Sapphire Blue

by MMBK

Rating: mature
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Original Character, Sex, Tragedy, Profanity, Non-consensual, Violence, Crossover, Death, Fallout, Sad, Gore
Length: 6205

A family of two search an abandoned factory for salvage, when raiders strike.

A mother and her son loot an abandoned Robronco factory for supplies, before raiders pay a visit. Things don't go so well for them from there.

Published 2020-10-04 03:20:00 UTC
Last updated 2020-10-04 03:20:00 UTC

Sapphire Blue

Author's Note

DISCLAIMER:
There is rape, borderline pedophilia, disemboweling, and excessive gore in this story. If you are sensitive to such things, do NOT continue reading this story.
On a side note, this is not a story meant to provide sexual pleasure. This is not clop material, and should not be seen as such.

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Commission request by Dravakiirm.

This is a side story to Radio Static, regarding one of the characters in the story. Cover art coming soon.

[UPDATE; 1/17/21 Art done by SevenSerenity.]

Sapphire Blue

The office was dimly lit by candle light. The aroma of strawberries helped mask the scent of metal and machine oil.

My mother, the only light I needed in this world, looked down at me as I sat on the metal floor. Her smile enveloped my heart with love and warmth, even in dark times.

"Boo!" I said happily as I raised my fore hooves over my head with the hope of giving the illusion that I was bigger than the six year old pony that I was.

"Agh!" She jumped back playfully, before giggling. "You scared me, dear."

"I'm the true scare master!" I gave my forehoof a triumphant thrust to the air in celebration of my victory.

She giggled as she moved in, hugging me close to her chest.

The strawberry scent of the candle mixed in with the natural scent of her violet, frizzy mane.

It smelled of gun oil, due to the amount of time she dedicated to restoring and maintaining her weapons. It wasn't the most pleasant smell, but it was a part of her.

Eventually, I grew to like it for that reason alone. Now I was in love with the smell. I couldn't get enough of it.

We sat in an old Robronco factory that she had checked out, prior to us entering.

Thankfully, none of the machines were awake.

"Remember, love." She whispered in my ear. "Keep an eye out for batteries, ammo, and medical supplies." I backed up, looking into her light greenish-blue eyes.

"Betcha I'll find more than you."

"Oh yeah?" She replied with a mirthless smile. "You're on."

"If I win, I want Fancy Buck cakes for infinity! Oh, and Sparkle Colas!"

Ah, I was salivating just at the thought!

She giggled. "Alright, sweet tooth. If I win, I want a lifetime supply of cuddles from you. And a present for my upcoming birthday." She regarded me coolly. "Seeing as you put two things down on the table, so will I."

"Deal!" I said with a bright grin etched on my face.

She moved in, and we nuzzled each other's nose happily.

"I love you, mommy."

She backed up a bit, giving me the smile I could never get enough of.

"I love you too, baby." She tapped my nose with a forehoof, causing me to scrunch it instinctively. She giggled for a moment, before continuing. "Meet up here in half an hour." She pulled up the watch she had made for me a year ago, out of scraps she managed to scrape together. "Sound good?" She asked as she took my forehoof and strapped the device to it.

I nodded happily. "Mhm!"

"Okay, good. Now go, go, go!"

With that, we both raced off to opposite directions. She went for the catwalks that led back to the assembly lines, while I went for a ventilation duct that I spotted next to the office desk.

Vents always led to valuable treasures! Sometimes, even behind locked doors.

Thankfully, for my small size, I was able to fit inside with no troubles. I was never worried about getting stuck.

As I passed over rooms, I'd take a minute to look through the grate and see if there was anything worth grabbing. If there was, I'd pop out, grab the items of interest, stuff them back at the rendezvous, and proceed further down the vent shafts.

Without a light source however, it was difficult to see. Had it not been for the sun roofs, I'd be blind!

It was times like this that Celestia had my gratitude. I believed that somewhere up there, she was still controlling the sun.

Hopefully, if I was lucky enough, I'd find something I could give to my mom as a birthday present!

Even if she didn't win this competition, I still really wanted to get her something. She was more than worth it!

After minutes of crawling through the dark air ducts, I came across an old office that had at least six desks. Though it was incredibly dark in there. I might have miscounted.

