The Pony of Smiles

The gentle morning light woke me as the sun rose between the trees. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and slowly walked over to the stream Swifty had found yesterday. Dunking my head into the chilly water shocked me from my morning stupor and with it memories of last nights dream ran back through my mind. Disgust was soon replaced with joy when I remembered Luna coming to my rescue. I mean who can say that the Princes of the Night has personally shown in their dreams? Nopony in town has ever been visited before by the dark blue alicorn.

I galloped back to our makeshift camp and shook Swifty awake.

“Huh? What is it Solly? I’m trying to sleep here.” She said groggily.

“Swifty! Luna came to me in my dreams last night! She saved me from my nightmare and we talked and stuff. How cool is that?” I said rapidly while bouncing around my best friend.

“Princess Luna? But I didn’t think she could do that anymore. Not since the sisters lost their ability to rule.”

“I bet it’s because I still love them as our princesses!” I said to my friend as she shook her head and wiped the sleep from her eyes. “How cool is it that she actually came to me! I mean I’m just some random pony and she thought my nightmares were important enough to help!”

“Heh, yeah. But you aren’t just some random mare Solly. You’re special, okay?” She said, climbing to her hooves. “Anyway we should get moving, I know where we are headed now.”

I shuddered as I remember the previous night. We had gotten information thanks to Vengeance even if her methods were wrong. The stallion had been more than willing to give up his bosses location after everything he had gone through at my… no Vengeance’s hoof. Now we only have to make our way there quickly and rescue everypony!

Swifty lead the way, still following the rough eastern path through the trees. For hours we walked barely saying a word until we came to the far edge of the woods. The sounds of shouting came from just beyond the tree line so we slowly crept forward, barely making a sound. When we made it to a final line of undergrowth we looked out from between the thick cover of leaves in front of us. Sitting around a small campfire was a group of six raiders, three earth ponies, two unicorns and a pegasus.

“Swifty.” I whispered.

“Yeah Solly?”

“I don’t think we are going to be able to get past them.” I replied softly.

She looked around and knew I was right. The entire area was a small valley, any attempts to get past them would be useless as they would spot us easily. No matter how quick or quiet we were there was no way they wouldn’t notice two ponies two ponies scaling the hills around them.

“We have to fight.” Vengeance growled quietly.

“W-What?” Swifty asked, barely holding herself from crying out in shock.

“We can’t sneak past and there is no way the raiders will let two young mares pass them by.” Vengeance stated in her quiet growl. “Our only option is a sneak attack.”

“But they haven’t done anything to us, I can’t just kill somepony in cold blood. I don’t know if I could do it at all.” Swifty said and I could see tears in her eyes as she tried to fight against the things she was being told.

Words fell from my mouth before I had time to even think them “If they are here they must have been with the group who raided the town, I say we strike them down.” The moment they left however I held my hooves to my muzzle, fearful of the words that I had just said. That voice had come in my own voice, it wasn’t Vengeance, it was me!

“Solly what are you saying?” Swifty asked while taking a step back from me.

“I am loathe to say this I have to agree with Vengeance and Ms Sanguine. There is no other choice than to engage in battle.” Goodwill spoke out from between my hooves.

I lay there in shock. All three of us had agreed to kill the ponies that stood in our way. Why would I ever think this was a good idea? I don’t want to hurt anypony! I just want to make everypony happy.

If you fight you can get everypony back safely. They will all smile and when you are done Swifty won’t have to fight again. You can take care of her and nothing bad will ever happen again. You only have to fight, just for now. The voice of Vengeance whispered in my head.

You’re right. We just have to fight for now. Then Swifty and I can go back to our happy lives. I can keep her safe and nopony will be able to keep us apart. I thought.

Goodwill tried to speak inside my head but I interrupted him, looking at Swifty and speaking to her quietly.

“Swifty, I think I have an idea. But you’re going to have to do something you aren’t going to like.” I said to her.

“Wh-What d-do you need me t-to do Solly?” She stammered back to me.

“We need to take out that group as fast as we can. So I’ll need you to take them out in order of the most dangerous at range then close up. How many can you get in the head and how fast can you do it?” I asked her, noticing my voice was feeling a little raspy.

“I-I’m not sure if I can do it at all Solly.” Swifty squeaked quietly.

“You have to or we will never find everypony.” I stroked her mane softly while speaking to her. “It’s ok Swifty, this is going to be hard but I’ll be here to protect you okay?”

“O-Ok I’ll try. I think I could get three before they can move. Maybe one more before they reach us.”

“Good, that will make this a lot easier. We need to stay inside the tree line, that way the pegasus won’t be able to dive us. You need to take out the unicorns first and then as many of the earth ponies as you can.” I explained, my voice again getting raspier.

I can take out the rest of the scum if you let me. Vengeance whispered again in my mind.

No, I need to do this myself. I have to protect Swifty. I thought while watching her notch three arrows onto her bow and floating another next to her.

