Guide Them
A thick fog hung over the choppy waters, pressing down on the small row boat in the twilight. Even so, a great shape was visible in the distance, tall and imposing like a giant prepared to cast judgment. Two oars cut deep into the waters, driving the vessel ever on to its destination. In it were cans of imperishables, bottles of water, a couple torn shopping bags filled with winter clothes, an old board game, two fashion magazines, a case of batteries, a portrait, a worn and stained baseball bat, a crowbar showing similar signs of use…
…and two Earth ponies.
It had been a good haul, better than their last dozen visits for sure.
Coco Pommel’s body turned as she switched her oar to the other side of the boat. Her companion did the same. It had become a regular routine for them, repeated over and over on countless supply runs. Her forelegs had grown strong over the past few months, but she didn’t think it had anything to do with the rowing.
She liked being on the boat. She felt secure here, and the sound of the lapping water was soothing. The steady rowing regimen gave a sense of normalcy to her life and a feeling of companionship with her friend. It was wondrous what a little teamwork could do. Sometimes she thought it was the only thing keeping them together… and sane.
The fog drew back, at last revealing their destination. The statue stood hundreds of feet tall, the proud pony’s face uplifted in confidence and solemnity, her hoof raised high to carry a massive, metallic torch. A majestic crown adorned her head and she cradled a stone tablet in one leg. The whole thing was basking in the orange glow of the setting sun. They were approaching from its right side, the rocky bank just appearing through darkness.
A pair of figures stumbled aimlessly around the shore.
“Crap, we have company,” Babs Seed grumbled.
“I see them,” Coco replied, her ears lowering as she watched the ponies.
One of them hobbled on three legs. The other’s head was hanging loosely from its shoulders. Both shifted their attention to the boat as it approached the shallow rocks.
Babs set her oar down and turned to lift up her bat. “Could be worse. At least there’s only two.”
“That we can see.” Coco’s eyes explored the shoreline, but her vision was limited by the swirling mist. “Be careful.”
Babs only grunted her response, turning to face the strangers. One of them groaned, the sound gurgling from its putrid throat. Its lungs were probably full of seawater, assuming it had any lungs left.
As soon as the boat hit bottom, Babs climbed out into the shallow water. It rose up to her chest, but she ignored it and pressed forward, bat hefted on her shoulder. Coco chewed her lip and moved to the front of the boat, pressing her oar into the stone and sand below to push the vessel further along. She watched in silence as Babs waded towards the figures that were almost at the water’s edge.
The broken-necked pony reached her first. Babs sat down in the water, clutched her bat in both hooves and swung. The thing stumbled sideways and kept on its hooves, but a second thwack of the bat toppled it with a splash beneath the water. Babs promptly walked around the thing and approached the second one.
The decrepit pony ignored its fallen ally as it emitted another low groan. The sound made Coco’s hackles rise and a chill course through her body. Water – or what she hoped was water – poured from its open mouth as it limped for Babs.
Babs sat back once more, adjusted her grip on the bat and waited. She swung as soon as it was at the right distance, the thick wood smacking directly against the pony’s skull. It jerked sideways and hit the sand.
Whack.
Whack.
Whack.
It didn’t get back up.
Coco held in her whimper, remaining perfectly still as her eyes turned to the water. The other pony reappeared, rising up like a demon of the sea. Its head floated in the water, dragged along as it turned to pursue Babs. Coco was closer, but also quieter.
Babs pressed the head of her bat to the sand and waited, her expression dull. The pony approached, its mouth opening and closing to reveal broken teeth. It paused as its eye caught sight of Coco. She tensed, her hoof slowly reaching back for the crowbar.
“Hey, mush-for-brains!” Babs picked up her bat and hit the water a few times. “I’m younger. Fresh meat is tastier, yeah?”
It turned to the noise and moved away from the boat, lurching sideways as it followed its eyesight. Coco relaxed.
“That’s right, ya lumbering turd, come to Babsy.” Babs made a few more splashes before stepping back from the water.
The pony made its way to shore, water pouring off – and out – of its body and its head bouncing against its chest. Babs tilted her head at it with a frown… then smirked.
Settling herself for another swing, she glanced Coco’s way. “What do you think? A home run?”
Coco’s lips pursed. She turned her head away.
“Tsk, you’re no fun.”
Whack.
Coco winced.
Whack.
She glanced over to see Babs stepping backwards. She sat and repositioned. The bat swung.
Whack.
The pony’s head swung wildly. Coco’s stomach churned.
Whack.
“For buck’s sake!” Babs repositioned again as the pony kept coming. “It’s a lot harder to batter when it’s loose.”
“Language,” Coco muttered, too quiet to be heard.
Whack.
Whack.
“Come on!”
Coco grimaced. “Just hit his knees, Babs.”
Babs groaned as she took another step back. “Right, that would be easier.”
Crack!
The pony collapsed to its side as its foreknee bent backwards. Babs stood over it, bat raised high.
Whack.
The pony went limp.
Coco sighed and started pushing with her oar. The boat resisted her, and Babs started to wade into the water.
Coco frowned her way. “You know you shouldn’t.”
“Relax, Mom, they’re dead. Again.”
“At least feel at the water with your bat first.” Coco’s eyes roamed the area just around the boat, shifting cautiously. She couldn’t see the bottom.
“There’s nothing down there,” her young companion grumbled, but she swung her weapon in slow, steady strokes before her as she approached. Once she reached the boat she tossed the bat inside and began to pull, dragging the vessel onto the sand and gravel.
That done, Babs pulled her bat back out and turned to peer at the fog. “Maybe I should check the rest of the island.”
“Please don’t.” Coco reached for the food. “It’s too dangerous with the fog. Wait until morning.”
The filly’s head slowly turned as she scanned their surroundings. After a few seconds she helped with the bags of canned goods, letting the bat lean against the side of the boat. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Coco nodded with a smile before grabbing up the second box of cans. She set it on the edge of the boat, climbed out, then set the box on her back. Babs had already done the same. She grabbed her bat while Coco took out a few of the smaller items from the vessel, then they walked through the fog to the statue. They moved quickly, heads swiveling about as the mist rolled all around them. Nothing approached, no moaning was heard. Coco wasn’t satisfied.
A small metal door appeared in the statue’s hoof. It was covered in dark stains and a long iron bar lay across the front of it. Coco and Babs worked together to lift the heavy thing, both cringing as the metal made loud grinding sounds against the aluminum. They wasted no time rushing to get in, slamming the door closed with a bang that echoed in their ears. Coco hurriedly set a couple deadbolts, but forced herself to ignore the other dozen locks and bars. With a deep sigh, she turned and followed Babs down a long, empty corridor.
At the end of the corridor was a winding staircase rising high into the statue’s guts of metal bars and rivets. The staircase ran a square around a large elevator shaft. At the center were two woven laundry baskets tied to thick ropes that extended up the shaft beyond their vision.
It took several trips to load the two baskets with everything. In Coco's mind this was the single worst part of their supply runs. She constantly peered into the fog and jumped at every sound. Her heart maintained a fast pace even though she tried to keep her breathing calm. She grabbed her crowbar from the boat on the third run, but it provided no comfort. The metal always felt awkward, like it didn’t belong in her hooves.
Neither of them spoke the entire time.
At last they had everything loaded. Babs went on ahead while Coco began properly sealing the entrance: deadbolts, chains, a handle brace, four metal bars and two rods. There was a metal cabinet in the corner, which she shoved against the door to complete the defense. It made a hideous grinding sound against the concrete that stung her ears, but at least she could move it much more quickly than she used to.
Only when the cabinet was in place did the tension ease, and Coco sat before the door with a long sigh. She perked her ears to listen for any sound of assailants that might have been drawn to the noise but, as usual, the world was silent.
That was one thing Coco hated about this narrow hallway: the silence. She always felt like she was in a tomb. The thought made her shiver, as it often did.
She walked down the hallway, her hoofsteps echoing against the metallic walls. No sign of Babs in the elevator shaft. She looked up and saw the teenager already high on the stairs. Babs was so much more of an athlete than she was…
Coco began the long trek up the staircase, ascending into the bowels of the statue. She kept her eyes on her hooves, silently counting each of the 354 steps. She always expected to miscount, like there was some secret 355th step she’d missed and this time it would pop up, but no: 354 steps, as always. By the time she reached the top her breathing was coming in a deep, heavy rhythm. She didn’t mind; at least she didn’t sweat from the exertion anymore.
Babs was already pulling on one of the ropes, her face harsh as she strained against the weight. Coco wanted to help, but knew better than to try. She went instead to the other rope and began to pull.
It seemed like an eternity, but at last one of the laundry baskets appeared over the shaft. Babs tied her rope to a metal frame and carefully pulled the basket onto the floor.
As she began to unload the day’s haul, Coco continued to labor at her rope. The strings between her teeth were always annoying, the loose strings tickling her muzzle more so. Every now and then she would take the rope in her hooves and carefully move forward, biting down on a section closer to the elevator shaft. Babs made two more trips and had almost emptied her basket before Coco’s smaller load arrived.
Coco grabbed a box of canned fruit and turned to the open door behind her. On the other side was a small observatory, the stars plainly visible even from by the door. A pair of mattresses sat on either side of the room, each displaying the styles of their owners.
