open The Dark Millennium

[Hederik 119]

"Duh, the only princess in there is Princess Platinum," replied Rabble Buster, then, striking a pose, he recited, "Stuck up enough to teach the torches how to burn and vain enough to walk alone through the night in her unicorn king daddy's richest jewels, too dear for all the earth of their kingdom to pay for," he ended and faked a bow, causing Avidity to burst out laughing and bringing a hardly-controlled smirk onto Reverie's face. Cirrus raised herself at the unexpected reaction from the teacher, looking about in confusion and appearing to replay the words in her head.

 

"So they changed the name of Celestia," shrugged Toad dismissively. "Didn't we just say this was all a load of fairy tales even then?"

 

Gal clicked her tongue with disappointment. "Not exactly, although there's so much amiss that I'm inclined to agree. Where's Luna, where's Celestia's wings? There is nothing about the winged unicorns in the entire play, yet at the end they sing in joy, holding a flag depicting the bloody Royal Sisters in what must be the greatest waste of words for some cosmic metaphores!" she finished in annoyance, although she was visibly glad to have been able to speak up again.

 

"And yet, both the songs and description are held as some of the greatest accomplishments of literary work in all of history..." commented Reverie musingly, his voice neutral and features once more passive.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Hederik,@@Once In A Blue Moon,

All the while, listening, he was most concerned with the argument  of the Pegasi armed forces as having the ultimate hand. He decided on putting this in check would help guide them to more unexplored topics, and so he raised his hoof and nervously interjected, "Well... This was in the era of construction, the earliest recorded dates in Equestria. If you take note, this was before Platinum had much of any influence, and before Celestia and Luna ruled in the most recent era of history that has been uncovered-" He seemed to grow more comfortable as he spoke, "and before they rose to power, but between the age of the princesses and construction was the period of time ruled by the entity known as Discord. Please note that the behavior of the Unicorns were..... If I could say, haughty?... And other notes supporting the idea that they thought themselves too graceful and majestic to participate in war. One would say that the pegasi clearly had the winning hand, but in our text it clearly mentions that before the rule of Celestia and Luna, the rising of the sun and moon was dependent on, not some celestial princesses, but the whole unicorn tribe itself. If they simply refused to forced the sun and moon to go about a dependable pattern, then crops would suffer, and the unicorns and pegasi would in turn, also suffer. To be honest, every tribe had equal hands, they just didn't want to acknowledge the fact." Spilling the beans, but he was hoping for some kind of quick response, after all silence was time wasted in learning, lowering his hoof.

[Hederik 119]

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart

 

"And that's why there suddenly appeared two overpowered beings quite literally branded with one special power only, of moving the sun and the moon," Toad's voice was dripping with venom, "so that the unicorns could stop endangering all life there was. So that they could surpass their sacred traditions of doing almost nothing and ascend onto the level of truly doing nothing at all."

 

Midnight produced an undignified harrumph. "For all we know, the princesses could have been counted in amongst the unicorns. I don't know, maybe it was something not unheard of for a unicorn to have wings, but for some reason only these two were long-living enough to make it past the Windigo Winter?" he proposed, his expression lame enough to give away how much he was clutching at straws.

 

"Quite possibly," agreed Avidity unexpectedly. "If you'd think back on the times of Spear Shaker's life - and yes, I do realize how highly most of you think of the history of literature," she chuckled, "pretty much everything that was being written concerned the two royal sisters. If you dug deep enough, you'd find literary proof of any theory concerning their origins you could most likely conjure up. Spear was one of the first to revolutionize the art of writing by avoiding this subject as much as possible. It is indeed theorized that Celestia and Luna's deeds are described somewhere between the lines of Origins, with the sisters being openly acknowledged only at the very ending. Inevitably, for the Equestrian flag was famous even then for not having changed for a few hundred years, and it is said to have remained the same until the very end of that glorious land," she finished dreamily.

 

"Okay, okay," said Gale, stomping a hoof on her desk to accentuate her point, "let the hyperponies sit wherever they would, but we're forgetting the actual question here, and one that seems to bother not only me," she nodded to Colenso. "Pegasi warriors?"

 

"I'm with Reverie on that one," answered Buster, although he didn't sound entirely convinced. "Cat's point is valid, but I'm sure there's an explanation..."

 

A moment of silence followed, broken by the teal unicorn in question himself. "This enemy only threatened the pegasi," he proposed, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts for the continuation. "If they went away, it would turn onto other races, either eliminating them or making them into soldiers too. But the pegasi were dependent on the earth ponies for sustenance, and so unwilling to expose them to the threat?"

 

"That... is smart," admitted Toad with unwilling admiration. "But where does that leave the unicorns?"

