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The Preservation of Innocence (Part 6)

By Wall-o-text
Created: 2022-12-30 10:20:07
Updated: 2022-12-30 12:33:41
Expiry: Never
anonapplejackwarfeelsanonymousviolenceadventure/tim/politicsfeel

  1. 1.
    >you are applejack
  2. 2.
    >you’ve been sitting on the sidelines doing nothing for the past two weeks
  3. 3.
    >twilight luna and Celestia have been doing all of the work against king sombra while the soldiers hold off the slave army
  4. 4.
    >you often found yourself thinking about anon
  5. 5.
    >oh how you wish to see him again
  6. 6.
    >you can’t stand being away for so long but you have to stay
  7. 7.
    >the fate of equestria could be in your hands if celestia needs the elements of harmony
  8. 8.
    >and if equestria is in danger your family, friends and everyone you care about is in danger
  9. 9.
    >including anon…
  10. 10.
    >you’re just glad he’s at home safe and sound
  11. 11.
    >you can't imagine how scared he would be in a place like this
  12. 12.
    >seeing wounded ponies being carried to the medical tents
  13. 13.
    >other ponies enslaved to do king sombra’s bidding
  14. 14.
    >it was terrible
  15. 15.
    >but at least anon was far away from all of it
  16. 16.
    >someone like him would be too fragile for war
  17. 17.
    >he just wouldn’t be able to handle it
  18. 18.
    >ponies have gone to war for ages, if anon is any indication of his whole species then humans must have never gone through something like that
  19. 19.
    >hay, even telling him about it would give him nightmares
  20. 20.
    …
  21. 21.
    >as you lay in your quarters you continue your mind wandering
  22. 22.
    …
  23. 23.
    >what are you going to tell anon when you get home
  24. 24.
    >there’s no way you can tell him about all the gruesome details
  25. 25.
    >he would probably start tearing up just hearing it
  26. 26.
    …
  27. 27.
    >that delicate boy…
  28. 28.
    >gosh, you’re going to have to come up with a way to explain all this without scaring him…
  29. 29.
    …
  30. 30.
    >just as you start to think of an explanation for anon you hear a startling sound
  31. 31.
    >the battlefield went quiet except for one sound
  32. 32.
    >cries of agony from a single stallion
  33. 33.
    >a powerful voice, could it be?
  34. 34.
    >you rush out of the tent to see waves of purple flame disappear the moment you see them
  35. 35.
    >you witness a dark stallion fall
  36. 36.
    >and then the most shocking part happened
  37. 37.
    >the slave ponies freed themselves of their helmets and began to look around
  38. 38.
    >the equestrian army and the former slaves cheered as king sombra has finally been defeated
  39. 39.
    >you could finally go home…
  40. 40.
    >YOU COULD SEE ANON AGAIN!
  41. 41.
    >like an energetic filly you start running in circles
  42. 42.
    >all those days of waiting and doing nothing have finally caught up to you and culminated into your celebration
  43. 43.
    >just as soon as you started celebrating you began to hear murmurs
  44. 44.
    >murmurs which shifted to yelling
  45. 45.
    >and yells turned to screams
  46. 46.
    >you witness a dense black cloud fuming ahead of the equestrian army
  47. 47.
    >the three princesses flew back towards camp
  48. 48.
    >they shouted orders for retreat
  49. 49.
    >as soon as it was heard a full blown panic emerged
  50. 50.
    >desperate recruits began shuffling onto the train
  51. 51.
    >you think to gather your friends
  52. 52.
    >but as you look on they’ve gotten far closer to the train in the time it took you grasp the situation
  53. 53.
    >you bolt straight towards it
  54. 54.
    >crowds frantically file in
  55. 55.
    >as you continue to push yourself in along with the crowd you notice the thick cloud makings its way over the camp
  56. 56.
    >once inside, the overfilled train lifts off the brakes
  57. 57.
    >with carrying capacity beyond any reasonable safety measures you were off
  58. 58.
    >being stuck in the middle of the train cart you could barely get a look out the window
  59. 59.
    >supplies from the other train being thrown out in place of civillians and soldiers
  60. 60.
    >you see swarms of pegasi flying alongside the train
  61. 61.
    >before it was out of eye sight, you saw the camp become engulfed in the dark cloud
  62. 62.
    >many ponies coughing as they entered the supply train
  63. 63.
    >you know something bad will come out of this but you’re not sure what
  64. 64.
    >and you’re worried you will find out all too soon
  65. 65.
     
  66. 66.
    >https://youtu.be/Rz8djwebUj8 (from the ashes)
  67. 67.
     
