A Toast to the Downward Spiral
A/N: I’m not going to bother spoon-feeding you a bunch of bullshit in order to save my hide. My only excuse is: Life happened. All I can say is that I’m extremely sorry that this story has been sitting as long as it has, and that I’m glad to be back at it once again.
Special recognitions go to The Nurgling, The KageKitsune000, Karl Kadaver, JoeyHyrulesHero, thebluemage1, and FrostFlame for their character contributions towards this chapter and another very special thanks to FrostFlame, Black, Aeterna Aurora Et Crepusculum, and Anubis the Muse for their awesome-tastic editing skills.
Chapter Two: A Toast to the Downward Spiral
Where else would we find Eddie but in a dive bar on the outskirts of Ponyville, especially after putting another failed attempt to woo the lovely Applejack under his belt? To tell you the truth, no one could really say. He usually ended up here, the Rusty Spur, whenever he needed a little liquid comfort. Believe it or not, these kinds of places actually do exist in Equestria, but drinking was usually seen as a taboo action.
Paint, once a vibrant and earthy shade of autumn brown, peeled from the walls in hunks that varied in size. Half broken chairs and tables sat around the wide room and contributed nothing to the overall experience other than gathering dust silently. Dim lighting and tinted windows do the small building a favor and keep the sunlight out of the way, adding to the overall crappy feeling very effectively. Moth-eaten bar stools line the very old bar, of which is covered in various coasters and small buckets full of peanuts or dry pretzels.
Eddie sat at the far end of the bar, in the darkest corner, drowning himself in his self pity and a glass of his favorite mind altering beverage, a mixture of Southern Comfort, apple cider, and a touch of some foreign liquor Eddie couldn’t properly pronounce. His normally well kept clothing was wrinkled and covered in a light film of dust from sitting in this wretched place for too long. He was, as the classic rhyme states, dressed to impress.
His long, dark red coat, made of the finest leather and adorned with golden trim, hung off the back of his stool and nearly brushed the dirty floor beneath him. His silken shirt shimmered a dim violet along the wrinkles in its soft surface. His finely crafted dress slacks were a muted black, as were his very expensive looking leather shoes. Between his clothing, the expensive gold jewelry, and his perfectly styled golden hair, he certainly looked like someone who came from money.
Eddie stared at the ring on his right hand. He had been staring at it for a long time now while absent mindedly nursing his beverage. That little gem twinkling back at him with a radiance that didn’t fit with the lighting. He set his glass down on the counter, the ice clinking against the chilled container.
‘All of the power and money I could ask for and here I am swallowing this goat’s piss they call booze.’ He slammed back the rest of his drink just as a woman of average height walked out of the door to the kitchen. She had long and messy dark pink hair and eyes the color of red wine.
Berry Punch carried out several bottles from the back room; she had to restock the bottles for tonight’s festivities. It was always a busy night on the eve of the Summer Sun Festival, and with all of the new business that’s been rolling in lately, tonight was proving to be very profitable.
Berry set the various bottles in their places on the shelves behind the bar. Turning around, she grabbed Eddie’s glass and proceeded to mix him another drink, the exact same one actually. She passed the glass down at him, sliding it down the bar with expertise unmatched by anyone.
Eddie caught it in his open hand, a grimace playing on his face as he stared down at his preferred poison.
“I swear you’re trying to kill me, doll. This crap you bought this morning any better than the usual, or are you just that bad at your job?” Eddie took a swig of the drink, he reveled in the sweet and bitter heat that flowed down his throat, making his thoughts fuzzy. Berry just went back to organizing the shelves behind the bar.
“Can it boss-man, you’re the one who buys the stock around here. Besides, I don’t see you going anywhere else to get your fix.” Berry said as she finished tidying up, if you could call it that. She turned around to him, leaning up against the back counter, giving him a sly look. She could play ball.
Eddie just snorted as he put down his drink. “You’re bad for me, doll.”
“Don’t I know it.” She responded with a smirk. A jingling bell sounded as the front door swung open and a modestly sized young woman walked in, followed by a man dressed in regal looking attire.
The woman’s hair was long, blonde, and somewhat messy, though not enough to be unattractive looking. She had a very slim build and she carried a large gray messenger bag that hung from her right shoulder. She was dressed in a gray tank top, simple blue denim shorts that came down just past her knees, and running shoes. Her eyes pointed in two different directions.
The man following closely behind her was of an average height complemented by a slim, muscular build. He wore very expensive looking clothing, though much more reserved than Eddie’s attire. A simple black shirt made of the finest cloth, a trimming white coat with long tails, and black dress slacks. His shoes were made of a very high end leather and were polished to a mirror shine. His golden hair was split into halves by a red stripe that fashionably complimented his pale blue eyes. His features were handsome, to say the least. He definitely exuded upper crust status.
“Mail call!” Derpy said, beaming all the while as she bounded over to the counter to hand Berry a few envelopes. The man behind her walked in casually and sat on the stool beside Eddie at the end of the bar.
“Thanks darling. Always right on time! Wait there just a second, I’ve got something for you.” Berry took the envelopes from the lovable delivery girl and disappeared into the back room for a brief moment before returning with a small package, a few envelopes, and a small piece of paper. Berry handed the mail over to Derpy who stuffed them carefully into her bag. When she was done, Berry handed her the small note.
“That’s a little something for you. It’s a voucher for a free treat down at Sugar Cube Corner. Happy birthday, sugar!” Berry handed over the small slip of paper with a kind smile. Derpy looked at it for a while and returned with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
Stuffing the voucher in her right pocket, Derpy ran out the door giving a small wave. Berry waved back before looking down at the mail she left on the counter. Sorting through it all she threw most of it in a wastebasket hidden behind the counter, though one in particular caught her eye. She opened the envelope and read it silently to herself, eyes growing wider with every sentence.
“Ah, crap.” She moaned as she moved from behind the counter towards the front door. “I forgot to pick up a few bottles from the Hay Loft. I’ll be right back, and Horus,” Berry looked to the second man who had taken a seat next to Eddie. “Help yourself to whatever you like. The new stuff is on the top shelf. And Eddie, behave.” Opening the door Berry walked out into the midday sunlight leaving the two gentlemen alone to their own devices on her way to the local general store.
A brief moment passed before Horus got up and moved behind the counter. He began to browse through the modestly sized collection with a hard to read expression. He had gotten good at that sort of thing. Picking a short bottle from the middle of the rack, Horus grabbed a glass and begins to pour out a thick, red liquid.
“Not like you to start off with the hard stuff. What’s the occasion?” Eddie said with a snide inflection. He was already drunk.
“Figured I would at least grab one for the road.” Horus spoke with a carefully manicured voice. “I know that you are not one for beating around the bush, so here is the bottom line. I am here to retrieve you and the others. We must leave before nightfall.”
Eddie looked up from his drink. Horus was never a joker to begin with, strictly business. He liked that about him, being his financial advisor. Made work go a lot more smoothly. To top it off, Eddie had known Horus for a long time now, so he knew something big was going down.
“Words from the top, huh? Any chance you’re going to fill me in on the details?”
“It would be in your best interest if I refrained from doing so. I have spoken with the good Doctor, as well as Duster, and they are en route. Cackles is back in Canterlot, where he belongs. But I am having some trouble in locating Boldwin. I’ve been by his workshop and found it vacant.” Horus took a long drink from his glass, a taste of burning hot cherries running down his throat. Jubilee’s Special Reserve, his favorite.
“Guess this is serious. I ran into Boldwin a few days ago. He said something about an anniversary of some sort. I wasn’t paying much attention.” Eddie downed the last of his drink and stood up. Digging into the right pocket on his coat, he pulled out several bills and coins. Placing them on the counter he began his slow march to the front door, Horus not too far behind.
“Well,” Horus started. “I suppose it can’t be helped. I will have to send someone to retrieve him later.”
As they walked out into the sunlight, Eddie kept his gaze attached firmly to the back of Horus’s head.
‘If he’s involved, then we’re all in trouble.’ He thought to himself. He was looking for some reason, any reason, to find a way to get some info from his friend. But he couldn’t find a reason not to trust the guy. Horus had yet to give him one. So he just followed along quietly, not walking long to the small coach being pulled by a few large oxen.
Horus was a man of extreme importance in Equestria. One of the members of the High Council, to be more precise; taking his orders straight from Celestia herself. A diplomat, charmer, and the sharpest silver tongue in the world. Even Eddie found respect in the post-Pegasus noble.
During their exit on the road to Canterlot, Eddie could see the wonder of Sweet Apple Acres in the distance. He felt his heart let loose a pang of heartbreak as the thought of Applejack re-entered his mind.
It was no secret that he loved that simple farm girl, not that he even bothered trying to keep it a secret in the first place. On more than one occasion he had tried his best to get her to feel the same way about him, but she turned him down every time. It didn’t help that the first time he had spoken with her ended in a slap to the face and a quick exit. Not to mention the bad blood between him and Big Macintosh. So far, Eddie is the only one to have obtained the near exclusive rights of pissing Mac off. No one was really sure what exactly had happened, but it ended with two fully grown men in the hospital with full body casts and third degree burns.
He had history with the Apple family, though not anything directly concerning the brood at Sweet Apple Acres. Back when he was a struggling entrepreneur, Eddie was able to find work out in Appleoosa on an Apple orchard ran by a plucky fellow by the name of Braeburn and his immediate family. He grew close to that branch, to the point of being called family, but why couldn’t he do the same here?
Eddie spotted a man running along the long road towards the heart of the farm. He could recognize him by the way he carried himself, by the stride in his run. It was that confounded Starlight Blaze. He was the only one in Ponyville who could get that close to the Apple family, the one thing Eddie had yet to obtain.
Eddie hated him for it. How could a simple, barely living within his means, retired guardsman, who came from a long line of earth pony farmers, beat out a rich, smooth talking, good looking guy like Eddie? It baffled him, and he hated not being in the know.
Eddie closed the blind on the small window inside the carriage. He was already sick of this place. He took solace in the fact that soon he would be in Canterlot where, hopefully, everything would be brought to light.
“It’s been seven years now. Since... well, you know.” Boldwin spoke in a very out of character tone. Normally he spoke with a deep, intense voice. But now, it was soft and kind.
“I’m sorry I pulled Amber out of school. It tears me apart to see her without a solid education. But the teacher here, Ms. Cheerilee, is very kind, and Amber has made a lot of new friends. She hasn’t even had one of her episodes in quite a while.” Boldwin gripped the bouquet of black roses in his massive, calloused hand.
“Oh, these are for you. You never told me why you always liked this particular color.” Boldwin kneeled down low and placed the roses at the base of the tombstone. It was a small and simple marker, just what she would have wanted. Boldwin looked over the slowly fading gold-leaf lettering:
Catherine Ruby
Beloved mother, wife, friend.
3E478-3E506
He made it himself, that tombstone. His wife was never one for the sappy stuff, so he kept it short. Besides, no one needed to know what his wife was like, what she had done in her twenty-eight years. He knew, and that was all that mattered to him.
Boldwin stood up, looking to the sky, his mind hazy with memories. He was a monster of a man, standing well over seven feet with a build to match. He was wearing his formal attire for this moment, though formal meant clean slacks and a shirt that wasn’t singed and smelled of burning metal. Being a blacksmith didn’t exactly bring in the bits. Gentle winds brushed against his short black hair and danced over his strong features.
“I wish you could be here to see her grow up. She’s so much like you it hurts. Right down to your stubborn nature.” Boldwin’s voice began to waver a bit, but he didn’t cry. She wouldn’t forgive him if he did, that time had passed.
He remembered her as she was, as that tall, takes-no-shit, daring, and beautiful woman that he had fallen in love with. As the mother her daughter would never get to know. He could still hear her voice in his head, those soft tones like a lullaby to his senses. She had always kept him in line. He would just melt whenever she spoke to him, like a giant mass of putty in her hands. She used to be an archaeologist. One of the best, in fact. The comparisons between herself and the legendary Daring-Do were staggering, and far too numerous to count.
She had devoted herself to finding artifacts among old ruins, exploring unmapped forests and deserts, and braving the most dangerous of situations all for the sake of learning about the past. Because of her efforts, her intellect, and her astounding amounts of courage, the academic world was by far the better for it.