To the left was clutter: the comforter was crumpled up at the foot of the mattress, bags and clothes were strewn about, magazines and gaming pieces were scattered all over. There were at least three bats, a sawed off two-by-four with nails on one end, a sledgehammer with a handle cut short and a small mace that held particular mystery for Coco.
The only thing that was kept free of the mess was a small picture frame set atop a stool at the foot of the mattress. Coco had seen it many times before.
She often wondered just how many of the ponies in that picture were left.
The other side of the observatory was clean and organized. The mattress had a trio of sheets, a rolling rack held assorted clothes and pictures lined the observatory windows. Magazines were kept in a neat stack by the mattress, accompanied by a tall lantern, and there was a mirror with a long, diagonal crack leaning against the wall. A small folding table stood to the side, topped by a sewing machine and a few towers of neatly folded fabric. A trio of mismatched rugs covered the rest of the floor and a record player sat next to the door.
The only odd element of that side of the room was the set of tools next to the wall: crowbars, hammers, a couple metal pipes, a machete and a short spear. All had dark stains and were dented from overuse. Coco didn’t let her eyes linger over them.
She turned and walked around the circular inner wall. Babs passed by without a word. There was a small hallway that lead to a room in the back of the statue’s head. There the supplies were stored in stacks: cans of non-perishables, rows upon rows of bottled water, tissues and toilet paper, everything a pony might need to survive. Sitting next to a wall was a trio of small, portable stoves and one portable oven, each hooked to a different tank. More of those tanks were stacked in a corner, along with a sink and some doorless cabinets holding mismatched plates and silverware.
Coco set her box of cans down, sighing with relief once the weight was off her back. One down, two to go…
When everything was in place, Coco walked out of the makeshift kitchen to find Babs sitting on her mattress, slipping new batteries into her JoyBoy.
“Is there anything you’d like for dinner?”
Babs shrugged without even looking up.
Coco’s ears lowered. “You… wanna try cooking?”
“Cooking’s your thing,” Babs replied before putting on some headphones. Her face was lit by the bright screen, showcasing the dirt and bruises and the not-quite healed cut over her left eye. She glared at the device intently, already lost in her game.
With a long sigh, Coco turned for the kitchen. One of Babs’ favorite dishes was corn casserole, so she picked out a few ingredients from memory. She thought about grabbing the can of apple slices for dessert, but changed her mind. Someday, when Babs was in a good mood. That wasn’t today.
Coco missed the taste of apples.
The first stove didn’t light. She made a mental note to replace the propane and used the smaller one. It took a little longer to cook everything and the pot she had was too big, but it did the job. None of the pans in the cabinet were of an ideal size, but she took the smallest one she could. She emptied the warm mixture from the pot, coated it with old bread crumbs and set it in the oven. Not for the first time, she silently thanked Babs for helping her lug the big thing all the way up here.
She left the kitchen to grab one of her ‘new’ magazines. The observatory was dark now that the sun had finally set. Babs was sitting in the blackness, her eyes glued to the small screen before her. The tiny clicking of the buttons was the only sound.
Coco sighed and lit her lantern; it emitted a glow that covered the observatory in shadows. She walked over and set the lantern next to Babs.
The filly ignored the kind gesture, her eyes shifting to follow the tiny motions on the screen.
Coco stared at her for a few seconds. She felt so… numb. With ears low and heart heavy, she took her magazine and returned to the kitchen.
Sitting beside the oven, she used the light in the glass door to see. She flipped pages, always preferring to check the pictures before reading the articles. Most of the dresses she'd seen in her other magazines, and she could name every model at a glance. She’d helped design one of those outfits, actually. One of her last. She used to smile when she saw her work in a magazine. Now she just moved on.
One page caught her attention. It was an article on a particular fashion designer. There was a picture of her, flashing a charming smile and adorned in a spectacular red dress. Her eyes shined up at Coco, encouraging, kind.
Generous.
Coco closed the magazine and dropped it to the floor. Tears streamed down her cheeks even as she tried to hold the emotions in. It didn’t matter; she held her head in her hooves and wept.
“Dinner’s ready.”
Babs kept playing for a few seconds, but her JoyBoy at last darkened and she removed her headphones. Coco set a plate down next to her mattress, prompting Babs to tilt her head at the steaming casserole.
“What’s the occasion?” she asked as Coco moved the lantern to the center of the observatory. From there it offered enough light that they could both eat from their separate mattresses with ease.
Coco set her plate down and smiled at her companion. “I just thought I’d whip you up something nice tonight.”
Babs lowered her head and averted her eyes. “But I didn’t do anything.”
A giggle rose from Coco’s throat. “You act like I’m trying to lure you into a favor.”
Her companion sighed and shook her head. “Sorry. I just… I’ve been a bit of a brat lately.”
That made Coco grin. “Well, at least you’re aware.”
Babs chuckled with a smirk. “You don’t have to agree with everything I say, smartflank.”
“Don’t worry, blankflank, I won’t.”
They giggled a little more before dining in. Babs’ smile broadened as she tasted the casserole. “Mmm. This is why you’re the cook and I’m the muscle.”
“And I appreciate those muscles,” Coco admitted, “but I wish you’d be more careful.”
Babs sniffed with a frown and didn’t bother to reply.
Coco’s ears lowered as she stared at her, a tight feeling in her chest. She opened her mouth… then let it close. Her attention returned to her food and she tried not to let her worries get the better of her.
They ate in silence for a while, neither looking at the other. Coco was going over the day in her mind; the empty streets, combing the building on the corner of Western and 43rd, the brief battle on the fifth floor. Hiding in the bathroom for three hours had been the worst of it, but Babs came through as she always did. Really, though, it was a pretty average supply run; neither of them expected to ever make one and not run into trouble.
It came with the times.
She turned her head to the windows, gazing out at the stars. The moon was barely a sliver, and half of that was blocked by the statue’s raised arm. Still… the stars were so very beautiful up here. It seemed like ages since the city had gone dark. If she focused hard enough, she could actually see the skyscrapers against the starscape. Night was becoming her favorite time, if only because everything seemed so calm. The realities of the new world were blanketed by darkness, and for a little while at least she could simply forget.
She heard Babs shift. A glance revealed that she’d turned away, her plate sitting atop the mattress and her face set in a scowl. It was a very familiar expression.
Coco turned her gaze upon the stars once again. “Say… do you ever wonder why—”
“Don’t.”
She sighed and tilted her head towards Babs. “There’s nothing wrong with a little hope.”
Babs’ scowl deepened and she hunched over her casserole.
“It’s just…” Coco shifted and looked to the moon. “Somepony has to be controlling the day cycle, y’know?”
Babs turned her head away. “The princesses are dead. Get over it.”
“You don’t know that,” Coco whispered. “There’s always hope.”
“There is no hope.” Babs set her plate on the floor and reached for her JoyBoy.
Coco’s eyes remained set on the moon. “I know you don’t believe that.”
“Why do we keep having this conversation?” Babs turned on Coco, teeth bared. “Seriously, sometimes I wish I’d never met you! Stop being so bucking naïve and accept the fact that we’re screwed. We’re gonna spend the rest of our miserable lives scrounging for food until we screw up and become food ourselves. It only takes one mistake.”
Coco observed her threatening posture. “Is that why you’re so reckless, Babs? Are you hoping the mistake will finally come?”
The filly leaned back a little, her ears lowering but her expression still hard. Silence passed between them.
Coco turned to face her companion. Those eyes hurt her heart so much… “Are you that scared of the future?”
Babs lowered her eyes. “What’s there to look forward to?”
Coco bowed her head. “At least we’re alive.”
A derogatory huff rose from Babs’ chest. “Right, if you can call this ‘being alive.’ There has to be a better alternative.”
Coco eyed her. “Like your ‘mistake?’”
Babs sneered. “Don’t be so melodramatic.” She laid down and pulled the comforter over her head.
With a sigh, Coco grabbed the plates in a hoof. “Good night, Babs.” She took the lantern handle in her mouth and went to the kitchen, heart heavy.
By the time she returned, Babs’ chest was rising and falling in the steady rhythm of the unconscious. Coco blew out the lantern and went to her bed, but she didn’t try to sleep just yet. No, she sat on her mattress and gazed out at the stars. She wondered at their quiet movements, as she did every night, and prayed. Prayed to live another day, prayed to meet somepony else, prayed that the nightmare would end.
More than anything, she prayed that Babs’ hope would be restored.
Her ears perked to the sound of whimpering. Coco turned her eyes upon her companion.
Babs was twitching and shaking her head, inaudible sounds coming from her lips. Every now and then her legs would give a feeble kick.
Coco winced at a particularly loud cry. She walked to the other side of the observatory and stared at the filly, her heart twisting with every jerking motion and fretful whimper. This was becoming such a common occurrence…
She dropped down and pulled herself under the comforter. She pulled the small, muscular pony into a tight hug and pressed her head to her shoulder. Every now and then she could make out a word or two, but the substance of Babs’ nightmare was lost to her. She strengthened her hold, a tear streaking her cheek as she began to whisper into the filly’s ear.
Hush, my little foal, rest your weary eyes
Spoken from far, please know my words are keen
Of land so wonderful, with fields of green
Together, you and me and the sunrise
Will play in soft grass that no dream can devise
And sing about the sunbeam’s golden sheen
I’ll bring you to my world, simple and clean
Then we can share in these beautiful skies
Hush my little foal, let me see your smile
There’s nothing in this world you need to fear
I’ll kiss away these things which you have seen
Come with me on this journey, mile by mile
Mothers only want their foals to know cheer
So come with me now to the fields of green
The kicking had stopped. Babs’ whimpers faded. She was still, quiet and peaceful.