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Hederik,

Placing his hoof on the back of his neck, "Leaving the unicorns unprotected meant leaving the day and night cycle in the hooves of pure chance. Leave the day and night cycles out of the flow of balance, food harder to grow, its common sense." Then more anxiously, looking down to his desk, " I don't know about you, but I don't believe that the Lunar and Solar princesses even existed before the rule of Discord. Fact is we don't have enough solid information to come up with any solid conclusions." He knew he was speaking out against what was considered common knowledge to the ponies around him, but it failed to make any sense that they could have existed previous to that period of time.

[Once In A Blue Moon 894]

A moment of silence followed, broken by the teal unicorn in question himself. "This enemy only threatened the pegasi," he proposed, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts for the continuation. "If they went away, it would turn onto other races, either eliminating them or making them into soldiers too. But the pegasi were dependent on the earth ponies for sustenance, and so unwilling to expose them to the threat?"

 

"But what could threaten the pegasi before the other races noticed it? The sky falling?" Cat asked, "All of them demonstrated the ability to move vast numbers over significant distances to escape a threat, no small feat for the earth ponies but comparatively easy for a race that built with low-flying clouds. They moved to escape the windigos, and being prey the natural reaction for a pony is to flee - rather than build some highly militarised society dependent on other occasionally antagonistic factions for food," Cat stopped, assessing the point she was trying to make.

 

"I can only really see two solutions - either the pegasi weren't nearly as powerful a military force as they were later portrayed; Spear Shaker exaggerated or just plain fabricated that, or alternatively some internal counterbalance existed to hold them in check; as any external threat they would simply flee from. And as they did strike out on their own to escape the Windigos, I struggle to believe that they were entirely reliant on the earth ponies if they thought that they could isolate themselves elsewhere. The unicorns are difficult to fit in, I grant you, but unless there is a group of unicorns that is still moving the sun and the moon today it would seem that the celestial bodies can manage by themselves."

 

@@Hederik,

Fact is we don't have enough solid information to come up with any solid conclusions.

 

 

"I agree. This seems like an awful lot of conjecture based on a single non-contemporary source. Unless there are other sources that we haven't seen yet?" Cat turned to Avidity, a questioning look on her face.

Edited June 18, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Hederik 119]

@@SilverHeart, @@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon,  

 

"There are other sources, and they are not being withheld from you," answered the lecturer with a slightly chastising tone. "Colenso here clearly had a look at Ponydot's Histories, since I hear the references to capital-letter Discord," she sighed quietly. "Sadly, none of the authors can be believed entirely. They vary on most accounts, and contradict each other as often as not. The one source that we are led to believe could be cogent and cohesive would be Princess Celestia herself, but alas, all agree that she has ever removed herself from writing, as though she meant to allow ponies to have the history for themselves, regardless of her influence."

 

"Be that as it may, what about the sun and moon being moved?" prodded Rabble Buster. "I haven't heard about anypony doing that, and yet it works..."

 

Avidity nodded. "They do, and as far as I know, they do so by themselves. A number of theories exist concerning this fact. Some say Celestia and Luna were indeed Sun and Moon spirits trapped within pony bodies, and only after the downfall of the nation that held them captive did they return to governing themselves from without. My personal favorite is that, sensing the end of their rule and fearing to leave this task to the unicorns themselves, the princesses poured all of their remaining power into a spell that would keep the sun and moon on their way for thousands of years to come," she smiled at the thought, then smirked and rose her hooves in mock-scary gesture, adding in a spooky voice, "Some say they are now moved by Star herself."

 

A long moment of silence followed, as the lecturer paged through her notebook, checking for topics left uncovered, then looked up as Cirrus muttered, "This entire class division makes no sense. So all pegasi were warriors, all earth ponies farmers and all unicorns did nothing? That's just... too simple."

 

"Another twist made by the author?" suggested Buster, receiving a nod from Avidity.

 

"It's a theory I proposed myself during these classes when I was your age that Spear Shaker placed the different tribes in roles he most often saw them belong to in his times, while in truth, ponies of all types participated in each of the professions." A few approving sounds from the younger officers followed. "Okay, I think we've covered as much of the Origins of Equestria as we could in the time allotted, so unless anypony has more questions, you're free to go," she ended with a smile.

[Once In A Blue Moon 894]

"There are other sources, and they are not being withheld from you," answered the lecturer with a slightly chastising tone. "Colenso here clearly had a look at Ponydot's Histories, since I hear the references to capital-letter Discord," she sighed quietly. "Sadly, none of the authors can be believed entirely. They vary on most accounts, and contradict each other as often as not. The one source that we are led to believe could be cogent and cohesive would be Princess Celestia herself, but alas, all agree that she has ever removed herself from writing, as though she meant to allow ponies to have the history for themselves, regardless of her influence."

 

 

Cat gave a short, quiet 'Huh' to indicate exactly what she thought of those 'sources,' along with a slightly satisfied look at the mention of their contradictory nature. She nodded at Cirrus' observation, and murmured in agreement at the discussion's conclusion.

