Red September
I awake this Monday with a slight headache, asleep in my home, on my spring-board bed. It was a small house, but that was fine, seeing as it only had to accommodate my mom and myself...wait, how did I know that...?
I can't remember
What happened in September
When everything is gone
When it's dark and I'm alone
This headache! Why do I have a headache? What the hell happened last night...ugh, I can't remember anything past the moment I woke up this morning! Maybe mom can give me some nostalgia...
"Mom...?" I shout, peeking around the corner to what I hoped was her bedroom. It is, her form laying amidst her red blankets, "Mom? Are you awake...?" After I hewr no answer, I shrug and decide to leave her sleep. Going to school might bring me up to speed!
I step outside and begin a trot to Cheerilee's schoolhouse. I have to walk through the center of town to get there, I think, so that's exactly what I do...but I quickly notice something odd...
It's been forever
Since I could have remembered
Where the hell is everypony
I just want to know the story
Of what happened right before
I became so alone.
Nopony's around. The town...it's empty! I walk cautiously through the streets, looking anywhere and everywhere for anypony...but nothing!
"H...hello?" I call, "I...is anypony there?" I'm beginning to feel scared. Did something happen? How did I miss it?
I decide to continue onward to school, hoping to find ANYPONY, or at least a sign of life. I soon find the small school and see the silhouette of a pony in the window.
"H-hey! You! In the window!"
I put on a smile, charging up tothe door and opening it to be hit across the face with hell.
Still can't remember
What happened in September
Back when everypony died
Trails of blood during my stride
It was like a tornado of razors and blades and swept through the class while it was in session...and that silhouette?...a disembodied head spiked on the lamp. I can recognize the bodies of only a few foals...the rest...just piles of red, half-eaten meat...oh no...That red ribbon...why? She was always so nice to me...
"Oh, oh dear Celest-"
I could not hold it. I turn out of the school, unloading whatever I ate last night onto the ground and falling to my knees while my head spins. After groaning and swallowing roughly, I stare into the mess I made to see that it looked similar to the inside of the school...red, with chunks of unidentifiable flesh scattered about.
"H-huh!?"
I jumped backwards in fear, my breathing increasing at a rapid rate. My pupils dilate as I smell my own breath. It's putrid, like rotten meat. I stick a hoof into my own mouth and feel incredibly sharpe teeth.
"What!? Why...no! No no no!"
I scramble to my hooves and charge away from the spot, heading to the forest behind the school...but all I find is more hell.
"Why...?" I swallow hard, stumbling a few feet before falling to my knees while tears begin to well-up.
More barely recognizable bodies. Some, innocent foals, others, even the mangled forms of Royal Guards. I find one guard with his body twisted 180 degrees backwards at the stomach and both his forehooves torn off at the shoulder.
I just discovered that
the ponies were defeated
by something really strong
it seemed very weird and wrong
it just doesn't belong
like it came out of this world.
"What...the hell...happened!?" I scream, tears now flowing freely. All these innocents! Murdered! And I don't even know why!!! "WHAT THE BUCK HAPPENED TO EVERYPONY!?"
I recall the room my mom was in this morning...red...her sheets were DARK red...they're normally white.
"Oh, buck, buck...for BU-"
I deliver another helping of rotten-stew upon the ground, my head feeling light and my stomach empty after forcing so much out of my body.
"Why am I left!?" I scream hopelessly, flinging my head towards the sky. I notice smoke from a large fire off in the distance.
Then it dawns on me...my crimson eyes go wide as my pupils dilate to pinpricks. I think I know why I'm seeing the same color as my mane everywhere now...
"Did...did I...?"
I've regained a small memory
Came to my head just like that suddenly
I think I've gotten a clue
Something tells me this is worse than what I knew.
Everything hit me like a brick. Today is Tuesday...and yesterday, while at school, the young foals...they started harassing me more than usual...they pushed me, jabbed at my nerves just a bit too much...and all of the rage bottled inside me all those years of hate and isolation had fostered...it just EXPLODED.
"I...I did...I killed them all..."
I feel sick.
"I murdered everypony in cold blood..."
I feel dead...
"I ripped apart all of the foals..."
I want to die...
"I ATE my friends!"
I DESERVE to die...
"SOME OF THEM WERE STILL BUCKING ALIVE!!!"
I can't take it anymore...
"What the buck HAPPENED!?"
I pound a hoof into the bloodied dirt with each word.
"Why the buck did I do it!?"
Everything...all I see is red...nothing but red...
"Wh...what..."
I feel my stomach lurch, keeling forwards to let out more...but there's nothing left. All that comes out it a disgusting noise.
"I'm...feeling sick..."
I sway before falling onto my muzzle, staring blankly at the face of another young filly, her light-violet eyes frozen in utter terror while her purple mane was messed and stained with blood.
"I remember..."
I just remembered
What happened in September
"...everything...and..." a wry smile crept onto my muzzle, my face contorting into a manic grin.
I'm the one who killed them all
I survived after the fall.
"It was so DELICIOUS."
