The Longest Day: Power Corrupts
Written in collaboration with the author of TLD: Absolute Power
My Dearest, Most Faithful Student Twilight,
I hope this letter finds you well. Your latest report was very informative, and I have some of the best minds in Canterlot studying the implications of your theories; the raw data so far is fascinating.
I am reluctant to ask more of you, my student, but I have limited options. I have received no word from Appleoosa within the past ten days, and I grow concerned for the small settlement. My attempts to contact them have been met only with silence, and I humbly ask that you be watchful for any news of Appleoosa, and inform me immediately if you discover something.
Her Royal Highness,
-Princess Celestia
Twilight Sparkle’s pleasure at her teacher’s satisfaction was tempered by a frown as Spike concluded his usual recitation. The Princess had obviously taken her latest theory—postulating that friendship and magic are consubstantial—seriously; she could be no happier, but what was that she had said about Appleoosa?
“Huh,” said Spike, mirroring her furrowed brow, “I wonder what’s happening in Appleoosa that would make them lose contact with Canterlot. They’re usually such loudmouths.”
Twilight smirked slightly, recalling her time in Canterlot library and the sheaves of reports Celestia would have to sift through every week requesting another plan, proposal or building arrangement in the burgeoning frontier town. As Applejack’s cousin, Braeburn, had put it on their brief visit, ‘Boggles the mind that we settler ponies built all this in just the past year, don’t it?’
Shrugging, the small purple dragon made his way over to the wooden racks where royal scrolls were filed. Rolling it up once more, he dismissed their concerns. “I guess the train forgot to take the mail last week.”
“I don’t know, Spike. If the Princess is worried…”
“What could possibly happen? They’re in the middle of the desert after all; the only other guys out there are the buffalo, and we helped them make peace, remember?”
Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory; how she and her friends had nearly caused, and then averted, a war between the settlers and natives. “Still, we had better make sure that the mail is delivered on time this week. Tardiness is unacceptable, especially for such an important service as Equestrian Mail. Add it to the checklist.”
Spike nodded and fetched the list from the desk whereon it lay. “Got it.”
As he scribbled the addendum, Twilight ambled over to the balcony and peered out across the thatched roofs of Ponyville, gilded by the rising sun. The fluffy clouds on the horizon were cast in brilliant shades of orange and pink. In the cobbled streets below, ponies were already busy going about their day. She sighed contentedly.
“So what did you want for breakfast Twilight? We got some of those cinnamon oats left if you want them.”
Twilight snorted in amusement. “You only suggest that because you liked them.”
Spike grinned and rolled up the list. “There’s nothing wrong with starting the day with a little sugar.”
“I bet Pinkie Pie told you that.”
“Maybe…”
The unicorn turned once more towards the balcony, savouring the gentle breeze that played amongst her mane. “No, I think I’d like to eat out this morning. Maybe Horte Cuisine’s; they have a delicious breakfast menu.”
Spike scoffed, affronted. “Are my breakfasts not good enough anymore?”
She giggled. “That’s not it at all, Spike, don’t be silly. It’s just a beautiful day and I’d like a morning walk. It’s good for you, you know, better than sugar coated cinnamon oats, anyway.”
He grumbled, but joined her all the same. Then, with her magic, Twilight gently lifted her saddlebags onto her back and descended the steps to the ground floor. Spike hopped upon her too as they left the library.
The air outside was clear and crisp, and it put most everypony in Ponyville in high spirits. They nodded and cheerily bid Twilight and Spike good morning as they passed. Crossing the town square, Horte Cuisine’s restaurant soon came into view, where several ponies were already enjoying their outdoor breakfasts.
Horte himself had just finished serving, and he welcomed the unicorn and her dragon assistant with a smile. “Good morning madame,” he said in his melodic accent, “Please, take a seat while I fetch your menus.”
They did as bidden, settling upon the comfortable hay piles that were arranged opposite one another across the round tables. Despite the pleasant morning, Spike’s grumpy bearing was unchanged.
“I know you like this place, Twilight, but really, I can’t live off grass for the rest of my life.”
“Oh you’re being overly dramatic. They serve lots of things here besides grass.”
Spiked expression slumped. “Like dandelions, daisies and lilies?”
“Okay, I see your point.”
“I just think they should offer an alternative menu for non-ponies. Something laden with gemstones and caramel…” His eyes glazed as he imagined the hypothetical treat.
Twilight chuckled. “Well, maybe one of these mornings we’ll go out to the gem fields and have a picnic.”
Horte Cuisine returned with their menus. Twilight thanked him and glanced over the contents. No sooner had she cast down her eyes, though, than something made her look up again. From the east, out of the rising sun, a rapidly growing silhouette barrelled towards Ponyville.
“What in Equestria?” she muttered, squinting at the harsh light.
Spike followed her gaze. “Is that… Rainbow Dash?”
His guess was confirmed as the sky blue Pegasus hurtled into Ponyville square, her mane and tail whipping behind her in great multicoloured streaks. The extra space did little to soften her impact as she crash landed with a yelp, skidding for several hundred feet on her chest. Before Twilight had time to blink, Rainbow Dash was up and galloping towards her, the collective attention of the town fixed upon her.
“Twilight! Twilight!” she cried, her eyes wild with fear and panic.
For a moment, Twilight thought the frantic Pegasus might bowl her over; she winced, but Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt inches away, their muzzles nearly touching.
“You’ve gotta help me! The clouds, they’re… alive! Th-they’re trying to kill me!”
Judging by her ruffled feathers, ragged mane and shallow panting, it was obvious that Rainbow Dash had just been through quite the ordeal. But clouds? Her eyes darted about the open blue heavens above, searching for some hidden danger.
“Whoa, whoa,” said Twilight, getting to her hooves. “Calm down Rainbow. What’s going on?”
Without taking her eyes off the skies, the Pegasus recounted her morning thus far. “W-well, I thought I’d get up early to wrangle the clouds, y’know, so I could have the afternoon off to nap. Everything was going fine until I spotted a couple of rogues drifting out from over the Everfree. I was gonna chase them back, but suddenly they started chasing me!”
Twilight and Spike exchanged glances. “The clouds started chasing you?”
“Yeah! And not only that, they were growling and snarling like some kind of monster!”