 

 

As they exited the lecture room, Cat looked out of one of the windows.

 

@@Colenso Rivers,@@SilverHeart. 

 

"Ahhh, a beautiful end to a beautiful day... oh wait, it's s*dding dark 'cause the sun set hours ago, the only reason my legs haven't collapsed is because they've gone completely stiff sitting still for too long, I spent most of the day trudging up the side of a mountain and the rest of it being beaten into the ground. This is the life, eh?" Sarcasm dripped from every word.

 

"Still, might as well make the best of it," Cat continued, "It's a clear night, so I'm going to pop outside to keep working on my charts," she tapped her saddlebags, where she kept her impromptu 'maps' of the night sky, "You're welcome to come along if you want - it shouldn't take too long, just a few quick sketches."

Edited June 20, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Once In A Blue Moon,

He winced at her and answered, "Ouch, these are some negative vibes." Then more whimsically, "Buuuut, I guess I will go ahead and join you. Anyways, I haven't been stargazing in a while." Then he took a glance over to Avidity and added, "One minute. I'll come find you, I have to speak with Avidity."

@@Hederik,

After the discussion, Colenso placed his book back in his satchel, stepped away from his desk and pushed in his chair before approaching Avidity for a moment, "Thank you for the discussion, its always a delight mam." Then more longingly, "I only wish we had solid information." He knew, he knew that more than any pony else, she knew that he wasn't a fool. So he spoke openly to her.

[Hederik 119]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

The mare nodded to Colenso's words. "I'm glad you share my passion for the study of history, blind groping though it may seem. It's a mystery, how the ponies of Equestria could be contented with such a limited amount of information about their own past. Maybe there had been a spoken tradition, or maybe the accurate textbooks have been lost to time. There seems to be no proof of either case, though. It is just so hard to believe that the immortal princesses should withhold their boundless knowledge from the other ponies..."

[SilverHeart 741]

((OOC: I'm sending this over my phone during a break. So I can't mention people since I can't remember the code for it. Sorry for the inconvenience. So this will be a bit short. I should be able to start writing better posts soon. I just haven't had any time I devote to RPing lately.))

 

Silver wasn't entirely sure if Cat's invitation was directed at just Colenso or anyone within ear shot. While her body was sore and tired, she was up for a little bit of socializing before bed. She waited for Colenso to leave before she approaches Cat. "Would you mind if I came along? It's been awhile since I've spent any time relaxing outside." She asked the other mare.

Edited June 20, 2016 by SilverHeart

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Hederik, "Yeah, well in order for a great kingdom like Equestria to simply vanish like it did, something must've happened. Maybe that's why we don't have anymore information." Then he looked over to Cat and added, "Well, I have a friend waiting on me. I just wanted to thank you and bid you farewell for now mam."

@@Colenso Rivers, @@SilverHeart,  

He trotted over to Cat after his goodbye with Avidity and shook, "Let's get going, I'm really excited."  He noticed Silver a moment after and stood aside, asking politely, "I do hope you come along with us, if that's what you were asking before I interrupted? My apologies..."

[Once In A Blue Moon 894]

"Would you mind if I came along? It's been awhile since I've spent any time relaxing outside." She asked the other mare.

 

 

"Sure you can come along," Cat answered, her voice sounding genuinely cheerful as she made her way down the corridor. Gone was the tired, sarcastic and snarky exterior, her brisk walk revealing an enthusiasm that she hadn't shown all day.  

 

"Let's get going, I'm really excited."

 

 

"I think this will interest you," Cat agreed as they walked through the dark halls and out of the main building. Pausing only to draw a pair of binoculars from her saddlebags and put the strap around her neck as she walked out the door, Cat made a beeline for a small outcrop a little way uphill. Picking her way through the undergrowth, and warning the two unicorns not to use magic as it would ruin their night vision, it took a couple of minutes to reach the stone. It jutted out from the mountainside a bit like a doorstop, a level section of rock with a miniature cliff at the end, and as they reached the top Cat handed her binoculars to the two unicorns.

 

"You see the tiny nicks around the edge as you look through them? The left one specifically. I had those done very exactly - each one is fifteen degrees apart from the one on either side, with the large notch at the top. If you align that with the academy, which I am reliably informed is built with exactly vertical walls on the North-East tower, you can measure the angles between the stars," she pulled out one of her charts, a piece of paper covered in pencil markings and a small amount of precisely drawn ink.

 

"Using the tops of mountains as markers, as long as the angles can be measured accurately you can work out the distance between each star, and so can accurately draw the map - checking back to the mountains to see if you got it right. Alto Cord is pretty good at maths, so I had her do the trigonometry and I come up here every so often to check that everything is where it is predicted to be," she paused, looking up at the hundreds of stars above them, "It's a big project. There are star maps in the archives; or at least, they're supposed to be star maps. They don't look much like the sky at the moment, so I can't say. The more recent ones have matching constellations, but they haven't been done accurately - not with angles and mathematics," she stopped, this time for quite a while as she took her binoculars back and checked some of the stars against the map. She had to squint quite hard to read it, but the moon was bright and there was just enough light to read by.

