Chapters Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them. -George Elliot
“Happy birthday, Twilight!” A collection of cheers filled the Golden Oaks Library, or more accurately, my home. Pinkie Pie never disappoints when it comes to surprise parties, though she did kind of have a crutch since I was always so busy I would forget to walk from how much I keep teleporting form desk to desk.
“Thanks you guys!” I squealed, a smile that was ear to ear on my face.
Rarity was the first to offer a gift, that’s the element of generosity for you… always the first to give. Opening it with excitement the present inside was a cape, a very big one too! It might as well be a blanket. “Sorry if it’s too big, darling,” apologised Rarity. “I can get it trimmed if you want?”
“No thanks,” I replied, closing the box and placing it aside before Rainbow Dash sped up to me with a small rectangle shaped object. No doubt a book, but what excited me was what kind of book it was. A science book? A diary from one of the founding fathers or mothers of magic?
Giggling with delight inside my mind, the book was a first edition signed Daring Do novel of her latest escapade, Daring Do and the Gorge of Doom.
After the rest of the gifts came and were put aside, then came my number one assistant. I swear, he’s like the son I never had. He held out a large book, heavy one at that, his arms were quivering. Levitating it over to me I read the title, ‘Picture Book’.
My friends gathered around as I opened it, every page was nothing but pictures of all of us with a small paragraph under each one. We all giggled at some of the more funny ones, even chatted about memories each one had. Like the time Pinkie Pie met her match with Cheese Sandwich, another party pony. At the last page though, I shed a small tear as I gave my special little guy a hug. The first time I ever came to Ponyville, where I met the best friends anyone could ever have.
“Wowzers!” gasped Pinkie, pointing at the date with a pink hoof. “This was a long time ago, we must be the best best bestest of friends if we stayed friends that long!”
“Darn right, sugar cube.” confirmed Applejack, leaning in to see the picture though Pinkie’s cotton candy hair.
“This means we’ll be best friends forever!”
Forever…
Forever…
Forever…
Groaning my eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dark I was met with the dusted remains of the inside of an old house. The word ‘forever’ rung in my head, if only it were true. Raising my head to look outside the window, not that there was anything to look at. Overhanging everything was a thick blanket of red clouds releasing thunder every now and then, it was terrifying yet comforting in a strange sort of way. Or maybe I just got used to it after being the sole survivor for so long now, three years I think?
Stretching my wings to get them ready for yet another flight, in case whatever is chasing me comes. Those things, it was just crazy to how they could exist in any reality. Not even Discord would could come up with whatever the Tartarus was out there, those horrible malformed things. Whatever the case, the sky has been stained blood red since those monsters known as the Exmortis began systematically eradicating anything with a soul on Equestria.
My saddlebag sat against the wall, full of personal belongings. So far these mementos were the only thing keeping my sanity in check, the last gifts I received before this all happened. A butterfly mane clip from Fluttershy which was keeping my mane in a neat bun, a rock necklace carved like my cutie mark from Pinkie, the book I got from Rainbow Dash, the cape from Rarity which I was using as a blanket, Applejack’s best Stetson hat and…
I paused at the final gift in my thoughts, staring at the saddlebag absentmindedly. “No…” I whimpered. “I should have been there!” My voice echoed through the empty dusty halls.
“Twilight…” a voice weakly called out to me. “What’s happening…?”
“Don’t worry, Spike…I’m here…” In my delusions, the figure of Spike lumbered towards me with a missing arm he held the stub of. Reaching out with my hooves I craved to comfort him. "Come here… it’s all okay." The hallucination screamed in pain as his limbs were torn off one by one before his neck was strung up towards the ceiling, still screaming with tears in his eyes. “No! Leave him alone, take me!” I shouted a nothing, my voice raspy and my throat aching from the lack of clean water to drink. “Take me, you fucking monsters!”