There was a long, awkward silence. Spike struggled to contain a snicker, and Rainbow Dash shot him an angry glare. “This isn’t funny, Spike, it really happened!”
Twilight had her doubts, but Rainbow Dash seemed so rattled; something must have happened. “The clouds were growling at you? Are you sure? It might have been something on the ground.”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Then how do you explain them chasing me?”
“Freak wind currents? Thermals? Air pressure variations? You’re a member of the Weather Patrol, you know any number of things can cause a cloud to drift out from the Everfree.”
“Not like these… They were alive, Twilight, I know it.”
“Listen, you can’t possibly think straight like this. Have something to eat with us, relax, and we’ll go back to the library after breakfast to look this up.”
Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash took her place at the table. Then, all of a sudden, a cacophony of yelling sundered the short-lived peace of the town square.
“Help! Help!” somepony hollered as they skirted town hall.
Twilight’s attention snapped to the direction of the pleas. A brown earth pony with a black mane and tail was galloping as fast as his heavy burden would allow; across his back was draped another pony, seemingly lifeless. Panicking, he stumbled, and they both crumpled to the floor. A crowd quickly gathered around them, and horrified gasps echoed across the square.
Wordlessly, Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash abandoned their table and went to see the commotion for themselves. The dragon hopped upon Twilight’s back as she forced her way to the front of the crowd, while Rainbow hovered above them.
What met her made Twilight’s vision go misty with tears. One of Applejack’s cousins, Caramel, lay limp upon the cobblestones; a huge gash ran the length of his chest, and his breathing was painfully shallow.
“Oh my gosh,” she breathed, hardly believing the sight before her.
The other pony, another Apple relative named Golden Delicious, had finally caught his breath. He sat upon his haunches, sucking in great lungfuls of air as he looked over his wounded cousin.
“What happened?!” Twilight demanded.
The stallion locked eyes with her, and she saw unalloyed terror in his face. “Sweet Apple Acres…” he coughed, “Under attack!”
A surge of nervous murmurs swept through the crowd.
“Attack?” wondered Twilight. “From what?”
“I— I don’t know… They came from the Everfree; there were so many… I’ve never seen anything like it.”
That was all Rainbow Dash needed to hear. “Come on!” she cried, and sped away in a multicoloured jet stream.
Twilight hesitated. “Take him to Nurse Redheart,” she ordered, “and quickly!”
Two earth ponies helped lift the injured stallion between them as Twilight turned tail and galloped towards Sweet Apple Acres.
“What’s going on, Twilight?” Spike asked, a hint of fear in his voice.
“I don’t know, but we’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
They left Ponyville behind them and tore down the dusty path to the southeast, crossing the bridge over the river. As they approached, they could hear the clamour of violent battle ringing through the trees. A chorus of blood-curdling roars, growls and yelling shook the leaves above them. Twilight gasped as they rounded the copse and came face to face with a bitter struggle that had consumed the hill whereon the farm stood.
The Apple family barn was assailed by a veritable horde of monsters. Applejack, Big Macintosh and several of the Apple cousins had barricaded themselves inside. The creatures were tall, muscular, and had the same colourful pelage as ponies, but resembled Ursas in physiology. Twilight could see little detail from this distance, but it appeared that they had symbols on their stomachs, much like cutie marks.
There were hundreds of them, surging in multicoloured masses as they battered the doors of the red structure with their powerful fists and claws. Yet more flooded in from the shadowy depths of the Everfree forest. Their guttural ululations vibrated the very air. It was an impossible sight, and it made Twilight stop in her tracks; she shook her head and blinked, wishing for it to be some nightmare, but no matter what she tried the horde was still there.
“W-what are they?” squeaked Spike, shrinking away in terror.
Twilight had never seen the like before. “I- I don’t know…”
There was a sudden ruckus above as Rainbow Dash sped overhead, two fluffy white clouds in pursuit.
She was right… thought Twilight.
Losing her temper, the sky blue Pegasus stalled in mid-air, looped around and over the pursuing clouds, and turned the tables on them. She quickly closed the distance and leapt upon the nearest one, wrestling it like a rancher with a new calf, but it dissolved at her touch. One of the bear-like creatures was revealed between Rainbow Dash’s hooves, snarling and struggling. Startled, she pulled away, and the creature swept at her futilely before plummeting to the ground.
“They’re in the clouds?!” wondered Spike.
Before any more arrived, Rainbow Dash swept in to land and rushed over to Twilight, panting from fatigue and fear. “Did you see that?!” she gasped, incredulous.
Twilight nodded. Then her attention returned to the barn on the hill, lost in a sea of multicoloured muscle. “We have to save Applejack’s family,” she said.
“Right!” agreed Rainbow, coiling her legs in preparation for takeoff.
Twilight held her in place with a burst of magical energy. “Whoa, wait!”
“What is it? Applejack’s in trouble!”
“I know, but you’ll never be able to get them all out on your own.” The unicorn’s mind raced as she tried to formulate a solution. “Go to Cloudsdale and get as much help as you can, then come back here. I’ll get inside with Applejack.”
She was hesitant.
“Go on, go!”
With one last glance over her shoulder, she launched into the sky like a missile, tearing the ground beneath her hooves and taking several apple tree branches with her.
Twilight shook her windswept mane from her eyes and prepared her teleport spell. “Hold on tight, Spike.”
She concentrated on their destination to the exclusion of all else. The world around them folded, becoming narrower and narrower until it collapsed into a purple line of infinite brightness, then suddenly there was a blinding flash, and they reappeared inside the Apple family barn.
There were a few dizzy moments as Twilight and Spike recovered from their long-distance teleport. The unicorn shook her head, and when her vision returned, found herself staring down four Apple cousins armed with a motley collection of farm equipment. “Whoa, whoa,” she said, recoiling from the sharp implements. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, a friend!” She found she had to raise her voice to be heard over the cacophony outside.
A familiar drawl came from up above. “Twilight?!” Applejack scrambled down from the hay loft and dismissed her cousins. “Get back to fightin’!”
Four razor-like claws punctured the wood mere inches from Twilight’s head. She yelped and instinctively leapt away; Spike held on for dear life. The Apple cousins dove into the fray, swiping and thrusting with shears, tongs and pitchforks.