 

"The stars were the first hint I had that the world was bigger than I was lead to believe. You know how you can use the mountain tops to navigate? My mum actually had a little ditty about it;" Cat paused, coughed, and broke into a passable if not exceptional singing voice;

 

"If the Crooked Peak rises high,

too far you've gone, homewards fly;

With Jagged Edge on your right,

hurry on home afore it's night;

Scorched Bluff and the half-way tree,

there for lunch and back for tea;

Academy's Heights marks Valley's limit,

one step further and down you'll plummet!"

Cat looked slightly embarrassed after that, mumbling about limit and plummet not really rhyming before recovering and continuing with her explanation.

 

"Anyway, you know how when you move up and down the valley the mountain tops move? Or rather, you move and see them from another angle? Well, that's true of everything - trees, rocks, the academy, whatever; parallax is what Alto calls it. Have you noticed that no matter where you are in the Valley, the stars look exactly the same? It's as though parallax doesn't affect them... but I think it does, it's just that they're so far away that you can't see it. Thanks to Alto I was able to understand the actual mathematical reasons, but to really show this I would need to move somewhere else. Somewhere a long way away from the Academy to make another measurement, and show that they had moved a little bit. That's what these charts are really for - to check against, and see if the stars are all in the same relative positions. If they change, and I can measure the change, Alto says she can work out how far away they are," Cat paused, a huge smile on her face, "Imagine that; I can't go and explore the stars, but I can at least map where they are," her voice grew wistful, "The most complete map of everything, from the bottom of the Valley right up to the stars..." she trailed off, looking up.

 

"So that's why I go through this, really," Cat said in an introspective voice, "Not just that, of course, but the general idea. I not so much knew as felt that the Valley couldn't be everything, it just didn't quite tally. Now, of course, I know more, and it turns out I was right. Dear old mum was wrong - there is more out there, and I want to see it, and show those unambitious stay-at-homes what's really out there," she looked over at Colenso and Silver, a slightly sheepish look on her face, "Sorry, I've been rambling and it's a bit chilly up here. I've done all I need to, we can head back in now."

Edited June 20, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Once In A Blue Moon,

As the kept a quick stride to follow Cat, Colenso couldn't help but to think to himself Wow, I thought she was exhausted. But then again when one is doing what they love, they tend to get excited for it. They stepped into the night, the cold nipping at Colenso whom happily shivered and always found he had a positive relationship with lower temperatures. The dark was almost too much, but almost wasn't quite, and he did as Cat asked, pushing through the bramble and undergrowth and out the other side.

As they moved deeper into the night, Colenso was thinking of the moon, and the stars, and the discussion they just had with Avidity. The sky radiated with such pale moonlit beauty, the stars like shimmering gems against a black velvet bed. They stepped out onto the stone as Colenso thought, If it was as great and beautiful as they claimed it was. As this... Would I give up the existence of everypony here, and mine as well to get a future in which Equestria didn't fall? The question was hard, but he came up with an answer as soon as he asked it, and it was enough to bring the shine of tears to his eyes and take away his common thoughtless smile.

Cat snapped him out of it, and he quickly wiped one of his forelegs across his eyes to collect the tears. He looked over at the binoculars and nodded, adding, "I wish I was as skilled at math as Alto." Even though he didn't understand a single thing about mapping or figuring out where he was, he appreciated her passion for it, it was very complex work. The mountains, landmarks and stars. He really liked it here. Just a wandering mind again, he had to stay on topic, keep his focus. It would be rude of him to feign interest. She began to mention the world being bigger than what they knew, and broke out into a little diddy before recovering in an embarrassed fashion and continuing the point. He was well known for long periods of silent listening before responding. This was no exception. After she finished, he looked to her and commented, "You have a habit of impressing the hell out of me, Carto." Gesturing to her things, "I mean, look at all this. Patience, everything having to be just exact. The skill required for any cartography is intense. This is your passion too. Sometimes I find admiration in unexpected ponies, but you aren't unexpected." He realized that it could have been misconstrued as affectionate banter, but he hoped she only took it at face value. He had no interests.

Then, turning his eyes to the sky, he took on a more intellectual tone, "You're not the only one that doesn't believe the world is as small as they say. Gravity dictates it cannot be so. The farther anything is from the center the more outwards the tilt of it's stand would have to be in order to stand at all. And fall into what? If the world just had a cliff, we would gravitate towards it's other side." Down to the ground, "You're right. It doesn't add up. It never has. I could just never do the math myself before."

