Chapters The Grand Galloping Gala! It was a very upper-crust sort of event, and it was annual as well. Fancypants was one of few guests who had been invited every time since he had first reached the appropriate age. This night seemed different, however, since the late exploits with the Princess Of Friendship and her school made other countries and creatures come around more. This year, the Gala was filled to the brim with many creatures.
Fancypants had been particularly enamored in a conversation he was having, until he was practically rammed into by a thin pony. His eyes widened slightly in surprise and concern, as he noted that the pony seemed odd. Her coat seemed oily, her mane was shaggy and unkempt, and her gaunt figure seemed to be stumbling toward him, trying not to fall. "I say, are you quite alright? You ehm- you seem unwell. " He took a step forward.
She chomped her muzzle around where his hoof had reached to help; how fortunate for him that he reeled away from the snippity pony just in time. He could hear some ponies around him shouting. Normally, one would panic at the sound of shouting, but after the two previous years at the Gala, shocking and appalling events were not necessarily a sign of danger. Fancypants learned just how wrong he was when the sick pony pushed on, and chomped the hoof of the pony he had been talking to, with a sickening squelchy crunch .
The other cried out, as the sick one continued chewing the hoof, the foreleg of the pony going deeper into the maw, now sopping with blood. Before he ran in his horror to find one of the Princesses or a guard, he noticed the cannibals teeth were blackened with rot.
He fortunately found Princess Celestia. "Your majesty, pardon the interruption, but something is seriously wrong that I believe may require immediate attention!" She took awhile to respond, her hair drooping unceremoniously to the floor, he noticed, when she sluggishly stood. "Ehm-- Princess?" He cocked his head to the side, confusedly. His confusion was immediately replaced by further horror, when he heard nothing but an unearthly gurgle emit from her, as she clumsily stumbled toward him, as if her body was on autopilot.
Fancypants teleported away from her, and ran around, noticing that other ponies were in a panic as well. He couldn't, for the life of himself or anypony else, find another authority figure in the area. Ponies around him were being bitten, or partially drained, giving him ample reason to believe that staying where the Gala was currently happening was not only an unwise decision, but a deadly one. Assuming this sickness was death itself.
He galloped thoughtlessly through the streets, instinctively taking a sharp turn to his home. In this situation, getting home only made sense, anyway, correct? As soon as Fancypants arrived at his large abode, he rushed himself around the mansion, up and down staircases, around and around each room, gathering sufficient living means, for wherever was safest to hide until the Elements Of Harmony could do their thing.
Once he had sufficiently packed supplies, he took pause, realizing that his servants had likely been at the gala, and a pang erupted in his heart when he acknowledged the possibility that this sickness was death, and that they could be dead, for merely attending a bland party. No time to think of this now, old stallion! Now is the time for action. Think later. Fancypants made a sweeping gaze across the area, before turning to leave. No doubt a manor with many windows and openings wasn't the safest place around mindless creatures with a taste for flesh.
The streets seemed to have more dead than living roaming around, to Fancypants appallment and disgust, before he discreetly hid himself, sneaking around as much as he could. Being noticed at this very moment, by dead OR alive could mean the end for a pony like him.
Life had a way of smiling whilst dealing a heavy dose of irony, however. As hard as he tried, he couldn't exactly ignore the sound of loud shouting, stomping, and gurgling sounds. This disease seemed infectious, and as such, he tried to ignore instinct by not rushing in to help whoever was already dead. That was, until he noticed the source of the screaming coming closer, until something fluffy barrelled into him from the side.
Now he had no choice, it seemed. Fancypants hopped to his feet, ignoring his disorientation, as he let out a few blasts of magic, making the disease-ridden ponies fly back, before taking a glance at the place of his new companion, and teleporting them both to a random distance, several feet in the direction he originally headed, before levitating the other, as he ran as fast as he could. Discreet was out of the question, at that moment.
Canterlot was the first to fall, in armageddon. The nation and nations connected were dwindling at rapid rates, and even worse, Equestria's most prominent protectors had been called away to different ends of the nation, and with the events, they were seperated, unable to get to each other through usual means.