But that was seven years ago. It had been hard on Boldwin, having to raise a daughter by himself. If it weren’t for his friends, well, he couldn’t possibly fathom where he might be now. Thanks to Horus and Eddie he was able to send his little girl to school. Not just any school, mind you, but the School for Gifted Unicorns! Man, was that a melancholy day. Very seldom does a father have to watch his entire world move on without him, but he was grateful to see his little girl move on to something more than being a blacksmith’s daughter. And it tore him asunder having to pull her out of school because of this damn war.
Ever since then he could feel his late wife with him. Every time he would watch his beloved daughter run off to play with her friends, he could swear Catherine was standing next to him, smiling with tears in her eyes. He wasn’t much on faith. Heaven and hell had no purchase in Boldwin’s life. But he knew that he was doing the right thing moving here, to this quiet, happy town. To him, this was the heaven he wished for his daughter. This was the paradise he could give her. This was the one place he knew that she could be happy. This was the place where they belonged.
Sunlight started to turn cold as time finally caught up with him. How time flies by when you’re lost in beloved memories. Boldwin looked around the small graveyard. Headstones of all sorts poked up here and there along the small cobblestone path that wound it’s way through the small lots. Flowers of all sorts bloomed with bright and cheery colors and tall oak trees grew strong, casting long shadows in the evening light. This little graveyard was off the beaten path a ways, sitting just within sight of Ponyville off to the west. The grass grew long here, but was always kept in check.
Boldwin stuffed his massive hands in his pockets and slowly strode away from his wife’s grave, giving a small bow of his head to the marker. He stepped with wide and powerful strides that took him to the front gate in no time at all. A plaque hung here, at the front gate:
Ever After
He couldn’t help but feel a little disgusted at how optimistic it was. To him it felt like a slap to the face.
‘Ha, ha! Your wife’s dead! Now lets make one last joke to spite you! HA, HA!’
It pissed him off. It pissed him off to no END! With a fist as solid as the thickest mountain Boldwin crashed himself into the gate, sending the small archway a good twenty feet in the opposite direction. That sound stuck with him for a while, metal crumbling beneath his hands. His eyes were wide and furious.
Who was responsible? Who made that sign?! Where does--
‘Stop. Please.’
“Catherine?” There was no way he just heard that. Then again, he supposed it was what she would say if she saw him like this, among other things. Dammit, he could even see her face in his head. Those pleading eyes, even the way her hair fell along her face when it wasn’t tied up.
“Dammit. Dammit.” He just kept repeating that word over and over again as he finally lost his composure and began to cry. He wept like he did every year, openly and without a hint of shame. No one would blame him. No one dared.
Some time had passed. Well, a lot of time really, the skies above had stopped trying to hold on to the last rays of sunshine an hour ago. Boldwin’s head pounded, his nose ran, his eyes were red and puffy, and his clean slacks were dirty. But he felt better. It felt good to just let go every now and then. Catherine had taught him that. A lesson he still held close to his heart.
He stood up and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He looked up at the full moon above him, the stars twinkled absent mindedly all around. He smiled. It did feel good.
He rolled up his sleeves as he strolled over to the wreckage that was the wrought-iron archway. He grimaced as he examined the innocent architecture. He was going to have to fix it, regardless of whether or not he was the town blacksmith. He slung the mass of metal over one shoulder, something that would have taken at least two large men to do, and began walking back towards town with a spring in his step.
Pinkie Pie had invited him along to some big shin-dig at the Carousel Boutique. He had no reason not to, and she had been almost like a surrogate mother to Amber. It was Pinkie who had introduced her to the Crusaders a year ago, and it was Pinkie who could get his daughter to smile the widest. He owed her more than anyone could possibly know, showing up to a party was the very least he could do. Even if he didn’t care for them much.
Getting lost in the stars had blinded Boldwin’s sense as he walked. As he came to a small bridge that led over a stream, he could smell smoke. Wood and metal. Panic hit him before he even saw Ponyville.
He took it all in. Flames a mile high, screams of torture and death tore at the peaceful calm of the night sky. A terrifying golden ambiance engulfed the entire town in front of him. He could hear windows being blown out as fire’s reached their peak. He could hear clashing steel mixed with the cries of anguish.
Yet none of it mattered to him. Boldwin’s mind was on one thing and one thing only. His daughter.
“You there! Drop your weapon and get on your knees!”
Boldwin watched through hazy eyes as several men, clad completely in gold and silver armor, approached him. Their weapons were drawn.
“Who are you?” Boldwin spoke without even hearing himself. He was still stuck on worrying for his little girl. “Where is my daughter?”
One of the soldiers came dangerously close to Boldwin, his spear pointed up at his throat. “By order of her Highness, Princess Celestia, we have found Ponyville guilty of the crime of high treason. Comply with our orders and you will be taken to tribunal in Canterlot. Resist and die.”
Boldwin could feel it. He felt it rising up within him again. That primal urge. That rage. That anger. That need to kill anything standing in his way. That nightmare he was born with.
Boldwin’s eyes went black. Darker than the smoke rising from the town he called home. He grabbed the spear being held at his throat and simply crushed it in his hand, the thick pole snapping with little effort. With his other hand, he gripped the mass of metal once called an archway tightly and swung downward with all the might he could muster.
Where once there was a guard, now was only a crumpled mass of blood and metal. The ground in front of Boldwin exploded on impact in a tidal wave of dirt and clay, covering him from head to toe in gravel and gore. The rest of the soldiers drew their weapons, thinking they were prepared to face the consequences of their actions.
Boldwin looked at them, the right side of his face covered in the blood of his enemy. He had tasted blood now. He felt no remorse for what he did, it felt good to let it all out. His eyes began to burn a bright and terrible shade of red, matching the color of the hellfire burning away his heaven. He spoke with a voice that caused the very foundations of the ground to shake, that forced mountains to bow before him in fear.
“Where is she?” He lifted his makeshift weapon from his victim’s remains, blood and small bits of bone dripped from its gnarled ends. “WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?!”
Starlight couldn’t even begin to fathom what he was seeing. There was no way, absolutely no possible way, he was awake right now. He had to be dreaming, he had to. He must have fallen asleep waiting for the girls to be done with their showers. Yeah that’s it. Just one big nightmare.
“No. No, no, no.”
Applejack’s voice cut through his thoughts much more swiftly than he would have liked. If it weren’t for her voice anchoring him to this world, this terrifying reality, he would have been content with going insane.
He looked down and around at his group of friends. Applejack’s eyes were wide, Macintosh’s mouth was wider. The Crusaders stared with horror painted to their faces. He was the first to come out of it. Out of that veil of disbelief. He tried to speak as calmly as possible, but failed. Horribly.
“Mac,” He started. ”I need you to stay here with the girls. A.J., come with me. We need to act fast if we want to save anyone still in those buildings.” In that moment came Soldier Starlight. Always placing the mission first, and never leaving anyone behind. His eyes went from caring and panicked to hard, cold, and calculating.
Applejack snapped back into focus, her voice becoming decidedly more firm and determined. “Right behind you.” She turned to Macintosh. “You get them back home. Tell Granny what’s goin’ on an’ wait. If things get rough, you know what to do.”
Mac just nodded. He gathered up the Crusaders, grabbing each of them and giving them a little shake to snap them back to reality. With the young girls in tow, Mac sprinted off towards the Apple family homestead once again. Starlight and Applejack did much the same towards the inferno that was Ponyville.
The closer they got to the mayhem, the harder it was to make progress. Coming to the edge of town, the smoke, the heat of the fire, and the smell of burning flesh bombarded their senses without remorse. They could hear the chaos before they could see it. Screams of torture and cries for help were the only noises that transcended the roar of the flames.
Starlight and Applejack approached the town from the south, from a path that led over a small ditch via a small bridge. Starlight came to an abrupt halt after they crossed the bridge. He grabbed Applejack by the arm, rather unceremoniously, and quickly pulled her behind a discarded hauling wagon that sat just off the road.
“Hey! What are ya--”
“Quiet!” He snapped at her. He hadn’t done that before. He didn’t look at her; he just motioned down the road a ways with a short nod. Applejack bent over a ways so she could get a decent look around their wooden barricade. She saw several men clad in silver and gold armor standing around in a group. It looked like there was some sort of disagreement going on. A few of them were holding torches, others had their weapons drawn. Applejack knew that armor. She had been to Canterlot on more than one occasion.
Applejack pulled herself back from around the wagon and looked at the ground, her mind filled with questions she wasn’t sure that she wanted answered.
“We need to move. We can take the back alley by the Hay Loft.” Starlight said as he got up in a crouching position and began to hurriedly move to the other end of the wagon.
“Starlight, wait a second.” Applejack was still trying to process what she had just seen. But he wasn’t stopping.
“We don’t have time.” He sounded intense, but patient. Like someone who was born to lead and who dealt with this kind of situation before. He stopped momentarily at the other end of the wagon to look for any other guards. “Listen, I’m not sure exactly what I saw either. But what I do know is that those guys weren’t in any big hurry to put out those fires.”
Starlight looked back to Applejack, his eyes were his again. They showed concern. They were scared.
“I also know that we need to make sure everyone is okay. We need to get as many people out of here as we can, but we should probably avoid any of those soldiers to be safe.” He looked back at the street again, ashes and smoke obscuring his view. “And to think, I thought I had pushed this life off a cliff.”
Then he was gone again. Starlight was back to business as he saw his opening. The way to his destination was clear. “We gotta move.” He mumbled.
Starlight motioned Applejack to come closer and then to wait for his signal. Sparing one final scan, Starlight took off down the street as fast as he could go. Even though the sprint took nothing more than a few seconds, Starlight saw enough horror to last him a lifetime. Between the burning buildings and the deafening roar of the flames around him it was bad enough. But having to vault over burning bodies, to see people he knew slowly being erased from history was unreal.
At the end of his sprint, Starlight had to slide beneath a small gap beneath a fence. Mr. Brawn, the owner of the Hay Loft, had always kept it locked to keep kids from playing in the alley as well as deter anyone from robbing his livelihood. During the commotion, something had knocked a few of the lower boards loose.
He recovered quickly, going from a laying position to crouching in seconds. His hand instinctively found one of the loose boards that lay about in random places. He never broke his line of sight on the end of the alley way. Standing up he moved back to the gate, unlatched it, and swung it open wide. Backing up just enough, he waved his free arm from around the corner giving the all clear.
After signaling Applejack, he hastily sprinted to the other end of the dark, narrow passage. He looked left, then right. Starlight could hear heavy footsteps coming from the right; that lead further into town. He wanted to avoid any confrontation as long as he could, but wishes seldom came true in these kinds of situations.
Applejack approached from behind him, crouching low she also scouted out the area. Starlight stepped back from the corner, as did Applejack. His eyes were on the ground in front of him, he was racking his brain trying to figure out a secondary route. But he simply couldn’t think of anything. Applejack could see he was having some issues, but she knew a way.
“We can cut through Sugar Cube Corner. The back door leads into a back alley that’ll take us right to the center of town.” She tipped her hat back down onto her head. Starlight looked at her in mild disbelief. Why hadn’t he known about that?
“Been here as long as I have, ya learn things.” She said with a smirk as she re-tied her work boots. She looked at him with reassuring, yet very scared, eyes. She wasn’t even sure that Sugar Cube Corner even existed anymore. But her courage was astounding. Starlight admired her for it.
“You take point, then. I’ll cover you.” He lifted his bit of wood he had grabbed. It was, for lack of a better word, crude. But it was better than cinders and random pieces of trash.
“You sure you can keep up? And are you sure you can fight one of them off with... that?” Applejack asked, her voice filled with doubt.
He just gave a simple nod. It was all he could afford to spare.
They would have to cross the street to get to the main thoroughfare. It was risky and visibility was low. Starlight gave one last look around the corner of the building, and gave Applejack the go-ahead. She tore across the street at a speed any pegasus would have found impressive. Starlight took off, not more than three or four strides behind her, matching her gait with the same amount of effort.
Starlight could hear a faint whistling noise then FWACK!
He lifted his makeshift weapon just in time to block the oncoming arrow that would have hit him in the right side of his neck. The point jutted out at him coming precariously close to his features, the arrow embedding itself nearly halfway through the thick piece of wood. One of the feathers was red and gold; a phoenix feather, fired from a long bow.
