Witness Me (Final Wasteland)
My name is Mac. My world is fire and blood.
The old world barely exists to me anymore. It might as well have not existed at all. I was many things in the old world. I was a brother, a son, a farmer. None of those things matter anymore. Now, I'm a prisoner of one of the last villains left alive.
I was usually woken up with a swift strike to the side of my cage. Today was no different. At least, I think it was day. It's hard to tell in a dungeon. If not for the company, it wouldn't even be so bad. That, and the fact that they're draining my blood. I'm what you call a 'full life'. Not many of us left after the great battle.
Somethin's got Sombra's monsters stirred up. Like it or not, I'm usually the first in the dungeon to know.
I could see the torches comin' from down the hall, followed by the ragged footsteps of Sombra's new army. They weren't ponies. Hell, I wouldn't even call Sombra himself a pony anymore. No, the beasts that passed my cage were something new to our world. Diamond dogs, with their love of gems and crystals taken to its logical conclusion. Hunched backs, deformed arms and legs, crystals rising out of their hides. These were Sombra's half breeds. They were his war dogs.
I caught some of their words as they passed.
"An Imperitor gone rogue!"
"What?"
"That's right, stole a war rig full of water, and somethin' precious of Sombra's, but he wouldn't say!"
"Which Imperitor?"
"Rariosa"
There was nothing in front of my rig but desert. There was nothing behind me but fury, and death. I had finally realized which I preferred. A glance into the rearview, and I saw the plume rising behind the armada as it raced to catch me. I knew it wouldn't be long before he'd seen that I'd strayed from the normal route to Grasstown. I hadn't counted on him sending everyone at his disposal after me.
Then again, I'd say that's a pretty reasonable reaction when I've got his most prized possession. A hatch in the rear of the cab opened with a screech.
"Can I come out now?"
I looked at her. She was a young griffon, hardly older than a hatchling. But she didn't deserve what that withered old monster had planned for her. So I convinced her to join me, and we would head back to the one place I knew we could live in peace.
"Not yet, darling, stay down for now." I could see the reluctance to return to her hiding place. I couldn't blame her, it was likely loud, hot and scary in a secret compartment of a war rig. I focused back on the road ahead. A massive storm of sand and errant residual magic was blowing up over the horizon. I glanced once more at my pursuers. This was my only chance to lose them. If they caught me, I was worse than dead.
But that was a better fate than living under that tyrant's hoof.
She shimmied down into her hiding spot, her mechanical arm clanking as it closed the hatch. That's how he marked his property. One mechanical arm, talon or hoof. A way to remind the wearer that without him, they were useless. I had one too. I was his Imperitor. For years, I carried out his will, but no more. I fell under his spell just like anyone else would have in a desperate world, searching desperately for answers, for safety.
But no more. I've woken up, and the dream I thought I was having, turned out to be a nightmare. I was getting her out of here. Even if my hometown is nothing more than dust.
They dragged me out of my cage, my muzzle and IV still bound to me. They led me by a chain to a mechanical contraption that had become commonplace in the aftermath. Crystals infused with magic powered these massive metal wagons that reached speeds faster than any earth pony could hope to run. This was the new way ponies fought. Not with magic, but with brute force.
I found myself latched to the front of one of these things, with the pale-as-ash diamond dog operating it stealin' my blood. I had no idea how I was gonna get out of this one. But there was one thing that kept me from givin' up.
Apple Bloom.
I'd find her if it killed me. And it just might.
Sombra appeared on his war chariot. He definitely ain't the Sombra most of the world would remember, if they were still around. Crystals jutted out of his back, just like his war dogs. A result of the great battle, no doubt. And that mask... If he wasn't a monster before, he was now.
"Bring me back my property! The war dog who returns her to me will be rewarded! I will carry them to the gates of valhalla myself!"
The war party cheered, revvin' their engines, purple, blue and red magical flames shootin' into the air. With that, the armada set off in pursuit of this 'Rariosa' character.
We were one of many contraptions speedin' through the wasteland towards our target in the distance. Every second that went by took more out of me. I had to get this damn blood-suckin' cord outta me, but seein' as how I was chained to the front of a speedin' carriage, there wasn't much I could do at the moment. I squinted against the wind as we went faster, the air sucking the tears right out of my eyes. For being as 'valuable' as I was to them, they sure didn't go to many lengths to protect me.
As we got closer to the rig, I saw it. A massive dust storm, residual magic making it glow while lightning ripped through the clouds of brown earth kicked up in the violent gale.
