Light and voices roused her, assuming the position her duty required, she waited. More voices, one snarling to another, then a scream and a sound unlike any she had ever heard. The sound ended in a sickly squelch, then the wet crunch of an apple was heard. A shadow moved into her vision. She felt pressure on her forehead, warm liquid pooling in the cavity left by her shattered horn. That warmth spreading through her body, searing fire congregating on the scars where her wings had been cut from her. She heard thunder, then in the silence, a voice, low, powerful, and male, asked.
"What's your name?"
She was confused. "What's a Name?"
Feeling the displeasure of the voice, she continued. "I'm sorry if my answer displeased you master. Please punish me as you see fit, I'm but a worthless female, fit only to bear children and provide enjoyment to the superior males."
The voice echoed forth again. "You have'n't displeased me, those that claim to sin in the name of the Masculine did.
The voice paused, a great intake of breath was heard, followed by vague muttering she couldn't quite make out.
When the voice spoke again, it spoke with the warmth of laughter. "Let Me Tell You A Story.
The Broken One pushed the mill crank, every step pulling energy out of the ground, every step sustaining the next. His ears flicked as rolling thunder was heard, then ignored it. His purpose was to turn the Mil crank, that was the purpose given to him by his masters. He was created for this purpose, nothing would keep him from it. Moving without hesitation, one foot in front of the other, trudging forward, he kept to his mindless work. Such was good, such was proper.
Brother in Bonds
Get Ready, You Gotta Stand
Bloods All Around
There's blood on the land
Take in a breath
Make a Final Try
Push Through The Fog
Hear Them All Cry.
The Broken one shook his massive head, nothing shall keep him from his purpose, especially some nonsense song.
She nodded to the Voice, she was for the use of males, if one wanted to tell her a story she would obey.
The voice sighed, but began its tale.
Before the beginning of all things, The Creator moved through the void. Other things existed there as well, but none were like the Creator. Like them it was neither male nor female, like them it was a creation of the Void. Some had been created before, some had been created after. What set The Creator apart from all the things that had ever formed from the void before or since was its capacity for one thing, loneliness
The Broken One continued his eternal task, continued his steady pace, but again the song reverberated up from deep within.
Shake Of The Dirt
Listen To The Shouts
Screaming Your Name
Screaming So Loud
They Made You Believe You Can't
They Made You Think Your Done
But' You Can't Rest Until It's Done
Shaking his head harder Big Mac, continued on. He could not be distracted, this was his purpose. The one thing that the Master had built him for. However upon his head, cracks in the crystals began to form.
The Female shook her head, that was wrong! The Creator had been male! This was a lie, but a Male was telling it to her. Therefore it had to be truth, but the other males had told her that the creator had been Male. Her head ached, but still she listened, this is what the male wanted of her. To tell her this story, and she would not fail in her duty. She had never sent any male away unsatisfied, no matter how many she was asked to attend at once. She would not fail.
The voice continued, seemingly pleased with her inner turmoil.
At first The Creator didn't know what this feeling was, but the feeling drove it to try and connect with the other beings that were born of the void, both old and young. It wanted to talk to them, to befriend them, but was rebuffed every time. For those beings had no need of friendship or companionship, they were made for solitude. So, after an eternity or an instant, time had not been invented yet after all, it decided to gather its thoughts. So it fell into a great slumber, trying to understand what made it so different from all others.
Macintosh gritted his teeth as the song once more echoed through his skull.
Their All Alone
Their So Afraid
This is The Moment
You Can Hear Their Pain
So Raise Your Head
Macintosh's head rose as he beheld his home, his unceasing stride, giving him a full view.
And Bear Your Teeth
Macintosh's teeth shattered from the grinding, the energy rising from the ground through his feet reforging them into fangs.
YOU CAN NOT ACCEPT DEFEAT!
Macintosh stopped walking, the crystals that kept him docile showing deep cracks, smoke pouring forth.
The former Alicorn shiver at the voices words, flashes of memory, what had been done to her, what had been taken. Something foreign to her was growing deep inside, something that burned cold, something that froze those memories and others into place, made her see them.
Thus the Creator came to understand his difference, and in understanding is the key to action. For the first time ever, SOUND echoed into the void, as The Creator spoke It's own name. The Echoes of that name changing as they left its mouths, changing and forming into all Universes, as well as all they contain. No longer was The Creator lonely, for now all of creation was its friend, all of creation was a part of it and it was a part of all creation. Which is why a name is the most sacred of things. For in all Names, especially those that are unique to the self, is an echo of our Creator's. And the removal of that name is thus the ultimate sin. So once more I ask you, What Is Your Name?!
In an instant she knew, her eyes opened, light blazing from them. Magic arcing through the room, destroying her bonds.