Starlight didn’t waste any time getting to the other side of the street. He covered the distance between himself and Applejack faster than even he could have expected. He dove and took her with him just before several more arrows hit the building directly behind where Applejack’s head had been.
“What in the hay!” Applejack sat up against the wall of the building she had been thrown next to. She looked up to see four huge arrows sticking out of the wooden frame of the opposite building. She had seen her life flash before her eyes before. But for some reason or another this one felt more final. More real.
She snapped back to her senses and looked over at Starlight who sat panting to her left. “Thanks, Starlight. Who are these guys anyhow? How could they make a shot like that?”
Starlight closed his eyes. He was shaken to the core.
“Phoenix Company. Best archers in the royal armies, best swordsmen, best tacticians, and so on. They’re almost an army within an army. Their commander is flawless, and nearly on par with Celestia’s Vanguard.” Starlight opened his eyes again. He was puzzled. “But why did they roll out their best for a simple raid? There’s no way they would have expected opposition from Ponyville. Not that they had really received any.”
Applejack got up on her feet, then helped Starlight do the same.
“Don’t let them escape! Take their flank from the alleyways surrounding the courtyard! Move!” A gruff, boisterous voice resounded clearly over the flames.
“Yes, Commander Breaker!”
Starlight felt a pang of fear; Sugar Cube Corner was their only salvation at this point, but they had to pass by the City Square.
“What do we do now!? We can’t just sit here!” Applejack said. She had come to the same conclusion.
Starlight grabbed his plank and removed the large arrow embedded into it with some trouble. He managed to keep it intact, thankfully.
“Easy. We just have to be faster than they are. Let’s move!”
Both of them tore across the length of the alleyway and beyond, Applejack leading on slightly ahead. They didn’t bother trying to get a feel on where their enemies laid in wait, but took to serpentining and vaulting over discarded structures and burning bodies. Arrows pelted the ground around them, coming inches away from their mark and sending plumes of dirts and ash spraying upwards.
As the two neared the Square, they came to a rather abrupt halt at a very disturbing image. Blocking their path was a large pile of burning something-or-another. The stink of the smoke was something unnatural. It wasn’t the pang of burning wood, or the acidic sting of metal, but something of a pervasive stench that invaded the senses without relent. Starlight knew all too well what that smell was. He just prayed against hope that Applejack didn’t; her vomiting told him otherwise.
The former soldier and the honest farm girl could only try and hold back their tears as they watched everyone they loved and cared for burn before them. The mouths of the burning were hanging agape, screaming in a horror that was taken by the roar of the flames. Women, children, men, the elderly and the young, all burned alike.
Standing around the mass was, of course, a band of soldiers. Their backs were turned to them, but Applejack’s involuntary gastric response alerted them to their presence. Within a moment each of the soldiers had their weapons drawn and were taking positions at the ready. Starlight could discern five foot soldiers as well as three archers. The odds were stacked against them, even with his expertise.
None of the soldiers advanced. They were awaiting orders...
‘From him.’ Starlight finished.
Out from behind the pile of bodies walked a man clad in the finest Celestian armor. He was broad, bald, and carried a gigantic hammer of sizeable power. His deep red cloak flapped about in the torrential heat of the flames surrounding them. He looked at Starlight and Applejack with his pure white eyes, a symbol of the Celestian initiation.
Applejack tugged on the back of Starlight’s shirt. Several more soldiers had crept up behind them, blocking their escape.
“You have nowhere to run now. By the order of our Princess Celestia, you have been found guilty of the crime of high treason.” Spoke the Commander.
Starlight answered him with a question, keeping his eyes on the archers all the while.
“Treason? Under what circumstances?”
“Aiding the enemy. There has been irrefutable evidence to support the claim of giving shelter to a wanted assassin. Wanted, for the crime of killing a very important military figure.” The Commander’s eyes reflected the flames all around them, his anger apparent. “But I need not explain myself to the likes of you. Now, you may either come with us, where you will be given a trial amongst your peers. Or, well...” The Commander motioned with his hammer to the burning mass of flesh behind him. “You could end up like your friends from the Boutique.”
Starlight knew better than to go quietly. There were only empty promises in war, nothing else. He finished scanning the area for an escape. He found only one, and it was a long shot.
He leaned over to Applejack.
“The flower shop. On the left. Be slow and you’re dead,” He muttered. She nodded only slightly. Starlight straightened up and stood tall, the arrow and the plank in his hands at his sides.
He locked eyes with the Commander. “I thought I recognized you. Younger sibling to the greatest Commander Phoenix Company ever had. So, I would assume that he died in the line of duty and you took his place? How touching.”
The Celestian Commander didn’t take too kindly to the overwhelmingly sarcastic tone his enemy took when speaking of his late brother. Who was this pee-on anyway? He wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill citizen. It was the way he stood, the way he held those makeshift weapons, the way he spoke, that look in his eyes. Not only did it piss him off, it made things a little more complicated.
“Watch your tone, whelp!” The Commander fumed as he gripped his hammer tighter. Starlight looked rather unimpressed, a large grin played across his face.
“Having your goon squad to take down two defenseless civilians is a bit much, don’t you think? I mean, your brother could have done this job himself.”
That sent him over the edge. Unclasping his cloak from his large pauldrons, the Commander began to walk towards his prey. The head of his weapon began to shine faintly as his anger came to a peak.
Applejack felt like strangling Starlight. “An’ just what in the hay are you doin’?” She whispered hastily. Starlight didn’t respond, only tightened his grip on his weapons.
The commander drew closer and closer, his men lowered their weapons. They had seen this episode play out multiple times earlier; it would be short work for their Commander.
Five paces away, and time slowed down.
Starlight’s breath became quiet. His heart rate slowed.
Four paces.
The Commander held his hammer in both hands.
Three.
Starlight loosened his grip on the arrow slightly.
Two.
Applejack finally caught on and prepared to run for it.
One.
Time finally snapped back into place, and everything moved like a blur. As the Commander set himself into a horizontal swing, Starlight noticed the small opening between the plates covering his opponent’s shoulder. With one deft movement, Starlight stepped into the arc of the oncoming swing, narrowly dodging the blow of the head of his enemy’s weapon. This close to his opponent, he had room to maneuver and catch his opponent completely off-guard.
With a snap of his arm, Starlight placed the razor-sharp head of the arrow into the Commander’s left shoulder. The gratifying feel of metal puncturing leather, followed by a sliding feeling as it cut through muscle fiber, gave Starlight a sick sense of accomplishment. Taking the moment with much solace, Starlight swung his other hand with all of the force he could muster, and brought the thick wooden plank down on the side of the Commander’s head with a deafening CRACK!
The Commander’s vision went white and his head felt as though it was lighter than air.
‘Who is this guy? How did this simple civilian get the better of me?’ He thought as he started to black out, until he noticed the cutie mark on his opponent’s right forearm. Realization hit him like a freight train. This wasn’t some run-of-the-mill rebel. This guy had set a trap, which he had been foolish enough to walk right into.
Commander Breaker fell to the ground, unconscious, but not dead. Applejack had already covered the distance between them and the flower shop, the Forest of Foliage. Before the soldiers witnessing the unexpected turn of events could react, Starlight bolted to his left towards his goal. Applejack looked frantic as she tried to find a way through the front entrance. Several large pieces of burning timber had fallen just inside the open doorway, making the easy way impossible to traverse.
Lifting his wooden plank, Starlight threw his “weapon” at the large bay window that stretched across the front of the small shop. Pieces of shattered glass flew in all directions as a massive intake of fresh air caused a backdraft. Fire exploded forth with an pulse pounding boom, catching Applejack by surprise.
Without even breaking pace, Starlight launched himself into the burning building, Applejack not far behind. Inside was some sort of fresh hell. It was one thing to witness a fire outside, in the open air. But this was like being strangled, like the last remnants of precious oxygen were being ripped from their lungs without their consent; un-willingly becoming fuel for the now re-kindling flames.
They both dropped to the floor, just beneath the broad windowsill. A chorus of shouts followed through the shattered pane of glass, soon followed by a volley of arrows. Heavy, ironclad footsteps began to pound their way towards the smoldering ruins. Charred clay pots that sat on the sill above them shattered into a thousand pieces as arrows streaked through the flames.
Time, like the odds, was not in their favor. Starlight tried his best to see the back hallway behind the register, but the sting of the smoke made seeing anything impossible. He tried his best to remember the layout of the building, but taking the time to piece together coherent thoughts would surely get them killed.
“Come on, get movin’! The exit’s this way!” Applejack had to scream to be heard over the flames and crashing pottery. She grabbed Starlight by the back of his shirt and pulled him to his feet. Staying low, the two made a hasty shuffle towards the counter where the register sat. Ducking under the small hinged portion, Applejack and Starlight dove behind their newfound, more reliable, cover.
“Shouldn’t I be the one saving you?” Starlight said with a strained voice and a smirk; the smoke was getting thicker and the heat was almost unbearable. Applejack didn’t look as amused, in fact, she looked surprisingly calm.
Applejack reached a hand behind her and began to sift through the various gardening supplies beneath the counter. After a few moments of searching, she pulled out a pair of heavy-duty work gloves and a small gardening spade.
“Guess these’ll have to do.” She muttered. Applejack handed the spade to Starlight, who only stared at it with a questioning grimace. Applejack knew what he was thinking.
“Them things are sharper than they look. One time, I had to rush Macintosh straight to the hospital after one of these babies fell on him. We were doin’ construction on the barn one year, an’ Applebloom left the gardening supplies on one of the rafters. I sure hope they’re alright.” Applejack put on the gloves she had salvaged. A perfect fit. “Besides, if you’re as good with a knife as you are with that piece a wood, I reckon you’ll be just fine.”
Starlight looked back down at his new weapon. ‘Not much of a knife.’ He thought as he gave a small shrug. He slipped the spade into the back pocket of his jeans for safe keeping and easy access.
That was when they both noticed something strange: arrows had stopped firing through the windows. Applejack and Starlight held their breath, ironic considering their current situation, and waited for something, anything, that would tell them that they were safe.
Straining to hear over the rising roar of the flames, they both waited for the signal, or lack thereof. After a few painfully slow moments, their hopes were dashed as the rubble blocking the entryway began to shake; the sound of metal plates crashing into the burning structures rang out over the din of the increasing inferno.
“One more should get it!” A male voice shouted.
“Tear it down, Echo!” Said a female.
Starlight and Applejack shared a brief moment together in simultaneous panic. Those soldiers were going to retrieve the bodies, regardless of whether or not they still drew breath. They had to get out of there, but the fire had created massive amounts of thick smoke that stung at their eyes and singed the back of their throats. Even navigating across the room would have been a monumental feat.
Applejack was the first to move, her astounding amounts of courage winning over her fear. She grabbed Starlight by the front of his shirt and hauled him with her as she started towards the back entryway.
“You gonna pick up your feet?! Or am I gonna have to save your hide again?!” Applejack shouted.
Not one for being upstaged easily, Starlight took the hint and traversed the cluttered hallway to the best of his ability. Several support structures leaned along the walls, their ends lit with a slowly growing flame. Pieces of shattered pottery and random gardening supplies lay about the floor haphazardly, making footing uneasy. Plants of all sorts, once vibrant and full of life, lay burned or burning in random areas. The smoke here was almost too much to bear, the burning plantlife sending up nauseating plumes of burnt material.
Starlight and Applejack tried to take their time navigating their way to the exit. It was a weird feeling having to be careful and panicked at the same time; Starlight mused that this must be what surgeons must feel like when they are elbow deep in someone. Halfway to the exit, Starlight felt his foot slip in something wet. It went against his training to look, but he did anyway.
Staring up at him was the severed head of someone he knew rather well, someone he was proud to call a friend. Her pale green eyes locked onto his in a silent scream, the kind you hear only in your darkest nightmares. Her face was morphed and burned from the fire that had raged through here earlier; the skin bubbled and charred. Her red hair had been mostly burned away leaving only a few clumps attached to her scalp. Beyond her was a room painted with gore. Still-burning bodies draped themselves over the ruined kitchen table, three in total. Blood had been splashed across the walls and cupboards, and entrails spilled out onto the floor from abdominal wounds.