Edited June 22, 2016 by Colenso Rivers

[SilverHeart 741]

Silver Heart

 

@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@Colenso Rivers, @@Hederik,

 

"Thanks!" Silver said with a smile, her voice as equally cheerful, as she followed Cat. Her smile fell as she looked back to Colenso, she opened her mouth to speak and hesitated, she quickly muttered, "Don't worry about it, it's fine." as she walked past him.

 

Silver followed the other two ponies as they made their way through the corridors, outside, and then up the hill. The underbrush was thick enough that the short trek was irritating, especially since she couldn't use her magic to light their way. The thousands of hours of constant training seemed to have had some benefits, excluding how inconvenient the hike was, it wasn't particularly difficult. Before she had been drafted, walking up an untamed hill with nothing but moonlight to guide her would have sounded like a bad idea. Honestly, it was still a terrible idea, or at least the trip back down would be. One misstep or fall could lead to an injury that would end their careers before they even began.

 

The spot at the top of the hill held quite the view, to put it lightly. Silver made sure to stay several steps away from the edge of the cliff, close enough that she was part of the conversation but far enough away that she wouldn't have to look over the edge. She took a glance through the binoculars that were handed to her before passing them back. Cat's enthusiasm for cartography made an otherwise dull subject fairly interesting.

 

Cat's singing was, in Silver's opinion, very pleasing to listen to. Easily the best part of her night so far. She waited until Cat was finished before clapping lightly with her forehooves while she listened to both Cat and Colenso speak about how the world was larger than they were taught. She waited until both were finished speaking before voicing her thoughts on the matter. "What if their's nothing out there? If there were other ponies, wouldn't we have had contact with them by now? Even if there are other ponies, out there somewhere, the distance between us is too far?" She fell silent for a moment before ontinuing, "Worse than nothing, what if we attract the attention of something hostile? Any exploration beyond our home would need to be very carefully planned out." she said as she stood up, ready to follow the others back down to their dorms.

[Once In A Blue Moon 894]

"I wish I was as skilled at math as Alto."

 

"If you think her numbers are good you should hear her play. Something about music and maths apparently goes together," Cat answered.

 

I mean, look at all this. Patience, everything having to be just exact. The skill required for any cartography is intense.

 

"It's my special talent," Cat answered simply, "And I haven't met many with it in the Valley."

 

"What if their's nothing out there? If there were other ponies, wouldn't we have had contact with them by now? Even if there are other ponies, out there somewhere, the distance between us is too far?" She fell silent for a moment before ontinuing, "Worse than nothing, what if we attract the attention of something hostile? Any exploration beyond our home would need to be very carefully planned out." she said as she stood up, ready to follow the others back down to their dorms.

 

"There may be some risk," Cat answered with a frown, "But there's some risk of falling down a flight of stairs and breaking your neck. Despite this, I still get out of bed in the morning," as if to illustrate this she jumped down from the outcrop, falling a good five feet onto uneven ground, landing unharmed with a solid thump, "Equestria was more than just a valley, and we need to at least see whatever is left; if it's dangerous, we're as prepared as we can be without knowing what's out there," she continued, as they made their way back down to the academy, "Somepony needs to go first, and see how dangerous it is, before we can make any sort of proper plan," Cat's tone made it quite clear that she wanted 'somepony' to be her.

Edited June 22, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@SilverHeart,@@Once In A Blue Moon,

When Silver mentioned the risks, it brought him back a step. Perhaps it could sound like they wanted to venture out there. He shook his head and answered, "I never said anything about going out there. I haven't anymore desire to do so than anything else. It's just a theory, a thought." Trying to reassure Silver.

Then Cat began about the pro, obviously having a desire to travel out. Actually, seeming driven to do so. He carefully stepped around the outcrop, "Not without authorization." and in front of Cat, adding, "You seem to forget, so let me give you a little reminder. Once you became a cadet here, you gave up your freedom. You have responsibilities, and one of those is to obey orders, another is not to just to become a deserter." He was taken aback by his condescending tone after a moment and took a couple of nervous steps back and a more reserved tone, "Sorry. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we've invested so much in this place, this purpose. Maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll send us out, maybe not, but either way we will be doing what we can to improve the Valley."

[Hederik 119]

 

 

Once you became a cadet here, you gave up your freedom. You have responsibilities, and one of those is to obey orders, another is not to just to become a deserter.

 

"I know that!" Cat snapped, "But we won't be cadets forever. And if I have to work my way up to the top to be able to make that sort of decision then I will."

