's family were still technically alive.

Gathering her courage, she spoke. "Eros... I'm sorry about what happened to your Pa."

Eros stayed silent.

"Look, I know me saying sorry isn't gonna bring him back, but if ya want ta talk, I'm here for ya."

Nothing, not even a curt nod. Fine then, be an asshole! she thought. Sweet Celestia, what is wrong with me? Applejack would whip my hide for thinkin' that! The boy just lost his father not five hours ago!

Busy reprimanding herself, she hadn't noticed Eros finally speak.

She pulled herself from her admonition and glanced at him. "Sorry, I didn't catch that," she replied sheepishly.

His sword lay in front of him, the firelight reflecting off the blade. "I said; my Dad gave me this sword."

"Yeah, it's a real fine one," Apple Bloom agreed.

He turned to her in a whisper. "Apple Bloom, I know I've just met you, but can you keep a secret?"

Her eyes lit up as she turned herself towards him. "Of course I can."

Eros glanced around the campfire at Spike and Sweetie, and then to Scootaloo, passed out in her bedroll. "My Dad would always tell me that a griffon is never scared, and never lets anything intimidate him. He would always tell me the story of Syrell the monster-slayer, and how he never showed fear, even in the greatest danger." Eros turned his gaze on the dancing flames reflected in the blade of his sword. "He would always tell me a griffon warrior protects his family no matter the cost. When he was with me, I was brave, but without him..."

Apple Bloom noticed a tear slip down his cheek. "I'm scared, Apple Bloom. I'm afraid that something is gonna happen to you, or one of the others because I was too scared to act to save you. My dad... he died protecting me, just like a griffon warrior should, but... what if I'm too weak to protect all of you if something happened to Spike? What good is a sword if a coward is behind it?"

She straightened up beside him. "You think you're the only one that's scared?" she asked. "We're out here, wanderin' around with grass everywhere, and I don't even know where we're going!" The situation was so absurd, she couldn't help but laugh. Thankfully, it got Eros to smile a bit as well. "Eros, I lost my Ma and Pa before I was old enough to talk. Heck, the only memory I got of them is two blurry faces standin' over my crib. Shoot, when I left the farm when all this started, I didn't even think to grab a picture."

Eros looked at her for the first time since their daring escape, the flecks of gold in his brown eyes sparkling in the firelight. "I'm sorry, Apple Bloom."

"We all got things we've lost 'cause of this, but we can't let what we have left fall by the wayside. What we have left gives us hope to push on." Apple Bloom looked around the dying campfire, seeing that they were the last two still up. "I'm gonna put a few more logs on the fire, and call it a night," she said, standing up. She put a hoof on his shoulder. "Eros, it's okay to cry. It ain't weak."


Rainbow Dash


Lazy circles around the wagon train might as well have been a national Wonderbolt event. Dash had been cooped up in the castle for months, with nowhere to fly but the throne room. The sunlight, the breeze, the smell of the clean air was nothing short of rebirth. For weeks she'd dreamt of leaving the castle walls and flying somewhere this evil couldn't reach her. That had always been her ability. The thing she loved the most about flying was the escape. Few could follow her into the stratosphere, and her problems certainly couldn't.

She glanced down at the wagon train. It had stopped, griffon soldiers setting up tents and unloading supplies from the chariots. Dash looked to the west. The sun was setting, and it was time to settle in. She circled into camp and landed outside Twilight's trailer. The griffon soldiers didn't spare her a passing glance, putting her mind at ease, but the secrecy of this Marshall Carrion still reminded her that the world she found herself waking in every morning was not the one she'd lost.

The carriage door opened, and Twilight and Fluttershy stepped out, looking as though they just slept the entire ride over. Twilight smiled. "How was the flight?"

"Awesome. I really needed it."

A shadow cast over the three of them as the Marshall approached. There was something about him Rainbow didn't trust, no matter how many times he both assured, and showed the three of them that he meant them no harm.

He bowed before speaking, ever cordial. Another thing Rainbow felt he was merely faking.

"Your Majesty, we unfortunately are not as well stocked as the palace, but we can make most Equestrian fare. Within reason, of course."

"Anything besides stale wheat and pickled vegetables would be wonderful, thank you Marshall," Twilight nodded.

"Very well, might I expect you for dinner in the commanders car?"

Twilight thought for a moment before replying. "Certainly, thank you."

Carrion smiled. "Very gracious, Your Majesty. If you'll excuse me." He took his leave as the soldiers around him set up camp.

Rainbow followed him with her eyes as he left. "Great, this should be a fun dinner party," she mumbled.

"Look, I don't know much about his endgame either, but the least we have a chance to learn more about it. Besides, aren't you hungry for something that hasn't been doused with preservatives?"

Rainbow's stomach beat her to the reply. "Does that answer your question?"

Twilight grinned. "I thought so. Lets go inside and wash up for dinner, then we'll worry about the Commander."

Dash looked at Twilight as though she was crazy. "Wash up? In there? You telling me that thing has running water?" she asked, motioning to the parked carriage.

"Oh, yes. It has everything, Rainbow," Fluttershy added.

Moments later, Rainbow found herself beside Fluttershy and Twilight, soaking in the not-too-hot water of a massive tub. The servants had been careful to meet the exact temperature specified by Princess Twilight. Oddly enough, she had never actually specified.

"I only ever trusted one griffon, and that was more than enough for my lifetime," Rainbow sighed. "But, if you think these guys are legit, I'll go along with it," she completed, looking to Twilight.

"Thank you, Rainbow. I know it's hard to trust outsiders after what happened, but perhaps we should consider their position."

This only served to rile her up further. "Their position?! They knew bad shit was going down in Equestria! Where was the aid then? Why didn't they try and help us when we actually needed it?" Dash splashed a hoof angrily in the water.

"Rainbow, settle your emotions and think about this for a second. If a strange illness descended upon them and turned them all into eagles or lions or whichever they're more of, do you think we'd send our ponies in to risk catching whatever it was they had and bringing it back to Equestria?"

Dash folded her arms. "We would at least send food! Airdrops with medicine, something! The Princesses would never let innocent beings turn into these... mindless things."

"I know they wouldn't have, but we're in a different world now. Let's just hear what he has to say."


The commander's car was almost twice as large and extravagant as Twilight's. In fact, it seemed more like a moving castle than a carriage. The dining area was simple, yet elegant. A large wooden table and high backed chairs, with servants and waiters overseeing everything greeted them as they entered. At the head of the table, sat the marshall. Maps and documents cluttered the table while two advisors stood behind him, whispering into his ear as they pointed to the maps. A servant walked briskly to his side, letting him know his guests had arrived.

Carrion looked up, his eye falling upon them as he smiled. He whispered a quick command to his generals and they began hurriedly clearing the maps off the table.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for not providing you with a precise time for dinner," he said, stepping away from the table. The combat uniform he'd worn in the field during their first encounter now replaced with a white, formal military jacket. "It seems dinner isn't quite ready, but if you would like, we can adjourn to the study, and I will entertain any questions I'm sure you have."

"Yes, that's fine," Twilight replied, following him. Rainbow stayed close, still on guard, while Fluttershy took in the surroundings, and the smell of the wonderful food being prepared wafting from the kitchen. Large oak doors creaked open to reveal a room made of rich mahogany, shelves filled with volumes of books stretching towards the ceiling. A fire crackled and popped in the fireplace as though it had been burning for hours, casting dancing shadows across the room.

Carrion sat in a chair across from a large couch. Beside his chair sat an end table with a crystal bottle of amber liquid and a four glasses. "Would anyone care for some bourbon?" he asked, pouring himself a glass.

"I'll take some," Rainbow piped up. Twilight looked at her. "What? It's been a long day."

Twilight relented as Carrion set the glass on the coffee table in front of her. "Now, I'm sure you have some questions."

"Earlier, you mentioned that your country also had scientists researching the blades." Twilight paused, shifting in her seat. "What can you tell me about the progress so far?"

Carrion sipped his drink before setting it on the table. "We have made some advancements in identifying the mechanisms of the condition, however a cure is proving elusive."

"And what are those mechanisms?" Twilight asked.

"You must forgive me if I butcher some of the scientific terms. I'm a tactician, not a scientist." Carrion took another sip of his drink. "What we have discovered, is that the grass is not the root cause of the change. As you know, ponies have occasionally dined on grass, and it was in fact used in many equine dishes."

Twilight nodded. "I initially theorized that it was a mutation in the species itself, one that spread as a defensive mechanism."