Similar melees took place wherever the monsters had weakened the barn enough to make a hole. Winona’s barking was inaudible over the racket. Big Macintosh was pressed against the front doors, lending his weight to a door beam that creaked and groaned whenever the creatures made a concerted push.
“What in Equestria is going on, Applejack?!” Twilight demanded.
The orange earth pony was grimy from combat; her brow glistened with sweat beneath her hat. “I don’t know!” she despaired. “We were workin’ the orchard as always, when these bear things came outta the Everfree like a swarm o’ parasprites! We barely made it inside before they started swipin’ at us.” Her eyes widened as something grim crossed her mind. “Caramel was hurt. Golden Delicious took him to Ponyville. Is he—?”
Twilight held up a hoof. “He’s fine, we sent him to Nurse Redheart.”
Applejack’s relief was palpable. “Come up here!” she said, clambering back up the stairs to the hay loft.
Twilight quickly followed. From here they had a good view of the hill; they were utterly surrounded. The Carrot family’s farm across the way was under a similar siege. More and more of the creatures emerged from the Everfree with every passing minute. There seemed no end to them.
“How the hay are we gonna push ‘em back?” Applejack cried hopelessly. She growled as one of the monsters attempted to scale the distance between the ground and where they stood. Cinderblocks tied to lengths of rope were piled nearby; she grasped one in her teeth and swung it over the edge of the loft, striking the slavering creature on the muzzle. It yelped and fell back into the mass of its peers.
“Push them back?” blanched Twilight. “We can’t, there’s too many. We have to get your family to safety.”
Applejack looked at her with such steel, it made Twilight shiver. “I ain’t abandonin’ our farm to these monsters.”
“If you stay you’ll all be killed!” Twilight protested.
“And if we don’t we’ll lose our livelihood.” She hurled another cinderblock into the horde, eliciting several anguished cries. “We need somethin’ to drive ‘em back into the Everfree. Ain’t you got some kinda spell for this?”
“A spell to instantly relocate multitudes of monsters the size of buffalo? No.”
A swarm of clouds whizzed overhead, the bear creatures piloting them.
“They’ll start landing on the roof if we don’t get out of here! I sent Rainbow Dash for help from Cloudsdale, she’ll be back any minute.”
“We ain’t budgin’.”
“This is no time to be stubborn!”
Spike spoke up, his voice quavering; it was evident he was eager to leave. “M-maybe you should listen to her, Applejack…”
Applejack turned to face them, a hateful expression contorting her face. “No! We ain’t goin’ nowhere till these varmints are gone.”
Twilight couldn’t help but wonder if the rest of the Apple family shared her stubbornness. There was a disconcerting splintering from below that drew everypony’s attention. Big Macintosh slammed himself against the door as clawing talons tried to force it open.
“Big Macintosh!” called Applejack. “You alright?”
“Nnnope!” he grunted, his voice strained with effort.
She gasped. “Everypony upstairs, quickly!”
The Apple cousins climbed up to the hay loft with Winona at their heels, bracing themselves to defend it. When he saw that they were all safe, Big Macintosh released the doors and, with a gracefulness unbefitting his stature, leapt up after them. Immediately the doors caved inwards, fracturing down the middle and folding under the weight of bodies from the other side. The technicolour horde stormed inside, roaring and snarling. Their claws formed a writhing sea of knives as they reached up at the ponies on the loft. Those who attempted to climb the stairs were quickly discouraged by the Apples and their makeshift weapons.
So close, Twilight noticed their hungry eyes, which varied through the full range of the spectrum, and their scents, which ranged from cinnamon to banana. Upon their white stomachs symbols of love, friendship and happiness were emblazoned. With such pleasant exteriors, she thought it strange that they should be so violent.
“Stay back, Faust curse ya!” Applejack shouted, hurling another cinderblock into their midst.
The barn twisted and groaned with their numbers, and Twilight felt the floor panels below her wobble frighteningly. She turned to face the open sky. Where are you Rainbow Dash?
As though answering her question, a swarm of black specks appeared on the horizon, hurtling towards the farm at prodigious speed. At their head, a sky blue Pegasus with a rainbow coloured mane took form.
“It’s the pegasi!” said Spike, elated.
The Apples glanced over their collective shoulders and relief graced their faces. But the approaching pegasi distracted them from their defence and, before they could react, one of their number was dragged down into the waiting claws of the bears.
“Apple Brioche!” cried Applejack.
Twilight had to prevent her from diving into certain death after her cousin.
“Let me go, consarn it!”
The Apples’ eyes searched desperately for their relative, but she was long gone.
“It’s no use!” Twilight insisted. “We have to get out of here!” She cast a protective bubble over the remaining Apples and released Applejack from her grip.
The orange mare looked back at her, tears in her furious eyes. She glanced between the deathly barn below and the open sky outside, then finally relented, breaking down into sobs.
Rainbow Dash slowed to a hover as she reached the barn, warily eyeing the horde as they reached up at her. “Is everypony okay?” she asked.
Twilight looked solemnly down at her hooves.
Rainbow seemed to understand, and she couldn’t help her eyes glazing with tears. “Alright,” she sniffed angrily, and turned to the score of pegasi she had brought, “get everypony outta there!”
The pegasi followed their orders, hovering two by two before the hay loft and lifting a single earth pony each. From there they flew towards Ponyville, where they knew it would be safe. Twilight comforted her grieving friend; crying not only for the loss of her cousin, but for her farm too. Big Macintosh was the last to go. He required four pegasi to lift him, one to each leg. The final pair awaited Applejack.
She looked up suddenly, concerned. “Where’s Applebloom?” she said, glancing about worriedly. “Did they take her?”
A chilling sense of dread gripped Twilight’s chest, nearly disrupting the protective spell. “I- I don’t think so…”
“Applebloom?!” Applejack called, searching frantically. “Applebloom, where are ya?!”
“Did you see her, Spike?”
“I didn’t even see her when we came up here.”
“Where’s my sister?!” Applejack demanded from no-one in particular.
All of a sudden there was a tremendous bang that shook the weakened walls of the barn. It was so loud that Twilight was forced to flatten her ears against her head. Then a strange, roiling mist began to drift in from the east, swaddling the farm. It was bright green in colour, and glittered with what Twilight knew could only be magic. The moment she breathed, if invaded her lungs, and she found herself coughing uncontrollably. The miasma stung her eyes and burnt her throat, and judging by the wails of the horde, it had a similar effect on the monsters.
