Equestrian Origins: Hush now, Quiet nowby SoulzOfWritingChaptersPrologue and Introduction The Town That Died Smiling Desires and DelusionsPrologue and Introduction Prologue and Introduction Equestrian Origins: Hush Now, Quiet Now By: Nameless Writer; Edited by: Yomoma, Fatdog Prologue & Introduction Nearly every lullaby and nursery rhyme of today can be traced back to dark and sordid events in history; times where songs were created by someone and passed down through the generations to keep particularly important tales alive. The same goes for even this seemingly innocent lullaby, the one that is used to coax countless fillies and colts to sleep. Unbeknownst to most, this innocent melody was once performed by the greatest mass murderer in Equestrian history. More than a thousand years ago the evil God of Chaos, Discord, once ruled the land. At the beginning of his reign the land and the sky would become misshapen and twisted by his magical energy. The ponies of Equestria only saw annoyance in this, but it was only ever done in a joking, light-hearted manner, and was something they could live with. Some say it even became enjoyable from time to time. As his reign grew in length, Discord grew ever more powerful. Soon his simple bursts of chaos began to affect even themselves. Discord’s power became twisted and misshapen like the land and the skies, forming a mind of its own. What was once a minor annoyance slowly grew more grotesque and sickening. True madness was free to unfold and corrupt whatever lie near. It wasn’t long before it reached the inevitable conclusion and altered the minds and bodies of the Equestrians. The land became fragile and the plants were chilled to ice. Normally harmless events became potential fights for survival; the water turned poisonous, the wind burned and the foliage that remained seemed to turn hostile. Living through each random day and night became hazardous, and life itself was threatened by the unceasing terrors. Knowing this the ponies of Equestria finally decided to rise and challenge Discord’s power. The strong forged off to face Discord and left the weaker behind in hopes that they could fend for themselves. However, each of these was met with failure. The earth and skies prove too chaotic for the two groups, and the reduced Unicorn magic of each could only do so much to protect them against such raw chaos. In a final surge of all their strength, the groups reunited to witness the end together. The end was nigh and there is nothing they could do to stop it. Several cries rang out as the last bit of hope blew away. Somehow, miraculously, these cries answered the prayers that were lost long ago. The events that unfolded next would be remembered by all who saw them for the rest of their lives. As if driven by the sheer willpower of those in danger, the day and night drove to occupy the sky at the same time. In a flash of brilliance, the moon moved in front of the sun, an event that had never been thought possible. The eclipse, the first ever to be seen by mortal eyes, sat in the sky for many minutes. Many feared for their lives, their minds conjuring thought that the event must mark the end. It took several minutes for them to realize that nothing had happened; the ground didn’t rend apart and the skies remained intact. Everything did nothing and the silence seemed so peaceful. The mixture of both sunlight and moonlight helped calm their ailing souls. Soon they were all looking to the skies with a smile. That’s when they returned; from the skies slowly descended two beings that had long before vanished. Several ponies were dumbfounded as they stared in awe, watching the benevolent beings float to the ground; both were surrounded by the mixed light and adorned gleaming golden jewelry with glowing crystals. In the instant their hooves touched the ground, a loud cheer broke the omnipresent silence; a cheer so magnificent that it multiplied as others joined in, basking in the new hope of life! Their radiant princesses had returned to them! Many sounds filled the air around the princesses. Most were the cheers of followers and cries of parents induced by the joy and wonder surrounding their return. Of course it didn’t take long for somepony to ask the one question that may turn the herd against the two princesses; “Where did you go?” At first there was naught but silence, but soon the levees broke and a flood of questions burst out. “Why did you leave us here with him?” “How could you abandon us?” The questions continued unceasingly even through scolding by those not asking, but even they were filled with doubts about their soon-to-be saviors. Even so, Celestia still knew how to speak to the subjects she hadn’t seen in years. Her soothing voice and calm demeanor alone were sufficient to assuage their qualms. After apologizing for their absence, the two sisters told the newly attentive subjects of the mystical Elements of Harmony. They spoke about their unprecedented power, and how they needed them to defeat Discord. Only they were aware of their locations, so they had to vanish to leave Discord in the dark. “With the power of these gems, we can overthrow Discord and reclaim our land!” Princess Luna declared excitedly, interrupting Celestia’s explanation. With the Elements, both sisters removed every sign of Discord's power from Equestria. Each paved their own path to the heart of their land, removing the thick madness as they went along. Of course Discord let them; he always welcomed the fun of a challenge. Some say he smiled and laughed as he watched, his land being taken from him. “What better form of Chaos is there besides war?" he would chuckle day by day. He sat and waited with agonizing anticipation for his opponents, eager for the imminent fight. Never before had he experienced the joys of war. It had also been such a long time since his two beloved friends had come for a visit, and he could hardly wait. So, unhindered by Discord, the Alicorn duo was able to swiftly eradicate the madness that plagued the lands. It wasn’t long before they were merely days from reaching the heart of their great kingdom. Equestria was nearly completely purged of the chaos, yet there still remained small pockets of madness, having gone unseen and untouched by the princesses. They were too small to survive on their own, and would soon wither and die; yet they still thrived enough to leave behind a powerful legacy. As they slowly faded away, the pools created fierce monstrosities that terrorized ponies all throughout Equestria. The pools were unstable to begin with; no one could tell you what havoc they could cause if left alone. So they isolated the areas when they were found, trusting that the princess would return to them after Discord was dealt with. ‘As long as we stay away from them then no harm should come’ was the common belief. These hopes were soon violently and disastrously dashed. The pools were spawning monsters! Larger ones, with lots of life, spawned various types of dragons; smaller ones could only manage Hydrae and packs of Manticores. The very weakest, those who were left standing on their last leg, were able to manage to scrap together whatever they could to give birth to small nuisances like the Parasprites and Cockatrices. All had, over the course of the Coup d’état, inflicted great havoc upon the land and its residents. The Great Spawns toppled forests and attacked settlements, while the lessers created famines and turned wanderers to stone. This, though frightening it may sound, was not trouble, for they were all easily contained by the Alicorn princess after the defeat of Discord; most were pushed into the depths of the Everfree Forest where they would bring less danger to ponykind. Although this cannot be said about the very last spawn. This spawn was born from the most belittled pool of madness. Its parent was so weak that it couldn’t even form a gigantic number of small creatures like Parasprites or cockatrices. But it was big enough, just the right size to create a single pony: a single, normal-looking, beautiful mare who was still basking in the years of early youth. Normal. This mare was astoundingly normal, at least considering her origin. Her coat was a dark crimson, an uncommon but known color; her mane turned more heads than it raised questions, glamorous silver with streaks of ominous black weaving through her untidy locks. Out of everything, what provoked the most conversation was her voice. Some had said that it had an allure of honey that brought music to the ears of whoever had the “joy” of hearing it. But the mare’s purpose in life was to create havoc, put the land in disarray, and leave true madness in her wake. She accomplished this mission, unfortunately, yet only to a single place. This place has since been pushed out of existence through time, lies and the gradual warping of tales. A place once called Gorgetown, a small, quiet settlement still in the early stages of development somewhere along the area known as Ghastly Gorge. Not many know what actually happened to the place. The story that is commonly told today is that the town and its residence were swallowed by the forest and never seen again. In that time, 200 years after Discord’s