Chapters Prologue - The Wrong World
Imagine waking up one day to the find yourself opening your eyes to a storm. I’m not talking about some innocent storm, something any weather pegasus could cook up with their eyes closed. I’m talking about a shitstorm. Hellfire. Or, rather, what felt like it. That’s the world I live in. Far from your world of harmony, of peace. Where everyone gets along, and it’s (mostly) smiles all around. We’re talking about chaos.
We’re talking about Discord.
Before I kick off my tale, allow me to explain what a ‘world of disharmony’ looks like. Equestria thought it could survive any attack. Any threat was almost immediately thwarted. If one things for sure, the Elements of Harmony were good at messing up the bad guys in royal ways. Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, even goddess-damned Tirek! But it all it takes is one crack, one little crack in that barrier. And it all comes crashing down around you.
We couldn’t really blame her, could we? I mean, we had all thought he’d changed. She was the one who reformed the bastard in the first place! But she went and ballsed everything up. The Element of Kindness, the one and only Fluttershy, had given into her Draconequus pal. It was only a matter of time… It could’ve been his plan all along. He had planted a seed behind enemy lines, so to speak, and waited. And boy did he have patience.
Three years, he had been all buddy-buddy with his newfound Pegasus pal. All was well… Then chocolate rain happened, and I can assure you it wasn’t April Fools. Of course, ponies made nothing of it. They thought Fluttershy had it under control, just give Discord one good stare and he’d be done messing around. But no. It continued to rain. First light, then it began to downpour. And of course, Fluttershy and the Chaos King himself were both M.I.A..
Panic mode, as I like to call it, filled all the little and big towns. “Where were they? What’s going on? Is Fluttershy okay?” Oh, she was fine. She was beyond fine. And we knew that when she was seen strolling beside her Draconequus, an elegant gown as though she were some kind of classy villain. The Elements went right to work, as they usually did. They approached the pair that had looked like they got bloody married. And that’s the day all hell broke loose.
I’ll cut the crap, long story short, Discord and “Empress” Fluttershy rained down on the harmony filled town, wreaking havoc and chaos in their wake. With an Element corrupted, and by such a powerful figure, the Elements didn’t stand a chance. Everypony secretly knew they were no match, but they held their breath as they watched their world fall into chaos.
All those who’ve sided with Harmony have holed themselves up in Ponyville, a huge protective bubble that surrounds the place keeps them safe. Everyone on the outside, or those who align with the Empress and her King, belong to The Order. The Order of Discord.
Now here’s the part where the story gets interesting. I’m aligned with The Order. But, what kind of story would this be if it followed a stereotypical hero? Someone who was destined to save the day, a tragic background they’re looking to overcome by protecting the helpless. I’m no tragic hero, and I sure as hell ain’t no saint. But I’ll tell you this, I refuse to be known as a devil.
And so here we are, in the world of chaos, and I’m left right in the middle of it. The shitstorm that flipped the world upside down. And I’m beginning to question my loyalty to the big, chaotic bastard himself. No one likes reading a story that’s all about sunshine and rainbows. And I guarantee you, this isn’t that kind of story. We all feed on tragedy, in one way or another. And my tragedy starts here.
Welcome to my journey, and I hope you enjoy the wild ride I’ll hopefully take you on.
~ Nightfall
"Are you willing to jump down the rabbit hole to see the world as it once was, Nightfall? Or would you stay and see the world continue to crumble?"
I should just be thankful that I’m not in Canterlot. I’m lucky to be stuck out in Manehattan, where King Chaos rarely visits. Or cares about, for that matter. Canterlot was hit hard, as it should’ve been if you’re planning to wage a war against two practical Goddesses. But, it was still the generic properties as it were in any other city. The floors had felt like they were made from some kind of bouncy material, as though he had just thrown us all in a magical bounce house and said “Have fun”.
And, of course, there’s the never ending chocolate-milk rain. While it was a blessing, it was also a curse. Delicious? Sure. If you were some mare hyped up on sugar, you’d be in Dreamland. Next thing you know, you’ll be sitting next to Kirby eating cotton candy from a cloud. But for practical reasons, the rain left a mess. It just, sticks to you. Goddess-forbid you trying to get that crap out of your mane.
Weather wasn’t the only factor playing into this madhouse, of course. Homes and buildings were sometimes just floating in the air for no particular reason other than to get a chuckle or two. Some of them have been sent spinning, twirling, or even just blinking out of existence entirely. Now, I’m gonna guess the disappearing part isn’t by coincidence. Discord watches every single move we make, and you’d be dead wrong to think anyone is safe for even talking about Discord in a negative light.
Thankfully, this is just a journal. And something tells me Discord spends more time oogling up that Empress of his than reading. So, for the moment, I think I’m safe.
We all walk around town wearing the same but different expressions on our all too worn down faces. Some have gotten used to it, and walk briskly through the chaos to continue their ‘lovely’ lives in complete disorder. Those who chose to not necessarily welcome The Order, but rather except it. I can safely say I fall into this category.
Or, there are those who never welcomed the change but had no choice. Once Ponyville sealed itself up in that little protective bubble, no one got in and no one got out. So some were forced into The Order without any kind of say, and it either drove them to depression or madness. Those depressed haven’t been seen outside of their homes in months, while those driven mad have been hired directly by Discord. All it takes to be part of The Order’s guard is to just drive yourself bat-shit. Because once your mind is broken, Discord can easily take hold. You know, the old “Would You Kindly” trick, though we’re not in some under-the-ocean utopia now are we?
But the more and more I begin to wander around this beaten down and broken city we once used to know as Manehattan, the more I start to question my morality and loyalty. Is being a villain really worth it? Well, obviously not. Of course it isn’t. It’s never beneficial to be the villain in any kind of story. But what choice did I have? I didn’t want to be encased in some bubble. I’d be better off dead than living in ‘Simple Town’, as Discord likes to call it. But the more I walk, the more I have the urge to rip off this patch that says I belong to The Order.
You see, to make sure you’re not an outsider or Simple Town spy, we all wear these patches on our sleeves, the emblem for The Order. Don’t have a sleeve or something to wear? No worries, you’ll be given a pendant, a necklace, a hairpin. If worse comes to worse, and you refuse all options, they’ll just mark it on you like a tattoo. I’ve heard they mask Cutie Mark’s with the damned emblem. Because I’ve always worn my snow-white hoodie, I was spared and just given a patch to sew on.