“Get… us… out… of here,” she wheezed, waving the pegasi closer.
Their wing beats cleared some space, and they dragged the struggling Applejack from the building. Rainbow Dash and another member of Ponyville Weather Patrol then lifted Twilight, for she was in no state to cast another spell. Spike clung desperately to her mane as they rose up and away from the farm.
Looking down, and blinking the tears from her raw eyes, Twilight could see that a maelstrom of green mist had enveloped the hill. It reached into Everfree with malicious sentience, clawing at the trees like fingers. Through it, she could just make out the retreating horde of monsters as they fled into the gloom. Her searching gaze settled on Zecora, standing on a nearby hill as she considered what she had wrought. At her side was the tiny yellow and red speck of Applebloom.
A few seconds later the pegasi began to descend, alighting just outside of Ponyville in a broad sward where the rest of the Apple family was gathered. Zecora and Applebloom arrived shortly after them.
“Applebloom!” breathed Applejack, relieved. She ran to nuzzle her sister. “Where were you?”
“I went to get Zecora!” the little filly answered. “I thought she could help.”
“What the hay was all that green smoke?” inquired Rainbow Dash, turning to the zebra.
“Begging your pardon, but it was not smoke, just a little poison to make those bears choke.” Zecora’s voice was unusually bitter as she spoke the last words.
“Poison?” wondered Rainbow Dash. Her voice dipped into a mumble. “I thought she wasn’t an evil enchantress…”
“Will it keep them away, Zecora?” inquired Twilight.
“To make that foul brew I used all of my powers, but it will not last more than a few hours.”
“Do you know anything about the monsters?” inquired Twilight.
“Claws and teeth and vibrant colour, but beyond that, I’m afraid I’m no scholar.”
“Perhaps the library will yield more answers…” Twilight suggested. “Come on!” She whirled away and started towards the town.
“Uh… Twilight?” said Spike.
She turned back, confused, and cursed her thoughtlessness when she saw how devastated the Apples were. “Applejack, I- I’m sorry…”
A single tear rolled down the length of the orange mare’s muzzle, where it hung like a sparkling diamond. “It’s okay… Y’all are right. We need to find out what them things are if we’re ever gonna have a hope of gettin’ our farm back.” She opened her eyes and faced her grieving family. “Big Macintosh, take ‘em into town and keep an eye on ‘em, you hear me?”
The big red stallion sniffed and nodded in acknowledgement.
“Good. Let’s get down to business, Twi; the sooner we find out what they are, the sooner we can beat ‘em.”
Applejack bid farewell to her family and trotted alongside Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash as they made their way into town. The normally open square was cluttered by a huge press of ponies, since one of the flyers had shown the foresight to warn Ponyville about the creatures.
Mayor Mare presided over them on her podium, desperately trying to wrangle some semblance of order from the jostling crowd. Her face lit up with relief when she saw Twilight and her friends approaching. “Oh, thank goodness you’re alright,” she said, stepping down from her stage to talk to them. “Did everypony escape safely?”
Applejack’s thin veil of confidence shattered momentarily, and Twilight looked down soberly. “I’m afraid not, Mayor.”
The mayor grimaced as though she had been struck by a physical blow. She sniffed, once, and then quickly regained her formal bearing. “What do you plan to do, Twilight?”
“We have to find out what these things are if we’re ever going to beat them. Applejack, Rainbow Dash and I are going to gather our friends and head over to the library. I hope one of the books will have something on them.”
“We should probably send a letter to Princess Celestia, too,” suggested Spike. “She might be able to help us.”
“Good idea, Spike.”
The mayor nodded. “Very well, I’ll try and maintain order here and keep everypony calm.” She stepped closer to Twilight and lowered her voice. “Please hurry, Twilight, something tells me that this is more than some rogue band of monsters from the Everfree. Make sure to stress that in your letter to the Princess.”
“I will, mayor.”
With a swift nod of dismissal, Mayor Mare returned to her podium and continued assuaging the nervous assembly of ponies.
Twilight turned and addressed Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “Gather the girls and meet us back at the library; we’re going to need a lot of eyes for this.”
“You got it, Twi,” said Applejack.
“On it!” agreed Rainbow Dash.
The blue Pegasus took off and hovered over the crowd, scanning for their friends, while Applejack turned on her hooves and began worming her way through the gathering.
Glancing over her shoulder, Twilight could see the tendrils of green mist that Zecora had created ribbing the sky like noxious clouds. I need to hurry, she thought. I don’t know how much time we have.
With Spike clinging on, she skirted the crowd, raced to the library and slammed through the door without breaking stride. Rather than use magic, she bucked the saddlebags off her back, barely allowing time for her assistant to climb down.
“Whoa, Twilight, calm down!” he protested.
“We don’t have time to be calm, Spike. Those monsters could attack Ponyville any minute. Now get ready to write that letter.”
While Spike went about his assigned task—gathering parchment, quill, ink and the royal seal—Twilight began tearing books from their shelves, piling them haphazardly around her. Every fastidious fibre of her being cried out in protest, but she ignored it, selecting any and all books that might have the slightest chance of solving their mystery. Then she lay down, opening the first—Taxonomy of the Everfree Forest—and began flicking through its pages; her practiced eyes scanned with laser precision.
“Alright, ready,” Spike said from across the room, his quill wavering over the parchment with the weight of what he was about to write.
Without looking up from her work, Twilight dictated her dark letter to the Princess, including all the details of what had transpired that morning. She was sure to stress their call for aid, as the Mayor had instructed. When she was finished, Spike rolled up the scroll, haltingly sealed it, and, in his usual fashion, let out a burst of green flame to magically deliver it to Canterlot Castle.
“Well… now the Princess knows we’re under attack…” he mused. “Do you know what this could mean? I mean, what if she—?”
Twilight interrupted him. “Try not to think about it.”
“…You’re right,” he decided after a few moments, his face hardening. Duties complete, he sat down and began to help Twilight sift through the mountains of knowledge that now cluttered the library floor.
Several minutes later the door of the library swung open, and a precession of very familiar ponies marched in, concerned expressions shadowing their faces.
“Twilight, darling, what in Equestria has come over our fair town?” Rarity asked, pausing confusedly as she beheld the towers of books.