"Yes, however as it turns out, the research being done is suggesting that the cause is something else entirely. You see, there are ponies living within the empire's borders. However, no griffons have succumb or even shown symptoms of becoming grazers. This sickness, whatever it is, seems to only be affecting ponies."

Twilight stared at Rainbow's half empty glass. For a moment, Rainbow thought about offering her a sip. "How prevalent is it?"

"So far, our latest reports indicate around fifty in quarantine sites."

Rainbow set her glass down harshly on the table. "Quarantine sites?"

Carrion sat back against his chair. "I'm afraid so. Trust me when I tell you, those affected are receiving the finest care and treatment we can offer. They are citizens of the empire too, after all." The Marshall finished his drink in one swift gulp. "You see, it was enough trouble keeping the press quiet about the goings on in the kingdom. Closing off the borders raised quite a few eyebrows, I can assure you. However, while most feared for war, the need for a sealed border was far simpler. Panic, is poison."

"So I take it the citizens know what's been happening now?"

"That is correct. An army cannot move without someone noticing."

"Here's something I want to know," Rainbow set her glass on the table. Twilight noticed it was empty, glancing wearily at her friend as she cleared her throat. "You knew this was happening, I know the princesses can be stubborn, but I have a hard time believing they didn't ask for help. Why'd you decide to show up now? Why didn't you at least try and get off your lazy asses until now, once our country and everyone we know is one of those things!"

"Rainbow!" Twilight admonished, "My apologies Marshall, she hasn't had a drink in quite some time."

"No need for apologies, Your Majesty, her anger is justified." Carrion sighed. "The truth is just as unpleasant as you'd imagine. There were some in the imperial court who took pleasure in the knowledge that the pony kingdoms were in peril. Unfortunately, some generations in high places have been well taught in the art of holding a grudge. The Emperor, however, felt differently. There is no honor in letting a rival nation implode. Only after a thorough convincing was he able to send our armies across the border to see what we could find. I warned him that every second we wait is another citizen's life turned to ash in the lawlessness right next door. Eventually, he acted, but I'll agree, it was with a painfully slow talon."

"Who gives a shit what the imperial court says!" Rainbow replied. "He's the Emperor, isn't he? Why can't he tell them to suck one and do whatever he thinks is right?"

Carrion smiled. "As with most governments, absolute power is a bit of an illusion. There are daggers in griffon's smiles. Especially in the imperial court."

A knock at the door interrupted them. "Your Highness, Grand Marshall, dinner is served," a servant said from just behind the cracked door.

"Ah, very good. Come, there will be more time for questions after dinner." Carrion insisted.

Rainbow and Fluttershy followed the servant outside, as Twilight turned to face him. "You knew griffons couldn't catch whatever it is we have. Why did you attack the castle?" She searched his features, but found his stoic expression gave away nothing. In fact, it seemed to harshen in response to her question.

"You can never be too careful."


Spike


The morning sun rose right on time. Yet another anomaly that led Spike to question the powers the princesses claimed to have held over the all the world. The campfire was nothing but ashes, and all of his fillies and hatchlings were accounted for. Every one of them still fast asleep in their bedrolls.

Spike's rustling slowly woke those still sleeping. Sweetie Belle rubbed the sleep from her eyes, looking to gather her meager belongings, she noticed the book. She could have sworn she had put it back into her saddle bag, yet here it sat on the grass beside her. Even stranger, while the grass around it was soaked with morning dew, the book was bone dry. It was opened, words in that strange language were written squarely in the center of the page, without regard for alignment, like a normal book would be.

"This is for those who seek to find, a way to find the lost one's minds."

She wasn't bilingual, and never studied another language in school. But this was clear as day, as though she'd spoken whatever tongue was written on this seemingly magical book.

"Sweetie Belle?" She jumped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Spike said softly. He peered over her shoulder. "That book still as weird as it was before?"

"Yeah. I can kinda read it, but it doesn't really make much sense."

Spike set his bag down next to her, removing her food for breakfast.

"So, do the train tracks still go to the crystal empire?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Spike sighed. "The whole area between here and there is a lake. Without the weather pegasi to control the clouds and rainfall, the natural patterns flooded the plains."

"So how are we going to get there?"

"We'll have to go around Foal mountain, through the Hollow Shades to Fillydelphia, Manehattan, then the Empire. It's a round about way, but there might be a chance to resupply on our way."

"Sounds like a long walk." Sweetie smiled.

"It is."

After making sure all of his party had food, he checked his gem bag. Of all the gems he'd had back at the castle, he only managed to make it out with a handful of stones. Not nearly enough for an adolescent dragon's breakfast. Spike popped the gems in his mouth, crunching away happily, savoring what could be the last gems he'd taste for a while. His stomach rumbled loudly, but pony food didn't do much for him. On top of that, they only had so much pony-specific food. He didn't want to dip into that unless he had to.

He though for a moment, before a near forgotten memory surfaced. Once, on a diplomatic trip to the Free Cities, he and Twilight had dined at the nicest restaurant in the city, with the governor himself. It was during that time that Spike had ordered something unthinkable and certainly unavailable in the kingdom.

Meat. Perfectly seared, served with a side of vegetables, and gem shards (upon request). Twilight was too busy talking with the governor to notice what he'd ordered. Although, from a scientific perspective, he was sure she knew quite well what dragons were capable of eating. From a moral and political perspective, however, he was almost certain she would have been appalled. He couldn't quite recall the taste, as it was so long ago, but he did recall that it was quite filling.

It hit him like a tidal wave. It was a craving the likes of which he'd never felt before. It wasn't as if it would be unheard of for him to go off into the woods for a bit, hunt down something to eat, cook it and come back, right? He wouldn't do it in front of the fillies, of course, but that didn't mean he had to starve.

Twilight always told me it was the mark of a civilized dragon to abstain from meat, and most other ponies would agree. It was proven that dragons could survive on gems, but his ancestors, the ancient beasts of fiery breath and iron scales, undoubtably ate meat. They were the masters of this land in the time before the ponies became civilized.

His mouth began to water at the thought of food.

Spike licked his lips before a thought crossed his mind. Could he be regressing to?

"Guys, I'll be right back."

Cleansing Fire

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Gilda


Her talons drummed impatiently on the table. She'd never liked the hoity-toity-ness of the imperial palace. Sure, servants waiting on her talon and paw were nice, but it all just seemed so fake. As though they were simply waiting on you to turn your back so they could stick a dagger in it. She never liked the palace staff, either, save for the nanny that raised her.

"Your Grace, breakfast is served." A servant laid a silver tray before her, fried eggs and bacon sitting on a plate, picturesque enough to be in a cooking magazine.

Gilda eyed it, then the servant. "Yeah, take the rest of the morning off."

"Very good, Mistress Gilda."

She suppressed a scowl. This was one of the reasons she loathed spending time at the palace. Titles were for books and movies, not griffons. Everyone smiled, no one ever muttered a cross word, or denied her or her family anything. Of course, she understood why they would behave that way. At the word of her or her father, their heads would roll.

The clatter of her silverware on the plate echoed through the empty dining hall. The table was made to fit almost one-hundred dignitaries, heads of state, ambassadors, or guests of the Emperor. She, however, took her breakfast alone. The banners of the twelve griffon tribes united underneath the sigil of Gilda's father's house, (a talon grasping a lightning bolt) hung in the grand hall. The stained glass on each side of the wall depicted the glorious conquests of the empire, all the way back to the first griffon to unite the tribes.

Only a few bites into her meal, the large doors swung open, another in an endless line of faceless butlers walked the length of the table towards her.

"Your Grace, your father wishes to see you in his council chamber."

Gilda dropped her fork on the plate with a clatter. She shoved her plate away from her angrily and snapped her talons twice. "Bring me my flask with bourbon."

"Right away," he said, taking off toward the kitchen.

This, unfortunately, wouldn't be the first time she finished her breakfast with hard alcohol. Ever since the events of the past months, her outlook had gotten substantially more bleak. News from the armies in the Equestrian territories was dire. She put her talons over her eyes, cursing the gods themselves. Small, soft sobs echoed throughout the dining hall.


Gilda opened the door to her father's council chamber. A fire burned in the fireplace, casting shadows across the room. At the head of the council chamber, her father sat in an ornate high-backed chair, papers and official decrees scattered about.

"You wanted to see me?" She asked, pulling out a chair.

He set down his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes. "This is by far the most uncomfortable chair in the palace, next to the throne." He groaned, standing up and replacing the ceremonial chair with a more plain, yet far more comfortable one. "And yes, I did."