Spike's body twitched and convulsed as a tall bipedal figure with torn cheeks that gave it a wide grin faded in, causing me to stumble against the wall. Spikes neck was between two of it’s long fingers, staring at me with malice laced in it’s cold eyes. It’s cold, lifeless, bloodshot eyes.
Why did I run away?! Why?! You’re a coward, Twilight! A miserable coward!
Before I could continue scolding my failure to save the closest thing to a son I ever will have, thunder struck with the howling of wind. A thicker blanket of clouds were moving towards me, the Exmortis knows I’m here!
Folding the cape as hastily as my magic would allow me in my tired state, I placed it in the saddlebag. Thankfully the rest of my belongings were already in, and I did have my fill of whatever food I could find in this house that was still fresh.
Bursting out the door with my wings flared, the clouds were catching up, blanketing all underneath with pure darkness and horrifying screeches followed. Taking a running head-start my wings caught the wind and soon I was flying, it was much easier for me to fly than when I first got these wings. Must be all the running, or flying away from the Exmortis that gave me this training.
The air stung of rotting flesh and brimstone, wherever I am this place must have been the worst affected to date. I was hesitant to look down, as this was never a good thing to do when flying at these speeds.
“Sup, race ya!” Another delusion? Please no…
“Dash?”
“C’mon, I wanna see you flap those wings.” The hallucination of Rainbow Dash flying backwards stunned me, she was so real I could almost…no, she’s just an illusion, nothing more than a memory that plagues my thoughts. “One two three, go!” Speeding off with a rainbow streak, the hallucination of my friend was gone in the distance. These visions are getting worse, maybe there might be a hospital where I can take some medication or someplace with salt to drown my sorrows in. But…what if that was the real Dash?
My wing muscle stretched and cramped from how hard I attempted to push myself to catch up with a delusion, oh Celestia this is agony! Stretching my wings out in an attempt to keep steady, my body spun out of control and was aimed directly at a skyscraper window. Folding my body into a foetal position in an attempt to mask the blow against the glass, I crashed through with the fragments cutting my forelegs and lacerating my left shoulder. Yelping at the sudden pain that was shooting through my body I struck the wall inside, a painting landing nearby from the impact. Grumbling to myself I attempted to stand but stumbled onto a bed, I can’t stand, great. Oh well, I might as well catch a rest and patch this up before exploring since those clouds disappeared over the horizon hours ago.
Tearing the bed cover into a strip I wrapped it around my shoulder to cover the laceration and stem the bleeding, healing spells are not my forte, a hospital should be the first thing to look for after I get a hearty meal and some water here.
The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is a duty of the living to do so for them. -Lois McMaster Bujold
My horn flickered weakly, I'm too tired to use magic but what little light this provided was more than enough to traverse the corridors. Thankfully I had enough strength to break the bedpost off to use as a stick to keep my balance, now where’s the kitchen or pantry? These signs are so rusted or broken I can’t make out anything.
Opening the first door I came across, it was a bathroom, seems unused and fairly pristine. Though the bathtub looked like it was beaten with a sledgehammer, tapping the toiler warily with the stick it seemed sturdy enough and toilet paper was nearby. I might find this useful later, maybe.
Leaving the door open as a marker that I’ve already checked this room, I limped to the door opposite. Creaking the sturdy door slowly to peek in, it fell of its hinges and slammed to the floor with a crash. Screaming instinctively, I pointed my horn hopelessly inside with my eyes shut tight. Nothing happened, that’s new. If it was the Exmortis I would be dead by now, but what I was afraid of more was other survivors. To my knowledge I was the last of Ponykind, but I read stories and even saw a few movies where the lone survivor meets a band of bandits or foragers. If anything, Ponies could be just as cruel, if not crueler in a state of mental instability than the Exmortis.
“Hello?” I called out with my eyes still closed, as confidently as I can. Here I am, an Alicorn who could live forever, spooked by a falling door.
No reply.
“Hello?” I spoke again, trying to provoke whatever might be inside to reply. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m a Princess.”
