Equestia: Ballad of a fallen world

A being called a horse is terribly anxious. I feel fear and confidence from it but I cannot determine if it is a conscious being. I feel from it the same as from our animals which means it is probably an animal. ZEUS has tried to calm it down but is unable to. He himself has stated that they only listen to humans so apparently he is afraid because there is no human with us and I guess we are not able to explain to him that humans are no longer there. There is only Sasha who needs to wake up and we don't know when that will happen. Even Discord is confused by this. My sister looked at me with slight consternation.

"Tia. Do you think it's our ancestor?" She asked herself with a face full of incomprehension. I was slightly taken aback by this question. At first I wanted to say that of course not, but after looking at it for a while I didn't know myself anymore.

"I honestly don't know sister. Perhaps. Eleven million years is a long time and there's no telling what might have happened and I think I know how I can help here."

I approached our likely ancestor. He was scared, willowing, jumping and jerking around trying to free himself from the luminous ropes. I asked ARTEMIDA to stop looping him. We are practically the same height and when the ropes let go he was still terrified but when I lifted my hoof to him he calmed down a little and finally when I calmed him down a little thanks to magic he became completely calm. It makes strange sounds. The WIKI called it a croaking sound. Surprisingly, he started to cuddle up to me and not in the... animal way but like he used to to people. At least that's what ARTEMIDA said, which is the subsystem responsible for animals. In mythology, the Goddess of hunting and nature.

"How did you do it?" She asked, showing herself as a human woman with deer antlers. "The stress hormones have practically completely disappeared. How?"

"I just used magic to calm him down. I think that's how he saw us as his friends and not his enemies. And tell me. Are they always this skittish?"

"They're animals that could be frightened of their shadow. Yes. They've always been like that."

"Emmm. Celestia. Can we talk somewhere for privacy?"

Discord asked and I nodded. Pinkie said the conference room would be best for that while laughing. I don't know what she meant but oh well. We went in that direction. We didn't talk on the way. Discord is more preoccupied with looking at the bunker. He doesn't know what to say and I honestly understand him. It's like some fantasy land with technology beyond my understanding and everyone else's. The rest of our friends also started exploring further. The Crusaders as they are called said they would get explorer stamps. They are cute but troublesome.

When we were almost under our feet a strange black creature with a white neck and very aggressive ran by. Behind it the robots flew. WIKI told me that it was the so-called Tasmanian Devil, which came from Tasmania. I don't think that island is there anymore but I'm sure we can find a home for them. The mass of creatures and mechanisms are coming to life. WIKI said the Kazuar didn't get the Crusaders and the Discord just because it was sluggish. They slept too much. Thanks to everything. Eh we finally reached the hall where there was a massive skeleton of a huge monster. A sort of plaque with a name and description appeared in front of us. That's probably why Pinkie wanted me to come in here. I was going to see a dinosaur. I think I understand why she wanted to show me. It's majestic, especially when the probable appearance appeared next to the description but that's not why I'm here. Discord wanted something.

"Discord." I said calmly but obviously snapped him out of his reverie. "Did you want to talk to me about something?"

"Eeeeem. Yeah. I just wanted to talk about all this. Like... what it is, why we were chased by some strange unknown bird, we met a wild pony these strange blue creatures and metal monsters and along the way I saw a hairless monkey with a metal snake next to it. What is all this? Are they aliens that have come?"

"Discord. It's really a lot of explaining but I'll try to explain it to you as I understand it. Well. It's not aliens but inhabitants of our planet."

"Then why haven't I seen this before?"

"I'm getting to that. We are not the first on this planet. I don't know what came before and after these dinosaurs but there were humans living before us. This hairless ape as you put it is just the last of the humans. Let us hope that it is only probably. What is here was built by humans. These blue creatures are the so-called subsystems that run it all and the metal monsters are robots. Artificial life. And these animals are simply creatures from their time that survived."

"Well ... But why was the last one left. They couldn't practically become extinct if they created such things."

