Chapter 13: Learning Of The Filth
---3 day's before ticket master Onyx POV---
'Good god, it feels good to be completely healed. Let me tell you, having to heal up is annoying, especially magical healing. I did not even realize how much I used my magic before I could not use It all.' I slowly cracked my back before pulling out the third Volume of runes I had written. 'I am so lucky I got this done before Summer sun Celebration.'
Pinkie has been on my case about healing up that she will not let me work in the forge for an extended time. Whenever Pinkie was out of the house, I was lucky if I was able to even get a couple of hours hammering at metal the old-fashioned way. One of the guys was there to make sure I did not use any magic at all. I mean, who uses magic when forging? They were genuinely surprised when they watch me do everything by hand. Lazy good-for-nothing ponies do not know that forging takes time.
Pinkie was worried that I would grab something magically, but there is next to no way that I would do that in my forge. The risk of magical residue messing up one of my creations is too damn high. When you are crafting heirloom creations, you must account for everything. I do not mess around with my products. I think that is the only reason Pinkie is even letting me in the forge. I finally got around to meeting a couple of the other girls from the main 6. Most of the time, I hang with Pinkie or Rarity. I can now count Twilight among that list and, surprisingly enough, Applejack because I hang out with Big Mac.
I have been branching out and creating different things in my forge because of the extra time. I was surprised that ticket master has not happened yet, but I really do not remember the episode well. I mean, I think I would remember a massive fight for the second ticket. I do not even remember how the episode ended. It was kind of a slow episode to me. Something that was there for artificial tension or to teach a specific lesson to the girls watching the show. I mean, they are all grown-ass women. They should be able to figure this out, and if they all want to go, they can just message the Princess and ask for more right.
I mean, I have tickets, but I really do not want to go. The reason I have tickets at all is that those that make it to the end of one of the final pieces in the Royal Competitions. The inventors get invited I have already informed Pinkie about the tickets and that I really do not want to go. She kissed me on the cheek and told me, 'if you do not want to go, then don't go.' Pinkie knows precisely what to say to make me happier.
I heard a knock on my door as I went to open it. I knew what was most likely there. As I looked at the package, I knew what it contained if my request was approved. I picked up the box and opened it, and saw the ancient recording crystal inside. In it are several videos documenting a pony's fall into the Filth and what he did once thoroughly corrupted. The reason I had requested it was because Pinkie had let it be known that the Royal Rune Society knew about the Elements being people to her friends. Now, they are curious why we kept it a secret. Only the Elements can walk into a Filth hideout and come out non-infected.
'Dear rune maker Onyx,
Your request to show the elements why we have kept what they are a secret is allowed this was sent to you in secret. Send it back after you are done. Side note Princess Celestia discovered your request and showed no signs of approval or disproval. We do not know what to make of it ourselves.
Central rune headquarters.'
I was not surprised when I found a second letter.
'Dear Onyx,
I am letting you do this.
Princess Celestia.'
'She is still slightly terrifying when she wants to be.' I thought before nodding my head with her permission.
---Time skip Ponyville Library 3rd POV---
As the rest of the leading 6 arrived at Twilights place, they were surprised that Pinkie and Onyx were there before them. They wondered if they were being let into the secret of the rune society.
Onyx slowly stood up and motioned for them to sit down. "What I am about to show you is disturbing and the full unvarnished truth about a secret about our world. That the Rune society has gone to great lengths to protect."
As the projector started up, they slowly watched an Earth pony become more infected, crazier, and nastier than the kind pony that he started out. When Onyx stopped the projector, it was to show the Earth pony eating another pony. "What you have just watched is what happens when an Earth pony becomes infected with the Filth."
"Onyx, what the hell was that, and what the hell is the Filth!?" Twilight screamed in shock while the rest looked incredibly disturbed.
"It is the reason that the rune society has kept the elements a secret," Onyx informed Twilight. They watched as he pulled a stack of files before separating with only 3 files in a pile while 7 were in the other. "these are the last two generations element of harmony wielders."
"These mark the ones that a civilian." Onyx waved his hand at the big stack before moving his hand to the other pile. "These are the ones that became a warrior or fighter of Equestria."
The girls were shocked that in front of them were the previous wielders. They could tell that Onyx would not let them investigate the files. "Every twenty years, new wielders are born."
Onyx slowly looked at the final picture on the screen of a pony eating another pony. "The Filth is an interdimensional sickness that corrupts a pony at a base level."
"What I just showed you is an Earth pony getting infected," Onyx explained with heartbreak in his tone of voice.
"If it is a sickness, there has to be a cure," Twilight said with some hope in her voice.
"Yes, there is a cure," Onyx replied while the girls sighed in relief. "Death."
"That is not what I meant, and you know it!" Twilight screamed at Onyx
"There is no cure yet." Onyx explained how they had only been able to cure a location so far and that the girls combined harmonic wave was the first time a pony could be cleansed of the Filth. "We the rune society have in the last 200 years been able to cure a location Twilight. We have been fighting the Filth for close to 5000 years."
