Fighting in a world of Harmony

Why did they have to make the journey so long? The trudge out of the forest itself was grueling enough, what with all the vines grabbing at my hooves.  When I got to Ponyville, however, I realized finding a place to stay, or even a place at all, would be a task of it’s own.

At one point, this city must have been beautiful. The litter of painted wood and the stubbles of trees provided me with that fact. The ponies probably walked about, greeting every other pony they met along the way. With the six friends at the center of the town, there couldn't have been any trouble with this town. I wondered how the town could collapse under such watchful eyes. Then again, how did this Princess Celestia fall victim to it, being the highest pony in power at the time? At this point, it seemed that I would have to find another place to stay, and my hopes dropped. To my knowledge, there wasn’t another town or even a village within miles of here. My disappointment levels reached their maximum as I stepped over the body of another pony. This pony in particular wasn't very special, but I noticed something on the ground next to him.

Picking it up, I saw that it was a badge. Over the years, most of the words had faded, but I could still read certain parts of it. Of what I could see, I made out the words, “Royal…...Guard.” It meant nothing to me, but in the future, I might need it for something. If a royal badge was sitting out here, I could possibly get into high-tech places.

I tucked it neatly away in my saddlebags (Well….the saddlebags on my back) and continued on my way, the death level rising as I walked closer to the other edge of the town. It was my assumption that more ponies would be found dead at the edge of the town, where everypony had tried to escape to.

