A Mockery of Lifeby FarseerChaptersIntroduction: Equestria DividedCreationFriendWordsKnowledgeSpiesPicturesRevelationSequelPuzzlesIntroduction: Equestria DividedIt was the sudden disappearance of the Royal Sisters that began the conflict that introduced war into the world of Equestria. Gripped by fear, everypony watched the skies for the next week, struck by terror as they awaited to the sun and the moon to stop moving, spelling destruction for the world. The Element Bearers quickly made their way to Canterlot, to locate the Elements of Harmony in an attempt to find the Princesses. Yet, very quickly, a conclusion was reached by thousands simultaneously in about a week. The Princesses were gone. And the celestial bodies were still moving. At this, some panicked, saying that the entire world had grown wild with uncontrolled magic, very much like the Everfree Forest. Yet more started to quiver with anger, as everything that they thought was true was merely a lie, conjured by the Sisters to rule Equestria for themselves. Yet more took this as an omen, that they weren't dead, but merely in hiding or kidnapped- but where, not even the Master of the Inquisition could answer. In a full panic, and under the assumption the the ponies needed an able-bodied leader, Twilight turned to her friends, demanding that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were to accompany her back to Ponyville, so that she may conduct a spell devised by Starswirled the Bearded that would combine the essences of the three main races to force a transformation into the blessed form of an Alicorn. Rainbow Dash readily accepted Twilight's offer, but Applejack, at first was reluctant. She explained that a spell of such magical aptitude was going to be quite difficult to cast, if not impossible, even for a pony of her magical ability. Yet, as Twilight's demands became threats to unleash the full force of the Inquisition onto her, she became more steadfast, declaring that Twilight was a lunatic before stalking out of the room and back to her home of Sweet Apple Acres, guiding her family into leaving their ancestral home, in case that Twilight was, indeed, not bluffing. Twilight was able to convince Pinkie Pie, albeit reluctantly. She agreed with Applejack, yet caved in under Twilight's threats of destruction of all of her family and the loss of her friends. The three of them left to Ponyville and, cast the spell... but, weather through lack of magical control, the reluctant attitude of Pinkie Pie- as magic is affected by emotions- or perhaps the spell fizzled or was written incorrectly. At any rate, the spell blasted the library to pieces, destroying the right side of Rainbow Dash's face and- through magical overload- detonated the heart of Pinkie Pie, killing her instantly. Going half mad with grief and anger, Twilight retreated to Canterlot, where she proceeded to use her prestegious magical ability to take dominance over both the Council of Nobles as well as the Inquisition, and set herself up as the head of a large bureaucracy, leaving her other friends behind... Silently satisfied that she was correct in her theory, Applejack gathered what relatives they had, and told them in a meeting akin to a council of war, that Twilight would come- and in force and fury. They recruited in force, eventually gaining a strong military base. As Twilight declared there to be a bounty against all non-unicorns, by popular opinion, as well as the guidance of Elder Matron Granny Smith, she countered by declaring all unicorns to have their lives forfeit. Either they lose their horn through a painless surgery that left little scarring, or they lose their horn by force- followed by their head. And so, under the leadership of the blacksmiths of the Apple Family and General Applejack, so was the House Earthborn founded. As Rainbow Dash realized that the spell was a failure, she retreated to the northern reaches of Equestria, convincing every pegasus she came across of the corruption of the government. Upon reaching Cloudsdale, she proceeded to give a speech of rallying of forces. Equestria had grown corrupt, she said, and only by force of will and sharpness of blade and steel could they clear the country of corruption. Adopting a battlefield doctrine much akin to Commander Hurricane, they began training en masse. RD preached about the purity of the pegasI forces, and how any being not blessed with wings were cursed with the burden of work. And, through the puritanical belief of honor and dominance, and under the leadership of Commander Rainbow Dash, so was the House Stormwing formed. Twilight slowly became more and more paranoid about the forces of the other Houses invading and destroying the city of Canterlot as well as her research. Fearing corruption for the "lesser" races, she declared that only unicorns were to be treated as ponies- the other two races were nothing, as, therefore, could be treated however they want. They were quickly enslaved, and Twilight erected a force field around Canterlot, preventing access to anyone but unicorns. From here, she then usurped the Master of the Inquisition and proceeded to put one of her lackeys in charge. And from the old chambers of the Princesses, Twilight studies and studies to become an alicorn and to save, and, under the iron fist of the new Inquisition, she founded the House of Moon and Star. Fluttershy wasn't exactly the type of "ruler" that the other four were, considering her shy nature and rather vulnerable body. She ran a series of refugee camps for whoever wanted to avoid the war between the others, stockpiling supplies and food to ensure her new friends' survival of it. All of it changed in one night. She found herself witness to a company of Inquisition raiding one of her refuge camps, burning it to the ground and taking all that it contained as slaves for the House of Moon and Star. Suddenly enraged, she called upon her connection to nature and, using a power that, before now, she never knew she had, she summoned a trio of hydras that charged down the company, slaughtering them. Rallying the remaining refugee camps, she retreated into the Everfree, vowing that the forest would be the one that would conquer Equestria. And so was House Everfree founded. After hearing the news, Rarity quickly opened up every single political and otherwise contact that she had, and decided, if her friends would rule the battlefield, well, she would rule the political field, as everyone knows that diplomacy can both start a fight- and stop it. She decided that her first steep would to gain massive political power by marraige- and who else but the head of the Council of Baltimare, Prince Blueblood himself? Upon hearing her request, Blueblood, being the self-centered stallion that he was, couldn't help but accept such a beautiful mare with such a silver tongue. Yet, strangely during their honeymoon, Rarity came back, crying tears of sorrow- on the outside. She said that two mares in black had come and assassinated her newly-wed husband. After mourning with her, the order was given that Rarity, as his wife, would inherit both his late husband's political power and his fortune. It didn't occur to the council that it was a setup until about a week later- and the ones that did were quickly 'silenced'. And, under the political power of the Mistress of Deception herself, so was the House Whitegold founded. Exactly one year after Pinkie Pie's death, two robbers broke into the Canterlot museum and stole the sarcophagus that held Pinkie Pie's body. This was considered by Twilight as a henious crime, and threatened death to the thieves when they were discovered- but they had hidden their tracks well. About a year later, it was discovered that the coffin was being venerated by a stallionhood of necromancers- and not just necromancers. An entire cult had sprung up in worship of a strange being known as the Laughing Mare- a goddess-like figure, living in an alternate dimension. Believing Pinkie Pie to have some connection to the being, the Cult of Laughter remains a dangerous threat to the stability of the realm- or, rather, what little stability it has left... The changeling hives have long been dormant, ever since the invasion of Canterlot by Hive Chrysalis. Yet, slowly in the southernmost parts of Equestria, Hive Grey Monarch- long an ally of Equestria- sensed and opportunity, and started to feverishly prepare for an excursion into Equestria, for, even if the Houses unify again, which seems nigh impossible, will they have enough to compete with the strongest changeling hive currently known to be in existence? The Far North is the home to many strange creatures. One such kingdom is the Griffon Empire, long looking for an opportunity to repay Equestria for conquering their southern lands over two thousand years ago. They have allied with House Stormwing, to gained the trust of these ponies. It is only a matter of time before the ponies find themselves the target of a full-scale invasion of the Griffon Empire... With eight factions going at each others throats, it is only a matter of time until one faction proves dominance. The war has been going on for over fifteen years now, and shows no sign of stopping... How long will war reign over the land? Only time will tell who will come out on top... CreationA pony races down the hallway, almost tearing down the ponies in her path. Screaming, "Lemon! Lemon!" She is stopped in the hallway outside of the mess hall by a shorter, yellow unicorn with blue hair, cloaked in black. "Yes, apprentice?" she responds, obviously upset for missing breakfast. The apprentice seems stunned, even frightened. "Y-your experiment... it's... it's..." "Yes? What with my experiment?" "It's... it's been animated. And... and..." The pony named Lemon widened her eyes. "Excellent! It wasn't a waste of time after all, then? The council has to know immediately!" "But..." "Yes?" "I'm not sure the council should know quite yet, Master... it's showing signs of sentience." And suddenly... I wake up. I try not to open my eyes just yet. Trying to sort out the memories going through my head. There are several of them- sad and painful, most of them. But there are several happy thoughts mixed in with the bad. A bountiful harvest. The joy of a foal on her first day of school. The sheer exhilaration of a pegasus, taking off and soaring through the clouds at a top speed. I decide to sort all of this out later. I stretch and hear a murmur nearby. Suddenly, I wonder where I am. Perhaps a house? Perhaps a jail cell? I cannot tell. But what I can tell is that there is only one way to find out. I open my eyes and take my first look at a new world. It's large and dark. There are several places where the wall has obviously been repainted. Several workbenches with various tools are stacked around the table. Needles and thread on one, a saw on another. I am alone. Once again, I wonder where I am. Then I hear a door open nearby, and a pony, dressed in a black robe, enters the room. She stops- surprised, perhaps?