  68. 68.
    >you are anon
  69. 69.
    >you awaken to the mellow light shining into the forest where you lay
  70. 70.
    >for a mere moment you feel as if you have gone to heaven or something
  71. 71.
    >you were sure you were dead
  72. 72.
    >before you could process it you took a deep breath
  73. 73.
    >your lungs were sore from all you have gone through
  74. 74.
    >you could still barely move
  75. 75.
    >as you exhale you coughed wildly
  76. 76.
    >you were sure you woud have died
  77. 77.
    >where could the smoke have gone?
  78. 78.
    >you sit yourself up against a tree
  79. 79.
    >still unable to properly walk but enough energy to reach into your bag
  80. 80.
    >you were starving
  81. 81.
    >at first you thought you were only asleep for a few hours
  82. 82.
    >you passed out somewhere in the afternoon
  83. 83.
    >and woke up near the end of the day
  84. 84.
    >and yet you feel fully rested
  85. 85.
    >after what you went through, you must have slept for at least a day straight
  86. 86.
    >your whole body still aches
  87. 87.
    >you have just enough strength to reach into your bag
  88. 88.
    >you were starving
  89. 89.
    >you grabbed anything edible you could get your hands on and mindlessly ate
  90. 90.
    …
  91. 91.
    >you thought to yourself about how you were going to get home
  92. 92.
    >your original plan was to take the train but after what went down that wasn’t an option
  93. 93.
    >you crawled through the opening in the woods to the spot you took the commander down at
  94. 94.
    >you turn your head towards the camp
  95. 95.
    >empty and lifeless…
  96. 96.
    >with the dark cloud chasing off all of the equestrian military there must have been an evacuation
  97. 97.
    >meaning your ticket home was gone…
  98. 98.
    …
  99. 99.
    >hell, you have plenty of time to plan
  100. 100.
    >with the condition you’re in right now planning and eating is all you’re good for
  101. 101.
    >as you go through your rations bag by bag you formulate a plan
  102. 102.
    >the crystal empire is far closer to you than ponyville
  103. 103.
    >if anyone can help you it’s them
  104. 104.
    >and knowing twilight would be a major advantage
  105. 105.
    >just saying you are a friend of hers could get you some big favors
  106. 106.
    >at least you hope…
  107. 107.
    >your second and most risky option is to follow the train tracks back home
  108. 108.
    >with the time it took just to get here on train it could take upwards of a week on foot
  109. 109.
    >it was over 24 hours to get here by train
  110. 110.
    >you can’t accurately guess how long it would take on foot but you know for certain it would take far too long with the supplies you have on you
  111. 111.
    >you refill your rifle despite how little extra oil it needs
  112. 112.
    >you push in a single steel ball as well
  113. 113.
    >Anonymous…
  114. 114.
    >your new engraving fits a lot better than your old one
  115. 115.
    …
  116. 116.
    >applejack…
  117. 117.
    >you can’t bring yourself to worry about that right now
  118. 118.
    >you know for certain that by the time you get home she will know everything about your plan
  119. 119.
    >no amount of money could keep applebloom shut for that long
  120. 120.
    >hell the whole plan was to keep her quiet while applejack wouldn’t be suspicious
  121. 121.
    >with at minimum 2 days of you not being home applebloom will surely tell her at some point
  122. 122.
    …
  123. 123.
    >they’re going to think you’re dead…
  124. 124.
    >god this is a bad situation…
  125. 125.
    >well, it’s not AS bad of a situation as it was before…
  126. 126.
    >at least there’s comfort in that…
  127. 127.
    …
  128. 128.
    >you know, you would have thought that your rifle wouldn’t have done much
  129. 129.
    >who would have thought it could go through magic of all things
  130. 130.
    >maybe the bullet was so fast he couldn’t react?
  131. 131.
    >or you just caught him by surprise?
  132. 132.
    >hell whatever it was, you SEVERLY underestimated what you could do
  133. 133.
    >of course that doesn’t matter now
  134. 134.
    >all you want to do is get home and give applejack a big hug
  135. 135.
    >and play with applebloom or listen to big mac again
  136. 136.
    >hell, you almost want to hear rainbow taunting you again
  137. 137.
    >almost…
  138. 138.
    …
  139. 139.
    >after hours of eating and thinking you reach down into your bag for more
  140. 140.
    …
  141. 141.
    >nothing?
  142. 142.
    >you reach down again searching harder
  143. 143.
    >you’re sure you brought more than that
  144. 144.
    >you bring the bag up to your lap and look
  145. 145.
    …
  146. 146.
    >nothing…
  147. 147.
    >you look to your side and see an obscene amount of litter scattered across the forest
  148. 148.
    >you jokingly think how nice it would be to get arrested and taken to jail for that right about now
  149. 149.
    >would make things a lot easier for you
  150. 150.
    >without any food left you let yourself drift back to sleep in hopes of recovery
  151. 151.
     
  152. 152.
    >by the next day you wake up feeling far better
  153. 153.
    >you could almost say you’re fully recovered
  154. 154.
    >but you know better than to push yourself to test this idea
  155. 155.
    >your unusually ravenous appetite likely played a role
  156. 156.
    >you settle on your plan to head to the crystal empire
  157. 157.
    >you decide make way there
  158. 158.
    >it’s pretty small from where you are
  159. 159.
    >at least you know where you’re headed
  160. 160.
     
  161. 161.
    >https://youtu.be/8dYZ99UWn4Q (Equestria’s forgotten hero)
  162. 162.
     
  163. 163.
    >the path you took towards the crystal empire was through the middle of the battle grounds
  164. 164.
    >The stains in the snow were still there
  165. 165.
    >some stains were small but other were spread wildly
  166. 166.
    >through them you could almost imagine how the battles were played out
  167. 167.
    >certain areas must have been held for short periods while others held for days at a time
  168. 168.
    >it’s tragic really
  169. 169.
    >you hope applejack didn’t have to see any of it
  170. 170.
    >you can’t imagine how awful it would have been for her
  171. 171.
    >christ, twilight directly participated in the war…
  172. 172.
    …
  173. 173.
    >it hurts to think about
  174. 174.
    >you really don’t want things to change when you get home
  175. 175.
    >you’re hoping that when you get home you can throw this whole thing behind you and go on like nothing happened
  176. 176.
    >sure, you managed to get big mac out of this mess
  177. 177.
    >but twilight?
  178. 178.
    >she’s been here from the start
  179. 179.
    >and she’s played a huge role
  180. 180.
    >meaning she’s surely seen the worst of the war that even you haven’t seen
  181. 181.
    >it’s an awful thought to have
  182. 182.
    >but applejack and big mac are the least of your concerns now
  183. 183.
    >twilight went through something far worse
  184. 184.
    …
  185. 185.
    >is it possible to help her after it all?
  186. 186.
    >dammit man, thoughts for later…
  187. 187.
    >you need to push yourself to get home
  188. 188.
    >without you applejacks going to worry herself to tears
  189. 189.
     