I listened closely for anything that might have been in there, with the intention of checking the place out.

I waited for about a minute, and in that time, I was presented with silence and darkness.

For good measure, I tapped my forehoof against the grate a few times, but still, there was nothing.

"Giggle at the ghostly..." I whispered as I slowly removed the grate. "Guffaw at the grossly..." After lifting the grate up into the vent with me, I poked my head out, taking a better look around the room. It was still hard to see, but I didn't witness any movement, and I still didn't hear anything. I dropped down as I continued under my breath. "Crack up at the creepy..." I hung from my forehooves for a moment, before dropping down to the floor on all fours. I resumed the study of my surroundings... I felt like the shadows watched me, ready to strike... "Whoop it up with the weepy..."

I reached a hoof out to the desk next to me, sliding it along its surface until I came across its drawers. "Chortle at the kooky..."

Upon opening the bottom drawer, I began digging through a mess of paperwork. "Snortle at the spooky..."

Darn it, I wasn't finding anything usefu- ah hah! I spoke too soon!

I hastily pulled out a flashlight from the bottom and tested the button.

A cone of light shot out from it, letting me rest my eyes from the constant strain of trying to see in the dark.

After waving it around the room, I confirmed I was alone in here.

I sighed with relief. "Phew! Okay, now back to business."

I began my search, emptying entire office desks and filing cabinets just to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

By the end, through all the boring paperwork that could hardly be called reading material, I found a few bottle caps, five batteries, and a book on engineering. My mom could get some use of this!

I stuffed those into my saddle bags, ready to head up to drop the supplies off, but just when I was ready to go back up, something caught my eye.

I trotted up to one of the last desks I had searched through, and on its surface, I caught sight of a beautiful sapphire locked in a necklace.

I was a small pony, so I didn't see it at first. I had to stand up on my hind legs just to get a view of it.

I hopped up and snagged the jewelry. The perfect present for my mom...

Just as I slid it into my bags, a series of gunshots went off from outside the room, somewhere else in the factory.

My heart pounding heavily in my chest, I climbed up on the desk closest to the vent.

From there, I hopped up, trying to swipe a hoof at the edge. But I was too small! I couldn't reach!

As more gunfire persisted, and the shouting of other mares and stallions mixed in, I quickly jumped off, went to another desk, and pushed with all my might, slowly bringing it to the first one.

If I hadn't emptied it already, I might not have been able to move it at all!

Once it pressed up against the initial desk, I got underneath it and tried lifting one side of it with my forehooves. I was straining myself, but I needed to get back to her!

Slowly but surely, one side started to rise off the ground.

As it did, I slipped a forehoof under the bottom. Once I had a hold of it, I diverted all my strength to lifting from there, as I had more leverage.

"C'mon, lift!" I shouted as I put all my effort into this.

With great strain, once I saw it was high enough, I slid it over the first desk and set the raised side on the edge of its surface.

Panting, I backed out from under it, before quickly running to the end of the second desk and stepping up on its surface. It wasn't wobbling, so that was good.

As I was at the lower edge of the slanted desk, I swayed left and right, just in case. I couldn't face being injured at a time like this.

Once it was confirmed that it was stable to move on, I took a deep breath, looking up at the vent. My heart was thumping. I had one shot at this, cause there was a big chance that if I missed, I'd get hurt. I was scared, but I had to make a leap of faith...

I started to run...

As my forehooves started to leave the edge of the platform, I leapt, reaching out for the opening of the shaft.

Time felt like it slowed for me as adrenaline ran through my veins. My fear grew as each crawling second passed.

I closed my eyes for fear of what was to happen next. I had to brace myself...

Just as I began to lose hope that I was going to make the jump, my fore caught the ledge to the vent, to which I hung there by one hoof, swinging back and forth.

Hastily, I opened my eyes and reached up with my other hoof, before pulling myself in and crawling back to the rendezvous with no time to lose.

I hoped she was there. I hoped she was safe!

I could still hear the gunshots and screaming of mad ponies as I crawled over the factory floors and offices.

"Come on out and play!" I heard a stallion shout from nearby, before more rounds were fired. "Let's have some fun!"

