Broken Wings

Chapter 12

Let me start off by saying that there are some perks to being tall especially when it comes to bookshelves. Walking around the mansion I began to notice just the large amount of stuff covering everything. Knick knacks were everywhere ranging from small figuring to full size stone carvings of instruments. One instrument in particular seemed to interest the owner of this mansion being and that being the Lyre it was littered around the house in various forms from the instrument itself to sheet music titled “Melodies of Spring for the Lyre”. It was odd but at the same time it was refreshing to be in a place where you could see the devotion of one pony to the arts.

On the wall I noticed a frame holding what looked like a certification it read “Rewarded to Miss Lyra Heartstrings for her ground breaking research in the fields of Centaur Anatomy and Music based Spellcraft.” It was from the Canterlot Mage and Sorcerer College of Anomalous Creatures”.

Our search lasted several hours but it proved fruitless. Most of the literature and books we found focused on music and history. With titles like The History of Equestria, Nobles and Dukes of Early Equestrian Society, Ancient Economics nothing about humans and most certainly nothing about parties.
“Find anything?!” I called while rescanning a couple of bookshelves in a study room next to the fairly small and simple Kitchen. Quite surprising given the grandeur of the exterior. Perhaps Lyra has a taste for the simple things in life.

“Nope, nada, zilch, nothing, negative…” Pinkie called back sliding her hoof across the spines of several books lining a very antiquated bookshelf. In fact it looked a great deal older than most of the other pieces of furniture in the study. Cobwebs lined many of the shelves and a thick layer of dust covered many of the books. The shelves themselves looked about ready to come tumbling down and some were noticeably disintegrating into wood chips and saw dust. Perhaps the most striking thing about it was that it was built into the wall itself. I walked over to Pinkie as she began climbing up a ladder to scan higher shelves. Instinctively I held it steady for her, having to help my father with many a home improvement project taught me not to take chances when climbing up high on an old ladder.
“Thanks Sammy” Pinkie called down with a smile as she began to look over the shelves. As far as I could tell from Pinkies expressions as she searched the top shelves held nothing of interest either until
“What in the HAY?!....OMY GOSH!” Her voice nearly made me knock over the ladder.
“What is it Pinkie?” I asked my voice a little shaky.
“You are never gonna believe this but I found an old diary up here!” She climbed down holding a deep teal colored book.

The cover was leather with gold inlaid on the spine.
Curiously enough the gold patterns were shaped into human forms faceless but very much like cave paintings on earth. There was no title except for the word “diary” written in black cursive. Not surprisingly it was in poor shape crumpled and worn but, it was missing the thick layer of dust that covered the other books and a metal black locket that prevented the book from being opened.

“Looks like someone has been writing in this” I said pointing out the lack of dust. “The shapes too are like a human’s don’t you think?” I asked Pinkie. She took it from my hands and examined it carefully

“Yep, I betcha there’s load of stuff in here about humans if only we could unlock it…” She tossed it in her hooves a few times.
“Careful, that diary looks ancient it might fall apart and I doubt the pony who wrote it wants it in a thousand scattered pages.” I said it afterall looked like it could break apart with a little tug on the spine.

“Hmmm…” Pinkie appeared lost in thought. “We could a wait for Lyra to come home but the snowstorm doesn’t look like it’s gonna let up anytime soon… hmmmm…” She continued to toss book and then “Schrrrck” I heard the book tear as it hit the floor the front cover now lazily hung off the side attached only by the locket now.
“Oops.” Pinkie squeaked timidly. She brought her face down to the floor desperately hoping she could fix the cover somehow. I sighed
“Well I suppose we might as well take a look inside who knows it might tell us something about what our worlds have in common.” And maybe it could tell me more about that mysterious mineral I found back on earth I thought.
I picked it up being careful not to let the front cover completely fall off and began to read.
“Bipedals and Ponies: A Culmination of the History of Equestria, Human Kind and my Memoirs by Celest Keys.”

My story begins in the Everfree when I was not but a Foal. The world seemed so grand and so wild and I was always seeking places to explore and adventure in. Wait…how foolish of me here I am writing a memoir and I have said nothing about my appearance. I am an old mare at the time of writing this with a light green coat a maroon mane and perhaps most importantly I am a unicorn. I reside in the village of Solid Stone and seek to understand the connections Equestria has with other realms, and if not for recent events regarding the Royal sisters I perhaps would be closer to understanding these connections. Alas it is not meant to be but I feel it is necessary to record what I have learned so that some may continue my quest if they so desire.

As a young Filly it is easy to see the allure the Everfree forest presented, even back then it was a wild and untamed place although much smaller in size than what it is today. There were always rumors of fugitives running to escape the law in that forbidden place only to come out insane and half-starved or perhaps more mercifully not at all. Being filly I knew better than to go very deep as many a monster would love to lazily snack on a slow young foal-… I paused and realized that Pinkie and I had made our way over to sofa together once again. She rested her head on my shoulder gently breathing in and out.
“Why did you stop Sammy? Keep it going please!” Pinkie said excitedly. I stared at her for a second then smiled somehow I didn’t expect this mare to enjoy books this much but I guess I was wrong like I am about so many other things.

