TCB: The Last Pillar | Monster of Unknown Originby ClaymoreChaptersThe Last Pillar1 : In Shadow2 : Warnings3 : Omen (S)4 : FrictionAwakeningThe Last Pillar_______________________________________ _____________________________________________ The Last Pillar _____________________________________________ _______________________________________ "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him." -Revelations 6 (7-8), The Holy Bible: King James Version Inching ever so slowly over the horizon, a bright orb of fire began to light up the darkened landscape. Dawn was quite extraordinary out in the undisturbed Alaskan wilderness, the star bathing the land in its warm glow, similar to the way an artist paints a portrait. The fiery oranges and the burning reds of the morning Sun illuminating the snow-capped mountains, and the light peeking through the trees. The cold wind wailed lightly over the plains, the air uninterrupted by any construction or corruption of the Human race. Though, tucked deep within the forest, barely touched by the golden sun, there lied a cabin. Upon inspection of said cabin, it would be deducted that it appeared to be occupied, and it was. Residing within the wooden structure, there was you. You were not the most intelligent, or the most attractive, or the most skilled. But you might as well have been, as there was no one left in your species to usurp you from that position. Several years before, this cabin was left in shambles, desolate. However, a problem arose on a global scale, and in the ensuing chaos, you fled to the forest. Your childhood, your life. Your home. You laid comfortably under thick woolen blankets, the warmth from your body being trapped by the fabric, leaving you pleasantly warm despite the cold that dominated the region. Slowly, your eyes cracked open, light peering in between them. From your spot on the bed, underneath the green and brown blankets, you could see the pathway that lead out of the clearing, and the form of the Sun shining brightly on you. Groggily, you tossed the blankets off, and a chilly air welcomed your bare skin. You shivered slightly, and walked over toward the closet, pulling a checkered-collarshirt from the rack. After slipping it on, and then pulling a heavier coat on over it, the brown bomber jacket slipping on easily. You went over toward the door, and on the floor next to it, there were three pairs of black combat boots, and after selecting a pair, you fumbled to put them on. Doing up the laces, you followed the habitual routine, under over, under over. Going back towards the bedroom, the floorboards beneath you creaked as your weight was set down upon them. Absentmindedly, you chuckled to yourself, 'Never did fix those planks,' You walked toward the bathroom, and after opening the door, looked at your reflection in the mirror; so much had changed. Several years before, you were a clean-shaven young man with a short head of hair and not a care in the world, but it was as if some impostor had come to replace you. Looking at this image struck a chord in the you, and a pang of sadness gnawed at you. 'No. Keep yourself together. Today is the end, and I will leave this world with some hint of dignity,' You scolded yourself as a parent would a small child. You looked at the large beard that had accumulated on the jawline and up around your lips, and the long strands of hair that ran down your head at toward the bottom of the neck. It had been a long time. You shook your head clear of the thoughts, and walked back to the living room, the sight of the old pale green couch bringing back memories of your college years. A small smile came to your face at the recollection of a young woman's name, her pretty raven hair, her bright grin lighting up the room around them. Once more, the grief came back, though stronger. Shutting your eyes, and leaning against the wall, you breathed heavily, brows furrowed and forehead damp with sweat. Swallowing back your emotions, you continued to the kitchen. You open the pantry door, and a small arrangement of canned foods presented themselves, tiny labels with expiration dates and titles of the products printed on them. Not that it mattered, any longer. Now thinking about it, you noticed that you had spare food than your previous calculations had suggested you would be left with. Not pondering any longer on that topic, you selected a can of chicken noodle soup, and went to fetch the can opener. However, as your vision was cast elsewhere, a tall white figure looked in through the kitchen window, staring at your back. Setting the can down on the counter, the tin clinking against the stone table surface, taking the can opener, you heard a sound that you would have never expected to hear again. Someone knocked on the door. Stopping in your tracks, fear coursed through your veins. 'Bandits? Here?' You set the small appliance down, and cautiously approached the door, as if it were to spontaneously combust at any given moment. As you neared it, your vision was focused on the small little optic in the center of the door. Peeking through, you were given a surprise when you saw who had come out this way to see you. Your eye tried to focus on the shape behind the door, but a white flare blinded you slightly, and you blinked rapidly to have the sensation leave. You looked back through the small little glass hole, and you were shocked. Pristine white fur, and long elegant, angel-like wings, and a golden tiara perched atop a flowing, multicolored mane. Magenta eyes stared at the door, worry present within them. Your heart stopped. Your mind began to race. 'Why the hell is she here?!' However, before you could contemplate on what to do next, your own voice surprised you. "Hello?" You called suspiciously. A moment of silence passed. "Hello," For a moment, you basked in the unprepared awkwardness of her arrival. Once again, you instinctively grabbed the door handle and pulled it down, swinging the door open toward you, something that had become a reflex from years of annoying buddies and rude family members. As the door opened, her white coat shone in the light of the day, shining even brighter than the snow around her. Though her voice was warm and smooth, her facial expression was one of... apathy? After regaining your wits, you stared into her purple eyes, scanning them for some sort of malevolent intent. You had known what had happened to the rest of the world, and that is why you calculated where the barrier would spread to last; Alaska. With as much politesse as you could muster, you tried questioning her, "If you don't mind me asking, w-why are you here?" She gazed behind her, the Sun having been placed almost intentionally behind her form. As she returned to face the you, you noticed that she had looked slightly annoyed. Taking in a breath, she spoke. "I am here, in these last moments, to try and convince you that your death is not necessary. That you can continue to live on in Equestria, where you will live the rest of your life in peace," She shivered lightly, the jacket you now noticed she had been wearing was slightly worn, "May I please come in?" Straight to the point. She didn't cease to amaze you. After decimating the rest of Humanity, she came out here, presumably by herself, to take you? Anger started to seep through the cracks. After taking EVERYTHING from you, your friends, your family... Erica, she had the nerve to come out here, and see that you are taken away as well. Before you could act in your anger, your rage, you reminded yourself of your manners, and stepped to the side of the door, letting the emotion boil under the surface. With a bow, she walked in, removing her coat with her 'magic' and setting it down on the coat rack. You slowly eased the door shut, the mechanism shutting the wooden door and sealing the heat within. You tried not to let your emotions get the better of you, and with her height at the center of your chest, you lead her into the living room. You still had your boots on, and they heavily slammed against the wooden floor, a feeling you had grown accustomed to, but today the weight felt heavier. You felt as if something was missing. Princess Celestia gracefully sat on your green couch, a very odd scene to you. You walked into the kitchen, and opened one of the many cupboards on the wall. "Tea? Coffee?" You asked. You never were a conversationalist. You were often blunt, and it led to several 'scenes' in the past, but it was one of your qualities. 'And you aren't going to let her take it.' You reminded yourself to take it easy, and it would all be over soon anyway. "I would like some Tea, please," She murmured. You took a Lipton-Tea bag, and set it down in a ice-colored mug, while you put the last grains of coffee into your own mug. 