  190. 190.
    >the trip towards the crystal empire was quiet
  191. 191.
    >besides the sound of mild wind there was nothing
  192. 192.
    >the snow flew just barely above the ground
  193. 193.
    >the moonlight reflected off the open area
  194. 194.
    >it was very peaceful
  195. 195.
    >but staying too long could be fatal for you
  196. 196.
    >you’re not sure how long your going to last without any food
  197. 197.
    >you hope someone is still at the crystal empire
  198. 198.
    >considering the slave army that commander guy hadmust have come from the crystal empire there might not be many ponies left there
  199. 199.
    >if any at all…
  200. 200.
     
  201. 201.
    >https://youtu.be/4EBm0Z9RI34 (Like an empty mall)
  202. 202.
     
  203. 203.
    >the crystal empire was bright
  204. 204.
    >you can certainly see why it was called the crystal empire
  205. 205.
    >the buildings shined brightly
  206. 206.
    >it felt like the city itself was alive…
  207. 207.
    >and yet it also felt dead
  208. 208.
    >there was no one around
  209. 209.
    >and if you were honest with yourself it scared you
  210. 210.
    >it was quiet
  211. 211.
    >too quiet for you
  212. 212.
    >you were almost too nervous to call out for anyone
  213. 213.
    >but considering the position your in now you had no other choice
  214. 214.
    “Um, hello? HELLO? Uh ANYONE THERE?”
  215. 215.
    …
  216. 216.
    >nothing
  217. 217.
    >great, just great
  218. 218.
    “THE GUY THAT HAD THOSE PONIES IN HELMETS, HE’S GONE NOW”
  219. 219.
    …
  220. 220.
    >still nothing
  221. 221.
    >this isn’t good
  222. 222.
    >the city itself looked like it was putting on a facade
  223. 223.
    >it was creepy
  224. 224.
    >there wasn’t a way to explain it but it was off putting
  225. 225.
    >enough that you felt urged to go somewhere else
  226. 226.
    >maybe that castle had food
  227. 227.
    >your sure there’s got to be something left here
  228. 228.
    >there can’t be nothing
  229. 229.
    >so you make your way into the castle
  230. 230.
     
  231. 231.
    >https://youtu.be/J0DfhW9sqQU (into the dark)
  232. 232.
     
  233. 233.
    >the outside made you uncomfortable
  234. 234.
    >but the inside the castle was worse
  235. 235.
    >it was dark, but you could still see relatively fine
  236. 236.
    >every step you took echoed no mater how quiet you tried to be
  237. 237.
    >even the slightest noise reverberates within the castle
  238. 238.
    >you slowly crept your way around the place in hopes of finding a kitchen
  239. 239.
    >with how luxurious this place was you hoped there would be a big kitchen…
  240. 240.
    >no amount of hopeful thinking could offset your worries as you made your way through the castle
  241. 241.
     
  242. 242.
    >this place was a maze…
  243. 243.
    >as you made your way around you noticed a long winding staircase going far down into what seemed to be a basement
  244. 244.
    >or a dungeon…
  245. 245.
    >if worst comes to worst you can always go to a random house in hopes there’s food in there
  246. 246.
    >if you can even find your way out…
  247. 247.
     
  248. 248.
    >as you went down it became darker and darker
  249. 249.
    >the eerieness of it all becomes clearer to you the further down you go
  250. 250.
    >by the time you make it to the bottom it’s pitch black
  251. 251.
    >you figure it’s a waste to be down here
  252. 252.
    >that is until you heard a noise from behind a door…
  253. 253.
    “I-I’M FRIENDS WITH TWILIGHT!”
  254. 254.
    “IF-IF YOU HURT ME SHE’S GOING TO COME FOR YOU!”
  255. 255.
    >you’re terrified
  256. 256.
    >you pray your baseless threat works as you can hardly even find the steps to make your way back up the stairs
  257. 257.
    >”you’re friends with twilight?”
  258. 258.
     
  259. 259.
    >https://youtu.be/OPlK5HwFxcw (The Queen comes out of hiding)
  260. 260.
     