Starlight only looked for a brief moment, but the image wasn’t too hard to memorize. He nearly lost it: his mind, his lunch, everything. Applejack called to him from further down the hallway.
“You find somethin’ important?!”
Starlight felt his mind go numb, a trick he learned while in the service. “Rose. Lily and Daisy, too.” He said in a monotone voice.
He could hear Applejack’s breathing stop over the flames and the crackling of the burning building. The Flower Sisters had always been good friends to the Apple family. They would share tips on how to grow crops, even offer to sell some of the Apple family’s product in their store. Now here they were, gone.
Starlight tore his gaze from the carnage that used to be three of the most kind-hearted people no one would ever get a chance to meet again. He felt his back straighten and the muscles in his legs tense. Starlight looked with hard, cold eyes down the hallway at Applejack, her face obscured slightly by smoke and debris. She had her hand over her mouth and was trying her best not to lose herself. She wasn’t doing a very good job.
Starlight set one foot in front of the other, carefully maneuvering his way towards the exit. He stopped briefly when he got to Applejack.
“We can make a memorial for them. We need to go.” He spoke with a cold determination in his voice, one that brimmed with rage and the resolve to avenge his fallen friends. It scared Applejack, more than being in a burning building, more than wondering where her family was, more than being chased by soldiers that were determined to see her removed from history. Of all the things she could count on, she had always been certain it would be Starlight. But after hearing those words, she just didn’t know anymore. It was like that last ray of light at the end of the tunnel was just smothered by some beast. A beast that liked to call itself vengeance.
Starlight moved onwards, from here the hallway was relatively clear, and the way to the exit was in plain view.
CRASH!
Time always has a way of making fools of people, and when that barricade finally gave way, Starlight and Applejack knew their time was up. A burly soldier stepped his way into the lobby of the flower shop, his features silhouetted in the smoke by the now raging flames.
“They in there?!” Shouted a strange voice.
“I got nothin’.” Said the shadow. “I’ll take a look and see if they’re hiding.”
“Not the smartest idea you’ve had, Echo! That place is about to come down, and you saw what that guy did to the commander!” Shouted another stranger.
The shadow reached behind its back and pulled out the shadowy form of a long bow, as well as an arrow. “Tell me about it.” Echo muttered. The armored soldier stalked his way through the building, his arrow notched into the bowstring, ready to fire at any moment.
Applejack and Starlight stood stock still, neither one of them moving a muscle for fear of being detected. Starlight began to lower himself to the floor slowly and with much care not to brush against one of the burning supports. Applejack stood still, her resolve and bravado shaken by Starlight’s words. She was scared, too afraid to move for cover. Fear stepped in like the unwanted guest it loved to be and wrapped its anchors around Applejack’s legs.
Starlight moved with machine-like precision around the debris between himself and Applejack. When he had closed the distance, Starlight placed a hand around Applejack’s mouth and pulled her back, navigating backwards through the blockage.
Nearly to safety and Starlight felt a solid bump against his foot, followed closely by the crashing noise only an unbroken flower pot can make. Starlight could almost feel Applejack die in his arms, and he would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t either.
In a flash, a streak of brown came sailing through the air, the arrow embedding itself in the wall where Starlight’s head would be had he been just an inch or two taller. Something about the immediate threat of death spoke to Applejack, as she seemed to toughen up once again. She stood on her own, a fearful look in her eyes, and began to hurry her way towards the door.
Starlight dropped low to the ground once again and watched the tirade that was Applejack in danger. She was like some sort of unstoppable sledge hammer, her fists swinging madly in front of her. Not even the thickest of the supports could withstand a single blow, the sturdy wood exploded on impact, sending wood splinters and cinders flying through the air. Starlight hadn’t seen this before, let alone heard stories.
Clearing a path through the hallway had its downfalls, one of which became apparent when the building started to groan and cry out in protest. Starlight knew all too well the sounds of a building about to fall in on itself. He had heard it once before, in the accident that took the lives of his parents.
“Applejack! Stop!” Starlight shouted. “You’re bringing the whole place down!”
If Applejack heard him, she wasn’t showing any sign of it. She cleared out the last support in her path with a mighty backhand swing and proceeded towards the wooden door that lead outside. Without even breaking pace, Applejack cocked her fist back and gave the door a no-holds-barred punch.
As much as the beams being absolutely destroyed was impressive, what Applejack did to that door was by far the most astonishing feat of strength Starlight had ever seen. When her fist connected with the door, not only did the door explode into a flurry of splinters and sawdust, but the frame was knocked completely from the building.
“Holy--”
CRASH!
Starlight looked back around towards the interior of the shop. Beams and supports were falling all around him now, and it would only be a matter of time before he was crushed.
Not wasting any time, Starlight bolted to his feet and ran the short distance to the back alleyway, stopping next to Applejack who had collapsed onto her knees.
“AAAAHHHHHH!”
Looking once more to the burning flower shop, Starlight listened to the cries of the Celestian soldier as the building fell on top of him, searing his flesh in ways that one can scarcely imagine.
“Echo?! No! No no no no!”
“Someone pull him out of there! Now!”
“You two! Cordon off the alleyways! I want those two fugitives found!”
Starlight grabbed Applejack by the arm, pulling her to her feet with a quick jerk.
“Starlight... what did I just...?” She stammered, her eyes wide and unbelieving.
“No time, AJ!” He shouted, frantically dragging her behind him with all of the haste he could muster. The former soldier kept dragging her to the end of the path, stopping once to catch his breath and to check the area for their pursuers.
He looked at Applejack, her eyes were still glazed over in disbelief. “AJ, I need you with me here. Don’t zone out now of all times.”
She didn’t respond; her fixated gaze upon the cinder-strewn ground beneath her feet the only form of communication. Starlight grew worried for a moment and double checked the street before grabbing Applejack’s arm again.
“Sugar Cube Corner is just around the bend. If we can make it past there, it’s almost a straight shot to the Everfree Forest. We should be safe there.” Starlight said aloud, if only to reiterate the plan to himself.
Sparing a third glance, the two fugitives tore off down the street, not even sparing a second thought as to what may lie in wait. After their mad dash to the end of the street, they spun to the left to see their destination: Sugar Cube Corner...
“What in the... Not the Corner, too...” Starlight gasped. Still ablaze before them was the near skeletal remains of the one building in town that had always guaranteed joy and good times; of sweets and friends. The mock gingerbread roof was roaring with the flames that flanked the mock icing masonry. The vibrant pink shutters and doors were aflame, now permanently stained the color of soot. The tower that held the second story had long-since toppled to the street below, causing an almost ghastly efficient chimney for smoke and fire to billow from.
Starlight and Applejack both stared in disbelief. Between them both, they should have expected to see this. But something inside them didn’t want to; something inside them had told them that this place would be just fine. That no matter what happened, the Corner would stand tall and proud. And, between the two of them, that something died right then and there, leaving a pit of despair and hopelessness in its wake.
Beyond the fire and the hellish torment of the screams of those who were still caught in the fray, Starlight and Applejack could see the edge of the Everfree Forest in the distance.
“Just a little further, AJ!” Exclaimed the retired soldier to the farm girl as he grabbed her arm once again and began leading her past the burning wreckage of the place where so many memories now turn to ashes. “Just a little further and--”
“HELP!”
A cry of distress emanated from Sugar Cube Corner; a voice that caused not only Starlight to stop in his tracks, but Applejack to snap out of her haze.
“That sounded like... Oh, no!” Applejack whipped herself around in a moment, rushing towards the burning building without restraint.
“AJ, wait!” Starlight called after her, quickly breaking into a sprint himself.
They both stopped before the flames of the Corner, feeling the intense heat beginning to burn at their skin. They couldn’t proceed any further without risking near fatal injuries.
“Starlight, we have to save her!” Applejack cried, refitting her leather gloves around her fists, ready to charge in and do what must be done.
“I’m not suggesting that we don’t! But we’re not getting in the easy way!”
Applejack balled her fists and looked to the Corner again.
“And that building would come down faster than a damn rainboom if you went in that way, too!” Starlight added.
Applejack looked flustered and distressed. “Well then what the hay are we supposed to do?! That’s Pinkie Pie in there!”
Starlight put his right hand on the back of his neck and his left hand to his forehead; a sign that he was dedicating his entirety to formulate a plan. “I think I got it!”
Starlight gripped the gardening spade and pulled it from his back pocket, then proceeding towards the inferno with a hearty sprint. Pulling his fist back, Starlight threw the tool at one of the forward windows, causing flames to erupt from the backdraft. Looking back to Applejack, Starlight gave her the signal to wait and keep a lookout for soldiers, then jumped into the burning building.
The interior of the store was destroyed. Every tasty treat that had graced the beautiful cake shop lay on the floor or splattered against the walls or overturned tables. The bright and cheery wallpaper was now a wreath of cascading flames that licked at the ceiling. The only saving grace was that the smoke had somewhere to escape to, seeing as the second story had been recently removed.
Starlight could feel the immense heat of the building sear his flesh and literally burn his eyes. His clothes became hot as the ambient heat nearly hit the flash point of the thin cloth and denim. His nostrils burned with the heat; the scent of smoke and ash erasing all memories of the heavenly scents the Corner had usually boasted.
“Pinkie Pie!” Starlight called, trying his best to project his voice over the deafening roar of the flames. “Pinkie Pie, where are you?!” He received no answer, so he began to move as fast as he could towards the kitchen area. When he did, the door was stuck shut. Rearing back a bit, Starlight placed one solid kick on the door, causing the burning entryway to fall inwards towards the kitchen.
What had once been a fully functional kitchen, was now a hellish landscape of burning supports and destroyed equity. Directly above the kitchen area had been Pinkie’s room on the second floor, which now allowed the flames from the walls to reach towards the open skies above after the tower had fallen. Various supports and pieces of plumbing lay strewn across the floor of the kitchen, with a pink lump wedged beneath one of the larger beams.
“Pinkie!” Starlight shouted as he bolted across the room and knelt at her side. “Pinkie?! Pinkie?!” She wasn’t responding; not a good sign. “Pinkie, come on! This isn’t the damn time for a damn snooze!” She was covered in burns; her face and arms were nearly burned away.
Reluctantly, the rescuee opened her eyes; the blue orbs meeting Starlight’s dark green. “Star... Starlight? Where is everyone else...? Mister and Missus Cake... and the twins...?”
“Okay, good, you’re alive.” Starlight looked at the support his friend was trapped beneath. “Now, I know you get this a lot, but please try not to talk, Pinkie. Okay? I’m going to move this and we’re going to get somewhere safe, okay? Pinkie? Pinkie, what are you--?”
He looked down and caught Pinkie’s gaze; she wasn’t focused on him anymore. Instead, she was looking at a mass of burning material by the refrigerator. It took Starlight a moment to grasp the situation; adding up what the mass was and why Pinkie’s face held nothing but anguish of the deepest sort.
Starlight could feel his gorge rising, and tried his best to keep it in. But those two little burning lumps, being held tightly by the two larger ones... he couldn’t keep it in. He was violently ill with not only physical, but emotional and mental strains at this point; and were it not for the constant heat and the cracks of the building all around him, he would have stayed that way for a while longer.
“Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, DAMMIT ALL TO SHIT!” Starlight roared as he gripped the burning support that was imprisoning his friend. He could feel the white-hot material burn into the thin layer of skin on the palms of his hands, but he didn’t care.
“I’m not letting anyone else die today! You hear me?! No one!”
With one great heave, Starlight tossed the giant beam aside, sending it crashing into the far wall. He bent over and gripped Pinkie by the arm, wrapping it around his shoulders and propping himself beneath her for support. Her breathing was ragged and she was limp and in who-knows how much pain, but she was alive.
Moving as fast as they could, Starlight dragged Pinkie out the back door and out into the boulevard, where Applejack was waiting with bated breath.
“Oh my heavens... Pinkie Pie...” She breathed at the sight of her injured friend.
“This night isn’t over yet, AJ.” Starlight said, his palms blistered and bleeding. “Help me get her to the forest.”
Applejack nodded, propping herself against Pinkie the same way Starlight had done, and the three moved as one towards the border of the Everfree Forest. When they had finished their short trek to the forest, Applejack stopped abruptly, nearly causing Starlight to lose his balance and the now unconscious Pinkie Pie to fall.