fall, many had begun to travel the land. Groups of stallions and mares came together under one overseer and would form new colonies and settlements on their own. Soon after the capital was established many of the overseers would leave the homes they made to return with royalty by their sides. The tale of Gorgetown is one that left an everlasting impact on those involved. It is a story that needs to be told in its entirety in order to be fully understood and appreciated, a tale of true madness and despair that could change Equestria forever if ever truly known; just as Discord wanted. The Town That Died Smiling The Town That Died Smiling The day had begun like any other on the long journey to Gorgetown; Celestia raised the sun for her loving subjects before they continued on their trip. The Princess had retained her good stature throughout the entirety of the journey, and those she travelled with did so as well. Her guards remained solemn and quiet while the overseer of the settlement, an old earth pony friend of hers named Sir Walter Nieghly, had been doing everything in his power to find a faster way through the Everfree. Uprooted trees had been blocking their path through for some time now as though a powerful storm had passed through the forest recently; an unusual event even for this forest. “Do forgive me, Dear Celestia” Walter began hesitantly, “I’d never imagine that I’d be keeping you from your castle so long. Why, it’s been more than a month. But even so I must say that I am astonished by your patience and sense of duty. Every morning you’ve been raising the sun even after your court offered their support in taking full responsibility...” Walter spoke with class both apologizing and praising the fair royalty. It had been silent for most of the day, and in his mind, a silent trek is a longer one. “No, no. Tis nothing, Walter. We knew full well just where thou were taking us. We see no problem in the journey being long.” Celestia spoke with the regal tone that always accompanied her soothing voice. “And the raising of the sun hast been our duty since we were just a little filly. It wouldn’t be very right if we had let our role as princess interfere with such an important task. Tis the least we can do for our supportive subjects.” The young Alicorn’s voice carried with it a modest grace. “My dear, Celestia, you really must stop talking in that dead old way. You and your sister really must break that habit; it makes you sound like my grandmother, and you two are far too young to be reminding me of her.” Walter chuckles as he nonchalantly pats his hoof against her wing. Celestia giggles a bit, but sees his point “We will try” is all she can say while he finds leeway to continue. “Speaking of your dear sister, how is the old girl? It feels as though it’s been ages since I last saw the two of you together.” “How much further wouldst thou say our destination is? The way thou hast been describing thy town has left quite the impression.” Celestia smiles as she subtly changes the subject, wondering how much longer she has to wait. She obviously wants to keep the conversation going. She too knows it will help the time go by as they travel. “Ah yes, Gorgetown. It’s everything I’ve told you and more, my dear. This will be the place for all of our kind to reside together as one!” Sparks of pride fill his eyes at the mere mention of his town’s name. His gait becomes straighter and the hint of happiness brings his deep gritty voice near giddiness. “You truly must see it for yourself, Princess! Our buildings are made from the highest quality lumber available, straight from Whitetail Wood! So they stand tall and sturdy as they gleam in the sunlight! We have everything for everypony! And you simply must see the river town we built on the clouds just off the edge of the gorge. I think you’ll find it to be more than worthy of your gaze. Yes, my town has diversity, my good lady, unlike that atrocious Manehatten I keep hearing of.” Celestia can’t help but giggle at his change of character. The town lies near, and they will be upon it shortly; allowing him one more moment couldn’t hurt her. “My you get quite excited whenever we talk of your town, Walter. But if you don’t mind me asking, I’ve been curious as to why you chose this gorge as the location of your town. It’s very secluded and away from the eyes of the outside. It makes me worrisome; what if something were to happen here, Walter?” “Nonsense, my girl; Gorgetown will be the place that brings us all together, and this gorge is the only place fit for it. It offers the land needed for earth ponies and unicorns, while also providing ample airspace for the Pegasi. Just set down the cloud foundation and the charmed wooden planks, and Voilà! You have the Floating-Land city of Gorgetown!” Walter is practically yelling as he finishes his description; His excitement is starting to get the best of him. He even hops in joy at the end of his speech. This was his dream after all, and he made it come true through his own hard work. But one of Celestia’s many soft giggles brings him back down from his elation. With a quick look over he notices his own foolishness. “Hmph hmph” Walter cleared his throat and regained his composure, but he just couldn’t help but to keep the same cheeky grin on his face. “As... as for the safety of the settlement; don’t you worry about us! Gorgetown has the strongest of earth ponies, fastest of Pegasi, and most talented of unicorns.” The group had exited the forest and was now entering the clearing before the town’s main street. They all converse amongst themselves before their eyes are caught. Everything becomes quiet as they step closer. All except for Sir Walter, whose eyes remained closed due to his boasting. “They are all as sturdy as the settlement beneath their hooves,” “Walter...,” Celestia’s voice feebly attempted to interrupt her friend’s words. “I am positively certain that they can handle whatever this world has to throw at them. We are a town of fighters I must sa...” “Walter!” The short, loud boom of her voice made his name seem almost like thunder. The outburst meets Walter with his guard down, and the sound causes him to jump from shock. He stumbles to his back and begins to breath heavily; not from the shock, but from the sight! “D-dear Celestia!” Walter’s whimper takes the words out of everpony’s mouth, even the princess herself. The town, this future city, must have been such a wonderful place when it first came to be; now it’s the sight of something gruesome, grotesque, and sickening. The storm had made its way here as well. Windows were broken, beams shattered, and even entire structures toppled. The colony is in ruins, a ghost of its former self. The blood, sweat, and tears that were put into this dream have all been washed away during the storm. And sadly, this isn’t the worst part. Almost immediately Celestia turns to her guards. “Check for survivors! Go into every building, home, and store and find what you can.” Her Pegasus guards take off without hesitation or question. Then, as they are nearly out of sight, she adds “Report on any missing or broken property!” Her usual peaceful tone is now replaced with the sternness of a leader. Her guards gone, she is now alone with the slowly breaking Walter. They both stand in silence, the soft sound of a morning breeze breaking tension every now and then, in the middle of Mane Street. The sights are hard to bear, even for the goddess. Not too far from where they stand lies the body of young mare, her snow-white coat stained with blood. Her chest has been torn asunder, and her ribs broken entirely out from her body; they now hang above her head off of an awning, having been crafted into a crude wind chime. The two know that the experience must have been agonizing, but the mare died smiling as though in a peaceful sleep. She appeared to have experienced no pain at all. Celestia can’t help but to wonder why this is so. The poor girl doesn’t look like she’s been moved since she died. Why does she look like this? How could no one have seen as she was so gruesomely eviscerated, in such an open area? She looks away to see that not too far from the mare, the body of a colt is nailed to the side of a building. His tan coat matches the shade of the wooden wall and both are nearly entirely painted with crimson. There is a large nail through each of his hooves, leaving his body spread-eagle against the wood, and as Celestia’s eyes roam over his body, she notices a large hook still lodged in the fresh wound of his belly; a fishing hook based on Walter’s tales. From the wound spills what appears to be a large portion of his intestines, with several other organs lying in a pile on the ground. The colt had been gutted like the creature the hook was designed for. Her eyes wander up to his face to see the very same smile and the same look of peace that she had seen on the mare. Walter gags loudly before vomiting. He turns away from his princess and tries to make it go by as quickly as possible, not wanting her to see him in such a state. To honor him, and leave him with some dignity, she looks away—truthfully she had forgotten he was even there—and continues to wander her eyes around the main street of