Mistakes of the Past

Mistakes of the Past
By Cosmic Waltz

Warning: Grimdark Content. Read at your own discretion.

Warning: Grimdark Content. Read at your own discretion.

Warning: Grimdark Content. Read at your own discretion.

This is a Grimdark fanfiction story based on the show "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" by Hasbro. It will contain scenes of violence, gore, death, and heavy emotional content. You have been warned.

Warning: Grimdark Content. Read at your own discretion.

Warning: Grimdark Content. Read at your own discretion.

Warning: Grimdark Content. Read at your own discretion.

Chapter 5

Celestia led her forces, marching down the mountainside towards the ruins of Ponyville. The darkened skies above were further blackened by the billowing plumes rising from the burning village below them. A piercing cold had taken the place of summer warmth as the land lied shrouded from the sun. A light snowfall drifted down from the clouds, born not of pony design, but of the anomalous weather above.

Rainbow Dash stood beside Applejack, marching together near the front of the battalion. They were two of a small collection of volunteers dotted amidst the guardsmen on the ground. Dash looked around, surveying the warriors she was to fight beside. Just like the soldiers around them, she and AJ were clad in shining golden armor. They had been equipped as all of the guards had with steel horseshoes and armored bracers on their four pasterns; the front plated for defense and a small blade lining the rear of the hind for bucking-combat. Hanging closely from chains around their necks, each pony of the guard was given a weapon to hold by a handle in their mouths, with two forward curved blades to either side. Dash noted that she was the only one of the ground troop who wasn't an earth pony. Above them were her own kind, flying low in the weather in a military formation. They were armed similarly, though the equipment weighed considerably less so as not to hinder flight. She bit back a tear as she saw the Wonderbolts leading the team, reminding her of her own losses. In the rear of the ground troop followed the magisters, ready to use their advanced magic from a distance. Heavy armor would hinder their concentration, and thus their magic, so each unicorn wore cloth robes, enchanted to resist attacks and magic influence better. At the head of the vast army stood the Princess of the Sun, walking fearlessly towards battle in her own royal armaments.

"This is just like in those history books we used to have at Flight School," the injured pegasus remarked. "I kinda wish I had paid more attention in those classes now."

AJ gave a weak laugh. "Can't say Ah had much book learnin', so it's all new t'me. Course, Ah don't think any'a these ponies have seen anything like this before either."

Dash had to admit she was concerned about the militant forces around her. The guard was well trained, but there had been no wars in Equestria in centuries. Only the princess ahead of them had ever truly seen combat. The pegasus looked down to the weapon hanging below her chin. "Do you know how to use these things?"

"Well, Ah can't say Ah do," Applejack answered, some life returning to her dialect. "Ah've used some stuff around the farm that weren't too different from this, but never in a fight. Ah guess Ah'll just be swingin' and kickin' at any of the baddies that get too close t'me. You?"

Dash gave a small smile to her friend. "I guess I'll follow your lead. To be honest, I've never really been in a fight before."

Applejack looked to the pegasus, chuckling softly. "Ya tellin' me ya ain't never been in a scuffle, and yet ya signed on to fight in the army? Ah think ya got yer thinking backwards, Rainbow."

"Actually," Dash replied, looking down to the hooves that moved her forward, "I didn't really do this to fight."

"What the hay did ya join these guys for, then?" the farmer pony asked.

The positive mood that had been growing again between them seemed to shirk away. "Back in the palace..." the blue pony confessed, "I... I just wanted it over... I wanted everything to be over. I chose to fight because I knew I wouldn't live through it. I knew those things would finish me off,... so that I wouldn't have to..."

As sick as the words felt in Applejack's mind, she knew that somewhere in herself she did the same. Things were different now though. They had a promise to keep. "Dash, ya feather-head, ya ain't dyin' with me here. Ah won't let ya!" She glanced to the pegasus, seeing the distant spark of hope returning to those rose-colored eyes. "We gotta keep our word. We gotta stop those damn things and that wicked pony leadin' em. And you gotta make it through this too, because when this is over, Ah owe ya a date."