Coco sniffed, a small smile gracing her lips as she nuzzled the filly’s neck.
“Good night, Babs. Things will get better, you’ll see.”
Something pushed against Coco’s shoulder. She let out a small grumble and turned away.
“Come on, Coco, get up.”
Coco waved a feeble hoof. “Five more minutes…”
Babs shoved a little harder. “Come on, you need to see this.”
“I am the adult in this skull,” Coco mumbled, pressing a pillow to her ear, “and I will decide when it’s time to get up.”
“But you’ll miss the boat.”
Coco turned her head to cast a bleary-eyed look at her companion. “You’re not leaving the island on your own, and you know it.”
Babs stared down at her with wide eyes. “That’s not the boat I’m talking about.”
They gazed at one another for a few seconds as Coco tried to make sense of this, then her sleepiness slipped away. She jumped out of bed without a word and went to the window, Babs rearing up next to her so she could see over the railing. What they saw made Coco’s breath catch in her throat.
Resting in the harbor beneath the looming presence of the city was a cargo ship that had never been there before.
Coco accepted the telescope from Babs and swept her eye over the vessel. A whimper escaped her at the sight of ponies – real, living ponies! – moving about on the deck.
She lowered the telescope and stared down at the ship, her mind humming with possibilities. “My Goddess, Babs… are we dreaming this?”
When Babs failed to respond, she turned to the filly. Babs’ eyes shined as she gazed out at the ship below, tears threatening to break free at any second.
“You were right, Coco.” Babs turned to her, a trembling smile coming to her lips. “Y-you… you were right. There is hope.”
They embraced as the filly sobbed. Coco had tears of her own, but she kept quiet and stroked Babs’ mane.
“I’m s-sorry,” Babs whispered between hiccups. “I’m so sorry I gave up!”
Coco cooed in her ear. “Hush, now, it’s okay. It’s okay, Babs.”
“I thought we were alone.” Babs tightened her hold. “I th-thought… Goddess, Coco! I swear, I’ll never doubt you again.”
Coco smiled as her eyes went back to the ship. She held her companion close and hummed, letting her get it all out. She whispered a small prayer to the princesses, thanking them for this miracle.
They didn’t bring much with them. Babs’ mace rested beneath her seat and Coco had her least-used pipe, but they were only a precaution. They rowed with their usual rhythm, Coco’s eyes on the ship that was growing ever larger in her vision. It was so easy to forget how big a ship could be. It didn’t matter that it was caked in rust, right now this behemoth was the most beautiful thing she’d ever laid eyes on.
“Do you think they’re looking for survivors?” Babs asked.
“Could be,” Coco replied. “Or maybe they come back to shore every now and then for supplies.”
Babs leaned forward as they came under the ship’s shadow. “Or maybe they came from an island or something where none of this has happened, where it’s safe and sane.”
Coco smiled at her companion’s tone. She’d not heard such excitement from her in a very long time.
They rowed to a familiar part of the docks, aiming for a ladder they’d used numerous times before. They came alongside slowly, Babs barely able to catch the ladder for how much she was staring at the towering vessel. It took her a little extra time to tie off the boat and she left her mace as she rushed up the ladder. Coco only chuckled and followed, making sure to bring her pipe.
Babs was halfway to shore by the time Coco topped the ladder. “Come on, Coco, move your molasses! What are you waiting on, Hearth’s Warming?”
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Coco trotted after the filly, who was actually bouncing. Bouncing!
“I wonder where they’re from,” Babs said as Coco finally caught up. “Maybe they’ll have news about the rest of Equestria.”
Coco grinned as they walked along the dock lane, passing by large storage buildings. “I’m sure they do. And if not, there’s bound to be news wherever it is we’re going to.”
Babs sighed, her eyes glossing over as she gazed up at the ship. “Maybe they’ll even know about Ponyville…”
It took several minutes to walk the length of the ship. When they at last came to the boarding ramp they found a group of ponies working to erect a metal wall in a semicircle. The first thing Coco noticed was that they were all wearing white pants. There was one pony who was leading them, dressing a long yellow robe with pink trim. Coco had no idea what they were doing, and she was too excited about seeing living, breathing ponies to care.
A worker noticed them. Then another. Soon all eyes were on the approaching mares, and work came to an instant stop. The supervisor whispered something to a lone worker who immediately ran up the ramp and disappeared. The robed pony snapped something to the workers, who immediately went back to work – though they continued to cast curious glances towards Coco and Babs.
“Hey!” Babs paused just outside the ring of workers and grinned up at the supervisor. “You have no idea how good it is to see you guys!”
The pony pushed back her hood, revealing a blue coat and curly, dark brown mane. She smiled down at Babs and spread her forehooves wide. “Welcome, both of you! We did not expect to find anypony from the city. This is an incredible treat.”
Coco returned the smile as she at last caught up. “And we were starting to think we’d never see another living pony. This… this feels like a miracle!”
The supervisor chuckled. “Perhaps it is, my friend. After all, we are here on a quest, and I doubt the Holy Mother sending us here is a coincidence.”
Babs tilted her head with a frown. “Holy Mother? Who’s that?”
“Oh, I shouldn’t say,” the pony replied with a wry smile. “The Lowly Father loves to give new Children their first sermon. Oh, how rude of me: my name is Chocolate Blueberry, but you may call me Sister Blue.”
“A pleasure.” Coco gave a polite nod. “I am Coco Pommel, and this energetic little thing is my friend, Babs Seed.”
Babs’ head was swiveling as she took in the workers all around them, her grin so wide Coco wondered how her cheeks hadn’t split open. “Wow, so many made it. This is great! I bet thousands—no, millions survived. We’re finally gonna get out of here!”
“Oh.” Sister Blue glanced from Babs to Coco. “Were you looking to book passage?”
Coco nodded vigorously. “Of course! We’ve been stuck here for months.”
“And it has not been fun,” Babs added with an emphatic gesture of her leg. She pointed to Coco with a roll of her eyes. “All she ever wants to do is look at fashion magazines and design clothes.”
Coco blushed with a giggle. “Well, it beats draining my brain on a JoyBoy.”
Babs reared back to gasp and set both forehooves over her heart.
“I’m sure the Lowly Father will welcome you aboard,” Sister Blue assured them with a winning smile. “We’re always eager to welcome new children to the flock.”
“Right you are, Sister Blue.”
Sister Blue grinned as she turned to the ship and bowed. Coco and Babs looked up to find another robed pony on the ship, dressed in a cloth similar to Sister Blue’s but with broader trim. He wore a necklace of gold, at the center of which rested a pink butterfly.
The newcomer spread hooves wide. “Friends! Welcome, welcome. It’s always a wonderful day when one gets to introduce new Children into the fold.” He gestured invitingly. “Don’t be shy, come on up. Let’s get a look at you both.”
Sister Blue stepped aside and waved to the ramp, grinning at Coco and Babs. Babs wasted no time, galloping up the ramp with a beaming smile. Coco shared a giggle with Sister Blue before following.
Babs was bouncing before the Lowly Father, whose amused smile was just visible beneath his hood. “Oh, this is gonna be awesome! I can’t wait to explore the ship and meet everypony!”
“Calm down, Babs.” Coco set a hoof to her shoulder, effectively grounding her. “They might not want you snooping about just yet.”
“Not just yet.” The Lowly Father pushed his hood back, and Coco couldn’t help but stare.
He was a stallion of pearly white with a loose-hanging blonde mane. He flashed a charming smile of perfect teeth and had eyes of arctic blue. Yet it wasn’t his good looks that made Coco gape: it was the horn. Or rather, what used to be a horn; now there was only a neatly cut nub on his forehead. It looked as though somepony had taken a saw to it and polished the results afterwards.
“Oh, don’t mind this.” He reached up and tapped his forehead with a smile. “It was a small price to pay for enlightenment. I am the Lowly Father, Prophet of the Holy Mother and Guide of the Children, who hopes one day to become Blessed and ascend to the glorious state of being that is the Holy Father.”
Coco and Babs shared curious expressions as he gave a deep bow.
“Riiiiiight,” Babs said.
Coco batted the back of her head before the Lowly Father could get up from his bow, smiling pleasantly and ignoring the filly’s glower. “It’s a pleasure, Lowly Father—”
“Just ‘Father’ will do.”
“Father.” Coco nodded. “I am Coco Pommel and this is Babs Seed. We’ve been waiting a long time for a chance to meet somepony. Your ship is a true blessing to our morning.”
The Lowly father chuckled. “You have no idea. I must say, it amazes me to find a pair of mares who haven’t joined the ranks of the Blessed here in the Big Apple. We thought for sure that nopony had escaped. Surely the Holy Mother foresaw this meeting.”
Babs cocked her head. “The ranks of the blessed? What are you talking about.”
“The Blessed,” he replied. When this answer didn’t seem to satisfy, he waved a hoof out to the city. “Them.”
Coco raised an eyebrow and turned her eyes to the city. From her spot on the ship she could see over the warehouses and down a long street, were a few dots indicated figures aimlessly roaming. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Oh, them.”
Babs shivered and turned to the Lowly Father. “So, uh… are you staying here long? We’d really like to get out of this city.”