“Applejack! What the hell are you... doing?” Starlight stopped talking as he gazed downwards to where the apple tree fields once were. From this spot, you could look down and see almost all of the orchard, which was now nothing but a field of burning dreams.
For a moment everything froze, as if stopped by some grand deity. Applejack stood there, her friends leaning against her, the fire that was her home casting her in a golden silhouette. But she didn’t have a look that said “I’ve just lost my home!” but a face that Starlight was mimicking as well:
“Where is the rest of the Apple family?”
A Happy Beginning to a Tragic End
DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way, own the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or any of the characters that belong to the aforementioned cartoon. Rights for MLP:FiM belong to Hasbro, Lauren Faust, and anyone else I’m forgetting to mention. Hell, the majority of characters in this story are OC’s that you readers were gracious enough to allow me to use, and for that I can’t thank you all enough. And please, for the love of Celestia, support the official release.
Special recognitions go to The KageKitsune000, The Nurgling, and Karl Kadaver of fanfiction.net for their character contributions towards this chapter.
Chapter One: A Happy Beginning to a Tragic End
Starlight Blaze awoke with a start after his alarm clock went off. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t help but get the same reaction from himself with the same end result. He peeled his face from the floor off to the right side of his queen sized bed, reached up a blindly furious hand, and tried his best to turn off the confounded noise. He succeeded in only tossing if off of his bed side table. Either way, the noise stopped.
He stood up with wobbly legs and looked around his messy room with dreary eyes. It was by no means in terrible shape, but the floor was nearly non-existent. Various articles of clothing lay about in mismatched piles on the light grey carpeting. Bowls and plates, never more than a few days old mind you, sat on his writing desk. Books of all types lay about the room, some laying open revealing all sorts of knowledge of just about everything. Various posters of different bands and performing artists lined the deep red walls. ‘DJ-PON3 Rockin’ Equestria!’ and ‘Octavia: Lady of Harmony’ stood out among them, there were at least three of each all detailing different touring schedules.
Starlight scratched at his shaggy brown hair, letting a very heavy yawn escape his throat. He was a fairly tall individual standing at just over six feet. He was around his mid twenties and his body was very tightly toned, athletic and capable.
He made his way to his bathroom, grabbing a fresh shirt, jeans, and underwear from three piles of clothing along the way. He knew which articles of clothing were clean, he just didn’t have the attention span or the proper amount of care to place them neatly in his drawers.
Starlight stepped onto the cold tile of the bathroom and felt his feet scream at him in protest. He wasn’t quite awake enough to care at this point, which he demonstrated by turning the knobs in his shower to just the right angle. As the shower sputtered to life he looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were a piercingly bright green and the snow white cutie marks on his forearms stood out against his tanned skin. At least those two things had stayed the same. It gave him some comfort, but it also gave validity to what has happened to Equestria for almost a year now.
As he stepped into the shower, Starlight kept replaying the day it happened again and again. It was a normal day in Equestria, bright sunshine, fluffy white clouds, fragrant flowers, tall trees, and some of the nicest ponies anyone could ever hope to meet. Starlight had just retired from an eight year run in service to the throne and had chosen to live the quiet life just outside of Ponyville. Couldn’t get much quieter than that, right?
Ponyville was always such a dreamy little town. It was a tight knit community, one that any form of civilization would be envious to have. Everyone knew everyone, everyone helped everyone, and whatever disputes that became troublesome were quickly and efficiently dealt with. It was definitely the kind of place Starlight could see himself living.
Starlight had settled on a little cottage just off the beaten path, just past the edge of the Everfree Forest. Living somewhere like this didn’t bother him one bit. He was an experienced soldier who had served two straight terms, he knew the ins and outs of self defense. His biggest reason for dropping the military thing was so he could start a family of his own one day. His parents were dead and he really didn’t have other family members to support him, so, he had made a pledge to himself that he would have a big family one day. But you just couldn’t do that sort of thing if you were off somewhere different every other day, you know?
He had quickly become attuned to the quiet life, stating that it was “Just my style.” He got a part time job working as a ranch hand on the Apple’s orchard, even though the money he had gained through his tour of duty was more than enough to last him a long time. He liked the Apple family. In fact, he loved them. They had practically adopted him into their tight knit family, calling him, on more than one occasion, brother or son. He loved working for them, and even though he kept saying that he would do all of the work for free, they had insisted on paying him his fair share.
Starlight loved it here. He loved Ponyville, the Everfree, the way the flowers carried their scent over the vast fields of the greenest grass. He loved the wide sky that was the most impossible shade of blue, he loved the mountains in the distance, and most of all, he loved the community. He couldn’t get enough. He enjoyed every little last detail of the friends he had made while here in Ponyville.
He was always the active sort of pony. One that would volunteer at Sugar Cube Corner when the Cake’s were having a busy day, or go to the local library and see what kind of light reading he could pick up on. He liked spending his time around the park, watching the Pegasi have races and just chatting it up. He even loved just perusing the various stores, namely one clothing store in particular, the Carousel Boutique. Starlight had a thing for original art, be it musical or otherwise, he was addicted, and Rarity had never failed to impress.
Starlight didn’t mind Rarity in the slightest. Other ponies around town would constantly go on about her, well, going on and on. But he knew that she was a kind soul, and didn’t mind in the least bit whenever she asked him for his help in designing some new colt fashion. He almost thought of her as a sort of sister and felt comfortable coming to her whenever he had something weighing heavily on his mind. Somewhere along the line, she thought of him in the same regard.
It was all perfect. Starlight was ready to start the rest of his life. Or, he would have been, had the rumors not reached town.
For a long time now there had been rumors circulating between the royal armies that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna weren’t really getting along lately. Words of a possible coup started buzzing around the stallions and mares, saying that Princess Luna thought that the oppressive state that Celestia had ruled under for so long must now come to an end. That the everyday citizen of Equestria should be free to do as he or she so chooses.
Unfortunately, being of the status that he was, Starlight knew all of these rumors to be true, although very loosely. He had served under Princess Luna for eight years as one of her personal Shadow Guards. Not many ponies chose to stick around for two terms on Luna’s vanguard, but he had an obligation to her. Not as a sworn protector of her Highness, or as her Captain, but as one of her few and closest friends.
When the rumors started, Luna really did say something along those lines to her older sister, but she did so in good conscience. Luna didn’t want to tear down her sister’s kingdom brick by brick, but try to reach an understanding between the two forces of monarchy and democracy.
Yet it didn’t stop the rumors from spreading like wildfire, it didn’t stop ponies from starting to choose sides, and it sure didn’t set Celestia’s mind at ease knowing what was coming. Celestia had confronted her younger sister time and time again about the rumors of militia forming against her and the kingdom, but Luna could only answer in truth, saying each and every time that she just didn’t know.
Starlight was no fool. He knew which way the tide was turning, he could see it in Celestia’s eyes. She had that paranoid look, like she was always expecting somepony to come out of nowhere and strike. He had decided that if there was going to be any sort of happening within the kingdom, he did not want to be a part of it.
Luna respected his wish, releasing him from his duties with only a simple final order: stay in touch. Starlight left the castle and never really looked back. He had this feeling, like someone had placed a boulder in his gut. He was apprehensive of the whole situation, knowing that where there was smoke, there would surely be fire.
That was just over a year and a half ago. Needless to say, Starlight moved to Ponyville initially to escape whatever may be on the horizon, but he grew to love the quiet town. Until things weren’t so quiet anymore.
It had finally happened, not six months after Starlight had finally settled into the fabric of Ponyville. Princess Celestia had finally cracked beneath the pressure, and razed a small village, thought the exact details as to why are still very vague. It was somewhere far off, bordering the southernmost reaches of Equestria, but the effect was felt everywhere. Fifteen families were wiped clean from existence. Stallions, mares, and foals alike had been accused of being Lunar sympathisers and where killed on sight.
No one believed it at first. Everyone was sure it had to have been some roving band of bandits, or even a very angry dragon. Were it not for the royal decree that soon followed, everyone would have been happy with thinking that there was a giant fire breathing lizard on a rampage. A royal decree stating that any and all members of the Lunar Republic, would be put to the block without leniency. Little did everyone know that this new law was the least of their problems.
Peace in Equestria was never a passive thing. Eternal peace and harmony was never about how well everyone got along, but it was a gift. A gift from gods that transcended the sun itself. When they had seen the horror of what their most trusted vassal had done, they grew angry and seized the gift that Equestria had taken care of for so very long, and in the process unleashed a curse onto the land and it’s residents.
It was painful, to say the least. It happened suddenly, but by no means did it go by quickly. For Starlight, it happened when he was on his way home from the library. Twilight Sparkle had given him some choice reading material from her private collection saying that he was one of the few ponies in Equestria she could trust with such delicate treasures. He, like every other pony around him, watched as the skies above started to cloud over, the weather team on duty trying their best to keep the unruly clouds at bay to no avail. Lightning began to flash as the skies started to stir.
That was when it hit him like a brick from four stories up. Starlight’s body was racked with a pain too unspeakable to mention. It was a throbbing, deep, searing, cutting pain that covered his nerves from head to hoof. He could hear and feel the bones in his legs snapping with a wet, dull cracking noise and reforming themselves into a different shape, he could feel his rib cage split open and sew itself shut again, he felt his spine bend and twist against his will, and his skull cracked and shaped itself into a more rounded form. He looked through tear filled eyes as his entire body started to regress it’s well kept light grey coat in favor of a pale shade of skin. He watched in some form of horror as his cutie mark appeared on both of his forearms.
After almost twenty full minutes of pure, unrestrained torture, Starlight’s body finally came to a rest. He lay there, cold and full of pain, until the screams and moans of other ponies came to his ears.
He looked around at what used to be a pony filled thoroughfare, to see a street filled with strange creatures laying about naked in the street. Had it not been for the shifted cutie marks on their bodies, Starlight would have thought he was dreaming. He staggered his way onto all fours and eventually found how to stand on his newly acquired legs with some help from a nearby lamp post. Walking was shaky at first, but his new body seemed to know how to do the work, so he just went with it.
Starlight hobbled over to a nearby shop stall. One that was being tended to by a friend of his, an off white mare with a purple and pink mane. She was the first one to speak openly with Starlight after he had moved to town, the other ponies wary of him and his past as a guardsman.
Bon Bon was doubled over behind the counter, her thin pale body shaking with the pain still ravaging through her petite form. Her cutie mark had shifted to the base of her neck and looked very out of place. Her hair was still the same as she liked it, though now it was frazzled and messy from all of the thrashing about. She was weeping softly.
“Bonny?” Starlight knelt down and placed a cold hand on her back. Bon Bon whipped her head around as if she had been stung. Her eyes were full of pain mixed with gratitude for seeing a friendly face during such an ordeal.
“Blaze,” She gasped between sobs. “It hurts. It hurts too much.” She sat up and grabbed at her sides, the waning pain still leaving it’s ache behind. Starlight grabbed her and held her close for a while, he hated seeing one of his closest friends in pain. After a little time had passed, Bon Bon had stopped shivering and wiped the tears from her face, the pain receding to a dull thud similar to what Starlight was still feeling.
“Do you think you can move? Or at least try standing?” Starlight asked as he stood up, the muscles in his legs getting used to their new shape. He reached out his hand to her, she took it with only a moment’s hesitation. It was a bit of a struggle, but he got her on her feet in no time using himself, as well as the shop stall, as a prop.
Standing side by side, the two friends looked out at what Ponyville had become. It was chaos and carnage blended together to weave a tapestry of horror and lament. Some ponies, or rather the creatures they had become, had managed to work out how to stand on two feet and were shambling about, confused and in pain. Others simply lay in the dust and cried, some were out cold, passed out from the persistent agony. To think that was the least of the worries.
In various spaces some of the creatures lay motionless in a pool of their own blood. Judging by the cutie marks on their bodies, they had been a part of the weather team. When the Change had happened they were plucked from the sky and several fell to their deaths. Others crashed onto rooftops or were lucky enough to avoid dying from the sudden impact. Starlight and Bon Bon moved to a small body, the only noticeable quality being the long blonde mane and a cutie mark, a series of bubbles.
Starlight knelt down over her, set his ear close to her mouth, and listened for breathing. He could hear it, but it was faint. What little breath there was came out as a sort of gurgling sound.