- and looks at me. Wondering the extent of my body, I tilt my head like she tilts hers. She blinks. I parrot her again. She smiles, slowly. Warmly. I wonder who this pony is. She feels... familiar. Like a mother, perhaps. I don't know. I am confused. She whispers to me. A reassurance. A welcome. A, "hello." I try to whisper back. Perhaps to return the greetings? I don't know. It seems right. I get out something, but I cannot tell what it is. It definitely is not what it needed to be. Not at all. Remembering what ponies often did when greeted- these confusing memories telling me so- I hold out my hoof. Forgetting what it is called. A hoofshake, perhaps? That's what one did, anyways. She inspects the hoof warily, then slowly takes hold of it and shakes it gently. It feels warm and somewhat soft. I smile at her like she smiles at me. She whispers that she would be back in a few minutes, and I nod. She seems slightly taken aback at this, but the smile returns and she steps up and leaves. I decide to take this time to examine myself and determine what I am. There seems to be a mirror on the other side of the room. I slow get up and try to trot over to it. I don't do well the first few times. I feel like I have too many legs. Eventually, I stumble over to in front of the mirror and take my first good look at myself. The first notable thing that I notice is my body in general. Scar-covered and bleeding in a few places. Finding a nearby cloth, I clean off the blood to reveal that my coat is a patchwork of various colors- one spot blue, one spot pink, yet another spot white. I decide that I must have had some kind of accident, although I can't remember it. I can't remember anything about myself. All that I remember is of other ponies. The second thing I notice is that I have a horn. Three, to be exact. I wish that I knew how I got the other two. It seems like my entire body's a mess. I wonder how to fix this. So that I can look like the others. Somehow, I know that ponies don't trust things that are unfamiliar to them. Like the Everfree Forest. Or the caves of Manehattan. I wonder how I know this, and decide to think about it later. I see that I have a pair of wings. They are large wings, and quite fluffy. I flap them a few times, and then turn to my side to examine them. Then I realize that I have two wings on that side. And four legs on that side as well. No wonder I had problems moving. I turn around to ensure that they were even, and sure enough, I do. I have two pairs of wings and four pairs of legs. Odd. I spend some time feeling along the scarlines, trying to figure out how I got them. But no matter how hard i try, I can't remember. I look at my tail and mane. At least they appear normal. I run a hoof along my tail and feel a ticklish sensation. Making me giggle. That felt good. I do it again. And again. Then I look at my mane. It appears to be a plethora of colors, always shifting and changing. And tangled. I find what appears to be a comb nearby and drag it through my mane slowly. It hurts the first few times, but then the brush glides smoothly through. My mane now floats freely at my side, Multicolored and changing. Now that I've figured out what I look like, I try to figure out who I am. I can't be a pegasus, because I have a horn. I can't be a unicorn, because I have wings. And an earth pony is out of the question. I can't be a non-pony species, because, no matter how messed up my appearance is, I am an equine of some sort. I decide that I am an alicorn. A mockery of one, perhaps. Just then, the black-robed pony comes in with her hood down. She is yellow with a blue mane. She smiles at me, taking in the brush on the table, my position in front of the mirror. She nods her head. "Hello again... my little mockingbird." So, perhaps, that is my name. Mockingbird. FriendLemon smiled as she looked upon her creation. A demon on the outside, a mere child within. Somehow, she felt that this was a gift from the Laughing Mare- a friend to have with her, especially as she was wading through this sea of enemies, who were envious of her power. She became resolved to teach it, to love it, to take care of it. She set herself a time limit. She would give it- no- her a week before deciding to take her before the Council or not. And hopefully, if she decided to show the Council, the High Prophet would be on her side of why she can't just give it up. She smiles and embraces me. Unsure of what to do, I stop, stunned, until I figure out what this means. A hug. A sign of affection. Directed at me. Tentatively, I wrap my front forehooves around her. She feels soft, warm, and alive. I'm not sure how I feel. Don't think I can find out that. I can feel that she's lonely. That she needs a friend. Maybe that's why I am here. To be a friend. I'm not sure. I can't figure it out right now. And that's when my memories start to flow. A discombobulated jumble of feelings. Not being able to help myself. I feel weak... pathetic. I don't know how long I lay there. A minute? An hour? But the next thing I feel is someone stroking my back, with my eyes closed. Whispering. This time, I could actually make out what she was saying. Her voice was soft, but laden with sorrow and pain. "Don't worry... I'm right here..." I slowly recover, opening my eyes and looking at her. She sighs. "I know... you probably have a lot of discordant thoughts going through your head, right?" I nod slowly. "That's okay. You'll get over it." I wonder who this pony is. I try to ask her, but I cannot speak. It just comes out as some voiceless whisper. She looks at my throat. "Huh. I guess I forgot vocal cords. I'll have to fix that soon." I blink, somewhat confused. She beckons me over to a large rack which holds several pink cords taut. "Listen to this..." She blows on them gently. It creates a whispering sound, not unlike a musical note. I close my eyes and listen to them all. Softly singing. Suddenly, one of them stands out to me. I open my eyes and find it. They are a pair of them, both singing quietly. I blow on them. They create a sweet, sugary note. I smile warmly. Blowing on them again. It seems like a giant musical instrument of some sort. I feel a hoof around my back. "That sounds nice," she comments. I feel... safe around her. Like a mother. Or perhaps an intimate connection with her? I yawn, unable to help myself. She looks at me and leads me to a bed. It's been hastily modified from a table- perhaps she has even spent nights on it? "It's all yours for now. I'll have to get another one." I smile and lay down- and then doubt enters my mind. I wonder why she is doing all this for me. Giving me her bed, showing me an instrument. But right now... all I feel is tired. Tired... tired... Lemon waits until the effects of the anesthesia fully kicked in. Of course, the cuts that she had used had destroyed the vocal cords. She wasn't expecting it to need them. And, now that she felt that she did need them, Lemon decided to remedy that. After yelling at her apprentice to slow down and go to bed- it was midmorning, after all- she turned on a lamp, took a needle, thread, scalpel, and the vocal cords that she had liked, and sat down. She carefully levitated her body over to the table and carefully examined the neck area. Hopefully, she could get some sleep before the sun set again... she already had about ten commissions. But, then again, she reflected, sacrifices need to be made for friends. She drew the scalpel and got to work, hoping that these vocal cords could withstand being implanted. Author's Note I know, this isn't a good chapter. It's short and doesn't give much plot. It's more of a... transition. Next chapter will be out soon. WordsLemon put her creation back into her bed. Finished. Finally... She made her way across the hallway and plopped down. The next meal- and her next coffee- was in six hours. And she was tired. She plopped down into her bed, and let the softness of the mattress carry her into slumber... Bong... Bong... Bong... She quickly jolted into consciousness. Listening to the bell. Panicking over the time. Bong... Bong... Bong... Her eyes widened. Bong... Bong... She let out a sigh, then dashed out of bad. She had to eat and check on her friend quickly- the Council was not forgiving when she was late. I wake up slowly. Ugh... I feel horrible. And pain in my neck. I rub it, and the pain goes away slowly. I let out my breath slowly, and stop. I breathe out again. A humming sound. I turn to the mirror, brushing my mane and stretching my wings. "Hello," I tell my reflection. And stop. I actually heard something this time. Then I realized it. I can talk. My face splits into a smile. I can talk. Proof. I can be like others. I hum to myself, then recognize the sound as that instrument that my friend showed me. I can't wait to surprise her. To tell her my name. And to ask for hers in return. And suddenly, the door bursts open. My friend is in the doorway. She comes over to me. "Hello... how are you?" Not having spoken much before, I still have to get used to the words. "Hello..." She stops and looks at me. "You can talk?" I nod slowly. She grins at me. "That's great! Now we can have conversations, and have even more fun together!" She pauses for moment. "Do you have a name that you know of?" I pause here for a moment. So many memories... I finally pick out the true one, from all the falsehoods. "My name... is... Mockingbird..." She smiles. "Alright. Mockingbird. My name's Lemon Hearts." She holds out a hoof. I slowly take it and shake it. Lemon Hearts looks at me directly, as if trying to see inside of my soul. Maybe he is trying to see through all the flesh to determine what I truly am. Eventually, she lifts her gaze to my eyes. "Alright, Mockingbird. I have to go for right now. But we can talk later, alright?" I nod. And open my mouth again. "Alright..." She gives me a few boxes. "You can have fun with these until I come back." "Okay..." She nods and hugs me again. Then she bids farewell and leaves. I wonder where I recognize that name. Lemon Hearts... like it was some intimate part of my being. I slice open the box using a small knife found on a table, covered in red. I replace it where I found it, then look in the box. It has several puzzles. Six of them. I slowly begin to piece them together. While I put together the pieces of the puzzle, I try to put together the pieces of my mind. All these memories inside of me... And I know that they don't belong. I wonder why they are here. In my head. On one sense, I am grateful for my memories. Showing me how to talk, how to behave, how to live properly. But I wish that my head would be filled with my recollections, and not someone else's. One stands out at me right now... a pair of ponies- pegasi- are laying on a cloud, looking at the stars. Talking about them, how pretty they are. I can feel the love between them. One's just about to embrace the other. Trying to find the right words to say. Words. They certainly are confusing at times. I wonder how much better ponykind would be if all they used to communicate were their feelings. It would certainly save a lot of time. It takes about an hour to put together the first puzzle. It's a purple- no, lavender- unicorn in a small library, reading a large book labeled Thermodynamics. I wonder who this pony is. There's a label on the bottom of it. Twilight Sparkle- Element of Magic. Twilight Sparkle. I wonder if I will ever meet this pony. Just then, Lemon walks back into the room. She looks at the picture and I can tell she's trying not to frown. Or get angry. "Twilight Sparkle..." she murmurs. Just like that. And suddenly, I know how I recognize her name. "Mommy..." I whisper. It sounds sweet on my tongue. Like it belongs there. Lemon looks at me, shocked. I repeat it, looking at her. A small half-smile flickers onto her face, and I turn back to the picture. I wonder what it means by an Element of Harmony. So it's true, Lemon thinks, confused. Undead will remember the names of their animators. And Mockingbird, not knowing what that means, thinks that I... am her mother. She looks at Mockingbird more intently. Mockingbird doesn't seem to notice, having turned her attention back to the picture. A motherly love began to well up inside of her. She's a child. A child in need of a parent. And suddenly, her resolve to wait before taking her before the council breaks into a million pieces. Though she knew it meant trouble, Lemon resolved to keep Mockingbird a secret for as long as possible... KnowledgeMy life slowly becomes more predictable. First thing in the morning, I wake up, brush my mane and tail, and maybe eat something. I don't eat much, though- it feels odd in my stomach, like it doesn't belong. I wonder what does. Afterwards, my mother, my creator, Lemon, usually comes in and checks on me. We talk for a while and she tells me about this world. Slowly but surely, I get used to my voice and begin to talk more and more. I love the sound of my voice- sugary and sweet. Unlike the rest of me. I still don't know why I look like this. Perhaps I'll ask my creator someday. Next up, she has to go to work, so I open another box and put together the puzzle, as I slowly piece together my mind. All the memories. I try to focus on the happier ones first. I wonder what it would be like to raise a child of my own. Going through all the hardships and the joys. The love given, even if not received in return. The heartbreak when they leave for their own life... As I progress through my memories, I progress through my puzzles. By the end of the week, I have six pictures- the one of Twilight, one of a yellow pegasus in a field with a bunny, labeled Fluttershy, another of an orange pony sleeping under a tree, labeled Applejack. A third of a white unicorn stroking a cat, labeled rarity, and one dozing off on a cloud, labeled Rainbow Dash. But there is one that draws my attention. A pink pony, baking a cake, labeled Pinkie Pie. I look long at this. The sheer joy on her face, the smile on the faces of two twins- one a filly and one a colt- in the background. Lemon explains to me about each pony in the pictures. The puzzles were made fifteen years ago, while peace still reigned. Everypony was happy, and joy was across the land. And the protectors of the land were called the Elements of Harmony- six ponies who wielded powerful magic, that defended Equestria when the princesses couldn't. Love was abundant. And then suddenly... the princesses disappeared. The land was flung into chaos. One of the Elements, in a panic, created a spell that would turn them into princesses, to keep the land in order until they came back. It failed, and, while nothing happened to Twilight, Rainbow Dash was mutilated and Pinkie Pie