 

***

 

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart,

 

Night fell dark and quiet in the academy, wrapping the little enclosed world in its peace and silence. Having laid down in beds, none of the officers needed more than a while to close their eyes and find him- or herself

 

looking through a window at a rapidly moving terrain. Its velocity could almost go unnoticed as the never-diminishing allure of its vast expanses captivated the mind of a watcher brought up in a boxed-in mountain valley. Eventually - after time immeasurable in this state of mind - the fact that the land was running away of its own accord began to dawn anew, however. What's more, it did so with disquieting ease and lack of noticeable consequence -- there was still a comfortable seat to enjoy, which perhaps trembled a little now and then, but mostly remained stationary... And there was company? A voice sounded from one side, paired with a touch coming from the same direction, each of the words easily understandable, but instead of forming a cohesive whole, they

 

turned into a heart-rending, piercing shriek of despair. There was a recognition, an acknowledgment of pain persisting in every imaginable part of the body, but no feeling left as a view of bodies strewn around a small room burned the eyes and soul. Pieces of broken furniture and crystal strewn on the floor of the otherwise posh and luxurious interior. And a ringing, cruel laughter permeating the atmosphere

 

filled with ash and smoke, burning buildings visible everywhere but unheeded as ponies streamed down streets clattered with rubble, screaming in blind panic. And bodies, so many bodies, but no time to examine them, no time to check if they could be helped as a shadow worse than anything before loomed somewhere in the distance, threatening to come crashing on the heads at any moment as a mutilated cadaver that once had been a pony crashed down violently in front of the watcher, a miserable cry of agony coming thinly from its lips, long, drawn and akin to

 

a morning whistle, rousing the Cadets from their beds. "Ten minutes!" the announcement, surprisingly, came not from without their dormitory, thrown in passing by a superior officer. Instead, Major Flowing Tide was standing just inside the room, waiting patiently with an unreadable expression on her face until all eyes opened to regard her, then continued in a calm, almost sad voice, "No gear for any of you today. Make yourselves presentable and head on to the mess hall, your breakfast will be ready by now. In half an hour, report, one and all, in the main lecture hall."

 

Ignoring any questions that might follow, the mare turned and left the Cadets to their own devices. There had been exceptions from their normal, scheduled regimen occasionally, but a wake up call like this was something new entirely, seeming almost like a dream...

 

Midnight was the first to sling himself out of his bed - and drop to a kneel immediately, almost falling limply as he groaned heavily. "So I didn't imagine this headache," came in a strangled voice from him. "I must've really overdone it during yesterday's magic training."

 

"Yeah, no," mumbled Gal, sitting up after having pushed off her covers, currently busy massaging her temples. "Unless I somehow took part in that, there's a different cause."

 

Buster was the first to be up and about on his hooves, though from the grimace on his face he was no stranger to their ailment. "What about that dream, though?" he asked musingly, walking towards the traditional bowl of hot water readied for the Cadets' morning ablutions. "I can still almost feel those soft cushions under me in that moving house..."

 

"Train," interjected Midnight, standing back up with a wince and taking a hesitant step as if to check whether he wouldn't collapse again. "We read about this exceptional mode of transportation in Equestria, remember? A car with sitting places on wheels, moving along a suitably prepared track..."

 

"Be that what it may," Cirrus's silent, shuddering voice came from beneath the blankets laying on her bed,"I still can taste ash in my mouth, and all those b-bodies, so vivid, and suffering..." a single sob followed.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Colenso awoke with a silent start, looking around for a moment in a fearful panic before he gained his bearings by the voice of Flowing Tide. He kept his eyes on the major for a moment, before looking away in shame of his fear. Climbing off his bed, he went about his morning routine, except he was unable to put on the thoughtless smile of norm. The voices surrounding him were drowned out by the cries still burning in his mind. Just a hellish tinnitus.

(sorry, small post.)

Edited June 24, 2016 by Colenso Rivers

[SilverHeart 741]

@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@Colenso Rivers, @@Hederik,

 

Beneath her covers, Silver wiped away the tears on her cheeks. Thatwas easily the most vivid and horrible dream she had had in years...possibly her entire life. She remained under the covers for the better part of a minute, long enough that she could regain some of her normal compsure. Just to be safe she wiped her eyes once again. "I hate this place...." Silver muttered to herself as she crawled out from under her covers and rolled off of her bed. Her body swayed slightly while she tried to shake off the last vestiges of their communal nightmare. The young medic took the time to blink several times for her vision to clear up enough so she could navigate the room without the risk of running into a bed or another pony. She shuffled forward towards the bowl of water so she could wash her face. Cirrus' sob stopped her in her tracks. Silver turned back around and walked over to Cirrus' bed.

 

She fell back on her haunches and leaned against the bed. She reached out and placed her hoof on, what she thought, was one of Cirrus' forelegs. She gently caressed the other mare's foreleg in as comforting a manner as possible. "I-it's okay.... "Silver said, her voice sounded weaker than she intended, "It was just a nightmare. It's over now." That was a lie of course. And a poor one at that. The fact that they had all shared it was testament to that.

[Once In A Blue Moon 894]

@@Hederik,@@Colenso Rivers,@@SilverHeart.

 

Cat sat up abruptly as the call woke her, sweat pouring off her and her heart racing with her ears flat against her head. For a moment the room around her was wreathed in smoke and fire whilst the cries of the doomed rang in her ears, quickly fading into reality as she fully came to. Closing her eyes for a moment and trying to bring her breathing under control, the visions of the dead and the dying floated before her eyes...