Dash shot to attention. "Wait, what?!"

Applejack smiled warmly to her friend. "Ah told ya before, Sugarcube, that maybe things would'a been different if Ah had ever given it a shot. And today, Dash, Ah died. Mah whole life died, and Ah got lucky enough to come back from it. Ain't no way Ah'll let somethin' like that pass me up again."

Dash felt herself blush. The pain that had been returning to her mutilated back seemed to disappear under the consideration of her friend.

Applejack turned to the pony. "But ya gotta make it through this. Don't you dare leave me alone in this mess!"

A rustling of whispers ran back through the formation. They had reached the base of the mountain, and the ruins of Ponyville.

Dash looked forward, peering through the crowd. Fires still raged through a few of the buildings, spread further by the wind. Bodies of less fortunate ponies lay scattered through the streets, blood dried around them. But what stood out the most was just how quiet the town had become.

Celestia scanned the village. "Keep your wits, everypony."

Captain Strongheart moved forward to stand beside his leader. "Your Majesty, something isn't right. Where is the enemy?"

"I'm not sure," the Princess replied, "but Sevic has always been a devious one. Do not let your guard down."

As the army moved forward, however, the enemy continued to remain elusive. There was no sight of the creatures that had ransacked the place mere hours before.

Applejack felt on edge. She whispered under her breathe to the pony beside her. "Dash, Ah don't like this."

Rainbow Dash had to agree. She had seen the monsters from before, attacking the citizens on the streets. There were far too many then for the town to be this desolate now. "Something's up, AJ. I know it."

The words jinxed the situation. As the army passed the market in the center of the town, a black glow formed around the corpses littering the street, pulsing faintly before seeping into them. A low moan sounded, echoing deep from within the lifeless bodies as they began to stir.

Strongheart jumped before his troops. "It's an ambush! Everypony, prepare to fight!"

The darkened, decayed ponies from the first attack emerged from the buildings as the recently deceased reached their hooves. The zombies shambled towards the small battalion as the warriors readied their weapons.

The ground troops were the first to find combat. The armored ponies leapt upon the living corpses, sinking blade and driving hoof against their attackers. A solider near the outside of the formation dove towards one of the darkened figures, slicing a large gash into the neck of the beast clear to the bone. Congealed blood oozed thick over the blade, but the beast did not stagger. Unaffected, the creature lashed out its head, gnashed its teeth into the tender flesh of the soldier's neck. Blood sprayed from the wound as the royal guard stumbled back. "They don't die! THE DAMN THINGS DON'T DIE!"

Strongheart rushed to the injured solider's side, slashing his own blade across the monster's previous wound, cleaving clear through the bone and tissue. The dismembered head fell to the ground, teeth clenching to find meat it could not reach as the body threw hooves wildly in blind directions. Helping the bleeding soldier to his feet, Strongheart shouted his only order. "Then cut them into pieces too small to fight back!"

As the troop scattered into the battle, Dash found herself separated from Applejack. Pain again stabbed at her back, and with how unfamiliar she was to being completely grounded, the former-pegasus found herself in a panicked haze. "AJ? AJ?! Where are you?!"