"Well, that's right. Don't tell the children this but they became extinct through invasions by monsters called Shadows. Humans have had alliances with other races and I want to renew those alliances but the Shadows have attacked everyone. We've seen some footage and believe me. You don't want to see that. The Shadows are monsters that humans have stopped. Somehow. I don't know how. Sasha meaning this man can tell us but unfortunately.... The shadows may return." At those words I literally saw fear in his eyes, the likes of which I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Come back? We must prepare somehow!"

"Discord." I silenced him with a hoof. "I'm already doing that. Ares which is the war subsystem and Tyr, the strategy subsystem is already helping my guards and soldiers who came in here to develop a defence for now and when Sasha wakes up an attack. As soon as I heard about the Shadows and their possible return I understood that we have to prepare for this eventuality. That is why I want to renew the alliance. I don't want anything to happen to my little ponies." I walked over to one painting that hung near me called ‘Freedom leading the people to the barricades’. It shows a revolution against a tyrant. I hope that in our case such a revolution or even a war will succeed. "Humans have sacrificed almost their entire species to weaken or even defeat the Shadows. If they return ... we must continue their legacy."

And suddenly now there is silence between us. It is pleasant but the sounds continue. I can hear various noises that are not very familiar to me. I know that at least some of them are animal noises and others are the work of machines. The room has also started to be cleaned by small robots and those less advanced roomba hoovers. Discord was completely terrified of them so I learned to just knock them off and they drove off apologising for driving into us.

"Aren't you scared of it?"

"Afraid of what? Roomba? They're older cleaning robots. They're harmless but, as ZEUS stated, they act like animals and get blocked everywhere."

"Could I ask for help?"

Said one of the robots blocked between the chairs. I laughed, walked over to it and got it out. Discord, meanwhile, was thinking about something until finally, being careful not to touch the roomb, he approached me. "And this human?" He started, probably not really knowing what to say. "He is the last of his species and judging by what I have seen he is quite young. How would you like to tell him he's the last?"

Well, exactly. That's the question I didn't want to hear. ZEUS said he was only nineteen years old which for human years is just entering adulthood and he is still young. When I heard that I saw a little foal in him and it's even worse now. He is the last of his kind. A young man who needs to learn this terrible fact. I looked straight into Discord's eyes feeling weak.

"I honestly have no idea. This is too much for me let alone him. He's young and I honestly don't know. We just have to tell him."

After that he was quiet again but this time he looked at me for a while which I didn't like very much and I think he thought of something

"He reminds you of him. Doesn't he?"

"We agreed not to talk about it."

"I thought you didn't want them to be forgotten. Celi."

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO MENTION MY WIFE AND SON OR TO CALL ME CEL!" I roared at him furiously barely in control of myself but then I calmed down. "Forgive me. Discord. The death of my family is none of your business."

"Luna will find out about them sooner or later."

"Better later. Now let's go to the rest. WIKI told me that Sasha is waking up. We need to be there for him."

Further upset, I went with my companion to the room where Sasha is. How could he. He knows this is a delicate matter for me. My wife and son died a horrible death about four hundred years ago but it still hurts. I ... still miss them. I remember them all the time and yet the worst thing is that the memory of them hurts me in my heart. A tear escaped me when I remembered them....

"Mummy!"

Shouted my little darling son when I once again made our day. My beautiful white and black foal. He's five years old and already so bouncy. He came running to me cuddling into my chest. Happy I hugged him with my leg and soon after my beautiful wife came into the room. An earth pony. She has a black and red coat, a red mane arranged in a bun and gorgeous jade eyes. As usual in the morning I got up first but of course she came after me. As she came up we kissed and hugged.

"And how are you doing Celi?"

I laughed lightly touching her face with my hoof. "I love that nickname darling."

"I know, that's why I call you darling Celi. And how was your morning this morning? Was the night quiet?"

I looked at her slightly sad. I told my son to go to the kitchen so he could have something to eat already and I sat down and, typical of me, asked for a cuddle. My Cherry Breeze did it practically immediately and I was able to start crying.

"I'm having these dreams again... I miss Luna so much..."

"I understand honey. It's horrible but you had no choice. Someday this will change. Someday we'll meet her and help her."

"I hope so. Otherwise I don't know what I'll do anymore."