“Yeah! Everypony is gathered in front of Town Hall, and I didn’t schedule any open-air parties until next week!” added Pinkie Pie. “At least, I don’t think so…”
“And poor Applejack looks like she’s been crying her eyes out,” Fluttershy finished, nuzzling the orange mare as she trudged in behind the rest.
Twilight stood up and greeted her friends. “Thank you for coming, girls, we need your help. What the mayor says is true: Ponyville is under attack…”
A worried murmur rippled through the assembled friends.
“…The monsters are tall, strong, and colourful like us. They attack in big groups, from what we’ve seen, and are capable of flying on magical clouds. They look kind of like smaller versions of Ursas, which I’m sure you all remember, so I need you all to help me look through these books for any past mention of them. Spike has already sent a letter to Princess Celestia asking for aid. All we can do now is try and identify our adversary.”
For the next hour or three, Twilight and her friends turned Ponyville library upside down. They scoured the tomes from A to Z, from modern novels to ancient legend, considering fact and folklore alike. Twilight even unlocked the basement, where she kept her most obscure and dusty texts, mostly concerned with magic and magic theory. It was well past noon when a cry of triumph alerted them to what they sought.
“Aha! I found something!” called Pinkie Pie from above.
Those who were on the ground floor or in the basement rushed up to her. She sat proudly before an open tome, its binding frayed with age. Twilight gently coaxed her out of the way and lifted the book onto a reading desk, where she studied the contents.
Its title was Magical Myths and Musings. On one page of the open spread, a crude painting depicted the bear creatures, the handiwork and style of which Twilight knew could only have originated in the Windigo era. On the opposite page was a short entry describing the physical traits of the monsters, an explicit warning not to approach them, and their name: Carebears
Twilight read the text aloud, her friends frowning more and more with every word.
“Carebears…?” Applejack wondered; confused, but satisfied to have a name for the creatures that had hurt her. “I ain’t never heard of anything like that.”
“Nor have I,” said Rarity.
“Me neither,” added Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy looked thoughtful.
Twilight addressed her specifically. “You know everything there is to know about animals, Fluttershy. Have you ever heard of a Carebear?”
“No,” she said, surprised at her own ignorance. “I’ve seen black bears and brown bears and panda bears, but never Carebears.”
“This article dates from nearly a thousand years ago. I’m sure everypony has long forgotten these creatures.”
Spike suddenly clutched at his stomach—the signal for an impending royal letter. With a hearty belch, it fizzled into existence before him.
“Oh I do hope the Princess can help us,” said Rarity.
The purple dragon unfurled the letter, and his face grew dark and solemn as his eyes traced the text.
“Spike?” inquired Twilight, concerned. “What is it?”
He cleared his throat and read aloud:
Twilight,
The monsters you describe are an ancient foe of Equestria, one from long before even my time. They are known as Carebears. I thought them extinct, but I was mistaken. What you face is no horde, but an invading army. I cannot over-emphasise the danger which you are in.
The talks in Canterlot are slowing any official responses I can give. However, I have authorized an off-schedule train to detour to Ponyville and evacuate those who are unable to defend themselves. I have also allowed Dusty Books to take a ‘professional leave’ to come to Ponyville. He is a historian well studied in the wars of the Windigo Era, and is your best shot at surviving until I can send proper reinforcements.
Dusty Books will be bringing with him a scroll which contains…useful information. I had hoped that it would never again see the light of day; this is not a decision I have made lightly. And I must regretfully pass on this tremendous burden to you. Be careful, my student. Power corrupts.
Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia
There was an uncomfortable silence after he finished as the ponies glanced at one another. A fearful air oppressed the room.
Applejack was the first to speak, her voice unnaturally venemous. “S-surviving? No guards? No army? What about my farm?! How are we supposed to beat them monsters back with nothin’ but a withered old historian?”
Fluttershy flittered over and tried to calm her friend.
Power corrupts? Twilight shook her head. “This doesn’t make any sense. I assume the Princess is referring to a magic scroll, but what kind of spell could possibly defend us against an… an army?”
Unnoticed by all, Pinkie Pie had calmly walked to the stairs.
Rarity spotted her as she began to descend. “Pinkie, where are you going?”
She looked over her shoulder with cold, blood-chilling eyes; the kind of eyes a dangerous predator displays. With a grim and level voice she spoke. “I’m going to get my party cannon…” Without waiting for a response, she left the library.
Twilight blinked herself out of her Pinkie-induced daze. “Uh… I don’t know about Pinkie, but I think she has the right idea. It looks like Ponyville is on its own for the time being, and we’re going to have to defend ourselves.”
With bitter nods of agreement, the group left the library and returned to the square, where the rest of the town still loitered uncertainly.
“Organisation is my duty,” Twilight declared, facing her assistant with compassion. She nuzzled him. “I can’t ask you to stay with me, Spike; this will be more dangerous than anything we’ve ever done together.”
The little purple dragon dismissed her with a wave. “Don’t even try it, Twilight. I wouldn’t be your number one assistant if I left you on your own, would I?”
“But you understand how dangerous this is going to be? It’s a battle.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, reaching into her saddlebags and retrieving parchment and writing utensils. “And we’re gonna need to prepare for it. That means lists.”
She smiled, secretly thankful that he was so stubborn. “You’re a good dragon, Spike.”
He blushed a little, and then Twilight faced her friends. “Rainbow,” she began, and the blue Pegasus descended to hover at her level. “You need to take command of the Cloudsdale pegasi and the Weather Patrol. I trust your instincts; you may have to fight the Carebears on their cloud contraptions.”
Rainbow Dash saluted confidently and rocketed off to attend her assignments.
“Applejack, I hate to ask this of you, but you need to gather your family and await the rest of the earth ponies; the mayor will be sending them to you.”
Applejack assuaged her fears. “Don’t worry Twi, we got more reason than anyone to be fightin’. You can count on us.”
Twilight considered Fluttershy next. She was no fighter, that much was obvious, and Twilight couldn’t stand the thought of her suffering. “Fluttershy, you’re the most caring pony I know. The refugees will be leaving town on the train bound for Canterlot, and I need you to join the nurses and care for them, alright?”
“W-what about my animals?”