But it never belonged. It never belonged on anyone. We were all forced into this decision in one way or another, and those who fought the forced decision… It almost felt like they were punished for trying to be a hero. How dare you try to save your world.
All of these thoughts ran through my head on my daily walk home. Both before and after The Order shifted the world and dropped it on it’s head, I worked at the Apple-Bit Arcade. An old, 80’s themed arcade that I’m proud to call mine. The owner left to live in Simple-Town and fight The Order, so the ownership fell to me (It really didn’t, but is my ‘former’ manager here to stop me? Precisely.). As far as I know, the key left in the door had a metaphorical post-it note on it that said “Here Nightfall, you’ve earned the promotion.” Which I do!
However, the gruelling walk home was the worst part. Today isn’t the first time I’ve had these thoughts on ‘The Walk’. Oh no, it happens everyday. Every single day I question my morality, but then I get home and sleep it off. What else is there to do? Participating in the chaos would only further distance myself from the great pony I like to think I am. But of course I’m not a saint, and I don’t need a priest to tell me that.
Hell, I couldn’t even see a priest if I wanted to. Discord wanted everybody following his philosophy of chaos. Learning the ways of the Goddess and following Celestia’s teachings is by no means allowed. So, therefore, all the churches went poof. To where? Beats me. Discord snapped his fingers and they were gone, off to some eternal dimension to probably endlessly float adrift in an awful void equivalent to a black-hole. There used to be one right on the corner of the road down from the arcade. But now what’s there? Just an empty hole in the ground where religious knowledge used to be.
I mentioned ‘The Walk’ earlier. That’s what I call this journey home. I take ‘The Walk’ everyday, always reminding myself of a world we could’ve had if Discord hadn’t taken rule. To think the quilted floors with properties of bounce houses and balloons would just be organized and sensible concrete sidewalks and beautiful stone and dirt paths. To think the churches and teachings of Celestia would still be around and standing tall. But none of it. Despite how lively and weird chaos made everything, it left ponies feeling empty. Including me. Empty and hollow, like a jack-o-lantern that isn’t lit.
Speaking of, here comes the Chaos King’s royal servants, the Apostles of Chaos. Oh yeah, with Celestia and Luna went the Royal and Lunar guards. So, Discord needed a new line of defense, being the ruler of practically all of Equestria, who knew when an attack would happen. Instead they became known as the Apostles, those who have been driven mad and sent to serve the King of Chaos directly. They marched around the various towns and cities, doing their patrols to make sure everyone was in line.
These guys were easily identified. Their weirdly colored armor that varied from guard to guard, and their helmets were Jack-O-Lanterns. Yep, that’s where the Jack-O-Lantern analogy comes in. I shit you not, these lunatics actually wear pumpkins on their heads with weirdly carved faces that glow white and yellow like fire. It may only be July, but it can be Nightmare Night any time of the year so long as Discord is in control. Who knows, we might be putting up Hearth’s Warming trees in September at this rate.
Drifting off in thought as I stared at the empty hole where the church used to be, I was snapped out of my trance when one of the guards gave a howl. A crazed howl, but I could definitely tell it was directed towards me. My head nearly snapped as I turned to find two guards staring down at me. One a light-pinkish mare, the other a mossy green stallion.
“I don’t know sister, this one looks like a drifter… Look at his eyes, so hollow and distant.” The stallion’s voice was raspy, as though someone had just straight up clawed his vocal cords and tried to fix them with electrical tape. The mare stayed silent, but gave a firm nod towards the stallion. “Look, I just want to get home. Do you not see the patch, man?”
“Of course I see the patch!” He hissed, though he sounded as though he was trying to quickly cover up a mistake by calling me out. I blinked and tilted my head at him, an eyebrow raised in question as he was practically tongue-tied. “You sure? You seem a little flustered there, Bucko.” That gave the mare a small chuckle, but she was quickly shut up when the other guard threatened to strike her. “Listen ‘ere, you get off easy this time. But give me lip again and I’ll bust it wide open, and I’ll let the King himself stitch it back up with electric wire.”
I gave a roll of my eyes before nodding, Clearly this loon wasn’t in for any petty arguments, and I had a walk to finish reminiscing on. But of course, we couldn’t just drop it at that. This guy had to get the last word in. To what? Prove he was the better stallion, as though he were trying to swoon the mare beside him. With what I assume was an angered glare, I don’t know for sure seeing as how I can’t see what they look like underneath their Nightmare Night costumes, the stallion eyed me before nearly barking at the mare. “Why don’t you give this lost dog an escort home? Make sure he ain’t up to anything good.” Oh yeah, being a hero or a martyr was the first thing on my mind.
The mare gave sigh and nodded, though rather silently. She definitely seemed off, didn’t she? Why try to hide and be so quiet? You were Discord’s right-paw ponies, you were directly connected to the bastard himself. Hell you could’ve bent me backwards and messed me up for a month of Sunday's, and he probably wouldn’t even bat an eye. So why stay all hush-hush? Best not to question out loud, last thing I need is a visit with Discord himself.
I felt myself get pushed forward with a small amount of force, causing me to stumble forward on the bounce-house of a floor. “Get to steppin’, I wanna see my lady back at Discord’s Funhouse in 20 seconds flat. Ha! Rainbow Dash.. What a laugh of a pegasus.” The guard spit at the ground and sauntered off, leaving me alone with the mute mare who continued to usher me forward. Well this definitely soiled ‘The Walk’, now didn’t it?
At least with the other guy I could’ve jabbed at him with smart and clever remarks. Or just straight up insults to make the guy’s skin crawl. But this mare was so, odd. I didn’t want to say anything, but she seemed to have the potential to fuck me up royally if I stepped on the wrong tile. So I continued in silence, feeling the occasional push before eventually growling at the mare. “I know how to walk, you don’t need to push.” The mare looked back, and for the first time since we met she spoke. “I know.” Was all she gave me, but I was stunned nonetheless. Her voice was, strangely normal. She had no insanity or hint of it in her voice, and quite frankly, it was a welcome change. Seeing as how the last guy sounded like rusted nails against a chalkboard.