died. At this, I couldn't listen anymore. I had a hard time thinking about death. Where did the spirits go when they were removed from their body? What if there was nothing? Absolutely nothing? I couldn't think about it. But then, the next day, she told me about the Laughing Mare. About how Pinkie Pie was ascended into an entity of pure joy. That all she wanted to do was stop the fighting and bring eternal happiness to all. All ponies, all everything. I wonder how she can do this. But then again, I reason, if she's the entity of joy, there's no reason for her not to be able to do this. Lemon tells me about what she and her friends do. They worship the Laughing Mare, but some are so trapped in their misery that they have to have us break the misery for them- one way or another. We are led by a Council of seven- presided over by the High Prophet- and I am required to obey them, unless the Laughing Mare says otherwise. She teaches me a lot more during this week. How to fly, for instance. And how to use magic. I'm still learning about magic, but I had learned to levitate and a simple light spell. I wonder when I can use this. My eyesight's already accustomed to seeing in the dark- once, Lemon forgot to keep the light on, and I could still see perfectly fine. Add it to the list of things I don't know. But still... I get a feeling of forboding about the future. Like something has happened that hasn't happened before. Lemon watched all of this- all of her development- gratefully. She had taught her most of what she needed to be taught in less than a week. And she had gotten another Grinning Wormhole, as they were nicknamed, done for the Council. And yet... she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. This did nothing to ease her sense of paranoia, that was rapidly growing due to the enemies she was making... Author's Note Chapter Four. Now I am going to slow down on writing. I think blitzing though four chapters is enough, eh? SpiesLemon slammed a hooded pony- cloaked like hers, only brown- and growled. "Who are you, who do you work for, and why are you in my private rooms?" She just tightened her lips. Lemon scowled. "You do understand I'm a necromancer. And you seem to be more use to me dead than alive right now." She drew her ritual knife. Her eyes bulged, but she didn't speak. She sighed. Oh well, then. She drew back her knife... "Wait! Wait! I'll talk!" She sighed. "Alrighty then. Start talking." She took a deep breath. "I am Ice Da-" "Colgate..." she murmured under her breath. "What were you doing?" "She wanted me to see what you were doing back there, cooped up every night." "And did you see why?" She grinned. "Yes. Indeed I did." "Then we have no further need of discussion... tratior." Her eyes widened at this. "What? I'm no-" The knife hit home right through the center of the neck. Blood spurted out of the cut, and she dropped to the floor, clutching at her neck. She soon collasped and stood still. She picked up the body. At least she wouldn't have to get a corpse from that creepy collector tonight... She wondered how to deal with the problem that her rivals were posing. How...? Several times now I have seen her. A pony, lurking in the shadows. I pretend not to notice, but I cannot help but look. She doesn't move or talk- except to or from the door- but she spends most of it looking at me- watching me put together puzzles, or sleep on my new bed- a cloud that Lemon had wrangled in. I like laying on the cool, fluffy surface, looking at the pictures of stars on the ceiling. She looks scared, somewhat unbelieving. I wonder why. I tried to talk to her once, but as I made to approach her, she left and didn't come back for a while. For some reason, I didn't tell Lemon about it. I don't know why. Maybe because I wasn't scared? Maybe I was scared of her reaction? I don't know. Then, one day, the pony was about to exit- and she ran right into Lemon. She didn't have a chance. She grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and left, telling me that she would be back soon. It took her fifteen minutes to reappear at my door. Then she started to ask me several questions. How long was she here, if she had been here before. My answers seemed to frighten her more. I remember asking, "Why are you scared?" "Because," she responded, "there are people out there who wish to hurt me... and will hurt you with the sole purpose of hurting me- without any regard to you. To them you are just..." she paused at this. But I get it. I don't need her to say anymore. Lemon was almost to the point of tears. I did the only thing I could do. I opened my forelegs and wrapped her in a hug. It took her a while to wrap her legs around me, and she sobbed into my shoulder, while I reassured her that everything would be alright. Trying to reassure myself as well, trying to see what she is so scared of. And then I realize it. She's scared for me. She's scared because she doesn't want anything to happen to me, and no matter what she did now, her enemies were able to steal the key to her heart... maybe even her sanity. I can't let this happen. Not just because I would be the way they entered, I would also be the one. Whom, if I gave in, I exposed my mother to her enemies. Eventually, she breaks away. She smiles at me through tears and kisses me on my cheek, then says that she would return. And then she leaves. In the hallway, the tears slowly turn into anger. How dare she try to take her away- to take her and shape her into a true horror, something to be put on the front lines to be slaughtered! She eventually made her way to Colgate's chambers and burst open the door, disregarding her privacy. "COLGATE!" I holler, upset. Colgate grinned, lifting her head from her work. "Why, hello, Lemon Hearts. I haven't seen you in a while. Perhaps because of... your little secret." "Your spy is dead." Lemon smiled at Colgate's sudden look of disapproval, before it disappeared. Then Colgate siled in return. "Please. I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is this spy?" "Your late apprentice, Ice Darkness." "Oh, well. Apprentices are replaceable. Tell me you never sent your apprentice to do something that you could have done, only because of the implied health hazard. And besides, I never sent him. He was acting of his own free will." "Liar." "Oh, really? I'll take it to the Council, if you aren't satisfied. But there would be quicker way for your little secret to get out." "Now you're blackmailing me." "Perhaps. Now get out of here, Lemon. Don't you see I have undead to fabricate?" Author's Note Sorry, fellows. I feel bad about it, but this story is effectively going to hiatus until mid July. My summer is very, very hectic. I might have a chapter for you the first week of June. Until then... :( PicturesLemon Hearts gazed at the pictures, surprised and slightly touched that she would attempt to preserve them. The Elements of Harmony. That's what was needed in this war-torn world right now. Harmony. A place where no one cared that you chopped up, stitched together, and reanimated bodies for a living. Peace. She shook her head. She can't be thinking about this right now. She had several different things on her mind, and that was at the bottom. But, however, what was near the top was how to get rid of Colgate. Several things went through her mind. Framing, assassination, an 'accident'. But she couldn't figure out how she would be able to set any of that up without endangering her apprentice- despite what the other necromancers thought, the Cult was running low on necromancers-, herself, or Mockingjay. Several wild ideas came to her mind, each more crazier than before. And then she settled on an idea. Since Colgate was unable to send her apprentice over now, considering that her body was lying on the ground in front of Lemon, any more information about Mockingbird that she had to learn had to be learned in person. And she would provide large amounts of evidence directly to Mockingbird about that evidence, if not herself. A witness of sorts. The only downside? Revealing Mockingjay to the council, before she was fully trained. She debated with herself. Was it really a good idea to endanger her- to have her taken away- merely for revenge? And besides, the necromancer could merely claim that the undead was merely controlled to give evidence against her. So that means that she would have to provide an additional means of recording. Which was somewhat easily done. She decided to check on Mockingjay before letting her know about her plans, as well as starting her work on this corpse. A Smiling Doll for sure. Just to creep out Colgate. For some reason, she hated them with a passion. I watched silently as Lemon came out of her room and looked at me, staring at her from a cloud. "Hello." I said softly. "How are you doing?" Lemon sighed. "Not very well..." She shrugged before looking at the puzzle. "Huh... I like this last-" For some reason, she stopped talking. Her eyes grew a little bit wider, and she stared at the picture for a while, before shaking her head. "Wow... what a nice picture." "Lemon... I have a question." She knew the answer to it- partially- but she wanted to hear what she said. "Who were the Royal Sisters?" With this question, Lemon sighed. Neither she nor I spoke for a while. And then she said, softly, "They were the ponies who lead us, ruled us. But then they vanished. And now... they are nothing but pictures. Nothing but pictures." She shook her head, clearly disturbed about something. Then she said, "Mockingjay... there is a pony. With a blue coat, and a dark blue and while mane and tail that looks like toothpaste. She's out to get me- to bring me down, to humiliate me, and, possibly... make me lose you." She sighed. "If she decides to visit here, several things need to happen, all of which needs to happen as soon as possible. Do you understand?" I nod slowly and carefully. "Good. First thing that needs to happen is that, as soon as I come in, you need to tell me. About everything that she has told you, everything that she did. Alright?" "Why?" I asked, fear building up in me. "Because she will try to disrupt you. Make you doubt the world around you. And you need to play along until I get back. Alright?" "Alright." I said, squeakily. "And the second thing- you need to keep her out of my room. Alright? If she goes in there, she will be able to steal some of my most precious things- a disenchantment spell, for instance, or the special pictures you made for me." I nod again slowly. "Also... if these things come to pass... you will have to be seen by a group of ponies. There are seven of them, though one lies in a sarcophagus. They are my... leaders. The leaders of everyone here. All the servants, necromancers... we all owe them respect, because they have a direct link to the Laughing Mare... the one in the sarcophagus, we think, may even be the Laughing Mare. They might seem intimidating, but they are trying to keep you and me alive... hopefully." I decide that I don't like the sound of these ponies. Hopefully? What is that supposed to mean? "Alright, Mockingbird?" I stop for a while and think about this. "But... why does this pony want to hurt you?" She stopped and considered an answer. "Because she is jealous. She wishes to inflict as much pain on me as possible.. and one of the biggest ways she can do it is by destroying my heart... by destroying you..." At this, Lemon fades out and stops for a moment. Then she smiles again, although I can tell that it is forced. "Now... I have to get back to work, alright? I'll give you a few more puzzles to do if you want." I stop and decide not to ask about the sudden change of topic. "Alright... that would be nice. Thanks, Lemon." Author's Note New chapter! All my readers out there... how are you all doing? How am I doing with this? I feel as if I've been dragging this out too long... RevelationBOOM. I wake up with a start, at first scared that something is breaking in. Eventually I consider that it's safe. Nothing going on. BOOM. I dive back into my cloud before i realize that there is a pattering of rain. So this is thunder. It certainly is loud. I sit up, struggling to keep my mind from spinning out of control, a river of odd sensations and experiences flying through them. This has happened more and more often lately. I wanted to talk to Lemon about this, let her know how I was feeling, yet I could not. She was on a business trip out of the city. She said that she would be back in a week. Tonight. Anytime now, actually. I try to go back to sleep, but between my anxiety to see Lemon again and my building sense of foreboding, I cannot, so I settle myself to control my memories. They feel... good. I can't understand why. I can't describe it. I wonder if I want to. The door creeps open and I stick myself into my cloud, watching as a guard peeks his head in, making sure that