"Hey!" The raspy voice of a mare called out as I crawled to the rendezvous. "There's someone in the air ducts!"

Before I could process what she said, bullets tore through the bottom of the vent. Beams of light shined through the holes that grew in numbers.

I screamed as I rushed for the end. Terror ran through me at a moment's notice.

As I sought safety in desperation, a round pierced my rear hoof. I yelped and cried, but I had to keep moving! I HAD to get back!

But it hurt so bad!

As I made my way closer to the exit, I discovered their bullets stopped firing around me. I must have entered a separate part of the factory.

As I slipped out of the vent, back into the office that we made our meeting spot, my mom ran through the door, wielding two pistols and a pump action shotgun in her magic.

She kept them aimed at the doorway as she backed up.

"Mommy!" I cried out, to which she spun around to me.

Her cheek was grazed from a gunshot. Blood trickled from the wound...

Fear grew in her eyes as she looked at me. Tears fell into the mix... and that made me want to cry more. I hated seeing my mother scared and in pain...

"Mommy..." I whimpered as I limped toward her.

"Baby..." She rushed forward and held me close as I bawled into her chest.

"Mommy, I'm scared!" I wrapped my hooves around her, clinging for dear life.

She kissed the top of my head. "I know, sweet pea... I know. But everything is gonna be okay..."

I felt a piece of fabric wrap around my injured hoof as she lifted my head up to look at her. "You gotta be strong... No matter what... Be strong..." There was a wobble in her voice as tears broke free. "I love you so much, baby..."

"I love you too, mommy!" I wailed.

A series of hooves approached in a canter from outside the office. She grit her teeth as she tied off the bandage with her magic.

"Get back in the vent, love. Don't make a sound... No matter what." She pumped the shotgun, and a spent shell flew out from the chamber, before clattering along the ground. "Go!"

Hastily, I did as she demanded, and as I crawled back in, she put the grate over the opening via her magic.

I watched her through the grate as she faced the open doorway. All her guns were aiming at the entrance as she stood there in silence.

I did my best to do as she said and stay quiet, but through all the tears and sobbing, it was so hard...

The rapid hoofsteps grew louder, and in a moment's notice, a stallion with crude, spiked armor ran in.

With the thunderous burst of buckshot, his head burst, spraying chunks of eye, tongue, skull, and brain over the mare that ran in after.

She screamed and recoiled as fragments of bone cut through her face and eyes.

It was cut short, however, when a pistol pressed up against her head and drilled a bullet through her brain.

She dropped in a growing puddle of her own gore; still and silent.

Heavy, metallic hoofsteps grew in volume at an alarming rate.

"I love it when they fight back!" The voice of a stallion shouted through a respirator, just before a full set of poorly maintained power armor stomped into view, crushing the two corpses under his heavy weight in the process.

It looked as if whoever was inside just slapped a bunch of salvage together, and put a welding mask on the helmet after fusing thin, metal bars to the visor.

The steel mohawk on the helmet had a series of blades pointing up, along the sides.

Bolts and spikes jutted out of the shoulders and chest, and the hooves had steel claws.

The moment he presented himself, she opened fire with no hesitation.

All three guns blazed, but he only laughed as he stomped his way over to her.

"Makes the climax more rewarding!" He shouted as he started charging for her, ready to pummel her into ground meat.

She jumped to the side, to which he slammed against the wall, leaving a dent.

As he started to turn around in his recovery, she spun the shotgun around and blasted the back of his head.

"Motherfucker!" He screamed in a fit of rage as he shook his head. As he spun around to her, he received another load of shotgun; this time, to the visor.

Her two pistols shot from afar, circling him.

It wasn't much longer before her guns clicked on empty, though...

They stood at a distance, facing each other. There was a fire in my mom's eyes...

Several other raiders ran in, aiming their guns at her.

He quickly looked past her at his team. "You fire a single round at her, I'll block your air passage with my cock and rape your carcass! This bitch is mine!"

His party immediately stood down and watched as my mom and the leader stared each other down.

"It's about fucking time I had a good fight."

"Believe me, dear." She started with a grimace. "The feeling's mutual." She dropped her guns as the lavender aura of her magic enveloped her saddle bags. Upon opening, she levitated a metal hoof out and slipped it over her right fore. "Bring it on, big guy."