No reply again, this was my cue to give up speaking and open my eyes slowly. A bedroom? Wasn’t there just one at the end of the hall? Hm, must be a premium floor that I crashed into. Which means… yes! A minibar was sitting next to the door, nopony ever uses those because of the stupidly high fees. Opening the door hastily it was all there, candy bars, water, canned food. Thank goodness no one else came by this.
Swiping a bottle of water I chugged it down, it was warm from the lack of electricity to cool the minibar but it was refreshing enough. Sighing with content, I placed the rest of the bottles in the empty side of my saddlebag I was saving for supplies along with a few cans of pineapple. The candy however… I was just so hungry and craved something sweet to taste that reminded me of Pinkie’s cooking, even if it was a little reminder.
With my hunger and thirst quenched, my horn finally decided I was not fatigued enough to use an illumination spell. Though, I immediately regretted doing so. On the bed was a couple, holding their hooves together with a hoof-controlled pistol laying in the stallion’s other hoof and a bullet wound through both their heads. They looked so peaceful… so content with their deaths. Levitating the pistol warily over to me I unlocked the magazine, seven bullets left. Might be useful if I have to not use my magic, pointing my horn limits my vision more than anything if I were to shoot a beam at a fast moving entity or so help me, another pony. But that may just be my lack of practise.
Poking around the drawers, trying got avoid staring at their bodies I picked up a diary. So the stallion's name is Broadhoof? A magazine company CEO I heard of, quite famous for not hiring mare supermodels who have the skeletal structure of a greyhound. In fact, I do remember one time Sapphire Shores got a job offering from him and worked together for a while.
Flicking through the pages only six were filled in with phone numbers while the rest had large rectangles cut in, possibly for the gun. Maybe there might be some ammunition, seven bullets is too good to waste out here. Nothing, oh well. I got my supplies, now to look for a hospital.
Limping over to the window that was obscured by torn curtains that let in streaks of dim red light I tore it off, revealing the part of Equestria I was in. Never thought I’d come by here again, hello ruins of Manehattan. Maybe next I should stop by Las Pegasus if the clouds come begin approaching, there might be some entertainment value if the emergency solar generators kicked in at the casino.
Oh… clouds equals no sun… right.
Alright let’s see, if memory serves right the hospital should be around six to thirteen blocks away northwest from this building. I can’t fly without upsetting the wound in my left shoulder, and teleporting would waste valuable energy so it should best be used as a getaway.
Stairs, yep. My worst enemy, yet my greatest friend at the same time in my predicament.
Hobbling down the stairs like a four legged penguin felt demoralising, at least nopony was around to watch so that was a time where being the only survivor felt okay. The railings were broken so I had to rest against the wall while trotting down, it was filthy but it was better than falling off the top floor and down Celestia knows how many flights of stairs. The rest of the doors on the way down were either broken into or covered with scratch markings, I do not wish to know what transpired inside these doors.
I could swear I saw something move in my peripheral vision… fumbling for the gun I aimed it with my free hoof while resting my shoulder against the wall, standing on my hind legs. “C-Come out!” I commanded in my most threatening voice, though that horribly failed because from what I could hear, my voice sounded about as intimidating as a newborn puppy. “Don’t make me open fire!”
Please don’t make me…
“I said come out!” My horn glowing my aura surrounded the object obscuring what was hiding form me and threw it aside in desperation, the gun still aimed and ready with the safety off. Whatever it was, it was gone. But it did leave behind something, a note, recently written in too from how wet the ink looks upon closer inspection.
Alright, let’s see what it says…
Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I’m afraid I will need to skip the formalities and get to the point, I am waiting at the hospital for you. This may sound like a death threat, but I can assure you it is not of any ill will. I simply enquire to speak to you in person. You do not know me, but I know you and I can understand you have your limitations on trust towards me. But I pledge that you employ your credence unto me, I have the answers you seek and the method to eliminate the Exmortis forevermore.