"To Valhalla!" I heard the driver of my carriage shout as we blasted forward ahead of the convoy, now only about thirty feet from the back of the rig. I'd been pulling on my chains during the drive, but nothing seemed to be budging. I wasn't going to last in that storm. I had to get inside. It was now or never. With everything I had, I gave a final tug. At last, my right hoof broke free, followed by my left. Let me tell ya, no one was more surprised than me. I nearly ended up underneath the wheels if not for my quick thinking. I managed to catch the driver's side door with a hoof as we sped along.
"Where do you think you're going?" my driver shouted. He'd soon find out. I set my left hoof on the door and reached in with my right. I slammed his head into the steering wheel, then hurled him out of the shattered back window. As the carriage began to slow, I climbed in through the window, the storm bearing down on me. Once inside, I realized that the driver didn't have his windows rolled down because it was hot, it was because they didn't exist!
I had climbed into my own casket and I didn't even have time to blink before the storm swallowed the rig, me, and everyone else. The dust stung my face, and left me blind. I could feel the winds swirling all around me as I felt the hood of the carriage lift up. After that, all I remember is darkness.
All I could taste was grit and salt as I came to. I had no idea how much time had passed, but thankfully, I was somehow still alive, if not buried waist deep in sand. I dug myself out and climbed out the back window of the wrecked vehicle, only to realize I was still chained to a leech. The chain had wrapped around a piece of the carriage, keeping the length on my end from breaking my neck. The war dog on the other end wasn't so lucky.
I looked around. The armada had disappeared, and there didn't seem to be anything around for miles, until I saw a glint of light in the distance. I squinted at it, and made out the hazy shape of the war rig they'd been chasing. I grabbed a weapon the war dog had brought with him and began towards it, before a tug on my neck reminded me I was bound to a dead dog. I growled, marchin' back to his corpse and yanking on the chain. It had surely killed him, but didn't have the decency to take his head with it. Try as I might, without talons or claws, there was no way I could work the clasps. I threw his body over my shoulder, chain and all, and began to walk.
The weapon I’d taken wasn't meant for ponies to use. A shotgun, I think I've heard them called. Some kinda science went into how they work, but all I knew was; squeeze the little metal piece and stand back. Some had guards blocking the trigger to keep ponies from using them, and unless you were a magic-type, they worked pretty well. The crash must've snapped this one off, because with two hooves on this thing, I bet I could make it fire.
Besides, all I needed it to do was look like it worked. I was gonna hijack that rig and head home, to hell with all this nonsense I'd gotten roped in to somehow.
Home was all I cared about.
We had to stop. I couldn't ask her to stay in the hold anymore. We had lost the armada temporarily in the storm. I had thirty thousand gallons of water, I could spare a few for the two of us. I hooked up the hose and let her drink. I had some as well. In fact, it had been a rare thing to have water like this. Deserts had taken over most of the world, and what little water remained was controlled, or contaminated. It was probably the fact that I was distracted with the water that I let him get the jump on me.
As I stopped to drink, a squeal from behind me drew my attention as I whirled around. This red horse had Layla by the neck, a shotgun to her head. I glared at him, saying nothing as we both stood stock still. I had no idea what he wanted, but I doubt I wanted to find out. He was just an earth pony, a quick magical blast would have dispatched him easily, but quickly enough to keep him from setting off that weapon.
"Bolt cutters," he grumbled, motioning to them with the shotgun. We had used it to remove Layla's collar, and it looked like we'd be using it again. He seemed to be joined by chain to a dead war dog, no doubt he was looking to disconnect. I was hesitant to trust him, but I figured he wasn't working for Sombra. If he was, he'd have killed me by now, and taken her back to the Crystal Fortress.
I floated the cutters behind him and considered cracking him across the head. However, a stiff blow could make him tense up on the trigger, so I simply cut his chains, as requested. Slowly, he walked towards the rig, still with a frightened Layla in his grip. I would make him pay for scaring her like this. Once he reached the cab, he shoved Layla towards me as he tried to start the rig. It wasn't going anywhere without me. When it failed to start, he slammed his hooves on the wheel in anger.
"You won't get anywhere without me." I told him. "Without us, you're just as dead as we are."
She was right. This damn thing wasn't movin', and I sure as heck didn't know how to make it move. Against my better judgement, I slid over, keeping my weapon trained on her. Honestly, she could have disarmed me if she wanted to. Heck, depending on how practiced she was, she could have probably killed me.