“Bonny! Help me with this!” Starlight hastily yelled as he flipped the young woman over onto her back. He knew time was a factor here, she was choking on her own blood. Starlight had to learn basic CPR being a guardsman, he just hoped that the same principles carried over into this new form.
“Derpy?! What do you want me to do?” Bon Bon moved to Starlight’s right side looking over the past-tense pegasus with bated breath.
“I need you to tilt her head back to get her wind pipe open. When she starts coughing, roll her on her side.” Starlight set himself to work with heart compressions, one hand over the other. He pressed downward hard and fast in even doses. He could feel her chest give way under the force as one of her ribs snapped, sending an unpleasant wave of nausea through Starlight’s body. He pushed past it and continued on.
Bon Bon knew what was happening, she was a cook herself and had taken all of the safety classes on choking. So when Starlight stopped pumping away, she wasted no time in giving Derpy all the air she possibly could. Bon Bon pressed her mouth to Derpy’s and blew hard down her throat causing her chest to distend and grow.
Almost instantly Derpy’s eyes shot open and the air she was given came rushing out of her in a heavy bout of coughing. Bon Bon and Starlight rolled Derpy on her side, the steely taste of Derpy’s hastily ejected blood prevalent in Bon Bon’s mouth, and let her cough out the blockage.
During her fall Derpy had bounced off of a rain gutter and bit the tip of her tongue off in the process. As she grew unconscious the blood had started to go down her throat unchecked. But now she was fine, for the most part anyway.
“Someone! Anyone! Help me!!” That voice cut the air like a hot knife through butter. It was female, but very tomboyish. Starlight knew that scream, it came from his rival on the race track. He looked over towards Sugar Cube Corner to see a very thin, yet very toned, female body hanging from one of the storm drains. Her very long multicolored hair whipped about in the breeze as she hung on with slipping fingers, her focus being lost in the pain that was still affecting her body.
Starlight was up and moving in a flash, the ache in his legs losing out to the adrenaline pumping through his system. He bound ahead using long strides to cover the distance between him and his destination in no time at all. Rainbow Dash’s body finally got the best of her and she went plummeting to the ground below, the second story drop being broken by a diving Starlight.
“I win.” Starlight said through gritted teeth as he tried his best to look as hero-like as possible. Dash stood up off of him and helped him to his feet.
“I owe you one.” Dash breathed before she ran off down the thoroughfare towards anyone who still needed assistance. Starlight figured she hadn’t let the fact that her wings were missing sink in yet.
Starlight looked over to Bon Bon who was cradling Derpy’s head in her lap. He gazed around the chaos that was Ponyville, his eyes stopping on the bodies of the most unfortunate for a brief moment. He looked up and saw the swirling clouds above them. They were a ferocious mix of purples, greys, and reds. It seemed to him like some sort of omen.
That was how it had went that day. Everyone he knew had been shifted in the event later referred to as “The Change”. It was hard to pick the pieces of their lives back up out of the dust, but everyone in town seemed to manage in one way or another. Word from outside town was that the tragedy that had taken place that day had developed into a series of scuffles. Plenty of testimony from tradesman and other travellers had confirmed the existence of militia forming in distant towns and of some of the more physically talented individuals acting as mercenaries.
Ponyville had been lucky so far, everyone had worked tirelessly to make sure that the sleepy little town had stayed neutral through it all. Merchants and other store owners had payed extra careful attention to where their goods were being sent to, taking extra special care not to sway too far in one direction or the other lest they fall under suspicion of treason. Yet it didn’t stop business, let alone slow it down. Migrants from other towns had started either passing through or settling in to Ponyville in an attempt to get out of the way of the inevitable fighting that was starting to grow out of control. Never before had Ponyville been so lively, it was heart warming, really. Knowing that even through the problems that just kept popping up, there were some out there who just wanted to live the quiet life.
Starlight turned off the shower with a loud sputtering noise. Throwing open the curtain and grabbing a towel he set to drying himself off. Once he had gotten dressed(a black t-shirt and blue jeans) he started out of the bathroom and walked into his kitchen, made a piece of toast, threw on his shoes, and walked out the front door.
It was mid-summer in Equestria. Warm summer sunlight filtered itself through the trees above to the little used path below. It was still early, but the Everfree was alive and in full swing. Birds chirped high in the trees, rabbits scurried just out of sight, somewhere far off a bear yawned. Above, the skies were clear of clouds and that astonishingly blue color just seemed to stretch on for eternity. A light breeze shook the trees above letting leaves to wistfully fall to the path below. Starlight walked on, his shaggy brown hair getting tussled in the wind. He never bothered trying to brush his hair, mother nature usually took care of that kind of stuff for him.
As he neared the edge of the foreboding Everfree Forest, Starlight passed by what could only be described as a tree house. It was adorned with various masks and decorations from a far off country. The tenant who usually lived here wasn’t around, the windows were kept shut and the makeshift chimney was not letting out it’s usual stream of off colored smoke. Though it didn’t necessarily surprise him, she was always out doing something or another in the forest.
He pressed on a little further down the path and finally reached the clearing that led into Ponyville. Trees ended abruptly into a wide meadow of exceedingly tall grass that waved gently in the breeze. Off in the distance, a small cottage sits just over a small rise near the edge of the tree line, shutters closed.
‘Man, no one’s around today. Something big going down?’ Starlight thought to himself as he passed by the fork in the road that led to both Ponyville and towards the vacant cottage. He chose the path that would take him to town, and soon he was standing at the beginning of the main thoroughfare.
Starlight’s initial wonders of whether or not something was happening around here were instantly satisfied with a near face-meet-palm moment. Banners hung all around town in celebration of the Summer Sun Festival later this evening. How could he have forgotten one of the biggest days of the year? He wasn’t quite sure himself.
People lined the streets buying all sorts of items in preparation of the night’s festivities. He spotted Berry Punch through the window of the local general store purchasing some... refreshments. At one of the street stalls he could see Bon Bon chatting it up with Lyra. Bon Bon waved a short greeting when she spotted him, Lyra doing the same not too long afterwards. Starlight waved back and kept walking, wasting no time for idle talk. He had somewhere to be.
Starlight had to stop a moment as he came to a curve in the road. Taking cover behind the corner of a building was someone he had come to know very well recently. He was of an average height for his age, seventeen, standing at just under six feet. He had medium to long powder blue hair that nearly came down to his shoulders. He wore a white hooded sweatshirt , made of a very light and breezy material that was accentuated with trim the same color as his hair, simple blue jeans, and white sneakers. His eyes were a bright and luxurious shade of emerald green and were hidden behind his simple wire rimmed glasses. He was staring intently down the road at something, Starlight leaned up over him to see what the deal was.
Standing just down the street, speaking to a stall vendor, was a rather petite looking woman with very long pink hair that flowed about her body wistfully in the breeze. She wore a long, sunshine yellow, sun dress and simple yet elegant shoes. Starlight spoke aloud without even looking down at his friend.
“Man, Blue, I knew you had a thing for Fluttershy, but isn’t stalking her taking it a bit far?” Starlight’s friend nearly jumped out of his skin. He didn’t hear Starlight approach.
“Holy-! Don’t scare me like that, dude! And what have I told you about calling me Blue?” He looked like he had seen his dead grandmother.
Starlight only chuckled to himself. “Fine, Seraph.” He said sarcastically. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
Seraph just stood there, his red medical cross cutie mark on the right of his collarbone peaking out from under his hoodie, trying to find a good lie.
“I-I wasn’t stalking Fluttershy. I just grew a little nervous as she passed by.” Starlight looked at Seraph with a knowing look complimented by a sly grin.
“You know you rhyme when you lie, or when you’re nervous.” Seraph’s face grew red, his old habits coming back to haunt him once again. He just looked at his feet. Starlight took some pity on him. “I don’t know why you won’t just go and talk to her. I mean, she isn’t seeing anyone, right?”
Seraph looked back up, even more visibly flustered. “It’s not that simple! I can’t just go and talk to Fluttershy like that! I mean, why would she even want to talk to a guy like me, right? She could have, literally, any other guy in Equestria.” Seraph looked dejected and went back to staring at his shoes. Starlight was growing impatient.
“Okay, fine, you win. But I’m not going to let you stalk a wonderful lady like her.” Starlight grabbed Seraph by his hood and began to drag him along behind him.
“Hey! W-What are you doing?!”
“Since you feel like you have nothing better to do, you can help me out. I have an appointment at Sugar Cube Corner, they’re swamped with back orders and it looks like you just volunteered yourself.” Seraph tried to resist but Starlight was much stronger than he looked. He caught Fluttershy’s curious gaze and saw her give a little wave. Starlight waved back, Seraph just blushed, dumbstruck.
After a short bout of dragging and being dragged, the two stopped at the front door of Ponyville’s bakery, Sugar Cube Corner. People were lined out of the door to pick up their orders. Not breaking stride Starlight dragged Seraph up the stairs, much to his protest, and wedged their way through the doorway.
Inside the bakery was chaos unbound. Shouting, pushing and shoving, harsh language, just to name a few actions. Starlight was having a hard time navigating his way to the front counter until Mr. Cake called out to them.
“Starlight! Thank goodness you’re here, and not a moment too soon!” The crowd opened up around Starlight and his unwilling luggage with a few step asides and out of the ways. Starlight held up Seraph by his hood, lifting him off the ground.
“I brought some extra hands! Figured we could use the help!” Starlight dropped Seraph who landed on his feet.
Mr. Cake looked beyond relieved. “Thank Celestia you did, we’re even busier than I initially thought. Go and head on back to the kitchen, Pinkie Pie can fill you in on the details.” Starlight cut his way past the crowded room, Seraph not too far behind. As he lifted the hinged portion of the counter he had to shout a greeting to Mrs. Cake who was buried chin deep in boxes of assorted pastries. If she heard him, she didn’t respond.
Starlight and Seraph walked into the kitchen, the smells of various frostings and cakes filling the air with an irresistibly mouth watering scent. Bowls caked with flour, hardening dough, and frosting lay about the kitchen in various piles, the large industrial dish washer working overtime. Timers were going off at random intervals adding to the uproar coming from the passage that led back to the lobby area. Through all of the chaos and dishevelry a pink blur could be seen whipping around the kitchen, simultaneously pulling pastries out of ovens, reloading new pastries, frosting, and decorating all at once. It stopped for a brief moment as it caught sight of the two new helpers.
Pinkie Pie had been shifted into an average form, not too skinny, not too muscular, not too overweight, just average. She was wearing a pink t-shirt that donned the logo of Sugar Cube Corner on the front, obscured by the white apron she chose to wear while baking. Her poofy cotton candy-like hair still poofy and cotton candy-like. Her tan Capri pants were covered in flour and drying dough. She had the most genuine of smiles plastered to her face.
"Oh, hi! About time you showed up, I was starting to wonder when you'd get here, not that I thought you would ever not get here, I know that you never EVER break a pinkie promise! Oooh is that Seraph? Hi Seraph did you come to help today?” Seraph just sort of nodded, he had only been in town a few months but he still hadn’t gotten used to processing all of the information Pinkie Pie could spew forth in a few seconds.
“Great! Grab an apron, grab a bowl, pick up a spoon, and let’s go!” Starlight and Seraph did as they were instructed. Donning their aprons and grabbing their culinary arsenal, the two set themselves to work. It was time consuming and Pinkie Pie ran a tough operation. She was always making sure that everything was in order, staying five steps ahead of everything at once. She was like some sort of machine.
Cakes of all sorts were born that day. Pound cakes, angel cakes, fruit cakes, cupcakes, marble cakes, devil’s food cakes, chocolate cakes, vanilla cakes, red velvet cakes, just to name a few. In no time at all the trio had put out enough cakes to finally sate the demanding crowd, and in a few hours the massive number of people dwindled to just a few every now and then.
“Oh man, I can’t believe it’s over.” Seraph sighed as he collapsed into one of the chairs near the small table on the far side of the room. “If I never make another pineapple upside-down cake, it’ll be too soon.” Pinkie Pie was still as bouncy and bubbly as ever.