everything was safe. I watch him from a distance, noticing it's the same guard that pokes his head in. I wonder how I realize that. Maybe it's the bat wings. Or at least, I think their bat wings. They certainly aren't fluffy pegasus wings- I should know, considering that I have three pairs of them. As the door closes, I continue to mentally debate my condition. Two branching horns and six wings? Since when has any pony has that? Maybe I'm a freak, a mutant- perhaps even corrupted by demons. I've heard tales of them- fanged beasts that come from both the pits of Tartarus and the alternate realm. I hear a swish, a splat, and a eerie thwump. Diving into my cloud, I peer out while I see a shadow outline against my door, and a pool of red liquid begin to pool up. My nose registers a sweet, tangy scent, yet I cannot draw a name for this smell. I feel... attracted to the red liquid. But fear stops me in my tracks as the door opens. It reveals a mare with a dark blue mane, hooves stained with blood. Her cloak blocks my view of her face, but her white and blue tail reminds me of... My mind almost freezes with fear. Here, then, was a rival- an assassin here to steal, kill, and destroy. Steal Lemon's spells, destroy her heart and kill me... I silently, using a power that I never before tapped into, cast a spell that bound to the door. A spell of barring. The pony pauses as she detects the magical discharge, but continues on as she reaches the door, disabling the locks and casting open the door. Except the door wouldn't open, thanks to the spell. The pony growled before looking around. She locks eyes with me for a second before turning away. "I can sense your presence, Afflicted One... scared and confused. I cannot answer your questions until I am sure that it is indeed you I am talking to..." Questions? Can this pony read my mind? I don't move a muscle. "I come bearing bad news concerning your... master? Friend?" She paused. "Perhaps... mother? The prophets tell me to bear this news, and I do not disobey the prophets." I can hear the frustration in her voice as she tells me this. "Yet this news will only be imparted if I am talking the one who I think I am." I decide that she's telling the truth and stick my head out of the cloud, tilting my head slightly, although remaining silent. I cannot see her expression, but it is anywhere from admiration to disgust. Her face is in shadow. "Excellent. I am glad to see that you are not as shy I thought you might be. My apprentice said so, but I was unsure." She sighed. "So that I may stop calling you she or it, what are you called? Do you have a name?" I debate telling her the truth, or even talking at all, but I decide as this pony was sent by the prophets, that she was trustworthy. "Mockingjay..." I murmur. She frowns as she looks at me. Perhaps she was not expecting me to answer. I do not know. I start a question. "Was your apprentice also cloaked?" She nodded slowly. "Yes, indeed. I believe you have met before? He wanted to ensure that you were... well... stable. I wasn't sure. Besides, one as different as yourself might not be mentally stable." I thought about that. She is right, I might not be sane... Wait a minute. Who was this pony telling me that I was insane? She must be trying to unhinge me. I don't know. I decide to only extract fact from these, and to suppress my emotional thoughts for later. I didn't know I could do that. How interesting. "What is it that you want?" I ask, a tone of sharpness in my voice. The pony smiled lightly. "My name is Colgate, and I come bearing news concerning your master... news that you might find disturbing..." My mind goes on high alert. "Concerning Lemon? What is it?" Colgate smiled lightly. "You see... Lemon was called upon to take a special mission. A quest, almost." Her smile fell off of her face. "We were ambushed by the House Earthborn. They came in with steam engines the size of a house and cannons mounted on them. They assaulted us with flames that streaked out of gu-" "But... what happened to Lemon?" Colgate remained silent. "You... you mean to tell me... tell me... she's..." She nodded once before turning away. My eyes grew wide as I comprehend what she means. Looking for any way out of this. "Lemon wanted me to have anything that she had left... I do not know why myself, honestly." She smiled. "I wish not to disturb you." Something is definitely wrong here. Running along the paved, wet ground outside. I turn to her. "If that is the case, then why did you kill the guards?" "The guards? They went rouge. They were planning to kill you and Lemon when she returned... unfortunately, the deed had already been done." Anxious to see her friend "Then show me proof of Lemon's words." "Is the word of your master not enough?" Master? What is this pony talking about...? "Lemon isn't my master... she's my friend." She flew out of her cloud to glide in front of the door. "And this door is barred to any but her!" She laughed- an evil, accursed cackle. "Your words betray your ignorance." She smiled. "Ah, I see her game now. Program the creature to accept her as a mother rather than a master to slave away for. I doubt you even know what you are." My ears perk up. "I say that you are a fine example of an alicorn mockery." What? "What do you mean, alicorn mockery? I'm no mockery of-" "But indeed you are. Ever wonder why you have four pairs of legs? Six wings? Three warped horns?" She grinned as she approached, a demonic smile that revealed madness. "Let me tell you something. I trust you are intellegent enough to understand. You are nothing. You are the patched up remains of over twenty different ponies, stitched together with threat and reanimated with magic! You are nothing more than a zombie, a mere servant, and, honestly, you shouldn't even have a mind!" I mentally recoil under this onslaught before I comprehend what she said. And, for a moment, I cannot truly accept this, although something in the back of my mind tells me that she is right. That it all works. It all fits together. The patchwork body. The random wings and horns. The somewhat serpentine construction of my tongue. It is the only logical option, now that I think about it. A mockery of life. Coming inside And suddenly, I am dashed to the ground, pinned under the weight of another pony. "Magic dies with its caster," cackled Colgate. "And your death will be quite painful as you feel every part of you die simultaniously. I wonder how it will feel to die over twenty times, as all of your souls are rended out of you? Will there even be anything left?" My eyes widen, and I try to get away. But as I see the the magic on her horn, and the grin on her face, I know that it is too late. Lemon's eyes widened as he saw the dead bodies of two of the guards, as well as the door slightly ajar. She dashed in, spells ready. She gasped as she saw Colgate standing over a stunned Mockingbird, magic ready. There was only one thing that she could do. She let loose with her magic, blasting Colgate off of her friend, yet she was too late as Colgate shot once, yet the force of the blasts that she used destroyed knocked the shot off, instead piercing her through her stomach. She didn't notice, apparently. She ran over to Mockingbird, embracing her, sobbing. She glanced at Colgate. Her breathing was slow with a ragged hole punched through her chest. She turned back. "I'm so glad your safe." Mockingbird started sobbing, too, as she embraced Lemon. Then something Colgate said came up in her mind again. "Lemon... while... she... was here, she said... that... you were my master and that I was some sort of... zombie. An Alicorn Mockery, she said..." She knows. Despite all of my efforts to the contrary, she now knows. "Lemon...? Did I say something wrong?" It is time to impart to her the truth... but how? [hr I sit back to listen as Lemon sighed. "I... I... I had lost all of my family. A raid by House Earthborn. That's what drove me to become a necromancer, I guess. If I was going to be alone, then I alone I would be." I think about this, picture it in my head. Making it one or two sentences. A sad, lonely necromancer... "I eventually rose through the ranks to become one of the highest necromancers in the entire cult." I edit my sentence. A powerful, sad, and lonely necromancer... "I received an order from the cult. Three special orders. They named them Alicorn Mockeries, and the power of the Laughing Mare flowed through them. I had some left over parts, and, I thought, maybe I would have one to myself... a guardian, a servant... perhaps something to talk to in the evenings, even if it won't respond." ... created a monster so she wouldn't be alone... "And... when I cast the spell... I guess something happened. I don't know. Maybe it had something to do with the lightning storm. But I guess it granted her sentience, and, eventually, sapience... and she became you." ... but something went wrong, and that monster became me... I sigh. "So... what am I to you? A servant? A guardian?" Lemon looked at me, tears in her eyes. "No... I created you to be the family I didn't even get to say goodbye to... someone who cared... someone that I could never had..." A tear dripped down her cheek. "Someone that I could relate to, to talk to, to teach from and learn from..." "A friend...?" "A friend." Things are starting to make sense now, yet, there is one thing... "How do you know for a fact that I truly am undead, as you say?" Sobbing, she pointed at my belly, and my eyes widen. A large, gaping hole is visible there, leaking a red liquid. Yet I did not even notice it until Lemon pointed it out to me. And this is the proof I needed. And, suddenly... we are embracing again, sobbing for each other more than for ourselves. I, sobbing for Lemon's loneliness. She, sobbing for me. And these facts bring us together. And I accept what I am. A mockery of life. A friend until death. Author's Note Nice ending, yes? Stick around, my friends, for I will be making a new story involving Mockingbird here in a bit. SequelYes, indeed. The sequel, A Mockery of Sorrow. Go check it out, please. PuzzlesLemon Hearts burst back into her room, scowling. Of course it was Colgate. But she couldn't say anything about it until she was able to ensure that the High Prophet was on her side. If she didn't... not only would Mockingbird's life be on the line, hers would be too. She stalked right past the large cloud hovering to the side- the one that she had managed to bring in here for Mockingbird. Ignoring the confused expression on her face as she passed. She entered her room, then closed the door... to find, waiting for her, Ice Darkness's corpse... and, crudely framed, all six of the Elements of Harmony, from back in the days before the Celestial Sisters disappeared. Somehow, this effort from Mockingbird touched her. With tears in her eyes, she got to work on the corpse, thinking quietly on how to work this out... I watch as my mother storms past the cloud, her face contorted with anger. I wonder if it had anything to do with the pony who she took out of here. I try to say something- maybe something to help her calm down- but before I can even form the words, the doors to her room had shut down. Sighing, I settle down on my cloud again, when the last two puzzle boxes draw my attention. I decide, for lack of anything else to do, to open them. The first box I open seems full of dark pieces. I slowly begin to put together the pieces. A dark shape. A pony. No. When I put on the elusive last pieces, about an hour later, I discover that this is an alicorn. A dark blue alicorn with a flowing mane and tail. She has a moon behind her. And then I realize the picture is only half complete. I open the next box to reveal a large amount of light pieces. As I slowly put together this next puzzle, I realize that it says "Princess Luna" on the top and, "al Sisters". I wonder what the last part means. I wonder who this Princess Luna is. I finish the next puzzle, to find that, it too, is only half done. It says on it, "Princess Celestia" and "The Celesti". It is another alicorn, only this time, she is right. Something buzzes in the back of my brain, and, suddenly, it makes sense. These were the Celestial Sisters. And the puzzle... Fits together... RIght along the line. Which it does. Perfectly. It says on the top, clearly, "Princess Celestia & Princess Luna." Along the bottom, there is a line that says, "The Celestial Sisters." It shows a pair of ponies embracing each other. The Royal Sisters. So these were to ponies that were in charge of ensuring that the moon and sun were on charge. Why did they leave? A mystery to all... I wondered about what would happen when I showed Lemon Hearts the picture? I decide to wait- a few minutes, at least- before disturbing her... Author's Note Tada. Middle of July. Right on schedule. A short, dinky chapter to emphasize that I am still here.