'How convenient,' you thought, 'I run out on my last day.' You went towards the freezer, and opened it to remove a block of ice from the racks. With said block of ice in hand, you place it down on the counter, going again to fetch a tea-kettle. Setting the tea kettle on the stove, and dropping the large block of ice in, you put the lid back on and turned on the gas, blue flames lighting up beneath the metal pot. You felt eyes on you, and turned to face the Princess. "You really think you can convince me to become one of you?" She looked offended for a moment, but it disappeared underneath a well-painted poker-face. She glanced to the side, then returned your stare. "I have to try. It would be shameful if I didn't." You laughed. For the first time in a long time, you actually laughed. Upon regaining a sliver of your composure, you were met by a blank stare. You began to laugh even harder, and found yourself hunched over, clutching your sides. "I do not understand what is so funny. Why are you laughing?" Why are you laughing? Your hearty laughter slowly died out, the air returning to your lungs is gasps. You shook your head, a smile on your face. "I'm laughing because you think you actually have a chance." She obviously did not expect you to say that, and she recoiled somewhat, her eyes wide as if reprocessing the information. As it began to soak in, you were reunited with your booming laughter, and you could see red beginning to tint her face. You reached for your mug, ready to turn around and pour the boiling water into it, but you wanted to see this moment last a little bit longer. As you took hold of your mug, her face scrunched up in frustration, "Why are you Humans so stubborn? We have come with promises of a better future, of a better mind and a pure world, but you rejected our offer and shunned us for it! I should have expected this from you!" What? Your face fell. Subconsciously, your hands tightened into fists. The anger you had tried so hard to keep suppressed, to keep contained, was slowly gaining ground in your mind. You turned away from her, facing the stove. You could feel your teeth clench, and painful memories made themselves known at the back of your mind, harsh realities and terrible fates of those you held dear. Images of the 'potion', of the Bureaus. Images of a logo. Your hand gripped tightly around the pale yellow mug, quaking as it did so. The sugar in the cup violently tossed and turned inside, and your eyebrows knitted together, a scowl forming upon your face. Pain began to grow in your hand, the stress of squeezing the handle causing tendons to ache. The P.E.R. The Potion. The Bureaus. The Conversion. The Barrier. The P.E.R. The Potion. The Bureaus. The Conversion. The Barrier! The P.E.R! The Potion! The Bureaus! The Conversion! The Barrier! A chord went off in your head. No, to call it a chord would be an understatement of epic proportion. It was as if an entire symphony of crashing pianos erupted within your mind. Twisted thoughts and dark fantasies were springing into life, sick pleasures wanting to be filled. However, as your grim desires were making themselves known, another thought came into your mind. Ponies. It was all of the damn ponies fault! It is all their fault! They took everything you had, stripped your world bare, and then burned what they couldn't convert with a giant wave of energy! THEY are the ones who should feel this pain, THEY should have their world taken from them! You threw your mug against the wall, smashing it to thousands of little shards. A gasp sounded behind you, but it did nothing to douse the flame. You turned off the gas, staring intently on the white surface underneath the metal handles. With no warning, you slammed your fists into the top of the stove, your hands coming close to the hot metal. You looked around you, your vision tunneled red, and spotted the tea kettle. You grasped the little black plastic handle, and threw the small metal pot as hard as you could at the window above the sink. The metal smashed through the glass and broke the wooden frame supporting it. You then strode over to the cabinets below the sink, and embedded your foot into one of the panels, the boot smashing through it with ease. Turning to her form on the couch, you unleashed a verbal assault, "Rejected your 'offer'?! Well I'm fucking sorry, Princess! I'm so fucking sorry that Humanity didn't want to bend over and fucking take it in the ass! I am SO FUCKING SORRY!" Her expression was one of complete terror, and you reveled in it. "I'm sorry we didn't want to surrender MILLIONS of years of evolution just so you could FUCKING EAT OUR PLANET! I'm FUCKING SORRY, OKAY?! DOES THAT PLEASE YOU? ARE YOU HAPPY THAT YOU ARE THE SUPERIOR FUCKING RACE, AND THE REST OF MY FAMILY HAD TO FUCKING DIE!?" You went on, taking deep breaths to project your voice for as long as you could. Your throat had begun to hurt, but you went on. "I AM FUCKING SORRY THAT I HAD TO LOSE EVERYTHING! I AM FUCKING SORRY!" Slowly, but surely, the energy, the hate, began to fade away. The rage left, and the only remnant left in your heart, was sorrow. Tears welled within your eyes, and you did nothing to stop them. They flowed freely down your face, and your hands ran through your hair. You slumped against the wall, your back dragging down the surface, and hushed whispered escaped your mouth, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." With your eyes closed, you thought once again of Erica, of your family, your friends. Your stomach tied into knot, guilt stirred within you. "I'm sorry." Silence dominated the room. Princess Celestia stared at your form with pity, a frown etched on her face. Slowly, she stood, and walked out of the room. For an eternity, you sat there. Staring off into a distance that was unseen, a realm of mental landscapes and thought. But a feeling you had not felt in a long time filled you now. Content. You were found that missing hole within you had been filled. You were no longer empty, and you looked up and were taken by surprise when her presence had gone. You swallowed your nervous fear, your anxiety of what was to come. You knew what would happen next. And you were to embrace it. With a cold breeze wafting in through the window, the cold seemingly caressed your bare skin. You closed your eyes, the sound of the ocean gradually getting louder. You knew what would happen next. You opened the door to the cabin, acting on instinct, your eyes remaining closed. As your boots touched snow, your eyes opened once more. Surrounding the cabin, a large wall of pink was closing in. You looked down to your hands, and marveled for one last time about the sheer complexity of the Homo Sapien. You knew that you would be the last person to see such a thing, and for some reason, you were fine with it. The wave was closing in, and you looked back up at it. Tyler You felt as if someone was watching you, but you ignored the feeling. If someone was watching you, you did not care. Jacob You lifted your right foot, and placed it down in front of you, almost robotically. Mom Suddenly, you left foot followed in suit, a slow pattern forming. Dad With your pace increasing, you looked at the wall in front of you. Soon enough, you began running, the wind whipping through you hair. Your coat began flapping against your back, and you slid it off, your shirt slapping against your chest now. Your run became faster, a smile forming on your lips. The barrier was closer now, not more than a few more meters. Erica The bright pink glow began to shine down on you, the towering monstrosity closer. With a final leap, you let out a cry. A cry of pure unbridled triumph. A cry of sadness. A cry of joy. A thundering roar that could symbolize itself Humanity. The cry of your ancestors. A cry of relief. It was finally over. 1 : In ShadowChapter 1 In Shadow The Sun was hidden by cloud above the small quaint town of Ponyville, and the residents and their newly found neighbors, basked in the cool weather of the mid-autumn day. The large surplus of the newfoals caused chaos for the first initial days of their arrival, but other than their odd behavior, things were going quite smoothly. Twilight Sparkle gazed from her window outside as the first drops of rain began to fall. 'Odd,' she thought, 'there wasn't a rain shower scheduled today.' She then returned to her novel, reading about the last Human government to be purged of the evil of the Human race. She particularly enjoyed reading about Humans, as their technology, while unnecessary, was quite fascinating. Princess Celestia had told her that after the purge of what was the Human Earth, she cast a spell on the ponies of the world to never remember the atrocities the Humans committed. Twilight trusted her mentor wholeheartedly. Surely there was nothing ill of cleansing creatures pf their evil, she surmised. As she read, she had the strangest feeling she was being watched, and cast her gaze back to the window, but Rainbow Dash was not hovering there as usual, nor was there the imminent danger of being crushed by Derpy Hooves. She cast a spell to reveal to her what wasn't there, but nothing came up. Frowning, she sensed that whatever was watching her was somewhere in the treehouse. She placed her book back down with her magic, then hopped off of the cushion by the windowsill. "Spike!", she called, but the little dragon did not answer. Twilight set off to find her assistant, and trotted down the stairs, but her bad hoof caught on the railing. "Oh Celestia!" She groaned in agony. Cradling the offending hoof, she traced the burn marks where she had been caught in an accident when she was a filly. She hobbled down the stairs, then into the main atrium, and in the kitchen. Spike was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, a chill passed through her, and an overwhelming sense of guilt and sorrow caught her emotions. She nearly collapsed from the surprise emotion, but it faded as soon as it came. She stood there and awaited the draft to return, but to no avail. Abruptly, the door flew open with an almighty BANG, and the chill returned with a vengeance. Twilight... A crackling, voice whispered to her, as though there were an electric current running through it. Twilight shrieked, and galloped to the door, shutting it. After a moment, the chill had vanished, and the silence lingered. Her heart pounding erratically, she slumped against the oak door, before a familiar sense of pain reverberated from her hoof. Yelping, she retracted her hoof from a puddle of... water? The rain hadn't made it inside, it was almost as if somepony had tracked it in. Twilight decided she wasn't going to let some phantom fear get to her, and set off to make herself a daisy sandwich. Spike had gone into town to find purchase some more gems for his party on Friday. After the addition of Earth to the known lands of Equestria, gems had gone down in price, and Spike was fully willing to abuse this revelation. Being older now, he stood at 5'4, towering above the small ponies, who stood at a measly 4 feet. While this was an advantage in most cases, he would commonly get headaches running into things. It had just begun raining, and Spike was prepared with a deep blue umbrella, covering him from the rain. One or two ponies had latched onto him to get by faster and without issue. As he trekked, he felt an uneasy feeling of dread run through him for a moment, and he thought he saw a light blue smoke fly over the town from the Library. He shook his head and dismissed it, then strode up to the stand. "Hello, sir, I've got only the best gems for sale, all the way from Earth!" The salespony said with a grin. As Spike eyed the gems, he found he wasn't as hungry as he had been previously, and picked three green emeralds, two purple amethysts and one sapphire. The pony loaded up the items in a bag, and Spike set the change down on the counter, making off with his goods. However, not more than a centimeter away was a newfoal, and he had walked right into her. 