It started three years ago. The rain.
Nopony knows where it came from, or why. Sometimes I count us as the lucky ones, sometimes not. Perhaps it is worse in Canterlot than here in a Ponyville. After all. More ponies means more of a chance of the rain taking you. I would know, I watched it take one of my friends on the day it started. It seemed so innocent back then, those droplets that fall from the sky and replenish the land. Innocent, simple, a basic force of nature. Now Nopony sees it as innocent, instead of waiting in anticipation and the chance of dancing in it or playing in puddles; we dread it’s coming. The sound of thunder or darkening of clouds heralds doom for many who may still be out there. Though the chance of any others outside shelters like ours dwindles with each storm.
For those of us safely under cover, it returns fresh memories of the start of this.The start of the dread of rain.
It was a simple day, a perfectly normal day in Ponyville. There was rain in the forecast, and that was fine. The market was bustling, Applejack was at her stand and Applebloom was assisting her. Fluttershy was visiting with a Rarity, and Pinkie Pie was throwing a party for some young colt named Sky Scene. Rainbow Dash was on weather duty with the others, including Cloudkicker and Bulk Biceps. Those two were part of why we knew early.It would have been so much worse otherwise.
And I, I was merely relaxing for once outside the Castle of Friendship. Enjoying my friend’s company, and my apprentice and friend Starlight was as well. We laughed, shared stories, and enjoyed the day. It was a perfectly normal day in Ponyville.
Until the rain came.
Nopony thought much of it at first, the silence that seemed to creep up on a Ponyville as it came closer. That storm was after all, going to be controlled as usual by our weather team. Or so we thought. It wasn’t until a rainbow blur came screaming down from the sky that we realized something was horribly wrong.
Rainbow Dash, my normally hot headed and loyal friend who rarely scared, was terrified. Actually terrified would be an understatement, as I moved to comfort her she backed away, eyes like pinpricks. She stated the words that saved us all, in a haggard breath most unlike her. “The rain...Twilight you have to get everypony to shelter from the rain!”
I hesitated, that hesitation had consequences I could not have at the time.
“What is sting with the rain?Is it chocolate milk or something?”, I joked, thinking this was some prank of hers.
The glare she cast me, the rage and terror filled expression that had no place on her face, killed any feeling of mirth before it took root.
Her breathing shaky she merely replied in the most distant yet composed voice I had ever heard from her. It was like she wasn’t all there.
“Twilight the rain, you have to get everyone to shelter NOW!” The last word came out as a deafening shout that grabbed everypony’s attention.
Her wings flat against her body, her legs trembling she spoke.
“It’s not normal rain, it’s not chocolate milk or anything Discord could make. There is something in it, something...” her eyes grew more distant as she continued to speak. It is then I noticed the tremors in her rain streaked legs.
“Deadly.” She finishes, before taking another shaky breath. “Cloudkicker and Bulk, they, they fell from the sky upon contact with the cloud, the rain. They fell Twilight! Pegasi don’t fall! We don’t suddenly start shaking and spasming and then fall from the sky when touching a cloud!”
Her body was starting to convulse, I did a quick magical scan of her and found something in her system. Something I didn’t recognize. Something I couldn’t treat in the market. But maybe if I got her to the Castle.
“Rainbow we have to get you to the Castle. You are sick, but maybe if we get you to the Castle and my lab I can help you. I can..”
My voice trailed off as I saw her face, the tears coming from her eyes as her body continued to shake and convulse. Her wings twitching, yet she held them firmly at her sides. As if trying to keep them from flaring and showering everyone present.
It was then I knew what had happened. Something in the rain, something unknown, had infected my friend.b And she had decided to do her best to keep it from spreading.
Yet she couldn’t stop herself from warning us.
And I could see in her eyes, that she was going to buy us time, no matter the cost.
Her final words still ring in my ears all these years later.
“Twilight..” she had said as she backed away from everypony, so as not to shower them with water when she took off. A sorrowful yet resigned smile lit her face, “Save as many as you can. I’ll be back after I buy as much time as I can. Until then, don’t leave shelter. Don’t go out in the rain.”
When she took off, her convulsions had gotten worse. I knew she wouldn’t make it back. But the reality had set in, and as Princess I had to coordinate an emergency evacuation to my Castle. It was the most secure place, with the most food and resources for the citizens of Ponyville.
The evacuation did not go smoothly, even with Pinkie Pie, Starlight, and Rarity assisting as well as other unicorns we couldn’t move everyone or everything needed in time. Cranky and Matilda refused to evacuate, saying that it wasn’t as if a little rain would hurt them.
A few ponies on the outskirts were already as good as lost, Applebloom and Big Mac had come with Applejack to the market. Granny Smith may have survived, but we don’t know. Without the Apples I fear most of the earth ponies would have refused to come to the Castle. The loss of life would have been far greater.