The world was falling apart, harmony seemed to be failing and unravelling, like a bedraggled dress, at the seams. There was nothing the saviors could do any time soon, even on the off chance that they all lived on. The moon remained raised, the sun never returning from the earth's other side. Perhaps the moon never would set. The land was plunged into perpetual darkness, and disease, and perhaps life would never emerge victorious.
Nopony would have thought of the possibility that the end of the world would begin with blood, viscera, disease, and rot, in the canterlot castle ballroom, during an annual celebration of joy and prosperity. Even one normally bored by the Gala would pray every night that they'd be able to attend a Gala again, for if they never would, this would mean that the world was truly on its last legs.
Luna couldn't move. Her chest wouldn't breathe. Her eyes wouldn't blink. She wasn't encased in stone, but the lack of blood flow made it feel as such. Her brain rushed heavily. Each second felt like years. She could only stare forward at the perpetrator, who was laughing at its own actions, and the consequences Equestria found itself facing.
The creature, the monstrous predator, turned Luna's unmoving body, agonizingly slowly, toward a map, not unlike the one in Twilight's castle. "I know you can barely understand me. It's like waiting hundreds of years, for somepony to finish a sentence. But you've suffered a long time, before. Even if you can't cope, I don't care. Do you see your land? How Canterlot has fallen?You probably have. I think you'll love this, Luna:"
The creature punctuated its pause, turning Luna's stiff head, with a sickening snap, toward its face. She daren't call it what it once was, nor refer to it as a fellow creature. As far as she was concerned, it had given up whoever it was, with this nightmare it had unleashed. "Your sister failed. That foalish--" the creature spat with venom for a few seconds. A few years. "That foalish Cadence. Failed." It smiled at her. "Now? I am to rule over this land."
"You have Sombra to thank for that. He focused so much on building silent soldiers, in-sync, ever obedient, and bent on their masters whims. Well- I hope you enjoy the irony as much as I do, that in MY control, THEY ARE IN PERPETUAL STARVATION!!" The creature spat green fluids onto Luna's face, before regaining its composure. Then it flew up the pit, lined with broken stairs, abandoning the frozen night princess in front of Sombra's fear door. Trapped, for what would feel many an eternity, in her own nightmare. The map disappeared with the creatures magic.
Fancy wasn't all that used to running. He may have had a well build, but unfortunately, it was through genetics, and not through much exercise. Muscles ached, breathing burned, and the magic of carrying somepony- some creature- that was rather heavy wasn't the easiest feat he could manage. Tataurus, the only reason he lasted this long, was due to his stubborn will to live, and his concern at his home, dwindling severely in population.
He eventually managed to find a small house of some sort to hide up in, boarding up the one window it had, and putting all his weight against the rather thin door. He finally got a good look at who had bowled him over, as well as his surroundings. His ears perked up, an eyebrow raised. "Oh. I hate to admit this, I had expected you to be a pony when I wasn't paying attention."
Before him was a young yak. She.... Looked like a yak. Fancy had not once in his life see one, so as far as he was concerned, there were no distinguishing features he could spot, point out, or particularly describe, if he were asked. After what seemed like forever of silence (clearly they were both stunned), the yak stomped closer.
"Fancy Pony saved Yona!!" She shouted at him, seeming rather bewildered, to his brief puzzlement.
"Oh please, Fancy Pony was my father. My name is Fancypants, my dear."
"Fancy Pony saved Yona!" She repeated, before continuing: "What is happening outside? Is this normal at Gala? Yona not like strange ponies!" Yona pointed a hoof at the door, trying to gesture directly behind Fancypants at the commotion, steadily calming down, on the other side of the door.
He was clueless on how to answer on what was happening, and he eventually settled with: "I'm afraid I don't know. This has never happened before, in the entire history of Equestria- as far as I know- but I can agree with you with certainty on one thing, uhm- Yona- I'm not liking the look of this dreadfully frightful predicament."
"What is Yona and Fancy Pony going to do?"
Now that, he had to admit, was a good question. After all, the longest disaster Fancy had ever had to endure within his lifetime had been the rather short reign of Tirek, which despite the headache-inducing removal of magic, hadn't lasted too terribly long. No longer than a few weeks, and nothing bad had happened aside from the magic being stripped from him, for a little while. This, though....