A shrill wail sounded behind her. Turning quick on her hooves, Dash found the dead features of Mrs. Cake falling onto her, landing a hoof down hard on the pegasus' face. Dash fell into the dirt, her head rattling from the impact. She looked up to see the deceased pastry chef she once knew falling again, another blow aimed for her head. Dash immediately rolled from beneath the deathly creature, letting the zombie's hooves crash into the empty space she had occupied. Hopping to her hooves, Dash turned, planting a strong buck against the head of the monster, the bladed spurs shredding the lifeless pony's face. Knocked down by the kick, the zombie was quick to stand, rushing towards Dash again, mouth biting at the face of her victim. The adrenaline now coursing through the pegasus' veins cleared her mind. Flipping back her head, the handled weapon strapped around her neck was lifted into the air before her. Gripping the weapon fast in her mouth before gravity could return it, Dash arched herself forward, catching the zombified Mrs. Cake between the jaws and removing the top of the beast's skull from her body. Not content to die, the corpse reared to drop its hooves onto the pegasus again. Hastened by the drive of combat, Dash acted fast, twisting herself around again to kick the corpse onto its back with a hard, bladed buck. Madly, Dash returned to slashing the flailing body on the ground, severing limbs and meat from the torso of the beast. Finally catching her senses, she jumped back from the dissected creature, watching the macabre mass of flesh and bone twitch and writhe as it tried to continue the fight. It was incapable of attacking again, Dash remarked. There was no time to celebrate her personal victory, however. She had to find Applejack.

The blue pegasus bolted through the crowd of white stallions, scouring for a glimpse of Applejack's orange coat in the dim light. The battle had truly found them now. Reanimated pegasi attacked from the sky as the aerial troops attempted to detach their wings. The magisters had their work cut out, finding that even the few zombified unicorns that stumbled about could still use magic, and were not fatigued by its use. For the most part, however, the ground of the square saw the true combat, with blade and armor fighting teeth and hoof. Despite their training and defenses, many of the soldiers were finding themselves overwhelmed. White coats and golden armor were spotted with blood, both of their enemies and themselves. Occasionally a stallion would fall, quickly being overpowered by the undead monsters. The market was quickly soaked with new and old blood in all the violence.

Dash fought through the melee to find her missing friend. A few of the monsters had turned their attacks to her as she moved forward. She had knocked many away with a swift buck, and had disabled a few with powerful arcs of her blade. Finally, she caught the distant sight of the pony in question. "Appleja-" Dash's call was cut short by a strong hit to her side. One of the undead pegasi had escaped the pursuits of the aerial squadron, targeting the blue pony on the ground. As Dash scrambled to stand, the monster landed a hoof onto her left side. She winced in misery as her ribs snapped and cracked through her side. As the beast reared back again, Dash kicked her hooves out to escape. The blue pony found no traction in the soft mud beneath her, and braced herself for another strike.

There was a flash of bright purple light, tendrils of magic branching across the zombie. The beast barreling down on the wounded pegasus never found its mark, its flesh and meat being disintegrated by the arcane blast. Left in its place was only a faint spray of blood and shreds of flesh. Princess Celestia was soon beside Dash, her armor still gleaming in flawless gold. She helped the injured pegasus to her hooves. "Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" There was undeniable panic in her voice.

Dash stumbled, her cracked ribs stinging with each motion of her left foreleg. "I'll be fine. Are you all right, Princess?"

Celestia moved back, looking over the field. "I'm fine. They aren't attacking me." Her eyes turned to the Everfree Forest, the clouds swirling above in a twisting maelstrom. "He's keeping me from harm. Find Applejack, and keep her safe. I'm going to confront Sevic on my own." The Princess took to the air, her large wings carrying her well over the field of battle.

Dash watched in awe at the graceful motions of the royal pony, but found herself quickly back to her senses. She knew where Applejack was headed, and knew she had to get there fast.

The blue pegasus bolted towards the Apple farmland. If the farmer pony was anywhere, she would be at her home. As Dash ran further from the square, the shuffling corpses became fewer and farther between. She knew the soldiers had the town covered without her, as the numbers of undead were rapidly dwindling. With her wounded side, she was of little use in battle anyway.

As she drew down the path, she could see Applejack, but could also see she wasn't alone. Walking slowly towards AJ was a large red stallion, who Dash recognized as having been Big Macintosh in life. The farmer pony sat before the stallion, her helmet removed and by her side. She showed no sign of fighting the attacker coming at her.

Dash tried to speed her step towards the pair, finding herself crippled by her injured ribs. She pressed the pain aside, forcing her hooves to follow in front of her. "APPLEJACK!"

