Memories of a Future's Past

It was silent in the room where the six sat staring up at the pale green screen in the center of their thrones. Each pony was lost in their own thoughts as they sat there still taking in the actions in that last file. After a few minutes it was Twilight who spoke first breaking the silence and the thoughts of her friends.

"It looks like things are getting pretty badly for our friend here."

"No shit, Twilight." Rainbow Dash commented before going on, "This pony is going through so much it's amazing she's still alive."

"I know Rainbow but look at how resilient she is though?" the Princess replied.

"She is one tough filly that's for sure." Apple Jack added. "I would've loved to meet her."

As the ponies began to speak to each other about the events they have witnessed so far, Twilight stared up at the screen for a few moments before her eyes drifted to the device itself. Why hasn't she read anything about this kind of thing in any of her books? She will definitely have to talk to Princess Celestia about it when she gets back.  It was Rarity this time who brought her back to reality and out of her thoughts as she asked her good friend a question.

"Shall we continue with the next one, dear?"

"Oh yes. That's if everypony is up for it?" the Princess asked her friends as she looked around the room. They all agreed, even Fluttershy who is starting to become more curious than scared now. "Very well." Twilight nodded as she looked up at the menu and asked to start the next entry. "Please start file 20."

File: 0020 loading.....

The screen flickered a few times and they could hear Prism's voice but it sounded distant and slightly muffled. It took about two minutes before the screen became clear and they ponies could see her beautiful face once more as the young pony sighed to herself and rubbed her eyes with her other hoof. She looked exhausted as she looked into the screen and smiled to herself.

"Three days of no sleep makes you a bit loopy." Prism giggled. "Anyways I finally found a safe enough spot to get some much needed rest but I wanted to record my thoughts before then." She looked around for a moment and then turned back to the Z.I.N. "This thing has been so much trouble. Four more ponies had to die the other day as they once again tried to take it from me. I keep telling them that it can not come off. I don't know what happened but it has melted onto my foreleg and there is no way to remove it unless..." she trailed off and shook her head ridding herself of the thoughts she was having.

"But anyways I really need to get some slee-" Prism cut off mid sentence as her eyes perked up and they could see that her head was turned to the side. The ponies could hear slight voices in the back ground as Prism started to move around and towards what looked like where a door used to be. As she got closer the six could hear shouting now and when Prism wrapped her hooves around the door frame the scene unfolded before them.

Four ponies surrounded what looked like two other ponies whom seem to be guarding a really young colt. From what they could tell it looked like three earth ponies and a unicorn as one of the earth ponies knocked down the stallion as the other two jumped on him and started stomping on him as he tried to cover himself up the best he could. Laughter could be heard as they continued their savage beating as the unicorn held some kind of make shift weapon at the mare and colt holding them back from helping him.

"Shit...that's not good. Should I help them...?" Prism pondered but then quickly made up her own mind. "I don't know how much help I'll be with being so exhausted but I can't let them just do that to innocent ponies." She quietly began to make her way towards them for she was on the other side of the street. Fortunately for her she had lots of rubble to hide behind and when she was close enough she decided on taking out the unicorn first for she was the biggest threat.

Looking around Prism found a sharp piece of metal that was half her size and she wrapped her magic around it and lifted it high enough into the air so they wouldn't notice it. As she started moving it towards the unicorn she heard the mare scream out as the colt started to cry.

"Nooo!" she cried as she tried to rush over to the stallion which seemed to not move anymore. The unicorn reacted and slammed the weapon across the side of her face tearing it open as she fell to the ground. She tried to get up once more but the unicorn started hitting her over and over with her weapon while the earth ponies just laughed at her.

"Come on Prism you have to hurry..." she told herself as the piece of metal was almost above the unicorn. It was taking a toll on her body as she used what energy she had left putting it into her magic keeping it stabilized in the air. As soon as Prism had it into position the unicorn turned towards the colt and slowly brought her weapon which dripped the fresh blood of the mare towards his face as he cowered in fear against some broken concrete.

That's when Prism acted and let go of the sharp metal piece. Everything seemed to happen extremely quickly as the sharp metal sliced right through the unicorn's neck severing her head from her body and slamming into the ground. At the same time Prism wrapped her magic around her head keeping it afloat as her body slid down the smooth piece of metal before hitting the ground spraying blood all over the side of it.

The earth ponies turned quickly at the loud crash as Prism slammed the horn of the unicorn into the side of the nearest earth pony's head piercing his skull killing him instantly as he topples over. The other two ponies just stopped frozen in horror at the sight of their friends as they began to look around frantically at who or what is attacking them. Stepping out from her hiding spot, Prism used her magic once again and took up that unicorn's weapon as the two ponies that were left stood there for a moment then realized who it was before turning around and fleeing.

"Oh no you don't!" Prism called out and quickly slammed the weapon into the leg of one of the ponies breaking it as he tumbled to the ground. As he tried to get up she slammed it into his other hind leg breaking that one as well as the pony cried out in pain as he tried to crawl away. Prism made her way over to him as she watched the other one run off into the distance not even looking back once. As she made her way to in front of the pony he stopped over and looked up at her.

"You fucking bitc" was all he was able to get out before she slammed the weapon down on his face over and over again until he stopped moving. There was blood splatter all over her and some of it got on the screen of the Z.I.N. as the six watched the brutality of it all. Tossing the weapon down next to the dead pony Prism took a few deep breaths and turned her attention to the colt as he was crying out to his parents.