Introduction: Equestria DividedIt was the sudden disappearance of the Royal Sisters that began the conflict that introduced war into the world of Equestria. Gripped by fear, everypony watched the skies for the next week, struck by terror as they awaited to the sun and the moon to stop moving, spelling destruction for the world. The Element Bearers quickly made their way to Canterlot, to locate the Elements of Harmony in an attempt to find the Princesses. Yet, very quickly, a conclusion was reached by thousands simultaneously in about a week. The Princesses were gone. And the celestial bodies were still moving. At this, some panicked, saying that the entire world had grown wild with uncontrolled magic, very much like the Everfree Forest. Yet more started to quiver with anger, as everything that they thought was true was merely a lie, conjured by the Sisters to rule Equestria for themselves. Yet more took this as an omen, that they weren't dead, but merely in hiding or kidnapped- but where, not even the Master of the Inquisition could answer. In a full panic, and under the assumption the the ponies needed an able-bodied leader, Twilight turned to her friends, demanding that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were to accompany her back to Ponyville, so that she may conduct a spell devised by Starswirled the Bearded that would combine the essences of the three main races to force a transformation into the blessed form of an Alicorn. Rainbow Dash readily accepted Twilight's offer, but Applejack, at first was reluctant. She explained that a spell of such magical aptitude was going to be quite difficult to cast, if not impossible, even for a pony of her magical ability. Yet, as Twilight's demands became threats to unleash the full force of the Inquisition onto her, she became more steadfast, declaring that Twilight was a lunatic before stalking out of the room and back to her home of Sweet Apple Acres, guiding her family into leaving their ancestral home, in case that Twilight was, indeed, not bluffing. Twilight was able to convince Pinkie Pie, albeit reluctantly. She agreed with Applejack, yet caved in under Twilight's threats of destruction of all of her family and the loss of her friends. The three of them left to Ponyville and, cast the spell... but, weather through lack of magical control, the reluctant attitude of Pinkie Pie- as magic is affected by emotions- or perhaps the spell fizzled or was written incorrectly. At any rate, the spell blasted the library to pieces, destroying the right side of Rainbow Dash's face and- through magical overload- detonated the heart of Pinkie Pie, killing her instantly. Going half mad with grief and anger, Twilight retreated to Canterlot, where she proceeded to use her prestegious magical ability to take dominance over both the Council of Nobles as well as the Inquisition, and set herself up as the head of a large bureaucracy, leaving her other friends behind... Silently satisfied that she was correct in her theory, Applejack gathered what relatives they had, and told them in a meeting akin to a council of war, that Twilight would come- and in force and fury. They recruited in force, eventually gaining a strong military base. As Twilight declared there to be a bounty against all non-unicorns, by popular opinion, as well as the guidance of Elder Matron Granny Smith, she countered by declaring all unicorns to have their lives forfeit. Either they lose their horn through a painless surgery that left little scarring, or they lose their horn by force- followed by their head. And so, under the leadership of the blacksmiths of the Apple Family and General Applejack, so was the House Earthborn founded. As Rainbow Dash realized that the spell was a failure, she retreated to the northern reaches of Equestria, convincing every pegasus she came across of the corruption of the government. Upon reaching Cloudsdale, she proceeded to give a speech of rallying of forces. Equestria had grown corrupt, she said, and only by force of will and sharpness of blade and steel could they clear the country of corruption. Adopting a battlefield doctrine much akin to Commander Hurricane, they began training en masse. RD preached about the purity of the pegasI forces, and how any being not blessed with wings were cursed with the burden of work. And, through the puritanical belief of honor and dominance, and under the leadership of Commander Rainbow Dash, so was the House Stormwing formed. Twilight slowly became more and more paranoid about the forces of the other Houses invading and destroying the city of Canterlot as well as her research. Fearing corruption for the "lesser" races, she declared that only unicorns were to be treated as ponies- the other two races were nothing, as, therefore, could be treated however they want. They were quickly enslaved, and Twilight erected a force field around Canterlot, preventing access to anyone but unicorns. From here, she then usurped the Master of the Inquisition and proceeded to put one of her lackeys in charge. And from the old chambers of the Princesses, Twilight studies and studies to become an alicorn and to save, and, under the iron fist of the new Inquisition, she founded the House of Moon and Star. Fluttershy wasn't exactly the type of "ruler" that the other four were, considering her shy nature and rather vulnerable body. She ran a series of refugee camps for whoever wanted to avoid the war between the others, stockpiling supplies and food to ensure her new friends' survival of it. All of it changed in one night. She found herself witness to a company of Inquisition raiding one of her refuge camps, burning it to the ground and taking all that it contained as slaves for the House of Moon and Star. Suddenly enraged, she called upon her connection to nature and, using a power that, before now, she never knew she had, she summoned a trio of hydras that charged down the company, slaughtering them. Rallying the remaining refugee camps, she retreated into the Everfree, vowing that the forest would be the one that would conquer Equestria. And so was House Everfree founded. After hearing the news, Rarity quickly opened up every single political and otherwise contact that she had, and decided, if her friends would rule the battlefield, well, she would rule the political field, as everyone knows that diplomacy can both start a fight- and stop it. She decided that her first steep would to gain massive political power by marraige- and who else but the head of the Council of Baltimare, Prince Blueblood himself? Upon hearing her request, Blueblood, being the self-centered stallion that he was, couldn't help but accept such a beautiful mare with such a silver tongue. Yet, strangely during their honeymoon, Rarity came back, crying tears of sorrow- on the outside. She said that two mares in black had come and assassinated her newly-wed husband. After mourning with her, the order was given that Rarity, as his wife, would inherit both his late husband's political power and his fortune. It didn't occur to the council that it was a setup until about a week later- and the ones that did were quickly 'silenced'. And, under the political power of the Mistress of Deception herself, so was the House Whitegold founded. Exactly one year after Pinkie Pie's death, two robbers broke into the Canterlot museum and stole the sarcophagus that held Pinkie Pie's body. This was considered by Twilight as a henious crime, and threatened death to the thieves when they were discovered- but they had hidden their tracks well. About a year later, it was discovered that the coffin was being venerated by a stallionhood of necromancers- and not just necromancers. An entire cult had sprung up in worship of a strange being known as the Laughing Mare- a goddess-like figure, living in an alternate dimension. Believing Pinkie Pie to have some connection to the being, the Cult of Laughter remains a dangerous threat to the stability of the realm- or, rather, what little stability it has left... The changeling hives have long been dormant, ever since the invasion of Canterlot by Hive Chrysalis. Yet, slowly in the southernmost parts of Equestria, Hive Grey Monarch- long an ally of Equestria- sensed and opportunity, and started to feverishly prepare for an excursion into Equestria, for, even if the Houses unify again, which seems nigh impossible, will they have enough to compete with the strongest changeling hive currently known to be in existence? The Far North is the home to many strange creatures. One such kingdom is the Griffon Empire, long looking for an opportunity to repay Equestria for conquering their southern lands over two thousand years ago. They have allied with House Stormwing, to gained the trust of these ponies. It is only a matter of time before the ponies find themselves the target of a full-scale invasion of the Griffon Empire... With eight factions going at each others throats, it is only a matter of time until one faction proves dominance. The war has been going on for over fifteen years now, and shows no sign of stopping... How long will war reign over the land? Only time will tell who will come out on top...
CreationA pony races down the hallway, almost tearing down the ponies in her path. Screaming, "Lemon! Lemon!" She is stopped in the hallway outside of the mess hall by a shorter, yellow unicorn with blue hair, cloaked in black. "Yes, apprentice?" she responds, obviously upset for missing breakfast. The apprentice seems stunned, even frightened. "Y-your experiment... it's... it's..." "Yes? What with my experiment?" "It's... it's been animated. And... and..." The pony named Lemon widened her eyes. "Excellent! It wasn't a waste of time after all, then? The council has to know immediately!" "But..." "Yes?" "I'm not sure the council should know quite yet, Master... it's showing signs of sentience." And suddenly... I wake up. I try not to open my eyes just yet. Trying to sort out the memories going through my head. There are several of them- sad and painful, most of them. But there are several happy thoughts mixed in with the bad. A bountiful harvest. The joy of a foal on her first day of school. The sheer exhilaration of a pegasus, taking off and soaring through the clouds at a top speed. I decide to sort all of this out later. I stretch and hear a murmur nearby. Suddenly, I wonder where I am. Perhaps a house? Perhaps a jail cell? I cannot tell. But what I can tell is that there is only one way to find out. I open my eyes and take my first look at a new world. It's large and dark. There are several places where the wall has obviously been repainted. Several workbenches with various tools are stacked around the table. Needles and thread on one, a saw on another. I am alone. Once again, I wonder where I am. Then I hear a door open nearby, and a pony, dressed in a black robe, enters the room. She stops- surprised, perhaps?- and looks at me. Wondering the extent of my body, I tilt my head like she tilts hers. She blinks. I parrot her again. She smiles, slowly. Warmly. I wonder who this pony is. She feels... familiar. Like a mother, perhaps. I don't know. I am confused. She whispers to me. A reassurance. A welcome. A, "hello." I try to whisper back. Perhaps to return the greetings? I don't know. It seems right. I get out something, but I cannot tell what it is. It definitely is not what it needed to be. Not at all. Remembering what ponies often did when greeted- these confusing memories telling me so- I hold out my hoof. Forgetting what it is called. A hoofshake, perhaps? That's what one did, anyways. She inspects the hoof warily, then slowly takes hold of it and shakes it gently. It feels warm and somewhat soft. I smile at her like she smiles at me. She whispers that she would be back in a few minutes, and I nod. She seems slightly taken aback at this, but the smile returns and she steps up and leaves. I decide to take this time to examine myself and determine what I am. There seems to be a mirror on the other side of the room. I slow get up and try to trot over to it. I don't do well the first few times. I feel like I have too many legs. Eventually, I stumble over to in front of the mirror and take my first good look at myself. The first notable thing that I notice is my body in general. Scar-covered and bleeding in a few places. Finding a nearby cloth, I clean off the blood to reveal that my coat is a patchwork of various colors- one spot blue, one spot pink, yet another spot white. I decide that I must have had some kind of accident, although I can't remember it. I can't remember anything about myself. All that I remember is of other ponies. The second thing I notice is that I have a horn. Three, to be exact. I wish that I knew how I got the other two. It seems like my entire body's a mess. I wonder how to fix this. So that I can look like the others. Somehow, I know that ponies don't trust things that are unfamiliar to them. Like the Everfree Forest. Or the caves of Manehattan. I wonder how I know this, and decide to think about it later. I see that I have a pair of wings. They are large wings, and quite fluffy. I flap them a few times, and then turn to my side to examine them. Then I realize that I have two wings on that side. And four legs on that side as well. No wonder I had problems moving. I turn around to ensure that they were even, and sure enough, I do. I have two pairs of wings and four pairs of legs. Odd. I spend some time feeling along the scarlines, trying to figure out how I got them. But no matter how hard i try, I can't remember. I look at my tail and mane. At least they appear normal. I run a hoof along my tail and feel a ticklish sensation. Making me giggle. That felt good. I do it again. And again. Then I look at my mane. It appears to be a plethora of colors, always shifting and changing. And tangled. I find what appears to be a comb nearby and drag it through my mane slowly. It hurts the first few times, but then the brush glides smoothly through. My mane now floats freely at my side, Multicolored and changing. Now that I've figured out what I look like, I try to figure out who I am. I can't be a pegasus, because I have a horn. I can't be a unicorn, because I have wings. And an earth pony is out of the question. I can't be a non-pony species, because, no matter how messed up my appearance is, I am an equine of some sort. I decide that I am an alicorn. A mockery of one, perhaps. Just then, the black-robed pony comes in with her hood down. She is yellow with a blue mane. She smiles at me, taking in the brush on the table, my position in front of the mirror. She nods her head. "Hello again... my little mockingbird." So, perhaps, that is my name. Mockingbird.