The large stallion moved closer to the pony as Dash tried to close the distance. His face was marked with ripped flesh, and his coat was splattered with blood and open wounds. He stopped before Applejack, rearing on his back legs to drop his hooves onto his younger sibling. Dash wouldn't make it to her friend in time. "AJ! YOU PROMISED!"

Metal glinted in the weak light as AJ slashed her blade across the red pony reared in front of her. The stallion fell back, sliced away from his lower legs. The crippled stallion attempted to continue his attack, rolling onto his belly. As the undead pony pulled himself onto his forelegs, AJ again brought down her blade, severed his head. The remaining pieces couldn't harm anypony.

Dash slowed as she approached the still setting. "AJ..."

"Big Macintosh would'a been plum ticked if he knew he was bein' used like that," the farmer spoke. "And if anypony was gonna take care'a him, it was gonna be me. Ah look after mah own." She turned back to the pegasus, tears in her eyes. She ran over, hugging Dash around the neck.

Behind the pair, cheers of victory could be heard rising from the town. The battle had been a success, it seemed, but the war was not over yet.

Celestia walked through the silent halls of the castle she once shared with her sister. As she suspected, the reanimated monsters that had attacked in the square were not after her, making the flight to the structure easy. Precisely above the castle, the clouds swirled in chaotic turmoil. This was its source, she knew.

The bleached halls of the castle showed their age, but the memories were still fresh with her. She saw the tapestries not as the tattered cloths they were, but as she remembered them, depicting birth of creation and rising of the sun and moon. The long faded carpets were still a beautiful red in her mind, and the tarnished doors still expertly carved. This was her home, whether she ran from it or not.

She stopped as she came to the library that haunted her dreams. Just on the other side of the empty, broken hinges lied the room she had wanted to forget and the pony she had never wanted to remember. It had been only one day, and yet his influence would reach many millennia into the future, staining history forever. She stepped into the room through the empty frame.

Across the dusty library sat Sevic, bare of his discarded robes. He sat before the empty housing of the mirror he had known for years. "So, you've finally made it."

"Sevic..." Anger fought to burst from her voice, leashed by her will.

The malicious pony never turned from his shattered prison. "You are not royalty here." His wicked, mad tone had dissolved since their last meeting, fading to one of emotionless seriousness. "I won't stand for that costume."

His horned glowed of black energy. As Celestia closed their distance, his magic took to her, stripping her of the armor and royal attire she had worn. She continued towards the pony, unclothed, before sitting back only a short distance from him. "Sevic... I understand now."

The pony before her never stirred, sitting contently as she spoke.

"I've wondered since you first appeared to me. I've been wondering just how you had come back. But now, I understand. You didn't come back. You're not Sevic. Sevic is dead."

The monster still remained silent, staring at the fixture before him.

"You're the memory of Sevic. You're what was left behind. A trace of who he was. I put you away, but I could never hope to hide a memory. And when I tried, you fed on my power. You fed on the very magic I held you with." She stood, walking to beside the pony. "Your power is my own."

The phantom pony finally spoke. "I remember who he was. I remember his anger. His hatred. But he is dead. And so is his power." He turned to the royal mare beside him. "But I am Sevic. I may not be him in body, but his mind lives on. His desire for revenge burns through me. And his desire for your power." He leaned over, kissing the mare on her cheek. "I will destroy you, just as he wished to."

Celestia looked down. "Sevic... I'm sorry. It was the biggest mistake in my life." Suddenly, her gaze shot up to meet the pony's, the fury of a goddess behind her stare. "But killing you wasn't my mistake. My mistake was trying to keep you. My mistake was letting anything of you survive. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't finish you when I had the chance." Her horn began to glow, its aura encircling the pony and herself.

Sevic flashed with rage. "Silence!" His magic grasped her, throwing the mare across the room. She hit a wall of bookshelves with a painful cracking of wood and bone, dozens of dusty tomes falling over her and the floor around her. Pain shot through her instantly, and her hind legs fell completely dead to her control as she collapsed beneath the avalanche.