"Well?" She asked, leaning back in her chair. "What is it?"

"I know the trouble in the pony kingdoms has been weighed heavily on your mind."

Gilda rolled her eyes. She'd heard this platitude a million times before.

"But, I have some good news from Marshall Carrion."

She raised an eyebrow. What kind of news could even loosely be considered 'good' coming from a place full of mindless animals? "And that would be?" she asked, putting a paw on the table, leaning back even further.

"He has found three sentient ponies in Canterlot."

"So?"

"One of them, I believe you may remember."

Gilda's chair legs slammed against the floor.

"You... you mean, you found..."

Her father smiled. He had watched his daughter slowly spiral downward since the crisis began, and it was not often he was able to deliver news that brightened her day. When she smiled, she reminded him of the curious little hatchling that constantly found herself under-paw around the palace, but never lost her infectious smile.

"Yes, I believe he said her name was Rainbow Dash."


Spike


In his old life, he would have been horrified with himself. So would his best friend, but times had changed. Cradled in his arms was a rabbit.

A rabbit he had killed.

Much to his relief, he didn't enjoy the experience, nor did he feel the need to kill again. Holding his prize by its back legs, he roasted it quickly with a jet of fire. The crackling and sizzling was music to his hungry stomach.

He took his first bite. It was charred. Nearly burned, really, but it was his first try. Regardless, the meat was delicious. It satiated his hunger in a way gems and horse food never quite could. In no time, he ate the entire animal, bones and all. For the first time since this whole tragedy started, he felt full.

After he had eaten, guilt washed over him. Did the rabbit really need to die? What had it done to deserve to be a dragon's lunch? Was it really necessary for him to take a life when he just as easily subsisted on gems?

The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. After all, there was no way he'd have enough gems to last all the way to the Crystal Empire, and the pony food from the castle needed to last the fillies at least as far as the next city. On top of that, Eros could probably live off of what he could catch.

Spike began the trek back to camp, making sure to wipe the grease from the corners of his mouth. As he walked, he considered his earlier thought. Could he be susceptible to what had claimed so many of his friends? His thoughts were clear as day, he felt no animalistic urges to eat, kill or fornicate. Long ago, Twilight told him that dragons were a creature unlike any other in the known world. They radiated magic, they were practically magical reactors with near infinite fuel. Once, he had grown enough, Twilight began his lessons in harnessing his own magic, and not just the natural magic used by the ponies.

He was a natural, a gifted mage from the start. Only a talon-ful of dragons were known throughout history to have ever used magic. Her theory held that the other dragons were either unwilling or unable to learn the craft.

By the time he reached the smoldering fire pit, the others were ready to leave. Spike packed the rest of his belongings and donned his gear. They walked out of the woods and found the road again. Spike gave one last look toward Canterlot before setting off. He felt it would be a long time before he would see it again.


Sweetie Belle


They'd been walking for hours down the dusty, deserted road. Spike said that they'd follow it as far as it would take them, until they had to navigate for themselves the rest of the way to Foal mountain. When she would misbehave for her parents, they would tell her that bad colts and fillies would get taken to foal mountain to live with the evil creature that haunts its slopes forever. Worse yet, they said none of the foals there would ever get their cutie mark!

Although, given the circumstances, cutie marks were the least of her concerns.

Along the road, the ruins of the time before the fall were scattered about the countryside. Everything from spilled luggage to rags, clothes and other various possessions flapped and fluttered in the breeze. The air helped cool them, but it also blew up dust from the road into her eyes. Every now and then, an abandoned cart sat in the road, most of the items of value already picked through, the unknown benefactors now long gone. Regardless, they decided to check every cart. Most of the food was spoiled, but there were a few supplies that were still viable.

A couple of cloths, bandages, and string were all they managed to salvage from the first three. However, in the distance, another cart sat in the middle of the road. This one, however, looked pristine. Where most of the ones they ran across were tipped over, or broken down, this one looked as though it had just been abandoned in the past few hours.

Spike stopped, squinting at the cart in the road. The others stopped as well. Spike looked around at the ditches along the sides of the road. "Something doesn't smell right..." he whispered. Spike held out a claw for them to stay while he checked it out. They were only a few feet away from the cart when Sweetie Belle glanced over her shoulder, a golden light peeking out of her saddle bag. The only sound was the whistling wind through the trees as Spike looked around at the contents of the cart.

In the blink of an eye, a fist exploded out of the ground by Spike's foot. The disembodied hand grabbed his ankle and violently yanked it upward, the rest of the owner surfacing before slamming Spike to the ground. Three more diamond dogs popped out of the ground, stripping the unconscious dragon of his gear before turning on the fillies and young griffon.

Eros shakily drew his sword, only to have it laughed at.

"Nice sword, whelp. Maybe I'll pick my teeth with it," The shortest one laughed. "Give us your gear, and we may spare your lives."

Spike lay motionless behind them by the cart, and didn't seem to be in any position to help. Without this gear, assuming they actually lived through this encounter, they would be as good as grazers. Sweetie had no knowledge of offensive spells, and had no idea if she'd even bee strong enough to use them if she did. She had no doubt they weren't the first ponies these bandits had attacked. How many other sentient ponies had these beasts doomed with their greed? The thought stoked something smoldering inside her.

Before she shrugged off her saddlebag, motion from her right distracted her. Eros swung his sword, scoring a cut across a diamond dog's arm, sending a spray of blood across the dirt.

"You little shit!"

Eros seemed stunned that he had scored a hit, superficial though it may have been. He was so stunned, in fact, that he was in no way ready to block the haymaker coming from his attacker. It caught him right in the eye and lifted him off his feet, sending him flat on his back, his sword flipping through the air before sticking straight in the ground.

"Eros!" Apple Bloom shouted before she and Scootaloo ran to his side. Sweetie Belle felt an anger build inside her. She didn't survive the blades this long just to get mugged by diamond dogs! One reached for her saddle bag, and she recoiled, the special book Spike had given her tumbling onto the ground and opening, as if opened by an invisible reader. It opened to a page with two words in that strange language the rest of the book was written in.

For a moment, time seemed to stop. Sweetie Belle glanced up at her attacker. This anger was unfamiliar, but somehow... comfortable. Like an old sweater reserved for winter, it felt as though she had been here before. The diamond dog in front of her began to move, but Sweetie Belle anticipated his every move. She was at an obvious disadvantage, especially without magic. However, the weird book flipped to that page for a reason. She had no idea what the words meant, but there was no other recourse, other than to read them. She had recalled from studying with Twilight that some older spells have incantations that need to be said for them to work, and most of the incantations were in a dead language.

She glared back at her attacker and drew in a breath. She had no idea if this would work, or if she would be a diamond dog's dinner. But, there weren't any certainties anymore, and it was their last chance.

"Purifium ignis!"

For a moment, she was blind. The world had been wiped away, replaced with nothing but a bright white light. It felt like hours before her vision returned. As the light dimmed, the diamond dogs were gone, nothing left but an outline of their shadow's scorched into the road, and the gear they had stolen from them, and no doubt countless others. The dogs themselves had been completely vaporized.

"What in tarnation was that?" Apple Bloom asked, rubbing her eyes and blinking as though she'd just woken up from a nap.

"It was Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo chimed. "I saw the whole thing! The book fell out of her pack, then she said some weird words, then boom! Everything was white! You totally saved our butts!"

Sweetie Belle looked back at the book before her. The Valuntas Domini's pages were blank again. She picked it up and put it back in her bag. "I'm not even sure what happened," she said softly, walking over to Eros. His eye was nearly swollen shut, and a bit of blood stained his plumage. Other than being unconscious, he seemed to be alive.

"I'll go check on Spike," Scootaloo said, trotting over to him as he lay beside the cart.

Sweetie Belle knelt beside Apple Bloom as she began to apply bandages.

"Good timin' on the magic, Sweetie Belle. Ah thought Twilight said there wasn't any unicorns left that could do somethin' like that!" she smiled, though the thought of just having claimed four lives began to set in. "Good thing she was wrong, huh?"

Sweetie Belle smiled politely, but knew what Apple Bloom was referring to. Offensive spells were strictly controlled, and knowledge of one required extensive training, and a license. In fact, only the most skilled ponies in magic were even able to pull one off. Normally the larger cities would have one or two magical specialists in the police department to handle anything that got too hairy for the garden variety restraint magic most unicorns could use.

Like it or not, one thing was for certain, and she knew it. Sweetie Belle had killed.

"Yeah... good thing."


