Chapter 5: The Broken Road

The sunshine gleamed off the brilliant spires of Canterlot Castle as another beautiful and peaceful day was already near it's zenith. Ponies filled the streets below and the sounds of conversation and economy filled the air with so much busy commotion.

Celestia beamed down at her beautiful kingdom from above, watching as her subjects went about their daily business. Celestia may very well have been the heart of Equestria herself, but all these wonderful ponies below, they were the very lifeblood of these lands, carrying her influence and teachings though all the lands. Were it not for her little ponies below, Equestria simply would not be.

A knock came from behind her as somepony began knocking upon the large doors that lead to her chambers.

Celestia took a moment to wonder whom could be visiting her right now, Twilight was off with her friends and family on a vacation in Hoofulu for a week and there were no scheduled appointments for at least an hour...

Celestia shrugged and opened the door with her magical aura, allowing the pony whom knocked entry.

"Your highness, I'm terribly sorry to bother you but I bring a matter of most importance." spoke Captain Cerulean Cobaltheart, a unicorn whom Celestia had promoted to captain at Shining Armor's suggestion before he left for the Crystal Empire to be with his wife.

"Please Cobalt, come speak with me then." Celestia replied in her ever pleasant and calm demeanor.

"Your highness, reports indicate the Gryphon Kingdom has been rebuilding ever since the visit from the element bearers." Cobalt spoke with gusto.

Celestia nodded her head and smiled warmly.

"So I am aware my dear captain, If I don't do something about those 6 girls soon, I'm likely to lose my position."

Cerulean Cobaltheart looked up at his princess with respect to her position while still looking aghast.

"Your highness, Mayne was attacked by gryphons earlier today, They report heavy casualties."

The magical grasp upon Celestia's intricate teacup wavered as it fell, landing upon the marble floor below, suddenly the air of peace she had been enjoying wasn't the only thing shattered.

"An... Attack you say? On Mayne? And by the Gryphons?" Celestia sputtered.

Cobalt nodded his head curtly.

"Forgive me for making you repeat yourself Captain, but did you say something about casualties?" Celestia questioned, not having used that last word in over a thousand years.

"Affirmative your highness, Mayne's central districts were pillaged of their goods and over half of the guard are reported missing there." Cobalt responded with an almost emotionless military tone.

"I see... See to it that a regiment is sent to aid those poor souls in Mayne captain." Celestia responded remorsefully.

Captain Cobalt bowed his head and turned to take his leave.

"Captain?" Celestia questioned.

Cobalt stopped and turned in place. "Yes your grace?"

"Please also see to it that the castle staff are made aware we're to have company." Celestia replied slowly.

Cobalt saluted his princess and left her quarters at once.

Celestia then used her magical aura to retrieve the shattered remains of her favorite teacup, bringing them together and after a quick blink of light, placing her flawless, albeit empty, teacup back upon her desk. The princess of the sun opened a drawer and removed two scrolls of blank paper as she refilled her teacup and set upon her favorite cushion. Celestia closed her eyes and unrolled both scrolls simultaneously and wrote two separate letters at once as she silently sipped her tea with closed eyes.

"Dear Princess Twilight," "Dear Princess Cadance,"

. . .

Upon a beaten trail Cassandra followed behind Goliath as they made their way out of Canterlot proper. Cassandra somewhat hoped to find that the damages she saw in Canterlot would have become less prevelant as they made their way into the countryside. While there was less to be destroyed out here, there was still clear evidence in the moonlight that immense damage would have been done to anything above ground out here as well.

There appeared to be the remains of a small town nestled down in a valley off in the southern distance.

Cassandra paused to get a better look at the distant town, it appeared to have been completely destroyed but it was still obvious there had been a town there at one time in the past.

Goliath stood next to her, taking in the view as well, he could tell she was curious about the scorched landmark in the valley.

"From what others have scavenged from it, we've come to know it was called Ponyville, a small hamlet just south of Canterlot where all the bearers of the "Elements of Harmony" once lived."

Goliath raised a hoof and pointed it toward the ruined village.

"One can still make out the ruins of "Friendship Castle" among the remains, it's lone surviving base retains a fraction of it's original glimmer amongst the scorched timber and masonry surronding it." Goliath spoke.

"Elements of Harmony..." Cassandra dug at the ashen ground with a hoof as her mind worked.

"I... I remember them coming to the Crystal Empire before, They were all young mares. They were summoned by Celestia herself to save our homeland from King Sombra's return." Cassandra recalled.

Goliath looked down at the mare next to him, still needing to remind himself that this mare was indeed alive to see Equestria in all it's glory, back before everything was brought to utter ruin.

"You saw them you say? Were they just ordinary mares?" Goliath questioned.

Cassandra looked back at Goliath and nodded her head.