"You worthless foal," the evil pony uttered under broken breath. He faced Celestia, his stance menacing. "Whether I am the true Sevic or not does not matter. What matters is that you know your place. Bow to me. Beg for your kingdom, so that I may take it from you."

Celestia struggled to lift her head from the floor. Her back was broken, she knew, but she could still control her upper body. Forcing herself onto her front legs, she stared into the eyes of her assailant. "Sevic. You are of my power. You were born of my magic." The glow of magic grew brighter around them, her strength feeding heavily from unbound energy. "And I understand now. I am the only one who can destroy you!"

Sevic recoiled at the words, attempting to force his magic upon her again. Before he could strike, however, he found a power to rival his own, stunting his magic and binding his limbs. True fear marked his face as his predicament sank in. "What are you doing?! How-"

"You are of my magic, beast!" Celestia shouted, the powerful energy swirling around them both. "I alone can destroy you! My power!"

The monster laughed. "You? Ha! You are nothing. Do you really think you're strong enough to defeat me?"

Celestia knew he was right. Her power was incredible, but nothing compared to his own. He was still from her own magic, however, which gave her an advantage that no other pony could take. If she poured all of her power into the attack, she knew she could defeat him, but also knew that doing so would completely drain her. But she had to try. The aura of magic began to glow white with pure intensity around the two ponies.

Sevic's mood dropped from his psychotic high as he realized her intent. "You will die as well, you imbecile! Is your kingdom worth your life? Are those worthless subjects you guide worth dying for?"

A tear slipped from the Princess's eye, and a smile crossed her face. "Goodbye, Sevic. I loved you once. But you are my mistake to correct."

Dash and Applejack rallied with the troops in town, taking a count of who remained. Many were injured, but results showed that only a few of the valiant warriors had fallen in combat. The bodies of the soldiers were lined, as were the bodies of those who fell in the initial attack on Ponyville.

One of the unicorns had tended to Rainbow's side, mending the bones as best as he could. The pain of her back had returned unanesthetized now, biting into her. The farmer mare that held her gingerly in her hooves, however, seemed to make even that pain seem trivial.

"AJ, what happens now?" Dash asked, trying not to let her voice tremble under the burden of her wounds.

The farmer looked over the mare she held. "We start over, Dashie. Ah think that's all there is t'do."

Strongheart looked over the numbers twice, confirming the count. During the battle, the Princess had requested the troops stay behind, allowing her private audience with the true enemy of the conflict. "Good work, everypony. I'm proud to call you colts my allies. Now, we wait for the Princess."

A cheer of victory sounded from the army. Even the few mares in the crowd took the misnomer of "colt" with pride. They would return heroes.

A shattering crack echoed through the air, and a low rumbling carried its way through the ground beneath them. Many soldiers grabbed their weapons, expecting another attack, when the sky was suddenly pierced by a white column of light from the Everfree Forest. The immense energy broke through the clouds above the dense forest, a large wave spreading to clear all of the sky. Despite the hour being well past evening, the suspended noon sun beamed down upon the weary eyes of those beneath the canopy. After only a few seconds, the light died, and the world was calm again.

"Captain," one guard called, "what was that? What did that mean?"

Strongheart had received the spectacle well, and knew what it had meant. "It means we've won, soldier. At a terrible cost."

Silence fell over the battalion as they heard the message. The guard from before spoke again. "Do... do we go for the Princess?"

Strongheart turned back towards the mountains they walked from, eyes affixed to the ground below him. "She won't be there. We've won. I'm taking full charge until we return to Canterlot. Now, let's march."

Sevic had been defeated, Strongheart knew. The war was over. He had feared what lengths the Princess would go to, but never expected she would release all of her power against the beast. All traces of her energy had vanished with the blast, a sign every unicorn nearby recognized instantly. All that was left was to give his report to the now sole Princess of Equestria.