Grand Marshall Carrion


There serenity of his study was rivaled only by his personal quarters at the imperial palace. After the dinner, he decided to retire for a dram of scotch. Though it was small, the closeness of the fireplace and made the room quite warm. The rich mahogany and dark woods added to the comfort. He sat in his favorite chair, the fire crackling behind him as he poured himself a glass of amber liquid.

He sipped his scotch and suppressed a wince. Not his favorite vintage, but it would do, considering the circumstances. Before him hung a portrait of the Emperor, dressed in full regalia, above a banner with the ruler's house sigil. A knock at the door drew him from his thoughts.

"Come in."

A servant appeared at the entrance, dressed in a suit and jacket. "Sir, a courier has arrived from the capital. He was instructed to give you this letter." He walked over and set the sealed scroll on the table in front of him.

"Thank you, that will be all for the evening."

"As you wish, sir."

Carrion looked at the scroll. It was sealed with red wax, instead of the imperial black. Another house's sigil adorned it as he set down his scotch and grabbed the letter. He broke the seal, and began to read. His eyes scanned back and forth, his expression staying as solemn as it ever was.

He stood from his chair with a sigh, and grabbed and inkwell, quill and parchment from his writing desk.

She is alive, and well. It seems your unlikely gamble has paid off. She is currently on the way to the capitol, and ready to fulfill our needs as soon as we establish her in the palace. Vivat et imperium.

He rolled up the parchment, and stamped it with his own seal. He set it on the table beside him and picked up his drink.

Carrion took one last glance at the emperor, before downing his drink and retiring for the evening. The next few weeks certainly had the potential to be very, very stressful.


Twilight


The dinner with the Marshall went by without incident. In fact, it was one of the most delicious meals Twilight could remember. Not a speck of food remained on her plate when she was finished. For the most part, she tried to keep the talk light, but there was not much on her end in terms of small talk. Her entire life for the past few months had been solely focused on the blades, and the slowing or stopping of the sickness that followed.

As they ate, the Marshall told them the plan for when they arrive at the Empire. The three of them would live at the palace, free to come and go as they pleased, of course. Twilight, however, was asked to assist the griffon scientists in their work to find a cure. She agreed without hesitation. With more eyes than just her own examining the data, a breakthrough might come sooner, rather than later.

Once back into her quarters, Twilight headed straight for the bed. With a sigh, she let herself melt into the sheets. For the first time in what felt like ages, she allowed herself to relax.

"So, how long did he say the trip was gonna take?" Dash asked from her makeshift bed across from Twilight's.

"A few days. The sea crossing is what's going to take the longest."

"Great, that's just what I want; to be stuck on a boat with these guys." Dash lamented.

"Now, Rainbow Dash, they've been nothing but kind to us since we joined them. I think you should give them a chance."

"Nothing but kind? They were shooting at our house when we met them!"

"Girls, please!" Twilight interrupted. "Rainbow, Fluttershy's right. Our two nations may not have seen eye to eye in the past, but that doesn't mean we need to be adversarial now. They came to help us, and until they prove otherwise, they're really the only choice we have."

Rainbow huffed. "Alright... I'll go quietly. Just, promise me that the bad feeling I have about trusting them is just me being paranoid."

She couldn't promise that. Griffons were known for their cunning, and some kind of sick charade was certainly not within the realm of possibility. But, Rainbow Dash sprouting a horn during the night was also technically within the realm of possibility, so Twilight was near certain her fears were misplaced. However, as her old science teacher at the academy had once told her 'there are no absolutes'.

"I promise. I'm not going to stop until I figure this thing out, and put everything back the way it was."

Dash smiled at her. "That's my girl."

Twilight fell into a fitful sleep that night, the rich food rumbling in her stomach occasionally waking her. For a few brief, glorious hours, she managed to get solid rest. It was during this time, she dreamt, and two ponies she'd longed to see appeared before her. Overjoyed, she hugged them both, their coats just as soft against her own as she remembered them.

"Princess... is this real?"

"Does it feel real?" Luna asked.

"It does, but..." She sighed. "It isn't. This is just a dream." She turned away from her mentor.

"That may be true, but there's something we need to tell you, Twilight," Celestia said, stepping towards her, putting a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "Our time is over. You've tried your hardest, and we know you have given everything you have, but sometimes, things happen that are beyond even our control."

Twilight turned around. "How? I've read your journals, your diaries, every scrap of information I could find about this, or that ancient ritual you and Luna and Discord are supposed to do, and you just let it happen!" Twilight felt an anger boiling up inside her. "You knew the consequences of inaction, you knew what was going to happen to all of Equestria if you didn't prevent this, and yet you let it happen anyway! How could you be so selfish? I looked up to you!" Tears were streaming down Twilight's face as her jaw clenched. "My friends, my family, all those innocent ponies, turned into mindless animals, yourselves included, and for what? You just 'got tired' of letting us continue to live as sentient beings?"

Celestia and Luna looked at each other before her mentor stepped forward. "I have been alive for one thousand, nine hundred and seventy four years. Luna, Discord and I, we all knew this day would come. Nothing lasts forever Twilight. To you, my actions may seem selfish, and you are right. I acted out of my own self-interest. But know this, my dearest student," she whispered, lowering her head to Twilight's level, tears beginning to well up in her eyes as well. "I am so very proud of you."

Twilight awoke with a gasp, bolting up in her bed. Beams of sunlight shone through the carriage windows as she looked at the clock. It was well into midmorning, and both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were still asleep. Twilight rubbed her eyes, intending to go back to sleep for just a little while when something nearly startled her out of her coat. It was a distant, and massive release of magical energy, she could sense it. The kind she would feel when Princess Celestia or Luna would cast a powerful spell. She knew of only one unicorn left in her right mind.

"Sweetie Belle!"

Mountain of Shadows

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Scootaloo


Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom tended to Spike while Scootaloo cleaned up Eros. He'd suffered a contusion above his eye and a cut, but that was it. Spike was a bit more rattled, but seemed to be holding up fine once they managed to wake him up. The dusty road they traveled upon suddenly seemed a bit more dangerous after their encounter. Every abandoned cart and piece of debris now came eyed with suspicion. Diamond Dogs or worse could be lurking around every corner.

"Looks like you got a nice shiner," Scootaloo said, dabbing a cloth soaked in herbal ointments across his brow. He winced, the cloth burning against his face.

"Yeah, I was just about to give them the business end of Titan before they got me."

Scootaloo smiled. "If you say so."

"You're not hurt, are you?" he asked.

"Na, not a scratch on me."

Eros leaned over to look past her. "And Spike?"

"He's probably got a headache, but I'm sure he'll be fine," she said, glancing over her shoulder at her two friends hunched over the seated dragon.

Scootaloo helped him to his feet as he gathered himself and his sword. They joined the others around Spike as he sat still, letting Sweetie Belle wrap a bandage around his head with her magic.

"Someone want to tell me what happened?" Spike asked hoarsely.

"Well, some Diamond Dogs got th' drop on ya. They were comin' after us and our supplies when Sweetie Belle said something in some kinda crazy language and poof!" Apple Bloom said, flourishing her hooves. "There was nothin' left of them but scorched dirt!"

Spike glanced towards her. "Really?"

"I guess so..." she blushed, kicking the dirt.

He nodded and got to his feet. The sun had been bearing down on them all day as they continued down the road. Thankfully, the forest reappeared on the horizon. As the shade of the trees beckoned, the mountain they traveled towards grew larger on the horizon. Before the collapse, Foal Mountain had been a lovely camping spot for ponies feeling the need to get away from it all. Scootaloo had never been much for camping, though if the company was right, she could be persuaded. It wasn't as though she had much choice in the matter anymore. In fact, night's beneath the stars imparted upon her a rare sense of normalcy. If only for a few brief moments before she fell asleep, she could pretend she was simply camping with her friends.

The sun began casting its long shadows across the ground as they reached the edge of the forest. Thick, white clouds obscured the mountain's peak, though they only had to go around it, not over it. Once upon a time, Scootaloo had gone with her mother and father on a family camping trip to this very mountain. Though she mainly remembered being nearly eaten alive by mosquitoes, she also recalled star-gazing with her father. He had brought his telescope with them and set it up on a ridge with a clear view of the southern portion of the night sky. The stars were a million brilliant points of light on the blanket of darkness that was the evening heavens. She swore she could even spot individual craters on the moon as she examined the celestial bodies. One thing she remembered her father telling her, was that Foal Mountain was known for its clear skies. Something about the winds near a mountain keeping the southern slope clear of clouds. As they approached, however, the cloud obscuring the peak seemed more and more out of place.