"Sister...have...have you heard about what happened in Ponyville?"
Luna had stopped her sister as they passed in the halls of Canterlot castle. Only a few moments ago, two members of the group they sent to resolve the problem which had arisen in Ponyville returned and claimed that they were the sole survivors of the squad and that all Element Bearers were still alive, though not entirely well...
"What? Good news, I hope?" Celestia asked, leaning over her sister worriedly. She hoped that the problem had been resolved...
Luna took a breath, slowly, and contemplated how to present her...findings, "Well...all of the Element Bearers are alive..." she stated meekly, averting her eyes from her sister's while the Solar Goddess sighed in relief, "And...i have here that can tell us exactly what happened..." Luna stepped to the side, her horn igniting as something levitated into sight from around the corner, "From what I've heard, she is very excited to meet us..."
Both Luna and Celestia turned their gazes to the form which floated before them. It was wrapped all over in tightly-bound rope and slouched over with it's mane hiding it's face. It looked like any normal filly. It looked like Luna had done crazy. Looks can be deceiving. It yawned, it's eyes screwed shut and looked up to Celestia with dreary and distant eyes, staring deep into them almost emotionlessly. It unnerved her deeply...but she couldn't place why...then it grinned, it's eyes suddenly flashing a mischievous gaze.
"Is...is that blood?" Celestia asked fearfully, noting the crimson liquid streaking down the mare's entire body.
The filly's eyes shifted to a mark on her own shoulder, then looked back to Celestia with curiosity...then spoke in a soft and innocent voice, yet still achieved in unnerving both Goddesses.
"It's my own, don't worry..." she suddenly grinned again, her body jerking towards them slightly, "Wanna taste?" she asked, her eyes gleaming in excitement, "Oh! Oh! Better yet!" Celestia's darted to Luna, wondering what the hay she was witnessing and hearing. the Younger Alicorn merely shook her head sadly in response, "Can I taste yours!?"
Celestia was totally appalled by this...this demented, young mare. It had been so long since she witnessed a madness such as this...not long after Luna's banishment in fact. it's only natural that something should happen which causes severe imbalances in a pony throughout history, but even still...she didn't like it. She knew how to deal with these types, she had done it before, but it still appalled her; made her hate herself...
"Tell me, young one..." Celestia asked, giving the filly stern glare, "What is your name?"
The filly's face fell, it's excitement quickly vanishing to be replaced by sadness, "Oh...I see how it is..." she muttered, "Is it because I didn't do enough? Or perhaps too much?" she asked solemnly, "I just did what nopony else would, you know? I didn't want to, but...nopony else would!"
Luna turned to her sister and mouthed the question, "What is she talking about?"
Celestia held up a hoof in the blue mare's directions, indicating that she would explain later. First, she had to get some information from this filly.
"I didn't want to...honestly, I wish somepony else did it, but, it couldnt be helped."
Celestia closed her eyes, the same line ringing through her head from the last...event.
"Little one...what is your name?" Celestia asked again, her voice raising slightly.
"Oh, Princess, I've been dying to know..." the filly continued, ignoring her yet again, "Do you think I did well? I did as good as needed? Or maybe worse..." She paused, thinking for a moment before continuing as Celestia gritted her teeth, glaring daggers at the filly, much to Luna's shock, "After all...I did it a-"
"-all for you." Celestia finished, "All for me." The white Goddess stamped a hoof, startling both her sister and their guest, "That's what the last one said..." she growled, "And the one before that...and the one before THAT."
"S-Sister!? What are you talking about!?" Luna asked, dropping their guest fro a moment by accident only to catch her a moment before she hit the floor.
"Whew...thanks!" the filly stated bubbly.
"It's a patter, Sister, and it's been happening since Equestria started." Celestia explained, "I've seen it many times, the last was during your banishment. Every time, the same statements, the same reasons, the same EVERYTHING!" she shook her head, 'I tried stopping it, I tried to break it, to solve it, but it just continued to happen." Luna stared back and forth between her sister and their guest, wondering what she was hearing, "Magic, or something else, I just don't know, but it is present, and it is what caused this...but I just don't know what IT is!"
Luna opened her mouth to speak-up again, but their guest cut them off, "Celestia...I know what it is..." bot pairs of eyes darted to the filly to find that she was grinning in the same manner a young foal would after thinking they know something their parents don't, "It's...me."
The two sisters looked to eachother, eyes wide, then back to the filly again. At that moment, both Alicorns spoke the same word, "What?"
A/N- I hope for this to be the only one of these in the story! Anywhoodle, this is just an "official" statement that YES I will be making a full-blown story out of this. I've been tossing around ideas for some time, but I think I know what I'm doing here, finally...soooo...get ready for a whole mix of torture, inanity, and even "DAWWWWW"ness. I really want to capture the whole mixed feelings thing going on in Artemis's head, so please, PLEASE PLEEEEEEEEEASE tell me how I can improve!
Well...time to finish-up "Crimson" then do a few more chapters of this head of time! Later everybrony!
P.S. Wanna see what my little psycho looks like? Go look at my latest blog!