In fact, she clearly had the same idea. She ripped the weapon from my hooves and turned it on me. In that moment, I looked death in the face. Honestly, for a brief second, I was at peace. Then I thought of Apple Bloom, and a familiar fire rose inside me. Before I could retaliate, I heard the click of the trigger. I flinched, waiting for the white hot lead to take me out of this miserable world.
But then... nothing. I opened one eye.
"Next time you want to threaten someone, make sure you've got ammo." She put the shotgun between us and faced forward, flipping switches and pulling levers before the engines rumbled to life. "Now, I'm guessing you don't work for Sombra, or you would have tried to take us in," she said, "So tell me why I shouldn't dump you in the middle of of the desert to have the vultures pick your bones clean?"
Well, the balance of power had definitely shifted.
"I was out looking for someone, but now... I'm just tryin' to find home."
"Really?" She asked skeptically. "And how would fairly big full life like you end up captured by Sombra's war dogs?"
I frowned, looking out the window. I guess I had no choice. After all, the balance had shifted. "While I was lookin', I got captured."
The more I stared at her, the more familiar she seemed. Something about her mane reminded me of someone from home.
Home. It wasn't like it used to be. After the great battle, town decayed quickly. Straw houses and wooden buildings don't last long without upkeep. I remember the town it used to be. It might as well have been one hundred years ago. Still, something about her...
"What about you? What makes a mare crazy enough to take Sombra's property?" Hell, if she can ask, I can ask, right?
She cut her eyes at me, then put them back on the road. "I've had enough of serving a psychopath. That's all you need to know."
I figured that was all I was going get, so I turned my attention to the griffon I took hostage earlier. "And what's her story?"
"That's none of your business," she snapped.
"No, let me tell it," a voice from behind us chimed in. A young griffon climbed out of a hatch behind our seats.
"Sweetie, you don't have to—"
She waved a mechanical talon at Rariosa. "I want to." She turned to me, not seeming to harbor any hard feelings for being held hostage. "I was taken from my parents when I was very young. I... I don't even remember what they look like," she sighed. "But, I remember someone telling me I was very special. Whether that was Sombra or my parents, I can't remember, but my powers are important to him."
"Your powers?" I asked.
She grasped the shotgun with her real talon, and closed her eyes. Spreading from her talon, crystals began to spread like morning frost across the gun until it was a solid piece of glowing crystal.
I took it and held the gun in my hooves.
"I wouldn't hold that for long," Rariosa said. "Unless you want to trade your full life for a half life."
I quickly tossed it out the window and wiped my hooves on the upholstery. I glanced in the mirror and saw that the weapon had exploded violently in the desert. "And why does he want crystals?" I asked.
"Ever wonder what powers these things?" She tapped on the steering wheel. "He'd have kept her locked up in the fortress until she died, making crystals to power his war machines."
A flash of anger in her eyes clicked her identity in my mind. I had seen her in Ponyville. She ran the clothing store, had a little sister that hung around with Apple Bloom.
"You're from Ponyville, aren't you?" I asked.
Her ears perked up.
"I... I was," she replied.
"Your name isn't Rariosa, is it?" I pressed further.
She held her silence for what felt like minutes. "No... in another time, it was... it's not important." She turned to me.
If she could keep her secrets, so could I.
It looked like he knew more than I gave him credit. If he was from Ponyville, then I'd need more proof than just his word.
"How do I know you're not just trying to get me to lead you to Ponyville so you can scavenge what you will from it?" He seemed to soften after my question. As though my words alone had caused him pain.
"During the great battle, my sisters and I hid in the basement of our barn. We held out there for six months before heading outside. The town was untouched, but little did we know, it was covered in residual magic. My oldest sister and I foraged for food to supplement our stores. We had to be careful not to spend too much time outside the basement. That residual magic was really strong in places, and we could end up sick for days if we hung around a hot zone for too long.
“I was careless one day. She and I were out scavenging and a shelf collapsed right in front of me, blowing magically active dust right in my face. I took a big whiff of it as I stepped backwards. Needless to say, I got really sick. It was so bad, there were times when I could tell she was doubting whether I'd still be breathing the next morning.
So she decided to go out by herself to try and find the old library to research a remedy for magic poisoning. Eventually, thanks to my younger sister, I began to recover. But... she never come back." I hadn't seen an expression like that in a good long while. "I was out looking for her when I got captured."
"I... I'm sorry you had to endure that," I replied.
"It's okay, I'm just trying to get back to my little sister. For all I know, Applejack is waiting there with her."