Twilight couldn’t help a grin. “I’ve no doubt that they’re smart enough to take care of themselves. They’re in no danger; it’s Ponyville the bears are after.”
The yellow Pegasus hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She trotted over and embraced Twilight warmly. “Okay, but… be careful, Twilight.”
Rarity spoke up then. “What would you have me do?”
“You had better stay with me and Spike. When that historian arrives with his scroll, we may need other unicorns to help.”
“Very well.”
Their tasks assigned, the group split, and Twilight, Spike and Rarity made their way over to town hall, where the mayor still stood upon her podium. With a murmur, Twilight imparted the grim news from Canterlot. But Mayor Mare did not falter; in an impressive display of leadership, she confidently took the stage again and began assigning duties. The crowd chattered nervously, as though they could break into wild panic at any moment, but to Twilight’s relief they did as they were ordered.
Several minutes later the train from Canterlot arrived. It had but one passenger: the unicorn historian Dusty Books. He was not at all what Twilight had expected. Far from the aged scholar she had envisioned, he was in fact young, stern and commanding, much like one of the royal guards. His coat was light tan and his mane was black, with an aging tome for a cutie mark, and a plain pair of black saddlebags across his back. He regarded the fearful town before him with a detached, calculating air. “Twilight Sparkle?” he asked, approaching her.
“Yes, sir.”
“Princess Celestia requested that I aid in the defence of this town.”
She nodded, relieved. “Thank goodness, we are at your command.”
He cast his gaze over the loosely segregated earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns. “Are you aware of the enemy that you face? The Carebears?”
Something critical in his bearing made Twilight second guess herself. “I think so. We found an obscure entry about them in an old copy of Magical Myths and Musings.”
He nodded. “I am familiar with that text, but there are many far older books in Canterlot. What we are dealing with is no mere unorganised rabble; it is an army in every sense of the word. They are marching west from their nation, Carealot, and they intend to conquer Equestria.”
His words hung poignantly in the tense air.
“A- Are you sure?”
“Quite sure, Miss Sparkle.”
The sick, young and elderly waited anxiously outside Ponyville station as the nurses spirited them on board the waiting train one by one. Fluttershy presided over proceedings, ensuring everypony got fair treatment.
“What should we do?” Twilight asked, fearing the answer.
Dusty Books thought for a moment. “How long do we have?”
“I’m not sure. Zecora said her potion would last a few hours, but that was this morning.”
“And where will the attack originate from?”
Twilight pointed towards the bridge across the river which led towards Sweet Apple Acres. “The Everfree forest, to the east.”
“Then we must establish a defence quickly, Miss Sparkle, and hold it at all costs. I am impressed with how you have delegated each race a leader; it makes it easier to issue orders. Where is the mayor? I must speak with her.”
They escorted him to town hall where the mayor was waiting. Dusty Books shared a few short words with her, advising the best course of action with their limited time. The mayor then recounted his orders to each leader, and they hurriedly went about their directives.
The earth ponies were instructed to dig trenches and build barricades across the river which would force the attackers into a bottleneck over the bridge. The pegasi, meanwhile, undertook regular patrols, skirting the Everfree forest and gauging the state of Zecora’s rapidly dissipating poison. Dusty Books gathered the unicorns and led them away from the preparations, where they would not be overheard.
He opened his black saddlebags and used his magic to extract a scroll. It was ancient, yellowed with age, and tattered to such a degree that Twilight feared an errant gust of wind might sunder it completely. Reverently he rolled it out in the air, and looked over the contents with a mixture of awe and distaste.
“Before I impart to you the contents of this scroll,” he began in a grave tone, “I would have you all understand that it is only through Princess Celestia’s direct orders that you are permitted to lay eyes upon it. This scroll normally resides in the forbidden reaches of Canterlot’s Royal Library, and there it has lain untouched for nearly a thousand years.”
With a flourish, he flipped it over, so that the text faced outwards and those closest to him could read it.
“Not all magic is benign, as I’m sure many of you are aware, it can also be used for evil. During the Windigo era, there were many unicorns who turned magic towards weaponry, so as to gain an upper hand over the other clans. This scroll contains the culmination of their efforts: a lightning spell which will stop the heart of anything it impacts, killing it instantly.”
There were several stifled gasps from the unicorns. Twilight’s own mouth hung agape with shock. A killing spell? she thought, incredulous. Throughout her studies, Princess Celestia had always taken care to avoid the dark side of magic, yet here she was, displaying it freely to every unicorn in Ponyville. Suddenly the Princess’s warning, ‘Power corrupts’, made a lot more sense.
“You must all learn this spell and employ it against the Carebears. You mustn’t hesitate. The responsibility placed upon your shoulders is the greatest anypony can bear. I beg you to keep that in mind.”
Twilight was reticent; the Princess had chosen to reintroduce the ultimate power a unicorn can have: to take away the life of others. Her mind spun with the implications of that decision. After nearly a thousand year absence, murder was back in Equestria. Would unicorns be able to shoulder that responsibility? Could anypony? And, when the time came, would Twilight be able to take the life of another being?
The memory of what the Carebears had done to Sweet Apple Acres dispelled her hesitation. She considered the problem they faced logically. The Princess was right; under the current circumstances, this was the most practical solution. She stepped up first and committed the faded runes to memory. This is no time for moral conflict, Twilight, she told herself.
The unicorns formed orderly ranks, and each took their place before the scroll. It was a surprisingly simple spell, one Twilight could probably have pieced together on her own if she had put her mind to it.
“Well… that’s not something I thought I’d ever need to know,” remarked Rarity, dark humour in her voice as she joined her friend.
“Yeah…”
“What now?”
“Now we put it to work…” said Twilight. I only hope I can.
The unicorns spread themselves out across the north side of the river—concentrating mostly on the bridge—where the earth ponies had been busy constructing protective barricades from anything they could scrounge. Old wagons, display stalls, even hay bales had been requisitioned to defend the town. Twilight, Spike and Rarity met up with Applejack behind an upturned apple cart. She and her family—minus Applebloom and Granny Smith—had been busy making more of the
makeshift missiles that Twilight had seen them defend their barn with. Piles of heavy objects tied to ropes were neatly arranged along the riverbank, ready to be hurled at the aggressors.
“Twilight!” she breathed, relieved.
“I’m glad to see you’re working hard as always, AJ.”