All things said, you have no other choice but to employ my humble service. I look forward to your visit, Princess Twilight Sparkle.
-V
Oh… my… gosh. Another survivor! Yes! Yes! Yes! And he or she had the courtesy to explain themselves. Here I am giggling over a paper when I have a visitor waiting for me, this is too good to be true.
With newfound confidence I shuffled my way down the stairs at an increased pace, no way I’m passing up the opportunity to eliminate those bastards that took Spike and my friends. Not now, not ever.
Though it is kind of creepy how they knew it was me... I do have my doubts but a chance taken is better than abandoning hope.
If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? -William Shakespeare
Oh Celestia this air stinks… sulphur and rotting flesh is currently dancing around my nostrils. Clasping a hoof around my muzzle I attempted to hold down my dinner with some succession, spitting out a piece of whatever came up. Gross.
The smell got a little tolerable after a few hoofsteps out into the city, broken lamps and crumbled buildings with the odd crashed carriage. Alright, the hospital should be a straight gallop. But, I think I’ll just trot there to conserve my energy. The Exmortis was still far off and probably still searching for me, but at least I have enough time to rest up and- oh my!
Hanging from a lamppost were three ponies, skinned and hung by their skin. Hanging my head low I wretched until my dinner came flying out onto the layered stains of the asphalt, fuck… I never get used to seeing the cruelty the Exmortis were capable of.
Just ignore the corpses, Twilight, ignore them. You don’t have anything they want and they don’t have anything you want, yeah, nothing at all. They did seem peaceful though for a bunch of skinned ponies.
Doing my best to ignore them, a crackling sound coaxed me to look over my shoulder. The bodies were gone, another hallucination?
A deep, raspy and forced breath escaped behind a piece of rubble. From behind it lumbered the previously hung corpse, bones cracking as every movement was unnatural and jerky. Turning it’s attention towards me, the mouth of the creature hung open and roared, attracting the other two corpses.
Taking this as my cue to gallop, I attempted to do so but instead upset the wound in my shoulder and fell towards the asphalt, breaking my nose. “Agh!” I screamed in pain, fumbling for the pistol as the three corpses charged. Aiming at the closest I couldn’t get a clear shot, it’s movements were too jerky that the head kept swaying side to side! Shooting out of instinct the bullet struck a foreleg, tripping up the beast.
Crawling backwards while aiming, the second one trampled over the downed creature as it was trying to rise and broke it’s skull. Lunging itself towards me with the torn mouth agape I levitated the walking stick in front of my face and shot it forward, the stick stabbing through in the thing’s jaws against a wall where it struggled to get free.
Finally came the third one, taking it’s sweet time standing back. “You want some?!” I screamed, the blood from my nose getting in my mouth. “Come on!” I beckoned, spitting my blood at it. “I’m already down!”
To my surprise it shook it’s head, pointing a bloodied hoof towards it’s forehead. My eyes widened at the realisation of what it had, a horn.
During the initial invasion, pony corpses were said to be possessed by some entity. The host of the body could be stupid and only have the ability to kill whatever it sees or had intelligence, like the one before me. It lowered the horn and aimed it directly at me with a slightly skeletal smile, glowing a deep greyish white.
If I’m going to die here, I refuse to do so without taking down another one of those bastards! Screaming I unloaded all the bullets I had left, one striking it’s foreleg and the final one hitting the glowing horn. The horn thankfully was hit with enough force to blow it off, leaving all that charged energy with nowhere to go.
Thinking quickly, my levitation spell encompassed it and with all my might it was thrown into the still struggling monster on the wall. All that charged energy blew it up, it must have gotten too cocky and thought it would please whatever master it has by completely incinerating me. Looking back I’d say I got lucky, scavengers were usually left behind to clean up any survivors after the horde strikes. I’d better hurry before more show up, my wounds still need attention before they get infected with whatever diseases might be around.