"Mommy! Daddy! Please wake up...we have to go home..." As Prism slowly made her way over to him he was trying to wake up the dead mare by shaking her gently. Prism just stood here for a moment as they could hear her sniff a few times as the colt couldn't figure out why his parents were not getting up.

"Please get up mommy...please...." he keep pushing on her cold body before Prism stepped over to him and wrapped her hooves around him and brought him close to her.

"I'm sorry...." she said quietly as he seemed to just break down and cry as she just held him there for a few minutes. "We can't stay here." she told him as she let him go and took a step back. "I have a place that's safe if you want to come with me." the colt looked back towards his dead parents then to her and then back to them once again. After a few moments of silence he turned back to her and nodded as she turned around and began heading back towards her hiding place she was in before all of this took place.

Once settled in and making sure the area is secure, Prism gave him some of her food and watched over him untill he cried himself to sleep before turning back to the Z.I.N. and wiping it clean before speaking into it. "Sorry you had to see all that...but I couldn't just let them all die and not do anything about it. This place has gone to shit and I don't think it will get any better. Why is this all happening...?" she asked herself as she closed her eyes for a moment before adding, "I really need to get some sleep so I will see you next time and hopefully in a better place." Her eyes shown with sadness yet she did her best to give a smile before the screen went black.

"Man that was fucking awesome!" Rainbow called out. "Did you see what she did there?" she pointed a hoof at the screen.

"Yes, Dashie we all saw what happened." Apple Jack said back to her. "She sure has to make difficult choices now. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes. I don't think I could take anypony's life..." she said a bit sadly.

"Me neither." Fluttershy agreed with AJ. "There's just no way I could do that to anypony. It's just so...cruel."

"But she did save that little one though." Rarity chipped in.

"Yes she did." Twilight added. "I hope he's okay though. From what we saw he looked a little beat up and now his parents are dead so I'm not sure how it's going to be emotionally on him."

"There's nothing happy going on in her life..." Pinky Pie said sadly as they looked towards her for that was the first time since all this started that she has spoken. "If I could I would save her from all that madness and give her a big hug." She had a tear in her eye as she tried to give the rest of her friends a smile.

"Well nothing we can do can change any of that. All we can do is continue to watch and see how it all ends. Hopefully for the better." Twilight commented as she looked up towards the screen. "Play file 0021 please." she said as it selected the file and the screen faded to black before playing the file back.

File: 0021 loading...

It was dark out and the only source of light came from a fire that was in front of Prism as she looked into the Z.I.N. She seemed to be looking a bit better but now has a scar on her face from the cut a while ago. Rarity could be heard muttering something along the lines of "poor girl" as they continued to watch and listen.

"Hello again. Well we've had a few days of peace now without someone trying to kill me..." Prism started as they listened closely and the only other sounds were coming from the fire and the soft snoring of a sleeping colt next to her. "Cloud Breaker hasn't been doing so well the last couple of days though. He seems to be running a high fever and was feeling very weak. I don't know what to do. We have no medicine and I can't go look for somepony to help because all that would happen is that they would try to take this damned thing away from me."

She sighed as she went on. "What a strange name for an earth pony though. Cloud Breaker, huh? What was his parents thinking?" she slightly giggled at his name as some movement broke her concentration and they ponies could hear some mumbling coming from the colt. Prism turned and gently pulled him close to her before speaking to him.

"How you doing buddy?" she asked softly. The six could see him now and she was right. He did not look very well and seemed to have some trouble breathing for his breaths were shallow and quick.

"Mommy is that you...?" he asked his voice weak and raspy as if he hasn't had a drink of water in a long time. Prism wasn't sure how to answer that question so she decided that pretending to be his mother might ease some of the pain.

"Yes, dear, I'm here."

"Will you s-sing me..." he said before he coughed violently spitting up some blood as Prism wiped his mouth and started to stroke his mane doing her best to comfort him. "...a lullaby..?" he finished asking.

"What would you like to hear?"

"You choose..."

"Alright. Ummm, give me a minute I don't know many lullabies." Prism continued to comfort him as she thought as she noticed his breathing began to slow down and the bruises on his sides looked darker and worse than they did just the other day.

"I'm sleepy mommy...." he said softly as Prism adjusted his head as she held him close.

"Okay I got one. Would you like to hear it now?" she asked him.

"Yes....mommy...." his voice was barely above a whisper as she stroked his mane once again.

"Okay here we go." Prism cleared her throat before she began singing softly to him.

"Hush now quiet now

It's time to lay your sleepy head.

Hush now quiet now

It's time to go to bed."

Prism noticed that he was barely breathing now and hasn't moved since she started. Tears welled up in her eyes and her voice started to crack as she continued her lullaby doing her best to keep it together.

"Driftin' off to sleep

Exciting day behind you.

Driftin' off to sleep

Let the joy of dream land find you."

As Prism finished that last line the little colt took his last breath and laid still in her hooves as she started to weep for him as she finished the lullaby as she repeated the first verse.

"Hush now quiet now

It's time to lay your sleepy head...

Hush now.....quiet now....

It's time to go....to...."

Prism couldn't finish the last word as she broke down and help the little colt tightly to her as she felt the warmth of his body slowly drain out eventually leaving him cold. The screen stayed on the filly as she continued to weep for her young friend as the six ponies also showed their sadness in their own way before it went to black and the pale green menu appeared. Sniffles and soft weeping was the only things heard in the room as each pony gave a silent prayer for the little colt.