"Yes, there was nothing really different about them, they looked like they could have still been in their later years of school, They just had this... aura about them... Like they were... magical beyond our own understanding of Equestrain magic, They truly were the embodiments of Harmony itself..." Cassandra spoke.

Goliath drew his vision across the horizon as he exhaled deeply.

"We should continue on Cassandra, We have a very long journey ahead of us and remaining stationary out in the open at night is unadvisable." spoke Goliath as he lead Cassandra North.

Goliath had decided they should follow what remained of the train tracks leading Northwest, It would make their journey much longer than heading directly North, but it was much safer to travel the tracks than travel through the open wilds of Equestria.

Once they arrived in the Unicorn Ranges, they should expect a rather safe journey from there on. Goliath's only concern past there was Galloping Gorge, a ravine full of hazzardous outcroppings and deadly drops. Goliath did have concern for his own saftey once they reached the Frozen North. Crystal ponies were rumored to be very hardy to the cold, so Cassandra's crystal pony body was likely to survive the North's icy weather far better than his own Canterlot born Unicorn body.

For a moment, Goliath actually considered heading East instead. Their trip would be almost cut in half, but the east rails would take them past Hallow Shades. Ponies from his camp had ventured out that way and did not return. Groups that had been sent out to locate their whereabouts came back scarred and broken shells of their former selves. Tales of malgimations of equine nightmares and visions of absolute terror, beasts beyond explination and an overall feeling of dread that soaked them to the bone for the rest of their natural lives.

So,
Northwest it was.

. . .

Goliath knew they would not make this trip without some sort of complications along the way and he hoped against all the danger that awaited them along this journey, against all that, Hopefully he could keep this mare alive long enough to see her back home at least. Looking off to his left as he could barely make out the border of the massive Everfree, making a silent prayer that Everfree Wraiths did not venture out this far.

. . .

In the distance, a figure stirs from within the remains of a shack, not terribly far from the railway.

The moonlight reflects off a sinister grin as the figure watches the pair settle down for the evening though her high-powered scope. She would wait until that bucketheaded pain in the ass nods off for some shuteye, then she'll make her move.

Far-Eye scopes the surronding area, making her plans as she takes note of any and all places of hiding, any terrain that might give away her position, and most importantly, where that sparkly cunt decides to call it a night at.

It's little more than half an hour later and their little camp is silent, the fire is dying down and the amount of light around them is quickly fading. Far-Eye does another scan of the horizon and her immediate surrondings, can't have some random fauna interrupting a score that would change her life forever. This must be perfect, no mistakes and certainly no interruptions.

Far-Eye makes her way across the ground like a silent shadow, crossing the ground like the effortless wind. An onlooker might comment she was supprisingly silent for a lunatic.

Far-Eye made her way to the area where "Crystal Cunt" had went to sleep. She could not make out where her knight in crappy armor had gone. While asleep, Far-Eye knew well of him from years in close proximity, (and from attempting to steal from him on numerous occasions) even while he slept, his multiple implants kept guard. His augmented hearing would damn near hear a feather fall on the surface of water. His sense of smell was even augmented, Far-Eye took a moment to acess herself and realized soon after even the dead could probably smell her musky mix of overall filth and cloud of musk she was extruding from being around another mare.

Far-Eye steeled her nerves and tried to forget the fact that if for any reason Golem detected her and found her near this crystal mare, he could and likely WOULD tear her clean in two without a second thought.

Far-Eye approached the sleeping mare and marveled again at her shimmering coat, each slow and steady breath caused her beautiful pelt to rise and fall in the moonlight, causing the light to dance upon her with brilliance. Far-Eye began to wonder if she was warm and soft, or hard and cold. Just before her hoof reached out to touch her, Far-Eye collected her senses and halted such an action.

Emerald Acid would certainly give her plenty of time alone with this mare to figure that one out for herself, all good things come to a mare who waits.

Far-Eye nodded her head as she assured herself tomorrow was going to be a very good day and placed the barrel of her shotgun to the crystal cunt's head.

. . .

Cassandra had been having nightmares about Goliath escorting her all the way home, only to find everypony she knew and loved gone without a trace, a silent city of glass without a warmth to make it home, without a voice she could speak with.

Then everything switched and the city was in a completely destroyed state. All the beautiful shops, her own home and the entire palace all lay in ruins around her. Jagged razors of crystal had impaled so many ponies she had come to love and admire. The Crystal Heart lay on it's side, emitting a feeble light that pulsed like a slowing heartbeat.

Cassandra bore witniss to visions of such horror and visions of utter brutalisim, The Princess herself had been impaled upon a spire of crystal just inches out of reach of her dear prince, whimpering and screaming as she tore herself away from it, just so she could hold his already deceased figure one last time as her own body grew colder as the seconds passed her by.