They made camp near the base of the mountain, lighting a campfire and unrolling their sleeping bags. Spike rationed out the food, and watched as his wary companions ate their dinner. In the dim twilight, Scootaloo noticed him staring into the fire beside her. A bit away from the campsite, the rush of air around a whirling blade accompanied the crickets as they began their evening song. Eros seemed laser-focused on his swordplay as Scootaloo turned her attention back to Spike.

"Do you think Eros is okay?" she asked in a hushed tone.

Spike broke his stare at the fire, glancing at her, then over his shoulder to the young griffon tirelessly swinging his sword in combat with an invisible enemy. "He seems fine, but looks can be deceiving," he replied, turning back to her. "I don't know what it's like to lose a father, but I know what it's like to lose someone you love. It's best to talk it out, but we can't force it. He'll come to grips with it when he's ready."

Scootaloo nodded, joining him in staring into the dancing flames. She remembered the day she came to the castle during the outbreak. Ms. Cheerilee had decided to escort what remained of her class to Canterlot Castle, by order of the crown. Had she known that would have been the last time she would see her parents, she would have told them how much she loved them, and how great they were, and how she was sorry for all the times she yelled at them when she didn't get her way. They worked their tails off to give her everything she needed, and even though she had told them on many occasions that she loved them, the final goodbye is often the one that means the most, and even more often, the one that's left unsaid.

However, she had months to deal with the probability that her parents weren't her Mom and Dad anymore. They were nameless, faceless beasts roaming the tall grass. Eros had his father taken from him a scant day ago.

She glanced up at the mountain, now that the sun had left the darkness of the night in its place. The strange clouds still obscured the peak, though something caught her eye. Something that shouldn't be in a cloud at all. She squinted, and saw what appeared to be a steady, shimmering light, almost like a...

"Candle!" Scootaloo gasped suddenly.

"What?" Spike asked, confused.

"Look, up there! In the cloud! It looks like a candle, maybe a light on the mountain shining through the clouds!"

Spike followed her hoof as the rest of the group gathered around her to see. Sure enough, a light made hazy by the clouds flickered in the distance near the peak of the mountain. He turned to his satchel, rustling around inside it for something that might paint a clearer picture of this mysterious glow.

Finding his binoculars, he looked to the mountain and began to focus. After a few tense moments, he took a short, quick breath. He slowly lowered the optics from his eyes in disbelief.

"That's not just any cloud... that's Cloudsdale."


Fluttershy


She awoke with a start, a rapid movement from her right nearly scaring her onto the ceiling.

"Goodness! Twilight, are you okay?"

Twilight looked around the carriage, sunlight streaking in through a few slits in the curtains in the early morning hours. The gentle sway of the carriage had done much to lull Fluttershy to sleep, even in this most stressful of times.

"It..." Twilight began, pausing as if to ensure she was awake and not still dreaming. "I felt a huge magical fluctuation, like somepony invoked a powerful spell, but... that can't be."

Fluttershy was a light sleeper by necessity. Her nocturnal animal friends would occasionally get into a bit of trouble during their escapades, and she was always quick to hear their cries for help, any time of night. Just as often as it was an argument between the raccoons and opossums, sometimes her sleeping wards would have nightmares that frightened them. Something she suspected was happening right now.

"Maybe it was just a dream?"

Twilight threw her blankets off of her legs as she sat up in bed and sighed. "It's the only logical explanation. The only beings strong enough to create a fluctuation like that were the princesses."

Across the room, Rainbow stirred from her sleep. "C'mon, Twilight... we don't need to be up this early."

Twilight rubbed her eyes as an unusual bird called outside the vehicle. She shuffled over to her headboard and opened the curtains above it. The sunlight blasted inside as the two pegasi shielded their eyes with their wings.

"Geez Twilight, how about a little warning next time?" Rainbow complained.

Twilight squinted at the bright, beautiful day outside before realizing where they were. Or better yet, where they should have been. From the distance and direction they had been traveleing, there should have been a vast lowland prairie here, where the trains to Phillydelphia and Manehattan run from the capitol. Instead, there was nothing but water, as though the ocean had invaded farther west.

Dash joined her at the window. "Wow... you read reports about what the weather patterns would do if we didn't manage them, but there's nothing like seeing it for yourself."

The carriage lurched to a halt, jarring Twilight as she steadied herself on her nightstand.

"Looks like we stopped," Twilight said, walking toward the door. She stepped out to see the army setting up camp.

"Ah, Princess, good to see you awake," the marshall greeted, a steaming mug of coffee in his talon. "I'm afraid the climates have changed since the fall of your kingdom. From here, we're going by ship to the capital."

Fluttershy stretched her wings, following Twilight out of their quarters.

"If you'd accompany me, the emperor has sent me an itinerary of events for you and your entourage once we reach the capital."

Twilight nodded. "I'm coming too!" Dash insisted, turning to Fluttershy. "You coming?"

"Actually, I think I'm going to rest here for a bit."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "But, we just woke up."

"Ms. Fluttershy, feel free to take a walk around the camp," Carrion said, sipping his coffee. "Once we board the ships, it will be a three day journey."

"Thank you, I think I will."

The Grand Marshall, Twilight and Rainbow Dash walked, leaving her alone in the clearing where the griffon soldiers went about their work. She had only ever met Gilda, and only knew of a few griffons from flight school. The military was somewhat of a foreign concept to most ponies. They had the Royal Guards, but their roles were mostly ceremonial. The griffons actually had a standing army, yet the treaties and threat of mutually assured destruction kept both countries at peace.

All the old rules were out the window now. Fluttershy decided to take Carrion's advice and take a walk. Though the water was near, this place was no beach. The soil squished beneath her hooves, and the water was far from the azure blue of the ocean. It was brackish, brown and filled with debris from the lands it covered. As she walked, the birds and fauna put her mind at ease. At least, it did until she bumped right into a griffon, spilling his armload of scrolls and nearly knocking him over.

Fluttershy braced for a Gilda-like scathing, but instead received a shaky 'oh no!'

The griffon before her was far from the buff, burly warriors that made up most of the camp. This fellow was certainly... different. He was much thinner than his comrades, almost spindly. He wore robes instead of armor, and a set of somewhat thick glasses sat crooked on his beak from the impact.

"Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going," Fluttershy said handing him one of the scrolls he dropped as he gathered the rest.

"Yes, well, these scrolls are very important, Highmaster Tarus will have you plucked if he..." the soldier looked up from the ground, realizing he wasn't talking to some armored oaf. "You're... you're a pegasus! The one that came with the Princess, right?"

Fluttershy nodded, smiling. "Yes, Twilight and Rainbow Dash and I are on our way to meet the emperor."

"Wow, you're the first pony I've ever met!" He said excitedly, adjusting his glasses. "I honestly never thought I'd get the chance to meet one before they all... er, nevermind."

Her smile faded.

"Oh, uhm, I didn't mean to upset you, it's just—"

"It's okay," Fluttershy replied. "You dropped this."

He took the last scroll and tucked it under his arm. "Well, it's very nice to meet you miss..."

"Fluttershy."

"Fluttershy! Yes, as I said, the pleasure is all mine. I am the assistant to Highmaster Tarus, our chief intelligence officer in the field. The name is Gart. I'd love to stay and chat, but I must get these scrolls to him." He shifted his weight to continue on, but stopped. "Say, after I'm done, if you'd like, I could show you where we're going. I have a photo album of the capital in my trunk. I don't suppose you've been?"

"Oh, no. But it sounds lovely."

He smiled. "Very good then! Hopefully I'll be done before the boats arrive!"


Eros


"It's worth a look, but the rest of us won't be able to join you," Spike said, tightening the straps on Scootaloo's backpack. "Eros, are you sure you're up to this?"

He had his sword, what else would he need? He'd never been to Cloudsdale before, and Griffons didn't spend much time in the clouds. He nodded.

"Alright just have a quick look around. Keep a sharp eye out for traps, and scavenge what you can. Meet back here in one hour."

"Got it." Scootaloo climbed onto Eros' back, and they took off into the sunrise toward the fragment of the cloud city.

"You've been here before, right?" Eros asked over the breeze.

"Once or twice with my parents. It's been a while, though," she replied. Her tone wasn't all that reassuring. After all, from what it looked like, this only appeared to be a portion of the once famous pegasi city. Eros fluttered to a hover above the edge of a cloud that seemed to be leaking rivers of every vibrant color over the streets and down onto the mountain below. It was a city like out of Eros' wildest dreams. Buildings made of both clouds and solid material, incredible architecture the likes of which he had only seen in textbooks. Even in its ramshackle state, it was impressive. Once proud skyscrapers leaned dangerously, while some buildings seemed to have evaporated part way up, leaving only the skeleton of raw, non-cloudy materials used to build them. As with every city Eros had encountered so far, an eerie silence enveloped the dead metropolis.