“I’m surprised you kept up! I know that I had troubles keeping up sometimes, but then I just got faster and faster until I got to this speed, which I guess you could call fast, or even super fast, oh, what about super-DUPER fast?” There she went again. Seraph was too focused on what Pinkie Pie was saying that he didn’t have nearly enough time to be annoyed. Starlight just smiled as he dried the last few dishes that came steaming out of the dish washer. Pinkie Pie always made him smile like a complete idiot, even if she didn’t mean to.
The doorway to the kitchen swung open, the words “They’re in the back, dear.” coming from Mrs. Cake’s voice wafting through the entryway. In stepped a modestly sized woman with long dark purple hair, accentuated by a pink stripe that cascaded down it’s length. She wore a simple t-shirt that was a deep shade of lavender, simple form-fitting blue jeans, and simple shoes. Yet the simplicity of her outfit was also what made her seem practical and smart.
“Well, I guess you guys don’t need my help after all.” Starlight looked over to Twilight Sparkle, finishing up with the last measuring cup.
“Hey Twilight. Didn’t really expect you to show up. What’s the occasion?” Starlight commented with a smile. Pinkie Pie bounded over to Twilight, somehow getting behind her studious friend and wrapping her arms around her neck in a surprise hug.
“Hiya Twilight!” She said in an overly-cheery manner. For some reason or another, Pinkie Pie was more, well, Pink today. Twilight laughed as she peeled her friend off her back.
“No occasion. Thought you could use some help is all. I passed by earlier today while picking up some necessities for tonight and saw how long the line was. Must have been a lot of work.” Seraph just grunted out a tired sigh in response. Starlight and the others chuckled to themselves. Pinkie Pie moved over to Seraph placing a warm hand on his shoulder.
“I know just the thing to cheer you right up! Some ice cold apple juice, on me!” Pinkie grabbed Seraph by his hood and dragged him out of the kitchen. He tried to resist, but damn it, she was much stronger than she looked too. Too tired to protest, he just let her do as she pleased. Twilight looked after them with a perplexed look, Starlight had the widest of grins.
Starlight looked to Twilight and motioned for her to take a seat at the table. As she did he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of iced tea and poured them a couple of glasses. Holding up a small jar and a spoon Twilight told him that she would like two spoon fulls of sugar. Happy to oblige, Starlight mixed the drinks, adding only half a spoon to his own, and carried them back to the small table.
Sunlight streamed in through the open window, the warm rays being complimented by the day’s cool and constant breeze. Weather in Equestria had been erratic since the Change, the shifted pegasi could still manipulate clouds, but flying was a limited option. Today seemed like one of those days, where mother nature takes pity on her children and blesses them with the most perfect of days. Lillies, roses, daisies, and chrysanthemums made their heavenly scents known on the breeze. Clouds had spawned overhead, moving lazily about, busy with their own agenda.
They both sat there a while, sipping sweet tea and soaking up the sun. Several minutes later Twilight broke the calm silence.
“I’ve been reading into the Change again.”
Starlight set his drink down on the table and looked into her violet eyes. Her cutie mark had been shifted to her pupils, it was offsetting at first, but it seemed to fit after you got used to them. He had asked her a long time ago to help him dig up any and all information on the subject. Normally that sort of thing wouldn’t be much of an issue, but after descending into this rabbit hole, the two had learned that it was best to leave sleeping dogs lay. Between the discovery of ancient civilizations and cultist organizations surrounding the event, the two had agreed to keep a tight lid on the situation and never breathe a word to anyone else about what they had found.
Starlight couldn’t really get angry with her. He knew the kind of girl that she was, curious and always wanting to learn more. Really it was his fault that she knew as much as she did.
“What did you find out?” Starlight spoke keeping eye contact the entire time. He wasn’t happy-go-lucky Starlight anymore, he meant business. His more intense side, the soldier in him, came rising to the surface. Twilight had seen this side of him before, it was scary at first, but she knew he didn’t mean any harm in it. It was just how he reacted when things got serious.
“I was able to get a book from Canterlot, “The Lost Ancient Legends of Equestrian History.” Starlight knew that book. He also knew that it was in the restricted section of the royal library, for royal eyes only. Reading the look on his face she could see the questions coming before they came. “An old friend from my time at the School for Gifted Unicorns was able to get the book. Yes I have friends back in Canterlot. No, I wasn’t sure he was my friend until recently. His name is Inkwell, Quilliam Inkwell. Get your mind out of the gutter, he’s just a friend.” Starlight was never so impressed with Twilight as he was when she could practically scry the future. She had pretty much satisfied all of his questions for the moment. She continued.
“This book was able to give me more information that I could have ever hoped for. Stuff about gods, even older than the sun and the moon, entire kingdoms falling under their own weight, love stories that end in both tragedy and despair.” Twilight’s eyes glistened for a moment as her mind sank back into the depths of her “borrowed” book. “But then I came across a legend that I’m still not sure I even want know about. The origins of the Elements of Harmony.” She set to explaining the whole thing. How the Elements were gifted to the Alicorn lineage a long time ago. How every one of the residents of Equestria were much more bestial than they had just previously been. How the might of Harmony had enabled them to live in peace for eons. How everyone had fucked it all up.
“So, basically we didn’t change into some new life form, but we reverted back into a more savage shape. Back to what we once were, a race of creatures only capable of destroying one another.” Twilight finished her long winded summary of the book and sipped her tea. Starlight let all of the information pool in the back of his mind. He let it all sink in one bit at a time until he completely grasped the situation.
“Then, a full on war is bound to happen.” Starlight looked down at the table, his worst fear coming to the surface to rear it’s ugly misshapen head. Twilight looked at him with empathetic eyes. It wasn’t like him to worry about things that weren’t right in front of him, but she knew all about his fears and his past. Get-togethers with everyone had brought most of Starlight’s personal life to light. No secrets between friends, right?
Starlight snapped back to it, pushing the thoughts of the inevitable out of his mind as best he could. He looked back up at Twilight and gave a wide smile.
“No sense fretting about events that haven’t even happened yet, right? What time is it anyway? I was supposed to head over to A.J.’s around four and-- OH CRAP!” Starlight glanced over to the clock that was mounted just over the window above the sink. 4:17 p.m.
In a flash Starlight downed the last of his drink and bolted out of the kitchen door sparing a quick “Gotta bolt!” at Twilight along with a little wave. Tearing out of the kitchen, Starlight almost ran headlong into Seraph causing him to slow down a moment to spin around his friend.
“Whoa! Where’s the fire?!” Seraph called to him.
“Gotta get to the orchard twenty minutes ago. Bye Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake. Catch you later Pinkie Pie, gotta run!” Not even staying back for a response, Starlight tore out of the bakery and made his way towards his home away from home.
He felt the wind rip through his hair, felt his feet pound hard onto the earth below, felt his heartbeat race in time with his long strides. He loved to run, especially on days like these, but the constant stream of “Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!” running through his mind kept him from fully enjoying the experience.
Starlight ran past stores and shop stalls, ducked and weaved through random pedestrians, and cleared most of the busy streets in no time at all.
“Let me guess, late for something?” That telltale voice resounded over the roar of the passing wind. From just off to his right he caught a glimpse of that ever so familiar stream of long rainbow colored hair. Starlight came to a stop not too long after that, catching his breath as it was still somewhere in the kitchen of Sugar Cube Corner. He looked up to see Rainbow Dash’s rose colored eyes and smiling face staring back at him.
She looked healthy and very fit. She was wearing a cyan athletic tank top that had a white wing pattern sewn into the fabric on her back. She was also wearing black athletic shorts that were made of a jersey material, very finely crafted running shoes, and fingerless gloves that allowed her to climb easier. Her cutie mark was seldom seen as she was one of the few around whose mark had stayed where it had originally been. Since the Change, Dash had been searching for new ways to get airborne. She took to climbing to high places and jumping from rooftop to rooftop in order to get that same rush. Even through the Change, she was still the fastest thing around, there was no way that she was going to let some cosmic power take that away from her.
“Haven’t seen you run that fast in a long time. Shame you can’t be that quick on the track, you might actually turn out to be a threat.” Dash slugged him playfully on the arm, Starlight returned with a smile.
“Yeah, careful what you wish for Crash. You might just-”
“Rainbow Dash! I just simply cannot believe that you would just bolt off right in the middle of our conversation!” A fairly tall woman came fuming down the road towards the two. She absolutely exuded high society as she walked, taking carefully practiced steps while trying her best to keep a fast-as-possible pace in her deep purple high heels. Her midnight violet hair was long, but not too long, and was done in a very uniquely glamorous style. She wore a formal white button-down shirt that was free of any and all blemishes as well as a black skirt that clung to her form. She wore hoop earrings that dangled about as she walked, each of them made of the finest gold, as well as an amethyst necklace that complimented her overall ensemble. She was carrying several bags with her. Well, not really carrying them as she was levitating them behind her, one of the rings on her right hand glowing with a faint light-blue radiance.
“Good afternoon, Rarity.” Starlight had finally caught his breath and stood up to greet his friend taking a bow and shooting a sarcastic grin in her direction. He had always joked with her that she thought she was royalty, after getting enough reactions out of her it kind of became an inside joke among the lot of them. Even Dash bowed.
“Oh, ha ha. A good afternoon to you as well Starlight. I hope you don’t mind me saying, dear, but you look very out of breath. Is there somewhere you need to be?” Starlight had nearly forgotten after bumping into two more of his friends. He wanted to just bolt off, but that would have been rude. He could spare a few seconds for these guys.
“Well,” Starlight began,scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. “I was supposed to be at Applejack’s to help with the renovations on the back field. They’re supposed to be putting up a new barn today.” Rarity looked a bit taken aback.
“Well then, you need to get a move on then. We can catch up with each other later, I’m having a little get together tonight in celebration of the Festival at the Boutique and you simply must attend. Pinkie Pie will be running the festivities mind you, so the approach will be, regrettably, informal.” Rarity made a shooing motion with her right hand, her cutie mark on her wrist making itself known to the sunlight. It had rearranged itself to look like a very fashionable bracelet. “Now move along! You really shouldn’t keep a lady in waiting.”
“Yeah get out of here Romeo!” Dash shoved him in the chest, getting him started. He shot her an annoyed glance and used the momentum from the push to help give him a good running start. It was no secret that he and A.J. were close, but not that close. Dash was the only one who would consistently tease him about it, so it hadn’t gotten out of hand.
Starlight bounded across the fields and hilly terrain that separated him from his destination, passing by random people in a blur of black.
Moments later the giant red barn of the Apple family came into view, the ornamental wind measure on top peaking out above some hills. He stopped a moment at the top of the mostly downhill slope that led into Sweet Apple Acres, taking in the scenery while he still could.
The barn was really the cornerstone of the entire farm. It sat right in the middle on a huge patch of cleared land, the various buildings set up around it in no particular order. There was the chicken coupe that sat just outside the barn’s entrance, the pig pen that could be seen peeking around the back of the barn, the old well, and the huge ranch house that sat off a ways on it’s own little hill in the distance.
All around the complex stretched land covered in almost every sort of produce available. Closest to the main entrance to the farm was a wide field of fresh corn that just started to really come in at full swing. Stretching from that, fields of celery, beans of all sorts, pumpkins, even hay fields made themselves right at home in carefully cut plots of land. But the real attraction was the orchard. Sure there was plenty of land for other produce, but the orchard itself blew them all away. No contest.
No matter how good your eyesight, no matter how far you tried to find the end, it just couldn’t be done. Apple trees stretched for as far as there was visible land. Mountains off in the distance were painted a deep and luxurious shade of green that complemented the blue sky so well you would have thought you were staring at a painting. This time of year was when the apples started to near harvesting time, the delicious red orbs hung from the trees teasing anyone who walked by. It was damn near torture for Starlight not to help himself to one.
He passed by the barn and various buildings that served their own individual purpose, cutting a patch to the house that sat in the background. When he got there, good old Granny Smith was seated in her rocker on the front porch, soaking up the sun and enjoying the beautiful day. She saw Starlight approaching, now jogging, and a smile played over her face.
“Sorry I’m late Granny. Got caught up at the Corner.” Starlight breathed. Even though he had taken the last stretch with ease, he still cleared all of Ponyville and then some in just a few short minutes and was very out of breath. Granny looked down at him, she liked Starlight, he was an honest man who loved doing honest work.
“Well it’s a good thing you showed up when ya did. Applejack an’ Macintosh done went to the back field ‘bout half hour ago. Best catch up with ‘em, they’re awaitin’.” Starlight started to head off towards the south. “An’ be quick about it! My knees are achin’, means there’s gonna be a storm tonight.”
He didn’t need much more motivation, but he broke out in a sprint to humor the old lady. She loved to bust his balls, and he loved to let her. Made him feel like one of the family. He guessed that’s why she did it in the first place.
Starlight strode through the rows of trees at a brisk pace, looking left and right trying to spot the rest of his surrogate family. He didn’t have to look long. He could hear soft singing coming from up ahead.It was a tune he knew, but he wasn’t quite sure from where. Coming across a small clearing he found a rather nicely done tree house sitting in a squatty apple tree. That’s where the singing was coming from, and he knew the tune to be the “Official Cutie Mark Crusader’s Theme Song”. He had heard it coming from the same voice a few times before when she thought no one could hear her.
Starlight approached the “Headquarters” and rapt his fist against the bottom of the suspended boardwalk, the singing stopping and multiple foot steps shuffling about. In a few seconds time four young faces popped out the window and looked down at him.
Even through the Change, these four hadn’t changed all too much. Sure they were different(less hair, hooves, and general equine-like) but they still had that same shine in their eyes, that same spunk and determination, that same optimism. That same lack of cutie marks.
“Oh! It’s Starlight! You lookin’ fer mah brother and sister?” Applebloom called down. She had her hair done up in that insanely cute red bow that testified to her young age. Turns out the bow was some sort of family tradition and was passed down from generation to generation between the girls until they reached a certain age. Starlight couldn’t help but admire the somewhat unnecessary tradition, it said something about their family’s integrity. Applebloom was wearing her usual blue overalls and red t-shirt.
“You just missed them! They were here not too long ago.” That was Scootaloo. She had taken to wearing light hooded sweatshirts and shorts, much like her idol, Rainbow Dash. Today was, of course, no different. She had also taken to being more active in the sport that was sweeping Equestria, the one that was taking the pegasi population by storm. She was never really a talented flier, but since the Change, no one was.
“They went that way, through those trees.” Sweetie Belle chimed in. She had taken to wearing the dresses that her older sister, Rarity, had made for her. Even though she wanted to be wearing something more practical and fun, Rarity refused to allow her reputation as a “new age fashion designer” be ruined because her younger sister would prefer to wear common clothing rather than the pieces of artistry she could create. Sweetie Belle had taken this as a challenge and hadn’t failed in nearly destroying each and every dress made for her in some way or another.
Starlight glanced behind him in the direction Sweetie Belle was pointing, then back up at them. He could see Amber peeking out of the doorway. She was a little thing, much younger than the other girls, but she was a very smart and gifted young unicorn. She had moved here with her daddy, Boldwin, a blacksmith by trade, with a group of refugees about six months ago. As to why they had moved to Ponyville, no one could say. Boldwin was a very quiet, and very intense, giant of a man. Amber was a pretty young thing, apparently just like her mother. Boldwin had at least revealed that much. She had long, fire red hair that was tied into a low ponytail. Her eyes were a majestic shade of a pale pink that never failed to grab someone’s attention. She was wearing simple, earthy clothing. A red t-shirt and blue jeans.
Starlight gave her a little smile and a wink. Amber didn’t know what to think of him. He wasn’t like other adults who just tolerated the Crusaders, he was practically one of them. He always came to them with some new plan to help them find their cutie marks, be it simple or outlandish.
And the truth was, Starlight really did love the Crusaders. He could see a lot of himself in them when he was their age. He had almost become the outside confidant of the group, always waiting with an open ear and helpful advice. On more than one occasion, Cheerilee told him he should take up teaching. Starlight would just laugh and tell her that he was still too much of a kid to teach and that he’d settle on keeping this bunch out of trouble.
“Now, what in the wide world of Equestria are you four doing up in that tree house when you could be off helping to put up a barn in this wonderful weather?” Starlight said to the group.
“Applejack is still mad at us for destroying the kitchen after we tried to make breakfast this morning.” Sweetie Belle said sheepishly. “We figured it would be a good idea to stay out of the way.” Starlight sighed and shook his head.
“You know what I told you guys about cooking after last time?” They did. It had ended in panic and mass chaos as half of Rarity’s boutique caught flame. “Well, come on then. You’ll all be fine as long as you’re with me.” Starlight struck a heroic pose. “None can defeat me!” The girls giggled at him. He loved the sound. In no time at all the four girls were on the ground and moving in the direction of the construction zone, Applebloom riding on Starlight’s shoulders.
By the time the group got to the site, work had already begun. Framing the barn and setting the base was the task to be completed today. Big Macintosh was carrying a couple huge pieces of timber, his bright red tank top pulled tight against his huge body. His apple half cutie mark was shifted to his left bicep and bulged outward against his straining muscles. He was a titan before the Change, but the addition of posable thumbs made him a demi-god. Applejack was setting to hammering the front A-frame together when she spotted Starlight and the girls.
She was easily the tallest of the group after the Change happened, standing almost as tall as Starlight himself. Her cutie mark had shifted to her lower stomach, just to the left of her belly button which she was happy to show off by wearing tied up button downs or short t-shirts. She had always taken pride in her body, as the best athlete in Ponyville could you blame her? But since the Change, she really took to her new, more able body like a duck to water. She was trim and fit, and unlike Pinkie Pie or Starlight, she didn’t have some underlying strength. Applejack wore her abilities on her sleeve with a sort of subtle pride.
Applejack brushed her wheat-gold hair out of her face as she stood up, and tipped her hat at her friend.
“Howdy Starlight. Was wonderin’ if you was gonna show. Pinkie Pie keep ya long?” Starlight nodded.
“It was a nightmare, I won’t be able to think about pastries without having flashbacks.” Applejack laughed openly, as did Bic Mac who wandered over after he deposited his load.
“Well I hope you aint too traumatized. Granny said she’d bake us up some apple pie when we’re done here. First of the season.” Starlight could almost taste that secret family recipe.
“Aw hell, I can’t very well turn that down. Curse you fragile willpower!” Another bout of laughter. Applejack looked at the group in front of her, her forest green eyes beaming with business.
“Alright you five, let’s get to work. We already got the foundation down this mornin’ and we need to get the frame lifted and set before dark. No slackin’ now.” Applejack picked up her hammer and her bucket of nails and set herself back to work, not wasting a minute of daylight. Starlight set Applebloom down and faced the group of young adventurers.
“Crusaders! Front and center!” In a moment the girls lined up, tallest to smallest, and stood at attention. “Alright ladies! We have a job ahead of us. One that could very well make or break most people. But in your eyes I see the fire. Not just any fire, THE fire. A passionate flame to burn away the shadows of doubt. Today we shall do the nigh impossible. We shall build. We shall create. For this day, you will become, Cutie Mark Crusaders: Barn Raisers!” The girls laughed and cheered on their captain. “Now, Applebloom. You’re handy with tools, go help Mac with those A-frames over there. Sweetie and Scoot, you two ready the pulley system, make sure to get those ropes nice and tight. Amber, come with me. We’re going to help A.J. set the anchors into the foundation.” Starlight looked them over with an appraising eye. “Everyone set?”
“Sir, yes sir!” They all cheered in unison.
“Alright, company. Move out!” And with that they all went to their tasks. Applebloom worked on the A-frames like she was supposed to, having no trouble with Mac’s help. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle set themselves, not just to readying the pulleys, but setting them up as well. Sweetie using what little magic she possessed while Scootaloo’s practiced hands enabled her to climb the nearby trees with ease. Starlight and Applejack were having a surprisingly easy time getting the wrought-iron anchors into the concrete foundation. Between their strength and Amber’s knowledge of metal smithing(her father was a practiced blacksmith after all) they were able to make short work of the normally tedious task.
Within a few short hours, filled with yelling, falling, laughing, and cursing under one’s breath, the group finally got the prep work done. Standing along the thick rope that layed on the ground, everyone picked up a part of it’s length, the Crusaders in between Applejack, who took the front, and Starlight, who took the back positioned in front of Big Macintosh.
“Alright everybody,” Applejack shouted back. “Heave!”
All at once the group pulled on the rope as hard as they could. Moving inch by inch the team trudged forward, the Crusaders being of little help as the area of rope between A.J. and Starlight was taut enough to keep their small bodies suspended above ground, their feet flailing about comically. They had set up the pulleys to pull every piece of the barn together at once, to not only save time, but effort.
Through much heaving and pulling, all four sides of the barn pulled themselves together followed by uproarious hurrays and applause at a job well done. They all set themselves to their final task, nailing the four sides of the frame together.
By the time they had everything completed, the sun had started to set in the west setting the skies ablaze with celestial fire. They all stood there and admired their work. It always felt good doing an honest day’s work, but it felt even better when you could do it with people you cared about. Especially if it meant helping those same people out in the process.
They had all stood there a long while, so long in fact that the deep blues and purples of the oncoming night started to seep in past the mountains to the east. Applejack made the motion to head on home and get cleaned up for the party at Rarity’s place later that night. When the Crusaders were told that they had more than earned the privilege of coming with them, the motion was carried by unanimous vote. They all walked back together, tired and sweaty, but feeling like a family. Starlight, Applejack, and Macintosh walked together, the Crusaders leading the way a short distance ahead.
After their cleanliness was restored everyone went down to the kitchen where Granny Smith had already set up several plates of apple pie, cooled to perfection. If there was ever a way to describe the sheer wonder that was the “Apple Family Apple Pie” it would be like getting your brains blown out by a rainbow. And Celestia bless her, she made two more pies for the party.
Everyone’s hunger sated and their bones rested, the group headed for the door with one word on their minds: party. Granny Smith stopped them all before they walked out. She was holding seven umbrellas. Even though they all said they would be fine, that it wasn’t raining out, and that they didn’t need any rain protection, Granny Smith still had them take them anyway.
“These bones never lie. A storms a comin’. Big ‘un too.” She said with a snide sense of pride. They all took their respective rain shields and walked out into the cool night air, honoring the demands of their senior.
Dusk brought with it the smells and sounds of the night. A damp, cool breeze had replaced the warm caress of the day’s gentle wind. Crickets chirped loudly among the tall grass, cicadas sang loudly from the orchard all around the farm, off in the distance bats and other night faring winged creatures began to take off into the night with a loud fluttering of wings. Stars, as numerous as the blades of grass all around them, shined brightly overhead in pin pricks of ethereal light. A full moon graced the night, lighting everything in sight ablaze with it’s cold fire. It was nearly as bright as the sun itself, the giant alien orb could almost be mistaken for a spotlight from a passing balloon.
Despite what Granny had said before, there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky at this hour. Though several could be spotted hovering among the Dragontooth Mountains to the east, they didn’t seem to be coming any closer and posed no threat to the night’s festivities.
Starlight, Big Macintosh, Applejack, and the Crusaders all walked towards town, taking their time to enjoy the wonders gifted to them by the Princess of the night. Starlight and Mac talked passively about nothing in particular, though it was more of a one sided conversation. Even though he was given a new body, Big Macintosh was still a man of very, very few words. A.J. kept to monitoring the girls, being sure not to let them get too far ahead of her.
“So,” Applejack said aloud as she pulled back to the boys. “What do you think the festival is gonna be like this year?” Starlight looked to the sky and wondered. Mac did the same.
“Well,” Starlight began. “We didn’t have one last year. With everyone freaking out over the Change, and Princess Celestia flipping her lid, we had skipped the holiday. So, I can’t really say I have a clue.”
“Eeyup.” Mac drawled in agreement. The Crusaders bound back to the group.
“I bet it’ll be just like old times,” Applebloom chirped. “With music an’ dancin’ an’ stayin’ up late.”
“Not to mention the food.” Scootaloo chimed in, lights dancing in her eyes. Starlight thought about it for a moment.
“Yeah, of course. It’s been a rough time, I can’t imagine what would keep us from taking on this celebration like we used to. I mean, what could happen...” He stopped his train of thought as he crested the final hill on the road to Ponyville, the one where you could look down on the whole town.
No one spoke, no one wondered, and no one dared laugh. As the thunderhead finally rolled in from the mountains to the east, reverberating in booming thunder, horror and disbelief arrived with it.
Ponyville was burning.