He grinned. “Understandable. We are here only to do a brief gather and fill our holds, then we will be setting sail to cross the sea.”
“Oh…” Babs looked up at Coco with ears laid low. “B-but what about the rest of Equestria? Isn’t there somewhere nearby that’s safe?”
Coco shifted and glanced down at the wall being constructed. “We were hoping to go South, but I guess if we have no choice…”
The Lowly Father shrugged and shook his head. “I apologize, but I must obey the wishes of the Holy Mother Who Blesses Us. She wishes to cross the seas, and that is what we shall do.”
“Who the heck is this—”
Coco set a hoof to Babs lips with a blush. “We understand. As long as we’re getting out of here, we don’t really care where we’re going. Right Babs?”
The filly stared up at her for a moment, eyes big as she frowned. At last she bowed her head, shoulders slumping with her ears. “Yeah… I guess so.”
“Umm…”
They turned to the Lowly Father, who was studying them with a hoof over his lips. “I’m sorry… but there is one little problem. This is a ship, after all. Supplies are limited. I’m afraid there isn’t room for both of you.”
Coco’s jaw dropped. She looked down at Babs, who was gaping at the Lowly Father.
“You can’t be serious!” Babs cried. “You can’t ask me to leave Coco behind, or the other way around!”
Coco turned to him with an imploring gaze. “Y-you don’t really mean that, do you? Babs and I can bring our own supplies, and—”
“I’m sorry, but the answer is no.” He cringed as he said the word. “The Holy Mother gave very clear instructions: only the Children are allowed onboard, all other space must be spared. We have a holy mission to complete. There simply isn’t room for both of you, and neither of you are Children, regardless.”
Babs kicked at the deck with a snarl. “That’s ridiculous! Let us talk to the Holy Mother, we’ll set her straight.”
“We would like to plead our case to her in pony,” Coco added with a calming hoof to Babs’ shoulder. “That’s possible, is it not?”
The Lowly Father sagged with a long sigh. “I am afraid the Holy Mother will only speak to me. I do not say this as a matter of rank, but simple fact: she refuses to talk to the Children. I wish I knew why.”
“No!”
Coco tried to grab Babs before she could do anything rash, but the filly eluded her grasp and went straight to the Lowly Father. She reared back and jerked on his robes, glaring him in the eye.
“I am not spending any more time in this city, do you hear me? I’m sick and tired of scrounging around for food, fighting for my life and living in the head of some stupid statue! I wanna see my cousin, I wanna see living ponies! I have to get out of here!”
The Lowly Father’s face grew somber as he raised his hoof over the pony’s shoulder. He was aiming it past Coco, who turned and winced at the sight of two large ponies who came to an abrupt stop behind her. They glared at Babs but backed off.
“You can’t leave us here!” Babs continued to jerk at the Lowly Father’s robes. “Haven’t we lost enough? I don’t want to see them anymore! What kind of bastard are you, huh? We deserve a chance after all we’ve gone through. Give us a chance!”
Her energy faded and she slumped against his chest. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. “P-please. Fields of green… d-don’t make it just a dream.”
Those words pierced Coco’s chest. She came forward and wrapped Babs in her hooves, pulling her away from the stallion and rocking. “It’s okay, Babs… We’ll be okay.”
She looked up to the Lowly Father, eyes imploring.
He averted his gaze, ears low and shoulders slumped. For some time they remained that way, Babs quiet weeping hovering over their heads. Coco didn’t take her eyes off him, even as she stroked Babs’ short mane and cooed soothing words in her ear.
At last the Lowly Father turned back to them. “There is only one way that both of you will be allowed on this ship.”
Coco released a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “W-what is it? Whatever it takes.”
He offered a smile. “One of you will join the ranks of the Children. The other shall be Blessed by the Holy Mother. Joining the ranks of the Blessed is a great, glorious thing, and will make transport easier for everypony.”
She blinked, tilted her head. “What do you mean, join the Children?”
“W-wait…” Babs pulled away from Coco and rubbed her eyes before turning to him. “But I thought… thought you said the blessed were… were…”
His smile broadened. “Yes, my little pony, you understand! You will join them, and accept the eternity the Holy Mother offers us all.”
The mares gasped in unison. Coco’s eyes went out to the city, to those shambling forms in the distance. Her stomach churned at the thought of what he was telling them. “You… you’re not serious?”
He leaned back with a small frown. “Why, of course I am. Why would I joke about something so wonderful?”
Coco gazed at him with wide eyes… and saw that he was indeed very serious. The realization brought a whimper to her throat and made her knees wobble.
Babs took a step back, tugging on Coco’s tail. “Coco… I think we need to get out of here.”
“I agree.” She stepped back and pushed Babs towards the ramp. “We’re sorry, but we c-can’t accept this. We’ll find our own way.”
One of the big stallions stepped in front of them, his expression grim. He was standing sideways, and that let Coco see the wound in his shoulder; a neat, perfectly square segment of scar tissue. He caught her looking and took a step closer with a sneer.
“W-what are you doing?” Coco whispered. She tried to pull Babs back, but the filly stepped forward and stood tall, glaring up at him.
“Let them go, brother.”
The stallion blinked, his stance loosening a touch. “But Father—”
“We are not monsters,” The Lowly Father said, his voice kind. “If they do not wish to join us in our glorious mission, it is not our place to force them. Remember: many have to learn the truth of the Holy Mother in their own way.”
The stallion fidgeted, but at last bowed his head and stood clear of the ramp. Babs hurried down it, tail tucked between her legs despite her firm posture.
Coco turned to the Lowly Father, head low and ears tucked. “Um… thank you for your time.” She turned for the ramp.
“Do not thank me, my little pony,” he called after her. “I fear the path you now tread will be far more agonizing than any I could offer.”
Babs was silent. Not like her usual silence, where she glared at the water or fumed over Coco’s hopeful chatter, but a calm, lingering stillness. Coco chewed her lip as she watched, the filly’s forelegs working the oar in a slow, mindless rhythm. She tried to speak, to offer something helpful, but every time she opened her mouth her throat would constrict and her eyes would water. Neither of them looked back to the ship.
The statue rose tall ahead of them, its eyes aimed to the East. A titan unaware of the mortals below. Coco stared up at it and felt her heart sink down to the bottom of her chest. That towering monument used to be a source of pride, but now she longed to see anything but that impassive face.
She blinked as the boat’s direction shifted. Her eyes lowered to find that Babs had stopped rowing, the oar resting across the boat.
Coco fought the current on her own for a while, but finally let her oar rest. As the boat began to drift, she fidgeted and glanced at the deep waters all around them. What to say?
“I’m… I’m sorry, Babs.” She ducked her head and stared at where her hooves gripped the oar. “I know you must hate me right about now.”
Babs’ head lowered, her shoulders shook. She let out a small sob. “I wanted to believe,” she whispered. “F-for once… I really thought we had a chance.”
Coco cringed and didn’t look up. The quiet of the lapping waves seemed to encompass everything, such that even thinking might be considered villainous. So she just sat there, sat and tried not to think on the future.
A foghorn resounded over the waters, prompting them to turn in unison. They stared at the cargo ship for a moment before sharing uncertain looks… then the horn sounded a second time.
“Are they trying to lure them in?” Babs asked, rubbing her eyes as they continued to watch the ship.
“I… I don’t know.”
Babs heaved a sighed and began to row once more, though a small hiccup broke free of her throat. “We better… better stay in for a while.”
Coco stared at her back, then down at the oar in her hooves. She felt at the wood, then looked up at the statue ahead of them. Slowly, her eyes turned East to the endless sea. She stared at the gently shifting water, gazed into the pristine green beneath her. It was so peaceful, so simple.
Would it really be so bad to drift out there forever?
“Coco?”
She didn’t answer. She just watched the waters and listened to her own slow, steady breathing.
Thunking hooves against wood reached her ears; she felt a hoof on her shoulder.
“Hey… stay with me, Coco.”
A burning wetness hit Coco’s eyes. She bent forward and held her oar to her chest.
“I don’t want to go back,” she whispered. “I d-don’t want to spend the rest of my l-life living in the head of a statue…”
Babs went silent, and Coco only sobbed. After a while the filly leaned in, pressing her cheek against Coco’s. “I know. I get it. Believe me, I do. We’ll be okay, Coco.”
“Will we?” Coco accepted the gesture and trembled. “W-will we really? Maybe we’d be better off letting the current take us.”
“Don’t think like that.” Babs reached a hoof about Coco’s shoulder and pressed her closer. “We’ll be okay. What happened to the optimistic Coco Pommel who used to piss me off so much, huh?”
Coco sniffed and turned her head away.
Another long, terrible silence. Coco turned her eyes back to the sea, wondering if she shouldn’t just throw her oar away entirely.
The foghorn sounded off once more. Babs tensed at its deep blast. Coco hardly heard, though the memory of it echoed in her ears.
“We still have hope.”
Coco sighed at her friend’s confident tone. “Where? I don’t see it.”
Babs grabbed her by the shoulder and gently turned her. She pointed a hoof towards the ship.
A feeble laugh bubbled out of Coco. It was the kind of laugh one makes to keep from sobbing. “We already decided against them.”
“But they’re here,” Babs countered. She touched Coco’s cheek so she would look down at her face. “They’re alive, Coco. Don’t you see? If a bunch of nutbars like them could survive, that’s proof positive that there must be others. It means we’re not alone.”