FriendLemon smiled as she looked upon her creation. A demon on the outside, a mere child within. Somehow, she felt that this was a gift from the Laughing Mare- a friend to have with her, especially as she was wading through this sea of enemies, who were envious of her power. She became resolved to teach it, to love it, to take care of it. She set herself a time limit. She would give it- no- her a week before deciding to take her before the Council or not. And hopefully, if she decided to show the Council, the High Prophet would be on her side of why she can't just give it up. She smiles and embraces me. Unsure of what to do, I stop, stunned, until I figure out what this means. A hug. A sign of affection. Directed at me. Tentatively, I wrap my front forehooves around her. She feels soft, warm, and alive. I'm not sure how I feel. Don't think I can find out that. I can feel that she's lonely. That she needs a friend. Maybe that's why I am here. To be a friend. I'm not sure. I can't figure it out right now. And that's when my memories start to flow. A discombobulated jumble of feelings. Not being able to help myself. I feel weak... pathetic. I don't know how long I lay there. A minute? An hour? But the next thing I feel is someone stroking my back, with my eyes closed. Whispering. This time, I could actually make out what she was saying. Her voice was soft, but laden with sorrow and pain. "Don't worry... I'm right here..." I slowly recover, opening my eyes and looking at her. She sighs. "I know... you probably have a lot of discordant thoughts going through your head, right?" I nod slowly. "That's okay. You'll get over it." I wonder who this pony is. I try to ask her, but I cannot speak. It just comes out as some voiceless whisper. She looks at my throat. "Huh. I guess I forgot vocal cords. I'll have to fix that soon." I blink, somewhat confused. She beckons me over to a large rack which holds several pink cords taut. "Listen to this..." She blows on them gently. It creates a whispering sound, not unlike a musical note. I close my eyes and listen to them all. Softly singing. Suddenly, one of them stands out to me. I open my eyes and find it. They are a pair of them, both singing quietly. I blow on them. They create a sweet, sugary note. I smile warmly. Blowing on them again. It seems like a giant musical instrument of some sort. I feel a hoof around my back. "That sounds nice," she comments. I feel... safe around her. Like a mother. Or perhaps an intimate connection with her? I yawn, unable to help myself. She looks at me and leads me to a bed. It's been hastily modified from a table- perhaps she has even spent nights on it? "It's all yours for now. I'll have to get another one." I smile and lay down- and then doubt enters my mind. I wonder why she is doing all this for me. Giving me her bed, showing me an instrument. But right now... all I feel is tired. Tired... tired... Lemon waits until the effects of the anesthesia fully kicked in. Of course, the cuts that she had used had destroyed the vocal cords. She wasn't expecting it to need them. And, now that she felt that she did need them, Lemon decided to remedy that. After yelling at her apprentice to slow down and go to bed- it was midmorning, after all- she turned on a lamp, took a needle, thread, scalpel, and the vocal cords that she had liked, and sat down. She carefully levitated her body over to the table and carefully examined the neck area. Hopefully, she could get some sleep before the sun set again... she already had about ten commissions. But, then again, she reflected, sacrifices need to be made for friends. She drew the scalpel and got to work, hoping that these vocal cords could withstand being implanted. Author's Note I know, this isn't a good chapter. It's short and doesn't give much plot. It's more of a... transition. Next chapter will be out soon.
WordsLemon put her creation back into her bed. Finished. Finally... She made her way across the hallway and plopped down. The next meal- and her next coffee- was in six hours. And she was tired. She plopped down into her bed, and let the softness of the mattress carry her into slumber... Bong... Bong... Bong... She quickly jolted into consciousness. Listening to the bell. Panicking over the time. Bong... Bong... Bong... Her eyes widened. Bong... Bong... She let out a sigh, then dashed out of bad. She had to eat and check on her friend quickly- the Council was not forgiving when she was late. I wake up slowly. Ugh... I feel horrible. And pain in my neck. I rub it, and the pain goes away slowly. I let out my breath slowly, and stop. I breathe out again. A humming sound. I turn to the mirror, brushing my mane and stretching my wings. "Hello," I tell my reflection. And stop. I actually heard something this time. Then I realized it. I can talk. My face splits into a smile. I can talk. Proof. I can be like others. I hum to myself, then recognize the sound as that instrument that my friend showed me. I can't wait to surprise her. To tell her my name. And to ask for hers in return. And suddenly, the door bursts open. My friend is in the doorway. She comes over to me. "Hello... how are you?" Not having spoken much before, I still have to get used to the words. "Hello..." She stops and looks at me. "You can talk?" I nod slowly. She grins at me. "That's great! Now we can have conversations, and have even more fun together!" She pauses for moment. "Do you have a name that you know of?" I pause here for a moment. So many memories... I finally pick out the true one, from all the falsehoods. "My name... is... Mockingbird..." She smiles. "Alright. Mockingbird. My name's Lemon Hearts." She holds out a hoof. I slowly take it and shake it. Lemon Hearts looks at me directly, as if trying to see inside of my soul. Maybe he is trying to see through all the flesh to determine what I truly am. Eventually, she lifts her gaze to my eyes. "Alright, Mockingbird. I have to go for right now. But we can talk later, alright?" I nod. And open my mouth again. "Alright..." She gives me a few boxes. "You can have fun with these until I come back." "Okay..." She nods and hugs me again. Then she bids farewell and leaves. I wonder where I recognize that name. Lemon Hearts... like it was some intimate part of my being. I slice open the box using a small knife found on a table, covered in red. I replace it where I found it, then look in the box. It has several puzzles. Six of them. I slowly begin to piece them together. While I put together the pieces of the puzzle, I try to put together the pieces of my mind. All these memories inside of me... And I know that they don't belong. I wonder why they are here. In my head. On one sense, I am grateful for my memories. Showing me how to talk, how to behave, how to live properly. But I wish that my head would be filled with my recollections, and not someone else's. One stands out at me right now... a pair of ponies- pegasi- are laying on a cloud, looking at the stars. Talking about them, how pretty they are. I can feel the love between them. One's just about to embrace the other. Trying to find the right words to say. Words. They certainly are confusing at times. I wonder how much better ponykind would be if all they used to communicate were their feelings. It would certainly save a lot of time. It takes about an hour to put together the first puzzle. It's a purple- no, lavender- unicorn in a small library, reading a large book labeled Thermodynamics. I wonder who this pony is. There's a label on the bottom of it. Twilight Sparkle- Element of Magic. Twilight Sparkle. I wonder if I will ever meet this pony. Just then, Lemon walks back into the room. She looks at the picture and I can tell she's trying not to frown. Or get angry. "Twilight Sparkle..." she murmurs. Just like that. And suddenly, I know how I recognize her name. "Mommy..." I whisper. It sounds sweet on my tongue. Like it belongs there. Lemon looks at me, shocked. I repeat it, looking at her. A small half-smile flickers onto her face, and I turn back to the picture. I wonder what it means by an Element of Harmony. So it's true, Lemon thinks, confused. Undead will remember the names of their animators. And Mockingbird, not knowing what that means, thinks that I... am her mother. She looks at Mockingbird more intently. Mockingbird doesn't seem to notice, having turned her attention back to the picture. A motherly love began to well up inside of her. She's a child. A child in need of a parent. And suddenly, her resolve to wait before taking her before the council breaks into a million pieces. Though she knew it meant trouble, Lemon resolved to keep Mockingbird a secret for as long as possible...
KnowledgeMy life slowly becomes more predictable. First thing in the morning, I wake up, brush my mane and tail, and maybe eat something. I don't eat much, though- it feels odd in my stomach, like it doesn't belong. I wonder what does. Afterwards, my mother, my creator, Lemon, usually comes in and checks on me. We talk for a while and she tells me about this world. Slowly but surely, I get used to my voice and begin to talk more and more. I love the sound of my voice- sugary and sweet. Unlike the rest of me. I still don't know why I look like this. Perhaps I'll ask my creator someday. Next up, she has to go to work, so I open another box and put together the puzzle, as I slowly piece together my mind. All the memories. I try to focus on the happier ones first. I wonder what it would be like to raise a child of my own. Going through all the hardships and the joys. The love given, even if not received in return. The heartbreak when they leave for their own life... As I progress through my memories, I progress through my puzzles. By the end of the week, I have six pictures- the one of Twilight, one of a yellow pegasus in a field with a bunny, labeled Fluttershy, another of an orange pony sleeping under a tree, labeled Applejack. A third of a white unicorn stroking a cat, labeled rarity, and one dozing off on a cloud, labeled Rainbow Dash. But there is one that draws my attention. A pink pony, baking a cake, labeled Pinkie Pie. I look long at this. The sheer joy on her face, the smile on the faces of two twins- one a filly and one a colt- in the background. Lemon explains to me about each pony in the pictures. The puzzles were made fifteen years ago, while peace still reigned. Everypony was happy, and joy was across the land. And the protectors of the land were called the Elements of Harmony- six ponies who wielded powerful magic, that defended Equestria when the princesses couldn't. Love was abundant. And then suddenly... the princesses disappeared. The land was flung into chaos. One of the Elements, in a panic, created a spell that would turn them into princesses, to keep the land in order until they came back. It failed, and, while nothing happened to Twilight, Rainbow Dash was mutilated and Pinkie Pie died. At this, I couldn't listen anymore. I had a hard time thinking about death. Where did the spirits go when they were removed from their body? What if there was nothing? Absolutely nothing? I couldn't think about it. But then, the next day, she told me about the Laughing Mare. About how Pinkie Pie was ascended into an entity of pure joy. That all she wanted to do was stop the fighting and bring eternal happiness to all. All ponies, all everything. I wonder how she can do this. But then again, I reason, if she's the entity of joy, there's no reason for her not to be able to do this. Lemon tells me about what she and her friends do. They worship the Laughing Mare, but some are so trapped in their misery that they have to have us break the misery for them- one way or another. We are led by a Council of seven- presided over by the High Prophet- and I am required to obey them, unless the Laughing Mare says otherwise. She teaches me a lot more during this week. How to fly, for instance. And how to use magic. I'm still learning about magic, but I had learned to levitate and a simple light spell. I wonder when I can use this. My eyesight's already accustomed to seeing in the dark- once, Lemon forgot to keep the light on, and I could still see perfectly fine. Add it to the list of things I don't know. But still... I get a feeling of forboding about the future. Like something has happened that hasn't happened before. Lemon watched all of this- all of her development- gratefully. She had taught her most of what she needed to be taught in less than a week. And she had gotten another Grinning Wormhole, as they were nicknamed, done for the Council. And yet... she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. This did nothing to ease her sense of paranoia, that was rapidly growing due to the enemies she was making... Author's Note Chapter Four. Now I am going to slow down on writing. I think blitzing though four chapters is enough, eh?
