I hated Equestria, long before Celestia’s curse was cast. Those presumptuous ponies, thinking that the “Magic of Friendship” and “Harmony” was actually something to live by. There was also the fact that their princesses had control over the sun and moon. That really ticked me off, as if they were constantly gloating that ponies were the superior race. I only did business with them whenever the job was rewarding, usually being a bodyguard for some pompous noble. Ironically, it was doing my job that ultimately saved my life.
“Why are you still writing in that stupid book?” Carapace chided me for the 5th time. “We should be acting out your revenge, not writing our life’s story.”
“If we are successful in assassinating Celestia, then we will want an account of how we brought the end of a tyrant that had doomed this forsaken planet. Besides I am finally drafting an entry that I deem worthy,” I calmly replied to my changeling companion, understanding her frustration.
Despite the war against Equestria the Changelings and King Sombra had started, I didn’t blame both of them for the world I was now living in. It was all Celestia’s fault. She couldn’t concede defeat, so rather than surrender, she made sure no one: pony, changeling or wolf could have victory. That’s right I am a wolf, one of the last ones alive. I say that because I knew other wolves that travelled just like me, and surely they were lucky as well. This is what Carapace and I are doing, recruiting anyone: griffon, minotaur, yak, even dragon that had the same thirst of revenge for what the ponies had done to us.
I digress. The job I had taken before the curse had me in Yakyakistan, an escort to some unicorn merchant that was looking for suppliers. Even being miles away from Canterlot, which I learned later was where the spell was cast, we could see a bright flash before the shockwaves hit. I am no scientist, but I believe the cold had somehow weakened the effects of the poison. I was out for a couple weeks, but thankfully I hadn’t contracted any of it. My client, however, didn’t make it. That was where I saw the effects of the spell. Even though I didn’t particularly care for ponies, the stallion didn’t deserve to go like that. I immediately rushed back to the train station, actually thanking the ponies for somehow managing to get the train back on schedule. After another couple of days traveling on paw back to my home, I was devastated by the state of the city. The first thing that almost drove me away was the stench. Bodies littered the streets, including some of my friends. But even with the nightmarish scenes I discovered upon my arrival, the worst was to come.
The door was locked when I reached my house, giving me hope that maybe, just maybe they had avoided the spell somehow. When I knocked several times and received no answer my heart started to sink. I bust down the door, calling to my family to see if they were there. Then I reached our bedroom. My wife and daughter, huddled together on the bed, both frozen with tearful expressions. In my wife’s lifeless paw, I found a locket I had given her for her birthday. At least by locking themselves in, their bodies had somehow been preserved.
At first I was angry with myself, that I let them die without knowing where I was or if I was even safe. I even contemplated suicide, that way I’d be with them in Filtiarn’s hunting grounds. But something in me, call it instinct if you will, said otherwise. I continued to look for survivors but had no luck. Then my anger shifted directions to Equestria, Celestia specifically as I learned more about The Plague, why such an ancient spell was used, and the irony of how the princess had doomed her own kingdom to a fate worse than death. With that, I decided on revenge. There was nothing else to live for. The last thing I did before leaving the city was give my family a proper burial, something no one, not even a pony, should have to do.
“Are you going to write about how we met?” Carapace was now reading over my shoulder.
“I thought you were against the book?” I replied, wiping away a tear after having to recall such a harrowing memory.
“Well after picking up on your building sadness, I think it’s better for you to get your emotions out a different way,” she rubbed her forehoof. “If the curse hadn’t killed most of the changelings, we would have thrived on all this doom and gloom.”
“I still can’t get over the fact all you need are my emotions to survive,” I shivered at the thought of the first time I “fed” her.
“Neither could the ponies,” my changeling companion sighed. “Thanks again for saving me.”
“Well, I had to have at least one ally,” I joked, winking at the changeling. “It’s kinda hard to get revenge against an alicorn by yourself. Two, if Luna is still loyal to her sister.”
“Do we even stand a chance?”
“We may not,” I answered truthfully. “But I’m not going out without a fight. Just knowing that I am doing my best to avenge my family gives me some peace.”
“So does that mean you’re ready to continue our quest?”
“Let me just finish this entry, I’m still a little depressed from the last village we visited yesterday.”
“Sure,” she smiled, placing a hoof on my shoulder. “I may not understand emotions as well as you, but from what I’ve fed on, I can glimpse of how hard this all must be for you.”
Where would I be without Carapace? At first I was just going to leave her where I found her, another body that would only slow me down. There was also the fact that I didn’t know much about the changelings, other than they tried to invade Equestria, failed miserably, but at least they attempted to bring those ponies down a notch. However, I did know through my years of experience as a bodyguard, how to read others. Changeling or not, I could see genuine fear on her face when I approached. Judging by her reaction to me and which she confirmed later, changelings knew of no other race than ponies. This made sense why she was a few miles outside of Wolfhelm, she was trying to get as far away from Equestria as possible, towards any uncivilized area where she wouldn’t be seen as a threat. Had she not gone as far as she had, I’m sure she would have suffered the same fate as her brethren. Seeing this as an opportunity to gain an ally that had fought my enemy before, I nursed her back to health, taking care of her external wounds. Apparently, my grief was so strong and fresh, she was able to feed off it without my knowledge. She eventually admitted it when I was trying to determine what to feed her. I wasn’t too sure what to think of this knowledge, but decided since I hadn’t felt any different, I might as well let my grief be put to use.
We have been traveling for a couple of weeks now, searching each wolf village to check for survivors. I’m starting to think that distance may not have mattered for this spell, as we are approaching The Great Ocean’s coastline, with no signs of survivors so far. If we do find any survivors out here, I hope that they too will feel the need for vengeance. Ardwolf knows we’ll need it.
