My heavy eyelids tried to stay close as my body started to wake up. ‘No, please don’t. I don’t want to return.’ I was dreaming of the world they spoke about in the old scrolls back in Cloudsdale, my home town. It was maybe a thousand years since ponies had the privilege of living in that beautiful world.
“Ah, you’re waking up.” A voice said. I still tried to deny my waking. “Come on, we both know you’re awake.” My eyes fling open.
‘Dammit, I’m awake!’ I didn’t want to be.
“What’s wrong, friend? You’ve been mute even before you fell asleep. You could at least tell me your name.” I look towards the source of the voice.
“Hex.” I finally say.
“Ah, so you’re alive. Well, nice to meet you Hex, and it’s been nice knowing you.”
“Where are they taking us?” I ask.
“Those damn Earth Ponies are gonna chop our heads off.” I look to the source. “What did I do to deserve this?”
“You crossed the border, just like Hex here. Unicorns and Pegasi aren’t allowed in Earth; and you didn’t have any permission from a Jarl.”
“What did you do?”
“I was a commander in the Unicornian Marines. My crew was set free in exchange for my capture.”
“What about him? He’s an Earth Pony too.”
“Ah, Bright Diamond, former Jarl of Los Pegasus. He used a strange force known as ‘The Voice’ to kill his subjects.”
I smiled and said, “What? Is he just really bad at singing?”
He looked at me and said, “Hex, this is no time for making jokes.”
There was a pause of silence before the other one said, “That explains why his mouth is covered and not ours.”
The streets of Appalooza were surprisingly empty. I remembered being here a long time ago and ponies being everywhere.
“Where is everypony?” I ask.
“Execution is never good, even for the ones performing it.”
“You make it sound like it’s just a show.”
“To some, it is.” The carriage pulls up to a block next to a wooden box. ‘This is it, the end of the line. My only regret is that I didn’t get to see my mother.’ We were directed out of the carriage.
“Earth Ponies and their damn lists.”
An earth pony holding a clipboard called, “Commander Fire Brand of Unicornia! Step forward!” The stallion, apparently named Fire Brand, took a few steps forward and was directed to the block. “Note of Pegastopolis, step forward!”
Note shook free and yelled, “You can’t do this to me!” He started running, not an easy task with hoofcuffs. He didn’t get far before getting shot down by a few arrows.
“And you… who are you?”
I gulped and said, “Hex of Pegastopolis.”
They started whispering towards each other. “What do we do? He’s not on the list.”
“Forget the list. He’s here for a reason and that reason and that can’t go without punishment.”
“Fine then.” A couple ponies directed me towards the block.
“You better pay your respects to the gods, or you’ll be seeing a life in Tartarus.” I don’t hesitate. I bow my head, close my eyes, and pray that my sins would be forgiven. I was so caught up in the moment, I didn’t hear the name of the first pony to be killed.
And I almost didn’t catch the loud roar that came from above.
I flung my eyes open and looked around. A young unicorn was placed on the block, an Earth Pony was using its hooves – how do they use those things? – to hold a giant axe, and everyone was looking around, trying to figure out what had it was.
“What the hell was that?” An armored Earth Pony had asked.
“That doesn’t matter, on with the execution.” The Earth Pony holding the axe took a minute before raising the axe. He lowered it upon the Unicorn’s neck. All I heard was the axe hitting the block as I quickly looked the other way.
‘You heartless bastards! I’ll chop YOUR head off.’ I won’t, even if I walk away safely. Killing isn’t something I’d do, unless it were life or death. And even still, it’d be hard, emotionally and physically.
I feel hooves grab me and pull me towards the block as I lay down on it without hesitation. I close my eyes and prepare for the worst.
The repeated roar extends my life shortly. I know there’s no point in doing anything.
“Wait, there! In the clouds!”
I look up and I finally see what’s causing the roars.
It’d be hard to miss a flying, purple lizard.
Equestria!
The country that brought smiles to the faces of many. Beautiful greenery, friendly ponyfolke, and harmony as far as the eye could see. Of course, there was danger, no land would be complete without it; but that danger was a rarity. (Pardon the pun)
Oh wait, I was talking about the Equestria of old. I’m sorry, let me start over.
Equestria.
The country that struck fear into the minds of many. Dead plants, more than dangerous ponies every step of the way, and chaos as far as the eye can see. Of course, there were safe spots, losing those would be the only way this land could get worse; but these spots were a rarity. (Pardon the pun)
Now, many of you are familiar with the original world, and you might be curious of what happened after all these years. Well, here you go, the story of why we live in the hellhole that many of us are forced to call ‘home’.
“The Princesses are gone! The Princesses are gone!” These were the words that rang out from the tower in which the Alicorns once ruled. It wasn’t just Luna and Celestia, but Equestria went on without rulers for quite a while. Each town ended up creating their own Kings/Queens in which they called Jarls. These Jarls were supposed to be the temporary replacements until the princesses returned.
Then, the war started.
Tension grew between the three races. Many of us tried to ignore it, but ignoring the dirty looks across the street was impossible. Eventually, the three were separated. The Pegasi took Cloudsdale, the Unicorns took everything from Canterlot and higher, and Earth Ponies took the lower half. The three territories, or Province’s as they were called, were named after the original names of Equestria; Pegastopolis, Unicornia, and Earth. At the beginning, it was legal for one race to pass to another Province, as long as you had a passport and/or special permission from a Jarl.
Then, the Pegasi got angry.
They grew jealous of the large land owned by Earth and Unicornia and tried to decree that they would also own the likes of Canterlot and Ponyville. When the two Provinces declined, the Pegasi grew even angrier. They went by the rule that if they can’t have something, they take it by force.
It started in Canterlot.
The Pegasi invaded in a full force surprise attack. It didn’t take long before Canterlot became the land of the Pegasi.
The next attack came towards Ponyville.
It took even less time to take that town.
This vicious cycle lasted until the three Provinces were Equal in size. The Pegasi owned everything from Fillydelphia to Baltimare. Both the Unicorns and the Earth Ponies realized one thing. It was all or nothing. It became an all-out war. All of Equestria was at risk.
And that brings us to today.
And where my journey starts.
