The Last Equestrian War

+CHAPTER 3+

A Maddening Land

Coming inside the lavender pony's house, you see that it is a lot different than what a library usually is. It is a lot deprived from what you usually think of a library. There is not many books, the few that exists teach of very few elementary sorceries, some apothecary supplies and throwing equipment. The library looks decently cared, though, all thanks to her companion, whom you don't know their relation. A dragon, looking by her size, was tending to the books and dust that usually stood on the shelves. He carried the image of a creature that was naive in the past, but something truly scarred him. His purple scales seem as if they could have been much more brighter than they are now, one of his fins wounded, ripped off. Whatever happened to this guy, surely gives him the right to tell quite a tale. His eyes show that he left a deep scar behind, something awful happened to the poor creature, but he managed to fight it with glory, it seems. He carries a necklace with a fang of some sort of creature, a tooth of a beast. Strong dragon for his living, maybe he could teach you a thing or two, you smile as you learn his name, Spike the Wingless Dragon, he waves to you and smiles, knowing that you understand that something happened to him, even if you didn't asked his story.

The lavender pony eyes you, you see subtle curiosity in her eyes, but you wonder why she is curious about a new arrival. You take action and then make the first move, asking her about the town and its loneliness. She closes her eyes, moving her hoof to her chest as she looks up and then to your eyes.

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Twilight Sparkle:

"You are wondering what happened to Ponyville, right?" She sighed and looked straight into your eyes, her own eyes devoid of any light of happiness. "Since the time this curse came to this land, it all started as a subtle thing, just a minor corruption... First came the wish for small things, corruption of the old, incurable diseases, stealing... But things started becoming so much worse, it became ridiculous... Only my friends and I stood clear of this mystic disease that is this curse because of the Herald power I have... I tried all I could to save those around me from the curse's overwhelming force, but I wasn't capable..." She stops for a moment, looking down, closing her eyes, for a second, you think that she is about to cry, but she regains her posture and begins to speak again. "The ponies, afraid of the curse, fled to the other cities that were around Ponyville. One of them was Canterlot, the new city of royalty, after the Moon Princess's Depression. The Crystal Kingdom came years before Canterlot, one of the oldest Kingdoms, and Manehattan, the city where mechanical prowess is highly praised... Ponies fled there with hopes to avoid this curse... From what I know, it went all in vanity..." She closed her eyes and looked down. "This curse is something terrible... It takes your innermost bad habits and it starts making them into much worse things... Making you do things you don't believe you can do... You think you can control the curse, and when it does its worse to you, you're there, holding your mother's head, smiling unintentionally..." You stare at her eyes with fear; you ask her if loss of memory is an effect, she looks to you with a sad look. "That is the primary status... It is beginning on you... You will keep living... Don't worry, because the curse will only claim your soul if you don't feed yourself..." You look to her with wonder, asking what she means. "Feeding with the souls of the cursed ones, of course; what I mean is that you will face off with the ponies that succumbed to this disease... They will not reason, they won't give you mercy... You will run away, they will follow you back all the way to here..."

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You look down, surprised as you think of the small Applebloom that you met. You think of all the ponies and creatures you met, and the lives that they go on. The things that they'd end up doing because of the curse; you end up thinking on the worst scenario possible because of this curse and its striking towards the cities you passed through. Because even though you are forgetting your oldest memories, some of the ones you cherish are still there, let it be that friend you like a lot, or that loved one you left behind because you just had to due to some problematic circumstance. But lost in so many thoughts, your mind just focused on little Applebloom, those little fiery eyes are hard to imagine in a state devoid of any light. She looked so energetic and happy that it was not your wish to see her lost.

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Twilight Sparkle:

"Don't fret for Applebloom, she is too young to succumb to the curse, and this world is full of souls to die to the curse... Not to mention that many live against this curse... Not only you, my friend, also, you can use the souls you pick to feed other ponies around you... So be careful on how you use them..." She looks down, however. "Still, there are people that don't use these souls for good reasons, however. They use these souls to serve dark purposes, feeding their own desires. Take care, my dear, you don't know who you will find..." She sits up. "I think this is all I can tell you about this curse, it there anything you want to ask?" You ponder and look to her, asking of the war of the Heralds of Harmony. She, stunned by your question, looks to you and speaks. "My master, Celestia, taught me about this tale... Her lover, now turned a monster, rests in stone inside the castle... She cries under his feet every night... Her sister, Luna, told me that she saw Celestia sleeping under the statue at times... It is a true story..." You are surprised that the Herald that fought on the battle itself still lives, wondering if they are immortal, you look upwards. Equestria is really a mystical land. "I guess you know of the losses of the princesses then?" You nod, silent, remembering of the tale of the Old Mare. "Then I should tell you that the access to the castle is possible, though it is a hard trip... It is filled with monsters and lot of cursed ponies... However, you should seek power first, and not answers. I know my response to your questions seems ridiculous, but in this perilous time, it is much more necessary to have power rather than answers... The access to the castle will eventually come, so will be the relation to Luna and Celestia. I can guarantee you that..." She looks to your eyes with a small shine in them. "You are so attentive to my story... I am glad when any new traveler comes to me with ears and eyes, rather than a mouth..." She smiles, her eyes finally shining like pearls. "Go forth, adventurer, this dark land is full of perils and death... But you can overcome it... Call over the sun, the moon, magic and the love, and we shall always aid you... Now go forth, you have our blessing..."

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Before you leave the house, Spike holds your arm as he looks at you. His eyes are shining with a strong light as he seems grateful to you.

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Spike:

"My dear friend, you have gained my full respect... You have made my master smile... Something that no one else could have done in a long time... She was always receiving new adventurers all the time, but they never attended to her, sad with this fact, she was almost losing hope with Equestria... I thank you so very much because you rekindled her flame of hope... Thank you... Oh please, take this..." Spike handed you a blue circular shield. "It is not much, but I used this on my last quest... It is all I can offer as thanks, but it will serve you for a while..." You thank the purple dragon with a bow. He bows back and he looks in your eyes with a tear. "You have a heart of gold, my friend; don't let those cursed beasts take it from you..." He smiled and walked inside, tending to his pony friend and his house.

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Hearing those words from this couple, you felt truly beatified, standing up, you walk outside as you see the gloomy world, the countless fields of death and disease stay ahead as your challenging opponent. Giants of power and pain are ready to tear you apart and massacre your very own existence, break your bones at no hard effort. But you will yield with a fight, you are blessed by this land's kings and with this blessing, you are truly ready to fight for it, even if it costs your life. It is time to cleanse this curse; it is time to cleanse this Maddening Land.

[TO BE CONTINUED]