I gasped. I knew Applejack. I'd known she had an extended family, but the only time I'd ever seen the two of them was in the market.
"You... You're Applejack's brother?"
He nodded. For the life of me I couldn't remember his name.
"I know something of loss as well. My little sister was also taken from me."
It was hard for me to talk about. "I... she... that was a long time ago. It's better this way. I wouldn't want her to have to live in this," I said, motioning toward the vast wasteland.
He nodded, and I felt like his experience and mine were quite similar.
But, at least with him, he's got a chance to find what he lost. "I'm sorry," he said. My vision began to blur. Something that hadn't happened in years. I wiped the tear away and adjusted the mirrors. A plume of dust was following us. Sombra had caught our trail.
"Looks like we've got company," I said. Layla rose from the hatch, a rifle in her talons. "No, I'm not risking you, I'll go out there." I grabbed for the gun, but she recoiled.
"Who's gonna drive the rig? Me? Him?" she asked, motioning to our passenger. I suppose she had a point. That clod can't operate a machine this complex, and she was far too young.
"Fine, but take him with you," I insisted.
"What?" he asked. "I ain't goin' out there without a weapon! Just give me the gun."
"How are you going to shoot it?" Layla asked. "It's got a trigger guard."
I turned to our passenger. "You want that thing off your face? Then make sure she's okay."
He reluctantly agreed, and clambered out the window with Layla behind him. The armada was closing, but the range on that rifle was more than enough to cause trouble. I just hoped it would cause enough.
So, I found myself on top of a speedin' metal contraption, without a weapon, hopelessly trying to defend a griffon sniper with nothin' but myself. I crouched down behind her as she knelt down and took aim. There were a line of vehicles flanking Sombra's command carriage. This rig was shaking, rattling and running over all kinds of bumps. I doubted any shot she could take would even come close to—
She fired, and no more than a second later a carriage took a sharp turn, crashing into the one next to it, the collision taking a few out behind it. Color me impressed. No sooner had she got her shot off, did Sombra's magic return fire. Beams of light zipped by us as I dove on top of her.
"Hey! I had Sombra dead on!" She shouted as a magic blast passed right over our heads.
"We can't stay up here or we're dead!" With a surprisin' amount of strength, she managed to get me off her and take one more shot. Sombra's vehicle began to slow, and the rest of the armada followed.
"Did you hit him?"
"No, I took out a wheel, but he'll be back!" she shouted, headin' back to the front of the rig. I followed her, and soon we were back in the cramped, musty cabin. But, Rarity was true to her word, and took off the metal muzzle.
"Did you take care of them?" she asked.
"Yeah, they're gone for now," Layla replied, stowing the rifle. "but they'll be back."
"I gotta admit, she's a crack shot with that thing."
I saw her smile. "She ought to be, I trained her myself."
It was then I realized why the griffon girl was so important to her. Not because she wanted to rescue her from a terrible life,—though that may have been a part of it—but because she saw her little sister in her.
We drove through the night, never seeing the armada again until we reached our destination: the small town of Ponyville.
Most of the horrors of the great battle never made it this far south. The town was mostly fallin' apart, but bein' abandoned will do that. We pulled the rig into the center of town and parked. Town square brought up a lot of feelings for me. I was so relieved to see it again, I thought I never would.
This used to be where I spent most of the day in the spring, my apple stand right next to the asparagus dealer and the cherry vendor. Now, there were nothin' but rotted wood and emptiness.
"This place was once so alive..." Rarity sighed. She couldn't be more right.
"Yeah." The real tragedy was that Layla could only see Ponyville as it had become, not as it was. Almost all the roofs had fallen in, and most of the windows shattered. The colors were all faded, and the signs all nearly unreadable. This was my home, both our homes. And now, and now here we were, visiting its grave.
I heard Rarity sniff as I turned around. Looks like she found her old workshop. It was maybe half a structure, if that. If I had to guess, lightning had made short work of half of it.
"I'm sorry," I said, puttin' a hoof on her shoulder.
"There's nothing to be done," she whispered. "This is what Sombra wrought. One day, somepony will make him pay."
"My farm's just outside town. I had supplies in my basement to last for years," I said. "You're more than welcome to join me."
She turned away from me, a tear escaping her eye. "I just... how can we go on here? How can live like this?" She turned back to me, a glare in her eyes. I didn't know what to say. I mean, even if I let them stay with me and Apple Bloom, what would we do? Just live of rations until they ran out, and go back to scavenging? Honestly I didn't know what else this life had to offer any of us anymore. From my experience, you could either live under the rule of a tyrant in some safety, or take your chances in the residual magic saturated wasteland and wait to succumb to poisoning.