Eros softly let his paws touch the cloudy street. It had some give, but it appeared to be stable enough to walk on. He settled onto all fours and let Scootaloo off his back.

"Do you remember where you saw the light?" Eros asked, adjusting the gear on his back.

She scanned the surrounding buildings. It seemed they may had lost sight of it on the way up. "It was in one of these taller buildings, but I can't remember which one."

Eros sighed. "That's okay, let's just search some of these buildings and head back."

The pair walked down the deteriorating streets, the winds at altitude blowing the unstable buildings with the wind. Some leaned at dangerously extreme angles, as though a single gust would send them toppling to the mountain below. The leaning buildings added a surreal element to Eros' already dreamlike experience. A cloud city was unheard of back in the empire.

"Do the buildings normally do this?" he asked.

Scootaloo chuckled. "Nah, they used to—" In the blink of an eye, Scootaloo disappeared beneath the street. Eros' talons reacted before he could even think about it. He found himself with a talon-full of purple tail.

She swung from her tail like a pendulum before the shock wore off. "Are you okay?" Eros asked.

"Pull me up! Pull me up!"

With a lunge, he pulled her through the hole and sat beside her as they both caught their breath.

"You... you really saved my flank right there," she panted.

"Nah... you could've just flown back, right?"

She shot a quick glare at him, but softened. "I mean... yeah, but, I'm... it's a long story. Thanks, though."

Eros was new to the way ladies of any species operated, but he knew something wasn't right. Wisely, he decided to leave the issue alone.

"Think nothing of it," he replied. "So, what's with this place?"

"Well, I remember learning about Cloudsdale in school. It took a bunch of pegasus ponies to keep it together, but without them..." her voice began to trail off.

"Looks like it broke apart," Eros completed. According to Scootaloo, it seemed this city was once quite big, but the section they found themselves in appeared to be only about five or six city blocks.

"So, you want to try and scavenge a bit? We might be able to find something useful up here," Eros asked as they continued carefully down the street, keeping an eye out for thinning cloud layers in the road.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I don't think we'll need to worry about any diamond dogs way up here," she joked, earning a chuckle from him. With a bit of luck, they found the building they were searching for. A tall, leaning tower of what used to be offices of some sort, judging by the papers littering the ground outside it. From their vantage point, they spotted the light that had drawn them there to begin with.

"Well, who wants to go into the creepy abandoned building first?" Eros asked, his sword already drawn, doing his best to hide his apprehension. Beside him, Scootaloo was doing the exact same.

"Let's go in together," she suggested.

Eros nodded, as they stepped into the dimly lit hallway. The sunlight did well enough to illuminate the building, streaming through the windows and missing chunks of the walls. It eliminated all but a few shadowy corners, ones that Eros made sure to check for whatever his imagination could conjure up that may be lurking there.

Each office they passed still contained the memories of a life wiped clean by the blades. Pictures, trinkets, drawings of themselves made by their son or daughter, coffee mugs with '#1 Dad' or 'Supersalespony' all scattered about the desks now collecting dust or partially sinking through the floor. A more off-putting scene, Eros couldn't imagine. The most haunting element by far, was the constant moaning of the wind as it blew through the city, the oddly shaped holes creating an eerie soundtrack to their exploration.

After a long climb and a few more encounters with weak floors, they arrived at the top floor. At the end of the broken hallway, a light shone from beneath the CEO's office door. Eros and Scootaloo looked at each other nervously. He put his sword at the ready, and stepped ahead, his heart pounding. All sorts of thoughts flew through his head. What if he had to use Titan against whatever waited behind that door? He was the only one with a weapon, what if he faltered? What if he wasn't ready to take a life, and watch it die at the end of his sword?

He only had seconds to ponder as he and Scootaloo reached the door. He held the tip of the sword to the door, and opened it slowly, ready to stab should something sinister be behind it.

With a flick of the wrist, he pushed the door open, and braced himself for... nothing. The room was empty, save for a large lantern set on the windowsill. Judging by the size, the lantern had probably been burning for a week or more. Eros sighed, sheathing his sword and entering the rather spacious office.

"Somepony was here," Scootaloo said, noticing the empty cans of food and water canteens piled in the corner. "I guess they didn't make it." She pointed to the unopened food in the opposite corner. As he approached the window, Eros noticed an envelope beneath the lantern. It had no markings on it, but he could tell there was a letter inside.

"Find something?" Scootaloo asked, joining him.

"Yeah, it was underneath the lantern." He looked to the unopened food, shirking the backpack off his shoulders. "I'll start on the food."

While he was loading up the cans, Scootaloo sat in the fancy chair behind the rather large desk of the CEO. On it, she noticed a picture of a handsome stallion and his very proper looking wife, as well as a teenage colt who looked as though he didn't want to be in the picture at all.
As she opened the drawers, she found lots of old business papers, but nothing of use. She spun around once in the chair lazily before stopping herself with a hoof. Unable to think of anything better to do, she opened the envelope Eros had found. Inside there was a single letter, about a full page, written in very fine cursive.

To whomever finds this letter, let me begin by saying you are welcome to anything you find in this office. I can only hope that by the time I turn, there will be some food left to help somepony else along for however long they have left. I'm writing this to preserve what little legacy I have left. You may use this letter as kindling, if you like, but please, just read it first. Let my life, and the lives of my children live on briefly in your mind, if only for a moment. My name is Capital Gains. I am, or, was, the CEO of the Weatherdyne corporation. My wife Juniper and I have been married twenty years, and on our fifth year of marriage, our son Willow was born. I love them both more than I can express. Unfortunately, once the blades began to spread, everypony thought Cloudsdale would be a safe haven. Thousands began to arrive, and the city simply couldn't handle them all. Riots broke out, and soon, I found myself trapped up here. As an earth pony in Cloudsdale, I was looked at as a foreigner, always with suspicion by the bigots of the city. Without a set of wings, I have no way out. My plan was to wait, to allow the authorities to restore order so I could ensure my family was safe. But, then the ponies of Cloudsdale began to fall to the blades. Chaos reigned. Every pony was for themselves. Stores and homes were looted, fights over food broke out in the streets, and then... nothing.

Silence.

Even as I compose this message, I don't know how long I have left. But, I want you to know one thing, whoever you are. Know that My wife, Juniper was the most beautiful mare I'd ever seen, and will always have my heart. And know that I was proud of my son until the day the blades came for me. I hope you find yourself in a better state than I am.

Scootaloo wiped the tears from her eyes quickly, hoping to avoid explaining them to Eros. She folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope.

"There, that's all of them," Eros said, hoisting his now much heavier pack onto his back.

"Good, what time is it?" Scootaloo asked.

Eros retrieved his pocket watch and opened it, but he didn't see the time. He saw the picture of his mother and father opposite the clock. All the emotions he'd since repressed came flooding back all at once. He chocked on his breath as his father's soft eyes stared back at him. Tears began to swell as he closed the watch.

"Eros, are you oka—" A clap of thunder drowned her out as they both ran to the window. A storm was racing towards the mountain, and it had already reached the opposite side of the city. From their vantage point, they could see the storm ripping the city to shreds. The winds uprooted the once proud skyscrapers and hurled them around like toys.

Eros swallowed his feelings once more.

"Get on!" he shouted to Scootaloo. She clambered onto his back as he put a talon on the window ledge. As he looked up to clear his flight path, the color drained from his face. A four-story building was hurtling toward them. With almost no time to react, he sprinted out of the office and down the hall, nearly making it before he felt everything around him shudder violently. Instantly, he and Scootaloo were simply along for the ride as the building they were in hurtled toward the earth.

Reclaimer

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Eros


At first, there was nothing. As Eros opened his eyes, he saw the impossible. His father stood before him, on an infinite plane of light. Before he could speak, his father held up a talon.

"Eros, I need you to know I love you."

He was speechless. He wanted to cry, but he felt an unreal joy in his heart.

"The fillies and dragon you travel with are more important to the world than you know."

Eros managed to stutter a single word. "W-what?"

"All of you, you carry the fate of the world on your shoulders. Trust no one but those you are with!"

Finally, Eros managed to find his voice. "But, Dad, I miss you! How can I do this without you? I love you!"