I gave her a small questioning look, and she pushed me again. But it wasn’t a hard push, it was more or less to send a message without speaking. What I got from it anyway, was she essentially told me to “Shut your trap before something bad happens.” And I took to that advice, and kept my yap shut for the rest of ‘The Walk’. Though I made notes in my head as I usually did, bringing forth old memories of the past. Old memories that should just be long forgotten, seeing as how the world will never be the same.
Abruptly, once again, I was broken from my thoughts. But this time from the mare, who merely said “Thinking like that won’t change things.”. I looked at her again, which again was met by another push. Whoever this mare was, she sure as hell wasn’t an Apostle sent from Discord. She could also apparently read minds, which gave away she was a unicorn. Again, I didn’t know because of her goofy looking ‘headgear’. But something told me that this wasn’t going to be the end of a journey. Rather, the start of a new one.
The further we moved along the imaginary path to my home, the faster she seemed to usher me along. We were nearly up to a brisk gallop by the time we reached my home. She pushed me inside, to which I lost my balance and slammed to the floor face first. “Thanks for the escort…” I softly mumbled through the floor with clear sarcasm. The mare sighed, and I heard a distinct *Clunk* sound, as though the mare were taking off her armor. Which she was, err.. Kind of. She only took off her helmet, but now I got a full view of the mare who had been pushing me along on my walk home. The mare’s eyes shimmered an ocean-blue, her mane neatly brushed to the side but worn long. Violet with a light blue streak running down the middle. “Yeah… You’re definitely not with Discord.” I said with a soft sigh.
The mare turned and glanced at me, before offering her hoof to help me up off of the floor I face planted into. A small nosebleed, but nothing I can’t fix. Before I had a chance to say anything, the mare stood up and announced “Glimmer. Starlight Glimmer to be exact.” Name rings a bell… Should it? I ‘unno, it probably should, but it’s all a haze right now. “Uh.. Nightfall?” I mumbled back softly in confusion. “Look, Glimmer. Or Starlight.. Whatever you prefer being called. I’d prefer it if you left, seeing as how housing a Simple Town spy would surely send me to a black hole or some other bullcrap Discord has cooked up.” I said bluntly, and nodded to the door.
But, she didn’t budge. Of course. Why did I think she would? What sense would that make, right?
“Good thing I’m not with ‘Simple Town’. Goddess, you guys don’t even have the decency to call it Ponyville.” I rolled my eyes at the mare who treated me like some savage. “It’s mandatory. Discord doesn’t like Ponyville, so he gave it a stupid name. And we’re now all forced to address it as such.” Starlight seemed to ignore my explanation, and continued on to get to her point. “Well, Nightfall. Something tells me you don’t want to be wearing that patch on your arm.” She said bluntly, giving me a glare.
“What makes you say-” Of course, I’m abruptly cut off AGAIN. “I saw what you were thinking about. You’d be surprised how far my magic can go.” I sighed and shook my head. “Look, I ain’t any kind of hero, Starlight. And quite frankly, I don’t want to be one. I’d rather die cold as villain, than a martyr as a hero.” Starlight sighed softly and glanced to the side. “I know how that feels.” Before I had a chance to question, she began to speak again. “You want to make this world a better place. If not for anypony else, than at least for yourself. I’m here to help you with that.”
I forced out a snort, followed by a chuckle. “How do you plan to take back a world ravaged by a king who’s essentially a god of chaos?” Was this mare crazy? What, was she gonna wage war with Discord? Not even Simple… Ponyville, would try to take on King Chaos. And here comes this random mare, disguised as an Apostle, saying she can change the world.
“Let me ask you this.” She said, placing a firm hoof on my shoulder, which inevitably stopped my laughing at her bat-shit insane idea. I matched her gaze with my own, my bright violet eyes meeting her ocean blue ones. “Are you willing to jump down the rabbit hole to see the world as it once was, Nightfall? Or would you stay and see the world continue to crumble?” She asked firmly, waiting for my answer. Normally, I’d be a smart-ass and go with option B, then tell them to kindly piss off. But it was as though this mare forced the truthful answer out of me. “I’d be willing to jump as far as I could, even if it meant I’d only get a day of it back.”
And with that, I essentially sealed my contract with blood. Or something so close to it there’s not much of a difference. Starlight took my hoof, and within a few split seconds, a plethora of events happened. My hoof was suddenly grabbed, and bright flash flared from Starlight’s horn, followed by the door to my home being busted in by the angry guard we saw earlier, and I heard a faint voice, one of displeasure and disorder.
As we blinked out of my home, teleported to Goddess knows where, the faint voice nearly echoed Starlights words back at me, but in a more playful nature. “Down the rabbit hole, huh? I’ll have to remember that one. Tell Starlight I said thanks… Now, let’s have some fun, shall we?” There was no mistaking it, the voice belonged to none other than Discord. And he had been watching everything. Remember what I said earlier? Nothing gets out of Discord’s sight, even if he isn’t there? Guess that rings true, now doesn’t it? Dazed and confused, I stumble around as I struggle to regain my footing.
“Welcome to your new home, for the time being anyway.” Starlight said, as I opened my eyes for the very first time since the bright flash. There’s a song I feel would describe this perfectly, now how did it go again? Oh yeah.
“There ain’t no rest for the wicked.”
*WHAM*
First I was blinded by a bright flash, then I was blinded by darkness. And pain. Darkness and pain. What a lovely combination.
“Nice faceplant.” Starlight said in a cackle. If I had wings, I’d be flipping the middle wing tip at her right about now. I had already face planted once today, I sure as hell didn’t need to do it again. But of course I did do it again, because screw me, right? After spitting the dirt out of my mouth, which tasted awful if I might add, I stood up on seemingly off-balanced hooves. Wait a minute. That’s why I tripped, the ground wasn’t a weird bouncy consistency I had gotten used to. It was an actual dirt path. It was… Normal. Either I was in Heaven, or this was some alternation of Simple Town.