 

Worse than nothing, what if we attract the attention of something hostile?

 

And bodies, so many bodies

 

Realising that she wouldn't be able to put it out of her mind, Cat practically threw herself out of bed, submerging herself in the day's routine. 

 

Wash.

"I must've really overdone it during yesterday's magic training."

"Or maybe it was having your head used to demolish some masonry," she quipped. 

screaming in blind panic

 

Dry.

"I can still almost feel those soft cushions under me in that moving house..."

"Because the soft furnishings were the most remarkable thing about that... dream," she snarked.

cadaver that once had been a pony

 

Dress.

No gear.

Oh. Yes.

a miserable cry of agony

 

I-it's okay....

 

"I'm fine!" Cat shouted, blinking several times as she came back to the present, realising that Silver hadn't been talking to her at all, "Oh...Sorry, I, ah ... I'm ... going to breakfast," she trotted out, refusing to meet anypony's gaze.

Edited June 26, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@SilverHeart,@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@Hederik,

Water on his hooves, dripping off his face, welled in his eyes, his vision didn't even exist at that point. So focused in his own re-re-re-re-recap of the dream in his mind. Crackling fire, ashen rain that completely coated his insides and outsides, smoke numbing his body, suffocating his senses. More than anything, watching the life leave the eyes of others, the dead expressions, and the screams. No stimuli registered in his brain, and he felt like no matter how much he cleansed himself, he could still feel the ash. He wished he could flush his insides with industrial strength solvents.

As he was beaten over the head by relentless cries, he was brought back by a real shout, one by Cat. He snapped his head over to her and it took him a moment before he realized she wasn't part of another one of his replays. Then another moment for him to realize who it was. He took a look around the room and the despair was apparent, it filled the air like a haze, a despair so strong not even he could bear to break it. Lighting up in a place so dense with darkness would result in him being quickly snuffed out. No matter, he continued getting ready for the rest of the day before heading out to the mess hall without a word, without a smile. He didn't even need to ask to see if every pony had the same dream.

[Hederik 119]

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart

EDIT: I keep forgetting these. Grumble mumble.

 

 

"Yay," Cirrus's response came in a strangled voice, sounding no less distraught than before, but the physical comfort seemed to have done something for her, as her breathing slowly calmed and after a while the mare poked her head out from under her covers, giving Silver a weak, almost forced smile. Her eyes still brimmed with tears and she looked pale and feverish. "My brother wou-would have laughed his head off," she muttered, then accompanied the statement with a jarring, barking laugh. "'At least I will be able to sleep well'. Touché, Carat."

 

Toad, Gale Wind and Rabble Buster left shortly after Carto, none of them saying much, the usually snappy earth pony in particular keeping entirely to himself. Midnight stayed back, looking with a hint of concern at Cirrus being coaxed out of her bed by Silver Heart. The stallion was swaying a little on his hooves, but the pegasus mare looked like she was about to collapse as she staggered over to the washing water, leaning a little on her temporary caretaker.

 

Just as she was reaching towards the bowl, Reverie spoke up from his bed, forgotten by the others due to his silent ways. "The puzzles are slowly falling in place," he said calmly, shocking at least the afflicted mare enough that instead of splattering some water over her face, she dropped the entire vessel onto herself, resulting in one miserable, soaked pony. "I wonder if next time-"

 

"Are you taking some sick pleasure in all this?" Cirrus yelled furiously, throwing the bowl off her head and onto the floor with a clatter. The anger seemed to revive her enough that she now stood straight and a little color flushed back into her face. "I wonder if I will ever be able to go to sleep again and you-you..." her outburst spent, she almost looked ready to break down again, her lips quavering and the sentence dying halfway out of her throat.

 

"The academy teaches us to overcome obstacles together," enunciated the introverted unicorn peacefully, "to analyze and best any opponent, not throw down our weapons and run," he stepped onto the floor, his every movement deliberate as he looked the mare straight in the eye and asked, "Or did you not just see the message of what happens to those who give in to blind panic?"

 

With an inarticulate cry of rage, Cirrus Streak shot forwards, fire in her eyes as she leapt towards the peaceful unicorn... and promptly crashed into a sparkling white barrier which dissipated right after having served its purpose. Reverie strode by the fallen pegasus, not looking at anyone else as he headed out, adding, "This is something that requires being understood. Until we do, it will only get worse."

 

And just like that, he was gone. Midnight stood where he had been the entire time, looking torn between trying to comfort Cirrus - who began to weep brokenly once more on the floor - and going after the other unicorn to confront him about this uncharacteristic behavior.