Gorgetown. Behind them shadows start to roll up as the clouds from last night’s storm return. The unpredictable weather of the Everfree has gotten the better of them in this situation. Luckily, this time it’s just a shower, and nothing more. Almost anything could add to the burden at this point, yet it feels welcomed, as if needed, by the both of them. At the beginning the drops were slow and heavy, but now they’re so light and rapid that neither could feel them. It feels just like crying, as if the forest itself is sharing the pains of those gone. Several minutes pass and it becomes clear to Celestia that her guards aren’t returning. So she presses on through the desolate shell of the town, trying to leave Walter with –what might be- much need time alone, but instead he slowly trails after her in fear of just that. The town seems to open up with each step, as though it wants her to see each individual death from the slaughter portrayed in front of them. Each new sight continues to strike at her being. She never knew any of these ponies; any names or traits of personality are absent. She can only see them now as subjects she has failed to protect, and that thought deeply saddens her. It’s been a while since the burden of leadership was this heavy on her, but even so she’ll still bear it without falter. Sadly the same cannot be said of Walter, for each step further is another step towards madness. Unlike the princess, he knows these ponies; they were his friends, some even his family. Actually, they were all like family to him. Everyone shared the journey he took, the work he made, and even the dream that he himself created. The moments he had shared with them are flooding his thoughts as he walks. Each flowing pulse slams against his mountainous mind and slowly erodes it down to the size of a pebble. These ponies are all gone now, and he’ll never hear their voices ever again. This realization hurts so much that he starts to cry like he did when he was a child. The breakdown leaves Walter in a bit of a daze, so it doesn’t take long for him to fall flat on his face. Well as flat as you could get with the face of a pony… anyway, instead of picking himself back up, he just lies there looking as pathetic as he feels. Looking forward again- past the many tears- he sees the princess stopping to look back at him. She doesn’t say anything; she just waits for him to stand up again like he always would when he falls. Walter just looks back at her in silence until his eyes meets hers. At that point he just looks away out of discomfort, and starts looking at the body of a young colt that’s been bent, twisted, and mangled into a bloody mess of bones, organs, and flesh. His blood is caking around him as it oozes from the open gashes all over him. The sight is again sickening, but unbelievably more bearable than facing Celestia like the way he is now. Pity, for a stallion like him, is the last thing he wants at this moment, but Celestia cannot refuse someone something they need. She turns back for him and gives him her wing, hanging it over him to block both the sight and the rain. “Get up, Walter. Remember who you are… you’re the stallion who’d face any unknown danger for the sake of a dream. Please, don’t let this burden add your dreams to its list of victims; if it’s too much to handle then let me carry it. I already have so many, so one more will do no harm to me. We carry the world, my sister and I, and this includes the troubles of our people. So, please…stand.” She knows these words aren’t much, but they are all she can offer him. “I’m sorry princess,” is his first response as he takes her offering. “.., but it’s hard to remember who I am when I’ve lost all that I was…” The stallion steps out from under her wing and takes the front before she could offer anymore. She gives him his distance again, and like last time he seems to be getting further away with every step. She can see the distance this time and her mind exaggerates it. The several feet turn into miles, and she feels she’s being left behind; left behind in the ruins of another’s dream. Maybe remembering isn’t the best thing for him at the moment, but it’s all she can do to keep her memories of Walter alive. She doesn’t want that to die along Walter’s old self. Desires and DelusionsThe clouds hang above their heads while their trek along the main street continues. The mere minutes spent inside this place feels longer than the many days of their journey to it. It hurts, every sight he sees is just so painful! He can't take much more of this damned, forsaken town! It just hurts too much! He lets his eyes wander around once again, when they meet with Celestia's worried stare. "Please Walter, just try to remember all the good this town has given you...please." She pleads. Walter lets out a sigh, then takes a moment stop and remembers like his princess wanted him to. His eyes close and his body is lifted away from everything. When he opens them again he doesn’t see the empty shell that was left behind but the entirety of what it used to be. There is no overcast, only sunlight, and the sound of silence has been replaced by that of chirping birds, children playing, and their parents working. The windows and beams are as new as the day they were first laid, and they shine in the light of Celestia’s midday sun. He takes a deep breath to let his lungs have some much needed fresh air. His town lays right in front of his eyes, basking in the sunlight, “A dream, it was all a dream” sighs Walter as he recovers from his cold sweat. He gets out from under the shade tree he always sleeps under letting the warm sunlight put him to ease. A smile overtakes his face as he see his town the way it was left. He makes his way back and upon his return he is welcomed by the same young group of children whom always wait for him to come back from his naps. “How’d you sleep Mister Walter?” says a familiar young, snow-white coated mare. “You can play with us now right? Ma is always saying how you don’t do anything until you’ve had your nap.” the little one giggles “She says you’re a lazy bum sometimes” Walter lets out a hearty laugh, though the notion isn’t true it’s not false either, he smiles down at the girl and frizzes her sky blue mane with his hoof. The act makes it lose some of its shine, causing the little one to pout a bit as the other giggle. “Forget about playing, I want him to tell us about the dream he had!” yelled an excited young colt. A series of “Yea’s” and cheers follow in agreement. “What kind of adventure did you go on this time, Mr. Knight?” “Did you slay a dragon?” “Or meet with the two princesses a-” The children’s words hollow into nothingness as the world around Walter becomes cold. His dream… the thought of it feels like it’d make him go insane. He can’t tell these young foals about that. Hell, he might not even be able to tell his wife. If he tells anyone he could lose them now like he did in his dream, and he doesn’t want to dare bestowing such an ill fortune on himself. “Mister Walter, are you okay?” Walters mind focues back on the children, looks of worry are on their faces. At this moment they see the stallion they idolize trembling and shutter like they would whenever they were afraid. This is the first time they have ever seen their knight, Sir Walter Neighly, afraid. Walter works to regain his stature in front of the children, but before he could one of them braves the question “Did…did you have a nightmare Sir?” His mind blanks out at that moment. He knows they can read the fear on his face, and he knows lying to them would only make them presist more. Even at this very moment he can hear whispers among the group.There’s nothing he can do… remaining silent for now is the best thing he tells himself he can do. “Children! Children, please come back. You know how I don’t like it when you wonder off!” A voice breaks through the pocket of silence around them. The sweetness of the voice itself calmed his mind and the minds of the young ones around him. They all look to the source to see a beautifully young honey-colored pegasus mare. She’s the caretaker of the town’s children, and because of her ruby-colored hair some call her the “Town’s Jewel”. He knows her as Huneysuckle, his pride and joy. His lovely daughter that he would carry the world for! The children scurry over to her and dance and play around her before she sends them off home. Then she looks to her father, and he looks back at her; while resisting the urge to run up and hug her. He quickly forces a smile on his face, because she is his daughter. She’s on of the few ponies that know him best which means she can tell when something is bothering him. It’s obvious that his smile is forced and Huney can tell that it is, yet she giggles at him and continues to smile. “Looks like I caugght you just after your nap, Father. You over slept again. Your dinner’s cold and mother is awfully angry with you, but I don’t have to tell you that now do I?” She nudges before turning to head home “But I know how you are after your naps. So hurry and see how the town’s doing. Mother wants you back before nightfall.” And like that she’s gone as fast as she came and Walter gasps for air after realizing he had been holding in his breath that whole time. He eyes the skies once more to see that the brilliant yellow light from before has now oragned in what seemed like a matter of minutes. Was it not midday when he awoke? He pushes the thought aside, it isn’t very important compaired to the wrath of his wife. ‘Pull yourself together, Walter. Don’t let some rediculous dream grab hold of your life! You’re a knight, not a child.’ With that he pushes everything to the back of his mind as he makes his final rounds about the town. Looking to his left his left he sees Nick Knack waving through the window of his thrift shop as the many colts and fillies are shooed away for closing. Walter returns the wave before continuing to the next thing that catches his fancy. To his left comes a familiar sound to his ears. He looks to the source to see the back of green pegasus stallion. He’s in pain, and it’s obvious as to why: there’s dark bruise going across his back and one of his wings. Alongside him is a young silver unicorn mare with her glowing horn slowly following the bruise. Know the two, Walter smiles as they remind him of his younger years. “Oh..ah..ha careful now hun! A pegasus’s wings are very sensitive!” The green Pegasus raises his voice at the silver coated unicorn healing him with the glow of her horn. “Silver, you know I love you…, so why can’t you use bandages like everyone else!?” “Oh calm down, Air. You’ve hurt yourself plenty a time for me to know what I’m doing. I’m this town’s nurse for a reason, you know?” says the accented silver mare. Even though she’s frustrated she can’t help but to smile for him as she rubs her glowing horn on his bruised wing. “Honestly, I sometimes wonder what you’d do if I never married you. Every day you end up hurtin’ yourself, and I wind up healin’ you… there, good as new” Her spell flashes off with a click and she smiles before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Walter can only smile at the scene in front of him; what could a pathetic dream possibly do to him when he this town and it’s ponies here to comfort him. As he readied himself to continue the couple turn to Walter. The two say nothing as stare at him with distorted smiles on their faces. “Ah, Air Catcher… Silver Lining, ar..are you two alright?” Walter asks, startled by their sudden change. They don’t respond. They just stand there staring at him with a stare that infects his very being. He feels weak like in his dream, so weak like before. He knows there’s something wrong, he can feel his mind warn himof this illness infecting his reality. And now the air is proving to be too much of a burden to hold. It’s becoming stale and heavy, too heavy to even breath, and he can feel it emit from their bodies. It does take long for him to meet their stare with his own, and matter how hard he tries- and he does try- he cannot look away. Hell, by this point he can’t even move. He’s stuck staring at the statue-like pair afraid to look away because of unknown fears. The more he looks, the more disturbing the two become. He can’t stop himself from blinking now, and each blink brings new injuries and pains to their bodies while the air around them becomes that of a hazy static. The first few blinks snaps off Silver Lining’s horn and stabs it into her husbands neck. Both of them still smiling. Next the wings are slowly torn from Catcher’s back, blood gushes and bones protrude in every frame.The result leaves horid wounds running along his back and his wife in weeping tears. Yet the smiles on both their faces refuses to fade. Soon the staticed air around them thickens, making their fates play out even faster. The infected are blurs and cuts the couple’s image; in and out like a broken TV. The only things visible through the static are their eyes, and the looks of dispair that fills them.Soon Silver turns to her beloved husband with streams of tears running along her face as she puts the base of her broken horn to his wound. With a click her magic flashes on, and with a flash her magic burst out of control. The sheer shine of the light blinds Walter for a moment. When his vision returns all he sees is static. Nothing but static all around him, surrounding him…, closing in on him. With another flash the static cuts out and the couple stands before him again, but now they’re hardly recognizable. It’s truly a horrible sight to see, seeing the sight of their own deaths being played out before his very eyes. Silver’s desparate attempt to save the one she loved she seals their fates with her own magic: with a spell meant for healing. Now over half of her face has been burned away by the blast of raw energy. Her skull is exposed with only patches of flesh that barely keeping the image of her face. That same, damned peaceful smile still infects her horid face; even after all that! When looking at Air Catcher, Wlater’s a bit shock to see little damage on his end. He almost lets out a sigh of relief thinking at least he didn’t suffer the same grousome fate that bestowed on poor Silver. It is unfortunate that the same cannot be said about the other side of the coin of this pony that used to be. There are burns- marks of peeling flesh- running down the left side of his neck to his leg. Around the area where Silver tried to cast her spell. When moving closer to get a closer look, the sight he sees leaves him gaging. Catcher’s body, if you can even call it that anymore, took the majority of the it all. Skin and muscle were melted down to the bone. The burns have dug deep inside of him, melting together muscles and tissues as far down as his spine and rib cage. Walter feels as if he’s about to black out from the sickness of it all, but he remains conscious as if his mind refused to let him. He backs away from the two ready to give into the maddness: his madness. Then, suddenly through the drowning noise of static, a sound fades in. It’s a cry, the same cry a frighten infant would cry. This cry, instead of adding to the madness, it shatters the raging static. As the static dulls the cry grows, but also it fades. How confused this stallion must be to hear the same cry sound both near and far. Far enough to be a silent whisper, but so close it feels as if the foal were screaming in his very ears. To save Walter from the sight before his eyes his mind turns him to the sound. His eyes are quick to follow, looking everywhere they can to find a source. All his eyes see is the town, the poor sad town. The same broken shadow he’s seen before- from either his dream or reality itself. The buildings stand like they used to, but due to the lack of care they don’t stand firm, or shine, like they used to. Some are even stained, in and out, with the lives they had housed and protected for oh so long. Those lives, shadows of the ponies they once were, now stand in front of the shadow of their home. Their sight alone is enough to tell their story. These shadows, these poor dead, maimed, and mangled creatures mimic Walter as he pays them no mind. They become his shadow, and that is what he has come to think of them as. Not friends, nor family, just shadows. Before long the cry is met with the swelling dings and clings of a xilophonic melody: one you would hear from a musicbox. The song of the sweet melody fills the air and captures all that hear its enticing sounds. Then, out of the corner of his eye, the purest light shines from the heart of the town. The second his eyes meet the light a heavenly, hyponotic voice accompanies the melody of the disembodied musicbox. Hush now, Quiet Now It’s time to lay your sleepy head Hush now, Quiet now It’s time to go to bed Without thinking, or even out of the will of his own body, Walter and his shadows walk. They all walk towards the promising light. Each step they take causes the light to shine brighter and brigther! Though it never becomes blinding, even with a shine brighter than the sun itself it never hurts them. It’s always soothing, and it still is even after it completely overtakes his sight; never does he find the need to close his eyes. The grey cloudy skies clear to a bright blue, and the dirt ground fades to a translucent white as his heart is lifted into heaven itself. The shadows behind his give in to the light and start to fade, leaving Walter before he reaches his sanctuary. Then the melody slows and it strains as he closes in on the light. The clings and pings start to clang and grind, making it sound like the gears of the musicbox have been infected by rusty. Even so, Walter continues forward. Then the voice of heaven itself, still singing her calming lullaby, becomes more earthly and familiar. It gives off the sweet allure of honey but also takes on the rustic feel of the melody she mimics. The voice sounds worn out, tired, and sad even. It’s almost as if she doesn’t want to sing the fine lullaby. Walter can hear the changes of the song, but it is not enough to persuade his mind to stop and turn back. With a smile on his face, he takes his final step towards the heart of the town… “Walter! Stop! Walter!” A familiar voice shatters his ear drums as it calls his name. The force of it all is painful and too much to take. He watches in horror as his world slowly bleeds from white to the darkest of black. The paradise that was in front of him falls, and he falls with it.