  261. 261.
    >that voice
  262. 262.
    >it sounded soft
  263. 263.
    >you hear a door creak open as someone walks through
  264. 264.
    >her horn lights up illuminating the small room
  265. 265.
    >you were at a loss for words
  266. 266.
    >you finally found someone after days of seeing nobody
  267. 267.
    “Uh, yeah, i mean, i’ve borrowed a book from her once, but we know eachother”
  268. 268.
    “I live in ponyville after all”
  269. 269.
    >she gives you a relieved look
  270. 270.
    >”there was a war going on, what happened?”
  271. 271.
    “Well, to put it simply equestria won, but as the leader of the slave army fell he released a dark cloud and all the ponies escaped for the trains”
  272. 272.
    >she looks at you inquisitively
  273. 273.
    >”then, what are you doing here?”
  274. 274.
    “I got caught in the cloud and was left behind”
  275. 275.
    “I’m trying to find a way home, but, nobody knows I was gone”
  276. 276.
    “So there’s no one to come look for me and i have to find my way back somehow”
  277. 277.
    >”I am truly sorry to hear this, is there anything i can do to help?”
  278. 278.
    >you knew exactly what you needed
  279. 279.
    “Well, if it’s not a bother, i really need to get something to eat, ive run out of food and im not sure where else i could get any”
  280. 280.
    >she chuckles slightly
  281. 281.
    >”believe me, this can be arranged, iv’e been down here for the duration of the war”
  282. 282.
    >”shining armour said it would be for the best but it was very unpleasent”
  283. 283.
    >”if you have any other requests please tell me, it would at least be entertaining to do something after all this waiting”
  284. 284.
    >you can sympathize with her on that
  285. 285.
    >boredom is the worst
  286. 286.
    >”follow me, i’ll lead you to the kitchen”
  287. 287.
    >”let us hope there’s something left after what happened to the crystal empire”
  288. 288.
     
  289. 289.
    >you are applejack
  290. 290.
    >the train made a stop at canterlot
  291. 291.
    >the crowd rushed out
  292. 292.
    >you step outside to find your friends huddled together
  293. 293.
    “RAINBOW, RARITY!”
  294. 294.
    >you shout as you rush towards them
  295. 295.
    >rainbow looks at you
  296. 296.
    >”AJ, DID YOU SEE THAT BIG CLOUD!”
  297. 297.
    >”IT WAS INSANE!!!”
  298. 298.
    >rarity interjects
  299. 299.
    >”what do you think it was?”
  300. 300.
    “I’m not sure but all i know is it can’t be good”
  301. 301.
    “I really need to get back to ponyville, you know when the next train is?”
  302. 302.
    >rainbow rolls her eyes
  303. 303.
    >”NEXT TRAIN? Are you kidding me? Those things are going to be busy for ages”
  304. 304.
    >”if we want to get back to ponyville we need a chariot”
  305. 305.
    “I don’t care what we go in, we need to go as soon as possible”
  306. 306.
    >rarity turns to you in concern
  307. 307.
    >”applejack, what’s got you so worked up?”
  308. 308.
    “ANON, he ain’t never been this long without someone there for him”
  309. 309.
    >before you can continue rainbow interrupts
  310. 310.
    >”oh my GOSH aj, he’ll be fiiiiine, quit worrying so much”
  311. 311.
    >rarity agrees
  312. 312.
    >”I have to agree with rainbow dash on this one AJ, he should be plenty fine on his own”
  313. 313.
    >something about hearing this infuriates you
  314. 314.
    >you can’t blame them, they don’t know anon like you do
  315. 315.
    >but you’re only concern now is getting back to ponyville
  316. 316.
    “Look, i know yall don’t see eye to eye with me on this but i REALLY must be going”
  317. 317.
    “Im grabbing a chariot while i still can”
  318. 318.
    “If you wanna get back to ponyville any time soon i suggest you come with me, im sure chariots are runnin’ low as it is already with this here crowd”
  319. 319.
    >the two of look at each other
  320. 320.
    >rarity speaks up
  321. 321.
    >”alright, but we have to get fluttershy and pinkie too”
  322. 322.
    >”i’m sure twilight has business in canterlot, besides, she could probably be given priority transport from celestia herself”
  323. 323.
    >rainbow adds to the plan further
  324. 324.
    >”okay, i’ll round up pinkie and fluttershy, you and applejack go find a chariot for us in the mean time okay?”
  325. 325.
    >both you and rarity nod in unison
  326. 326.
    >after nearly an hour you and rarity manage to secure a chariot
  327. 327.
    >soon after rainbow returns with pinkie and fluttershy
  328. 328.
    >the ride home was slow but far better than hoofing it back
  329. 329.
     