SpiesLemon slammed a hooded pony- cloaked like hers, only brown- and growled. "Who are you, who do you work for, and why are you in my private rooms?" She just tightened her lips. Lemon scowled. "You do understand I'm a necromancer. And you seem to be more use to me dead than alive right now." She drew her ritual knife. Her eyes bulged, but she didn't speak. She sighed. Oh well, then. She drew back her knife... "Wait! Wait! I'll talk!" She sighed. "Alrighty then. Start talking." She took a deep breath. "I am Ice Da-" "Colgate..." she murmured under her breath. "What were you doing?" "She wanted me to see what you were doing back there, cooped up every night." "And did you see why?" She grinned. "Yes. Indeed I did." "Then we have no further need of discussion... tratior." Her eyes widened at this. "What? I'm no-" The knife hit home right through the center of the neck. Blood spurted out of the cut, and she dropped to the floor, clutching at her neck. She soon collasped and stood still. She picked up the body. At least she wouldn't have to get a corpse from that creepy collector tonight... She wondered how to deal with the problem that her rivals were posing. How...? Several times now I have seen her. A pony, lurking in the shadows. I pretend not to notice, but I cannot help but look. She doesn't move or talk- except to or from the door- but she spends most of it looking at me- watching me put together puzzles, or sleep on my new bed- a cloud that Lemon had wrangled in. I like laying on the cool, fluffy surface, looking at the pictures of stars on the ceiling. She looks scared, somewhat unbelieving. I wonder why. I tried to talk to her once, but as I made to approach her, she left and didn't come back for a while. For some reason, I didn't tell Lemon about it. I don't know why. Maybe because I wasn't scared? Maybe I was scared of her reaction? I don't know. Then, one day, the pony was about to exit- and she ran right into Lemon. She didn't have a chance. She grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and left, telling me that she would be back soon. It took her fifteen minutes to reappear at my door. Then she started to ask me several questions. How long was she here, if she had been here before. My answers seemed to frighten her more. I remember asking, "Why are you scared?" "Because," she responded, "there are people out there who wish to hurt me... and will hurt you with the sole purpose of hurting me- without any regard to you. To them you are just..." she paused at this. But I get it. I don't need her to say anymore. Lemon was almost to the point of tears. I did the only thing I could do. I opened my forelegs and wrapped her in a hug. It took her a while to wrap her legs around me, and she sobbed into my shoulder, while I reassured her that everything would be alright. Trying to reassure myself as well, trying to see what she is so scared of. And then I realize it. She's scared for me. She's scared because she doesn't want anything to happen to me, and no matter what she did now, her enemies were able to steal the key to her heart... maybe even her sanity. I can't let this happen. Not just because I would be the way they entered, I would also be the one. Whom, if I gave in, I exposed my mother to her enemies. Eventually, she breaks away. She smiles at me through tears and kisses me on my cheek, then says that she would return. And then she leaves. In the hallway, the tears slowly turn into anger. How dare she try to take her away- to take her and shape her into a true horror, something to be put on the front lines to be slaughtered! She eventually made her way to Colgate's chambers and burst open the door, disregarding her privacy. "COLGATE!" I holler, upset. Colgate grinned, lifting her head from her work. "Why, hello, Lemon Hearts. I haven't seen you in a while. Perhaps because of... your little secret." "Your spy is dead." Lemon smiled at Colgate's sudden look of disapproval, before it disappeared. Then Colgate siled in return. "Please. I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is this spy?" "Your late apprentice, Ice Darkness." "Oh, well. Apprentices are replaceable. Tell me you never sent your apprentice to do something that you could have done, only because of the implied health hazard. And besides, I never sent him. He was acting of his own free will." "Liar." "Oh, really? I'll take it to the Council, if you aren't satisfied. But there would be quicker way for your little secret to get out." "Now you're blackmailing me." "Perhaps. Now get out of here, Lemon. Don't you see I have undead to fabricate?" Author's Note Sorry, fellows. I feel bad about it, but this story is effectively going to hiatus until mid July. My summer is very, very hectic. I might have a chapter for you the first week of June. Until then... :(
PicturesLemon Hearts gazed at the pictures, surprised and slightly touched that she would attempt to preserve them. The Elements of Harmony. That's what was needed in this war-torn world right now. Harmony. A place where no one cared that you chopped up, stitched together, and reanimated bodies for a living. Peace. She shook her head. She can't be thinking about this right now. She had several different things on her mind, and that was at the bottom. But, however, what was near the top was how to get rid of Colgate. Several things went through her mind. Framing, assassination, an 'accident'. But she couldn't figure out how she would be able to set any of that up without endangering her apprentice- despite what the other necromancers thought, the Cult was running low on necromancers-, herself, or Mockingjay. Several wild ideas came to her mind, each more crazier than before. And then she settled on an idea. Since Colgate was unable to send her apprentice over now, considering that her body was lying on the ground in front of Lemon, any more information about Mockingbird that she had to learn had to be learned in person. And she would provide large amounts of evidence directly to Mockingbird about that evidence, if not herself. A witness of sorts. The only downside? Revealing Mockingjay to the council, before she was fully trained. She debated with herself. Was it really a good idea to endanger her- to have her taken away- merely for revenge? And besides, the necromancer could merely claim that the undead was merely controlled to give evidence against her. So that means that she would have to provide an additional means of recording. Which was somewhat easily done. She decided to check on Mockingjay before letting her know about her plans, as well as starting her work on this corpse. A Smiling Doll for sure. Just to creep out Colgate. For some reason, she hated them with a passion. I watched silently as Lemon came out of her room and looked at me, staring at her from a cloud. "Hello." I said softly. "How are you doing?" Lemon sighed. "Not very well..." She shrugged before looking at the puzzle. "Huh... I like this last-" For some reason, she stopped talking. Her eyes grew a little bit wider, and she stared at the picture for a while, before shaking her head. "Wow... what a nice picture." "Lemon... I have a question." She knew the answer to it- partially- but she wanted to hear what she said. "Who were the Royal Sisters?" With this question, Lemon sighed. Neither she nor I spoke for a while. And then she said, softly, "They were the ponies who lead us, ruled us. But then they vanished. And now... they are nothing but pictures. Nothing but pictures." She shook her head, clearly disturbed about something. Then she said, "Mockingjay... there is a pony. With a blue coat, and a dark blue and while mane and tail that looks like toothpaste. She's out to get me- to bring me down, to humiliate me, and, possibly... make me lose you." She sighed. "If she decides to visit here, several things need to happen, all of which needs to happen as soon as possible. Do you understand?" I nod slowly and carefully. "Good. First thing that needs to happen is that, as soon as I come in, you need to tell me. About everything that she has told you, everything that she did. Alright?" "Why?" I asked, fear building up in me. "Because she will try to disrupt you. Make you doubt the world around you. And you need to play along until I get back. Alright?" "Alright." I said, squeakily. "And the second thing- you need to keep her out of my room. Alright? If she goes in there, she will be able to steal some of my most precious things- a disenchantment spell, for instance, or the special pictures you made for me." I nod again slowly. "Also... if these things come to pass... you will have to be seen by a group of ponies. There are seven of them, though one lies in a sarcophagus. They are my... leaders. The leaders of everyone here. All the servants, necromancers... we all owe them respect, because they have a direct link to the Laughing Mare... the one in the sarcophagus, we think, may even be the Laughing Mare. They might seem intimidating, but they are trying to keep you and me alive... hopefully." I decide that I don't like the sound of these ponies. Hopefully? What is that supposed to mean? "Alright, Mockingbird?" I stop for a while and think about this. "But... why does this pony want to hurt you?" She stopped and considered an answer. "Because she is jealous. She wishes to inflict as much pain on me as possible.. and one of the biggest ways she can do it is by destroying my heart... by destroying you..." At this, Lemon fades out and stops for a moment. Then she smiles again, although I can tell that it is forced. "Now... I have to get back to work, alright? I'll give you a few more puzzles to do if you want." I stop and decide not to ask about the sudden change of topic. "Alright... that would be nice. Thanks, Lemon." Author's Note New chapter! All my readers out there... how are you all doing? How am I doing with this? I feel as if I've been dragging this out too long...