 

Meanwhile, the other Cadets began to gather in the mess hall. Only two dozen ponies were present - including a bunch of senior officers engaged in an animated discussion at their own table. Several things were off even at the first glance. The kitchen located in the corner of the room was deserted, plates laid out instead along both sides of one table. Each of these contained a few toasts and a healthy serving of a nutritious salad. Spread evenly among the plates were three steaming tureens of soup. Even more intriguing was the fact there were barely thirty places set up, quite obviously pointing to three units only being expected. A quick scan of the more or less familiar faces would confirm such guess, and reveal additionally that Cat's group was the youngest of those... invited, for lack of a better word.

 

Nopony older than a graduate was present, and instead of the usual din that accompanied any meal, a deadly silence reigned. Jade Facet and his lackeys sat to one side of the table, mute and subdued. Both of the siblings sported a few fresh bruises and the brutish earth pony seemed all but deflated. A unicorn stallion was sitting not far from them, rocking back and forth slightly, his food untouched. Two mares at the opposite end of the gathering kept sneaking wary glances at the agitated tone of voices coming from the high table. It seemed ridiculously far away now that there was so much empty space around it, and the acoustics of the place changed so much that the echoes of voices sounded almost otherworldly. Somepony was talking in a hushed voice about having recognized general Hardy herself among the supervising party, but that was as much conversation as was being had.

 

Something hung in the air, and the fact that the headaches only got worse as the Cadets got closer to the dining area wasn't helping much either.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Hederik

[SilverHeart 741]

@@Hederik,

 

What was that? Silver thought as she stared, slack-jawed at the collapsed and crying mare. Part of her wanted to chase after Reverie and see what was wrong with him, but she knew that Cirrus needed someone to be there for her. She glanced over to Midnight who seemed just as taken aback and confused by Reverie's behavior as she was. Had Reverie ever acted like that before? While she wasn't exactly best friends with Reverie, she had known him for quite a few years and she had never seen him purposefully antagonize a pony that was clearly hurting. It didn't seem right. Still, between the two of them Cirrus clearly needed support more than Reverie. She could always confront Reverie about this later.

 

Silver walked over to the poor mare and sat down on the floor next to her. She looked back up to Midnight and mouthed that she would help Cirrus. Whether or not he stayed was up to him though. The medic pony looked back down at Cirrus and gently brushed her mane, mostly so she wouldn't scare her. She slowly wrapped her hooves around the other mare and pulled her back up into a sitting position so that Cirrus was leaning against her. This time she didn't really offer any words of comfort, Silver felt it would be healthier for Cirrus to cry herself dry..

[Hederik 119]

@@SilverHeart,

 

Seeing the mare being in capable hooves, Midnight Rover sighed soundlessly and silently excused himself. Cirrus, meanwhile, held on to the nurse for dear life, kindly sharing the overabundance of water coming both from her eyes and soaked fur. After a long while, she finally calmed herself and peeled awkwardly away from the other mare. "Thank you," she said, sniffling and wiping embarrassedly at her muzzle with a foreleg. "And I'm sorry. I've made such a fool of myself... and you... how did you all cope with... with this," she winced, but didn't stop, "so easily? It's like I was the only one affected, like I was weak a-and pathetic..."

 

Her eyes downcast, she sat there for a moment longer, then sighed and pushed herself to her hooves. She staggered a little, but caught herself immediately and nodded to herself. "We should get going though. I've wasted enough of our time, now let's not allow me to get us both in trouble by being late to the breakfast," with a weak but honest smile she motioned for Silver Heart to join her on the way - they had just about enough time to arrive punctually.

[Once In A Blue Moon 894]

 @@Hederik,@@Colenso Rivers,@@SilverHeart.

 

Cat sat picking at her salad. Normally she could wolf down practically anything put in front of her, but today she just couldn't find the appetite. Looking around for a distraction, she considered the slowly assembling units.

 

 

Even more intriguing was the fact there were barely thirty places set up, quite obviously pointing to three units only being expected. A quick scan of the more or less familiar faces would confirm such guess, and reveal additionally that Cat's group was the youngest of those... invited, for lack of a better word.

 

 

They had clearly been assembled for something, something significant if the senior officers' quite involved discussion was anything to go by. Thirty ponies - what could one do with thirty ponies? It was a non-trivial portion of the academy's fighting force, and looking at the more senior units a highly capable one at that. A wargame exercise then? Maybe they would be storming a hamlet...

 

filled with ash and smoke, burning buildings visible everywhere but unheeded as ponies streamed down streets clattered with rubble

 

Cat threw her toast back onto her plate and pushed it away, wishing she had something alcoholic to marinade her brain in for a bit. If this kept up she might even turn to some extremely prohibited cadet home-brew on the basis that she couldn't be traumatised if she didn't even know which way up was.

 

Come on Carto, you're tougher than that - 'trauma' happens to ponies with weaker wills. Death and destruction go with fighting, and at least it's not real. It can't be real - there's nowhere like that in the Valley. 

Edited July 1, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon