When you wake up in the hospital without a memory you tend to believe whatever it is the doctor says and the evidence point toward. You believe this in spite of the fact that your doctor is made up of many different parts and seems vaguely sinister. When he says that you should send the worthy down the lonely path to the Everfree Forest, but those who are too far gone you send back to your boss you don’t disagree. You nod your head, pick up your badge, and get to work.
I don’t know how long I’ve been doing that. What I do know is that this is a dying world. It doesn’t realize it yet, but the sickness that runs through it runs through all of us. We’re all compromised, even the worthy. I’ve gotten used to that idea. I’ve gotten used to not knowing what time it is, what day or year it is. I’ve gotten used to the unending night and the screams that echo from dark alleyways and hidden grottos where souls and wills are broken. I’m used to it but I hate it.
As my hate for this world grows so does something else, headaches. Migraines, cluster headaches and pretty much anything else a pony could think have begun to assault me. Sometimes they last for what felt like a week. A week of laying on the floor sobbing, hiding from any light or sound, just wanting the pain to stop and knowing that it won’t. Sometimes the pills the doctor gave me can ease the pain. Most of the time it doesn’t matter and I just have to ride it out.
I’m ready to punch my ticket and walk that lonely path into the Everfree myself. I can imagine closing my eyes and entering the woods, my hooves somehow knowing where to step. I can see that somewhere deep within lays some last bit of hope. If not hope then, some sort of end to this long night. Yet, it’s when I’m the most ready that a report comes across my desk that changes my plans entirely.
It’s a new missing foals report, the sixth in recent memory. The foal’s name is Cadence, barely out of primary school. She was last seen near the market when she was snatched away from her guardian by, something ‘shadow like.’ My stomach turns sour as I growl a name, “Sombra.”
“When was this filed,” I ask my partner, Blueblood.
“I don’t know about two hours ago.”
“Two hours,” I say my eyes widen with something resembling hope, “Then there’s still time to save her.” My hooves hit the floor and I’m out the door before Blueblood can even attempt to stop me. Time is crucial but, Sombra is predictable. He always uses the same location knowing full well that nopony would dare stop him. Nopony that is, except me.
It’s a long run to the warehouses near the train station. The snow falls in thick white flakes, hissing as they land on the cobblestone road below quickly obscuring the tracks of ponies that shouldn’t be there. My lungs ache as I suck in the cold night air. Yet, as much as my lungs ache Blueblood’s complaints are more annoying. “You can’t do this Shining Armor,” He shouts at me clutching my shoulder firmly.
“Get your hoof off me Blueblood.”
“We’re Reapers, agents of the Council of Nox Eterna. We enforce their decrees! Sombra is our boss. Do you have any idea what’s going to happen if you stick your face in there? Heck what could happen to me? I’m not getting ground to gravel on your account!”
“You have a real keen sense of honor there Blueblood, “I turn to face him, “Or is it that you have more of a yellow belly?”
“You’re serious aren’t you,” Blueblood rolls his eyes; “I’ll call for backup. We’ll go in there in force. Besides look at you, you’re out of breath already. “
“Backup,” I mutter, “Just like every other time. And just like every other time by the time they arrive he’ll be waiting and smirking and that foal will be a walking shell of herself. She’ll be enslaved and by the time we get there all he’ll come out with her and say, ‘Hard cheddar old colts. It seems we were too late.’”
I glare at Blueblood. We’d both seen the faces of the enslaved, their eyes clouded over never blinking. With their wills utterly drained they do anything they’re told. Heck, Blueblood had even remarked previously about how awful all of this was and how he’d wished there was something he could do. Yet as I glare at him all he can say is, “Look at you Shining Armor. You’re out of breath. On top of that you have chronic headaches that make you physically ill. You can’t even save yourself.”
“I’m fine.”
“How often have you been to the hospital since you’ve been a Reaper? Twenty times? Thirty,” He asks, “You’re going to wind up dead and then they’ll ask me about your clandestine activities. Your ‘save the savable project’. Then I’ll end up dead as a traitor. I refuse to have that be my end!”