'Not again,' "Oh my Celestia, I am so sorry, I was not paying attention, and if you don't forgive me, then I am even more so-" "It's okay. Seriously, no harm done." "No, but I wasn't paying attention, and I might have hurt you, and-" "Listen, its fine." "Let me make it up to you-" Spike dragged his claw across his face. "Listen, I'll forgive you if you leave me alone. This is the second time." "Sor-" "No. I will forgive you once you have left my sight." And with that, she was gone. After that little incident, he guessed it would be a good idea to buy some more painkillers and burn lotion from Zecora, and strode into the Everfree, knowing the creatures would not dare attack a teenage drake. The journey was rather uneventful, besides the occasional beast staring or glaring at him through the brush, but he knew they would never act on their anger. As he approached Zecora's hut, a large explosion erupted within, the wave of air throwing Spike back. The hut nearly collapsed, and Spike began to run towards it, before he heard voices. Crouching low behind a boulder, he turned his head toward the hut, and could barely make out a conversation. "I-if it is o-only death and vengeance t-that you wreak, t-then it is your own demise that you s-seek!" Zecora shouted over the crackle of blue flame within. Another explosion. A laugh, a deep maniacal chuckle, shook the ground, and cracked through the air like lightning. "You think that I know not the price of what I inquire?" The voice sent innumerable chills down Spikes spines, and he sprinted forward into the blaze to save Zecora, but as he neared, a force of air sent him flying backwards into a tree, his back cracking against it. He groaned, and tried to move, but found the same force holding him down. Do not move, Drake, lest you seek death. . The voice had spoken within his mind. "Zecora!" Spike screamed, "Run! Get out!" **SILENCE FOOL, I SHALL NOT BE INTERRUPTED UNTIL MY TASK IS COMPLETE!. The voice roared within, lifting Spike high into the air, and crashing him back down into the mud. "I will have my vengeance, and the Ponies of this land shall know what evil their Princess has done. You may have escaped the memory-eraser spell, and your contempt for the Princess is strong, but your morals will not be the end of my cause, zebra!" Zecora was flung out of the hut at the speed of sound, impacting a tree and causing it to splinter into a thousand shards, while Zecora's broken body sprawled across the grass, her blood coating the nearby trees and dirt. Spike's eyes widened in terror, and for the briefest of moments, the rain stopped, and all was silent, before Spike broke the silence himself. "Zecora!" Spike cried. Spike could feel the same pressure from before, and was lifted up into the air. He stopped at roughly 50 feet above the ground where Zecora lay. He could see her eyes gazing up at him, but he knew they could see nothing. "You do best to remember what has happened here, and spread word that this will happen to all who stand in my way." The voice crackled and sparked. Spike could feel himself shaking. "Who are you? W-what are you?" Spike asked in fear. "I am ONE, and I am the avenger of the Fallen Race. I am the Salvation to your people." A face manifested itself from blue arcs of electricity inches from his own. The face was much like those in the History books of the Human race. A sharp jaw, a nose narrow and chiseled into the skin, no hair, but eyes that struck fear into Spike's exhausted heart. "I am the Last Pillar, and I will not fall." It spoke. Suddenly, he vanished, and Spike found himself accelerating towards the ground. Yelling, he cast his arms in front of him, and braced for impact, but instead was roughly caught by a rainbow blur, before he passed out. 2 : WarningsChapter 2 *Warnings* "Princess Celestia! Please listen to me, Spike would never do something like this!" Twilight begged, her form slinking low to her mentor's hooves. As she looked up at the Princess, she saw sadness in her bright magenta eyes. Twilight's head fell to the wooden floor, tears running down her face. "I recognize that he is family to you, as he is to I, but he was the only one there at the scene," Celestia nuzzled Twilight as she cried, "I will get to the bottom of this, I give you my word Twilight," Twilight looked up to her eyes, and nodded sadly. Standing upright, the Princess made her way to the door, flanked by two Royal Guards. However, a collective chill passed through the air; it was if someone had died right where they were standing. After a moment, they continued on, dismissing the strange feeling as some sort of draft or breeze coming in. This is only the beginning, The Princess stopped outside of the library door, contemplating whether the strange voice had been a creation of her own thoughts. As time ticked by, the sounds of the rain were slowly washed away by an abnormal ringing in both of her ears. Celestia shook her head, and all was silent. Smiling to herself nervously, she strode ahead and caught up with her Guards, her hooves clacking against the cobblestone floor. She was nearing her chariot, and soon she would be back home at the palace, ready for a nice hot bath. Princess... The voice thundered like a crack of lightning, and for the briefest second, she saw an unfamiliar face of blues and whites manifest itself within the window of the carriage, its glowing turquoise eyes boring into her soul with unimaginable hatred. Celestia could feel the hairs in her mane stop in the air, and the electrical current running through the atmosphere. For the first time in one thousand years, Princess Celestia, sole ruler of the land of Equestria, felt fear. I watched as the target of my manic fixation left, but I had let her slip away to build her strength; I too had to build up my own. As she departed, a sense of satisfaction came from recalling her terror, or the panicked urgency in her retreat. Oh, how I savored it. But with my delight came my disgust, somewhere there was a part of me that still cared for such naive things. My ethereal form was slowly losing it's shape. I had to return to the cove. I took to the sky, my powers propelling me forward through the still cloudy heavens. As I ascended, I watched the innocent ponies go about their lives in the rain, but it seemed they were unaccustomed to my work. Tarps of black and blue were cast over the market place, and the street lights flickered into life. The rainfall, previously passing through my non-existent flesh, began to flash and sizzle upon me. I bolted in a clap of thunder, rocketing over the nearby forest, towards a river that I had begun to call home. My form solidified as I went, arcs of electricity coursing around me, forming small tissues along my arms and legs. As the process continued, I angled upwards, then dived down into the course of the water. As I sank deeper and deeper, the water getting darker and darker, light began to seep through the cracked stone beneath the surface, and I disassembled the fragments with my mysterious powers. As they parted, I put forth a wave of energy to prevent the boiling water around me from entering my residence, and I descended within. The fragments reforming behind me, I floated down to the bottom of the spherical chamber, towards the cold limestone. My 'skin' had started the crawl over my now developing 'skeleton', and I flexed my foreign muscle tissue for the first time. While I could not feel, the sight of my own physical body reassured me that there was still something of a human left in me, despite the strange patterns and etchings along the tissue. *What did you do?* I turned around to face the voice, a small orb of blue flame hovering ahead of me. "She has been informed of her coming demise," Fool! You cast thy hand when we hold the element of surprise! Art thou attempting to rid us of existence? My voice sank slightly, static growling through my speech, "No, however I-" Freedom is a quality thine soul has not, I am thy master, do recall this; thou can be removed from this plane as easily as thou was't brought in. Do not test my patience. I was suddenly forced backwards, colliding with the wall behind me. As I began to comprehend what had happened, my newly developed nociceptors flaring in mild pain. Anger seeped through me as I launched forward, drawing forth a long blade formed from my own energy. "What is your reason for bringing me here? What cruel injustices has the Tyrant brought forth upon you?! Your fall was your own, my entire realm was wiped away by this monster!" Do NOT, EVER, speak as such at myself, for I will end you! "You know as well as I that you cannot, I am your only instrument! How will you strike a nail without a hammer, or any other tool?" I spoke as I strode forward, my voice distorting in the waves of sound, "You may do so, but without myself, you are nothing but a legend." A demonic shriek ripped through my frame as the ball of flame soon exploded into many sparks, before digging into the stone below and pulling them together into a structure. As the pieces came together, an alicorn of stone was constructed, pieces of stone forming a mouth, and bright blue light shining through the empty sockets of where eyes should have been. "I AM NIGHTMARE MOON, WHELP, THINE PRESENCE IS A BLIGHT ON MY WORLD, THE OCCUPANCY IS MY OWN WORK! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE AS YOU WILL YOURS!" A long moment of silence stretched between us. I rose into the air, and turned my back on her, digging into the walls with my arcane energy and pulling massive blocks of stone out of the forming depression. I glanced over my shoulder back at her before I continued. "Then formulate your attack, as I shall formulate mine." "Hey, Mrs.Cake, can I leave early today? I've got that physical therapy session with Rarity tomorrow." A pink mane shot up behind a counter, followed by a muffled, "Sure hun!" Pinkie was working another long evening shift at Sugarcube Corner before she began to experience one of her episodes as she was removing her apron, but she realized something was wrong. Mrs.Cake noticed that Pinkie looked distant, and called out to her. "Pinkie, deary, are you okay?" The dreary pony looked up and flashed a weak smile, "Yeah, I just got a woozy, I'll be-" She lost her balance within the kitchen and crumpled to the tiled floor, her head colliding with the ceramic. Mrs.Cake galloped towards her, accompanied by her coltfriend Caramel. 'This is not good.' As they began to panic and call for help, their voices blurring into one another, Pinkie felt bile rise to her throat. Pinkie Pie rose her head slightly as she uttered a two pleading words; "Get out." All hell broke loose as the bakery descended into a sinkhole, followed soon by the town hall, the library, the boutique and most of the Sweet Apple Acres orchards. The Cake twins screeched as the entire structure slammed into the bottom of a watery pit, the liquid bursting through the lower floor windows and flooding the building immediately. Caramel was pushed into the wall by the force of the water, and lost consciousness. Pinkie was taken away with the tide, her body flowing limply in the current as Mrs.Cake ascended to the higher floors, away from the water. Turning back, she bit onto Caramel's coat and began to drag him up out of the icy water, carrying him up onto dry carpet. She then noticed that there was a certain pony missing. "Pinkie!" Seeing no sign of the unstable mare, she assumed with her strange tendency to evade harm she would be alright, and went up to the twins with her coltfriend. However, on the last step, the house shifted once more, Mrs.Cake knocking her head against the wall. Her grip loosened, Caramel rolled down the stairs into the water, joined by a stunned blue pony. As the twins cried for help, the house continued is descent into the pool of water. 3 : Omen (S)[Transcript] Your Highness, From our expedition into the Northern Equestrian Territories, we have found more evidence to support the rebirth of the rightful Queen of Equestria, a Princess long erased from the memories and archives of the Equines. From my previous encounter with the Solar Demon, and her attempted invasion of *Gryphon** two winters past, we have come to the conclusion her subjects are victims of some sort of ... mental reconditioning. While this is enough to potentially expose her wrong-doings to the public and cause outcry, this 'reconditioning' seems to have efficiently portrayed us as,' the Barbaric Barons of the Northern Skies'. Our informant managed to relay some news of the "Elements of Harmony" back to us, as well as the discovery of another member of the Lost Race; he may seek vengeance for the evil that has been put upon him by our mutual enemy. If this is the case, he may prove useful with the artifact recovered from the Dead City of London.* Your faithful Servant, Captain Lightwing 4 : Friction "There are two freedoms - the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought." -Charles Kingsley Chapter 4 Friction You know not where your allegiance lies, do you? Deep inside, somewhere within, you know what evils were conducted upon you. An individual that was to be erased has been awakened, but must remain dormant. Salvation will come, friend, salvation will come. And with it, peril will arise in the coming days. Twilight came to consciousness abruptly, shooting up in the air with a yelp. She looked around frantically, searching every crevasse and corner in the bedroom. After a few tense moments, she became aware of her frightened panting. She tried to steady herself, and put her forehooves against the mattress, a familiar burning sparking up in her foreleg. Before she could grimace, a cool liquid impacted the scar, and she traced it back to her face. She found she had been crying. She tried to think back to her nightmare, but it had fleeted already. The only thing she could remember was that voice. She had heard it before, but where? Fluttershy came into the room with concern etched on her features, but before she could say a word, Twilight rose a hoof, "I'm fine, I just need my ointment," she said, hiding her face. "O-okay, I'll go get it for you..." she trailed off as she departed. Twilight was still until she could no longer hear the sound of her hooves, and sighed deeply. Since those sinkholes opened, she could not catch an ounce of sleep. While she was safe, she felt her mind was not, the recurring visions of darkness and that voice, that eerie deep static that filled her mind. She sat in silence once more, her mind once again pondering the meaning behind these visions. Were they a depiction of things to come? A warning? She found herself unable to recollect the dream, the strange voice following the routine of disappearing from her memory. "General Armor, I want constant shifts to be posted in Ponyville, effective immediately. We need those areas of land restructured, restored and refurnished to operate at standard capability, nothing is to be suspected at all." "Yes ma'am." "What did you call me?" "I apologize my Regent, maintainer of the Equestrian nation and savior of the Human Realm, how must I address your Majesty?" "Regent shall do quite nicely." "Of course." "Inform Bookkeeper Blueblood that I no longer need his assistance in running my nation, tell him that he must remove his belongings from the Royal Court Office and report to yourself as soon as he is able." "Yes Regent Celestia." Lightwing's eyelids peeled open, his gaze stretching over the plane of trees and vegetation that was the Everfree forest. His sights were set upon Ponyville, the dark yellow glow of countless lanterns kept within the houses shining in the distance. His talons relaxed and released the branch of the tall dead tree beneath him, his wings spreading and his body taking flight. As he glided, he remembered the weight of the dagger that was kept at his hip. 'I will not use it unless I have to, this is a simple reconnaissance mission, nothing too-" His thoughts were interrupted as a mysterious dark figure, much like a pony, swooped down from unimaginable heights and slammed into his upper back. He pushed himself forward, faster than the figure above, and managed to spin around, pulling the dagger. As he slammed into the earth below, the darker figure came down upon him, the blade going deep within the waist of the unknown assailant. After a few moments of silence, the figure went still, and limp on top of Lightwing's form. He put his talons against the cold breastplate of the being, pushing it up off of his chest. As it rolled away, he looked up to the sky and saw a bright moon, one he hadn't seen for decades, hanging above in the endless starry black. His brow rose in confusion, and he gingerly cast his gaze back to the deceased creature, his eyes darting over it, examining every little crevasse and crease in it's strange armor. He soon realized that two leathery wings were twisted and bent underneath the creature, the skin ripped and torn in some areas. Recognition soon swept him, his wings pushing him up off the ground. His jaw dropped slightly as his heart pumped hysterically once again, fear washing into his veins. This was no pony. Nightmare moon has returned, and with her, the Eretei have come to reclaim the very land the Equestrians hid from them. He took to the air once more, his resolve hardening as he hurried to the quaint little town. AwakeningWhat does it mean to be a Human? Is there some sort of trait that one would possess to be Human? Are Humans only truly Humans for the shell the mind resides in, or is there more to that? There are many unanswered questions about the Human mind, body, soul. Too many to go through. But in the eon of time that my mind had run rampant amongst the nothingness of a void, I lost myself, my name, my mind, my identity. You might say I lost my Humanity. But then you would be answering one of the previous questions, or rather, leaving it unanswered. There was no definite unit of time or space to measure pain. And while I had forgiven the transgressions and the ill-acts I had committed when I had been a Human, it was not what I mourned for. I mourned for the wiping of an entire species, for it was my own, and I could see then that life should be cherished, not swept away. A deep, dark hatred began to build for ponykind, for Celestia could have found another way. There had to be. There was. And I knew. Because I could see it from the nothingness. My family. My world. My life, because of her actions against an entire collective race. But that didn't matter to me. In the nothingness, I could see, hear, feel, smell,... and not, at the same time. It was not as you would hear a car, or smell a meal, or feel a ball. No, I could interact... with the pain that she had caused. But that was not all. I could TASTE it. And it was terrible. And I loathed myself for it trying it. But I consumed. I consumed the rage, the despair. I was consumed with it. By it. The loss of my race was hard to bear, but it was even harder to bear the weight of my new task, given to me by the souls of anger and emotion from a dead race; I was to avenge those lost. And the promise of more pain lured me in. I could SMELL it. I could HEAR it. I could SEE it. But best of all, I could FEEL it, and I was going to make her feel it as well.
