User blog comment:Guildmaster Grovyle/JLE Role Play, Spring 2015/@comment-7345250-20150505033559


 * Golden Age wakes up rather confused. She is not where she remembered... Is she sitting upright? Yes, she is upright. She is in her chair in the JLE meeting room. She must have dozed off during a meeting.


 * There are only five chairs at the table now. Golden sits in hers. Two others are empty. One of them is occupied by a sign that reads OUT TO LUNCH. Only one other chair holds a Power Pony. Next to Golden Age sits Silverheart, who is focused on sharpening his knives.

Golden Age: "Aco- Eep! "


 * Golden cuts herself off with a squeak. Her voice is almost unfamiliar to her. She looks down at her flanks and sees that her cutie mark is absent. She seems to be a blank flank. No, she is a filly. That voice was hers when she was young.

Golden Age: "Acolyte... Why am I a filly? And where are the other Power Ponies?"


 * Silverheart looks up. He does not make eye contact with Golden.

Silverheart: "Oh, they're gone. It's just you and me, sweetheart."


 * Golden bristles at being called 'sweetheart' but lets it slide. Answers are more important.

Golden Age: "Gone where?"

Silverheart: "Who knows? They've moved on. We've all got to move on sometime. You of all ponies should know how to 'go with the flow.' "


 * He returns his attention to his knives.

Golden Age: "But if the League is done, why didn't anypony tell me? Why are you still here?"


 * Silverheart sighs. He holds up his knife. A red stain is now visible to Golden.

Silverheart: "Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but this is the madhouse. You know the saying. We're all mad here. Especially me. I'm here because I'm at the height of my creative development."

Golden Age: "What..?"

Silverheart: "Look under the table."


 * Golden Age looks under the table as instructed. The sight that meets her eyes stretches the bounds of horror in a way she never could have imagined. Tears immediately well up in the filly's eyes. How can it be?


 * The silvery mane matted and grimy, the teeth chipped and in some cases absent, the dark splotches on the dark coat—all horrible but incomparable to those cold eyes fixed upon nothing in particular.

Golden Age: "D-D-Daddy!"

Silverheart: "Hmm? So it is. Sorry about that."

Golden Age: "Y-You killed him! You defiled him! Y-You..."


 * Golden has no words left. The most important pony in her life is suddenly gone because of that one lunatic who could never stay dead. What can she do? Her trident does not answer her call, but even killing Silverheart cannot bring Dark Moon back. She can only curl up in the chair and weep...

Silverheart: "Oh, bother. He's breathing. Shame. Well, toodles!"


 * Silverheart vanishes, leaving Golden Age alone with her mangled father and... two broken communicators just like the ones he held up in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Golden Age's communicator is broken. She seems to be on her own.

Golden Age: "C-Could you really..?"


 * Yes, that was definitely a breath. She frantically tugs on her father's leg, but her young self cannot move him from his place. At the same time, Golden also becomes aware of a pony standing in the corner of the room. Ironworks is leaning against the wall with his fully functional communicator floating beside him.

Golden Age: "Ironworks! Call Nurse Freeheart!"

Ironworks: "Why?"


 * Unbelievable! Even now, with the most important pony in the world's life on the line, he asks why.

Golden Age: "Ironworks, he needs Nurse Freeheart!"

Ironworks: "Can't hear you. I listen to leaders, not bosses."

Golden Age: "Ironworks!"


 * Another wave of tears overwhelms Golden Age. She collapses at the blacksmith's hooves.

Golden Age: "Please, Ironworks! Please... Daddy... my father... He isn't going to make it if he doesn't get help. We need you to call Nurse Freeheart!"


 * Ironworks remains still and says nothing for a moment.

Golden Age: "Iron-"

Ironworks: "You're the JLE's resident punching bag and yet somehow you're still standing. And if survivability is reason not to protect others, then the fact you're still alive should be reason for nopony to protect you."

Golden Age: "Huh?... What are you saying?"

Ironworks: "You had to get it from somepony. He'll be alright. You'll see. He doesn't need anyone's protection."

Golden Age: "This isn't a joke, Ironworks."

Ironworks: "Do I sound like I'm joking? You said defending our allies was the wrong choice."


 * Golden blinks her eyes several times. How can he twist her thoughts on the conflict with Queen Chrysalis into something this monstrous? She furiously shakes her head. If she cannot take her rage out on Acolyte, then...


 * Golden Age desperately kicks Ironworks in the shins.

Golden Age: "None of that matters now! Just save him already!"


 * Golden looks up to see a spray of acid descending upon her. A burning blackness overtakes her being...


 * Golden Age awakes in Twilight's castle with a horrible shriek.