  330. 330.
    >the second you touch down in ponyville you jump off and run home
  331. 331.
    >you burst through the door to greet everyone
  332. 332.
    >you hear running down the stairs
  333. 333.
    >applebloom turns to see you
  334. 334.
    >”AJ OH MY GOSH YOUR HOME AHHHHHHHH!!!”
  335. 335.
    >she bolts towards you and gives you the biggest hug she could
  336. 336.
    “Oh applebloom it’s so nice to see you again”
  337. 337.
    >”AJ, I missed you so much”
  338. 338.
    >you let go of applebloom
  339. 339.
    “ANON, BIG MAC GET DOWN HERE I’M HOME!!!”
  340. 340.
    …
  341. 341.
    >nothing…
  342. 342.
    >you turn to applebloom to ask her where they are but something catches you off guard
  343. 343.
    >she’s shaking…
  344. 344.
    “Applebloom, you alright? What’s going on?”
  345. 345.
    >she starts full blown panicking
  346. 346.
    >hyperventilating and shivering
  347. 347.
    “Applebloom where is anon and big mac?”
  348. 348.
    >you start questioning her more worried than before
  349. 349.
    >what the hay is going on here
  350. 350.
    >why is she freaking out so much
  351. 351.
    >she doesn’t respond
  352. 352.
    >she only pannicks and sniffles
  353. 353.
    >with the worry growing on you, you grow impatient
  354. 354.
    “Applebloom you need to tell me where they are!”
  355. 355.
    “C’mon just spit it out!”
  356. 356.
    >now she’s crying
  357. 357.
    >really crying
  358. 358.
    >she’s starting to really scare you
  359. 359.
    “APPLEBLOOM THIS IS SERIOUS YOU NEED TO TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE THIS INSTANT!!!”
  360. 360.
    >applebloom is full blown sobbing
  361. 361.
    >maybe yelling at her was too much but your almost as panicked as she is at this point
  362. 362.
    “APPLEBLOOM-”
  363. 363.
    >”THEY'RE GONE!”
  364. 364.
    …
  365. 365.
    >oh dear celestia…
  366. 366.
    “WHERE? WHERE DID THEY GO?”
  367. 367.
    >she’s completely inconsolable at this point
  368. 368.
    >”BIG MAC GOT S-SENT TO THE-THE CRYSTAL EM-EMPIRE A-AND, AND, ANON SAID HE WAS GUH-GOING TO KEEP HIM SAFE AND-AND HE WENT ON THE TRAIN WITH HIM AND-”
  369. 369.
    >your fully freaking out at this point
  370. 370.
    >the more applebloom talks the worse it gets
  371. 371.
    >”AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HOME AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU BUT-BUT THEY’RE NOT AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY ARRRRRRREEEE!!!”
  372. 372.
    >applebloom starts uncontrollably sobbing
  373. 373.
    >your at your breaking point
  374. 374.
    >not only did big mac get sent off to war
  375. 375.
    >but anon went with…
  376. 376.
    >your certain big mac is in canterlot by now
  377. 377.
    >everyone made it on to the trains one way or another
  378. 378.
    >but anon…
  379. 379.
    >dear celestia, anon’s in trouble
  380. 380.
    >REAL trouble
  381. 381.
    >he could be…
  382. 382.
    >no…
  383. 383.
    >no please don’t think that…
  384. 384.
    >you rush back to the chariots
  385. 385.
    >you’ve got to get anon before he’s hurt
  386. 386.
    >that stupid boy…
  387. 387.
    >who knows how scared he is right now…
  388. 388.
     
  389. 389.
    >https://youtu.be/6nzH0X6lSCI (food frenzy)
  390. 390.
     
  391. 391.
    >you are anon
  392. 392.
    >THIS PLACE HAS EVERYTHING
  393. 393.
    >OATS FRUITS JELLY JAM
  394. 394.
    >YOU COULD EAT FOR AGES DOWN HERE
  395. 395.
    >running around the whole kitchen you gather everything you need to make the biggest bowl of oatmeal this empire has ever seen
  396. 396.
    >as you run around gathering the ingredients you notice something amazing
  397. 397.
    “YOU GUYS HAVE ZAP APPLE JAM?”
  398. 398.
    >before she has a chance to respond you grab the whole jar and run off to make your oats
  399. 399.
    >you turn on the stove and gather everything else
  400. 400.
    >bowl spoon pot all the utensils
  401. 401.
    >while you throw everything in to cook you pop open the jar of zap apple jam
  402. 402.
    >you’ve never had any before but you figured now was the best time to try it
  403. 403.
    …
  404. 404.
    >it was AMAZING
  405. 405.
    >it was somehow like every fruit imaginable but in the best way possible with a taste that you’re confident literally shocks your taste buds
  406. 406.
    >as the oatmeal was finishing you pour it all into the bowl and mix in your jam
  407. 407.
    >having little patience you throw in an ice cube to cool it all down
  408. 408.
    >with everything mixed in you down it like a rabid animal
  409. 409.
    >your first proper meal in days and it couldn’t have been better
  410. 410.
    >with it finished you figure it to be a good idea to make another
  411. 411.
    >and another…
  412. 412.
     
  413. 413.
    >https://youtu.be/KcwaDLQ0j_g (A peaceful conversation)
  414. 414.
     
