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                        Jutterance                         
                    -by CrimsonEquine-                     
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                  Chapter 1: Old Murmurs                   
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Chapter 1: Old Murmurs
There was a silence, a peace that echoed across Equestria that seemed ceaseless and never ending. Below the pristine blue sky, atop the earth that sat without much hysteria plaguing it’s Equestrian denizens. There was only joy within the lands very population. And everypony knew that they would be able to prosper with the guidance of the Goddesses and their bearers. Foals squealing together in harmony to the opportunities life presented them. Cutie Marks guiding the way to their destinies for a better future for all, whenever a pony has learned their true identity. A single voice can be heard amongst the millions exclaiming their existence across the world. A seldom sad face amongst the wave of joyous singing that every creature gave out in satisfaction. That is the world of Equestria in it’s entirety.
As the days went by and the ponies reveled in their joy, something came forth from the planet in one powerful snap of the earth. Growing from deep beneath, a giant tower outstretched to the sky in a single day. It’s black tendrils writhing from the reaches of the tower and it’s black foreign body stood watching from high with red symbols unfamiliar to Equestrian kind. It reached outward towards the darkness of space and stood as a testament of darkness hovering over the land. Catastrophe swept through the surrounding region, but the destruction was small and salvageable albeit with casualties that were numerous. For the rupture gave a ripple of earthquakes that swept across the region in mere moments. Ponyville was nothing, but rubble amidst the massive pieces of earth that scattered over it. Canterlot was nothing, but a mess of old values, the pieces of the world that were procured would only cause pain from what they once had. Creatures stormed through the world, as dark and destructive as the tower itself had done, killing countless cities with their ceaseless assault, it would seem they would never stop coming. The only Equestrian's left off are those that are scattered and hiding from the beasts. Never to be free from the swirling eyes that belonged to the evil abominations.
News of the once great sisters and their bearers lost. Only scraggles of knowledge remain, and it is more difficult to get such luxuries without risking one's own life.
The tower watches from high above, a constant reminder of what was lost.
The year is 2446, nearly 400 years after current events.
    This is their story.
Log 125, i’ve been watching over the terrestrial denizens of Equestria for several years now. Constantly monitoring the ponies and their activities around my area. I dare not leave my domain for I would be corrupted by the disease that has afflicted everypony. And it would destroy my very power if I ever set hoof on those grounds. Though, it is not without warrant that my fellow Equestrians have suffered through the mutated beasts and the population as a whole has dwindled. Even with what they can scrounge up, they are still no match for those monsters. I can only hope that it will not be too late before I can actually do something. Sooner or later…
    A certain somepony stood up from the little degraded tent that it rested in. She stood up from the ground and stretched her front and back legs. Her Pink mane contrasting with the black hair she had on her body. A red scar was upon her eye socket, a constant remembrance of what was capable outside of safety. She left the sanctity of her tent and looked upon a circle of ponies that were murmuring together. This worried her, though not as strongly as she hoped. There was always something that would happen to anypony in this Goddess-forsaken place.
    The mare went forward to find more information through the commotion. There, she could see the fear in everypony’s eyes as the crying got louder and more vicious. When she went into the middle of the group, she saw a sad sight. It was a mare cradling the corpse of her young stallion, whose jugular had been long cut off. His wound already stitched up with a fearsome scar and metal line. She cried as any mother would, even if it was a normal occurrence for these things to happen. From the circle of ponies, a old stallion came forth with a cold expression. It really seemed like he was getting real tired of all this.
    The old stallion went to the mare crying to her deceased. And he struck her down with a powerful strike. She reeled to the ground from the pain before crying some more. Then, he spoke to the entire group.
    “Because of this mother’s foolishness, she didn’t discipline her young! And now, he’s dead just like all the rest who leave our haven!” he said with a bellow. “Let this be a lesson to you all, even now, the spell protecting this little place we ponies have left is the only thing keeping us alive from those things that exist beyond the protective floating runes that surround us.”
    A silence encroached the entirety of the twenty or more ponies that listened in fear.
    “Now disperse, get back to your work.”
    And so, the group went back to their own tents. Each doing different things to keep their supply of food and water healthily supplied through whatever craft they could ascertain with their own short lives. Here in this little place of warmth and comfort, there was either work, sleep, or death. Either leaving here from suicide, insanity, or leaving this small stretch of land. And those creatures that everypony fears in truth, no pony has ever seen to tell the tale.