He chuckled menacingly as he lowered his head. He slid a forehoof along the ground, preparing for another charge with the spiked death at the top of his helmet.

In doing so, his claws shrieked along the metal floor as sparks flew out.

I covered my ears with both hooves as I grit my teeth, trying to escape that horrible sound.

He charged forth as my mom stood her ground in a battle stance.

With a running start, he leapt for her, ready to come down with his claws.

Her eyes went wide for a moment, before bolting forward.

As he came in for an impact, she delivered her hoof up into his gut, releasing an electrical discharge.

As he cried out - his body going rigid - she ran between his hind legs and delivered another shocking blow to his rear.

He spun around with a swipe of his claws.

She quickly recoiled as she put a hoof to her cheek, remaining silent.

I nearly called out for her just then, out of fear of her safety. But she was strong... She was gonna make the bad guys go away.

She removed the hoof from her cheek, revealing three horizontal scratches that leaked more blood into her coat.

With a grin, she hissed. "That all you fucking got...? Paper cuts?"

"Someone oughta make good use of that mouth of yours." He replied as he started to make another run for her.

Still, she stood her ground.

Just before he was going to ram her bloody against a wall, she jumped to the side in a spin, before delivering another devastating blow to the side of his head.

He groaned beneath his helmet as he tripped and tumbled along the ground, before smashing into the wall, worsening the dent he had made earlier.

As he started to get back up, she jumped atop him, slamming the power hoof into the back of his head.

He gasped and wheezed as he collapsed onto his stomach.

Second after second, she delivered electrical shocks to his body, keeping him down as he started to weaken.

"Submit!" She shouted, glaring down at him. "Let me go, and I'll spare you!"

"Never!" He replied in a raspy cough.

That continued the beatings.

"Last chance!" She blurted as spittle hung from her lips. "Surrender, and you walk out ali-AGH!"

A gun went off, and my mom fell off him, screaming as she held her shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound.

"Mommy!" I shouted instinctively, before pushing the grate away. I ran out and rushed to her side, holding her tight. "Please! No more! Leave us alone! Please!"

"Baby..." Her hoof wrapped tightly around mine, and I looked back down at her... I saw fear... "I told you to stay hidden..."

"I can't sit and watch as they hurt you!" I blurted behind panicked tears.

"Sure you can..." The leader said in a raspy voice as he slowly lifted himself up. "You just don't know it yet..."

Some of his friends chuckled, to which he turned to them. "Which one of you fuckers fired that round?"

They all backed away from a mare, who looked up at him as her ears wilted. "S-she was about to kill you."

"Bullshit." He said quickly, before coughing a bit. "It was my fight, you cunt. I'm gonna have LOADS of fun with you later..." He nodded to one of the raiders behind her, who proceeded to smack the butt of a rifle against the back of her head; therefore knocking her out cold.

"Now..." He said as he towered over us. We clung tight to each other...

His claws dug through my saddle bags, to my flank, sinking in deep. As I wailed, he pulled me away from her reach, and as a result of that, his claws slid across my coat, tearing my flank open in three separate cuts.

Blood seeped out as I cried from the sudden and immense pain.

"Stop!" My mom shouted as tears filled her eyes. "Please don't hurt him!"

"Shut up..." He hissed as he ripped the saddle bags from me.

He turned them upside down, letting the contents fall to the ground before me.

One of those items was the sapphire necklace...

I quickly reached out for it, but he took it away before I could touch it.

"What the hell is this, huh?"

"Give that back!" I demanded. "It's for my mom! It's not yours!"

She stared silently at me, occasionally glancing up at him. She watched closely...

He looked back down at her as he chuckled, dropping the necklace. "Happy anniversary, mom." He said, before stomping a hoof over the present.

As he raised his hoof, I was presented with a shattered gem...

"You're a big meanie!" I shouted, glaring up at him.

He looked back down at me as he replied. "Oh, you have no idea..."

With that, he put a hoof down over my back, sliding the claws down my body, towards my tail. I felt blood trickle through my fur. I closed my eyes tight, trying to block out the pain, but it was hopeless...