Cassandra galloped over to her princess's side immediately in a panic.

"Your highness, is there anything I can do to help? What has happened to our home?" Cassandra exclaimed.

Princess Cadance looked up at her with tears in her eyes and made the best smile she could.

"Please... address me as Cadance... I do not know what happened... It happened so quickly... You must go Cassandra... I hear the sound of my dear citizens passing on, I can feel the Crystal Heart's magic fading as each precious light goes out..." the princess responded sadly.

Princess Cadance lay her head down on her dear Shining Armor's shoulder.

"The Empire will soon be no more without its citizens, preserve you own life and leave Cassandra, find a new home where you may continue to grow and live." Cadance intoned remorsefully.

Unable to stand the sight of the heart wrenching scene any more, Cassandra heeded her princess's advice and ran.

Cassandra ran without direction aimlessly, running this way and that, unknowingly running in circles before ending up right back where she started.

Cassandra felt as if her world was crashing down around her, the quiet whimpering behind her of the dying royal had stopped as the soft blue light of the Crystal Heart nearby faded into darkness.

When it seemed her world could get no darker, Cassandra heard his voice...

"Cassy... Dear... Please go back to Canterlot, please do NOT turn around my love..."

Cassandra felt her blood run colder than the ice particles slowly falling from the sky, her mind screamed at her to heed his words, but the prospect of hearing his voice caused her to do so anyways.

Emerald Light was before her, impaled like the rest of those whom she held dear. Still alive and speaking to her from his immobile prison.

"No, Sweetheart... I'm sorry... Please... Go back sweetie." Emerald struggled to say.

Cassandra went to touch his face when a stabbing pain rippled through her midsection.
It would have been truly poetic if it the pain was only in her heart...

. . .

Cassandra awoke to the sight of something odd being pointed at her.

Her eyes followed the metal tube up to the grinning face behind it.

The mare holding the presumed weapon put a hoof to her mouth in a "shush" motion, then motioned for Cassandra to follow her. Cassandra's eyes ran wet for more than one reason as she shook her head in reffusal.

The mare with the weapon pointed at her again and made a motion to follow her, then the mare made another motion Cassandra understood. The mare ran a hoof across her throat and pointed her weapon right at Cassandra's head. Indicating this mare would kill her if she didn't do as she said.

"Please don't hurt me..." was all Cassandra got out before Goilath rose in the fraction of an instant.

Far-Eye reached out and took the mare by the throat, pressing her shotgun to Cassandra's skull.

"Make one step toward her and I swear to Faust Goliath, I'll plaster the countryside with her pretty little crystal brains!"

The hulking metal stallion stood in place silently as Cassandra gasped for air, this mare was not only crushing her windpipe, but smelled absoutely horrid.

"Release her Far-Eye, if you hurt her, there will be no place in all of Equestria where you can sleep peacefully, I WILL find you." Goliath spoke.

Far-Eye spat at him and forced the cold metal of her weapon into Cassandra's skull, meriting a whinny of pain from the crystal mare as Far-Eye grinned evily.

"I'm taking her back to Canterlot, Emerald will pay me a FORTUNE for her and I'll see to it she's well looked after." Far-Eye laughed as she gave the mare's cheek a lick.

Golem was at least 3 lengths from them and had no way of attacking Far-Eye before she could kill Cassandra. What bothered Golem more than anything else was knowing this mare would have no qualms with killing Cassandra if she needed to. Cassandra hadn't done anything to wrong Far-Eye, but that didn't matter to Far-Eye, to her this mare was just another prize to be stolen and sold off to the highest bidder, after she had her way with Cassandra of course.

Golem snorted and made a proposition.

"Far-Eye, I am taking this mare to her homeland, if it still exists, there will no doubt be many more of her kind there. You could follow us and start a new slaving buisness there and be known all over Equestria for what you could offer." Golem spoke, bluffing of course, intending to pop this nutjob of a mare's skull like a grape the first chance he got. His primary desire was to get Cassandra away from this highly unpredictable mare as quickly as possible.

Far-Eye seemed to contemplate it for a moment and then grinned in a way he'd never seen her grin before, it was absoutely terrifying, a mask of abhorrant insanity and evil.

"How about you go to Tartarus you lying Canterlot stallion sucker." Far-Eye droned as she pulled the trigger.

It all happened faster than Golem could react, her words came an instant after her expression changed. By the time his magic grasped the hilt of his sword,

It was already too late.

The report of the weapon deafened Golem's hearing as a red boquet of gore exploded from Cassandra's skull, her lifeless body dropping to the ground with a ghost of her scared expression still frozen on her sparkling face.

With one hammerfall, their journey had come to sudden and bloody end.

. . .

Author's Note

Man,
That would make a heck of an ending eh?

Spoiler:
It's not. ^^