“That’s a real good attitude to have.”
Blueblood sighs audibly, “Think of what good you’ve done so far. What good you could still do. Besides, you can’t save all of them even if you pull this off.”
The street light shines brightly overhead as I look down at the mounting snow. In a way he was right. I couldn’t save them all. I knew it from the moment I’d been told what to do. My heart sinks a bit as I weigh my options. “Maybe, maybe you’re right Blueblood,” I say just loud enough for him to hear as I turn toward him. He smiles.
“Agreeing with me is the first smart thing you’ve said today,” he says as he points his horn straight up and fires off a shot, “Backup should-“
My hoof crashes into his face at about a hundred miles per hour. I can feel his jaw shift and I watch as he goes weightless for a few seconds before crashing into a heap by the railroad tracks. I don’t like doing it, but he left me no choice. “Adios Blueblood,” I say as I walk toward the warehouses in pursuit of the only thing that matters, the life of a young foal. I’m coming Cadence.
I’m winding my way through the warehouses when the world flips on me sending me toppling to the concrete below. A familiar pain shoots through the right side of my skull. It’s a migraine and at the worst possible time. I fumble with a small bottle of pills that I’d stashed in the pocket of my uniform before opening it and taking a few of them.
“Breathe easy,” I tell myself, “Calm down. It’ll pass.” But I can’t calm down. By the time it passes it’ll be too late. Slowly, I stand and my legs wobble. They tremble but they hold firm and with one hoof in front of the other I start walking.
The world is quiet with the soul exception of the crunch of the snow under my hooves. It isn’t until I round the corner toward warehouse fourteen when the smell hits me. It’s sickeningly sweet and acrid all at the same time. It’s the smell of death. It’s the smell of the reworks .
Reworks are the remains of ponies given new life. Over time as pieces wear out new pieces have to be used to replace them. Sometimes ponies recognize some of those parts. A cutie mark here, a face there. These two, however were mostly intact and if they were appliances they could have been showroom models if not for the odor.
They stand silently guarding a large cart with a cage in the back. If it’s still here that means they are still here. The only question is what condition will she be in when I open the door to that warehouse. I look at the two reworks and levitate a piece of scrap iron over to me. I’m going to have to take them out, quiet and nasty.
The first few cracks of the piece of metal against them thud like a snare drum. The big green one tries to shriek but, I quiet him down good. It isn’t until they are reduced to nothing but twitching and paste that I disable the wagon’s wheels. Now, it’s just you and me Sombra.
I put my ear to the door of the warehouse. It’s quiet in there. Either I’ve shown up in the nick of time or I’m far too late and that smirking snake has enslaved her. I rear back, shoulders square to the door. No need to be quiet anymore.
I throw my shoulder against the door and it collapses with a loud bang. My shoulder throbs, probably cracked. I scan the warehouse quickly and see her tied to an old folding chair. The little pink alicorn’s eyes are wide and full of life. I’m on time. “Cadence,” I ask as I limp over to her.
Her eyes are as big as saucers as she looks at me in shock and disbelief. “Shiny,” she says as if she somehow knows who I am, “Is that really-“
The air goes electric for just a second and my heart drops. Without much further warning Sombra’s magic bolt rips through my good shoulder sending me sprawling. Cadence screams as a set of shadowy tentacles wrap about the foal and drag her out the doorway.
I groan in pain. My head and shoulders ache. My mind races as I slowly turn my battered body toward the door. I look at my shoulder. I could lose the leg if I move but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters but her and getting her to safety.
Gritting my teeth I struggle to stand and move as quickly as I can out the door following the rapid hoof tracks as quickly as I can. He can’t go far. Not without raising questions as to why he’s got the little foal and why it is that he’s using shadowy tentacles when he’d made it clear to those loyal to the Nox Eterna that he lacked that particular magical ability. I follow his tracks all the way to the train station and see a flair go up calling for help.
Finally, I see him waiting at the end of the platform fighting with the struggling to keep the alicorn within the confines of his shadowy tentacles. “Sombra,” I shout, “Give it up! You can’t walk away from this!”