"We have to." I turned around to see Layla, holding the rifle. "I don't know what life was like before the great battle, all I have are stories. Stories are nice, but that's all they are. One thing I do know, is that being here, and being free to live like I want, is more than anything I could have ever hoped for. This is the way ponies and griffons lived before the fall, and if I could have just one thing from all the stories Rarity used to tell me, it would be this." She motioned to the ruined town. "To live free."
Looks like Layla was a lot more than just a young griffon needin' a rescue. She was headstrong, just like Apple Bloom. I bet they'd get along great. I looked to Rarity.
"Well, farm or not, we need to move the rig, or Sombra's scouts will know exactly where we ended up," I said.
Rarity nodded, and we piled back into the rig, taking the dirt road down to someplace I truly thought I'd never see again. The barn rose up over the horizon, the roof caved in and the walls leaning dangerously. We stopped the rig, and I got out, falling to my knees. I couldn't believe it, I was finally home. I got to my hooves, I just had to see Apple Bloom again.
I stumbled to the steel basement doors and pounded on them. "Apple Bloom! It's me! It's me, open up!" I shouted.
I waited.
I waited longer.
"Apple Bloom?" I tried again, then tried the door. It wasn't locked.
Dread filled my stomach as the door creaked open. I looked inside, afraid of what I might find. I looked into the darkness, and found the worse thing imaginable.
Nothing.
No one was here, and it looked like no one had been for a long time. A fine layer of dust covered everything, the food, the beds, nearly every surface. I heard hoofsteps follow me down the stairs. I almost wanted to chase them out.
This was a sacred place, this was my family's tomb.
"Um... I think I found something," Layla said as I turned to her. It was a small book. She held it out to me, but I couldn't read it. I was too afraid of what it said.
"I... I can't..." I sighed, through a shuddering breath, "Please, can you just..." Mercifully, she knew what I wanted.
Layla flipped to the last page. "D-day twenty, still no sign of Mac or Applejack. I'd cry for them, but I'm out of tears. I don't know what happened to them, and I'm afraid it was something bad. Nothing would keep them from coming back to me, unless they were hurt, or worse. I can't stay here, I can't take the quiet anymore. I haven't been out of Ponyville, and I haven't seen anypony since the fall, but I know I can't be the only pony left. I'm going outside of town with everything I can carry. I hope I find my brother and sister, or at least, what happened to them. If you find this, and I'm not here, just know that I love you both more than words can express. Love, Apple Bloom." She stopped.
She was gone for weeks, maybe even months. What was I supposed to do now?
I felt a hoof on my shoulder. It was cold and metal.
"Darling, we've all lost more than any pony should have, but we have to keep going for them," she whispered. "We must try to rebuild."
I wanted to die. I had nothing left. My motivation had died in the pages of a diary. Why continue to go on in a world so radically worse than the one I'd known before?
"Besides, all these supplies will make that possible. You've saved us both from Sombra."
I felt beaten. I felt more broken now than I ever felt in that dungeon. As my head was in my hooves, I looked up. Layla was crying as she looked at me. She was young, this life was all she knew, and to her, she'd found paradise. I looked to Rarity. For them, this was heaven. Who was I to take it away from them?
I bottled my pain, and dried my eyes. First thing's first, we all needed to eat.
After dinner, I put the rest of the water from the rig into the cistern and headed to the hay loft. The stars were just as beautiful as they were before the fall. It was weird how throughout all the terrible things that can happen down here, they stay the same. They don't even care about the tragedies that happen on this ball of dust. They just keep on keeping on, no matter what.
"Hey..." Rarity had joined me. I didn't even hear her coming. I must be slipping. She sat next to me, letting her metal hoof clatter to the floor.
"Howdy," I replied.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about your family." It was just a platitude, but she meant well, and I appreciated it.
"Thanks, I'm sorry about yours too."
We sat in silence, staring at the stars before I decided to share something with her.
"Mac."
"Excuse me?"
"My name is Mac."
We locked eyes. For the first time, I noticed how beautiful it was to stare into another mare's eyes. Even with axle grease covering her forehead, she was the most beautiful mare in the world at that moment.
"Mine is Rarity."
A flash of light drew both of our eyes outside of town. The stars were bright, showin' the armada speeding towards Ponyville.
"How did they find us?" Rarity asked.
It was only a matter of time. A war rig leaves pretty obvious tracks.