Argos nodded with a smile. "I know, my son. I love you too. The fillies you travel with must be protected. You are the one with the sword, you will reclaim the glory of the griffon heroes of old."

A blinding light washed his father out. As it began to dim, reality set in. His vision focused, on the ceiling of grey clouds calmly passing by above him. He began to cough, as he looked to the weight settled on his chest.

"Scootaloo... Scoots wake up," he rasped, raising up on his elbows. She groaned, beginning to stir. Eros turned his head to the side and his beak clanged against the blade of his sword. It had stuck in the ground mere inches from his face. Around them, papers, furniture, and other parts and pieces of the building they'd ridden to the ground lay scattered about. He exhaled heavily as Scootaloo finally lifted her head. Here eyes fluttered open, focusing on the griffon in front of her.

"Wha... Eros?" She said, raising her head to look around. There was nothing but trees around them as the breeze rustled the leaves. She rolled off of his chest and tried to stand up, her legs unsteady beneath her.

Eros looked back toward the mountain. The wind had blown the buildings of the former Cloudsdale off what remained of the city, some of them slowly falling to earth, the distant rumble shaking the ground.

Scootaloo wobbled, then sat on her flank, her hoof on her head. "I think I hit my head on the way down,"

Eros sat up and checked himself. By some miracle, he was unharmed, save for a few cuts and scrapes. "You might have a concussion, better take it easy until we can find Spike," he said, standing up and removing his sword from the ground.

"Any idea where we are?" Scootaloo asked.

"None," he replied, sheathing his sword and scanning the horizon for any sign of the others in their party.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" she asked.

"I've always heard that if you get lost, you should stay put and wait for rescue. Maybe they saw us fall?" Eros reasoned.

Scootaloo hummed to herself. "That's an idea, but what if they didn't see us go down? What if they think we're dead?"

Eros stretched his wings. "I think I can still fly, we'll have a better chance of finding them from the air." He knelt down. Scootaloo huffed. Although she hated the notion, this was the fastest way to reunite with her group. She climbed aboard and he took off, heading over the treetops to scan for Spike and the others.


Gilda


"Your Grace, please, your father will be furious if he finds you missing!" her servant pled with her.

She looked to him , a deadpan stare across her face. "I don't give a shit," she replied, fitting herself with her armor and sliding her gauntlets over her talons. "The one true friend I have in this world managed to survive the pony apocalypse, and I'm going to find her."

"B-but, they'll arrive in the capital in a few days! If you simply wait—"

"I've spent my whole life waiting," she interrupted him. "I don't trust that snake Carrion as far as I can throw him."

"But, what will I tell the Emperor?"

Gilda paused. She knew that her actions were endangering the life of her servant. Then it came to her. "When you wake up, tell them I was kidnapped."

"Wake up?" The words had barely left his mouth before Gilda clocked him across the jaw. Her servant fell to a heap on the floor of the armory as she collected the rest of her battle gear. Her armor glinted in the torchlight, having never seen combat. She equipped herself with a broadsword and blunderbuss before donning her helmet, the emperor's sigil on the crest. She came to a window and leapt out, spreading her wings and soaring over the capitol of the Griffon Empire. Here, everything was normal. Subjects went about their daily lives oblivious to the true horror of the pony kingdom. She turned her eyes to the west. There would be a long flight ahead of her, but she was bound and determined to see her friend.


Spike


He watched the two of them head off toward the destitute city through his optics. Hopefully, they'd find some food, and maybe a few useful tools, but he had almost no hope of finding another actual pony.

"How's your head feel?" Sweetie asked.

Spike took a seat by the smoldering remains of the campfire. "It's fine, just a headache."

"Well, I should change your bandages anyway," she said, stepping towards him. Sweetie Belle had become quite the nurse since they'd set out on this journey.

"Thanks." He felt the bandages unwrap as the unicorn filly concentrated before him. "So, what exactly happened back there with those diamond dogs?"

She paused for a moment, before continuing to unwrap his bandages. "Well... I saw those thugs hit Eros, and I got pretty upset. Then one of them grabbed my saddle bag, and that old book you gave me fell out. It looked like it was glowing or something, and it opened to a page that had two weird words on it. For some reason, something told me to read them." She reached into her saddle bags and produced a fresh bandage as Spike kept listening. "I did, and the Diamond Dogs were gone!"

Spike thought for a moment. "The blank book... the one that only has words on it some of the time? Can I see it?"

She was hesitant, but fished it out of her bags. Spike took the book in his hand and stared at the cover. It was just as he remembered it. Simple, rather plain, just a sun and moon on the cover. "You said it was glowing?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, finishing up his bandage.

Spike opened the book and thumbed through blank page after blank page. As he was about to close the book, he stopped on a page with something written on it. He mumbled the single line to himself.

Ego sum principium et finis. Mecum omnes innovando.

"Spike?" He snapped his head up. Sweetie Belle was looking at him with an eyebrow raised. "Are you okay? You were mumbling something."

"I was just reading..." he looked back down at the book. The page was blank. He flipped back and forth between the next few pages. "Nothing, uhm, nevermind."

He glanced back towards the mountain. Eros and Scootaloo had disappeared into the remains of the city. In the early morning quiet, his mind began to wonder. He thought about his best friend. He prayed she knew what she was doing in approaching the advancing army that had fired upon the castle. He had to admonish himself for doubting her. She had a plan, she always did. Even in the worst of situations, she was on the ball. She was the acting princess, he had to trust her.

"I'm going to try to find us some food," Spike said, standing from the remains of the fire.

"But we've got food right here," Apple Bloom reminded him.

"We'll want to save our reserves for as long as possible. The more we eat off the land, the longer we can make our stores last."

"I'll come with you," she said, rising with him.

"Sweetie Belle, will you be alright by yourself?" he asked.

"Pfft, she turned three diamond dogs into thin air!" Apple Bloom chimed in.

Sweetie nodded. "I'll be okay," she replied, putting the book back into her saddle bags.

Spike and Apple Bloom started off into the forest as Sweetie watched them leave.

As they walked in silence, he kept an eye out for wild berries and edible grasses. In the back of his mind, however, something else was on his mind. The taste of the rabbit he had killed came back to him in spurts. The savory meat, the slightly metallic taste of the blood... it called to him. He felt his mouth begin to water as he swallowed. Something primal was nipping at the back of his mind, imploring he get another taste of flesh.

Spike willed his baser instincts into silence as they continued into the forest.

"So, I know you can eat gems and such, but what else do ya eat?" Apple Bloom asked, breaking the silence.

He paused. He'd eaten pony food before, and his body seemed to handle it well, but he'd much prefer gems to wheat and vegetables. Then there was his recent affair with a taboo in pony culture. "Well, I can eat pony food, and some of my kind can live off gems alone." He kept his eyes peeled as they kept up the pace.

He spotted a few edible grasses and picked them as he went. Spike was content to forage in silence, but Apple Bloom had other ideas.

"Do you think Prince Shining and Princess Cadence are still in the Crystal Empire?"

"I hope so, I don't know where we'd go if they weren't," Spike replied.

That troubled him. If they weren't there, he had no idea what they would do, or where they would go.

He could tell his reply worried her. "I'm sure they're still around. Let's go find something to eat."


Sweetie Belle


She watched her companions disappear into the wood line. For a moment, she allowed herself to relax. It was a rare thing, to be sure, but as she sat back against Spike's pack, she felt her tense muscles begin to loosen.

Until she heard it.

'Sweetie Belle'

She snapped upright, her eyes darting back and forth.

"Spike?" she asked, looking around. "Apple Bloom?"

No one was around her, but as she searched for the owner of the voice, she noticed an otherworldly glow coming from her bags. The same glow from when the diamond dogs attacked. "It's the book..." she said to herself, unclasping her saddle bag and retrieving it. A golden light shone from it, as though the sun itself hid behind its cover. She placed it on the ground and hesitated. The last time she messed with this book, she did Celestia-knows-what to those diamond dogs. Although they were trying to hurt them, she sincerely hoped she hadn't killed them. Maybe she simply sent them somewhere else? She hoped that was the case.

Slowly, she put a hoof on the cover, and flipped it open. The light bursting from the pages hypnotized her. She was locked into it and felt powerless to look away. A blank page stared back at her, only, she began to realize that it wasn't blank. The more she stared, the more she saw.

Monsters, creatures that defied imagination were revealed to her, battling for supremacy in a barren landscape. She saw primitive looking griffons, yaks, ponies, donkeys, mules and dragons all fleeing for their lives as the monsters fought. Then there appeared a great monster, one putting the others to shame with its size alone. Then, like a bolt of lightning, a blistering light pierced the heavens and struck the beast down. A ball of pure energy, bright as the sun itself hung in the sky. The monsters that had the creatures of her world living in fear vanished one by one to the ball of light's onslaught.