The Last Pillar_______________________________________ _____________________________________________ The Last Pillar _____________________________________________ _______________________________________ "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him." -Revelations 6 (7-8), The Holy Bible: King James Version Inching ever so slowly over the horizon, a bright orb of fire began to light up the darkened landscape. Dawn was quite extraordinary out in the undisturbed Alaskan wilderness, the star bathing the land in its warm glow, similar to the way an artist paints a portrait. The fiery oranges and the burning reds of the morning Sun illuminating the snow-capped mountains, and the light peeking through the trees. The cold wind wailed lightly over the plains, the air uninterrupted by any construction or corruption of the Human race. Though, tucked deep within the forest, barely touched by the golden sun, there lied a cabin. Upon inspection of said cabin, it would be deducted that it appeared to be occupied, and it was. Residing within the wooden structure, there was you. You were not the most intelligent, or the most attractive, or the most skilled. But you might as well have been, as there was no one left in your species to usurp you from that position. Several years before, this cabin was left in shambles, desolate. However, a problem arose on a global scale, and in the ensuing chaos, you fled to the forest. Your childhood, your life. Your home. You laid comfortably under thick woolen blankets, the warmth from your body being trapped by the fabric, leaving you pleasantly warm despite the cold that dominated the region. Slowly, your eyes cracked open, light peering in between them. From your spot on the bed, underneath the green and brown blankets, you could see the pathway that lead out of the clearing, and the form of the Sun shining brightly on you. Groggily, you tossed the blankets off, and a chilly air welcomed your bare skin. You shivered slightly, and walked over toward the closet, pulling a checkered-collarshirt from the rack. After slipping it on, and then pulling a heavier coat on over it, the brown bomber jacket slipping on easily. You went over toward the door, and on the floor next to it, there were three pairs of black combat boots, and after selecting a pair, you fumbled to put them on. Doing up the laces, you followed the habitual routine, under over, under over. Going back towards the bedroom, the floorboards beneath you creaked as your weight was set down upon them. Absentmindedly, you chuckled to yourself, 'Never did fix those planks,' You walked toward the bathroom, and after opening the door, looked at your reflection in the mirror; so much had changed. Several years before, you were a clean-shaven young man with a short head of hair and not a care in the world, but it was as if some impostor had come to replace you. Looking at this image struck a chord in the you, and a pang of sadness gnawed at you. 'No. Keep yourself together. Today is the end, and I will leave this world with some hint of dignity,' You scolded yourself as a parent would a small child. You looked at the large beard that had accumulated on the jawline and up around your lips, and the long strands of hair that ran down your head at toward the bottom of the neck. It had been a long time. You shook your head clear of the thoughts, and walked back to the living room, the sight of the old pale green couch bringing back memories of your college years. A small smile came to your face at the recollection of a young woman's name, her pretty raven hair, her bright grin lighting up the room around them. Once more, the grief came back, though stronger. Shutting your eyes, and leaning against the wall, you breathed heavily, brows furrowed and forehead damp with sweat. Swallowing back your emotions, you continued to the kitchen. You open the pantry door, and a small arrangement of canned foods presented themselves, tiny labels with expiration dates and titles of the products printed on them. Not that it mattered, any longer. Now thinking about it, you noticed that you had spare food than your previous calculations had suggested you would be left with. Not pondering any longer on that topic, you selected a can of chicken noodle soup, and went to fetch the can opener. However, as your vision was cast elsewhere, a tall white figure looked in through the kitchen window, staring at your back. Setting the can down on the counter, the tin clinking against the stone table surface, taking the can opener, you heard a sound that you would have never expected to hear again. Someone knocked on the door. Stopping in your tracks, fear coursed through your veins. 'Bandits? Here?' You set the small appliance down, and cautiously approached the door, as if it were to spontaneously combust at any given moment. As you neared it, your vision was focused on the small little optic in the center of the door. Peeking through, you were given a surprise when you saw who had come out this way to see you. Your eye tried to focus on the shape behind the door, but a white flare blinded you slightly, and you blinked rapidly to have the sensation leave. You looked back through the small little glass hole, and you were shocked. Pristine white fur, and long elegant, angel-like wings, and a golden tiara perched atop a flowing, multicolored mane. Magenta eyes stared at the door, worry present within them. Your heart stopped. Your mind began to race. 'Why the hell is she here?!' However, before you could contemplate on what to do next, your own voice surprised you. "Hello?" You called suspiciously. A moment of silence passed. "Hello," For a moment, you basked in the unprepared awkwardness of her arrival. Once again, you instinctively grabbed the door handle and pulled it down, swinging the door open toward you, something that had become a reflex from years of annoying buddies and rude family members. As the door opened, her white coat shone in the light of the day, shining even brighter than the snow around her. Though her voice was warm and smooth, her facial expression was one of... apathy? After regaining your wits, you stared into her purple eyes, scanning them for some sort of malevolent intent. You had known what had happened to the rest of the world, and that is why you calculated where the barrier would spread to last; Alaska. With as much politesse as you could muster, you tried questioning her, "If you don't mind me asking, w-why are you here?" She gazed behind her, the Sun having been placed almost intentionally behind her form. As she returned to face the you, you noticed that she had looked slightly annoyed. Taking in a breath, she spoke. "I am here, in these last moments, to try and convince you that your death is not necessary. That you can continue to live on in Equestria, where you will live the rest of your life in peace," She shivered lightly, the jacket you now noticed she had been wearing was slightly worn, "May I please come in?" Straight to the point. She didn't cease to amaze you. After decimating the rest of Humanity, she came out here, presumably by herself, to take you? Anger started to seep through the cracks. After taking EVERYTHING from you, your friends, your family... Erica, she had the nerve to come out here, and see that you are taken away as well. Before you could act in your anger, your rage, you reminded yourself of your manners, and stepped to the side of the door, letting the emotion boil under the surface. With a bow, she walked in, removing her coat with her 'magic' and setting it down on the coat rack. You slowly eased the door shut, the mechanism shutting the wooden door and sealing the heat within. You tried not to let your emotions get the better of you, and with her height at the center of your chest, you lead her into the living room. You still had your boots on, and they heavily slammed against the wooden floor, a feeling you had grown accustomed to, but today the weight felt heavier. You felt as if something was missing. Princess Celestia gracefully sat on your green couch, a very odd scene to you. You walked into the kitchen, and opened one of the many cupboards on the wall. "Tea? Coffee?" You asked. You never were a conversationalist. You were often blunt, and it led to several 'scenes' in the past, but it was one of your qualities. 'And you aren't going to let her take it.' You reminded yourself to take it easy, and it would all be over soon anyway. "I would like some Tea, please," She murmured. You took a Lipton-Tea bag, and set it down in a ice-colored mug, while you put the last grains of coffee into your own mug. 'How convenient,' you thought, 'I run out on my last day.' You went towards the freezer, and opened it to remove a block of ice from the racks. With said block of ice in hand, you place it down on the counter, going again to fetch a tea-kettle. Setting the tea kettle on the stove, and dropping the large block of ice in, you put the lid back on and turned on the gas, blue flames lighting up beneath the metal pot. You felt eyes on you, and turned to face the Princess. "You really think you can convince me to become one of you?" She looked offended for a moment, but it disappeared underneath a well-painted poker-face. She glanced to the side, then returned your stare. "I have to try. It would be shameful if I didn't." You laughed. For the first time in a long time, you actually laughed. Upon regaining a sliver of your composure, you were met by a blank stare. You began to laugh even harder, and found yourself hunched over, clutching your sides. "I do not understand what is so funny. Why are you laughing?" Why are you laughing? Your hearty laughter slowly died out, the air returning to your lungs is gasps. You shook your head, a smile on your face. "I'm laughing because you think you actually have a chance." She obviously did not expect you to say that, and she recoiled somewhat, her eyes wide as if reprocessing the information. As it began to soak in, you were reunited with your booming laughter, and you could see red beginning to tint her face. You reached for your mug, ready to turn around and pour the boiling water into it, but you wanted to see this moment last a little bit longer. As you took hold of your mug, her face scrunched up in frustration, "Why are you Humans so stubborn? We have come with promises of a better future, of a better mind and a pure world, but you rejected our offer and shunned us for it! I should have expected this from you!" What? Your face fell. Subconsciously, your hands tightened into fists. The anger you had tried so hard to keep suppressed, to keep contained, was slowly gaining ground in your mind. You turned away from her, facing the stove. You could feel your teeth clench, and painful memories made themselves known at the back of your mind, harsh realities and terrible fates of those you held dear. Images of the 'potion', of the Bureaus. Images of a logo. Your hand gripped tightly around the pale yellow mug, quaking as it did so. The sugar in the cup violently tossed and turned inside, and your eyebrows knitted together, a scowl forming upon your face. Pain began to grow in your hand, the stress of squeezing the handle causing tendons to ache. The P.E.R. The Potion. The Bureaus. The Conversion. The Barrier. The P.E.R. The Potion. The Bureaus. The Conversion. The Barrier! The P.E.R! The Potion! The Bureaus! The Conversion! The Barrier! A chord went off in your head. No, to call it a chord would be an understatement of epic proportion. It was as if an entire symphony of crashing pianos erupted within your mind. Twisted thoughts and dark fantasies were springing into life, sick pleasures wanting to be filled. However, as your grim desires were making themselves known, another thought came into your mind. Ponies. It was all of the damn ponies fault! It is all their fault! They took everything you had, stripped your world bare, and then burned what they couldn't convert with a giant wave of energy! THEY are the ones who should feel this pain, THEY should have their world taken from them! You threw your mug against the wall, smashing it to thousands of little shards. A gasp sounded behind you, but it did nothing to douse the flame. You turned off the gas, staring intently on the white surface underneath the metal handles. With no warning, you slammed your fists into the top of the stove, your hands coming close to the hot metal. You looked around you, your vision tunneled red, and spotted the tea kettle. You grasped the little black plastic handle, and threw the small metal pot as hard as you could at the window above the sink. The metal smashed through the glass and broke the wooden frame supporting it. You then strode over to the cabinets below the sink, and embedded your foot into one of the panels, the boot smashing through it with ease. Turning to her form on the couch, you unleashed a verbal assault, "Rejected your 'offer'?! Well I'm fucking sorry, Princess! I'm so fucking sorry that Humanity didn't want to bend over and fucking take it in the ass! I am SO FUCKING SORRY!" Her expression was one of complete terror, and you reveled in it. "I'm sorry we didn't want to surrender MILLIONS of years of evolution just so you could FUCKING EAT OUR PLANET! I'm FUCKING SORRY, OKAY?! DOES THAT PLEASE YOU? ARE YOU HAPPY THAT YOU ARE THE SUPERIOR FUCKING RACE, AND THE REST OF MY FAMILY HAD TO FUCKING DIE!?" You went on, taking deep breaths to project your voice for as long as you could. Your throat had begun to hurt, but you went on. "I AM FUCKING SORRY THAT I HAD TO LOSE EVERYTHING! I AM FUCKING SORRY!" Slowly, but surely, the energy, the hate, began to fade away. The rage left, and the only remnant left in your heart, was sorrow. Tears welled within your eyes, and you did nothing to stop them. They flowed freely down your face, and your hands ran through your hair. You slumped against the wall, your back dragging down the surface, and hushed whispered escaped your mouth, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." With your eyes closed, you thought once again of Erica, of your family, your friends. Your stomach tied into knot, guilt stirred within you. "I'm sorry." Silence dominated the room. Princess Celestia stared at your form with pity, a frown etched on her face. Slowly, she stood, and walked out of the room. For an eternity, you sat there. Staring off into a distance that was unseen, a realm of mental landscapes and thought. But a feeling you had not felt in a long time filled you now. Content. You were found that missing hole within you had been filled. You were no longer empty, and you looked up and were taken by surprise when her presence had gone. You swallowed your nervous fear, your anxiety of what was to come. You knew what would happen next. And you were to embrace it. With a cold breeze wafting in through the window, the cold seemingly caressed your bare skin. You closed your eyes, the sound of the ocean gradually getting louder. You knew what would happen next. You opened the door to the cabin, acting on instinct, your eyes remaining closed. As your boots touched snow, your eyes opened once more. Surrounding the cabin, a large wall of pink was closing in. You looked down to your hands, and marveled for one last time about the sheer complexity of the Homo Sapien. You knew that you would be the last person to see such a thing, and for some reason, you were fine with it. The wave was closing in, and you looked back up at it. Tyler You felt as if someone was watching you, but you ignored the feeling. If someone was watching you, you did not care. Jacob You lifted your right foot, and placed it down in front of you, almost robotically. Mom Suddenly, you left foot followed in suit, a slow pattern forming. Dad With your pace increasing, you looked at the wall in front of you. Soon enough, you began running, the wind whipping through you hair. Your coat began flapping against your back, and you slid it off, your shirt slapping against your chest now. Your run became faster, a smile forming on your lips. The barrier was closer now, not more than a few more meters. Erica The bright pink glow began to shine down on you, the towering monstrosity closer. With a final leap, you let out a cry. A cry of pure unbridled triumph. A cry of sadness. A cry of joy. A thundering roar that could symbolize itself Humanity. The cry of your ancestors. A cry of relief. It was finally over.
1 : In ShadowChapter 1 In Shadow The Sun was hidden by cloud above the small quaint town of Ponyville, and the residents and their newly found neighbors, basked in the cool weather of the mid-autumn day. The large surplus of the newfoals caused chaos for the first initial days of their arrival, but other than their odd behavior, things were going quite smoothly. Twilight Sparkle gazed from her window outside as the first drops of rain began to fall. 'Odd,' she thought, 'there wasn't a rain shower scheduled today.' She then returned to her novel, reading about the last Human government to be purged of the evil of the Human race. She particularly enjoyed reading about Humans, as their technology, while unnecessary, was quite fascinating. Princess Celestia had told her that after the purge of what was the Human Earth, she cast a spell on the ponies of the world to never remember the atrocities the Humans committed. Twilight trusted her mentor wholeheartedly. Surely there was nothing ill of cleansing creatures pf their evil, she surmised. As she read, she had the strangest feeling she was being watched, and cast her gaze back to the window, but Rainbow Dash was not hovering there as usual, nor was there the imminent danger of being crushed by Derpy Hooves. She cast a spell to reveal to her what wasn't there, but nothing came up. Frowning, she sensed that whatever was watching her was somewhere in the treehouse. She placed her book back down with her magic, then hopped off of the cushion by the windowsill. "Spike!", she called, but the little dragon did not answer. Twilight set off to find her assistant, and trotted down the stairs, but her bad hoof caught on the railing. "Oh Celestia!" She groaned in agony. Cradling the offending hoof, she traced the burn marks where she had been caught in an accident when she was a filly. She hobbled down the stairs, then into the main atrium, and in the kitchen. Spike was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, a chill passed through her, and an overwhelming sense of guilt and sorrow caught her emotions. She nearly collapsed from the surprise emotion, but it faded as soon as it came. She stood there and awaited the draft to return, but to no avail. Abruptly, the door flew open with an almighty BANG, and the chill returned with a vengeance. Twilight... A crackling, voice whispered to her, as though there were an electric current running through it. Twilight shrieked, and galloped to the door, shutting it. After a moment, the chill had vanished, and the silence lingered. Her heart pounding erratically, she slumped against the oak door, before a familiar sense of pain reverberated from her hoof. Yelping, she retracted her hoof from a puddle of... water? The rain hadn't made it inside, it was almost as if somepony had tracked it in. Twilight decided she wasn't going to let some phantom fear get to her, and set off to make herself a daisy sandwich. Spike had gone into town to find purchase some more gems for his party on Friday. After the addition of Earth to the known lands of Equestria, gems had gone down in price, and Spike was fully willing to abuse this revelation. Being older now, he stood at 5'4, towering above the small ponies, who stood at a measly 4 feet. While this was an advantage in most cases, he would commonly get headaches running into things. It had just begun raining, and Spike was prepared with a deep blue umbrella, covering him from the rain. One or two ponies had latched onto him to get by faster and without issue. As he trekked, he felt an uneasy feeling of dread run through him for a moment, and he thought he saw a light blue smoke fly over the town from the Library. He shook his head and dismissed it, then strode up to the stand. "Hello, sir, I've got only the best gems for sale, all the way from Earth!" The salespony said with a grin. As Spike eyed the gems, he found he wasn't as hungry as he had been previously, and picked three green emeralds, two purple amethysts and one sapphire. The pony loaded up the items in a bag, and Spike set the change down on the counter, making off with his goods. However, not more than a centimeter away was a newfoal, and he had walked right into her. 'Not again,' "Oh my Celestia, I am so sorry, I was not paying attention, and if you don't forgive me, then I am even more so-" "It's okay. Seriously, no harm done." "No, but I wasn't paying attention, and I might have hurt you, and-" "Listen, its fine." "Let me make it up to you-" Spike dragged his claw across his face. "Listen, I'll forgive you if you leave me alone. This is the second time." "Sor-" "No. I will forgive you once you have left my sight." And with that, she was gone. After that little incident, he guessed it would be a good idea to buy some more painkillers and burn lotion from Zecora, and strode into the Everfree, knowing the creatures would not dare attack a teenage drake. The journey was rather uneventful, besides the occasional beast staring or glaring at him through the brush, but he knew they would never act on their anger. As he approached Zecora's hut, a large explosion erupted within, the wave of air throwing Spike back. The hut nearly collapsed, and Spike began to run towards it, before he heard voices. Crouching low behind a boulder, he turned his head toward the hut, and could barely make out a conversation. "I-if it is o-only death and vengeance t-that you wreak, t-then it is your own demise that you s-seek!" Zecora shouted over the crackle of blue flame within. Another explosion. A laugh, a deep maniacal chuckle, shook the ground, and cracked through the air like lightning. "You think that I know not the price of what I inquire?" The voice sent innumerable chills down Spikes spines, and he sprinted forward into the blaze to save Zecora, but as he neared, a force of air sent him flying backwards into a tree, his back cracking against it. He groaned, and tried to move, but found the same force holding him down. Do not move, Drake, lest you seek death. . The voice had spoken within his mind. "Zecora!" Spike screamed, "Run! Get out!" **SILENCE FOOL, I SHALL NOT BE INTERRUPTED UNTIL MY TASK IS COMPLETE!. The voice roared within, lifting Spike high into the air, and crashing him back down into the mud. "I will have my vengeance, and the Ponies of this land shall know what evil their Princess has done. You may have escaped the memory-eraser spell, and your contempt for the Princess is strong, but your morals will not be the end of my cause, zebra!" Zecora was flung out of the hut at the speed of sound, impacting a tree and causing it to splinter into a thousand shards, while Zecora's broken body sprawled across the grass, her blood coating the nearby trees and dirt. Spike's eyes widened in terror, and for the briefest of moments, the rain stopped, and all was silent, before Spike broke the silence himself. "Zecora!" Spike cried. Spike could feel the same pressure from before, and was lifted up into the air. He stopped at roughly 50 feet above the ground where Zecora lay. He could see her eyes gazing up at him, but he knew they could see nothing. "You do best to remember what has happened here, and spread word that this will happen to all who stand in my way." The voice crackled and sparked. Spike could feel himself shaking. "Who are you? W-what are you?" Spike asked in fear. "I am ONE, and I am the avenger of the Fallen Race. I am the Salvation to your people." A face manifested itself from blue arcs of electricity inches from his own. The face was much like those in the History books of the Human race. A sharp jaw, a nose narrow and chiseled into the skin, no hair, but eyes that struck fear into Spike's exhausted heart. "I am the Last Pillar, and I will not fall." It spoke. Suddenly, he vanished, and Spike found himself accelerating towards the ground. Yelling, he cast his arms in front of him, and braced for impact, but instead was roughly caught by a rainbow blur, before he passed out.
2 : WarningsChapter 2 *Warnings* "Princess Celestia! Please listen to me, Spike would never do something like this!" Twilight begged, her form slinking low to her mentor's hooves. As she looked up at the Princess, she saw sadness in her bright magenta eyes. Twilight's head fell to the wooden floor, tears running down her face. "I recognize that he is family to you, as he is to I, but he was the only one there at the scene," Celestia nuzzled Twilight as she cried, "I will get to the bottom of this, I give you my word Twilight," Twilight looked up to her eyes, and nodded sadly. Standing upright, the Princess made her way to the door, flanked by two Royal Guards. However, a collective chill passed through the air; it was if someone had died right where they were standing. After a moment, they continued on, dismissing the strange feeling as some sort of draft or breeze coming in. This is only the beginning, The Princess stopped outside of the library door, contemplating whether the strange voice had been a creation of her own thoughts. As time ticked by, the sounds of the rain were slowly washed away by an abnormal ringing in both of her ears. Celestia shook her head, and all was silent. Smiling to herself nervously, she strode ahead and caught up with her Guards, her hooves clacking against the cobblestone floor. She was nearing her chariot, and soon she would be back home at the palace, ready for a nice hot bath. Princess... The voice thundered like a crack of lightning, and for the briefest second, she saw an unfamiliar face of blues and whites manifest itself within the window of the carriage, its glowing turquoise eyes boring into her soul with unimaginable hatred. Celestia could feel the hairs in her mane stop in the air, and the electrical current running through the atmosphere. For the first time in one thousand years, Princess Celestia, sole ruler of the land of Equestria, felt fear. I watched as the target of my manic fixation left, but I had let her slip away to build her strength; I too had to build up my own. As she departed, a sense of satisfaction came from recalling her terror, or the panicked urgency in her retreat. Oh, how I savored it. But with my delight came my disgust, somewhere there was a part of me that still cared for such naive things. My ethereal form was slowly losing it's shape. I had to return to the cove. I took to the sky, my powers propelling me forward through the still cloudy heavens. As I ascended, I watched the innocent ponies go about their lives in the rain, but it seemed they were unaccustomed to my work. Tarps of black and blue were cast over the market place, and the street lights flickered into life. The rainfall, previously passing through my non-existent flesh, began to flash and sizzle upon me. I bolted in a clap of thunder, rocketing over the nearby forest, towards a river that I had begun to call home. My form solidified as I went, arcs of electricity coursing around me, forming small tissues along my arms and legs. As the process continued, I angled upwards, then dived down into the course of the water. As I sank deeper and deeper, the water getting darker and darker, light began to seep through the cracked stone beneath the surface, and I disassembled the fragments with my mysterious powers. As they parted, I put forth a wave of energy to prevent the boiling water around me from entering my residence, and I descended within. The fragments reforming behind me, I floated down to the bottom of the spherical chamber, towards the cold limestone. My 'skin' had started the crawl over my now developing 'skeleton', and I flexed my foreign muscle tissue for the first time. While I could not feel, the sight of my own physical body reassured me that there was still something of a human left in me, despite the strange patterns and etchings along the tissue. *What did you do?* I turned around to face the voice, a small orb of blue flame hovering ahead of me. "She has been informed of her coming demise," Fool! You cast thy hand when we hold the element of surprise! Art thou attempting to rid us of existence? My voice sank slightly, static growling through my speech, "No, however I-" Freedom is a quality thine soul has not, I am thy master, do recall this; thou can be removed from this plane as easily as thou was't brought in. Do not test my patience. I was suddenly forced backwards, colliding with the wall behind me. As I began to comprehend what had happened, my newly developed nociceptors flaring in mild pain. Anger seeped through me as I launched forward, drawing forth a long blade formed from my own energy. "What is your reason for bringing me here? What cruel injustices has the Tyrant brought forth upon you?! Your fall was your own, my entire realm was wiped away by this monster!" Do NOT, EVER, speak as such at myself, for I will end you! "You know as well as I that you cannot, I am your only instrument! How will you strike a nail without a hammer, or any other tool?" I spoke as I strode forward, my voice distorting in the waves of sound, "You may do so, but without myself, you are nothing but a legend." A demonic shriek ripped through my frame as the ball of flame soon exploded into many sparks, before digging into the stone below and pulling them together into a structure. As the pieces came together, an alicorn of stone was constructed, pieces of stone forming a mouth, and bright blue light shining through the empty sockets of where eyes should have been. "I AM NIGHTMARE MOON, WHELP, THINE PRESENCE IS A BLIGHT ON MY WORLD, THE OCCUPANCY IS MY OWN WORK! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE AS YOU WILL YOURS!" A long moment of silence stretched between us. I rose into the air, and turned my back on her, digging into the walls with my arcane energy and pulling massive blocks of stone out of the forming depression. I glanced over my shoulder back at her before I continued. "Then formulate your attack, as I shall formulate mine." "Hey, Mrs.Cake, can I leave early today? I've got that physical therapy session with Rarity tomorrow." A pink mane shot up behind a counter, followed by a muffled, "Sure hun!" Pinkie was working another long evening shift at Sugarcube Corner before she began to experience one of her episodes as she was removing her apron, but she realized something was wrong. Mrs.Cake noticed that Pinkie looked distant, and called out to her. "Pinkie, deary, are you okay?" The dreary pony looked up and flashed a weak smile, "Yeah, I just got a woozy, I'll be-" She lost her balance within the kitchen and crumpled to the tiled floor, her head colliding with the ceramic. Mrs.Cake galloped towards her, accompanied by her coltfriend Caramel. 'This is not good.' As they began to panic and call for help, their voices blurring into one another, Pinkie felt bile rise to her throat. Pinkie Pie rose her head slightly as she uttered a two pleading words; "Get out." All hell broke loose as the bakery descended into a sinkhole, followed soon by the town hall, the library, the boutique and most of the Sweet Apple Acres orchards. The Cake twins screeched as the entire structure slammed into the bottom of a watery pit, the liquid bursting through the lower floor windows and flooding the building immediately. Caramel was pushed into the wall by the force of the water, and lost consciousness. Pinkie was taken away with the tide, her body flowing limply in the current as Mrs.Cake ascended to the higher floors, away from the water. Turning back, she bit onto Caramel's coat and began to drag him up out of the icy water, carrying him up onto dry carpet. She then noticed that there was a certain pony missing. "Pinkie!" Seeing no sign of the unstable mare, she assumed with her strange tendency to evade harm she would be alright, and went up to the twins with her coltfriend. However, on the last step, the house shifted once more, Mrs.Cake knocking her head against the wall. Her grip loosened, Caramel rolled down the stairs into the water, joined by a stunned blue pony. As the twins cried for help, the house continued is descent into the pool of water.
3 : Omen (S)[Transcript] Your Highness, From our expedition into the Northern Equestrian Territories, we have found more evidence to support the rebirth of the rightful Queen of Equestria, a Princess long erased from the memories and archives of the Equines. From my previous encounter with the Solar Demon, and her attempted invasion of *Gryphon** two winters past, we have come to the conclusion her subjects are victims of some sort of ... mental reconditioning. While this is enough to potentially expose her wrong-doings to the public and cause outcry, this 'reconditioning' seems to have efficiently portrayed us as,' the Barbaric Barons of the Northern Skies'. Our informant managed to relay some news of the "Elements of Harmony" back to us, as well as the discovery of another member of the Lost Race; he may seek vengeance for the evil that has been put upon him by our mutual enemy. If this is the case, he may prove useful with the artifact recovered from the Dead City of London.* Your faithful Servant, Captain Lightwing
4 : Friction "There are two freedoms - the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought." -Charles Kingsley Chapter 4 Friction You know not where your allegiance lies, do you? Deep inside, somewhere within, you know what evils were conducted upon you. An individual that was to be erased has been awakened, but must remain dormant. Salvation will come, friend, salvation will come. And with it, peril will arise in the coming days. Twilight came to consciousness abruptly, shooting up in the air with a yelp. She looked around frantically, searching every crevasse and corner in the bedroom. After a few tense moments, she became aware of her frightened panting. She tried to steady herself, and put her forehooves against the mattress, a familiar burning sparking up in her foreleg. Before she could grimace, a cool liquid impacted the scar, and she traced it back to her face. She found she had been crying. She tried to think back to her nightmare, but it had fleeted already. The only thing she could remember was that voice. She had heard it before, but where? Fluttershy came into the room with concern etched on her features, but before she could say a word, Twilight rose a hoof, "I'm fine, I just need my ointment," she said, hiding her face. "O-okay, I'll go get it for you..." she trailed off as she departed. Twilight was still until she could no longer hear the sound of her hooves, and sighed deeply. Since those sinkholes opened, she could not catch an ounce of sleep. While she was safe, she felt her mind was not, the recurring visions of darkness and that voice, that eerie deep static that filled her mind. She sat in silence once more, her mind once again pondering the meaning behind these visions. Were they a depiction of things to come? A warning? She found herself unable to recollect the dream, the strange voice following the routine of disappearing from her memory. "General Armor, I want constant shifts to be posted in Ponyville, effective immediately. We need those areas of land restructured, restored and refurnished to operate at standard capability, nothing is to be suspected at all." "Yes ma'am." "What did you call me?" "I apologize my Regent, maintainer of the Equestrian nation and savior of the Human Realm, how must I address your Majesty?" "Regent shall do quite nicely." "Of course." "Inform Bookkeeper Blueblood that I no longer need his assistance in running my nation, tell him that he must remove his belongings from the Royal Court Office and report to yourself as soon as he is able." "Yes Regent Celestia." Lightwing's eyelids peeled open, his gaze stretching over the plane of trees and vegetation that was the Everfree forest. His sights were set upon Ponyville, the dark yellow glow of countless lanterns kept within the houses shining in the distance. His talons relaxed and released the branch of the tall dead tree beneath him, his wings spreading and his body taking flight. As he glided, he remembered the weight of the dagger that was kept at his hip. 'I will not use it unless I have to, this is a simple reconnaissance mission, nothing too-" His thoughts were interrupted as a mysterious dark figure, much like a pony, swooped down from unimaginable heights and slammed into his upper back. He pushed himself forward, faster than the figure above, and managed to spin around, pulling the dagger. As he slammed into the earth below, the darker figure came down upon him, the blade going deep within the waist of the unknown assailant. After a few moments of silence, the figure went still, and limp on top of Lightwing's form. He put his talons against the cold breastplate of the being, pushing it up off of his chest. As it rolled away, he looked up to the sky and saw a bright moon, one he hadn't seen for decades, hanging above in the endless starry black. His brow rose in confusion, and he gingerly cast his gaze back to the deceased creature, his eyes darting over it, examining every little crevasse and crease in it's strange armor. He soon realized that two leathery wings were twisted and bent underneath the creature, the skin ripped and torn in some areas. Recognition soon swept him, his wings pushing him up off the ground. His jaw dropped slightly as his heart pumped hysterically once again, fear washing into his veins. This was no pony. Nightmare moon has returned, and with her, the Eretei have come to reclaim the very land the Equestrians hid from them. He took to the air once more, his resolve hardening as he hurried to the quaint little town.
AwakeningWhat does it mean to be a Human? Is there some sort of trait that one would possess to be Human? Are Humans only truly Humans for the shell the mind resides in, or is there more to that? There are many unanswered questions about the Human mind, body, soul. Too many to go through. But in the eon of time that my mind had run rampant amongst the nothingness of a void, I lost myself, my name, my mind, my identity. You might say I lost my Humanity. But then you would be answering one of the previous questions, or rather, leaving it unanswered. There was no definite unit of time or space to measure pain. And while I had forgiven the transgressions and the ill-acts I had committed when I had been a Human, it was not what I mourned for. I mourned for the wiping of an entire species, for it was my own, and I could see then that life should be cherished, not swept away. A deep, dark hatred began to build for ponykind, for Celestia could have found another way. There had to be. There was. And I knew. Because I could see it from the nothingness. My family. My world. My life, because of her actions against an entire collective race. But that didn't matter to me. In the nothingness, I could see, hear, feel, smell,... and not, at the same time. It was not as you would hear a car, or smell a meal, or feel a ball. No, I could interact... with the pain that she had caused. But that was not all. I could TASTE it. And it was terrible. And I loathed myself for it trying it. But I consumed. I consumed the rage, the despair. I was consumed with it. By it. The loss of my race was hard to bear, but it was even harder to bear the weight of my new task, given to me by the souls of anger and emotion from a dead race; I was to avenge those lost. And the promise of more pain lured me in. I could SMELL it. I could HEAR it. I could SEE it. But best of all, I could FEEL it, and I was going to make her feel it as well.