  415. 415.
    >after finally having a decent meal you felt amazing
  416. 416.
    >”well, you certainly were hungry”
  417. 417.
    >”it’s about time you filled me in on what’s happened”
  418. 418.
    “Of course”
  419. 419.
    “Gosh where do i begin…”
  420. 420.
    >”well, i havent done much of anything for the past few weeks”
  421. 421.
    >”but i’m sure you’re anxious to get home”
  422. 422.
    >”so how about the short version”
  423. 423.
    >the short version
  424. 424.
    “Well, where should i start?”
  425. 425.
    >the two of you make your way to the opening in the castle
  426. 426.
    >it was still dark out but there was a sliver of blue on the horizon
  427. 427.
    >as you sat down, you asked her something
  428. 428.
    “Before i start, who are you exactly?”
  429. 429.
    >”I’m princess cadence, the princess of love”
  430. 430.
    “Well, I’m anonymous, uh, employee at sweet apple acres…”
  431. 431.
    “I just go by anon though”
  432. 432.
    >she giggles slightly
  433. 433.
    >”well, very nice to formally meet you anon”
  434. 434.
    >”now tell me, how did the war end?”
  435. 435.
    >the war
  436. 436.
    >considering you were the one to end the war, you explained your journey starting from when you got off the train
  437. 437.
    >the further you went on the more interested she looked
  438. 438.
    >”my, you had to do all that walking?”
  439. 439.
    >she would constantly interject full of interest in your story
  440. 440.
    >”but how is that possible?”
  441. 441.
    >”you broke his horn with, this thing you’re carrying?”
  442. 442.
    >you lift it up to show her
  443. 443.
    “Well, yeah”
  444. 444.
    >she inspects it for a moment
  445. 445.
    >”show me how it works”
  446. 446.
    >you pause for a second
  447. 447.
    >”this place already has a bit of damage, a tiny bit more won’t be a big deal”
  448. 448.
    >”why not aim at that building over there”
  449. 449.
    >you comply and take aim
  450. 450.
    >after firing cadence jumps a little
  451. 451.
    >immedietly after you can hear the bullet crack against the crystal building
  452. 452.
    “Yup, that’s all there is too it”
  453. 453.
    >”amazing, ive never seen anything like it”
  454. 454.
    “Honestly, im surprised it even did anything against sombra, i thought his magic would just, i don’t know, deflect it, or something”
  455. 455.
    >”well, it seems to move pretty fast and you can’t see it in the air, i would have been surprised if he could deflect something like that”
  456. 456.
    >you continued on with your story until you got to the point of where you are now
  457. 457.
    >”well, i’m just glad you’re alright after all that”
  458. 458.
    >”but I believe the crystal empire owes you a large debt”
  459. 459.
    >”please if there’s anything i can do just say it”
  460. 460.
    “As much as i wish you could help me im not sure you can”
  461. 461.
    “All i want is to get back to ponyville but with just you here im not sure that’s possible”
  462. 462.
    >she thinks to herself a moment
  463. 463.
    >”that’s not entirely true, i could take you as far as canterlot but ponyville would be a bit much for me”
  464. 464.
    >”especially with you on my back”
  465. 465.
    >you do a double take on that last part
  466. 466.
    “On your back?”
  467. 467.
    >”well, we don’t really have any other option, and i do owe you quite a bit”
  468. 468.
    >”as embarrassing as it is, it will have to do”
  469. 469.
    >”i’ll probably have to cast a spell to make you lighter”
  470. 470.
    >”but we could at least make it to canterlot by tomorow”
  471. 471.
    >as embarrassing as it was for you as well, you didn’t see any other good options
  472. 472.
    >besides, your desire to see applejack again far outweighs any worries of embarrassment
  473. 473.
     
  474. 474.
    >once cadence cast the spell, you felt incredibly light
  475. 475.
    >for a moment you jumped around ecstatic about the feeling of low gravity
  476. 476.
    >but even then, you were still too hung up on seeing applejack again that you couldn’t enjoy it for long
  477. 477.
    >you hopped onto cadences back and she spread her wings and you were off
  478. 478.
    >the breeze on your face was nice
  479. 479.
    >being able to see the ground from a birds eye view was scary at first
  480. 480.
    >you held on tightly to cadence for a while until you were used to it
  481. 481.
    >a part of you wishes it could have been applejack you held for safety
  482. 482.
    >that homesick feeling was growing quite large
  483. 483.
    >the only thing you want is to see applejack again
  484. 484.
    >it’s all you can think about really
  485. 485.
    >as time passed you grew more comfortable with the flying
  486. 486.
    >it became quiet once cadence maintained a steady pace
  487. 487.
    >”so, applejack was it, how did she react when you and her brother left for the war?”
  488. 488.
    >when you told her the story you neglected to mention where applejack was
  489. 489.
    “Uh, the thing is, she wasn’t supposed to know i went on this whole thing…”
  490. 490.
    “But since it’s been so long since all the ponies went back home she’s bound to know now”
  491. 491.
    >”anon, why would you keep something like this a secret from her?”
  492. 492.
    “Applejack… she worries about me a lot, she has a tendency to, i wouldn’t say overreact”
  493. 493.
    “But she tends to think of me as, well, she called it ‘sensitive’”
  494. 494.
    “Sure, i guess she was kind of right, but when big mac got drafted there was no one else who could help him but me”
  495. 495.
    “I was hoping she wouldn’t have to find out i left at all, since she probably already knows by now, im sure she’s beyond distressed”
  496. 496.
    >cadence goes quiet
  497. 497.
    >”I think she really cares about you anon…”
  498. 498.
    >”i mean, i’m not trying to make assumptions or anything, but, i am the princess of love after all”
  499. 499.
    >”do you think it’s possible she could feel that kind of way about you?”
  500. 500.
    >deep down you desperately hope so
  501. 501.
    >you can’t imagine anyone more perfect than her
  502. 502.
    >she took such good care of you
  503. 503.
    >and it meant so much
  504. 504.
    >being cared for like that gave you the most serene feeling you’ve ever felt
  505. 505.
    >and you want to feel it everyday with her
  506. 506.
    “I hope so…”
  507. 507.
    …
  508. 508.
    >the rest of the ride was quiet
  509. 509.
    >maybe cadence could sense how you felt
  510. 510.
    >you really hope it didn’t make things awkward
  511. 511.
    >but that quiet didn’t last
  512. 512.
     
  513. 513.
    >https://youtu.be/YO3-_fdOSUs (Changeling invasion theme)
  514. 514.
     
