For the Sake of Others
A one-shot story written by: TheTraxicEnd
Idea based off the poem: Power by Audre Lorde
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I, Twilight Sparkle, am the student of a great, power, majestic ruler who takes care of her fellow ponies. She resides in the great city of Canterlot, formed by her parents over several thousand years ago. When her parents fell to the great power of Death and it's servants, she and her sister became the great rulers of the land.
Enough about them though. This story is about...
...the dreadful day.
I could describe the day as hot, steamy and humid; but that's too simplistic. I'd rather describe this day as red, toxic, and a killer to anypony who stood out in its powerful radiance.
So what happened on this day you might ask?
Well, let's start at the beginning of it all.
On this very day, I was walking towards a old, poor section of Canterlot. I was asked to go there by Princess Celestia herself to go and give her a report on why her subjects fared less there. For me, This seemed like an easy task, until I realized the truth...
Corruption...
Destruction...
Hatred....
It shrouded the landscape for several miles.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't realize the truth until it hit me square in the horn and by the time I realized it the truth; it was too late.
When I arrived at the poor section of town, I began to notice changes of the city. This section was very dark, unsanitary, and most importantly...
...bloody.
Upon sight of this liquid, I immediately vomited. Most ponies in this area looked at me and shook their heads. I even heard one say,
"Amateurs..."
What does that pony mean by 'Amateurs'?! You're walking through a road painted with blood of many! Is this place filled with disharmony?
I began to take my quill and paper out, so I could write some notes regarding the situation. As I did this, I heard a loud bang and a shriek of terror. Turning to the direction of the bellowing shout, I gasped in fear and surprise. In front of me, was a police officer and a young colt. The colt was shaking in fear as the officer continued to berate him. Due to my curiosity, I began to listen into their conversation.
The police officer shouts,
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE YOU STRAGGLER?"
The colt moves back, trying to distance himself from the officer in front of him. Despite his efforts, the officer moves closer, invading the colt's space. The officer bellows,
"I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE AGAIN! YOU WERE CHARGED YESTERDAY FOR STEALING FOOD FROM ANOTHER MARE'S FAMILY!"
The colt rapidly shook his head, trying to evade the officer's verbal assault. The colt then murmured,
"I...have no place to go. I-"
The police officer hits the colt with his hoof. The colt shrieks out in pain, as he stifles about. The police officer smiles at the pain he caused.
I, on the other hoof, felt pain coarse through my veins. Where in the hay did that pain come from? I began to filter through possibilities of how it came about. As I did this, I heard the voice of the colt cry out again in pain. I turned my attention back to the scene of the two, the officer currently berating the poor colt. You probably think this is the end of the treachery and violence?
You, my fellow ponies, are very *wrong.***
The police officer grabs the colt by the neck and yells,
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. HERE IN THE QUEENS, YOU ARE NOTHING BUT BAIT! WHEN YOU COMMIT A CRIME, YOU ARE BEATEN. YOU UNDERSTAND?"
The colt nods vigorously, his eyes pleading for the officer to stop his act.
The police officer sees this, but instead, does something rather disturbing...
He begins to bring his other hoof to the colts line of sight. He states,
"Son...I want you to sprint as far as you can to the entrance of this very sector," he pauses and motions his left foreleg to the gate. He continues,
"and if I still see you when I count to ten, I will fire upon you. Is that understood?"
WHAT?!
The colt nods slowly, making sure heard the stallion correctly. As the officer lets him free, the colt began his sprint of survival. As he trekked across the blood-stained pavement, I watched in awe and wonder. Nopony I knew besides Rainbow Dash or Applejack, was able to run as fast as this colt. The colt ran swiftly, his stride ever so long. The colt's facial expression was of determination and perseverance. As I continued to watch this colt run, I began to shift my gaze towards the police officer.
The officer was currently in a defiant fighting stance. His horn was pointed at the colts direction, ready to fire without hesitation. As I counted down the last two seconds, I began to see the officer's horn glow a very distinct color. This color would be the one I would always remember. The color would be the one all ponies would remember. The color was similar to the one of a deep blood red.
When I counted to zero, I saw the energy the officer had charged release, it's path was in range of the colt. The colt heard the blast go off and tried to evade it.