In fact many although rare foals and ponies alike would go missing just for skirting the edge of that foreboding forest. When I look back on it now I was either incredibly brave or exceptionally stupid but it did get me my cutie mark so maybe I’m a combination of both. One evening I meant to venture to the Royal Sisters castle which isn’t that difficult of a trek but I wanted to forge a shortcut through the forest. My village was on a primary trade route between The Royal Castle and the rather small city of Doge. Goods traveled to and fro and everywhich way in my village. The primary means of getting to the castle was by boat since the road was often stalked by monsters and black Wyverns that dwelt in the Everfree. The road followed a convoluted and cumbersome path and in my mind I felt as though a shortcut was necessary since I saw an old musty map that detailed the terrain. The rode meanders it constructed in such a way as to avoid the denser parts of the forest where the particular dangerous creatures make their homes making the journey long and arduous. My mindset and a machete in my saddlebags I sought to cut my way through these thickets and create a wonderful path for all in the village. Man was I stupid….anyway to make a long story short I was lucky.

I was around halfway along the road when I came to the first thicket I meant to hack and slash my way through. The vines twisted around my machete like snakes the canopy quickly extinguished any daylight as I quickly lit my horn the trees seemed to inch toward me as if they would envelope me in their roots silencing this adventurer trying to bring order to that chaotic forest. Delving further into the abyss the sounds of nature were both horrifying and beautiful. The song of the Maroow Jays were wonderful a treat for the ears while the gaseous hisses of blatterbugs threatened to make me sick. Nonetheless I continued forward my body gashed and scraped by the razor sharp leaves of the Camzer Vines. I paused to drink from my canteen wiping the sweat and dirt accumulating on my hands and face. Oddly enough the Forest for all of its terrors and vicious creatures the thicket I was in was rather calm and almost relaxing the calls of manticores and cockatrices only faintly echoed off the trees surrounding me.
That peace was shattered when I heard a scream. A bloodcurdling-…

I turned my head to see Pinkie’s eyes wide with fear and worry. She was still staring intently at the pages I was reading.
“Wh-Why did you st-stop keep reading you can’t leave the st-story hanging like th-that” She said holding a hoof close to her face as if to hide her anxiety. “Are you sure? I can stop if you want?” I asked concerned this was a bit scary for a pony like Pinkie.

“No no keep going I want to hear the rest” she replied confidently although her voice wavered a bit.
“Yes Ma’am” I gave her a mock salute. She giggled “Keep going!”

“Alright Alright
-A bloodcurdling scream that seemed to be emanating from the edge of the thicket. “HELP SOMEPONY HELP ME PLEASE!” I quickened my pace slicing through the branches and plants. I have to reach them I can’t let them die were the only words running through my head. I heard a screech followed by the sound of teeth gnashing and bone crunching. I could no longer hear the screams of the pony I only saw a pair of black leathery wings erupt above the forest where it the creature soared through the sky at an astonishing pace. A sense of desperation took over my body. My horn ached with the magical strain I was putting on it breaking through the limbs of so many trees. Sweat poured from every orifice stinging the bloody cuts like a thousand angry venomous hornets.

At last I broke through thicket with the only a shattered caravan wagon to greet me. The red sun at dusk gave the whole spectacle such an eerie feel. I carefully walked toward the remains of the wagon fairly. A pool of blood was forming and seeping underneath the wagon and the smell of fresh meat beginning to attract flies was overwhelming. I fought the urge to vomit as I rounded the wagon to see the mangled remains of the driver. From what I could tell it was a Pegasus stallion with a light gray coat. He was wearing a black suit of armor that shined as if it were made out of pure crystal. Gritting my teeth I walked forward trying to avoid the intestines mixing with the dirt road under hoof. A swarm of black horse flies had already settled on devouring this Pony their pincers making sure to grab every last morsel of flesh.
Upon closer examination of the shimmering black armor I saw the dreaded emblem a sideways red tear drop with a jet black scythe inlaid surrounded by gold inlaid fractures and cracks.

The emblem of the Crystal Empire…Sombra’s Emblem. The stallion wore flexible leather armor over his wings around his neck the shredded bridle for the wagon lay. A silver and black pike laid at his side dripping with black blood. A blood even the flies didn’t seem interested in. It was very strange to see a soldier so well equipped caught by surprise even in the Everfree especially if he managed to injure his assailant as most just run off if the prey is too dangerous… which ponies aren’t most of the time. Lowering I took a closer look at the pike I knew little about military weapons in Equestria but it was common knowledge that soldiers in militaries around the world kept their identification tags in a specialized compartment in whatever weapon they so wish. Mission orders and intel were also rumored to be hidden inside these compartments with a magical failsafe built in that is meant to self-destruct upon the death or capture of the owner. Okay so maybe I know more about the military than most ponies but I’ll get to that later. Tapping on the pike I discovered the hollowed out section near the bottom of the shaft and unscrewed the black metal cylinder. So many questions a dead soldier well equipped to handle the forest is dead, his weapon did not self-destruct and a mysterious creature with black wings flies off without a trace somehow?

Emptying the contents the soldiers dog tags fall out: Corporal Jasper Rhyo and a note as well.
It detailed his last words if his mission were to fail along with a sketch of himself a mare and a young colt at their feet. He was smiling. Apparently he was defecting to the Equestrian Royal Army and as a token of good faith he was bringing along a certain newly discovered communication system that would prove invaluable to whichever side possessed it. I was so wrapped up in thought I barely noticed the smell anymore. . I glanced sadly at the dead soldier he didn’t deserve a death like that no one does. I looked around the mangled remains of the wagon see if this item the note spoke of was still around virtually all of the crates and barrels the wagon held were burned to ashes intermixed with some sparkling rock dust. If this item was so important I felt obligated to find it and deliver it myself to the princesses. I dug move hooves into the ash piles hoping to find something anything at all really. I removed my hoof after the digging through the last pile I could see sighing. I was ready to give up when I looked at my hoof to see it was bleeding and what followed was almost indescribable.

My whole body started shuddering, sweat poured and emotions coursed through my entire body growing in intensity like a boiling pot of oil overflowing it’s cauldron burning my insides. I felt it all happiness at its peak, unfathomable sorrow, unimaginable grief, and then rage. This uncontrollable fury coursed through my veins, I had the sudden urge to lash out at anything in my field of view. I wasn’t in control and a monster entered my mind, my head turned to the soldier on the ground. Without a second thought my magic flared grasping the machete and pike and…I….I…mutilated the body. I hacked and slashed through the skin of that dead soldier red blood and intestines filled my vision, the insects of the Everfree flocked to the fresh meat I created. I dove head first in driving my teeth into the entrails thrashing in guts and gnashing my teeth swallowing hunks of flesh whole…..I need to stop writing this it’s….. too hard…I must…for my research.
I will spare any further detail suffice to say I passed out and awoke covered in the entrails of that soldier my mane sopping wet with blood. Hysterical would be an understatement I had no idea what entity overtook my senses. I looked over to the now unrecognizable corpse, I swallowed tasting blood, I ran my tongue along my teeth to discover chunks of flesh were still nestled in my mouth. I immediately retched right there on the spot. The air hung thick with the stench of vomit, blood and rotting flesh. The smell seemed to knock me out of my hysterical daze and gave me the chance to feel the searing pain coursing through my hooves. I looked down to see and almost enchanting teal glow emanating from the wound with pulses of agony flowing through as the light brightened and waned. I remember thinking what in Equestria is creating that glow? Was this the new communicating device the Princesses were so interested in? Being a Pegasus of both adventure and science I thought it best to take a sample and analyze it back in town, assuming I could make it back in my condition. I winced pulling a teal shard from my fore hoof…..

“EEP! Grosss!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I mean umm, you can stop reading for now Sammy this is a little too- Intense for me.” She was shivering and her face was a little less pink and a little greener.

I couldn’t help but feel guilty “I’m sorry Pinkie I didn’t realize this would be so-so- graphic in my world I guess we humans just get used to hearing, or reading about this sort of thing, kind of sad now that I think about it.”

“No no it’s fine besides I wanted you to keep reading after all the more I think about it the more that crystal seems like the one that gave me such an icky lumpy bumpy on my head. It even gave off the same colored light” She gave a weak giggled “Hehe that rhymed”.
There was a pause the house was unnervingly quiet, I glanced out the window the snow had stopped and the wind died down. The lack of white noise made the once relaxing mansion into a foreboding cave. The only sounds were that of Pinkie’s and mine own breathing. Pinkie looked around warily “This place has suddenly become super spooky and not in the good nightmare night spooky either.” She said her voice shaky.
I concurred and suggested we vacate the house “You know maybe we should go back to town, I mean so I can apologize to Lyra for breaking the head off one of her statues and maybe twilight has some books about similarities between human and pony parties we can look over?”

Pinkie gave a large nervous smile “YES!- I mean yes that sounds amazing let’s get out of Lyra’s creepy ghost house…. I mean mansion!” In the blink of an eye she wrapped me up in the quilt we discovered earlier and tossed the hospital blanket over my shoulder. She bundled herself up as well and bounced like a cricket over to the front door. I collected the diary from the sofa and eyed the coat rack by the door. A deep brown satchel bag-or a purse whatever you want to call it was hanging from a hook.
“You think lyra will mind if a borrow this bag?” I asked. “Nope! Lyra is a cool pony she usually lets me borrow stuff for parties so I think that bag would be fine besides you already have that quilt on too.” Pinkie replied.
“You have a point there, and I think I’ll make it a point to pay back Lyra for destroying that statue out front and burning her wood it’s the least I could do for a pony I haven’t even met.”

Pinkie giggled “Don’t worry Sammy I am absolutely positive that Lyra is going to just LOOOVE you!”

With that we headed out the door leaving the mysterious mansion and its secrets alone for the time being. The Sun just barely broke through the storm clouds creating breathtaking shafts of light shimmering off the canopy of the Everfree giving it an emerald glow. I remember thinking as the mansion faded away and Ponyville came into view, this place is beautiful but, damn it is exhausting.