"It don't matter." I looked down at the rig. There was no way to hide that thing, and they'd burn what's left of this town to the ground looking for us. That's when I had an idea. I turned to her. "Is this all of Sombra's war party?"
She looked past me. "Yes. He'd spare no soldier to find Layla."
"So if I take them out, it's over? No one will come looking for you two?"
Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Well... yes, but there's no way you alone could—"
"Come on. Get Layla and meet me at the rig."
Once we were there, I had one question for Layla.
"Can you make the rig's tanker into crystal?"
She paused. "I... well, I might, but I've never tried to change anything that big."
"I just need you to try, okay?"
Rarity seemed to know what I was getting at. "Mac, no, I won't let you throw your life away for us!"
"I'm not throwing anything away!" I shouted back. "I'm doing this to save you! To save her!"
She was mad. Furious, even. With a crack, I felt her hoof across my face. Thankfully, she didn't use the metal hoof.
"That bastard has taken more from me than I care to remember, I won't let him take the only good pony I've met in five years!" The starlight glistened in her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks. She took me by the shoulders and gave me a good shake. "You think your sisters would want you to take the easy way out?"
It didn't matter. Nothing did. But if I could ensure they could try to live their lives in peace, then it wasn't wasted.
It took a while, but Layla managed to convert the entire tanker portion of the rig to solid crystal.
I stood outside the cab, Rarity pouting beside me. She wasn't happy with my plan, but it wasn't up to her. Unless we did somethin', she and I'd be killed, and Layla would never see the sun again. There were no other options, and the armada would be here in less than two hours.
"Tell me how to start it," I demanded. She didn't budge. I didn't have time to waste arguin'. "Fine." I said, bringing the exhausted griffon girl in front of her. "Then tell her you'd rather her see her locked up forever!"
That did it. She started the rig and hopped out, and turned to me. "I don't want you to do this."
"I know." I kissed her before she knew what was happening, and it was over before she could stop me. I jumped into the cab and started toward town. There was nothing left now but to give Sombra his rig back. I passed through town, each old building sparking a memory. It was the town I'd grown up in, the place that made me who I was. I wouldn't let Sombra or his monsters touch this town if I had anything to say about it. Before I knew it, I was outside of town, closing in on Sombra's fleet. I pressed forward, nothing in my head but my mission. My sisters were gone, my town was rubble, but I could make this world a better place. I could strike all these monsters down in one go.
I was close, maybe a mile away. The engines were still roaring as I got close enough to make out the drivers shapes in the vehicles.
This is it. I'm finally giving something back to this broken world by taking myself out of it.
Then, I did something crazy. Well, crazier.
I jumped out, tumbling through the sand before skidding to a stop. I looked up in time to see the rig explode. The heat nearly singed my fur clean off, and I couldn't see for a few seconds afterwards, and my eyes burned as I tried to recover from the blast. Once I was sure my blindness wasn't permanent, I brushed myself off, and looked back at the wreckage. I smiled, I thought for sure no one, not even that monster Sombra could have survived that. I was wrong. I could see his eyes before anything else, that smoking purple magic comin' off them like they do. He was fine! He was walking toward me, a look in his eyes like he knew where I'd been, what I'd done.
His horn glowed. This was it. Maybe he'd torture me first, to get me to tell him where Rarity and Layla were hiding. I wondered if I'd be able to hold out long enough to kick the bucket before I talked. I couldn't run, he was already ten feet from me. Even if I had the sense to run, he'd have just caught me.
"No one alive has suffered as you will suffer," he growled. Maybe I could lunge at him, force him to kill me quickly.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath before I threw myself at him. Just before I jumped up, I felt something warm spray across my face. I glanced at him. His eyes were rolled back in his head, a hole the size of an acorn in his forehead as he crumpled to a heap in front of me. Then I heard the crack of a rifle shot echo through the still night air.
I looked back to Ponyville. I saw a glint of moonlight shine off of her scope. A griffon silhouette knelt against the bright, starlit sky. She raised her rifle away from her eye and stood up.
I thought for a moment, staring at the twisted, flaming wreckage of Sombra's fleet, and what was left of the town I grew up in. Rarity and Layla would be fine by themselves, I knew it. But... what about me? I've been locked in a cage for Celestia knows how long, and I had to admit, I missed them. My family might be gone, but they... they were my new family. I turned to walk back to town, and stopped. I took one last look at the remains of the fleet, and smiled.
They witnessed me all right.