RevelationBOOM. I wake up with a start, at first scared that something is breaking in. Eventually I consider that it's safe. Nothing going on. BOOM. I dive back into my cloud before i realize that there is a pattering of rain. So this is thunder. It certainly is loud. I sit up, struggling to keep my mind from spinning out of control, a river of odd sensations and experiences flying through them. This has happened more and more often lately. I wanted to talk to Lemon about this, let her know how I was feeling, yet I could not. She was on a business trip out of the city. She said that she would be back in a week. Tonight. Anytime now, actually. I try to go back to sleep, but between my anxiety to see Lemon again and my building sense of foreboding, I cannot, so I settle myself to control my memories. They feel... good. I can't understand why. I can't describe it. I wonder if I want to. The door creeps open and I stick myself into my cloud, watching as a guard peeks his head in, making sure that everything was safe. I watch him from a distance, noticing it's the same guard that pokes his head in. I wonder how I realize that. Maybe it's the bat wings. Or at least, I think their bat wings. They certainly aren't fluffy pegasus wings- I should know, considering that I have three pairs of them. As the door closes, I continue to mentally debate my condition. Two branching horns and six wings? Since when has any pony has that? Maybe I'm a freak, a mutant- perhaps even corrupted by demons. I've heard tales of them- fanged beasts that come from both the pits of Tartarus and the alternate realm. I hear a swish, a splat, and a eerie thwump. Diving into my cloud, I peer out while I see a shadow outline against my door, and a pool of red liquid begin to pool up. My nose registers a sweet, tangy scent, yet I cannot draw a name for this smell. I feel... attracted to the red liquid. But fear stops me in my tracks as the door opens. It reveals a mare with a dark blue mane, hooves stained with blood. Her cloak blocks my view of her face, but her white and blue tail reminds me of... My mind almost freezes with fear. Here, then, was a rival- an assassin here to steal, kill, and destroy. Steal Lemon's spells, destroy her heart and kill me... I silently, using a power that I never before tapped into, cast a spell that bound to the door. A spell of barring. The pony pauses as she detects the magical discharge, but continues on as she reaches the door, disabling the locks and casting open the door. Except the door wouldn't open, thanks to the spell. The pony growled before looking around. She locks eyes with me for a second before turning away. "I can sense your presence, Afflicted One... scared and confused. I cannot answer your questions until I am sure that it is indeed you I am talking to..." Questions? Can this pony read my mind? I don't move a muscle. "I come bearing bad news concerning your... master? Friend?" She paused. "Perhaps... mother? The prophets tell me to bear this news, and I do not disobey the prophets." I can hear the frustration in her voice as she tells me this. "Yet this news will only be imparted if I am talking the one who I think I am." I decide that she's telling the truth and stick my head out of the cloud, tilting my head slightly, although remaining silent. I cannot see her expression, but it is anywhere from admiration to disgust. Her face is in shadow. "Excellent. I am glad to see that you are not as shy I thought you might be. My apprentice said so, but I was unsure." She sighed. "So that I may stop calling you she or it, what are you called? Do you have a name?" I debate telling her the truth, or even talking at all, but I decide as this pony was sent by the prophets, that she was trustworthy. "Mockingjay..." I murmur. She frowns as she looks at me. Perhaps she was not expecting me to answer. I do not know. I start a question. "Was your apprentice also cloaked?" She nodded slowly. "Yes, indeed. I believe you have met before? He wanted to ensure that you were... well... stable. I wasn't sure. Besides, one as different as yourself might not be mentally stable." I thought about that. She is right, I might not be sane... Wait a minute. Who was this pony telling me that I was insane? She must be trying to unhinge me. I don't know. I decide to only extract fact from these, and to suppress my emotional thoughts for later. I didn't know I could do that. How interesting. "What is it that you want?" I ask, a tone of sharpness in my voice. The pony smiled lightly. "My name is Colgate, and I come bearing news concerning your master... news that you might find disturbing..." My mind goes on high alert. "Concerning Lemon? What is it?" Colgate smiled lightly. "You see... Lemon was called upon to take a special mission. A quest, almost." Her smile fell off of her face. "We were ambushed by the House Earthborn. They came in with steam engines the size of a house and cannons mounted on them. They assaulted us with flames that streaked out of gu-" "But... what happened to Lemon?" Colgate remained silent. "You... you mean to tell me... tell me... she's..." She nodded once before turning away. My eyes grew wide as I comprehend what she means. Looking for any way out of this. "Lemon wanted me to have anything that she had left... I do not know why myself, honestly." She smiled. "I wish not to disturb you." Something is definitely wrong here. Running along the paved, wet ground outside. I turn to her. "If that is the case, then why did you kill the guards?" "The guards? They went rouge. They were planning to kill you and Lemon when she returned... unfortunately, the deed had already been done." Anxious to see her friend "Then show me proof of Lemon's words." "Is the word of your master not enough?" Master? What is this pony talking about...? "Lemon isn't my master... she's my friend." She flew out of her cloud to glide in front of the door. "And this door is barred to any but her!" She laughed- an evil, accursed cackle. "Your words betray your ignorance." She smiled. "Ah, I see her game now. Program the creature to accept her as a mother rather than a master to slave away for. I doubt you even know what you are." My ears perk up. "I say that you are a fine example of an alicorn mockery." What? "What do you mean, alicorn mockery? I'm no mockery of-" "But indeed you are. Ever wonder why you have four pairs of legs? Six wings? Three warped horns?" She grinned as she approached, a demonic smile that revealed madness. "Let me tell you something. I trust you are intellegent enough to understand. You are nothing. You are the patched up remains of over twenty different ponies, stitched together with threat and reanimated with magic! You are nothing more than a zombie, a mere servant, and, honestly, you shouldn't even have a mind!" I mentally recoil under this onslaught before I comprehend what she said. And, for a moment, I cannot truly accept this, although something in the back of my mind tells me that she is right. That it all works. It all fits together. The patchwork body. The random wings and horns. The somewhat serpentine construction of my tongue. It is the only logical option, now that I think about it. A mockery of life. Coming inside And suddenly, I am dashed to the ground, pinned under the weight of another pony. "Magic dies with its caster," cackled Colgate. "And your death will be quite painful as you feel every part of you die simultaniously. I wonder how it will feel to die over twenty times, as all of your souls are rended out of you? Will there even be anything left?" My eyes widen, and I try to get away. But as I see the the magic on her horn, and the grin on her face, I know that it is too late. Lemon's eyes widened as he saw the dead bodies of two of the guards, as well as the door slightly ajar. She dashed in, spells ready. She gasped as she saw Colgate standing over a stunned Mockingbird, magic ready. There was only one thing that she could do. She let loose with her magic, blasting Colgate off of her friend, yet she was too late as Colgate shot once, yet the force of the blasts that she used destroyed knocked the shot off, instead piercing her through her stomach. She didn't notice, apparently. She ran over to Mockingbird, embracing her, sobbing. She glanced at Colgate. Her breathing was slow with a ragged hole punched through her chest. She turned back. "I'm so glad your safe." Mockingbird started sobbing, too, as she embraced Lemon. Then something Colgate said came up in her mind again. "Lemon... while... she... was here, she said... that... you were my master and that I was some sort of... zombie. An Alicorn Mockery, she said..." She knows. Despite all of my efforts to the contrary, she now knows. "Lemon...? Did I say something wrong?" It is time to impart to her the truth... but how? [hr I sit back to listen as Lemon sighed. "I... I... I had lost all of my family. A raid by House Earthborn. That's what drove me to become a necromancer, I guess. If I was going to be alone, then I alone I would be." I think about this, picture it in my head. Making it one or two sentences. A sad, lonely necromancer... "I eventually rose through the ranks to become one of the highest necromancers in the entire cult." I edit my sentence. A powerful, sad, and lonely necromancer... "I received an order from the cult. Three special orders. They named them Alicorn Mockeries, and the power of the Laughing Mare flowed through them. I had some left over parts, and, I thought, maybe I would have one to myself... a guardian, a servant... perhaps something to talk to in the evenings, even if it won't respond." ... created a monster so she wouldn't be alone... "And... when I cast the spell... I guess something happened. I don't know. Maybe it had something to do with the lightning storm. But I guess it granted her sentience, and, eventually, sapience... and she became you." ... but something went wrong, and that monster became me... I sigh. "So... what am I to you? A servant? A guardian?" Lemon looked at me, tears in her eyes. "No... I created you to be the family I didn't even get to say goodbye to... someone who cared... someone that I could never had..." A tear dripped down her cheek. "Someone that I could relate to, to talk to, to teach from and learn from..." "A friend...?" "A friend." Things are starting to make sense now, yet, there is one thing... "How do you know for a fact that I truly am undead, as you say?" Sobbing, she pointed at my belly, and my eyes widen. A large, gaping hole is visible there, leaking a red liquid. Yet I did not even notice it until Lemon pointed it out to me. And this is the proof I needed. And, suddenly... we are embracing again, sobbing for each other more than for ourselves. I, sobbing for Lemon's loneliness. She, sobbing for me. And these facts bring us together. And I accept what I am. A mockery of life. A friend until death. Author's Note Nice ending, yes? Stick around, my friends, for I will be making a new story involving Mockingbird here in a bit.
PuzzlesLemon Hearts burst back into her room, scowling. Of course it was Colgate. But she couldn't say anything about it until she was able to ensure that the High Prophet was on her side. If she didn't... not only would Mockingbird's life be on the line, hers would be too. She stalked right past the large cloud hovering to the side- the one that she had managed to bring in here for Mockingbird. Ignoring the confused expression on her face as she passed. She entered her room, then closed the door... to find, waiting for her, Ice Darkness's corpse... and, crudely framed, all six of the Elements of Harmony, from back in the days before the Celestial Sisters disappeared. Somehow, this effort from Mockingbird touched her. With tears in her eyes, she got to work on the corpse, thinking quietly on how to work this out... I watch as my mother storms past the cloud, her face contorted with anger. I wonder if it had anything to do with the pony who she took out of here. I try to say something- maybe something to help her calm down- but before I can even form the words, the doors to her room had shut down. Sighing, I settle down on my cloud again, when the last two puzzle boxes draw my attention. I decide, for lack of anything else to do, to open them. The first box I open seems full of dark pieces. I slowly begin to put together the pieces. A dark shape. A pony. No. When I put on the elusive last pieces, about an hour later, I discover that this is an alicorn. A dark blue alicorn with a flowing mane and tail. She has a moon behind her. And then I realize the picture is only half complete. I open the next box to reveal a large amount of light pieces. As I slowly put together this next puzzle, I realize that it says "Princess Luna" on the top and, "al Sisters". I wonder what the last part means. I wonder who this Princess Luna is. I finish the next puzzle, to find that, it too, is only half done. It says on it, "Princess Celestia" and "The Celesti". It is another alicorn, only this time, she is right. Something buzzes in the back of my brain, and, suddenly, it makes sense. These were the Celestial Sisters. And the puzzle... Fits together... RIght along the line. Which it does. Perfectly. It says on the top, clearly, "Princess Celestia & Princess Luna." Along the bottom, there is a line that says, "The Celestial Sisters." It shows a pair of ponies embracing each other. The Royal Sisters. So these were to ponies that were in charge of ensuring that the moon and sun were on charge. Why did they leave? A mystery to all... I wondered about what would happen when I showed Lemon Hearts the picture? I decide to wait- a few minutes, at least- before disturbing her... Author's Note Tada. Middle of July. Right on schedule. A short, dinky chapter to emphasize that I am still here.