“Doubly hard today, Twi. We can reclaim our farm if’n we can get rid o’ them varmints from the Everfree. Army or no army, they’re gonna regret messin’ with the Apples.” This prompted an unbidden cheer from the rest of the family. “So uh… what was in that scroll?”
Twilight and Rarity exchanged uncomfortable glances. “You’ll see when the Carebears show up…”
There came the grating sound of metal against metal from their left, and Twilight turned to find Pinkie Pie, loading her cheerful blue party cannon with very uncheerful cannonballs.
“Pinkie Pie?” said Twilight.
Pinkie’s normal ecstatic insanity had been replaced by a sober expression, and Twilight could swear that her mane was straighter than normal.
“Hello Twilight,” she offered simply.
“…Are you okay?”
She growled. “I will be…”
Side by side, Mayor Mare and Dusty Books made continual rounds along the defensive line, encouraging and inspecting respectively. If nothing else, the threat of extreme danger had united Ponyville towards a single goal. The pegasi soon reported that Zecora’s poison had vanished, and it would only be a matter of time before the bears regrouped and launched their next attack. Those earth ponies digging traps and trenches on the south side of the river retreated across the bridge.
And silence descended, suffusing the air with electric tension. Worried conversation fizzled into the wind. Pegasi sporadically darted overhead at speed, their wings slicing through the air with great whooshes.
Repeating the runes of the killing spell in her head, Twilight looked around at her fellow defenders. There were countless familiar faces among them; chefs, waiters, barbers, salesponies, lawyers, doctors, groundskeepers, and countless others, but none of them were soldiers. She could hardly believe it had come to this. Was this truly all that Equestria had to defend itself?
She breathed deep of the heavy air. “Spike, take a letter.”
A timid voice answered from behind her withers. “Now?”
“Yes, now.”
He reached into her saddlebags and retrieved the necessary equipment. Twilight spoke her thoughts tersely, ensuring the Princess would understand the incredulity of their situation. Then suddenly there came a tremendous roar, echoing across the river from the hills. It carried to the defenders on the wind, challenging their resolve. Many of the ponies quailed in fear.
Twilight punctuated her letter. “…I can hear the bears approaching. Hurry.”
The first roar was joined by hundreds, thousands more, until it built up into a bellowing note that shook the very ground beneath their hooves.
“Ain’t much carin’ about them bears, huh?” Applejack snorted. Those around her chuckled bitterly.
From the horizon, Rainbow Dash appeared, swooping low over the river and coming to an agitated hover overhead. “They’re coming!” she hollered, and circled around, forming up with the rest of the pegasi.
Hooves dug into the soil, teeth gritted, and grips tightened on ramshackle weapons. For several minutes, there was nothing. Then, as one, hundreds of hulking figures crested the nearest hill, their fur a living rainbow.
Dusty Books’ voice came from somewhere along the line, loud but calm. “Stand firm, ponies.”
From behind the hill, scores of zipping white clouds mirrored their ground-stricken cousins’ advance.
Being the proactive mare that she was, Rainbow Dash took the initiative. “Get ‘em!” she roared, and a rousing battle cry came from the pegasi above as they charged through the sky.
It was an impressive sight, so many pegasi flying in formation, and they quickly closed the distance, smashing through their rivals with inordinate force. The battle was so one-sided that it filled Twilight’s heart with hope. The Carebears’ flying clouds dissolved at the slightest touch, and they soon found themselves on the run, pursued by scores of pegasi.
“Don’t celebrate just yet…” warned Dusty Books.
Enraged by their losses, the ground forces of the Carebears surged into a thundering charge. They roared, growled and snarled as they sprinted towards the river.
“Ready!” ordered Dusty Books.
Twilight braced herself, preparing her mind for the spell which she needed; her horn glowed and fizzled with energy. The attackers were stymied by the trenches and pits which the earth ponies had dug. Their charge lost momentum as they navigated their way through.
Dusty Books took his chance. “Fire!” he cried.
Pushing all thoughts of right and wrong from her head, Twilight selected her target—a magenta bear with the symbol of a heart on its white belly—and released the spell. A spear of crackling purple lightning arced from her horn, striking the bear in the centre of its chest. It froze and collapsed, dead. All along the line, similar electric discharges seared across the river and wreaked havoc among the attackers.
Twilight marvelled with morbid awe at what she had wrought. The bear, nearly twice her height, had been snuffed out as if it were no more than a tiny spider. Before any questions of morality could surface, she charged and fired again, dropping another bear, and then another. It wasn’t long until their bodies littered the south bank. But every time one fell, another two would take its place. They pushed forwards with zealous determination, heedless of their losses.
Soon they had passed the trenches, and they began to flood across the bridge, flowing like treacle as they stormed into the bottleneck. The earth ponies held their ground with pitchforks, hoes, pikes and other long objects. They stabbed and lunged through the barricades at the furry mass before them.
For nearly an hour this stalemate persisted. The earth ponies hurled their missiles, the unicorns cast their spells, and the pegasi skirmished with the clouds overhead. The Carebears were reaped like summer wheat, but still they came. Slowly they chipped away at the defenders on the bridge; every now and then an exhausted pony would be pulled into the horde, lost forever.
Twilight’s senses were overwhelmed by the clamour of battle. The clash of metal, the roar of the enemy, the snap of lightning and the thunder of Pinkie Pie’s cannon. She grimaced in despair, tears welling in her eyes. This is Ponyville, for Faust’s sake.
As the sun sank, a dark smudge on the horizon rose into a billowing storm cloud. She barely noticed, so transfixed was she on the fighting, but then the pegasi began to retreat, fear in their eyes.
What’s wrong with them? she wondered. Until now the battle in the skies had been a massacre for the bears.
Rainbow Dash diverged from the column of fleeing pegasi. She made a hasty landing behind the defences and rushed over to Twilight. “Twilight!” she yelled, panting. “That cloud… it’s one of theirs! There’s thousands of them inside!”
The unicorn’s heart frosted over. She glanced at the approaching behemoth; there would be no way they could hold off such a force. Her mind raced for a solution. She abandoned her post and galloped over to where Dusty Books stood. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a pony with experience in fighting. His face was a mask of hatred as streaks of purple lightning flared from his horn.