Prologue and Introduction Prologue and Introduction Equestrian Origins: Hush Now, Quiet Now By: Nameless Writer; Edited by: Yomoma, Fatdog Prologue & Introduction Nearly every lullaby and nursery rhyme of today can be traced back to dark and sordid events in history; times where songs were created by someone and passed down through the generations to keep particularly important tales alive. The same goes for even this seemingly innocent lullaby, the one that is used to coax countless fillies and colts to sleep. Unbeknownst to most, this innocent melody was once performed by the greatest mass murderer in Equestrian history. More than a thousand years ago the evil God of Chaos, Discord, once ruled the land. At the beginning of his reign the land and the sky would become misshapen and twisted by his magical energy. The ponies of Equestria only saw annoyance in this, but it was only ever done in a joking, light-hearted manner, and was something they could live with. Some say it even became enjoyable from time to time. As his reign grew in length, Discord grew ever more powerful. Soon his simple bursts of chaos began to affect even themselves. Discord’s power became twisted and misshapen like the land and the skies, forming a mind of its own. What was once a minor annoyance slowly grew more grotesque and sickening. True madness was free to unfold and corrupt whatever lie near. It wasn’t long before it reached the inevitable conclusion and altered the minds and bodies of the Equestrians. The land became fragile and the plants were chilled to ice. Normally harmless events became potential fights for survival; the water turned poisonous, the wind burned and the foliage that remained seemed to turn hostile. Living through each random day and night became hazardous, and life itself was threatened by the unceasing terrors. Knowing this the ponies of Equestria finally decided to rise and challenge Discord’s power. The strong forged off to face Discord and left the weaker behind in hopes that they could fend for themselves. However, each of these was met with failure. The earth and skies prove too chaotic for the two groups, and the reduced Unicorn magic of each could only do so much to protect them against such raw chaos. In a final surge of all their strength, the groups reunited to witness the end together. The end was nigh and there is nothing they could do to stop it. Several cries rang out as the last bit of hope blew away. Somehow, miraculously, these cries answered the prayers that were lost long ago. The events that unfolded next would be remembered by all who saw them for the rest of their lives. As if driven by the sheer willpower of those in danger, the day and night drove to occupy the sky at the same time. In a flash of brilliance, the moon moved in front of the sun, an event that had never been thought possible. The eclipse, the first ever to be seen by mortal eyes, sat in the sky for many minutes. Many feared for their lives, their minds conjuring thought that the event must mark the end. It took several minutes for them to realize that nothing had happened; the ground didn’t rend apart and the skies remained intact. Everything did nothing and the silence seemed so peaceful. The mixture of both sunlight and moonlight helped calm their ailing souls. Soon they were all looking to the skies with a smile. That’s when they returned; from the skies slowly descended two beings that had long before vanished. Several ponies were dumbfounded as they stared in awe, watching the benevolent beings float to the ground; both were surrounded by the mixed light and adorned gleaming golden jewelry with glowing crystals. In the instant their hooves touched the ground, a loud cheer broke the omnipresent silence; a cheer so magnificent that it multiplied as others joined in, basking in the new hope of life! Their radiant princesses had returned to them! Many sounds filled the air around the princesses. Most were the cheers of followers and cries of parents induced by the joy and wonder surrounding their return. Of course it didn’t take long for somepony to ask the one question that may turn the herd against the two princesses; “Where did you go?” At first there was naught but silence, but soon the levees broke and a flood of questions burst out. “Why did you leave us here with him?” “How could you abandon us?” The questions continued unceasingly even through scolding by those not asking, but even they were filled with doubts about their soon-to-be saviors. Even so, Celestia still knew how to speak to the subjects she hadn’t seen in years. Her soothing voice and calm demeanor alone were sufficient to assuage their qualms. After apologizing for their absence, the two sisters told the newly attentive subjects of the mystical Elements of Harmony. They spoke about their unprecedented power, and how they needed them to defeat Discord. Only they were aware of their locations, so they had to vanish to leave Discord in the dark. “With the power of these gems, we can overthrow Discord and reclaim our land!” Princess Luna declared excitedly, interrupting Celestia’s explanation. With the Elements, both sisters removed every sign of Discord's power from Equestria. Each paved their own path to the heart of their land, removing the thick madness as they went along. Of course Discord let them; he always welcomed the fun of a challenge. Some say he smiled and laughed as he watched, his land being taken from him. “What better form of Chaos is there besides war?" he would chuckle day by day. He sat and waited with agonizing anticipation for his opponents, eager for the imminent fight. Never before had he experienced the joys of war. It had also been such a long time since his two beloved friends had come for a visit, and he could hardly wait. So, unhindered by Discord, the Alicorn duo was able to swiftly eradicate the madness that plagued the lands. It wasn’t long before they were merely days from reaching the heart of their great kingdom. Equestria was nearly completely purged of the chaos, yet there still remained small pockets of madness, having gone unseen and untouched by the princesses. They were too small to survive on their own, and would soon wither and die; yet they still thrived enough to leave behind a powerful legacy. As they slowly faded away, the pools created fierce monstrosities that terrorized ponies all throughout Equestria. The pools were unstable to begin with; no one could tell you what havoc they could cause if left alone. So they isolated the areas when they were found, trusting that the princess would return to them after Discord was dealt with. ‘As long as we stay away from them then no harm should come’ was the common belief. These hopes were soon violently and disastrously dashed. The pools were spawning monsters! Larger ones, with lots of life, spawned various types of dragons; smaller ones could only manage Hydrae and packs of Manticores. The very weakest, those who were left standing on their last leg, were able to manage to scrap together whatever they could to give birth to small nuisances like the Parasprites and Cockatrices. All had, over the course of the Coup d’état, inflicted great havoc upon the land and its residents. The Great Spawns toppled forests and attacked settlements, while the lessers created famines and turned wanderers to stone. This, though frightening it may sound, was not trouble, for they were all easily contained by the Alicorn princess after the defeat of Discord; most were pushed into the depths of the Everfree Forest where they would bring less danger to ponykind. Although this cannot be said about the very last spawn. This spawn was born from the most belittled pool of madness. Its parent was so weak that it couldn’t even form a gigantic number of small creatures like Parasprites or cockatrices. But it was big enough, just the right size to create a single pony: a single, normal-looking, beautiful mare who was still basking in the years of early youth. Normal. This mare was astoundingly normal, at least considering her origin. Her coat was a dark crimson, an uncommon but known color; her mane turned more heads than it raised questions, glamorous silver with streaks of ominous black weaving through her untidy locks. Out of everything, what provoked the most conversation was her voice. Some had said that it had an allure of honey that brought music to the ears of whoever had the “joy” of hearing it. But the mare’s purpose in life was to create havoc, put the land in disarray, and leave true madness in her wake. She accomplished this mission, unfortunately, yet only to a single place. This place has since been pushed out of existence through time, lies and the gradual warping of tales. A place once called Gorgetown, a small, quiet settlement still in the early stages of development somewhere along the area known as Ghastly Gorge. Not many know what actually happened to the place. The story that is commonly told today is that the town and its residence were swallowed by the forest and never seen again. In that time, 200 years after Discord’s fall, many had begun to travel the land. Groups of stallions and mares came together under one overseer and would form new colonies and settlements on their own. Soon after the capital was established many of the overseers would leave the homes they made to return with royalty by their sides. The tale of Gorgetown is one that left an everlasting impact on those involved. It is a story that needs to be told in its entirety in order to be fully understood and appreciated, a tale of true madness and despair that could change Equestria forever if ever truly known; just as Discord wanted.