"Please..." She whimpered. "Please, don't hurt him... You want our salvage? Take it. It's yours. Just... Please, let us go..."

He chuckled dryly as he removed his claws from my back, only to dig into the wounds in my flank again; widening them as he inched deeper, sliding them across again.

"Luckily for you..." He whispered in my ear as I cried. "I'm not interested in kids..."

I gasped as the claws left me, and he stepped over my form, approaching my mom.

"You, on the other hoof, have my attention... I wanna see how good you are at fighting back when I'm inside you..."

The back of his armor split open, and out stepped a stallion with a dark brown coat with an even darker shade for a mane and tail.

He had a crushed pony skull with an exposed, mutilated brain for a cutiemark.

I studied every part of him that I could from here as he walked around the armor, towards her.

She crawled away, glaring up at him.

Once he caught up, he put a forehoof down over her chest.

"Make sure he watches..." He said behind clenched teeth.

One of the raiders stepped up and kept my head facing them. I was unable to turn away...

One of his rear legs spread hers apart, before he started to lie atop her.

As he grunted, moving back and forth against her aggressively, she cried out, pleading for him to stop.

I wasn't sure what was happening, but he was hurting her...

I started to get up, but my legs buckled beneath me as the pain in my flank and back flared up. To make things worse, the raider on top of me slammed a forehoof down over my back injury.

I yelped as I tried to look away. "L-leave her alone!" Despite my best efforts, the raider forced me to watch.

I hated what I was seeing...

What I was hearing...

"Shut it, kid." The raider atop me said. "And don't you dare close your eyes, or you're next..." I felt him raise my tail... "You look fucking tight... I'm already tempted..."

"P-please!" My mom shouted between thrusts, looking back at me as tears drenched her face. "Plea-please! No! Don't hurt hi-im! I'm be-begging you! PLEASE!"

"Shut up, you dumb bitch!" The leader shouted behind a pant as his hoof pressed her head firmly against the ground.

His breathing grew more shaky and louder as he slammed into her.

Her and I both wept as I was forced to watch through it all.

He grunted and moaned louder as he stayed frozen, arching his back.

"Hah, fuck!" He panted heavily, before it morphed into laughter. "The bitch is wet! She's enjoying it!" He got off her, panting as he turned to me with a sickening smile. Yellow eyes...

He glanced up at the raider that pinned me down. "Your turn. I'll hold the kid down."

My tail finally dropped as the raider got off me, only for the leader to take his place. I felt something wet and sticky rest on my back, pulsating rhythmically. It burnt against my scratches...

He kept my head up, still making me watch the same actions he did to my mom, only with a different stallion.

And another.

And another...

... And another...

After the leader, she stopped begging. Stopped screaming. She simply lied there, grunting with each thrust from that point on...

After the last stallion in the group was finished, he walked around to her head.

"Wanna lick me clean?" He said with a wicked grin, before turning to me. "What about you, huh? You want a taste?"

I quickly shook my head, to which the party chuckled.

From there he grabbed my mom by the head and forced his hips over her face, obscuring her from me.

She didn't fight back...

Finally, after a while, as he pulled away, he looked up at the leader. "Guess she ain't hungry."

"L-let me..." She muttered, looking over. "Let me see my b-baby... I just... I need him..."

The leader let go of me, to which I rushed to her.

"Sure thing, hun." He replied.

"Mommy!" I clung tight to her, bawling my eyes out. "Mommy, I'm scared!"

"I know, sweet pea..." She whispered in a wobbly voice as she nuzzled into me weakly. "I am, too... But we gotta be strong, okay...? I love yo-" Suddenly, she gasped as her mouth hung open.

"M... Mommy...?"

Before she could respond, I was quickly torn away from her arms thrown to the ground, next to the shattered sapphire.

I tried to look over at my mom, but before I had the chance to turn my head, a sharp pain filled the entirety of my head, to the tip of my horn. The agony throbbed as I screamed at the top of my lungs. To levels I never knew I could reach...

Another outburst of head-splitting pain ran through me before I was anywhere close to recovery.

Again and again, a hoof stomped down over my horn, and each time, I felt it crack more.

I lost count of the impacts. My entire world was pain. I couldn't think.

A blade slid along my head; over my eye, and to my temple.