Coco’s head rose a touch. She slowly turned back to gaze upon the ship. Ponies… real, living ponies.
“I… I guess it’s possible.”
“It is possible.” Babs moved back to the front of the boat and grabbed her oar before shooting Coco a grin. “There are other ponies out there. We just need to find them.”
Coco considered her, chewing her lip as she thought. She didn’t smile, but she did start to row. “You’re starting to sound like me.”
Babs shrugged and turned away, her oar dipping into the water. “Not my fault. You’re a bad influence.”
That at last brought a smile to Coco’s face, albeit a small one.
Upon looking up, they realized that they were drifting away from the island. With oars working in practiced rhythm, they fought the current and slowly righted their course. For a time they simply focused on the rowing, but a hiss from Babs caught Coco’s attention.
She looked up and bit down a small curse; the feet of their statue were surrounded by shambling forms. They were all walking in one direction, heads upturned and faces aimed towards the ship in the harbor.
Babs glanced over her shoulder at Coco. “Door’s on the other side, anyway.”
Coco nodded, and soon they were traveling around the island. Not once did Coco take her eyes off the ugly creatures stumbling across the rocky beaches, holding her breath every time she thought she saw a face turning her direction. She shuddered as she wondered how many might be walking the floor of the bay just a scant few dozen feet beneath their little boat.
She jumped as the cargo ship released another blaring blast. Babs did, too.
At last they had rounded the island. Not once did a single pony turn to them; they just kept following the cargo ship’s monstrous siren call. Coco and Babs kept the boat in place and watched in silence as the abominable things moved ever onwards, rising and falling from the waters like a ghostly procession.
“Hey… Coco?”
She turned to Babs, who was staring intently at the bottom of the boat. “Yeah?”
Babs shifted, her eyes drifting aside. She had moisture in her eyes again.
“Can you… can you make some apple pie tonight?”
Coco stared at the filly for several long seconds. Though she felt the moisture in her eyes once more, she managed a smile.
“Yeah, I think I can do that.”
Babs smiled back, but it didn’t last long. She sniffed and turned to the island. “Looks like they’re all gone.”
Indeed, the island was devoid of movement. Sighing, Coco grabbed her oar. Babs followed suite and they were soon on their way. The current was with them this time, and soon they were closing in on the gravel shore. They made the rest of the trip in silence, Coco letting her shoulders sag now that Babs was so focused on her alternating strokes.
Soon they hit the rocky bottom. Babs set her oar down and jumped into the water. She began to pull while Coco pushed against the rocks with her paddle. Her eyes were set on the door, a sinking feeling in her stomach as she thought about what lay beyond. Good Goddess, she was so tired of this place. Maybe Babs was on to something. Maybe if they left for—
“Ah!”
Coco jumped to her hooves as Babs fell into the water with a splash.
“Babs!”
She grabbed her pipe and rushed to the front of the boat. Just as she got there she saw a hoof splash out of the water. Heart racing, she looked over the side to see a brownish form squirming beneath the surface, thrashing against something dark.
Coco reacted without thinking, jumping out of the boat and swinging her pipe. “Get off her! Get off, you bucking bastard!”
She hit and hit and hit, screaming with every blow. As soon as the brown shape managed to separate itself from the dark one, she ran forward and caught Babs’ legs. She made for the shore, moving as fast as her legs could carry her. Once far enough away from the boat she bent down and helped Babs up; the filly came up sputtering and spitting water.
“Babs, you’re okay, I-I’ve got you!” She didn’t dare look back as she dragged the waterlogged filly to the gravel beach. “Goddess, how many times have I told you to check the water? Huh, Babs? How many times?”
Babs flopped onto her back, breath coming in short gasps and eyes wide. She stared up at the sky, forelegs splayed. “Oh Goddess, Oh Goddess…”
“Y-you’re okay,” Coco whispered, her hooves shaking as she stroked Babs’ mane. She cast a quick glance to the legs, saw the blood trailing towards the water and shuddered. “I p-promise, Babs, you’re going to be okay!”
“It got me.” Babs’ wet eyes turned to her, her chin shook. “It… It g-got me. Coco…” She began to sob.
“No. No no no.” Coco shook her head fiercely. “That’s not it at all! You just… j-just cut yourself on the rocks, that’s all.”
“I’m gonna turn...” Babs closed her eyes as her entire body trembled. “C-Coco, I’m gonna turn into one of them.”
“No you won’t!” Coco caught her face in both hooves and tried to look her in the eyes. “It’s not going to happen, Babs, you’re okay!”
Babs reached a hoof up to hold Coco’s legs. She wasn’t looking at her, but at something beyond. “I wanted to see my cousin. Apple Bloom… I j-just wanted to know if she was okay…”
Coco kissed her forehead and held it to her chest, rocking as tears streamed down her cheeks. “She is. She is, Babs, you know it. It’s alright.”
They remained that way for a few seconds. Coco stared up at the statue towering above them and let her tears flow. She cursed the creature that bit Babs, cursed the Lowly Father for turning them away, cursed the princesses for letting the world descend to this… this nightmare. Her mind drifted to the past several months, of fighting and hiding and laughing and shouting.
To think that it was going to end like this…
“H-hey, Coco?”
She brushed her tears away and smiled down at the filly. “Yes, I’m here, Babs.”
Babs stared up at her, cheeks moist and eyes big. “I’m s-sorry I was such a brat and never listened to you.”
A choked laugh somehow managed to escape Coco’s throat. She grinned and kissed Babs’ forehead once more. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”
Babs smiled, though her lips quivered. “Y-you’ll still make that apple pie, won’t you?”
“Of course I will,” Coco replied, pressing her head to Babs’. “It’s a special request from my best friend in the whole world.”
“G-good. Have a piece for me, okay?” She buried her head in Coco’s shoulder.
Another grim silence passed. They held on tight, the lapping waves and their slow breaths the only sound.
Babs finally broke the silence. “I want you to do me a favor.”
Coco smiled and nodded. “Anything.”
A long pause.
“I want you to take the rope from one of the supply baskets and tie me up.”
Coco froze, her eyes going wide. Slowly, she pulled back to stare at Babs, who returned the look with a grim, firm frown. “W-what are you talking about?”
Babs leaned forward a little. “They’ll let you on the ship now. Don’t you see? We’ve met their criteria.”
“B-but…” Coco slowly shook her head. “But Babs… that’s—”
“You have to.” Babs caught Coco’s hoof and held her gaze. “This is your chance, Coco. You can get out of here. Please, I need to know you’re going to get out of here.”
Coco fell back, hooves raised to her chest as she shook her head some more. “No. Babs, that’s wrong. I c-can’t use you like… like…”
Babs fell back to the gravel, her breath coming in slow gasps. “Coco, do it. While I’m still me, while I can still cooperate. I… I feel strange. Please, hurry!”
Coco moved forward, reaching a hoof to Babs’ face. “I… Babs, don’t make me—”
“Hurry!” Babs raised her head and shouted, eyes closed. “Go on! Do it, do it now! Please, go get the rope and do it before it’s too late!”
“Okay, okay!” Coco raised her hooves before standing, her tears dripping to the gravel. “Just… j-just hold on. Babs… I… j-just hold on!”
She ran. There was no telling why she was doing what Babs asked, but she was soon forcing the metal bar off the door and running through the hall. The clopping of her hooves echoed fiercely in her ears as she galloped through the hall. The sound was almost menacing, like the old statue itself was upset with her.
She stumbled to a stop, almost running over the two laundry baskets sitting in the middle of the elevator shaft. For an instant she thought she was looking at Babs instead of two red, woven baskets. Shaking the gut-wrenching image from her head, she dropped down and worked the knots of the nearest one. Her hooves trembled and she cursed under her breath.
Her vision blurred and her eyes stung. She brushed the moisture away and struggled to see the knot clearly. It shouldn’t be so hard to untie! If only her damn hooves would stop shaking, if she could just get the bucking tears to stop forming for five seconds...
At last the rope came loose, and she gave it a few jerks. With the fourth one it pulled through the pulley high above and dropped in a long, snaking pile on the floor. She grabbed it up in a heap, threw it on her back and turned—
Coco’s breath caught in her throat.
There, standing in the open doorway, was Babs. The filly stared at her, dripping wet and blood still streaming down her hind legs. They stared at one another for an instant eternity, Coco's eyes wide and her heart pounding in her skull.
A moan filled the hallway.
Babs approached.
Coco’s legs gave out, the rope sliding off her back as she gaped.
“Oh G-Goddess, no…”
A growl rose from Babs throat. Her eyes, glazed and dull, locked with Coco’s as her lips pulled back in a grimace. Babs’ legs began to move, lethargically, then faster. It was a steady canter, her motions rigid as if she were a thoughtless steam engine of teeth and muscle and hunger.
“P-please, Babs…” Coco shook her head, unable to take her eyes off her companion. “T-tell me you’re in there.”
A groan was the only response.
Coco bowed her head, her entire body shaking. She was lost, unable to see anything but her friend’s face and soft green eyes. For all her hard words and gruff mannerisms, her eyes were so distinctly soft…
She shook herself, looking up just as Babs reached the end of the hallway. Setting her jaw, Coco grabbed the rope and prepared herself.
“Okay, Babs. If this is what you w-wanted.”
The filly lunged with a snarl, but Coco dodged easily and kicked, knocking Babs to the floor. She worked quickly, looping the rope as she set a back hoof to the filly’s head. Babs kicked and squirmed, her teeth clicking amidst her growls. A chill ran up Coco’s spine and she jerked away, barely avoiding a bite.
She backed away, sweat beading on her brow and legs wobbling as Babs slowly climbed back to her hooves.
“St-stop it, Coco. Do what you have to.” She backstepped slowly, her hooves hurriedly tying a noose in the rope. Her eyes darted between her work and the slowly approaching filly. Her throat was so dry…
Just when her rump hit the wall, the noose was ready. She held it up and waited, gritting her teeth and praying this would go right.
Babs picked up speed, her glazed eyes widening as her jaw stretched. Just as she lunged, Coco jumped sideways and swung the noose.
She missed.
Cursing, she backed up the stairs and pulled the rope until she had the noose in her hooves again. Babs turned and followed, stumbling on the steps as she did. Coco held the noose up once more, taking deep breaths as she fought to calm her mind. “Come on… Come on, Babs, help me.”
Babs’ next lunge was clumsy on the steps, and Coco was able to backstep away. The filly’s legs got tripped up by the stairs and she fell to the floor.
Seeing her opportunity, Coco dropped down before Babs could recover and slipped the noose around her neck. She fell back as teeth clicked not an inch from her muzzle, heart racing and eyes wide. But, as she crawled back, she saw that she’d succeeded.
Thinking fast, Coco pushed the rope between the rails of the staircase and climbed over. She dropped awkwardly to the floor and turned back to the stairs, waited for Babs to start standing to give the rope a firm jerk.
Babs’ head was pulled between the rails. She snarled and tried to pull back, dragging Coco a couple steps, but the pony gave another firm tug. She ran to the bottom of the stairs and swiftly circled the rope around the bottom rail, tying a strong knot.
Coco stepped back, sweating and panting, and looked to Babs. The filly’s head was stuck between the railings. She tugged on the rope, pressed against the railing, growled and hissed, but she was stuck tight. Coco fell to her haunches and stared up at the sight, her entire body going cold.
She began to sob. “Oh, B-Babs… I’m so sorry. I wish I could—”
She sucked in a sharp breath at the sound of scraping. She looked up at Babs, but she was still squirming against the rope and railing. Slowly, Coco turned her head towards the hallway.
One of them was crawling through the doorway, its front legs dragging limply as it made its way inside. It was soaking wet.
A fire burned in Coco, a heat unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She stood tall and glared at the monster crawling its way towards her.
“You.”
She flew up the stairs and past Babs, her heart pounding in her ears louder than her hoofsteps. Every breath came out as a snarl. She ran up every single step, relishing the pain in her knees and the way her breath came in gasps. As soon as she reached the observatory, she went to Babs’ side of the room and grabbed the sledgehammer. She tested its weight and delighted in its heft.
The fiend was at the entrance of the hall by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs. It let out a gurgling growl, water and a disgusting black ooze seeping out of its mouth. Coco sat at the bottom of the stairs, body shaking as she held the hammer ready. She eyed the monstrosity, taking in its appearance.
One of its front legs was whole, but broken near the shoulder. The other was just mangled flesh and bone dragging uselessly against the floor and seeping black liquids. A huge chunk of its head above the muzzle was missing, fragments of skull mixing in with a mess of flesh and rotted brain matter. It stared up at her with a lone, dull eye from behind the last remaining strands of mane. The rest of its body was no better, hide and flesh having long fallen off. The thing didn’t even have a cutie mark.
Both hind legs worked to propel it forward, even though one of them was twisted at an unnatural angle at the knee. The last remnants of a tail snaked along behind it, like a paint brush leaving a black trail of liquid.
Coco clutched at the sledgehammer, her vision going red as she glared down at the thing. She sucked in long gasps through her half-opened mouth, teeth bared and muzzle twitching.
“You…”
Its head rose up, its hideous jaw opened wide in a groan.
The hammer came down, smashing right between its shoulder blades. Coco hit again, again, again, again! She screamed as tears poured down her cheeks, pounding as hard as her legs could muster. She felt as if somepony had lit a fire in her brain as she smashed and bashed and shrieked.
Black gunk began to splatter about the room. Even as the thing stopped moving, as its groans ceased, as its body became unrecognizable, she kept smashing. Coco’s legs began to ache, but she fed off the pain. Her chest burned, her breath came in gasps, but she kept hitting. She didn’t want to stop.
She didn’t want to ever stop.
Crack.
The head of the sledgehammer snapped off and flew high in the air, landing with a resounding bang a few feet away. Coco froze, huffing with the handle aimed down where she’d last struck. She stared unseeing, mind blank as the fury at last disappeared. There was nothing before her but a smear of pulpy flesh. The handle was shaking wildly in her hooves, but she just stood there.
She just stood.
A low groan reached her ears. Her eyes slowly turned upwards to see Babs still stuck on the railing.
The handle dropped as Coco fell back against the wall and sagged to her haunches with a sob. She remained that way for a while, staring at the pile of mush before her and the cracks in the concrete.
She covered her face in her trembling hooves and took slow breaths. She didn’t want to think, didn’t want to move, didn’t want to hear.
“This is not me,” she whispered, her voice as unsteady as her hooves. “Th-this is not me.”
Another moan from Babs caught her attention. She stared up at the filly for a few seconds before slowly climbing to her hooves. She walked to the center of the room, not even bothering to step over the mess she’d made, and looked up at Babs for a while. She felt so cold...
“I… I guess I should thank you,” she said. “You were always willing to go extreme, weren’t you, Babs? It let me stay… innocent.”
Coco looked up at the stairs, those 354 steps. She could see herself climbing them month after month... alone. Rowing out to the city every couple weeks, gathering supplies, hiding, fighting when she had to. All by herself.
Forever.
The thought left a hole in her stomach.
Her eyes focused on the laundry baskets, settling on the second rope. She stared at it for some time, her thoughts suddenly turning to a different future. Was it a better one? She couldn’t be sure… but at least she wouldn’t be alone.
“Okay, Babs.” She knelt down and worked the knot in her hooves. “I’ll do it. If this is really what you want. I’m going to hate myself forever for this… but I’ll do it.”
Yet it wasn’t as easy to do as it was to say. Rope in her hooves, Coco found herself sitting a couple feet away from the struggling pony. She fought to make herself do what she knew she had to. Every time she started to approach, those lifeless eyes turned on her and her stomach clenched. She would linger, unable to look at at what had once been her only friend in this messed up thing she called a life.
At last she managed to touch the body, and she sighed at the warmth still within. Babs pulled and growled as she became aware of Coco’s presence, but otherwise made no attempt to stop her as she slowly began wrapping the rope about her hind legs. Coco determinedly ignored the raw wounds just below the knees.
Coco focused on the work, struggling not to think on what she was doing. If she thought, she might stop, and she couldn’t stop.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she tightened the rope and rubbed her moist eyes. “I’m so sorry…”
Coco had no idea what she was doing. It wasn’t as if tying up ponies was a requirement for a fashion designer. Still, she was able to get all four of Babs’ legs together in a tight set of knots, adding a couple loops around the pony’s midsection for extra lock. Babs was lying on the ground by now, her neck stretched up as she remained caught by the other rope. Her legs squirmed against her bonds but were held tight.
There was still some rope left. Coco made a loose loop and dropped it over the railing until it was even with Babs’ mouth, which was clenched closed as she struggled. Carefully, Coco maneuvered the loop until it slipped over Babs’ muzzle. She tightened it quickly, effectively muzzling the filly. She secured the rope to one of the backside loops, ensuring it wouldn’t slip off.
Coco stepped back to admire her work. Her heart sank a little lower as she took the sight in. Babs struggled and growled, an animal ready for delivery.
“Oh, Babs, look at what I had to do…”
The filly only squirmed in response, her moans muffled. Coco watched in silence, head hanging almost to the floor and a terrible, icy feeling in her chest.
At last she approached. She stroked Babs’ mane. “Shhh, it’s okay…” She lay down and rested her head on the filly’s withers. “It’s okay, Babs. I’m here. Everything will be okay…”
The body shook beneath her.
“I know. I’m scared, too.”
Coco’s lips turned up in a tremulous smile as her eyes burned.
“Hush, my little foal… Rest your weary eyes…”
She sucked in a sharp breath, fighting down a sob.
“Together, you and m-me and the sunrise…”
A stifled growl pierced her ears.
“I’ll… I’ll bring you to my w-world. S-simple and… and c-clean…”
The words faded to weeping.
Coco’s legs ached as she fought against the currents. She kept her eyes locked on the ship, the oar moving in steady, firm motions. The growling constantly invaded her ears, but she drowned it out through sheer effort. Her joints protested and her eyes drooped, but she refused to stop.
It had been an incredibly long morning. She’d never realized just how heavy Babs was, especially after a sleepless night. Coco hadn’t wanted to wait so long, but she’d seen the horde clamoring about the ship and knew going immediately would have been a bad idea.
Besides… she’d promised to make a pie.
Possibilities swam through Coco’s brain. What if the Lowly Father changed his mind? What if their defenses hadn’t held? What if she got to the dock to find it still swarmed? Despite everything, she set her jaw and pressed ever onwards, waging a seemingly eternal battle with the current.
It took hours, but at last the cargo ship was looming over her. The current wasn’t so strong here, and she had little difficulty maneuvering her boat to the familiar ladder. Her eyes roamed the docks, but she saw no movement. Had they all given up and shambled off?