The Riches refused to come, as did many other families who insisted they would stay in their homes. No Castle was needed, they were secure in their homes and I think they didn’t believe the rain was dangerous. They didn’t want to believe.
Of the population of Ponyville, over half refused to come to the Castle and safety. My friends and their families came of course. Including the Cakes and the twins. And Starlight personally found and rescued Scootaloo, who had been hiding in the treehouse, thankfully she had not been infected by the rain. However despite that, despite everything, we didn’t make it in time.
It was after a Starlight had gotten Scootaloo that the rain hit the furthest edge of a Ponyville. We had planned to go out and help stragglers like Carrot Top, however that was before we heard the screams. Before the stampede began.
I had as a precaution used what I had gleaned from my scan of Rainbow and set up a detection spell around the Castle of Friendship perimeter. It was something my brother had taught me to do, though his reasons were to protect myself from burglars or home invasions. The spell would detect anypony infected, and trigger a shield to keep them out.
In theory it worked.
In practice, it had worked perfectly.
Which meant we all got to see what the rain did to ponies.
The screams and the sound of hooves drew nearer, and the dust cloud of fear filled terrified ponies heralded their arrival before they triggered the shield. They came in droves, including some that had decided to stay home. Some carried foals who were a disturbing shade of purple or blue. Others were turning colors themselves, and a few collapsed before they hit the perimeter. Spasming and convulsing as vomit and bile escaped their muzzles. They died under the racing hooves of those behind them, trampled to death. Which was perhaps a small mercy.
When they reached the perimeter, the shield activated. None of them were let through, they had all been touched by the rain. Most of the ponies who had decided to come to the Castle were inside, finding rooms to stay in. They were lucky. They only heard what happened, they didn’t see it.
Starlight, Rarity, and I were not so fortunate. Before our eyes those who stayed behind died in absolute agony. Convulsions and tremors rippling through their bodies until they just lay still. Some survived for days, as rain after rain came. Only to pass on later, as the infection set in.
We did not watch long enough to see them pass. We only knew due to their bodies, forming a wall outside the shield. Why we did not stay was twofold. For one, we couldn’t bear to watch fellow ponies die in such a horrendous way. Rarity fled first, lest her generosity cause her to run to them. Starlight and I followed soon after, but not due to the horror of the dead and dying before us. No, it was due to the rain and what we saw it doing beyond the crowd.
The ones in the stampede were the exception. Most ponies convulsed on contact, and fell down never to rise again. Whatever the rain was carrying, it was every bit as deadly as Rainbow had said. The storm was coming closer, and Starlight and I turned our backs on the doomed beyond the dome and entered the castle. The rain arrived minutes later, the screams continued and grew in volume. Then, after a week or so, they stopped.
The last time we left shelter was to count the dead, which is not a task I want to remember.
Their names were written down, and their bodies left where they were. Then, Starlight and I returned to the Castle once more.
There we have stayed, almost constantly, for three long years.
We and the other survivors watch from sealed windows, eat food grown in the greenhouse, and live in what was my personal abode. Every time the sound of a storm comes rumbling through the air, we feel dread and terror. Now, we fear the rain as our ancestors feared the night before the princesses. It is the only way to survive.
We have had almost no luck contacting others, no letters can make it through.
I suspect Canterlot is in lockdown as well, or perhaps we ourselves are quarantined. I do not know.
Luna still lives, we know this because she visits us in our dreams. She visited me a few nights ago, asking me to be patient. I asked her if Celestia was alright, her face looked grim. She said that my teacher, mentor, friend, and second mother was in isolation. Her Alicorn nature had protected her from getting ill, however she was infected. She chose to quarantine herself, and had remained so for three years. Those years have taken a toll on Luna, when asked how many survived in Canterlot she refused to answer. But her eyes said it all. She said to be patient, she was working with others to find a solution to the rains. Then she left, and thanked me for saving so many. She left me to a dream of flying with Rainbow Dash. My friend who never came back that day.
I hope Luna finds a cure, a solution, a way to solve this horror that once brought life and joy and now brings death and fear.
Compared to those of us locked in my castle with its fairly self sustaining resources, I imagine Canterlot is faring far worse. Even though some ponies have managed to walkout and leave us, letting the rain take them rather than endure; we are still better off. I’ve spent the past few years studying, researching, and leading. I’ve learned much, and grown more. Those ponies still with us have continued as best they can with their lives, those too young to remember a time before don’t notice anything wrong with living in a magical tree castle.
Some younger ponies lost their parents, either during the initial rain or to depression and their parents deciding to go outside and end their existences. Fluttershy has taken them in, and with Angel Bunny has be one a sort of matron of orphan foals. I suspect this is due to the loss of many of her animal friends, who even if they survived are now infected. She is a wonderful caretaker of the young orphan foals, and perhaps after this is all over she will add an orphan home to her cottage.
Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie, she still creates delicious treats. Yet what she does best is keep morale up, keep hope alive, and keep the laughter alive.bbRarity maintains the clothes and basic linens for everyone. She is constantly busy, but I feel it keeps her mind off things. I know she’s avoiding remembering their faces, she will have to face them one day.
Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom help in the greenhouse. They still hold out hope Granny Smith is alive, waiting for their return alongside Winona. I have my doubts, but the old mare is an Apple so it’s possible. Still, deep down I hope Applejack never has to find out the truth. I fear it would break her.
Starlight hasn’t been the same since that day. Her eyes sometimes grow distant and look nowhere in particular, yet I know where she is. In the past, on that day long ago. Staring into the eyes of desperate ponies, dying as they battered their hooves against the shield wall. She is likely seeing her old friends facing the same fate. Unfortunately, it’s likely that what she fears is indeed true. When she isn’t lost in the past, she spends her time helping all the ponies she can. When this is over, I think I will tell her that she has proven herself capable of deeper compassion than I ever dared dream. Her own inner strength has fueled her to continue in her friendship studies, and go beyond them as well.
When the rain stops, I’ll be sure to tell her how I truly feel, about how far she has come and how proud I am of her. Then we will go out for ice cream and coffee, do all the things I wanted to before the rain came. When it’s gone, we will do those things again.
Yes, I still believe the rains may end. They have to end. I can’t let myself accept they will continue forever. If I do, I may very well walk outside myself and let the rains take me. Discord seems to be alive, somewhere. He sends Fluttershy letters. His last one seemed to imply he’s on the trail of something he calls the source. Maybe it’s the key to stopping this, maybe not. But I have to hope it is.
As the rain falls once more outside, the fear is palpable within these walls. Spike is hiding under the covers, as I write this testimony with a pen held in quivering magic. I can still see Rainbow as she flew off three years ago. Her body twitching and convulsing, yet she forced herself to fly towards the storm. Towards the rain.
The vision clouds my eyes as the droplets cascade down the shielded window panes. That last sight of my friend as she flew off, her rainbow tail dulling even as she beat her wings furiously. Racing the rain, racing death itself, to buy us time.
Her strong form so frail against the pathogen carried by the rain.
Did she know she would die? Did she die at all?
I think she knew her fate back then, even before I did.
As for whether she died or not, she never came back. Rainbow always comes back.
The only thing that could have stopped her would have been what I witnessed in those terrified faces that once adorned the moldering skeletons that now serve as a barricade for the castle. The touch of death, as it ripped them from this world with the roar of the rain.
Every time it rains I’m reminded of that day. There are so many testimonies like this piled in my quarters, so many different words compiled together that describe the same thing. I know it’s a compulsion, to write that horrible day over and over. To describe how things have changed since then in brief. My brain recognizes it as a coping mechanism for trauma. Just as I know that the Rainbow Dash on the balcony is a hallucination, brought on by a part of me that desires this to end. She beckons me, and I shall yet again refuse. As long as I believe the rain will end, such phantoms have no hold over me.
The rains will end. It will not be today, or tomorrow.But someday, hopefully someday soon, the solution to this horror will be found. Then we can all go outside again, and leave this castle that has become a bunker from a terror we cannot see hidden in that which once brought life. Until that day, I will not respond to the temptations of the droplets on the balcony. I shall ignore the phantoms of the past, and the phantom of my friend who gave everything to save us. Until that day I will carry on, I will lead, and I shall hope.
It’s all I have left. Hope that the rains will end.
End testimony, three years from the day of the rain.
Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.
Author's Note
So this came about as I was relaxing. Due to pain in my wrist I could not do PT today. However I watched a show called The Rain on Netflix, and thus this story was born.
The death carried by the rain is a pathogen that attacks the brain and nervous system, not unlike the one in the show. It has a very high mortality rate, as in on contact you will normally die. Exceptions are Alicorn who become carriers, or those who survive for days or weeks while infected before dying. Rainbow Dash, Cloud Kicker, and Bulk Biceps were the first Ponyville ponies to encounter the rain. Zecora is an unknown, maybe she survived maybe not. I’ll let you decide what happened to Rainbow Dash.
As for where the rain came from, I may explore that in the future. This is not a crossover. Nor did it get magically teleported from the Netflix show verse to Equestria. It remains a terror three years later due to being in the natural water cycle now. Discord is searching for the source, and I may cover that in a later story.
I like to think that Twilight is coping by throwing herself into her new role. Yet the rains cause her to return to that time, and she compulsively writes things down in testimony journals to cope.
Future stories in the series will be written in a similar format.
I expect to maybe make some for the following.
AppleJack, Rarity, Starlight, Discord, Fluttershy, Spike, Pinkie Pie, Luna, Celestia.
Anyway, this was an idea I just had to compulsively write.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Glen Gorewood