As much as I hated it, it snapped me back into reality.

My head was pounding, as was the base of my horn...

The rest, I...

... I couldn't feel the rest of my horn!

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HORN!?

It felt like they lodged a metal rod down into the base!

The raider that had stomped on me forced me to face the broken sapphire...

My horn was in the mix...

Fractured...

There was no getting that back...

"What was that about being strong?" The leader said as he lifted me off the ground. As he walked over to my mom, I saw her desperately hanging onto life as her stomach was cut open.

She was trying to speak, but it was proven difficult for her.

I fought as the raider pressed my muzzle into her wound.

"Come get some while she's fresh!" One of them shouted.

Her blood was on my tongue. Her intestines rubbed against my lips as I protested.

She gasped and yelped, though I could tell she was growing weaker by the second...

I needed her to be strong...

We needed to be strong for each other...

"Oh, don't die on us yet!" One of them said with a laugh as I heard the hum of unicorn magic. "The party ain't over!"

"Hold on..." The leader said as he pulled my head from her gut. I gasped for air as he continued. "I think she wants some too!"

I was quickly brought face to face with her.

They pushed my muzzle to hers. I tried to turn away, but they forced our lips to meet.

New, disturbing flavors and scents reached my senses as my mouth was forced open by the magic of one of the unicorns. Our tongues were forced to meet as they laughed.

Her and I wanted it all to be over...

Even she fought to get away as we both wept...

Eventually, her hooves wrapped loosely around my body, and I returned the gesture.

It wasn't long before I was ripped away from her again.

One of them spread her wound apart, exposing her innards to me, before shoving me in.

I screamed and fought, but it did no good for me.

My mom went silent...

No matter how hard they tried, I kept slipping out, nearly getting away a few times.

With frustration towards me, the last thing I saw before my world went black was a hoof closing in on my face...

When I next woke, the putrid, humid air reeked of rotting meat.

My head was pounding, and my body ached. I was stuck in the confines of something...

Upon opening my eyes, I was presented with nightmares.

I screamed and cried as I tried to break out from my mother's dead body, but the raiders had sown her shut, and I was too weak! My attempt was only exerting what little energy I had left.

So I screamed... Cried. Called for help...

Day two...

Dark brown coat. Darker mane. Cracked open pony skull for a cutiemark. Yellow eyes.

Her blood was already changing color on my coat...

My wounds stung as my body screamed for me to move around.

I reluctantly managed to chew a hole through her flesh, giving me not only a view of a dry desert, but a fresh, steady oxygen flow as well. Most of the time, I kept my muzzle pressed to the hole...

The taste of her flesh and blood stained my tongue...

Day three...

Dark brown coat. Darker mane. Cracked open pony skull for a cutiemark. Yellow eyes.

It was the days that were the hardest, due to the hellish temperatures.

The nights were cool. Her body provided enough warmth through the nights, keeping me from freezing to death.

My cuts were starting to itch, but touching them only made it worse.

By mid day, maggots began feasting on her corpse...

I began eating them. I'd eat maggots before I took another bite from her...

I was so thirsty, though...

Day four...

Dark brown coat... Darker mane... Cracked open pony skull for a cutiemark... Yellow eyes...

My cuts had swelled, and they burnt consistently. Pus seeped out.

The maggots that I hadn't consumed crawled in my wounds. I was a part of their meal now...

I was so weak... So tired... I couldn't be strong anymore...

I didn't have much longer left to live...

Day five...

I awoke with a cold, wet substance washing down my throat. I coughed and spat as I choked, and the neck of a bottle parted from my cracked lips...

I could hardly tell it was water from all the dried blood, flesh maggot...

I quickly grabbed the bottle and started chugging without abandon. At this point, I was willing to drink an entire river...

After a short while, the bottle was taken away from me, and the voice of a mare spoke. I reached out for it, but had no luck in getting it back.

"Don't drink so fast. You'll puke otherwise."

I cracked my eyelids open, just now realizing I was sitting in the desert plains, out from my mother's corpse.

I looked up at a unicorn covered head to hoof in a dark purple armor. She regarded me silently.

"W-who are you...?" I asked as I scooted away from her quickly.