This had incapacitated Princess Celestia on day one. Princess Luna hadn't returned from the Crystal Empire as she was supposed to, and Fancy had a feeling that this had happened, when everypony- everycreature- was at their most vulnerable. It angered him to know of the sudden mutilation of such a great nation, and the likelihood that the perpetrator was only starting. Yet his anger was overpowered with concern and fear, because this particular disaster was tasseled with disease, rot, death itself, and the unknown.
"There's nothing we can do to directly solve this situation, I fear. So I believe all we can try to do for now, Yona, is survive through this situation, without being devoured." And no doubt to Fancy, this would be much more difficult than it should be. "The first thing we should do is search the place, take what matters, and leave the city. It's too large and populated to be safe, now." It was uncomfortable to think of a once populated and secure area as the most deadly, but... It was a necessity.
"You. It's YOU." Starlight glowered at the creature. "You... You killed them. You killed all of Equestria. Celestia knows where my friends are. Because of YOU, they could all be destroyed, for all I know!" She stamped a hoof against the ground, the castle falling with disrepair, stinking of rot caused by the diseased, hiding in Twilights castle to unknowingly die. Her eyes narrowed at the other.
The other stepped toward her, laughing briefly. "Well, I did tell you so, didn't I, Starlight? You ruined me. You ruined my hive. And now, you are facing the consequences of your actions. With your folly, and your desperation to redeem others, you have destroyed the place you tried, foalishly, to save." Chrysalis stepped forward, taking the form of Starlight. "And now, it's over."
Starlight ignited her magic, blue sealing the castle doors, permanently, as far as she knew. "You're right." She gave a steely glare, as Chrysalis, in her mockery of a form, searched for an open exit, and found them both trapped. "You're not going to hurt any other creature. Your damage ends now, Chrysalis. Even if I die, you won't be able to leave, and continue. And until you kill me..."
She stepped toward the glowering former matriarch, lighting up her horn, lifting herself with her own magic. "I'm going to make you pay, as much as I can, for the rest of my life."
Starlight couldn't move. Her chest wouldn't breathe. Her eyes wouldn't blink. She wasn't encased in stone, but the lack of blood flow made it feel as such. Her brain rushed heavily. Each second felt like years. She could only stare forward at fomer Queen Chrysalis, who was laughing at her own actions, and the consequences Equestria found itself facing, for her actions.
Author's Note
It takes me awhile, because I'm figuring out how to write the character dynamics, and how this apocalyptic scenario works. Have a nice day! Or night! Or noon! Or afternoon. Or evening. Or morning. Or any other time!
"We should probably stick to areas known. Small towns would most likely be the best course." After all, the wilderness was filled with frightful creatures, much stronger than a staggering, disease ridden - he shuddered.
"The nearest place to Canterlot, while a rather sizable town, is likely smaller, my dear. Especially on the night of the Gala- many ponies- and creatures- had the privilege to attend this year." Which would mean....
"Anyplace aside from Canterlot is much safer than it would be, if this happened any other day. We should probably travel to Ponyville. It's close by." It wasn't exactly a plan, but it was a goal to reach, at least.
The question was, how would they get there? It was two days by train, but in these circumstances, they'd have to trot there by hoof. It'd probably be several days. They'd have to bring- "Supplies. I don't believe I have enough for two, for several days. I'm.. I'm sure they'd be fine with us looting... For survivals sake, of course..."
Yet, he found it was greatly difficult to take food off of somepony else's counter. What other choice did he have? Sure, it was possible to survive off grass, but that was a desperate measure. As difficult as it was, it'd have to do. He wasn't willing to forgo proper nutrition, yet.
Fancy willfully ignored the stunned gasp of the yak behind him. Probably because he was resorting to petty thievery. "I know it's not very... Ideal.... But it's the best we can do. It's this or malnutrition, and I'll pay them back."
They left the house, met with utter chaos outside. Ponies were fighting off the diseased, or becoming diseased themselves, royal guards and Wonderbolts could be seen dotting the area, trying to hold back the invasion. One by one, they were falling to the diseased, as much as the regular citizens of the city.