Three weeks had passed since that night. We’d kept on. We grew crops, we scavenged the town, and tried to rebuild. There were still raiders out there, and I reckon there always will be. But we’re safe here. The three of us, my new family. We don’t have much, but with time, we could make this into something good in this world. A place where everyone is welcome, as long as they have no evil intentions, and can lift a hoof or a talon to work. Ponyville may be gone, but I have a feelin’ it’ll come back.
I wiped the sweat off my brow as I looked over the small plot of soil still good for growin’. All the trees in the orchard were long dead, but our crops brought a bit of life back to my old farm.
I felt a metal hoof on my shoulder.
“You’ve done wonders with these plants, Mac.”
I nodded. “Thanks. Good to know I still got a green hoof. Where’s Layla?”
“Still out in town. She should be back soon.” She turned to leave. “I’ll get dinner started.”
This was as close to normal as I’d been in years, and it was all I could have ever hoped for.
My world may be fire and blood, but now I know it can be more than that. All the things I thought I was in the old world, I still am. We’ll strive to rebuild a world based on friendship, and harmony like the one we had before, not just for me, or Rarity, or Layla, but for my sisters too.
Wherever they are.
Servant of the Moon (NMM's kingdom)
The stars will aid in her escape, and her shadow will cover the world.
The fates had a plan for me all along, it seems. In a way, I suppose this is what I've always wanted. Before our Empress' return, I was simply a purveyor of fine fashions for a small hamlet outside the former capital. I was struggling to break into the big time. But, the fates had a plan for me. I was destined for greatness, just as I'd always suspected.
I remember that day, what my mistress called her 'rebirth'. Truly, we were all reborn. Reborn as the rightful heirs to all our kind surveyed.
Unfortunately, after the visit from that strange purple alicorn and that filthy dragon of hers, my mistress was quite enraged. I must admit, I was curious as to how another alicorn could exist. Mistress Nightmare banished Celestia to the moon for her crimes. It took quite a long time for my mistress to... persuade the rest of the ponies to see her glorious vision for our race. She promised to lift our race to dominance over the lesser beings, and to that extent, she has succeeded.
My, that crazy purple pony had some muddy hooves! I knew they were trouble the moment they walked in. Being the keeper and chief interior decorator of the Lunar Palace has certainly done nothing to ease my stress. I'll have to have the servants clean this carpet before my mistress wakes up. As I mentioned before, she was simply furious at being tricked by that purple mare. Trust me when I tell you there were many slammed doors and many an unfortunate statue and royal guard thrown about. Luckily for the entire castle, I know exactly what my mistress needs to calm down.
In fact, I believe I just heard the service bell from the kitchen.
Ah, chamomile tea. A perfect pot for a less than perfect evening. Thankfully, the thrashing seems to have stopped, so I believe it's safe to approach. It's a bit of a walk to her chambers, but it gives me time to clear my head.
"Mistress?" I said, knocking gently. "I have something I feel you may enjoy."
When you've been working for Empress Moon for as long as I have, you learn her habits. I cast a shield over myself and the tea tray. Her chamber door exploded outwards, showering the hallway with splinters. This was by far my least favorite of her tendencies. Doors can get expensive.
She was face to face with me, a snarl etched onto her snout. To anypony else, it would have been intimidating. But to me, it was Thursday.
"I don't mean to intrude, but I felt as though you may need to relax after today's events."
She held her scowl, but it soon relented. In a way, it was nice to know our Empress in this way. Sure, she was a much harsher ruler than the previous regime, but, was she as cruel as the legends said?
No. She was harsh, but fair. Once the population grew to accept her as their leader, things began to turn around for Equestria. Before my Empress, the griffons didn't respect us, the changelings constantly harassed our border towns, and the threat of those monsters imprisoned in Tartarus breaking free loomed large.
However, once my Empress seized power, things began to change. The army expanded, her batponies owned the shadows, expanding our influence beyond our borders. She even banished the beasts in Tartarus to only she knew where. Soon, all nations, tribes and races bent the knee before the shadowy throne.
I followed her into her chambers after she ordered her honor guard to find her a new door. I sat the tea tray on the table and waited. The Empress paced for a moment, and then, finally, sat next to me, removing her armor with a sigh. I poured her a cup of tea and levitated it next to her. One does not speak before the Empress. They tell me this was Celestia's old chamber. If it was, there was no way to tell anymore. It was dark marble, inlaid with black pearl accents and her sigil adorning various tiles and columns. Out of the window, her eternal presence, the glory of her moon and stars shown outside.