"MY NAME" she boomed, "IS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" in that moment all the light and energy burned the corruption away. She would always be scarred. But she was herself again. More than that, she now had a name for the feeling that burned cold inside her.
"RAGE!" She screamed. "THEY MUST ALL PAY!" A roll of thunder and she was gone.
GET UP!
The Need Your Strength Right Know!
The Crystals implanted into his skull shattered into dust. Big Mac's rage burning the corruption from him.
GET UP!
Or Their Hope Will Burn Out
Energy flowed into Mac from the ground, new bone growth forming a savage crown that framed the shaggy hair now falling down his shoulders.
Get Up!
Can't Let Their Light Go Out
GET UP!
Use Your Strength To Fight
Raise Your Eyes, Free Your Mind
So Lift Yourself
One More Time
MAC!
GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
Blowing hot air out his nostrils he snarled at the nails that held his hands to the Mil Crank. He had watched all he love fall, this pain was nothing compared to that. Tearing his hand free, he saw the ones that he loved look to him, his Caribou jailers staring in fear. Bellowing his rage to the skies, the land itself healed him, made him stronger, forged him aknew for the coming struggle. The hands that once were so gentle became clawed and jagged as bone and keratin growth strengthening them. Rising he towered over all, the land causing him to grow to giant size. He sniffed the air, the Caribou were afraid, GOOD.
The Battle rise again
You've Got This Chance to Win
Call The Power Within
Unleash your Rage within
Taking Up The Fight
Victory In Sight
You Need To Set Things Right!
Panting heavily, this song inside him drove the remaining clouds from his mind. He saw again Granny's and Mayor Mare's death, watched powerless again as Steven Magnet was humiliated and executed for 'Crimes Against Masculinity.' Saw in his mind's eye his friends, one by one become corrupted. The CMC given to those that could properly train them. Good Males falling to the magic Dainn had woven over them. Saw the acts it had driven them too. This time his scream contained the same call he heard within.
Our Hands are weak
But Our Will Is Strong
Clear Your Minds
Fight Once More
Rage Behind Our Eyes
Our Hearts Clear And Bright
We're Built To Carry It All
Our Battle's Just Begun
All The Non-Caribou clutched their head as Mac's Heartsong burned within their mind. The Shackles of Glass breaking one by one. All affected began to change. Hands sharpened to claws, teeth shattered and reformed into fangs. Males and Females alike gained muscle, any fat burning from them. They awoke angry, they awoke hungry. Turning their eyes to the Caribou, the all screamed their Heartsong as one.
Get Up!
It's Screaming Loud
GET UP!
Before All Hope Fades Out
GET UP!
A flash of light appeared over the Crystal Castle. A cry of rage torn from the throat of Princess Twilight Sparkle as she herself took up the Heartsong all those of Ponyville shared. Thus the slaughter began
Our Light Rises Now
GET UP!
And Our Strength Is Gaining
Purge These Bonds
For All Time
Gotta GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
As one those natives of Ponyville, descended on the Caribou. As one the Caribou died, their blood watering the ground, their flesh easing the hunger of those they had corrupted. No Caribou was spared, not even the youngest. The infection had to be purged. There would be no survivors, just the full bellies of the victors. All those Caribou that made it to the outskirts of the town were turned back by the dome that the Princess had created around the entire town. Many committed suicide rather than face what they had fled from. The Heartsong continued on.
End The Tears Streaming Out
GET UP!
Raise Your Hope NOW!
GET UP!
Use The Rage Screaming Loud
GET UP!
And Your Strength is Gaining
Free Your Mind
For All Time
Gotta GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
GET UP!
Princess Twilight extended her hand, and a great working began, as the Crystal Castle itself was converted into a cloud of crystal shards, that then descended onto Ponyville. All Buildings and remaining Caribou were swept aside, shredded into dust. In the end the only ones left were those natives of Ponyville, Ponies and Non-Ponies alike, that had been freed from the corruption. Floating to the ground Princess Twilight dispersed the cloud and began moving among them, healing and offering a kind word to all. Her horn was still shattered and her wings still missing. She had no need of them. She bore her scars proudly, unbowed and unbroken. As the last were healed, to a one they knelt, Big Mac approaching her.
"What's next Your Highness."
Twilight looked over the empty land that had once held Ponyville, she then turned to the Everfree. Tilting her head, she seemed to be listening for a moment, then smiled.
"First, we retreat to the Castle of the Two Sisters. The Everfree will guard us, the enemy of an enemy is a friend after all. Then, we're going to free Discord."
Mac smiled at the young Princess, then turned to the others, as a one they rose and disappeared into the forest. They left no sign of their passage and when the last of them vanished into the shadows of the Everfree, only a empty plot of land was left. No evidence to even suggest that Ponyville had ever existed was left behind.