If only he moved a bit quicker...
The magic bolt claimed the colt, hitting him in the left hind leg. The colt shrieked in pain, collapsing to the blood-stained ground.
When the bolt impacted the colt, I felt another shot of intense pain enter my system. As he shrieked in pain, I gasped and collapsed to the pavement. One of the stallions saw my dilemma and came to my aid. He asked,
"Are you okay miss?"
I nodded and said,
"Yes, thank you."
The stallion nodded and then asked me,
"Are you concerned about the colt over yonder?"
I began to nod slowly, puzzled by his question.
"Well, miss he's poison to our community. Here in the Queens, We punish those even with the pettiest of crimes with the highest penalty."
I gasp silently at his comment. I began to feel my blood boil by the hatred this stallion purposed. I asked,
"Isn't it by underneath the Princess's rule that-"
I was interrupted by the stallion's hearty laughter. He declares,
"Oh, miss. The Princess's laws have no meaning nor effect here. If they did, you would see royal guardsponies around here."
I looked around cautiously and noticed what the stallion had said was true. In these parts, it seemed none of Celestia's guardsponies were around. I asked,
"Why hasn't she sent any here?"
The stallion responds with a defiant tone,
"Miss, She doesn't have any bearing in this area. She may be one of the rulers of Equestria, but she has no right against our law and ord-"
I interrupted him screaming,
"WHAT THE DAY DO YOU MEAN SHE HAS NO RIGHT?! THIS IS PART OF CANTERL-"
I was silenced by another shriek and a shock of pain entering my system. As I fell to the ground once again, I turn my gaze to the colt, who is now being belted with bolts of lightning. Wave after wave of intense pain bared into my bones. The stallion saw my pain and helped me up. He asked,
"Miss, would you like to see the colt?"
I nodded very subtly and ask,
"Why are you helping me?"
The stallion smiles and says,
"Because when one who is not infected is hurting, then it's polite to help them."
Puzzled by this statement, I ask,
"What does it mean to be infected?"
The stallion glares at me and states,
"Being infected means to be against our brethren. Crime is rampant around these parts, so we built a system of justice. When one commits a crime, they become infected..."
As the stallion talked and led me towards the colt, I began to feel tense and fearful of this section of Canterlot. They've become so distant with Canterlot that they've created a whole new country without any sort of permission! When I get these notes to Princess Celestia, I-
My train of thought was put on hold as I noticed the scene in front of me. The colt was lying on his side, trembling as the officer continued his barrage of bolts. The colt screams out,
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?"
The police officer grins from ear to ear and says,
"Because...your kind isn't allowed here," the officer pauses, his smirk gaining as he continues, "and I'm here to extinguish your entire species from the Queens."
I want to know the name of this officer so he can stand trial-
"But sir-"
"DON'T YOU SIR ME YOU INFECTED MOTHERBUCKER!"
The police officers sends another magical lightning bolt into the colt, making the colt scream and bleed profusely. The colt begins to shed a tear and cries out,
"I...just wanted some foo-"
The police officer smacks the colt with his hoof, rendering his speech to collapse. The officer turns and notices the crowd that has begun to form. He yells,
"WHAT ARE YOU FEATHER-BRAINED DIMWITS LOOKING AT?"
My blood was boiling to intense point, making me almost scream in anger. The only thing that stopped me from taking charge was of this police officer's power. Each lightning bolt, hit, or shout the officer created made a intense pain pierced my system. I couldn't understand why this happened, but I wouldn't let it go. My pain apparently kept this colt alive...
Anyway, I was looking at the colt with concern as he laid there. Standing before this colt was a menace, a fiend, and a torturer who was meant to protect the innocent. Instead, he was killing them until all that remained were the weak. This wasn't what Celestia intended was it?
The thought lingered throughout the inner spaces of my intellectual mind. This couldn't have been what she wanted. She was a ruler of many and she cared for all who called out her name. So why did these ponies disregard her and fall into the hands of disharmony? Did the leaders of their new 'government' cause this savagery? Or did Discord decide to become evil once again?
All of the possibilities...they were all false.
As I disengaged from my over-thought mind, I saw a mare, running up to the police officer. She was crying loudly and calling out for help. The officer turned to her and asked,
"What do you need miss?"
This is very weird change of pace...He was angry one second ago and now hes-
The mare rapidly exchanges,
"My son is in need of assistance! Some ravager took off with some of his stolen property and I-"
The police officer shoved a hoof over her muzzle. He said in a calming tone,
"Lead the way miss."
He pauses and looks back to the bleeding colt and says,
"Don't you move one bit young one. I'm not done with you yet."
The colt nods slowly, unable to speak due to his injuries.
The police officer leaves the scene, following the mare as she rambled on about the incident her son was part of.
As he was out of eyesight, most of the ponies dispersed, returning to what they were doing. I, on the other hoof, saw the opportunity to help the colt and took it. I rushed up to him and began to try and heal him. The colt gasped as he felt my magic penetrate his wounds. The colt glared at me angrily and asked,
"What are you doing miss!?"
I was shocked at the response he gave me. Here, I was helping the young, poor, defenseless colt from the menace who was about to slay him and I am the one being questioned?
I sigh quietly and say,
"I'm here to help you so you can leave this place."
What this colt says next will haunt me for the rest of my life.
The colt declares,
"Miss. Return to your duties. I'm an infected one. This community wants me dead and if this is what they want," the colt pauses, letting out several coughs of blood. Once his coughing fit subsided, he continued saying,
"Then that is what they'll get. I won't fall alone right?"
'I won't fall alone right?' The phrase seemed to tickle my brain a bit. Is this colt referring to the intense shocks of pain I was receiving whenever he received it? He couldn't possibly know...
"Miss, I know you feel my pain..."
IS HE A MIND-READER?
The colt continued,
"and I know you're not from these parts, but promise me to remember my name."
I felt tears rush out of my eyes and pain shoot up through every muscle I owned. I asked in a flustered tone,
"W-what is your na-ame?"
He sighed and responded with,
"My name is True Vision. I wanted to give you the truth about this sector. I noticed you staring at me when I galloped past. It seems you fair well with the mighty powers of Canterlot huh?"
This colt is smarter than he looks.
I answer,
"Yes. I'm the student of Princess Celestia. She sent me here to give her a report on this area."
The colt's eyes suddenly widened at my proclamation. He then rambles,
"I'msosorrymiss-"
He was interrupted by another coughing spree of blood.
When he started coughing, I began to falter, my vision began to fade. I also felt a intense pain rock the inner depths of my mind. This pain, however; was almost spellbinding. It communicated with me with subtle tones and intricate patterns. The pain spelled out a message that I was somehow able to depict. It said,
'The difference between friendship and love,
is when you're ready to give your own life,
for the sake of others.
And for those who are like a dove,
Will remember you and your sacrifice,
for the sake of others.
And for those who are like a grayscale rainbow,
will disregard you and your sacrifice,
for the sake of others.
So will you give your life,
for the sake of others?'
As the depiction was finished, I felt a sense of healing enter my vicinity. I began to regain my vision and felt the pain dissipate. I returned my gaze to the colt, who was smiling at me while he was bleeding out. His blood soaked the pavement, adding his mark onto the blood of others.
So that's why he wanted me to know his name. It's his identity and the reason why he's going through with this pain. I can't let him die alone by that menace though. I got to tell him I'll be there, to hold his hoof on his last minutes of living.
I say in a uplifting tone,
"True Vision."
The colt looks up into my eyes and asks,
"Yes Miss?"
I continue saying,
"I'll be with you when the officer comes back. If he has a problem with it than I'll defen-"
The colt waved his injuried hoof around, causing me to feel a sharp sting of pain. He answers,
"Miss, I can't let you do that. Once I leave this place, I will join the others who laid their mark on this very road. This street has claimed several lives and if I am the one who is the last to die on it, then so be it."
This colt deserves a medal of commendation from the princess...
"No miss I don't deserve a medal."
"Do you read minds True Vision?"
The colt laughs slightly before saying,
"No, but your face tells a thousand words..."
I blushed slightly due to the embarrassment he has caused. The colt noticed this and started to engage in a laughing fit. It made me feel happy to make a dying colt's wish come true. I will remember his name when I go back to the castle; I will remember his name when he enters his own grave, and I will remember his name when I perish as well...
...for the sake of others.