The Town That Died Smiling The Town That Died Smiling The day had begun like any other on the long journey to Gorgetown; Celestia raised the sun for her loving subjects before they continued on their trip. The Princess had retained her good stature throughout the entirety of the journey, and those she travelled with did so as well. Her guards remained solemn and quiet while the overseer of the settlement, an old earth pony friend of hers named Sir Walter Nieghly, had been doing everything in his power to find a faster way through the Everfree. Uprooted trees had been blocking their path through for some time now as though a powerful storm had passed through the forest recently; an unusual event even for this forest. “Do forgive me, Dear Celestia” Walter began hesitantly, “I’d never imagine that I’d be keeping you from your castle so long. Why, it’s been more than a month. But even so I must say that I am astonished by your patience and sense of duty. Every morning you’ve been raising the sun even after your court offered their support in taking full responsibility...” Walter spoke with class both apologizing and praising the fair royalty. It had been silent for most of the day, and in his mind, a silent trek is a longer one. “No, no. Tis nothing, Walter. We knew full well just where thou were taking us. We see no problem in the journey being long.” Celestia spoke with the regal tone that always accompanied her soothing voice. “And the raising of the sun hast been our duty since we were just a little filly. It wouldn’t be very right if we had let our role as princess interfere with such an important task. Tis the least we can do for our supportive subjects.” The young Alicorn’s voice carried with it a modest grace. “My dear, Celestia, you really must stop talking in that dead old way. You and your sister really must break that habit; it makes you sound like my grandmother, and you two are far too young to be reminding me of her.” Walter chuckles as he nonchalantly pats his hoof against her wing. Celestia giggles a bit, but sees his point “We will try” is all she can say while he finds leeway to continue. “Speaking of your dear sister, how is the old girl? It feels as though it’s been ages since I last saw the two of you together.” “How much further wouldst thou say our destination is? The way thou hast been describing thy town has left quite the impression.” Celestia smiles as she subtly changes the subject, wondering how much longer she has to wait. She obviously wants to keep the conversation going. She too knows it will help the time go by as they travel. “Ah yes, Gorgetown. It’s everything I’ve told you and more, my dear. This will be the place for all of our kind to reside together as one!” Sparks of pride fill his eyes at the mere mention of his town’s name. His gait becomes straighter and the hint of happiness brings his deep gritty voice near giddiness. “You truly must see it for yourself, Princess! Our buildings are made from the highest quality lumber available, straight from Whitetail Wood! So they stand tall and sturdy as they gleam in the sunlight! We have everything for everypony! And you simply must see the river town we built on the clouds just off the edge of the gorge. I think you’ll find it to be more than worthy of your gaze. Yes, my town has diversity, my good lady, unlike that atrocious Manehatten I keep hearing of.” Celestia can’t help but giggle at his change of character. The town lies near, and they will be upon it shortly; allowing him one more moment couldn’t hurt her. “My you get quite excited whenever we talk of your town, Walter. But if you don’t mind me asking, I’ve been curious as to why you chose this gorge as the location of your town. It’s very secluded and away from the eyes of the outside. It makes me worrisome; what if something were to happen here, Walter?” “Nonsense, my girl; Gorgetown will be the place that brings us all together, and this gorge is the only place fit for it. It offers the land needed for earth ponies and unicorns, while also providing ample airspace for the Pegasi. Just set down the cloud foundation and the charmed wooden planks, and Voilà! You have the Floating-Land city of Gorgetown!” Walter is practically yelling as he finishes his description; His excitement is starting to get the best of him. He even hops in joy at the end of his speech. This was his dream after all, and he made it come true through his own hard work. But one of Celestia’s many soft giggles brings him back down from his elation. With a quick look over he notices his own foolishness. “Hmph hmph” Walter cleared his throat and regained his composure, but he just couldn’t help but to keep the same cheeky grin on his face. “As... as for the safety of the settlement; don’t you worry about us! Gorgetown has the strongest of earth ponies, fastest of Pegasi, and most talented of unicorns.” The group had exited the forest and was now entering the clearing before the town’s main street. They all converse amongst themselves before their eyes are caught. Everything becomes quiet as they step closer. All except for Sir Walter, whose eyes remained closed due to his boasting. “They are all as sturdy as the settlement beneath their hooves,” “Walter...,” Celestia’s voice feebly attempted to interrupt her friend’s words. “I am positively certain that they can handle whatever this world has to throw at them. We are a town of fighters I must sa...” “Walter!” The short, loud boom of her voice made his name seem almost like thunder. The outburst meets Walter with his guard down, and the sound causes him to jump from shock. He stumbles to his back and begins to breath heavily; not from the shock, but from the sight! “D-dear Celestia!” Walter’s whimper takes the words out of everpony’s mouth, even the princess herself. The town, this future city, must have been such a wonderful place when it first came to be; now it’s the sight of something gruesome, grotesque, and sickening. The storm had made its way here as well. Windows were broken, beams shattered, and even entire structures toppled. The colony is in ruins, a ghost of its former self. The blood, sweat, and tears that were put into this dream have all been washed away during the storm. And sadly, this isn’t the worst part. Almost immediately Celestia turns to her guards. “Check for survivors! Go into every building, home, and store and find what you can.” Her Pegasus guards take off without hesitation or question. Then, as they are nearly out of sight, she adds “Report on any missing or broken property!” Her usual peaceful tone is now replaced with the sternness of a leader. Her guards gone, she is now alone with the slowly breaking Walter. They both stand in silence, the soft sound of a morning breeze breaking tension every now and then, in the middle of Mane Street. The sights are hard to bear, even for the goddess. Not too far from where they stand lies the body of young mare, her snow-white coat stained with blood. Her chest has been torn asunder, and her ribs broken entirely out from her body; they now hang above her head off of an awning, having been crafted into a crude wind chime. The two know that the experience must have been agonizing, but the mare died smiling as though in a peaceful sleep. She appeared to have experienced no pain at all. Celestia can’t help but to wonder why this is so. The poor girl doesn’t look like she’s been moved since she died. Why does she look like this? How could no one have seen as she was so gruesomely eviscerated, in such an open area? She looks away to see that not too far from the mare, the body of a colt is nailed to the side of a building. His tan coat matches the shade of the wooden wall and both are nearly entirely painted with crimson. There is a large nail through each of his hooves, leaving his body spread-eagle against the wood, and as Celestia’s eyes roam over his body, she notices a large hook still lodged in the fresh wound of his belly; a fishing hook based on Walter’s tales. From the wound spills what appears to be a large portion of his intestines, with several other organs lying in a pile on the ground. The colt had been gutted like the creature the hook was designed for. Her eyes wander up to his face to see the very same smile and the same look of peace that she had seen on the mare. Walter gags loudly before vomiting. He turns away from his princess and tries to make it go by as quickly as possible, not wanting her to see him in such a state. To honor him, and leave him with some dignity, she looks away—truthfully she had forgotten he was even there—and continues to wander her eyes around the main street of Gorgetown. Behind them shadows start to roll up as the clouds from