Coco tied her boat to the ladder and turned to observe Babs. The filly was bound just as she had been all night, her eyes locked with Coco. That lightless gaze made her shiver.
She looked between Babs and the dock a couple feet above her head. This was a step she’d not paused to consider…
With one last, uneasy glance at her captive, Coco climbed up the ladder and began the long trudge down the docks. Though her head hung low, she couldn’t help casting her eye about for movement. She saw none, but wasn’t put at ease. Even so, nothing approached, and soon she was nearing the boarding ramp.
The wall was still there, manned by a quartet of workers who looked half-asleep. When they saw her they stood up stiffly and stared. She just kept walking, her eyes set on the ramp. After a while one of the workers ran onto the ship ahead of her, but none of the others bothered to stop her as she began the climb.
Sister Blue met her at the top of the ramp. “Miss Pommel? What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”
Coco sat heavily and shook her head. She worked her lips and took long, deep breaths. She tried to speak, but no sound escaped her lips. Her eyes were set on Sister’s Blue’s hooves.
Sister Blue stepped forward and set her hooves to Coco’s shoulders. “Take it easy. What’s wrong?”
A sob broke out of her sore throat, but no moisture touched her cheeks. She didn’t have any tears left. She tried to speak again and failed. Finally, she just raised a shaking hoof to point towards the back of the ship.
A new voice reached them. “Miss Pommel? I am surprised to see you.”
She didn’t bother looking up at the Lowly Father. She just let her hoof point and kept her eyes set to Sister Blue’s chest.
The Lowly Father’s voice was pained. “Miss Pommel… where is your friend?”
A trembling sob rocked Coco’s body. She thrust her hoof a second time and looked away. She ground her teeth as she tried not to imagine what they would find.
“Go, sister.”
Sister Blue called to some others and stepped past Coco on her way to the ramp. A moment later, the Lowly Father was before her. He took her pointing hoof in his and rubbed it gently as he tried to look into her eyes.
“I am sorry about your friend, Miss Pommel. I know this can’t be easy for you. It never is for those who have not joined us.”
Coco huffed and turned her face away. He sighed and continued to hold her hoof.
“I remember what I told you,” he said at last. “I suspect what happened has nothing to do with my offer… but I would consider your part fulfilled. If you were interested, that is.”
Her heart twisted as she gave a weak nod.
“Good.” He offered a smile. “Very good. I promise, you won’t regret it. Please, come with me.”
He tugged on her hoof and she followed. He moved at a slow pace, perhaps for her sake, and made for the front of the ship.
“I think you’ll come to like being a Child of the Goddess, Miss Pommel. You will, of course, have to abide by our rules and earn your keep. Perhaps you can work in the rose garden. Sister Leaf was lamenting just the other day about how she could use some assistance.”
Coco sighed and nodded, her eyes going to the city. Never had it seemed so lifeless, not even compared to how it had been after this nightmare had started. Her eyes roamed the distant streets, noting the figures that still moved aimlessly about. Maybe it would have been better if she’d joined them from the very beginning. Maybe then her heart wouldn’t hurt so much.
“I suppose I should give you a concept of how we are organized,” the Lowly Father went on. “Most of us are ‘Children,’ ponies who have come to follow in the Holy Goddess’ hoofsteps and wish to earn the right to spend all eternity with her. The ‘Sisters’ and ‘Brothers’ are of the next order, having already sacrificed greatly for Her cause. I, as the Lowly Father, guide them all.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
He glanced back at her and let out a small sigh. “I suppose that’s all you really need to know for the moment. I can see you’re in no condition to accept the full sermon.”
Coco nodded. “Sorry…”
“Don’t be,” he replied with a smile. “I remember how it was for me before I discovered our beautiful Mother. It was a… harrowing time. Yet I saw the light and came to appreciate the Blessed for what they truly were. I am certain you will as well, once you’ve met Her.”
Coco blinked, his words finally piercing the fog of her mind. “‘Met her?’ You mean the ‘Goddess’ is a real pony?”
The Lowly Father raised his head high, eyes shining. “Oh, She is infinitely more than a mere pony. She is divinity ponified! She spoke to me while I was lost, revealed to me Her glorious intentions! She asked only a humble sacrifice, one that I was more than happy to offer.”
Coco frowned and turned her head away. “I’m not at all happy to offer mine.”
“I know.” He patted her on the shoulder. “Such is the way so many of the Children join. But all have found their place. You will too, I am certain.”
The Lowly Father opened a door and gestured for her to follow. Inside was a long hallway, which struck her as both unpleasantly plain and dingy. She didn’t bother pointing any of this out, though. She merely trudged after him, wondering what was going to happen next.
“So… you’re going to introduce me to this ‘Holy Mother?’”
“The Holy Mother,” he said. “And yes. It is obligatory. You cannot become one of Her Children without first being brought before Her for judgment.”
Coco glanced up. “What if she says no?”
“I doubt that will happen.” He offered another smooth smile over his shoulder. “I honestly believe She sent us here for a reason. I think She knew we would meet. It may be possible that She has great plans for you.”
“I highly doubt that,” Coco replied, head hanging once more.
They walked on in silence for a while, but eventually the Lowly Father paused before a pair of double doors. He turned to Coco and his expression grew serious.
“Now remember, Miss Pommel: the Holy Mother speaks to me, and only me. I do not understand why myself, but that is the way of things.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“Good.” He glanced at the doors with a small frown. “What you will see in here will astound you. It astounds everypony who enters the first time. I must ask that you try to remain calm. It may take some… getting used to.”
Coco cringed and shook her head. “After what I’ve been through in the last twenty-four hours, I don’t think anything can shock me.”
He set a hoof to her shoulder, and when she looked up she was staring into his cool blue eyes. She shrank back at the firmness within them.
“I assure you, Miss Pommel, I have heard that one before.”
The Lowly Father stood up straight and stared down at her. “Are you ready?”
Coco considered him, then the door. She closed her eyes and thought of Babs’ last words. She let out a long sigh and nodded.
He examined her for a few seconds with a peering gaze… but finally returned the nod and opened the door. He stepped inside, and Coco followed into what appeared to be an empty room. It was shrouded in darkness, though, so she had no way to know for certain how big the room actually was.
He led her a few steps further before waving for her to stop. “Wait here while I light the lamp.”
Coco did as she was told, glancing around the darkness and wondering. Perhaps the Holy Mother was blind and didn’t need lights? Or maybe she took naps? It didn’t really matter. Coco sat and sighed, trying not to think on everything she was about to leave behind.
“Yes, Mother, I am here.”
The Lowly Father’s voice was longing. Coco’s ears perked as she listened.
“Indeed, we do have a visitor. She wishes to become one of your Children. You knew didn’t you? Oh, yes, Mother. You astound me, as always.”
Hoofsteps resounded on wood. Coco gazed up, trying to follow the sound. A lantern flickered on, bathing the room in a dim glow.
Coco’s jaw dropped. She clutched at her chest as icy spikes seemed to pierce her heart.
The Lowly Father grinned from behind his podium and reared back, hooves spread wide.
“Behold: The Holy Mother, Guide of All Children, Bringer of the Blessed!”
Behind him was a tall wall of at least two stories. The wall was covered in vines that were decorated with brilliant pink roses. And there, held up by shackles on her spread hooves, was the Holy Mother.
She gazed towards the Lowly Father with empty eye sockets, her jaw opening and closing slowly as she leaned towards his back. Whatever color her coat might have been, now it was a dull grey. Her body was surprisingly intact, but there was a gaping, empty hole in her chest, the ribs splayed out as if to show off the sheer nothingness within. Long strands of pink mane hung loosely about her and what was left of her tail descended down to the floor. She had wings, which were spread wide and held in place by thick vines. Most of her feathers were gone, forming a neat pile just behind the podium.
Coco’s hooves reached her lips as she stared and trembled. “Oh. My. Goddess.”
“You see!” The Lowly Father turned sideways to gesture to the Holy Mother, who silently snapped her teeth at his hoof. “She is in awe, Mother, as they always are. She cannot comprehend your splendor.”
A whimper escaped Coco’s throat. She took a step back and jumped as two ponies walked past her for the podium. She recognized one of them as Sister Blue, who walked up the stairs and whispered in the Lowly Father’s ear.
He grinned and nodded. “Wonderful. The Holy Mother is most pleased with your gift, Miss Pommel. It is rare that one gives so much for the cause.”
Coco’s eyes darted from one pony to the next, then up to the Holy Mother. “G-Goddess… I… w-what are you ponies doing?”
The Lowly Father stood up to the podium once more, ignoring how the Holy Mother jerked her head towards him. “We are the Children, the Shepherds of the Blessed. Tell me, Miss Pommel: have you ever longed for peace?”
“P-peace?” Coco took another step back, body low as she gazed up at that writhing body.
He smiled down at her. “Yes, my dear: peace. To live without pain, to fear neither heat nor chill, to never hunger, to never age. No more worries, no more complications, no more responsibilities. To even defy death itself!”
Coco could only gape, a sinking feeling in her gut. Her chest tightened and she struggled to breathe.
The Lowly Father spread his legs wide once more, his voice booming. “This is what the Holy Mother offers us! The Children sacrifice to deserve a place beneath her, just as I sacrifice to earn my right to stand at her side and become the Holy Father.” He touched the butterfly necklace he wore. “I bear her mark, as evidence of my current unworthiness to stand at her side.”