  515. 515.
    >a sudden swarm of, something, flew far too close for comfort to you two
  516. 516.
    >you’ve never seen ponies like this before
  517. 517.
    >hell, were they ponies?
  518. 518.
    >they were pitch black
  519. 519.
    >and the darkness of the night made them all barely blend in
  520. 520.
    >but the sudden breeze mixed with the dark swarm passing you was enough to tell it was something
  521. 521.
    >cadence panicked and dove to the ground
  522. 522.
    >she chose a spot by the railway you too to the crystal empire
  523. 523.
    >the second she hit the ground you jumped off and laid there
  524. 524.
    >the two of you were dead quiet as the swarm passed
  525. 525.
    >you’re not sure what’s going on but seeing cadence panicked like this meant something must be wrong
  526. 526.
    >by the time the swarm passed cadence spoke to you in an aggressive but hushed tone
  527. 527.
    >”CHANGLINGS, THEY’RE HEADED TO CANTERLOT”
  528. 528.
    “What the hell is a changeling?”
  529. 529.
    >”they invaded the crystal empire once, and now they’re coming to canterlot”
  530. 530.
    >invaded?
  531. 531.
    >dammit, you just want to go home
  532. 532.
    >you just want there to be peace
  533. 533.
    >you hate all this conflict, all this fighting
  534. 534.
    >it’s taken a heavy toll on you
  535. 535.
    >far more than you care to admit
  536. 536.
    >but for all you know big mac could still be in canterlot
  537. 537.
    >”those ponies, my people, THEY’RE ALL THERE”
  538. 538.
    >her whisper yelling was tense
  539. 539.
    >”they’re going to steal their love, we can’t let that happen!”
  540. 540.
    >how the fuck does a changeling ‘steal love’?
  541. 541.
    >all you know is that it’s important enough that cadence is freaking out
  542. 542.
    >”anon, i need you to trust me and trust me fully do you understand? Not a single objection to what i got it?”
  543. 543.
    >you were worried but you you nodded
  544. 544.
    >”get back on and shoot at them, do not stop shooting okay, pony lives are on the line do you understand?”
  545. 545.
    >”we need to do everything we can to stop them!”
  546. 546.
    >”i mean EVERYTHING anon, okay?”
  547. 547.
    >despite all of this being out of your depth, you comply
  548. 548.
    >you immediately hop back on and cadence leaps off into full speed
  549. 549.
    >she heads just slightly in front of the swarm
  550. 550.
    >you can barely see them but the swarm is big enough that no matter where you shot into them it would hit somewhere
  551. 551.
    >with your legs wrapped as tightly as you can to her you lay backwards and shoot upside down while cadence keeps the pace towards canterlot
  552. 552.
    >you never wanted to get into something like this
  553. 553.
    >but a monarch begging you for your help means this is something terribly serious
  554. 554.
    >the swarm speeds up after noticing a few of them suddenly drop from the swarm
  555. 555.
    >they target the two of you
  556. 556.
    >never being able to fully catch up but desperate to catch you
  557. 557.
    >you empty everything you have into the swarm
  558. 558.
    >no matter how much you shoot into the swarm they never let up
  559. 559.
    >eventually your gun runs out of ammo
  560. 560.
    “CADENCE THEY’RE GETTING CLOSE LOSE EM WHILE I RELOAD”
  561. 561.
    >she likely didn’t understand what you meant fully
  562. 562.
    >but she sure as hell knew you needed her to buy you time and get them off your back a moment
  563. 563.
    >cadence flew wildly
  564. 564.
    >her wings were far bigger than theirs
  565. 565.
    >she would twist and turn to avoid their grasp
  566. 566.
    >the changelings were wildly determined to cath the two of you
  567. 567.
    >all the motion made you dizzy
  568. 568.
    >the only thing you were focused on was pushing the ammo back into the rifle
  569. 569.
    “WE’RE GOOD FLY STRAIGHT AGAIN!”
  570. 570.
    >with a few cycles of this the swarm noticeably got smaller
  571. 571.
    >it was still disgustingly large
  572. 572.
    >the dent you did to them was worth something that was certain
  573. 573.
    >but after a while ammo ran dry
  574. 574.
    >no matter the fuel efficiency you had, without ammo it was pointless to continue with the air assault
  575. 575.
    “CADENCE I'M COMPLETLY OUT!”
  576. 576.
    “WE NEED TO HEAD STRAIGHT TO CANTERLOT! NOW!!!”
  577. 577.
    >without hesitation she bolted straight to canterlot
  578. 578.
    >she was seemed incredibly winded
  579. 579.
    >between breaths she spoke
  580. 580.
    >”ANON, IT’S GOING TO BE A FAST LANDING WHEN WE GET THERE”
  581. 581.
    >she gasps for breath
  582. 582.
    >”I HAVE TO GATHER THE ARMY, WHEN I LAND JUMP OKAY?”
  583. 583.
    “GOT IT!”
  584. 584.
    >right as you near the center of canterlot you see everypony
  585. 585.
    >fucking hell…
  586. 586.
    >there’s almost as many ponies just standing outside as there are in the swarm coming right for them
  587. 587.
    >for a split second the only people who knew how much trouble canterlot was in was you and cadence
  588. 588.
    >right as you two neared the ground she shouted
  589. 589.
    >”ANON JUMP!”
  590. 590.
    >you jumped off to one side and rolled
  591. 591.
    >you were incredibly dizzy again
  592. 592.
    >but by the time you orient yourself you could already hear the screams of all the ponies
  593. 593.
    >there were medical tents being gaurded by soldiers with fear written all over them
  594. 594.
    >undoubtebly they were not prepared for something like this
  595. 595.
    >this was bad
  596. 596.
    >you knew canterlot was completely unprepared for something like this
  597. 597.
    >especially with the refugees from the crystal empire, this place was wildly over crowded
  598. 598.
    >but what came next was far more horrifying
  599. 599.
     
  600. 600.
    >https://youtu.be/75P0QGi3RO0 (Terror from where you stand)
  601. 601.
     