    It truly is a frustration to find hope with so much stagnation, all alone surrounded by a barrier that stood watching almost like it was going to be forever. It begged the question, the sanity of all this, but I guess living like this was better than being dead.
    Yet, we do nothing, but eat, sleep, and defecate into our everlasting toilets.
    The best part is that we all are Earth ponies, so we are all equal to live and die to the dirt. Truly is a magnificent reality this all is.
    The group went their way, and the mare went towards the mother and her dead son. The wind could have never been colder than it was now.
    “I-I’m sorry Lemon Berry, that is your name correct. How did this happen?”
    She spoke sadly, tears pouring down as the pain came forth from deep inside her mind.
    “W-what an idiot, how could he do this to me…”
    The mare reached out her hoof for the poor mother. She grasped it up and wiped the tears from her eyes.
    “I’m sorry, I didn’t personally know him, but I heard he was a really good crop worker.”
    Lemon Berry looked down and scratched her nose. She went up to the corpse and picked it up over her back.
    “Don’t worry my little foal, I’ll take you to rest where you belong…”
    Lemon turned to her and gave a smile. “Thank you for taking the risk of comforting me.”
    From the side where the corpse was. There was a bag full of different oddities, from toys made out of sticks, to spare books that the group could scrounge up from the old world.
    She grasped a notebook and hoofed it to the mare.
    “I want you to have this, I’m going to bury all his belongings next to where his father is buried, but he always wanted to make a new book that wasn’t from the old world. I hope it may come of use.”
    She continued forward, ready to put her son into his resting place in the makeshift cemetery that was close by.
    With the commotion at it's end, the mare decided to go back to sleep. Even with the vast shield over the base covering the entirety of their home, you could still see the darkness of the night and it’s moon shining over above. Along with all that, was the infernal tower that would stretch ever higher, almost all seeing and alien to a pony's eyes. A constant reminder to never leave the safety of the runes and the shield created from their magical power.
    She stared at the tower with it’s disturbing tentacles and pitch-black frame with curiosity, nopony knew where it came from, and not much is known about the past except of the Goddesses and the bearers who protected ponies from many threats. Where they may be now is just an idea at this point, maybe even a myth.
    Pausing from her thoughts, she realized that she needed to get to sleep for tomorrow, there was so much work to do and there was no time to waste contemplating whatever when it was bed time. Then, she caught something, a silhouette off the distance of a equine body, right outside the barrier, far off. She stared at it, it’s white eyes unblinking from the darkness of the outside. Tall like a slim bodied pony, and it had a long horn on it’s head. It continued to watch, before turning around and walking away into the darkness. The mare watched for more, any inclination of oddity that would catch her eyes.
    “Daydreaming as always, Luminescence?”
    The mare jumped at the speech to her name and suddenly made a loud scream from being surprised. She landed from her leap, covered her mouth as to not wake anypony that may have been sleeping. Embarrassed at her own loud noise, she looked to who disturbed her, and found that it was her own father, Light Ray before her. He was covered in dirt, all over his blonde mane and dark orange body. He gave a sign of disapproval at his daughter just sitting there stupidly.
    “Uh, sorry Dad, I was just… admiring the shield, it’s as beautiful as always!”
    Light Ray scratched his chin, and smiled to her daughter’s lie.
    “Are you fantasizing about leaving the shield my dear? I believe we already talked about this.”
    Luminescence felt a bit aggrevated at his father bringing up old thoughts that she used to have. It was to the point that he would always do this to just mess with her. Too bad it worked, he got his rise almost all the time.
    “No dad, I only said that when I was a filly, I already know that I can’t leave the protection of our sanctum!” she said.
    Light Ray stood firm at her daughter, jokes aside, he had to make sure she would never dream of leaving here, no matter what.
    “Good, now go back to bed. I need to go do something in a bit and then I’ll get some sleep myself”.
    She walked her way to the tent, which was small and dilapidated with tears. There, she went and snuggled inside the sleeping bag situated inside. Opening her eyes, looking at the night sky through the holes in her tent, she watched the stars twinkle together.
    Exhaustion enveloped her senses, and she closed her eyes to slumber.
Log 400, I saw one of the Haven Shields and the ponies inside, they look sickly and malnourished, but it’s better than being dead or worse. I was watching around the site and a female saw me through the shield. Must make myself more concealed next time, don’t want to raise any suspicion among them. It seems the work I’ve been doing this entire time has finally come to fruition, now I just need a test subject to lead into finishing stages. Log Out.