Twilight was in shock because of Onyx's words. "How come more ponies do not know of this?"
"There is a gag order enforced by Princess Celestia's Royal Decree," Onyx informed the group.
"What happens when a Unicorn is infected Onyx?" Rarity asked with a worried tone of voice.
"When a Unicorn is infected with the Filth, it takes the magic you are good at and ramps it to the worst it can it be." Onyx explained, but from what he could see, they were confused. "A Unicorn that was about to be infected with the Filth was a grave tender after infection; he became the monster we know of today as DeathLord."
Onyx watched as several of the flinched back in shock. Rarity quickly spoke up in surprise. "The rune society knows DeathLords origins… no, wait, are you saying that the Filth created DeathLord."
Rainbow asked in confusion. "Who was DeathLord?"
Twilight was surprised before remembering DeathLord was only really taught about at high-level magical schools. "DeathLord was a Unicorn that had destroyed a total of 23 villages and 2 towns. He killed a little over 220,000 ponies Rainbow. He raised an undead horde using necromancy. He had created the dark path of necromancy."
The rest of the girls flinched at hearing DeathLord deeds. Twilight quietly informed with sadness. "Till this day, he is considered the worst of the worst among Unicorn Society. Are you saying that he was like the Earth pony we saw before?"
Onyx nodded his head before explaining the DeathLord was a simple Unicorn that prepared bodies to be buried. As the girls listened, they were shocked at what the Filth did to what sounded like a simple happy Unicorn. "When the Filth gets in, you only have one choice at least before you girls reawakened the elements and cured Princess Luna. End it all before you drag the rest down."
"The elements are completely immune to the Filth." Onyx explained. "Whenever an Element joins the military, we approach them about helping us, but only if they are a good fit for the position of Rune Warrior."
"Rune Warrior?" the girls asked in curiosity about the unknown position.
"Those that are willing to walk into Filth Dens and cleanse them and burn them down to ashes," Onyx explained. "Before you ask, there are Rune Warriors that are not Elements of Harmony.'
"But that is a suicide mission, Onyx!" Twilight looked shocked that a pony would willing do something like this.
"If there are no Elements available, Rune Warriors are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of Equestria society," Onyx explained with a stern tone of voice. "You will not make light of their sacrifice. If a Filth den is not destroyed, they have a higher chance of infecting a high number of ponies in the surrounding area."
The flinched back at the tone of voice Onyx was using. Before Twilight asked a question, heartbroken. "Why did Princess Celestia not tell me?"
Onyx sighed before walking over to her and resting his arms on her shoulders. "Twilight those that know about the Filth never want to inform ponies that do not need to know because the Filth is something we want to eradicate."
"For the first time, we have discovered a way to cure ponies' girls." Onyx smiled at them. "You showed us that Harmony magic at strong enough levels can cure the Filth from the corrupted pony."
Rarity looked at the picture and asked Onyx a question. "How many Rune Warriors have died, Onyx?"
"The rune society created a mausoleum where we put rune warrior ashes. Every floor holds a total of 200 urns. It goes 3 floors up and 21 floors down. In total, 4800 rune warriors have died fighting the Filth." Onyx gave them an answer that was not terrible. "4800 rune warriors walked to their death and were able to come back and be interned into the mausoleum."
"How many did not make it back, Onyx?" Twilight asked with dread in her voice.
"Quadruple the previous numbers," Onyx explained, depressed.
"Do you know their names, their songs, their stories?" Fluttershy was the one to ask the question that most would not think to ask because when a pony does something extraordinary, they are given a statue and their deeds in a song.
"Rune warrior's stories are only told in the rune society Fluttershy." Onyx gave a small comfort to the girls. "Rune warriors are doomed to not be remembered."
"They sound like hero's Onyx. How can the rune society let them be forgotten?" Fluttershy asked with sadness infecting her.
"The Filth must be kept secret." Onyx gave them a simple answer. They watched Onyx slowly pack up his things. "I cannot make it better, girls, but I can tell you, for the first time in close to 5000 years, we have hope of developing a cure."
---Time Skip Celestia and Lune---
As Celestia watched Onyx inform her student and her friends about the world that was hidden from them. Luna silently comforted her sister. "It had to be done. Onyx could not have hidden it any longer with them asking questions."
Celestia waved her hand and looked at Luna before Celestia sighed in melancholy. "I would have liked it if I was the one who informed them, but at least it came from someone they trusted."
---Ethereal POV---
Harmony smiled in sadness as she moved through a monument to pony kind's safety. 'you might be forgotten by most but not by me.'
The statues did not react at all, but for a split second, the air felt lighter. Discord slowly entered the monument, coming up behind Harmony. 'There you are, Harmony, I was looking for you."
Harmony hummed before nodding. 'What do you need, Discord?'
'I wanted to show you one of my agents' pranks.' Discord smiled at Harmony.
'Well, what are we waiting for.' They quickly moved off to do something else.
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