The residents of the now free land all bowed before the light. The image began to wash out, and Sweetie Belle found herself staring at a blank page once more. Before she could break her stare, a single word flashed across the page.

Epona

"...you okay?"

Sweetie snapped her head up with a start. Apple Bloom and Spike were staring at her from across the smoldering campfire.

"W-what? Yeah, I'm fine." she replied.

"You were staring at that book and talking to yourself," Spike said, walking over to see what she had been reading. Nothing, the page was blank.

"Oh, uhm, I was just seeing if this thing had any more spells in it," she lied. "It doesnt." She said, quickly closing it and putting it back into her saddle bag. "You two weren't gone long." Sweetie commented, trying to change the subject.

"Not long?" Apple Bloom parroted. "We've been gone for two hours!"

She glanced back at her bags. 'Two hours?'

It felt like only a few minutes! How had it done that? Something was special about this book, but she couldn't place why. There were many magical artifacts floating around Equestria, so a magical book certainly wasn't unheard of. And yet, this wasn't just any magic book. Spike had told her this book was given to Twilight by Celestia herself, and then entrusted to them by Spike. He was told to bring the book to the Crystal Empire along with them.

"Spike, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, sorting the food they'd found in the forest. "What about?"

"It's about, the Valuntas Domini."

Spike raised an eyebrow and looked up from his work. "The what?"

"The book," Sweetie clarified. "What exactly... is it?"

Spike sat down, taking a bite of the gem he had pulled out of the bag. "Well, Twilight told me it had something to do with the secrets to the powers of the alicorns. But, I mean... it's just an empty book. I didn't really see how it could hold the secrets to anything," he explained, continuing to munch on his gem. "But, Twilight was pretty serious about me keeping it safe when she gave it to me, so I went along with it."

He sighed. "Celestia, I hope she's okay."

A clap of thunder snapped him out of his mournful thoughts as they looked towards the mountain. A storm had swept in, sending buildings and pieces of the crumbling city hurtling towards the ground.

"Oh no, Eros and Scootaloo might still be up there!" Sweetie Belle screamed as they watched helplessly. Spike threw on his gear and hurried the others to do the same.

"C'mon, if we can get below the city, we might be able to help them!"


Fluttershy


She followed Gart to a fancy looking tent. He told her he would only be a minute as he disappeared through the flap. As she waited, the camp went on about its business. Behind the tent, there was the sea they'd be sailing on. Even though the waters close to shore were a muddy brown, the farther out she looked, the more blue it became. The gulls squawked overhead as they circled around the shoreline, looking for any scraps the army might leave behind. Fluttershy had always loved trips to horseshoe bay, and for a moment, the salty air and caw of the gulls brought her back to an easier time. A time when everything made sense.

Before she knew it, Gart had reappeared from the tent.

"Ah, if you're still interested, I'd be more than happy to show you my collection of photos from the empire!" he said happily, adjusting his glasses.

"That would be lovely," Fluttershy agreed with a smile.

Together, they walked towards one of the larger tents where most of the soldiers slept. In between two rather massive tents, there was a small pup tent, nearly big enough for three.

"Is this yours?" she asked, wondering if she'd find more griffons inside.

"Sure is!" he said proudly. "One of the perks of being a highmaster's assistant!"

"More like highmaster's suck up!" A burly griffon called from inside the tent next to them.

Gart turned a furious red, but sighed in defeat. Fluttershy knew his frustrations. He was far too small to do anything to almost any soldier here. She put a hoof on his shoulder and smiled at him.

"I think it's a lovely tent, let's go see those pictures."

His eyes brightened as the flush left his cheeks. "Yes, very well."

There was a small table for tea, a cot, and a small shelf filled with maps, scrolls and books. On the table, he lit a candle and produced an album from underneath his cot. He opened it and revealed a palace, with hundreds of steps leading from the street to it, the flags of the griffon tribes lining the walkway. Guards in glistening armor stood along it as the Emperor and a griffon that seemed awfully familiar to her walked down the steps.

She squinted, before realizing she was looking at a much younger Gilda.

"Is that... Gilda?" she gasped.

"Ah, yes, Princess Gilda, next in line to the imperial throne." Gart turned to her. "Have you met before?"

"Actually, yes, but not in quite a while."

"Well then I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you and your friends!"

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. Excited to see one of us, maybe she thought to herself. Gart continued on through his gallery, showing her beautiful pictures of parks, statues, government buildings and some of his favorite restaurants. By the time he'd gotten to the end of his album, Fluttershy felt as though she'd just walked the streets of the capital herself.

"My, those were wonderful pictures," she said as he put his album away. "I had no idea there was so much history in the Griffon Empire.

"There certainly is! In fact," he said, opening a chest and rummaging through it. "Here, I want you to have this." He handed her a rather thick book on griffon history. "I know it's not much, but, just in case you wanted to know more, and I wasn't around to ask."

She took it in her wings and placed it in her bags. "Thank you, Gart. I hope to see you on the boat."

"As do I, miss Fluttershy!"


She walked back to the royal carriage and found it empty. She settled into her bed and glanced over at the book she'd been given. With nothing else to do, she supposed reading up on the place she'd be going couldn't hurt. She opened the book and scanned the first chapter.

"In the old times, the tribes of the world were scattered, living in fear of the great beasts, monsters of incredible size that terrorized the land. For most of history, we hid from the beasts. Armies were massacred, heroes fell, all our efforts against them proved futile. Then, a mighty griffon emerged, the hero of our kind, Syrell. He was a mighty warrior wielding a mythical sword. The lesser beasts soon fell one by one, each victory emboldening our people as our tribes united and expanded. Soon, however, he met a monster that would not be defeated so easily. Battle after battle resulted in defeat."

She scanned further down the page and continued reading.

"The beast marched on his tribe's capitol, the army holding fast behind the walls of its fortress. Syrell commanded the defense, and held fast his catapults as the monster approached. Before the first blow was struck, the sun itself descended from the heavens. It blinded the defenders and the monster alike. A shriek echoed through the plains as the last monster fell to the ground. The defenders looked to find the sun still in the sky, but the brilliant ball of light hovering over the slain monster. The early griffons bowed to it, praising it as a sign that our kind was to dominate the world. But it was not as it appeared."

The door of the carriage drew her from her readings as Twilight and Rainbow Dash walked in. They seemed quiet. More so than usual.

"Everything okay, girls?"

They glanced at each other. "Yeah, it's just... I can't put my hoof on it, but something about this isn't right," Twilight replied.

"What's the matter?"

Twilight sighed, sitting on her bed. "That's just it, nothing! Everyone we've met seems genuine, and I haven't even caught a whiff off secrecy. But..."

"She doesn't trust Carrion, and neither do I," Dash completed. "I called this from the beginning. I don't know what he's up to, but it's not good."

"What about the itinerary for the capitol?"

Twilight laid back onto her pillows, rubbing her temples. "We meet with the Emperor the day we arrive, then we'll need to get settled in the palace. After that, I'm heading to the labs to help research the cure. Apparently, they're giving me access to the restricted section of the imperial library. Some of those books haven't been opened in hundreds of years!" she said, a bit of the Twilight Fluttershy remembered coming back.

"Well, a friend of mine gave me this book on griffon history if you'd like to read up on them," she offered, passing Twilight the book. She took it in her magic.

"Printed by the Imperial Ministry of Information," she read aloud off the cover. "Hopefully, this book is more objective than it sounds." Twilight set the book on the nightstand. "Well, I'm famished, how about lunch?"


Grand Marshall Carrion


The Marshall found himself looking over the routes for his ships into the harbor of the capitol. The routes were top secret, for his eyes only, delivered to him by one of the most devout carriers in the imperial fleet. He sipped his brandy as he traced the route with a talon. He sat back in his chair. A knock at his door drew a reply.

"Come in."

"Sir, we've received word that Princess Gilda has left the palace and is en route to our location. She'll be here tomorrow evening."

He drug a talon over his face. There were already to many moving parts to this plan, and now, even the supposedly stationary parts were moving.

"Is the Emperor aware of this?"

"Our sparrows say no, but that will not last."

He grimaced. This certainly complicated things. "Very well, prepare the appropriate welcoming party."

"Yes, sir."

"And fetch me a carrier." He threw back the rest of his brandy. "I have a letter to write."