Good old Manehattan hospitals, always open twenty four hours for all days of the week. The reception was crumbled and appeared to have been ransacked, possibly a horde attack. Ooh, a note. With the same paper and writing as the one I have, must be that V fellow.
Floor 1 room 12.
-V
Hm, not as talkative on the note now as V was in the first. Maybe this V fellow might be more talkative in the room he or she is currently.
Limping towards the door, I stared at it for a while. What if it was a scavenger trap, or worse, bandits?
“Come in.” A voice echoed from inside, otherworldly and masculine. The echo wasn’t from the voice bouncing off the walls, it was… an unnatural echo from the source. “I mean you no harm, Princess.”
“How will I know that’s true?” I answered back, getting a chuckle from whoever was inside.
“Please, enter. I shall remain a safe distance away from you, if you have your suspicions.”
Jumping back slightly the door handle broke off and the entire door swung open on its own, revealing a single table and hospital bed with a curtain which obscured the figure sitting on it. From what I can see it had a hat and a very long coat, it was also tall and appeared to trot- no- walk on two legs. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me but it looked like a human, definitely not like the ones where I was.
Bowing his head courteously I did not want to be rude, so I bowed my head in return.
Raising a long arm he held it out in the direction of the table. “Please, have a seat and enjoy. I gathered what sustenance you may need, then we shall begin our discussion.”
“Food? How did you-?”
“In times of the apocalypse, cooking is a necessary skill, your cuisine was easy to prepare.” V replied abruptly. “Now please, enjoy your grass sandwich.”
Staring at the fresh sandwich, my stomach growled. It looks so good, but it was too fresh. Grass never survives without sunlight, which was absent. Giving into my hunger I levitated the sandwich and devoured it, not even bothering to chew the chunks bitten off. “Satisfied?”
Nodding with my mouth stuffed, the figure stood. “Excellent, now onto business. You wish to destroy the Exmortis, is that right?”
Striking a nerve at the mention of the elimination of those monsters I swallowed what was left of my meal. “Yes! Please tell me, is there a way for me to also bring back my friends? But first, who are you?”
V chuckled. “Yes, and more. My name is of no importance, but if you so desire to know my name. My name is Vlaew, a remnant of another world demolished by the Exmortis.”
“Another world?” I asked. “How did you get here?”
“I was banished by a foolish hu-.” Vlaew paused, clearing his throat. “The leader of the massacre saw me as a threat and had me banished here, before coming here to finish me off after seeing this worlds purity. The Exmortis feed off of purity and innocence and sin, your world fed them well, but now they starve.”
Hopefully I stared up at Vlaew, they were starving? Dying?! My existence alone is killing them! Unable to contain my excitement I hopped between my hooves with a giddy giggle.
“However,” Vlaew began grimly. “do you know of any portals to other worlds? A mirror perhaps?”
“Well, yes. But I thought it was destroyed when the Princesses died.” I questioned, sitting at the chair.
“No, it is still intact to my knowledge. It is well hidden, and after inspecting the libraries of this world the portal sounds like it would be opening soon.”
“Opening?” I exclaimed, gawking at this bipedal creature.
“Yes, it is their only chance to escape and our only chance to escape while locking them in this doomed plane of existence. Will you assist me in finding it?”
Without hesitation I stood with a determined glare, revenge and freedom. “Yes! But… what about the Exmortis?”
“Leave them to me.” He replied, nodding. “Until then, rest well.”
Is it me? Or did his voice sound, oh Celestia my head. My vision blurred as Vlaew strode out the curtains, staring down at me as I slumped to the table and my vision was obscured by darkness.
Author's Note
For those having trouble pronouncing the name Vlaew. You pronounce it like you would say the name without the W as it is silent, and if you are concerned about this being some sort of OC; I can assure you this is a character from the crossover material. If it was an OC, I would have the OC tag. Thank you for reading and supporting this with your likes and favs.
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. 