I couldn't stand this town any longer. I had already cried all the tears that I could,  and the sights here made me want to vomit...again. Just the thought of what might have happened here shook my body over and over again. I couldn't bear it, and I started to slowly trot, ready to escape another place that would give me nightmares forever.

~~~

The bakery had caught my eyes. It was an actual antique building! This time, the lights were off, and nopony seemed to be residing here, but if there was food inside of here, I wouldn’t complain about it. This was a bakery, which meant there had to be something of usefulness in here. I had the deer in my bags, but it wasn’t going to last me forever, and by the time I reached the next town, I would probably be starving.

The pink paint on the outside had chipped away, the flakes still flying through the air. Some hit my nostrils, an old smell running up my nose. It wasn’t the smell of death, but it was definitely an old smell. For some odd reason it reminded me of cupcakes. My mood seemed to brighten at the smell. On the outside, a large sign announced the shop.  It seemed to be of a newer model, possibly only fifty years of age, but the paint hadn’t faded as it did the building itself. The sign read, “Sugarcube Corner, Land of Dreams,”  and was very welcoming to the eye.

I stepped inside, first just my head so I could search for any threats. When I had found nothing lethal waiting for me as I expected to do, I pushed my way in, through the four bodies huddled against the door. These were old. Not like the old smell that the paint had given off, but the old smell of death, which I had grown so accustomed to. I searched them up and down. The larger of the two seemed to be a married couple.

One of them bore a baker’s hat, and the other had two pink pearl earrings. Both were locked in an eternal kiss. The other two corpses, however, brought tears to my eyes. It appeared to be twins.They were only at a young filly’s age and just learning the basics of being a pony. One was a unicorn, and the other was a pegasus.  I had to turn away for a second, tears beginning to fall in mourning of the babies. I could only imagine what had occurred here, but I preferred not to, for the sake of this family, and for my own sake.

No sound filled the room, but in the near distance, I could hear polka music. It sounded like a band was playing. It was coming from upstairs and I quickly dashed up, not bothering to search the rooms downstairs. As I crashed into the door, making it fall forward and hurting my nuzzle, I realized that there was a scratching noise, and the same music was playing over and over again.

The room itself smelled of freshly baked cupcakes, and it was easily the brightest room I had come across in this barren village. In the center of the room, there stood a cannon with three balloons on them. The balloons probably meant that this was some sort of “party cannon,” but I would have to set it off to see for myself what it truly meant. The music was being blasted from a record player in the corner, which had obviously been stuck until I crashed into the room, setting it off from it’s continuous loop.

My hopes here were brought down as well, and I went over, turning the record off and making my way to the cannon that stood brightly in the center. It seemed to be in mint condition and, it didn't need to be lit. It made sense to me. The ponies in the town before didn’t really have true “weapons,” so why would they need something that could shoot at a supersonic speed. I pulled the cord, wholly expecting a small balloon to pop funnily out of the hole.

What I had expected was not what I got. A loud party buzzer sound erupted as a whole lot of streamers exploded and shot at the wall, making it decorative, as if for a party. The shock of the sudden party in a cannon made me fall backwards, right onto my butt. A pain erupted from my flank and I looked over, realizing that the gash had spread wider, and that I needed more healing. I pulled a potion out of my pack, quickly drinking it and feeling the pain go away. Looking down, I realized that it was actually beginning to heal this time, but only by a little. There was still a gash, but I seemed to be fine for now. Everything was a party in here (Except for the damn skeletons down there…) and on the wall where the party had shot out, I spotted something. Upon moving closer to it, I realized it was a note, much like the one I had seen at Zecora’s.

“To anypony who finds this letter,

I sense that there is something coming closer to Ponyville. I have gathered all my friends, who are currently waiting at Twilight’s Library, so I could tell them what was coming. I have just finished my final party with all of the residents of Ponyville. I can’t bear to tell them that something was coming to kill them. After the oven downstairs dinged, I pulled out my last batch of cupcakes, my favorite dessert, and hid them up here. I am expecting a pony named Sodapop to come through and find them, using only her nose. I do not know when she will arrive but I do know that if any other pony finds this, they must stay and wait for her here. It is crucial to your mission. Please, bring the light back to the world. I can’t make all of Equestria smile anymore as I did Ponyville. It is up to you now. Thank you.

Your everlasting party hardy friend,

Pinkamena Diane Pie”

So this was Pinkie Pie. She seemed sad, unlike her room. She had specifically designed this place to last forever. To bake her treats in, even after she had left the realm. I had read my name in the letter, but took no real notice of it. There can be many ponies named Sodapop, but since this was from a hundred years ago, I wasn’t even alive. She couldn't of known me and, therefore, it must be a different pony. Nonetheless, I started sniffing around. The room itself was sweet, like candy. There was no distinguishable smell, but when I moved away from the note, the room began to smell less sweet, and more bitter.

I moved back towards the note, the aroma filling my mouth with a sweet taste, although there was nothing there. I followed the scent to a wardrobe which rested beside the note, and opened it up, revealing…….nothing.

There was nothing in this closet except a wooden wall. I wasn’t surprised. These cupcakes that she baked couldn’t still be here after all these years. I poked my hoof around inside, feeling foalish to even think that there would be anything in here. Although, when I hit a button on the side, I was shocked. A panel opened up on the far wall in the back of the wardrobe.

Inside were the most spectacular treats I had ever laid my eyes on!Pink frosting glazed in a swirl across the top, a marshmallow-looking cream drizzling down the sides. The cupcakes were vanilla, but sprinkles had been added in, making them, in a sense, magical. I grabbed the tray, covered in plastic, and set it delicately on top of everything in my packs, only taking one for a quick eat. I deserved one of these after all I had been through.

I began to put it in my mouth, when I heard a shuffling downstairs. Setting the cupcake down, I pulled out the sword I had looted (Still not proud of breaking into Zecora’s) from the cottage in the forest, and sneakily crept down the stairs. It seemed to be coming from the kitchen, but even I was unsure of myself. I had met so much around here, anything could be around that corner.

Peeking in, I saw nothing, but as I made my way inside, my eyes went wide. There was a pony there. It was a LIVE pony! His body was covered in blood, and his cutie mark bore the picture of a battery, something which I had never seen before. I also realized that he was baking. It was obvious that he probably wouldn't be much of a threat to me, but I didn't really know who I could trust.

Stepping in, I landed my hoof on a wrapper of what seemed to be muffin wraps. The loud crunch forced the pony in the room to turn around, and I realized I had been completely wrong. This was no friend. He was missing an eye, a knife in his teeth. He was sharpening it, giving the impression of baking with the materials surrounding him.

“Well hello there, little pony...have you come to bake with me?”

His voice was raspy, and it scared me. It had a deep tone to it, and the glint from his knife illuminated the blood in his teeth. It seemed he had just finished killing something out there. I could only hear my heart in my ears as I screamed and began to ran out. He barely caught my tail, forcing me to clumsily trip over my own hooves. As he got down upon me, my luck had apparently run out.

His teeth glowed red as he put the knife to my throat. I closed my eyes, trying to scream. His right front hoof was crushing down on my throat. I could even feel my blood trying to squeeze past into my body. My vision was going blurry and I knew it was the end. On the point of passing out, I heard a whizzing from the right. All I saw was an arrow going right through the head of this killer, right before I conked out.