"My name is Hollow. I'm a friend." She reached the canteen out to me again. "Drink. Slowly. You need to hydrate, but puking it back up won't do you any good."

I took the canteen and started drinking again. Once my lips touched the opening, I couldn't put it back down.

I was so thirsty...

"She was your mother, wasn't she?" The mysterious mare known as Hollow asked.

After several more gulps, I finally took the canteen away from my lips, looking back up at her, only to find she was regarding something behind me.

I turned around, and instantly, I yelped as I saw her mutilated body lying there...

I quickly turned away, closing my eyes tight. I didn't have any tears left to shed... But I was being ripped apart from the inside...

"I'm sorry for your loss..." Hollow said quietly.

I shuddered under my breath as my lips quivered.

"She was everything... I... What do I do now? Where do I go...?"

She was silent for a moment, before her arm wrapped around me carefully.

I jolted away as I gasped, looking up at her in a panic.

"Come... I'll take care of you."

I stared for a moment, to which she continued.

"You have a fever. Your wounds have festered. I have a cave nearby, let me take you there and bring you back to health... And then we can give your mother proper burial..."

Hesitantly, I reached up for her, to which she lifted me up on her back.

"What's your name?" She asked as she lifted my mom over her back, behind me.

"My... my name is Black Scope..."

(((((((◉)))))))

I sat in silence, looking at the campfire as the flames licked up in attempts to reach the starry night.

Everyone was asleep but me. It was hard to sleep, anyways...

I was haunted by my childhood. I wasn't able to escape my past...

Especially in the realm of sleep.

Dark brown coat.

Darker mane.

Cracked open pony skull for a cutiemark.

Yellow eyes.

I didn't have a name for the son of a bitch, but every morning, before I did anything else, and every night, I reminded myself what the fucker looked like. I was going to find him someday, and I was going to be his fucking nightmare...

The hornless unicorn known as Charger was mumbling in his sleep, at the other side of the fire.

Hollow said that we had a lot to talk about, but the only similarity we shared that I saw was that we both lost our horns.

His was apparently shaved off entirely, though. I still had a part of mine, at least...

It made sense that nothing grew back on his end.

The nerves in a unicorn's horn were very sensitive. Inappropriately so, as a matter of fact.

If the nerves in a horn were damaged in some way, it'd cause stunt growth to the horn. Not to mention the worst migraines in the history of ever...

What remained of my horn was a bit stunted from my damage, but not by much.

If it was true, and Charger did have a horn that got ground down to dust, then his nerves were downright obliterated. There was no hope for anything to grow back there.

As I grew, so did the width of my horn. But that was about the extent of my growth. It was never going to be fully restored.

I was lucky to have the sapphire replacement that Hollow made for me...

Charger had nothing... and I felt remorse for him.

Something I admired about him in the little time I got to know him was that he still joked around, despite all the shit. He laughed and smiled. He was playful. Sometimes a bit too sexual... I caught the fucker looking at my ass a few times, during our trek.

He was annoying as hell... but had a light inside him that failed to burn out completely. He was strong. I greatly admired him for that.

I looked up at the stars as Charger tossed and turned, grumbling to himself.

"Hey, mom..." I whispered as I studied the constellations. I always imagined she was up there, somewhere, looking down at me, in a better place than Equus. In a place like the Everafter... "I miss you. I think about you a lot. I love you." I stared for a moment, before shaking my head and breaking into a soft chuckle. "Guess I'm repeating myself at this point, huh? How many times have I said all this to you?"

I sighed as I put all my focus to the stars. "We've gone over this before, so you know what I'm about to ask... Please..." I took a deep breath, filling my heart with false hope... "If you can hear me... If you see me, if you're out there... Please. Give me a sign. Something. Please... I-"

I froze as one of the hundreds of thousands of stars suddenly twinkled at me, before shooting off into the endless void up above.

Charger suddenly gasped as he shot up, panting. I glanced down at him for a moment as he spun his head around, looking around in a panic, before returning to the stars, awestruck. Under my breath, with a faint upwards curl of my lips, I whispered. “I love you too, mom...”

I turned back to Charger as his eyes finally began to focus on me. I raised a brow at him as I regarded him coolly.

"Just nightmares..." He muttered, before looking around a bit more.