He brushed a hoof over the stump that used to be his horn. “We have all given something to the cause. Come, Brother Stone, Sister Blue, reveal the cost of your worth.”
Sister Blue walked to join her companion beneath the podium, who was already pulling his robes aside. He turned from Coco and raised enough of the robe to reveal his flank, and Coco sucked down a gasp: there was a perfectly square scar where his cutie mark had once been. She stared at the spot, fighting down the urge to vomit as she took in the reality of what she was seeing.
Blue turned aside as well, catching Coco’s attention. She raised her own robes, but her cutie mark of yellow lightning bolts was intact. What really caught the eye was the nub sticking out from her side, all that remained of a wing.
Coco shook her head. “Y-you ponies are insane...”
The two ponies scowled and replaced their robes. The Lowly Father only grinned.
“We will spread the Holy Mother’s Blessing,” he declared. “Already it has touched every corner of Equestria. We have been chosen to guide the Blessed even further, to go beyond the seas and let the entire world know of the glorious future in store for us all.”
He leaned forward to stare at Coco with wide eyes, his smile so broad she thought it might break his face. “Can you imagine it, Miss Pommel? An entire world without fear or pain or misery. Utopia! Heaven! And then, when we have at last taught everypony – all races! – the joy of being Blessed, only then will we earn the right to join our Holy Mother in eternal serenity. The new age is upon us, and it is an age not for mortals!”
“No!”
He frowned and stood tall as Coco backed away from the sight on wobbly legs, her eyes locked upon the Holy Mother. “This… Babs didn’t die for—”
She bumped something, and her blood ran cold. A glance back revealed four ponies glaring down at her from the open doorway. She swallowed and stepped away from them before turning her attention back to the podium.
The Lowly Father was tapping his chin while Sister Blue and Brother Stone glared at Coco.
“Hmm.” The Lowly Father leaned forward a little. “It seems you are not so easy to convince as most. After you have seen, you would ignore the truth?”
Coco gritted her teeth and shivered as she closed her eyes, an image of Babs coming to her mind’s eye.
“I… I want to leave.”
“I see.” The Lowly Father sighed and sat up straight once more. “Perhaps if you—what?”
He turned about to stare up at the Holy Mother, who strained against her bonds. He stepped closer and leaned in, turning his head so his perked ear was a hair’s breadth away from those snapping teeth.
“Yes, Mother? Really? But I thought… No, no I would never question. Is that what you intended all along?”
Coco’s head swiveled about, looking for potential exits. She noted the ponies behind her and winced at their dark expressions. Her body sank a little lower, tail tucked between her legs.
“Very well, Mother. If that is the way it is meant to be.”
She turned her attention back to the Lowly Father, who loomed over the podium and stared down his nose at her. “I was mistaken. I thought this meeting was a sign that you were to join the flock, but Mother has something entirely different in mind for you.”
“D-different?” Coco shifted as her fur began to stand on end.
He closed his eyes and bowed his head for a few seconds, perhaps trying to think of the proper words. At last he smiled and set a hoof over his heart.
“It is as I said, we cannot receive Mother’s Blessing until we have shown every pony and creature in the world the joys of Her gift.”
He looked her in the eyes with a dark smile.
“Every pony.”
Coco felt hooves grabbing her from behind. She bucked on instinct and opened her mouth to scream, but as she turned her head a hoof cracked against the side of her skull. She hit the floor, the world spinning and stars in her eyes.
She was lifted up and carried out into the hall. Though her head was a touch foggy, she still bucked and thrashed against their hold. At last the air she’d been holding burst out of her chest, and she wasted no time screeching.
“Let me go! Where are you taking me? Please!”
They ignored her, holding on tight and preventing her from moving her legs. They soon passed into a new room, and Coco thought her heart had stopped as a chorus of moans and snarls hit her ears. She looked up to find herself surrounded by cages filled with… with them.
“Stop! No, no no no! Put me down!”
The world spun as she was abruptly thrown sideways. Hard floor and metal bars came up to meet her, a burning pain running up her shoulder upon impact. It only took a moment for her to regain her orientation, and she gasped as a pony with only half a face slammed against the cage just inches from her face. She turned away, legs prepped for flight, only to find the cage door slammed in her face.
It didn’t stop her from trying; she flung herself forward and smashed her shoulder into the bars, crying out as the sting in her shoulder intensified. Nonetheless, she pushed and shouted and pleaded, forcing the ponies to press against the door to keep her in.
The sound of the deadbolt rang in her ears like the trumpet of death.
“Please, have mercy! I didn’t do anything to you! Let me go!”
The keys were tucked away. The stallions stared at her, and for the first time she got a really good look at their faces. Their eyes bored into her, pushed her back, made her want to curl up and hide. They were so bland, so lifeless.
She stepped back, hyperventilating as she gaped at the lock. “N-no… No this… this c-can’t be happening. Babs...”
The sound of a rattling cage made her jump. She turned to find herself surrounded by snarling, rotting corpses. They pressed themselves against the bars, teeth grinding and clicking, hooves reaching in. Her tail tucked as she pressed herself against the door. The moans filled her ears, exposed muscle and bone ensnared her vision, their eyes locked with hers.
So bland.
So lifeless.
She fell to the floor and covered her head, sobs wracking her body.
She rocked on the floor, her world filled with hissing and groaning and snarls. “P-please, somepony wake me up… Please…”
A banging sound filled the air, coming from somewhere above. She looked up to discover that the cage had no ceiling. Before she could take this in, however, a trapdoor in the cargo hold roof slid open.
The Lowly Father, flanked by his Children, grinned down at her. “Hello again, Miss Pommel. I hope you don’t mind the small accommodations.”
She stood up and reared back so he could better see her face. “Please, Father, let me go! I’m no threat to you!”
“Threat?” He smirked as his followers laughed. “Of course you are not a threat. Rejoice, Miss Pommel! You have been personally sought out by the Holy Mother. You are to join the ranks of the Blessed and know true peace. You will be among those who cross the seas and spread Her glory to the entire world!”
“I don’t want to cross the seas!” She shook her head violently, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. “P-please, don’t do this!”
“Behold!” He raised his hoof high. “You even get to be with your friend. Isn’t that nice?”
Coco’s eyes went wide as a group of ponies appeared at the edge of the trap door, a large brown sack in their hooves. The sack squirmed and thrashed as they fought to hold on to it.
“No…” Coco’s body heaved from her intense breathing. She once again pressed herself against the door. “No, d-don’t…”
The Lowly Father nodded to the ponies, who promptly leaned over the hole and dumped the bag’s contents. Coco screeched as Babs, now entirely unbound, dropped into the cage with a snarl. She smacked against the floor just inches away from Coco’s hooves.
There was no room to flee. Coco stared down at her former friend, body shaking and heart pounding. “B-Babs… It’s me… C-Coco.”
The filly’s dull eyes turned up to her, her jaw opened with to emit a vicious snarl. She climbed to her hooves and lunged.
Coco let out a scream and raised her hooves. Babs slammed into her, clicking teeth an inch away from Coco’s muzzle. She was held back by shaking hooves on her throat and forehead, her lifeless eyes wide as they gazed with animalistic precision.
Hooves slipped. The two ponies collapsed to the floor, but Coco managed to keep those jaws away. Barely.
“Babs!” Coco sobbed and pushed, but her exhausted legs offered painful protests. “Babs, it’s me! It’s Coco! Please, remember!”
Clicking teeth and snarls were the only response. Babs pressed down, her cold, lightless eyes set on their target.
“Babs…” Coco’s legs buckled. “P-please… Babs, don’t do this…”
Babs mouth opened wide, a long moan resounding in Coco’s ears.
“H-help… Somepony… please… Babs…
“Babs!”
Her legs gave. She let out a piercing screech as Babs’ teeth found her shoulder. Her body shook as the filly’s head jerked about violently, ripping away at her flesh.
Coco stared up at the clouds through the hole. She couldn’t see the Lowly Father or his Children. She couldn’t see anything but beautiful, pristine sky. Her breathing came in slow gasps as the pain coursed through her body. The force of Babs’ bites seemed so… distant. Like the burning that she let wash over her.
She reached up and pulled Bab closer, wrapping her hooves around the filly’s neck. Babs thrashed, her teeth digging deeper.
“It’s okay, Babs. It’s… it’s okay.”
A snarl reached her ears. She tightened her hold.
Her lips came up in a wavering smile.
“Hush, m-my little foal, rest your w-weary eyes.”
Babs wriggled her way down, began to chew on her chest.
The sky was so… blue.
“Then we can share in these beautiful skies…”
The world began to blur. The pain intensified. Coco just smiled and let her legs go limp.
“So… c-come with me now to… t-to the fields of…
“Fields of green…”
The cargo hold door closed.
The world was darkness.
Author's Note
This is just the first part of six stories to be released this month between me and RainbowBob, all of them extensions of the Them AU. I'm thrilled that my very first collaboration is with Bob, and I hope it is a sign of good things to come. His stories will almost certainly be better than mine, but I'm okay with that.
The stories are being released in reverse chronology, so Guide Them is technically the very last story in the set. As more are released, we will eventually learn about the world of Them. These six stories aren't the end, though; we have at least one more story to plan for after October, and we're considering starting a group to let others get in on the act.