He cocks his head, “Well well sergeant. It appears you’ve made it a point to ruin my evening.”
“Let the foal go.”
“I don’t think so,” he says with a smirk holding her in front of him, “You see she’s very special. She’s almost one of a kind really. Imagine just how useful she can be with the right coaching.”
My horn glows a deep crimson as I glare in his direction, “Last chance.”
“Oh now sergeant,” Somrba says with a smirk, “We both know you’re seeing at least three of me because of those headaches. Your front legs are in dire need of medical attention and that bolt you’re trying to shoot is way beyond your skill level. You can’t hit me.”
“Oh you bet I can,” I say and let loose the bolt. It flies straight and true striking him in his horn. He drops Cadence who scurries to the side.
Sombra howls in pain clutching the nub that used to be his horn rocking back and forth. Slowly, I walk toward my fallen boss, charge up another bolt, then fire it into his back legs; then another between those same legs for good measure. “Hate is a powerful thing,” I say to him.
He howls in pain not sure what to reach for as I stand over him. Slowly I turn my head and look at Cadence, “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you did he?”
Cadence shakes her head, “No he- he didn’t. Shiny,” she starts to say her eyes welling up with tears.
“Cadence I want you to look away. You should have before but, what I’m about to do no foal should ever see.”
“Foal,” she asks.
Before she can say another word I feel five quick magic bolts strike my right side. I topple over.
“You kicked me in the face you jerk,” growls a pampered yet familiar voice from behind, “I’m going to need to get these teeth fixed because of you.”
“Great timing Blueblood, I always knew I could count on you,” I say sarcastically.
“Look at this mess,” he says with a growl, “Do you have any idea the trouble you’ve gotten me in? Look what you did to our boss here.”
“Our boss,” I mutter. I’m going to have to keep him talking until those other reapers arrive. Once they’re here they’ll have to sort this mess out. Chances are I’ll be blamed for this and any other kidnapping that’s occurred recently. I just have to keep him distracted until they show up.
“Yes our boss. He’s one of the heads of the council and you know it.”
“Yeah I know it,” I say, “I also know that you couldn’t put me down for good if you tried.”
“Oh come on Shining Armor. Don’t make me do this.”
Slowly I turn to face him. I force my hooves under me, “I’m gonna stand up and I’m gonna put you down Blueblood. It’ll happen so fast you won’t even feel a thing.”
“Stay down!”
I begin to stand, “You won’t feel one little thing.”
“Stay down you stupid plebian,” he shouts and fires four shots into my chest sending me sprawling back against the ticket counter. Cadence screams and runs over to my side. I stay down.
In the distance I can hear the thunder of hooves. The reapers are coming. I lift my head and can see Blueblood inaudibly curse as he stomps off toward the oncoming backup. A slow satisfied smile crosses my face. She’ll be safe now.
Cadence wraps her forelegs around me as best she can and sobs against my chest. I slowly rub her back. I don’t know how she knows me. I’d never met her until tonight but, maybe at some point in a past I can’t remember I’d been a guard assigned to her. She might have even been a princess.
The world slowly fades to black. I’m okay with that. The guard dies and protects the princess. It’s how it should be.
It’s a sterile hospital room and I’m a mess of tubes and fluids. When I open my eyes for the first time all I can see is the never ending stream of medical progress coursing into me and out of me. The tubes breathe for me; eat for me and everything in between. I’m just there to witness it and listen to the steady beep of the heart monitor until I drift off to sleep.
The doctors and nurses are nothing more than the sound of hooves on tile, the flurry of white fabric and the occasional scratching of pencil on paper. They never say a word when they busy themselves with their tasks in my room and hurry out. Night after night is like this and each time after they visit my eyes grow heavy and I’m out like a light. I dream of nothing.
One night it’s different. I open my eyes and gaze into the darkness and find it gazing back at me. Her pale blue eyes dimly shine from the shadows as she slowly steps forward. Her sharp teeth flash in the moonlight as she smiles down at me. It’s Nightmare Moon.