  602. 602.
    >you were completely alone
  603. 603.
    >cadence ran off leaving you completely alone
  604. 604.
    > except for the screams of other ponies
  605. 605.
    >the swarm had landed
  606. 606.
    >though not on the ground
  607. 607.
    >on every pony they could jump onto
  608. 608.
    >you rushed towards the first pony being bitten
  609. 609.
    >you screamed so loud your ears rang silencing out the screams from all over canterlot
  610. 610.
    >your bayonet pushed straight into the first changeling
  611. 611.
    >as you kept rushing past the bitten pony you tossed the changeling off the end of your rifle
  612. 612.
    >there was something horrific about killing up close
  613. 613.
    >you could have sworn you heard it scream before it died
  614. 614.
    >you endlessly charged every changeling in sight
  615. 615.
    >your screams were the only thing keeping you sane
  616. 616.
    >the ringing in your ears kept out the horrible sounds
  617. 617.
    >the swarm was unforgiving
  618. 618.
    >a changeling bit your arm
  619. 619.
    >in the urgency of it all you fell to the ground and bit down on the changelings muzzle like an animal
  620. 620.
    >without your deafening screams you could hear the cries of the changeling
  621. 621.
    >your teeth dug violently in
  622. 622.
    >the second the unlatched you sank your blade into the changeling in the side while it was on the ground
  623. 623.
    >it made you feel physically sick
  624. 624.
    >every pony you saw being attacked you would rush to help
  625. 625.
    >the streets seemed to empty themselves of ponies but the swarm in canterlot got larger and larger no matter how many you killed
  626. 626.
    >there weren’t any ponies left to save
  627. 627.
    >the swarm began to intentionally target you
  628. 628.
    >with every changeling you dug your bayonet into another would bite
  629. 629.
    >their teeth were thin and their bite force was just enough to dig into you
  630. 630.
    >your screams became cries
  631. 631.
    >to the changelings they were fierce war cries
  632. 632.
    >but to yourself they were out of horrible distress
  633. 633.
    >it was far too much for you to handle
  634. 634.
    >but there was no one who was coming to save you
  635. 635.
    >you were entirely on your own with this
  636. 636.
    >the blood was disgusting
  637. 637.
    >it was all over the ground
  638. 638.
    >it would pool in the grooves on the stone streets
  639. 639.
    >within time some soldiers began to appear
  640. 640.
    >they helped take care of some changelings but would mostly stay in their small areas
  641. 641.
    >maybe they were there the whole time
  642. 642.
    >but your laser focus on your next targets prevented you from noticing
  643. 643.
    >you were viciously fighting for your life
  644. 644.
    >your throat hurt from all of the cries
  645. 645.
    >even breathing felt painful as the air grazed the tender parts of your throat
  646. 646.
    >without anything to drown the noise you heard every little detail
  647. 647.
    >their horrible cries for mercy as your blade sank into their chests
  648. 648.
    >there was no stopping it, your momentum would be too much by the time they beg
  649. 649.
    >the first time you heard it you tried to forget it, you thought it was delusion
  650. 650.
    >but it would happen again and again
  651. 651.
    >their cries sounded so young
  652. 652.
    >your very last attempt was the most horrific
  653. 653.
    >you chased a changeling but instead of attacking back it ran and cried in fear
  654. 654.
    >you couldn’t bring yourself to continue
  655. 655.
    >you fell to your knees with such a large drop in energy
  656. 656.
    >with your hands on the ground all you could see was the thin layer of liquid on the stone
  657. 657.
    >without the rush of adrenaline you could process it all
  658. 658.
    >they were screaming…
  659. 659.
    >oh god they were screaming
  660. 660.
    >you started gagging like you were going to throw up but you had nothing in you
  661. 661.
    >they were so violent
  662. 662.
    >but they, fuck, they were screaming for you to stop
  663. 663.
    >you look up to see there was no one around
  664. 664.
    >only those changelings left over from what transpired
  665. 665.
    >you think back to your ringing ears
  666. 666.
    >how many changelings begged for you to stop and you didn’t listen
  667. 667.
    >you could hear fighting still going on further away
  668. 668.
    >but from where you are there’s nobody left
  669. 669.
    >just you, your deep regrets and the sound of fighting in other parts of canterlot
  670. 670.
    >you wouldn’t dare pick up that rifle again
  671. 671.
    >what you did was horribly wrong
  672. 672.
    >you silently cry in frustration while the pressure behind your eyes continues to build
  673. 673.
    >you couldn’t process it all
  674. 674.
    >you knew they were attacking ponies
  675. 675.
    >hell you saw them sink their teeth into one
  676. 676.
    >but the fact they could be so afraid
  677. 677.
    >the fact they begged you not to kill them and you didn’t listen
  678. 678.
    >it made everything so tragically confusing
  679. 679.
    >you couldn’t think straight
  680. 680.
    >you just wish none of it would have happened
  681. 681.
    >you get up and stumbled down the road leaving your rifle behind
  682. 682.
    >you never want to see it again
  683. 683.
    >you sniffle as you make your way down the road with labored breathing
  684. 684.
    >you were done
  685. 685.
    >you couldn’t take it anymore
  686. 686.
    >and you just want applejack to make this all better again…

The Preservation of Innocence (Part 1)

by Wall-o-text

The Preservation of Innocence (Part 2)

by Wall-o-text

The Preservation of Innocence (Part 3)

by Wall-o-text

The Preservation of Innocence (Part 4)

by Wall-o-text

The Preservation of Innocence (Part 5)

by Wall-o-text