"We should have thrown that damned purple creature in the dungeon the moment We set eyes on her," she growled.
"There was no way you could have known her intentions, your Majesty," I replied. I poured myself a cup of tea and sipped.
"All that talk of friendship, and that wretched dragon fawning over you! I've had ponies thrown into the sun for less!"
I nodded. Indeed she had. There were a few factions still loyal to the old ways. It took some... unpleasantness, but eventually, they were dealt with.
After a moment's silence, I noticed something I'd not seen on her face since the day she returned. It was hard to place, but it seemed like... sadness?
"Is something on your mind, my Empress?"
She huffed, glancing toward her nearby window. "They still fear me. I'm still spoken of in whispers, still used to frighten bad foals."
It wasn't sadness. It was lament. "Your Grace, you've given them everything you possibly could. You've given them security, food, jobs, housed the homeless and feed the hungry, all you asked was their loyalty. Any who still harbor suspicion of you deserve nothing but the dungeons."
It didn't seem to help. Nor did the fact that she was actually right. Distrust was still high among the subjects. A third of the royal military had to be drafted, as Nightmare Moon's batponies were few in number after her return.
"Did you know We had a name?"
I looked to her, curiously. "Of course, you have many titles."
She sighed. "Not a title. A name, before Nightmare Moon."
The world had known that Celestia had a sister, and that she was Nightmare Moon. But in Celestia's anger, she erased all traces of her sister from history, other than her status as a monster. I was at a loss for words. I simply couldn't ask her what it was! A good assistant never presumes in such a manner.
"Luna. Our name is... was... Luna."
I paused for a moment. After all, how does one respond to something such as this?
"It's a beautiful name, my Empress."
She rose from her chair, and started toward her balcony. I followed her, chasing the unusual look on her face as she gazed at the prison she had sent her sister.
"That mare, the one that came from parts unknown... as we walked through the forest, she tried to explain her world, one in which I had been defeated."
"Perish the thought!" I replied swiftly.
"But... she went on to say that after Our defeat, we were not punished. We were not imprisoned on the moon for another millennia, We were... forgiven."
She turned from the moon and looked at me. Now, it seemed she was less Nightmare Moon, Empress of shadows, and more of this Luna, I was wholly unfamiliar with.
"How long has it been since I've united the world beneath ponykind's banner?" she asked.
"By my recollection, just over ten years, Your Grace."
"In that time, I've defeated threats, held festivals, thrown parades, lavished gifts on my subjects, and yet..." She paused. This was certainly uncharted territory for both of us.
"We have no spontaneous celebrations of our rule, no monuments erected in our honor in towns across Equestria. Not like Our sister had."
I simply had to interject. "My Empress, you must stop comparing yourself to Celestia. You are two different ponies and your rule has been much more beneficial to ponykind, the production numbers and unemployment rates prove—"
"We do not care about figures!" she roared. I shrank back. I must admit, that I was her fourth assistant in as many years. The others, well... let's just say they weren't quite fast enough. "We care about love! The only reason We mounted this campaign in the first place was to show our subjects that We were worthy of love! We deserved love! But what have they done? They cower in Our presence, even now!"
She turned away. I remained still, quite unsure how to solve this dilemma. Then I heard her sob. Quietly, only once, but it was a sob nonetheless.
"Are We not worthy of love?" she nearly whispered.
I didn't hesitate. "Of course you are." I stepped behind her, coming next to her as she did something quite unexpected. She nuzzled herself against me. I felt her tears, something I never even believed possible for mortals to feel. Thinking quickly, I put a hoof across her mane, gently stroking it.
"Your Grace, you may not be loved by all your subjects, but I can speak for one who certainly does."
She simply continued to stand there, allowing herself comfort, something I doubt she'd experienced in over a millennia. I looked at the moon, to where Princess Celestia had been sent. Then I had a peculiar thought, about that purple alicorn. She came from a world where my mistress had been defeated, and yet... forgiven, even welcomed back into civilized society.
Could such a world be possible? Instead of a nation built on strength and unwavering obedience, one could remain intact by the tenants of friendship and harmony?
I found myself wondering what such a place would be like. She said that she and I were friends, and that I designed wonderful fashions for Ponyville and beyond!
And, she mentioned something else. She told me that I was one of the most generous ponies she'd ever met, and that she would fix this. I have no idea what she meant by 'fixing this' but she seemed insistent on us knowing each other in some way. Although I would never dream of betraying my Queen, I couldn't help but wonder... was this the only future for me?