Fancy ignored the crashing around them, trying to focus on the task at hoof. He was cut off, by one of the diseased tackling him, chomping at him in a foaming frenzy.
This one, unlike some of the others, seemed aggressive, to his confusion and terror. It snapped at him repeatedly like a ghastly gorge eel, until its teeth sunk into his horn.
He shook his head violently, no doubt cutting into the creatures mouth, before forcing his head forward, his horn protruding from the top of her muzzle. He pulled away, ripping her face open, before getting a good look at who it was.
Fleur.
Fancy slowly approached the unmoving pony with numb fascination. It was as if the damage he had done hadn't quite sunk in, yet. Then, like a particularly sturdy brick wall, it hit him. As did the realization that the disease had just been injected into his head, by a pony that... He... Murdered.
It was rather difficult to properly register it. He killed somepony. Somepony who knew. Fleur was dead, and even when this mess was over, she would remain so.
"We can't stop, Fancy pony! Scary ponies are all around!" Yona's voice cut through the ringing in his ears, and he was brought back to the current situation. There would be time to grieve and deal with his horn, later, they had to get somewhere less overcrowded! They ran toward the train station.
They couldn't go to Ponyville via train, but it'd be best to follow the tracks, there. The train station was empty. The silence, deafening, but not unwelcome after the loudness of screams and destruction they had faced a mere hour ago.
What was unwelcome, however, was how dark the tunnel into the mountain was. It'd be difficult, if not impossible, to see what was happening in such darkness. Fancy winced, lighting his partially damaged, and probably infected horn, causing Yona to slightly jump at the unstable crackle it let out.
Light illuminated the station... Then sparked back into darkness. Fancy cursed, before taking another look at the tunnel. Perhaps it'd be less dangerous to climb down the mountain. At least then, there wouldn't be the danger of a speeding train, or an unseen enemy.
Although, looking outside, it seemed that leaving the station during the cities chaotic state seemed like a bad idea as well. He sat in front of where the train would never come, most likely. "Well, Yona is it? I believe everypony- creature- is affected by this. We can't go this way, but... We can rest here, at the very least, until things die down."
He had noticed how quiet she had been. While he had little to no knowledge of yaks, he couldn't help but think it was probably uncharacteristic for such silence to take hold. "Pardon my forwardness, but is something wrong?"
Yona not like strange ponies! Yona want to go back to Yakyakistan, where yak safe! Yona's friends are all gone! Yona not know where they went, in fancy city!"
It dawned on him, now, that asking if something was wrong, on what was probably another worldwide problem, was foolish. What was even more foolish was his assumption that a yak that was very clearly not full grown had been by herself in Canterlot of all places. "Yes, I do see why that would be a problem, for anypony- anycreature.... Hmm."
"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about this. Sure, the situation is rather unfortunate, but we've been through a lot of horrors, haven't we? Things always turn out alright. Every threat that's happened so far has been defeated by the Elements Of Harmony. As long as they exist, and as long as those they connect to survive, everything will turn out. You'll see."
"Now, for both our sakes, get some rest. We have a mountain to climb."
The moon hadn't moved an inch, nor had the sun. Everything was frozen, dark, and silent, only occasionally broken by a distant scream, from the inner city. Fancy's head was pounding, as he felt the infection trying to spread, staunching his magic. He couldn't afford to get diseased, as well, he knew.
If he did, he could end up like Fleur. With this thought, he failed to withhold a shudder. His eyes were burning, yet everything else felt cold and bitter. He had killed a pony. And if he became more infected, he could force a young creature to do the same. He couldn't let this happen.
He laid his head on the ground, carefully placed his hoof on his horn, and slowly started pushing. Increasing in pressure. He bit back a shout, at the first crack. He brought his other foreleg to his mouth, biting onto his nice suit. It shamefully ripped, as he fought the urge to buck and scream as it cracked past the third layer of bone.
Then, with a violent yank, and a rip of his suit sleeve, his horn was violently cracked off, the cracked stub oozing blood, and sparking with unstable magic, trying to heal itself, but unable to. And the weight of the situation brought his head back to the ground, as he spent the rest of his time, weeping into his hooves.