I walked over to my best friend and lay a hoof over her body while whispering in her ear. When I had finished explaining the plan to her she looked at me, her eyes wide with fear. “Are you sure about this Solly? Something could go wrong and they could catch us. I’m still not sure if I can do this!”

“Just do what I say and everything will be ok.” I rasped.

We took our places in the bushes, Swift was directly between two trees and I was behind one to the right. She looked at me with fear in her eyes and I nodded. With a pulse of magic she pulled back the string on her powerful bow, drawing the arrows back before she let go. The arrows streaked out of the cover and impaling the heads of two unicorns and an earth pony. The moment this happened the raiders jumped up and Swift moved to the left, taking cover behind the tree opposite to me. She notched another arrow in her bow and I levitated an object next to me. It was a long thick stick, one that would normally look pretty unremarkable. It however had its end carved in my magic. The regular blunt tip now held a sharp conical point.

We heard the remaining earth ponies approaching with heavy beats of their hooves. A moment later they passed by our trees and we struck. My makeshift spear was flung forward in my magic and dug deep into the side of an earth pony mare. Likewise of the other side Swifty had loosed another arrow, this one striking the earth pony who had crashed through the tree line looking to exact revenge for his fallen compatriots.

The pony I had attacked was still alive unlike the rest, his body spasming in pain around the large hole I had dug into the side of his body. She lay there screaming and for a moment I felt giddy, the pleasure from yesterday finding it’s way back into my brain as I watch my victim cry out in pain. I started to laugh and could hear it echoed in my head by Vengeance. A quiet whimper could also be heard but it wasn’t important. Disgust worked it way up from my stomach even as I laughed. Looking up I saw Swifty staring at me, like she was looking at a stranger.

A cry shook us from each other as a figure burst through the tree line between us. It stopped next to the dying body of the mare in front of me and fanned her wings. Hate was all that was held in that gaze as it stared at me. It took a step forward before planning it’s wings, slamming into my body. The pegasus had lifted me up into the air and slammed me back into a tree before it turned around and went back after Swifty.

Pain lanced all over my body as I tried to pull myself to my feet. I knew something was probably broken from how hard it was to breath. But that wasn’t what mattered now. This bitch was going after Swifty! With my sight still groggy and barely any breath entering my lungs I climbed to my hooves. I broke into an immediate gallop and as I reached them I heard Swifty let out a scream. The pegasus had bucked her right in the chest!

“You don’t TOUCH SWIFTY!” I screamed at the pegasus and I lit my horn, funnelling all my rage at the fool that decided touching my Swifty was a good idea.

A thin beam lanced out of my horn and struck the pegasus between the joints of her wings. Where it hit a small red spot dotted her coat, a spot that soon grew as lines like spider webs spread from the centre. I walked over as it spread and the pegasus soon became pure red as the lines of her original coat were replaced by the pattern. The moment no color but red remained the creature exploded inwards, her body replaced with nothing but a spray of red that coated my muzzle, hooves and the ground around me.

“Swifty are you ok!” I screamed, running over to my friend who was laying against the trunk of a nearby tree.

She lay there groaning for a moment before opening her eyes. My friend then jumped back the moment she saw my blood covered form. “Stay away!” She screamed, trying to run away but I caught her in my magic.

“Swifty it’s me. Please don’t run from me. Let me just get cleaned up and I’ll be as good as new okay?”

“Solly?” She said freezing. “Blood, but how?”

“I’m not really sure. I shot a spell at the pegasus after it bucked you. It kinda exploded.” I said while brushing my hoof in circles on the ground, not daring to look at my friends fearful eyes.

You just don’t want her to see how much you enjoyed that. The rush of taking a life, watching a pony writhe in pain and then killing one so fully that it exploded all over you in a rain of blood. You hate it but some part of you loves it and that part gets stronger all the time. Vengeance growled before continuing. Can you even hear Goodwill now? The more you kill, the weaker she gets and soon it will only be you and me. It’s too late for Goodwill, she was doomed the moment you let me out before. I have an idea. Why don’t you kill your little Swifty? Then nopony will be holding us back.

No! I will never hurt Swifty. She is my best friend and I will always keep her safe!

You will submit Sanguine, nothing can stop me now that you have let Vengeance into your heart. She screamed inside my head.

“You won’t hurt my Swifty!” I screamed back, this time out loud.

“S-Solly what’s going on?” Swifty asked while backing away from me.

“No no no, you’re not going anywhere Swifty. Don’t worry I’ll protect you from mean old Vengeance.” I said as I grabbed her in my magic aura again, bringing her close so I could wrap my forehooves around her body. “You’ll always be safe with me here.” I whispered in her ear.

“You’re hurting me Solly, please let me go.” She whimpered in my hooves.

“Ohh I would never hurt you my dear Swifty. I’ll keep you safe forever so I need you to smile okay? Smile for me Swifty.”

“Just let me go!” She screamed.

I grunted as she tried to pry herself from my grip. “It’s okay Swifty. I know this seems scary right now but don’t worry, you are safe. You’ll be safe with me, forever.” I lit up a magical aura again from my horn, this time pointed at her head. “Now, sleep.”