I was wrong on both assumptions, of course. And before I had a chance to get my two bits in, Starlight had shushed me. “Now now, you can thank me later. I’ve got some explaining to do first.” She said with a small grin. Yeah, that’s what I was going to say. “Thanks Starlight, I really appreciate the fact you’ve dragged me into an adventure that’ll most likely get me killed!” Good lord. I shook myself off, brushing my hoodie free of any dirt it had gathered from my faceplant earlier, and glanced back at the mare who had teleported me to… Wherever the hell we were.
“Follow me, my place is the house at the end of the path.” She said, sauntering over while shedding her Nightmare Night costume Discord liked to call ‘armor’. Two ponies came by and quickly retrieved the armor that had landed in a heap on the ground, giving me a firm nod before trotting off briskly. It was after that weird encounter that I noticed the way the homes were aligned.
There were two rows of houses, and each house looked the same. And that was it. Just the two rows. It looked like someone was trying to fill a background on MS Paint, and just copy-pasted the same house they made over and over again and called it a neighborhood. And down the middle was one dirt path, which led to Starlight’s supposed home. However, this weird ‘copy-pasted’ town wasn’t totally bland. Along the path, there were various stands and shops, each selling different goods. Clothing, food, toys for the fillies and colts… How had Discord not found this place?...
I cleared my head for a moment, and looked down the dirt path. Guess I had lost myself for longer than I thought, seeing as how Starlight was already standing at the front of her home, glancing back at me with concern and question. “Are uh.. Are you coming?” She called down the road, and I gave a firm nod in response. “Slow your roll, I’ll be there when I feel like it.” I shouted back, briskly walking over to her home. Though I could tell Starlight was a mare who wasn’t afraid to be a bit playful as well, and sure enough I found myself tripping into the ground, and then being levitated over to her.
“What the hell was-”
“I’m a Unicorn, Nightfall. I’ll always be able to one-up you. Now come on.” She said, dropping me from her spell as I landed on the ground below with a hard ‘oof’. I stood up and shook myself off… Again… and gave the mare a glare. Though in the back of my head, she had my appreciation. Not many knew how to jab back, so it was nice to see a bit of sass thrown back at me for once. “I hope I don’t have to carry you into the house, but get smart and I’ll just cast a silence spell on you. No biggie.” She said with a humble smile. I rolled my eyes, and saw her horn flare up. “You never said anything about a physical gesture.” She stopped, flashing a grin at me. “Fair point.”
She opened the door, an audible creak was heard as the entrance to her home swung open. Starlight trotted in, one Nightfall right in tow. Flipping on the lights with her telekinesis, I got a clear look at what this place really was. It wasn’t a house, it was more like a base of operations. Starlight had made various notes of everything occurring since Discord took over Equestria. Conditions in Canterlot, Manehattan, Seaddle, Neighagra Falls, Baltimare… Even Simple… Ponyville. Right. That’s what it’s actually called.
The light pink mare giggled, grinning a bit as she noticed my awe at all of the notes. Who wouldn’t be amazed? She wasn’t just a spy, she was a ghost! She could see literally everything, everywhere. She even had pictures and notes to prove it! “I know, it’s a bit overwhelming at first. And that’s not even all of it. My actual office is littered with even more.” I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to clear my head for what seemed like the dozenth time. “How have you been.. Everywhere?..” I asked, before giving a firm question I wanted answered first more than anything. “Where the hell are we?”
Starlight sighed softly, glancing out the window towards the seemingly bland town. “This place used to be known as Equality Village, back when I was… Well, let’s just say I wasn’t a very good pony back then.” She breathed out, a sadness lingering about her as she remembered her past. I had to glance away. I couldn’t seem soft, but I knew what she felt like. So I gave her the moment she needed, but she quickly recovered and ushered my eyes back up at her. “Now we call this place Safe Haven.”
“Safe Haven?... I… You know. Strangely enough, the name fits.” I mumbled mostly to myself, but it got a chuckle out of Starlight. Before she had a chance to speak, I asked another one of my bazillion questions I had about this place. “Okay. Explain this to me, how has Discord not found this Safe Haven, or rather, why hasn’t he attacked it?” My head raced with questions, thoughts zooming around at nearly 100 miles per hour. To be honest, it was somewhat headache inducing.
“That’s just it, we were never on the map.” The mare said simply, flashing a small grin at me. “I beg your pardon… What that hell does that even mean?”
“Equality Village was never officially documented as a town or city in Equestria’s records. Therefore, we were never put on any maps… Save for the one in Twilight’s Castle. But Goddess knows what’s happened to her since she shielded Ponyville from the rest of the world.” She gave a small sigh, looking towards the ground briefly before shaking herself clear. “I hope she’s doing alright..” She said, not to anyone in particular, but I felt obligated to respond. “I’m sure… She’s doing just fine.” Ugh. I went soft. Goddess damn me. Why’d I turn soft, I’m not soft. I’m supposed to be cold, I’m supposed to not give a damn. I welcomed The Order, willingly or not.
But it was definitely met with gratitude, a soft “Thanks” was mumbled out, followed by a somewhat awkward moment of silence. It was broken after Starlight abruptly began to speak again. “Because Discord hasn’t been able to find us, we’ve been able to keep our village a secret base for those who want to change the world.” I felt myself feel entitled to help, but I had to know one more thing. “So why me?...”
“I’ve been observing you for a while, believe it or not.” She said, and I couldn’t help but blurt out. “So you were stalking me, essentially? If you wanted me you could’ve just said so. I’m single and ready to mingle.” I said with a small smirk, which was met by a roll of the eyes. “If you’re done being a smartass, I would like to continue.” I nodded, giving her the go ahead. “Most ponies out here are very one sided. Either their will was broken by Discord, and they’d practically die for him. Or, their all broken to the point of sadness. They can’t bother to put up a fight, thinking they’ll fail or worried they’ll die.”
I could safely agree with what she was saying. There was never someone split right down the middle. You either hollow, empty, waiting for the day either Discord wiped you off the map or the world changed. Or you were loco, and were ready to give Discord a back-massage while you fought off anyone who opposed him. Except for me, apparently. I’ve been split down the middle. While not vocally stating my thoughts, I certainly didn’t agree with what Discord was doing. But I did it just because, well, I figured why try? I’m not meant to be a hero. Guess it just came down to laziness.
“There’s something about you, Nightfall. You don’t have a drive to fight, but you aren’t broken enough to give up. I, hope to stop you from reaching that breaking point.” Starlight said softly, trotting over to me, past her desk littered with all the notes and pictures of towns and cities.
And me. I never mentioned that, did I? Yeah, near all the Manehattan notes, there were a crap ton of photos of the charcoal black stallion you know as Nightfall. Pretty creepy, isn’t it?
I felt her place her hoof on my shoulder, and I found my eyes drifting over to the mare, who seemed more somber than usual. “We need someone like you. Someone who’s been through it, who’s lived there and can fight given a reason to… We need you to join us.” I raised my eyebrow in question, before giving the mare a response. “What do you mean by ‘us’?”
“As in everypony here in this village. We like to call ourselves ‘Phantoms of The Resistance’. But we mostly keep it short as ‘Resistance’. We’ve all united to try and take the world back from a chaotic tyrant.” She said, letting a soft sigh escape her lips. “I know you think you’re not a hero, and you don’t have to be. Anyone in this war is no kind of hero. But I know you could help us out. Everypony here has a common goal, and you can contribute. We’re not like those who are broken and sad, but we’re also not like those who are scared and fierce like they are in-”
“Ponyville?”
“Right.” She said, the sadness seeping out of her again as she thought I was disinterested in her offer. “If you don’t want to, I can teleport you right back to your home in Manehattan, and make sure no Apostle ever remembers you running off with me. I won’t force you into a decision.. I won’t force anypony into a decision ever again..” Her voice practically began to crack, and I quickly stopped her before she started crying. Good lord, I won’t be able to stand crying. So that needs to stop before it even starts. I gave her a simple response, but one that should’ve gotten the point across. “Got anyone in this village of yours that can remove a patch off my hoodie? I don’t think I’ll be needing it, or wanting it anymore.”
After nearly getting attacked with affection from Starlight, I was pushed out into “Safe Haven” To get acquainted with the ponies around the village. Starlight also gave me keys to one of the homes along the dirt path, which was a pretty sweet deal. The houses here were much bigger than mine back in Manehattan. Hell, I practically lived in an apartment classified as a home by Equestrian guidelines. Working the arcade, while it was a nice gig, didn’t pay a whole lot.
There were still more questions I had, both about Starlight’s plan and just her in general. She’s definitely a mare to keep tabs on, to make sure I don’t lose my flank unsuspectingly. But Starlight seemed like a nice mare, who had nothing but good intentions. I still don’t see myself as the hero Starlight thinks I could be, but if it gets me out of that damned chaos-ridden hellhole, so be it. First stop was the tailor, time to get this damn mark off my hoodie!
I stopped by the building marked “CLOTHING”, fitting. This should be the place. I walked in, and felt my ears twitch to the bell that chimed above the door as I stepped in. That was bit new to me, I hadn’t walked into such a formal store in a while. Everything was all messed up ever since Discord took over, none of the shops in Manehattan were the same. The pony behind the counter greeted me with a warm smile, a yellow mare with a rainbow like mane and tail, brushed down a bit messily. I couldn’t really make out her cutie mark too well, all I got out of it was that it looked like a Pokeball.
Ignoring the really peppy attitude I wasn’t used to yet, I wandered up to the counter with a small smile. Ech, here I go again. ‘You’re turning soft, Nightfall.’ the voice in my head chirped, and I nearly smacked myself to shut it up. “I was uh, told you could help me get this patch on my hoodie removed. Starlight, specifically told me. I hope this won’t cost much, Starlight didn’t teleport me here with my wallet..” I said with a somewhat sheepish grin, but my worries were quickly stomped out after the mare kindly accepted me. “Have no worries, mister! We’ll get you right sewed up to look proper! Oh, you may call me Tashie, by the way.” All this positive attitude stuff is only escalating my headache.. I guess I’m adding a trip to the doctor’s on the list of places I need to visit. “Nightfall-” I was barely able to greet back before she ushered me off into the back.
After small talk that seemed to last for an eternity, the kind mare named Tashie presented me with a new hoodie, one free of an Order emblem. Although she did put some of her own adjustments on it. On the left shoulder, she placed a little Assassin’s symbol on the shoulder. Seems this mare knew a thing or two about games. Should’ve figured, seeing as how her cutie mark is a Pokeball. However, the main addition to the hoodie was a symbol placed onto the chest. A bleeding heart with a ring around it.
“It’s the symbol of the Resistance! Thought it was a nice touch!” She happily chirped. At first, I was about to demand it be removed. It felt like I was being branded by a faction all over again… But I stopped, took a deep breath. I could grow used to it. Besides, these guys weren’t even on the map, so it technically didn’t exist?... Question mark?... I gave the mare a nod, as well as a quick thanks. “Make sure to stop back, I’d love to have some company!” She called out the second I wandered out of the store. I’m not used to all the happiness, it’s been so long since I experienced it I’m nearly desensitized. Guess it’s going to be one of the many things I have to learn here.
By the time Tashie had finished up tailoring my hoodie, it was already dark out. The moon in full swing above the sky. Good thing to know Luna was okay being holed up in Sim.. Ponyville. It’s Ponyville Goddess damnit. I had little time to make it to the food market, and the doctor. Thankfully the market went by quick. I got in, got the food I needed to sustain, well, everyday life, and got out. Food was one of my favorite things, but unfortunately I didn’t have the time to spend gazing at all the options. Final stop, the doctor’s office.
Don’t get me wrong, I hate seeing the doctor as much as anypony. All those shots and needles are enough to make even a royal guard squirm. Why the hell did we make ways to cure and prevent illnesses so painful? Not the point. I quickly stopped by, the doctor cleverly named “Band-Aid” waved me in. A light blue stallion who seemed a little older, who had a grey mane and tail, worn short and messy. I already didn’t like the look of the guy. He seems like a needle first, talk later kind of doctor.
“Look, I just need some aspirin or spell or something. My head is pounding and I’m about ready to turn my brain into mush just to get it to stop.” I said bluntly, and surely enough, Band-Aid played 20 Questions with me. “Are you sure that’s all that’s wrong? Are you feeling weak? Tired and/or lazy? Do you have aching pain anywhere else?”
Before I threw him to the floor, I took the painkillers and practically marched out of his office. The nerve on that guy, right? After making all my necessary trips, I was supposed to go see some of the townsfolk. Guess that’s not happening anymore. It’s almost midnight, and I had a date with a bed inside of a new home. I let out a yawn, trying to rub my bright violet eyes open a little longer just to make it to my new humble abode. But of course, I couldn’t go to sleep just yet. Why in the world would I be able to do that? Instead, a familiar voice called to me at the end of the dirt path.
Starlight. Of course.
“Nightfall! Over here!” Yeah, I got that Starlight. Trust me, you aren’t that hard to miss. I stumbled over to her, barely shuffling my hooves along the ground below me. “Good evening miss, how do you do?” I said with a small grin, which was almost immediately followed by another yawn. This conversation dragged on for even a second too long, and I was sleeping out in the middle of the street tonight.
“So, did you get to meet some of the ponies in Safe Haven?” She questioned, tilting her head slightly to the side as she stared at the rather tired ‘me’. “Well, I met a jolly few, if that’s what you’re asking. You got the all too bouncy mare who tailored my hoodie, the rather lackluster ponies at the food stands in the market, and the doc who I’m afraid is going to jab a needle into my spine and say there’s something wrong with me. Other than that? No. And quite frankly, I’d like to hold off on that if at all possible. Sleep is at the top of my agenda right now, if you catch my drift.”
“Well duh! Of course I’m not gonna make you go out and make friends right now. I just want to make sure you were at least acquainted with those few, and that you were given the necessities needed to live.” I gave a small nod, I could feel my head ready to bob right off, that’s how tired I was. “Good. Now, go get some shut-eye. If you thought today was a long day, just wait until tomorrow. It’s time this trip down the rabbit hole really got started.” With that, I already wanted to plunge a dagger into my neck. Can’t I just take a week off? Enjoy the calm and quiet? No? Okay.
Before I even had a chance to say something back I was ushered away with a quick “Goodnight!” before Starlight closed the door to her home. Great. Awesome. Can’t wait for tomorrow. I sighed, and went back down the dirt path to my new home, dreading what was to come tomorrow. I’m really starting to question if jumping down the rabbit hole was a bad idea, or an awful idea. The lesser of two evils, essentially.
I unlocked the door to my home, pushing open the door as my tired eyes jolted around to access the room. Empty, or the equivalent to it. There was going to be serious home renovation happening tomorrow, given I had the time to do such a thing. I sluggishly moved my way up the stairs, towards the nearest bedroom. I tossed my hoodie off to the side before plopping belly-down on the bed. My face came into contact with the pillow, and I was out almost instantly. Though I dreaded what’s to come, I can safely tonight was the first time in over a year I’ve slept without a nightmare of some kind. All aboard the Resistance train, next stop, who the fuck knows?
I was surprised to find out that I hadn’t been woken up. Honestly, given the events of yesterday and last night, I had expected some stupid rule where everyone was up at daybreak. Either that, or maybe I’d just been given a pass because of the near natural disaster we’ll call ‘yesterday’. I was also somewhat shocked to find that my bed wasn’t in shambles after getting up out of it. Normally I’d be tossing and turning throughout the night, truth be told my bed back home wasn’t very comfy, but I’ve come to find I’ve had a very peaceful slumber… Why did I have a feeling that wasn’t going to last too long?
I got up with a stretch, feeling as well as hearing my bones crack as I extended myself out. I hadn’t lied that stiff for that long in years… So, naturally, my body wasn’t used to getting as much rest as it did. And it certainly had no problem telling me that. “Ah.. Ahaha.. Okay, yep. That one was my spine…” I groaned as I tried to realign myself, letting everything settle in it’s place. After the hellish part of waking up, I found myself trudging down the stairs, which went about as well as expected. I stumbled, tumbled, and then my vision was met by blackness as I face planted for what felt like the millionth time in the last 24 hours.
Rough start? Yeah. Yeah probably. That’d be the best way to describe it, wouldn’t it? Of course, my journey with the stairs wasn’t over. After getting back up on my hooves, I realized I’d completely forgotten to throw on my hoodie after getting up out of bed. “...Goddess damnit…” I mumbled softly in a sigh, heaving myself back up one of my worst enemies. What? I never left anywhere without my hoodie, and I’d feel bad just leaving Tashie’s hard work unattended. Hard work? Was it really that difficult? Gah. There’s that softness kicking in again… I threw on my hoodie with a yawn, rubbing my eyes as though that would help me open them more. Walking down stairs when you’re all groggy really makes you wish everypony was rich enough to afford an elevator.
So, let’s take a look at the mental morning check list. Getting up? Check. Well, half check. It was a struggle but I got there. Looking presentable? Well. I have my hoodie… My mane was in a tizzy as it is everytime I wake up, but a quick sweep with a hoof made it kinda tame… Bleh, I’d just throw my hood over myself in case anyone got mouthy about my appearance. So let’s momentarily check that off the list. I’d say I deserve to take a shortcut after everything that’s happened. Coffee?... Definitely not check. I could feel the bags under my eyes practically screaming for it. And, the best part? No coffee machines. That means there had to be a coffee shop out in Manehatt-
That’s right. I’m not in Manehattan. I’m now living in ‘Safe Haven’, formerly known as ‘Equality Village’ according to Starlight. I have no idea why, and I didn’t care enough to keep up with history. It was always the same headline all the time. “Elements of Harmony save Equestria from -insertMonsterAnd/OrVillainHere.exe-”. It never changed, and it soon enough got pointless to keep up with newspapers. I hate to say it, but stories aren’t interesting when they’re always happy, or always the same. I’m probably being a hypocrite. Guarantee you my journal ends with ‘And Equestria lived happily ever after’. And if it does? You have all right to find me and knock my teeth out.
Anyway, enough complaining about tabloid news and journalism that really doesn’t matter anymore. I’m setting out to find some goddess damned coffee so my head stops pounding, and I can actually keep my eyes open. Let’s pray to Celestia that I don’t get caught up in a crowd, or some other terrible garbage. I was not in the mood to be social, at least not at the moment. I’m more or less being seclusive for the safety of others. I don’t want to get a ‘hello’ and respond with a ‘get lost’. No need to paint myself in a negative light… Yet.