~~~

I woke up to a voice. It was just one voice, talking to itself. I fluttered my eyelids a couple of times, trying to make sure I was alive. When my vision became clearer, I sat up from the cot I was laying on. I didn't know how long I had been out of it, but I felt more rested than I had before, even if I had gone to sleep due to lack of breath.

I looked around. I got startled and jumped back. The stallion was right beside me, watching me intently. I thought my leg would hurt at the jump, but looking back, saw it was all bandaged up.

“D...Did you do this?” I asked him, a quiver in my voice.

He just stared at me, still muttering under his breath. I caught only short parts of it, but he was talking about me. I waved my hoof in his face, snapping him back to reality.

“H...huh!? Oh, you’re awake. Good, I feared that you might have gone into a coma.”

A coma, eh? Well, if it was that bad originally, he must of had some skill in the art of a doctor. His cutie mark wasn’t doctor related. It depicted a picture of a cat. I wondered what that could mean, but when he noticed I was looking at it, he answered for me.

“Oh...I see you noticed my mark. My destiny should have been a pet sitter. I used to be good with animals. I had to help everypony, but lately I haven’t been able to do that. You’re lucky I saved you.”

I quickly thanked him, apologizing for making him go through so much trouble to save me. He obviously had been through a lot of things. His red coat was charred, most likely burned. His mane was covered in dust, and really messy. I saw that he had bullet wounds in his hooves, but they didn't seem to faze him. He looked as if he actually enjoyed it, as if it was pleasurable to be a pony that could hurt ponies.

“Mister, you killed that pony! You hurt an innocent life!”

“Innocent!? HAHAHA! He wasn’t even close to innocent. He was a raider. He was going to kill you if I hadn't stepped in. He had just come from eating his raw dinner, and obviously you were in the way. Luckily, I come around the bakery every day looking for a young girl that was mentioned in a note.”

My eyes went wide. He was looking for a mare named Sodapop. My name was Sodapop! I jumped up, squealing in delight. He looked at me like I was crazy, but at that moment, I felt exceptionally crazy. I had found a new potential friend!

“Excuse me, mister, but my name is Sodapop! I found that note! I found the cupcakes!”

I opened up my pack to him, revealing the mouthwatering treats that glowed as the top came up off the bag. His mouth seemed to be as salivated as mine was. I took two out eagerly and handed one to him. He took no time in savoring it, but I just licked mine, getting the first taste of a cupcake (after the incident in Sugarcube Corner). That reminded me that I didn’t know where I was, but for now I didn’t really care. My life was spared and I had somepony to talk to.

“Where did you find these? I've been searching everywhere for them!”

“They were in the back of the wardrobe, accessible through a button on the side. I never got a chance to eat one, having dropped it at the sound of that raider.”

He looked at me again, his eyes sparkling and I didn’t doubt that mine were too. These cupcakes were delicious! Every particle on my tongue was a party. A storm was brewing in my mouth, and it was a slice of heaven going down my throat. I followed suit to him, demolishing my cupcake in a flash of lightning. I looked up at him, slightly embarrassed at my eating habits, and saw his face. It was covered in cupcake frosting. I couldn’t help but start laughing.

Quickly, he started laughing too, and I lifted a hoof to my face. It was covered in just as much frosting. We both were laughing in there for at least a couple of minutes. When it died down, he began to speak again.

“You seem like a nice mare. I feel like I can trust you now. My name is Silver Bear. It’s a pleasure meeting you, of course! I thought that everypony in that deserted town was insane! It’s nice to finally see a friendly face around here..”

I agreed with him. His name seemed silly, but who was I to argue? My name is Sodapop! For a while we just talked about our lives. I told him all about my amnesia, and the adventures I had since then. I told him about my feelings, and how I had been scared for most of my trip. He told me that he had been in Ponyville for a year now. He had found food in other cities, but he regularly returned to check for a mare named Sodapop. Luck had befell him and here I was, resting in his….cave, an injury to my leg. Now I finally took the chance, while we were talking, to explore this cave.

It felt damp in here, the smell of rain coming off of the walls. It wasn’t very dark, a lantern illuminating the whole small enclave. There wasn’t very much stuff inside, save a couple of cots, the lantern, and what appeared to be a refrigerator. The whole cave seemed blackened by shadow, and when Bear stood up, I got up too.

“We need to go. This place is going to be captured soon, and we can’t be here when they find us.”

I got immediately frightened again.

“When….who finds us?”

“The Dragons.”