last night’s storm return. The unpredictable weather of the Everfree has gotten the better of them in this situation. Luckily, this time it’s just a shower, and nothing more. Almost anything could add to the burden at this point, yet it feels welcomed, as if needed, by the both of them. At the beginning the drops were slow and heavy, but now they’re so light and rapid that neither could feel them. It feels just like crying, as if the forest itself is sharing the pains of those gone. Several minutes pass and it becomes clear to Celestia that her guards aren’t returning. So she presses on through the desolate shell of the town, trying to leave Walter with –what might be- much need time alone, but instead he slowly trails after her in fear of just that. The town seems to open up with each step, as though it wants her to see each individual death from the slaughter portrayed in front of them. Each new sight continues to strike at her being. She never knew any of these ponies; any names or traits of personality are absent. She can only see them now as subjects she has failed to protect, and that thought deeply saddens her. It’s been a while since the burden of leadership was this heavy on her, but even so she’ll still bear it without falter. Sadly the same cannot be said of Walter, for each step further is another step towards madness. Unlike the princess, he knows these ponies; they were his friends, some even his family. Actually, they were all like family to him. Everyone shared the journey he took, the work he made, and even the dream that he himself created. The moments he had shared with them are flooding his thoughts as he walks. Each flowing pulse slams against his mountainous mind and slowly erodes it down to the size of a pebble. These ponies are all gone now, and he’ll never hear their voices ever again. This realization hurts so much that he starts to cry like he did when he was a child. The breakdown leaves Walter in a bit of a daze, so it doesn’t take long for him to fall flat on his face. Well as flat as you could get with the face of a pony… anyway, instead of picking himself back up, he just lies there looking as pathetic as he feels. Looking forward again- past the many tears- he sees the princess stopping to look back at him. She doesn’t say anything; she just waits for him to stand up again like he always would when he falls. Walter just looks back at her in silence until his eyes meets hers. At that point he just looks away out of discomfort, and starts looking at the body of a young colt that’s been bent, twisted, and mangled into a bloody mess of bones, organs, and flesh. His blood is caking around him as it oozes from the open gashes all over him. The sight is again sickening, but unbelievably more bearable than facing Celestia like the way he is now. Pity, for a stallion like him, is the last thing he wants at this moment, but Celestia cannot refuse someone something they need. She turns back for him and gives him her wing, hanging it over him to block both the sight and the rain. “Get up, Walter. Remember who you are… you’re the stallion who’d face any unknown danger for the sake of a dream. Please, don’t let this burden add your dreams to its list of victims; if it’s too much to handle then let me carry it. I already have so many, so one more will do no harm to me. We carry the world, my sister and I, and this includes the troubles of our people. So, please…stand.” She knows these words aren’t much, but they are all she can offer him. “I’m sorry princess,” is his first response as he takes her offering. “.., but it’s hard to remember who I am when I’ve lost all that I was…” The stallion steps out from under her wing and takes the front before she could offer anymore. She gives him his distance again, and like last time he seems to be getting further away with every step. She can see the distance this time and her mind exaggerates it. The several feet turn into miles, and she feels she’s being left behind; left behind in the ruins of another’s dream. Maybe remembering isn’t the best thing for him at the moment, but it’s all she can do to keep her memories of Walter alive. She doesn’t want that to die along Walter’s old self.
Desires and DelusionsThe clouds hang above their heads while their trek along the main street continues. The mere minutes spent inside this place feels longer than the many days of their journey to it. It hurts, every sight he sees is just so painful! He can't take much more of this damned, forsaken town! It just hurts too much! He lets his eyes wander around once again, when they meet with Celestia's worried stare. "Please Walter, just try to remember all the good this town has given you...please." She pleads. Walter lets out a sigh, then takes a moment stop and remembers like his princess wanted him to. His eyes close and his body is lifted away from everything. When he opens them again he doesn’t see the empty shell that was left behind but the entirety of what it used to be. There is no overcast, only sunlight, and the sound of silence has been replaced by that of chirping birds, children playing, and their parents working. The windows and beams are as new as the day they were first laid, and they shine in the light of Celestia’s midday sun. He takes a deep breath to let his lungs have some much needed fresh air. His town lays right in front of his eyes, basking in the sunlight, “A dream, it was all a dream” sighs Walter as he recovers from his cold sweat. He gets out from under the shade tree he always sleeps under letting the warm sunlight put him to ease. A smile overtakes his face as he see his town the way it was left. He makes his way back and upon his return he is welcomed by the same young group of children whom always wait for him to come back from his naps. “How’d you sleep Mister Walter?” says a familiar young, snow-white coated mare. “You can play with us now right? Ma is always saying how you don’t do anything until you’ve had your nap.” the little one giggles “She says you’re a lazy bum sometimes” Walter lets out a hearty laugh, though the notion isn’t true it’s not false either, he smiles down at the girl and frizzes her sky blue mane with his hoof. The act makes it lose some of its shine, causing the little one to pout a bit as the other giggle. “Forget about playing, I want him to tell us about the dream he had!” yelled an excited young colt. A series of “Yea’s” and cheers follow in agreement. “What kind of adventure did you go on this time, Mr. Knight?” “Did you slay a dragon?” “Or meet with the two princesses a-” The children’s words hollow into nothingness as the world around Walter becomes cold. His dream… the thought of it feels like it’d make him go insane. He can’t tell these young foals about that. Hell, he might not even be able to tell his wife. If he tells anyone he could lose them now like he did in his dream, and he doesn’t want to dare bestowing such an ill fortune on himself. “Mister Walter, are you okay?” Walters mind focues back on the children, looks of worry are on their faces. At this moment they see the stallion they idolize trembling and shutter like they would whenever they were afraid. This is the first time they have ever seen their knight, Sir Walter Neighly, afraid. Walter works to regain his stature in front of the children, but before he could one of them braves the question “Did…did you have a nightmare Sir?” His mind blanks out at that moment. He knows they can read the fear on his face, and he knows lying to them would only make them presist more. Even at this very moment he can hear whispers among the group.There’s nothing he can do… remaining silent for now is the best thing he tells himself he can do. “Children! Children, please come back. You know how I don’t like it when you wonder off!” A voice breaks through the pocket of silence around them. The sweetness of the voice itself calmed his mind and the minds of the young ones around him. They all look to the source to see a beautifully young honey-colored pegasus mare. She’s the caretaker of the town’s children, and because of her ruby-colored hair some call her the “Town’s Jewel”. He knows her as Huneysuckle, his pride and joy. His lovely daughter that he would carry the world for! The children scurry over to her and dance and play around her before she sends them off home. Then she looks to her father, and he looks back at her; while resisting the urge to run up and hug her. He quickly forces a smile on his face, because she is his daughter. She’s on of the few ponies that know him best which means she can tell when something is bothering him. It’s obvious that his smile is forced and Huney can tell that it is, yet she giggles at him and continues to smile. “Looks like I caugght you just after your nap, Father. You over slept again. Your dinner’s cold and mother is awfully angry with you, but I don’t have to tell you that now do I?” She nudges before turning to head home “But I know how you are after your naps. So hurry and see how the town’s doing. Mother wants you back before nightfall.” And like that she’s gone as fast as she came and Walter gasps for air after realizing he had been holding in his breath that whole time. He eyes the skies once more to see that the brilliant yellow light from before has now oragned in what seemed like a matter of minutes. Was it not midday when he awoke? He pushes the thought aside, it isn’t very important compaired to the wrath of his wife. ‘Pull yourself together, Walter. Don’t let some rediculous dream grab hold of your life! You’re a knight, not a child.’ With that he pushes everything to the back of his mind as he makes his final rounds about the town. Looking to his left his left he sees Nick Knack waving through the window of his thrift shop as the many colts and fillies are shooed away for closing. Walter returns the wave before continuing to the next thing that catches his fancy. To his left comes a familiar sound to his ears. He looks to the source to see the back of green pegasus stallion. He’s in pain, and it’s obvious as to why: there’s dark bruise going across his back and one of his wings. Alongside him is a young silver unicorn mare with her glowing horn slowly following the bruise. Know the two, Walter smiles as they remind him of his younger years. “Oh..ah..ha careful now hun! A pegasus’s wings are very sensitive!” The green Pegasus raises his voice at the silver coated unicorn healing him with the glow of her horn. “Silver, you know I love you…, so why can’t you use bandages like everyone else!?” “Oh calm down, Air. You’ve hurt yourself plenty a time for me to know what I’m doing. I’m this town’s nurse for a reason, you know?” says the accented silver mare. Even though she’s frustrated she can’t help but to smile for him as she rubs her glowing horn on his bruised wing. “Honestly, I sometimes wonder what you’d do if I never married you. Every day you end up hurtin’ yourself, and I wind up healin’ you… there, good as new” Her spell flashes off with a click and she smiles before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Walter can only smile at the scene in front of him; what could a pathetic dream possibly do to him when he this town and it’s ponies here to comfort him. As he readied himself to continue the couple turn to Walter. The two say nothing as stare at him with distorted smiles on their faces. “Ah, Air Catcher… Silver Lining, ar..are you two alright?” Walter asks, startled by their sudden change. They don’t respond. They just stand there staring at him with a stare that infects his very being. He feels weak like in his dream, so weak like before. He knows there’s something wrong, he can feel his mind warn himof this illness infecting his reality. And now the air is proving to be too much of a burden to hold. It’s becoming stale and heavy, too heavy to even breath, and he can feel it emit from their bodies. It does take long for him to meet their stare with his own, and matter how hard he tries- and he does try- he cannot look away. Hell, by this point he can’t even move. He’s stuck staring at the statue-like pair afraid to look away because of unknown fears. The more he looks, the more disturbing the two become. He can’t stop himself from blinking now, and each blink brings new injuries and pains to their bodies while the air around them becomes that of a hazy static. The first few blinks snaps off Silver Lining’s horn and stabs it into her husbands neck. Both of them still smiling. Next the wings are slowly torn from Catcher’s back, blood gushes and bones protrude in every frame.The result leaves horid wounds running along his back and his wife in weeping tears. Yet the smiles on both their faces refuses to fade. Soon the staticed air around them thickens, making their fates play out even faster. The infected are blurs and cuts the couple’s image; in and out like a broken TV. The only things visible through the static are their eyes, and the looks of dispair that fills them.Soon Silver turns to her beloved husband with streams of tears running along her face as she puts the base of her broken horn to his wound. With a click her magic flashes on, and with a flash her magic burst out of control. The sheer shine of the light blinds Walter for a moment. When his vision returns all he sees is static. Nothing but static all around him, surrounding him…, closing in on him. With another flash the static cuts out and the couple stands before him again, but now they’re hardly recognizable. It’s truly a horrible sight to see, seeing the sight of their own deaths being played out before his very eyes. Silver’s desparate attempt to save the one she loved she seals their fates with her own magic: with a spell meant for healing. Now over half of her face has been burned away by the blast of raw energy. Her skull is exposed with only patches of flesh that barely keeping the image of her face. That same, damned peaceful smile still infects her horid face; even after all that! When looking at Air Catcher, Wlater’s a bit shock to see little damage on his end. He almost lets out a sigh of relief thinking at least he didn’t suffer the same grousome fate that bestowed on poor Silver. It is unfortunate that the same cannot be said about the other side of the coin of this pony that used to be. There are burns- marks of peeling flesh- running down the left side of his neck to his leg. Around the area where Silver tried to cast her spell. When moving closer to get a closer look, the sight he sees leaves him gaging. Catcher’s body, if you can even call it that anymore, took the majority of the it all. Skin and muscle were melted down to the bone. The burns have dug deep inside of him, melting together muscles and tissues as far down as his spine and rib cage. Walter feels as if he’s about to black out from the sickness of it all, but he remains conscious as if his mind refused to let him. He backs away from the two ready to give into the maddness: his madness. Then, suddenly through the drowning noise of static, a sound fades in. It’s a cry, the same cry a frighten infant would cry. This cry, instead of adding to the madness, it shatters the raging static. As the static dulls the cry grows, but also it fades. How confused this stallion must be to hear the same cry sound both near and far. Far enough to be a silent whisper, but so close it feels as if the foal were screaming in his very ears. To save Walter from the sight before his eyes his mind turns him to the sound. His eyes are quick to follow, looking everywhere they can to find a source. All his eyes see is the town, the poor sad town. The same broken shadow he’s seen before- from either his dream or reality itself. The buildings stand like they used to, but due to the lack of care they don’t stand firm, or shine, like they used to. Some are even stained, in and out, with the lives they had housed and protected for oh so long. Those lives, shadows of the ponies they once were, now stand in front of the shadow of their home. Their sight alone is enough to tell their story. These shadows, these poor dead, maimed, and mangled creatures mimic Walter as he pays them no mind. They become his shadow, and that is what he has come to think of them as. Not friends, nor family, just shadows. Before long the cry is met with the swelling dings and clings of a xilophonic melody: one you would hear from a musicbox. The song of the sweet melody fills the air and captures all that hear its enticing sounds. Then, out of the corner of his eye, the purest light shines from the heart of the town. The second his eyes meet the light a heavenly, hyponotic voice accompanies the melody of the disembodied musicbox. Hush now, Quiet Now It’s time to lay your sleepy head Hush now, Quiet now It’s time to go to bed Without thinking, or even out of the will of his own body, Walter and his shadows walk. They all walk towards the promising light. Each step they take causes the light to shine brighter and brigther! Though it never becomes blinding, even with a shine brighter than the sun itself it never hurts them. It’s always soothing, and it still is even after it completely overtakes his sight; never does he find the need to close his eyes. The grey cloudy skies clear to a bright blue, and the dirt ground fades to a translucent white as his heart is lifted into heaven itself. The shadows behind his give in to the light and start to fade, leaving Walter before he reaches his sanctuary. Then the melody slows and it strains as he closes in on the light. The clings and pings start to clang and grind, making it sound like the gears of the musicbox have been infected by rusty. Even so, Walter continues forward. Then the voice of heaven itself, still singing her calming lullaby, becomes more earthly and familiar. It gives off the sweet allure of honey but also takes on the rustic feel of the melody she mimics. The voice sounds worn out, tired, and sad even. It’s almost as if she doesn’t want to sing the fine lullaby. Walter can hear the changes of the song, but it is not enough to persuade his mind to stop and turn back. With a smile on his face, he takes his final step towards the heart of the town… “Walter! Stop! Walter!” A familiar voice shatters his ear drums as it calls his name. The force of it all is painful and too much to take. He watches in horror as his world slowly bleeds from white to the darkest of black. The paradise that was in front of him falls, and he falls with it.