Disorder lit up the mad-house formerly known as the ‘Royal Castle’. Apostles in a mere uproar at the events that happened the evening prior, and all were demanding action. News had broken out after an Apostle returned from the residence of a stallion named Nightfall, saying he pulled a Houdini and poofed in a practical cloud of smoke. Said Apostle was still inside, with none other than the Empress. Discord was out, keeping track of things in the Crystal Empire. Word had gotten out that Apostles were close to bringing King Sombra back, and the King of Chaos wanted an update as to how that was going…
Inside, the Empress was having a practical interrogation with the moss green Apostle inside, who’s name was Toxic Screw. He seemed to be a little nervous, as indicated by his slight trembling as he stood before the Empress. Fluttershy carried a posture far different than her normal timid one she did with the Elements. While still possessing a bit of shyness, Fluttershy seemed to carry a demeanor that was much less forgiving, and she stared at the Apostle with a gaze that could only be described as cold. “And you let them get away?...” She asked with a quiet, yet at the same time assertive tone.
“S-She seemed to be, on our side ma’am- I mean! Uhh.. Your highness…” Toxic’s voice trembled just as his whole body did, his eyes darting nervously around the room, looking at anything but Fluttershy. “A-And the charcoal colored one, he wore our symbol, he seemed fine…” The pegasus mare stomped her hoof on the floor, and Toxic nearly jumped into the ceiling. He fell to his haunches, closing his eyes while begging the Empress for forgiveness. “P-Please your highness! I or our fellow Apostles were not to know what they were up to! W-We’ll get them back here for punishment, hones-”
Silence was met, Fluttershy nearly an inch away from the stallion who felt he was in his last moments. Mercy was given, but with a price to be payed. “You walk free for now, Screwball… But if me nor your lordship see the two responsible for such a stir here soon…” She pushed him down to the floor, keeping him pinned there underneath a firm hoof. He coughed and gasped a slight bit, looking up terrified. “We’ll hang you up top the tallest tree, and let your fellow Apostles use you as a pinata… Only they’re not going to be looking for candy…” She pressed him to the floor a little harder, squeezing his chest, but leaving him just enough room to breath. “Understood?”
No more than a few moments later, Toxic was practically thrown out of the throne room, back into the hall where he fall face first, losing a tooth or two. The door slammed close, Fluttershy not even offering a gaze to the Apostles all crowded inside. Numerous of them gathered around, helping Toxic up to his hooves so he could speak. Still gasping and coughing, all he could mutter out was a simple order to everyone listening. “Find where they went… Bring them back here alive. Debts need to be paid, and I’m not going to offer up my bits to pay for them.”
The crowd of Apostles practically howled in response, cheers of joy almost sounding like broken screams. Time to set a plan in motion. The goal was simple: Find Nightfall.
Of course, the second I stepped outside my home, I was greeted by numerous ponies. You’ll never guess who was there amongst them. If you guessed Starlight, it should’ve been obvious, and you get no pat on the back from me. But good job anyway. “Well good morning there, sunshine! I can tell you’ve had a rough start, given the bruise you have there.” I groaned and forced out a chuckle. “Ha ha… Yeah, great morning. Fantastic morning. Goddess be damned, it feels like I was taking my first steps again…” Starlight grinned a little bit. Great, glad she was still seeking enjoyment from my misfortune. I love it.
“You’re lucky you didn’t have anything severe like a mission on your agenda today, otherwise, sleeping in like that is considered a luxury.” She smirked and let her posture fall a little bit, taking a more relaxed stance. Seems she wasn’t so tense, and maybe that was a good thing… “Trust me, you don’t have to tell me twice. I haven’t slept like that in decades. Or years… You can never tell sometimes. All the clocks in Manehattan always showed different times compared to another.” I heaved out a tired sigh, glancing at the light pink mare with tired and pretty much sore eyes. “Now where’s the coffee shop? Just because I’m up doesn’t mean…” My statement was interrupted by a yawn before I could finish it, though the mare caught onto what I was gonna say.
“Doesn’t mean you’re awake? Yeah. I get that way sometimes too. Though that’s mostly if I don’t get any sleep.” The unicorn mare gave a shrug, and nodded down the single road that trailed through the center of Safe Haven. The little town’s set up wasn’t really that hard to figure out. Down towards the entrance, houses lined up both sides of the streets. However, down by Starlight’s base of operations, there were all the shops and stores, previous homes turned makeshift markets and workshops. One such store was cleverly named “Toffee’s Coffee”. And that was my stop in order to check off what was next on the agenda. I guess I was going to have company too, seeing as how Starlight entered the small little ‘cafe’ with me.
The mare at the counter smiled and waved as we walked in, the atmosphere seemingly quiet and peaceful. At least there was no bell above the door like there was at the ‘Clothing Store’. Starlight immediately wandered over to the counter, taking my hoof to drag me over as well. Guess there was no looking around just yet… “Starlight!” The mare at the counter greeted happily, and the two embraced in a gentle hug over the counter. I felt myself smile, and the voice inside my head sing-songed “Softie~ Softie~” I wanted to die. This is what a true want for death feels like right now. I needed coffee, and I needed it as soon as possible.
“Who’s your friend over here? He seems to be new!” The mare behind the counter exclaimed with joy, and Starlight chuckled as she introduced us to each other. “Nightfall, this is Toffee Espresso. Toffee, this is Nightfall.” I gave a sheepish smile at the slight introduction, and managed to give a wave and a timid “Hey there, Toffee”. She quickly smiled and gave a lengthy introduction, nearly taking her own breath away. Might just start calling her ‘Caffeine Crazy’ at this point, the mare was about to jump through the roof with energy. “You look exhausted, dearie! Oh! I know just the thing! Starlight, are you going to take the usual? Ah, what am I talking about, of course you are! Hence the reason why it’s called ‘the usual’!” And with that, the mare bolted off into the back, leaving me and Starlight in awe.
“I’m uh… I’m gonna guess she’s normally this crazy?” I asked to break the awkward silence, Starlight going to respond, but instead just nodded and said in a sigh: “Yeah… Yeeeaaahhh… She can get a bit out of control sometimes. Though I suppose it’s good for ponies. The uplifting attitude gives some ponies a bit of morale, so it seems.” I rolled my eyes and glanced at her. “All she’s doing is making my morning headache worse… She’d better not put anything poisonous in my drink, otherwise I’ll come back and haunt her to death.”