I can’t move. I try not to breathe but the machines give away my distress and beep erratically as she moves toward my bed. Her cold gaze fixes on mine as she speaks, “Well, detective it seems you know who I am.”
She rears back extends her forelegs and begins to clap her hooves together. “I must say, you did more than I ever expected you to be capable of. I mean, you tried to assassinate one of my most prized ministers. The doctors aren’t sure they can make him whole again but, I’m sure we’ll figure some way to make him useful still. So, good job.”
I grunt as I struggle against the cords and machines in vain. As I struggle her applause ceases and her customary frown returns casting a shadow over the room. Her eyes narrow as she leans over me, “Unfortunately for you you’ve failed in your little mission and now I have you.”
The blood drains from my face as she says the last part. I quit struggling even though the monitors continue to show fight within me, there is none left. She’s right. She has me.
“I’m going to fix you up,” she says as she pulls away, “I’m going to make you healthy again. You won’t even have those pesky headaches that make you utterly worthless to any of us anymore. But, it won’t matter. Because in the end you won’t be able to save her.”
“Who,” I croak out before immediately gagging on the breathing tube.
“Cadence of course,” she said with a smirk, “We will find her, ensnare her and eventually rework her. We’re going to keep you in the dark Shining Armor until you admit what an evil disgusting reprobate you really are. All those foals, tsk tsk tsk. When you do we’ll let you go. No other pony will care or believe anything other than that confession. No door will open for you in friendship. No pony will care what happens and by that point none of what you fought for will even matter.” With that she reaches forward and caresses my forehead. I drifted off into a cold uneasy slumber. Hopelessness and darkness were my only companions and their nightmares ran roughshod over me.
I don’t know how long I was out. It could have been weeks, but when I awoke she was there with me. Cadence. She smiles at me, so innocent and caring it brings tears to my eyes. She sits next to my bed for a while saying nothing and watches over me like a parent with a sick foal. Finally, though her smile melts away and she states, “They’re telling everypony that you did it. That you were the kidnapper and that you did all those awful things that I know you didn’t do. That you couldn’t do.”
“Cadence,” I mutter the tube no longer in my throat, a development I welcome.
“Nopony will listen. The world’s gone crazy! It’s almost as if it doesn’t remember the way things were and the way they could be again.”
“They know with what they live with kiddo. After a bit bad times become the norm and everything else is just a fantasy.”
She sighs, “You don’t even remember me do you?” Her eyes dampen as she looks at me and when I don’t answer her she wipes her face and clears her throat, “Of course you don’t.”
“I saved you at the station… the warehouse,” I say quietly.
She looks away, her eyes focusing on the shadows as she slumps in her seat, “My guard told me I shouldn’t come. That for a lot of reasons it would be too difficult.”
“It’s not safe here,” I say as I caress the back of her head, “I want you to stay safe. Don’t ever visit me again. Don’t even think about me. Live for me and it will all be worth it to me.”
Cadence turns to face me and casts a wounded gaze my way. She holds my foreleg gently between her hooves and whispers, “I can’t do that. I’ll always think about you.”
“Cadence…”
“I won’t visit you, but I’ll write you. I’ll use the name Mia Moore; it’s a play on a part of my full name. They won’t figure it out. They’re very basic.”
“Just stay safe.”
She taps the desk and a lone guard enters the room. “I will,” she says as she walks to him.
“Thank you,” I mutter.
Her guard passes her a long coat with a hood. Cadence slings it on with a flourish and pulls the hood down to obscure her face from passers-by before she casts one last glance back at me. When she does she whispers, “I love you,” before exiting, her guard hot on her heels.
I smile and think about what a sweet filly she is, but know that she’s wrong in saying those three little words. She loves the idea of me. I’m no hero. I couldn’t stop Sombra before and wherever I end up I’m not going to be able to save anypony there either. But, maybe if I hold out long enough, she might just have a chance to grow up and have a life that not even the darkest of nightmares can take from her.
They want me to confess to things I never did. It’ll never happen.