“Dusty Books!” she called. “Do you see that storm cloud?!”
“I see it!” he replied without letting up.
“What should we do?!”
“There’s nothing we can do! Keep fighting!”
At that moment, the barrier on the bridge finally gave way beneath the crushing weight of bodies. Several ponies were flung aside as the Carebears coursed through, splashing into the river below.
Even Dusty Books stopped firing then. Twilight saw his eyes widen in fear.
“We have to retreat!” she said.
He hesitated a moment, then faced down the line and yelled, “Pinkie Pie! Destroy the bridge!”
It took her only a second to realign her cannon, and with an earthshaking bang, she fired. The bridge was torn apart by the massive cannon ball, splintering like matchwood. The bears who were halfway across yelped as the beams beneath their feet dissolved and they plummeted into the river.
The destruction of the bridge bought them some time. “Retreat!” cried Dusty Books. “Everypony fall back to the town hall!”
It was utter panic as the untrained citizens of Ponyville began running for their lives. Some did as they were ordered and garrisoned the town hall, while others abandoned the town completely, deserting into the countryside beyond. Pegasi helped where they could, lifting the stragglers out of harm’s way.
The missing bridge slowed, but failed to stop the Carebear’s advance. They waded through the river, pushing aside the corpses of their comrades with single-minded determination. Ponyville would fall to them, no matter the cost.
Twilight counted out each of her closest friends as they galloped to the hall, abandoning their posts. Once there, they occupied the ground floor alongside the mayor and Dusty Books. They began covering the retreat of others as the unicorns cast their deadly spells from the windows.
The Carebears broke upon their repurposed fortress like waves on the shore, quickly surrounding it. Ponyville, now defenceless, suffered their wrath. Buildings were razed in seconds by sheer force of weight, trees were toppled and statues crumbled; it was destruction on a scale Twilight could never have imagined. Has Celestia abandoned us to our doom? she lamented.
“Spike!” she called, galloping to where the little purple dragon was hiding behind an upturned desk. “Spike, I need you to write to the Princess.”
He didn’t reply. He seemed lost in a world of his own, staring at something between his claws, something only he could see.
She kneeled down beside him and looked him in the eyes. “Spike, listen to me! I need your help.”
He stared at her blankly, his eyes misty. Almost robotically, he dipped into her saddlebags and took out the correct equipment. Twilight dictated their desperate plea for help, abandoning all formality to the turmoil of her emotions. Spike sent it and then returned to his shellshocked daze.
Twilight’s vision was bleary with tears as she returned to the shattered window. She cursed herself for allowing Spike to come along.
For another hour or so they held their desperate defence. The sun lingered over the horizon for much longer than it should have, bathing the battlefield that used to be Ponyville in an appropriately bloody glow. The Carebears’ giant cloud ship began depositing its deadly cargo just outside Everfree, and those fresh troops joined the massive horde already besieging the town. Fighting on seemed hopeless; Twilight and her friends retired to the very rear of town hall, where they could do nothing but console one another and wait for the inevitable.
Then suddenly, the tides turned. Outside the sky darkened—although it was still daylight—and an entirely new storm cloud eclipsed that of the Carebears. The beleaguered ponies ran to the windows and stared up in awe.
Luna, goddess of the moon and sister to Celestia, descended from on high, a regiment of black-armoured guards in her wake. Her voice echoed with unearthly power as she recited some ancient incantation, glaring at the multicoloured masses below her with unbridled hatred. The wind picked up, the clouds darkened further until it was as gloomy as a moonless night, and searing bolts of blue lightning began to rain down upon the attacking army.
They were decimated in minutes. Hundreds were instantly killed, and hundreds more began to flee, only to be cut down by pursuing squadrons of lunar guards. Relief thrilled through Twilight, but it was immediately replaced by sadness as she saw what had become of Ponyville. The town lay in ruins.
“Is… is that it?” Applejack asked nopony in particular. “Is it over? Are we still alive?”
“I don’t know…” said Twilight absently. She wandered through the hall, past other bewildered ponies, and emerged onto Ponyville square. It was littered with the bodies of the fallen. To be faced with such destruction was too much for her to bear. She felt the blood rush from her head, and, without warning, passed out.
****
When Twilight awoke it was dark; night had finally come. She lay upon her back, and Princess Luna was crouched over her, though her coat and mane blended so perfectly with the twinkling heavens that it was difficult to define her.
“Art thou well, Twilight Sparkle?” she inquired, concerned.
Twilight blinked, suddenly aware of a disturbing sense of weightlessness. It seemed all that had transpired that day was nothing but a bad dream. She wished that was the case, but when she raised her head, she found that Ponyville was just as devastated as she recalled. Much of the town had been utterly destroyed, and her own library had suffered serious damage—though it still stood, by some miracle. Her friends were gathered around her, their eyes universally stained with tears. “No, Princess,” she concluded. “I’m not okay.”
She hauled herself upright, grimacing as her muscles ached, and looked around at the moonlit desolation. The wan light transformed everything into a ghost of its daytime self.
The Princess joined her, anger narrowing her eyes. “We were too late,” she hissed bitterly.
Twilight daren’t reply and risk insulting the Princess; she bit back her anger. Instead she asked, “Where were you? Where was Celestia?”
Luna looked at her with such rue, she thought the Princess might cry. “We were delayed by bureaucracy. We cannot express our sorrow adequately, Twilight Sparkle, there have been many lives needlessly lost this day.”
Twilight fell into the warm embrace of her friends as they took solace in each other. There they remained for many minutes, unwilling to leave the safety of each other’s hooves, until she noticed a strange red glow to the east that enflamed the horizon. “It can’t be dawn already…” she frowned.
“No, tis not the dawn,” Luna replied. She rose to her full height and faced the glow with regal steadfastness. “They are campfires.”
“Campfires?” wondered Twilight. Around them, ponies began lighting fires of their own to ward off the chilly night air. As they gathered, they wept for their fallen friends. “What does that mean?”
Storm clouds churned over the foreboding trees of the Everfree forest. An occasional flash of lightning lit the arboreal scene, outlining the trees in monochrome. Peals of thunder could be heard over the wail of mourning ponies.
“It means that, for the time being, our foe is here to stay,” the Princess spoke bitterly. “It means that we are at war, Twilight Sparkle. Faust help us.”
****