Sooner rather than later, the mare who was practically bouncing off the walls resumed her station at the counter, sliding both me and Starlight our drinks. Starlight caught hers with grace, expecting it to come sliding towards her, where I nearly dropped mine because, you know, I expected her to hand her my coffee like any sane pony would. “Nightfall, that right there is my mama’s homemade mint-chocolate mocha, with two shots of sugar and creamer just for you!” She said with an all too eager smile. I was shocked, mostly at how much energy she had this early in the morning. “Do… Do you ever sleep, or are you just a non-stop crazy machine with no off button?” I found myself muttering, but Starlight quickly covered for me with an awkward chuckle. “We both thank you for the drinks Toffee, see you soon!”
As we wandered away from the counter, Toffee made a little ‘call me’ gesture towards me, followed by a snort and an all too happy giggle. “Sheesh… She has more energy than half the Apostles do, and those guys are literally insane in the membrane.” That garnered a chuckle out of Starlight, and she grabbed a seat at a nearby table, gesturing for me to sit down with her. I took my seat, and heaved a sigh as I did so. “Something tells me you’re here to discuss more than just how my morning’s going. I mean, I know I’m interesting to an extent, but the spotlight can’t always be on me I suppose.” I said with a small smirk, which was met by an eye roll. “Charming. Real charming.” The mare playfully teased with a grin, and I found myself shrugging in response. Eh, at least I gave it a shot.
“Well, why don’t you take a sip from your drink there, and then we’ll talk once you’re done being so grumpy.” She sing-songed, taking a sip from her own drink. I happily obliged to her suggestion, and wasn’t afraid to admit I was grumpy. Why shouldn’t I be? I was tired, sore, aggravated, confused, and so much more. I chugged down nearly half the cup, my eyes practically springing open after the warm drink hit my system. Nightfall.exe was now running at full power, baby! “Holy Hell… That Toffee chick really knows how to make some good stuff… I could drink this by the gallon if given the chance.”
“Now that might actually cost you something.” The light pink mare chuckled softly and glared at me with a sincere smile. “I know there’s a lot going on right now, and I can’t even imagine what this must feel like for you. But trust me when I say we need you now more than ever… And that we all appreciate you fighting the good fight.” I felt my spirit rise a little bit, and felt the corner of my mouth rise to form a grin. “Heh, not sure what I can contribute that would-”
Starlight stopped me mid-sentence, as she seemed to do regularly. I’d like to get more statements out, if at all possible? Maybe? No? No voice of opinion from me? Okay. “You know how they operate… You’ve lived in a city that’s been ruled by The Order for so long, and you have more knowledge on them than we possibly ever will.” I leaned back in my seat, curious and afraid as to what she would need the knowledge I had for. “I suppose so, but I’m not a book full of ‘The Order’ knowledge, you know.” Starlight grinned and responded “I don’t expect you to be.” Good. At least I wasn’t being put on some kind of huge pedestal.
“You’re going to be a huge help Nightfall, and you’re the kind of pony we need on missions against The Order…” I blinked in shock, and gulped down a little bit more of my mocha as my brain processed what she said. “I’m sorry, missions? What, what missions? I’m not joining some kind of crusade, you’re practically lining me up for death!” I took a deep breath and let myself come back down from my cloud of anger, nodding towards her. “Explain, please..” I mumbled in a much more calm tone of voice. Starlight gulped and regained herself after my short outburst, explaining exactly what she meant by missions. “We’re taking ponies away from Discord by infiltrating The Order, taking his associates away from the inside out. Once we take away enough-”
“The king won’t have an army to lean back on… You can sweep the resistance back in and take cities and towns by force…” I mumbled, and the noticeable grin on her face meant that I had caught onto what she was saying, and quite quickly if I might add. Go me, chalk that up as a brownie point! “You know Manehattan inside and out, and you have a general idea as to how Apostles patrol the area. With that kind of knowledge, and a little bit of scouting, we can find an opening and take it back. One city at a time, until we reach Canterlot…” Starlight said, and I could tell by the expression on her face that she was in deep thought. “These missions are no easy task… The Apostles have keen vision, and if Discord happens to be in the area he’ll notice you in a heartbeat. We’ve lost so many, and gained so little…”
I smirked a little with some playful confidence. “You haven’t gained a lot because you don’t have an Ex-Order member on your side. Err, rather, you didn’t. Now that you do, I’d say we have a pretty good shot. Of course, I’m not going to be able to do it alone… Not that I’m suggesting anything, but if we could possibly recruit a few more unlucky souls like myself, we might just have a shot at taking back Manehattan…” Starlight’s eyes beamed, and practically twinkled with hope. “We do that, well I’d say we have a foolproof plan that just might be crazy enough to work. One by one, we take Equestria back.” Heh, you know, it felt good to be a leader… Maybe I should do it more often.
“Crazy enough to work…” She softly echoed back, a smile creeping on her face as she seemed to have a renewed sense of joy. Oh goddess, what did I do?... Starlight practically jumped out of her seat, beaming over at Toffee with a bounce in her step. “Toffee, get your things ready, and get Whiskey, Panda Paws, and Band-Aid… Meet me at my home in an hour... ” Toffee gasped and covered her mouth, leaning over the counter eagerly. “Does this mean?...”
Starlight nods and cracks a grin, pulling me out of my seat as she practically dragged me out of the ‘cafe’, calling back to the mare. “I think it’s time we send you guys on a mission.” Toffee pumped a hoof into the air, practically dancing around her little store as I was dragged away. So much for the rest of my morning agenda… I guess now I was going to lead a mission to take back Manehattan.
There were two outcomes to this, either I lead the charge successfully and we finally gain some ground against The Order. Or it’s all futile, and I guess we die as martyrs for The Phantoms of The Resistance… I wasn’t just throwing myself down a rabbit hole, I was throwing myself in a fire that would surely do more than burn me. Well, at least Starlight was right about one thing, today was definitely going to be longer than yesterday. Hell, the day already felt longer than yesterday, and it was just getting started. Better prepare myself for company… Guess I should grab some popcorn while I’m at it too, huh?
The Resistance train’s next stop? My hometown of Manehattan… Oh boy, here we go...