"I will always be there for you Celi. I promise you that. I love you more than anything."

I thanked her giving her a light kiss on the cheek. That's when Cloud Star came in. Our son came to us with delicious food. We happily took a sandwich each and laughed for the next hour. I just couldn't be happier to have such a family. Maybe one day Luna will be with us but for now I have them and thanks to a spell .... Forever.

For ten years I had terrible dreams all the time. Dreams that seemed so real. I'm losing my family and because of the monster in the shadows. I don't know why. Luna is not there. She's on the moon and unable to get out. It's making me so tired that I don't know what to do. I've already been to the best psychologists and doctors but they haven't helped me. I have no idea what to do. It's so strange. However, after a while I got used to them and ignored them. Day after day the same nightmare that is always the same. However... today I didn't have one. I lay in bed bewildered awakened by Cherry. She wanted to go and get a glass of water. I wanted to fall asleep but.... it made me wonder. Why exactly not today. Maybe I woke up too early? Maybe it was some prophecy that didn't come true.

I don't know. In any case, I was trying to fall asleep when I suddenly heard a shout that lifted me out of bed. "Cloudy?!" That was my first thought. I know he had long since outgrown his nightmares because he hadn't had them for a long time but I couldn't resist it. So I listened further but heard nothing. There is complete silence and all I can hear is the rain outside. Maybe I have misheard. No. It was too real. It had to be real.

"CELIII! HELP!"

It was Cherry! Without thinking, I ran towards the scream. The castle corridors were illuminated for me by torches, magic and lightning. I saw claws on the walls and where not where dead guards. Oh no. What had happened here? Cherry continued to scream and I was closer. I could hear the sounds of fighting. I don't know what's going on in there but if something has happened to them it will kill them!

With full anger I broke down the door to my son's room where I saw something monstrous. My son, in a pool of blood is being pressed to the ground by a strange shadowy creature that looks like a Minotaur but with a wolf-like appearance. Cherry is held in his paws and my eyes flared gold with rage.

"LEAVE HER!"

"Celi." Cherry said tearfully with blood in her mouth. "I love you."

"You're going to tell me in bed when you get out of hospital and this is the only warning. LEAVE HER OR I KILL YOU!"

The creature threw my beloved against the wall and jumped at me. Without thinking, I shot at him with powerful magic. He almost dodged however lost his arm. He roared in pain and with tears in my eyes I charged at him. He wasn't expecting it, so I scooped him up in a corner and pierced him, pinning him to the wall. My hooves began to burn and with them I hit again and again the creature that had taken my son! Fire was coming out of my mouth and nose. I even managed to breathe fire into him. After that, he fell to the ground but I did not give up on him. I pierced with my spear and moved closer to him angrily.

"You will ... die a thousand times. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW DEATH! YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE ETERNAL!" The monster looked at me weakly. It looked as if it wanted to tell me something but I didn't let on by tightening my gun but it just spat black blood and smiled at me.

"Don't you want to save her?"

"What are you..." I realised what he was talking about. I turned to see him stretch his body so that he threw Cherry out the window. My instant reaction was. "NOOOOOOOO!"

I screamed as I cut his head off and I jumped out of the window to fly straight at my wife at the fastest speed I could reach. Tears were flying out of my eyes because of the speed and all I could see was my Cherry looking at me with terrified eyes. She doesn't scream but I do. I can't catch her but I have to. Come on. A little more! She's already close to the ground. No, no no! She can't die. Even she realised by looking back. She turned to me with a smile. I didn't see terror... Just a smile.

"I love you Celi..."

"CHERRY NO!"

I roared in a final form of desperation. However, that was the last I had to say to her. In an instant, there was literally a flash of lightning and I was already on the ground with her in my hooves crying into her chest and screaming out loud hoping that whatever Cherry had taken from me heard it....

I am now sure that what killed my wife and son was Shadow. For the rest, it now makes more sense that the body wasn't there. They can only be killed with special weapons. I don't know where it came from, I don't know why or what it was doing here but one thing is certain. If Sasha knows how to completely destroy and kill them then whatever she offers us I will be more than willing to completely destroy their race....