Chapters Firetta Fireball floated through the air as she sailed over numerous shacks and tents of all different sizes and colors, part of the Shanty. The wind fluttered through the feathers on her wings.
Her sunny yellow coat stood out from the dark gray sky. Her mane and eyes matched the dark grey tone of the clouds exactly. Her short, shaggy mane flew in the wind as she began to descend.
Her cutie mark of a red and orange fireball gleamed in the reflected, grimy light of a dirty silver pan as her hooves hit the ground. The earth was soft and a bit muddy from the earlier rain shower. Ponies never knew when rain would come here. In the Society, rain schedules were given to everypony, but here in the Shanty, there wasn't even a weather team to contain the wild storms that hit sometimes. It was just another reason to live in The Society.
The Society. The place everypony here sought. They traveled for months to take up residence in this sprawling town of millions. Just for the chance to live in an eternal utopia. A worthy prize for a long and tedious journey.
Firetta's family had lived here for several generations since the creation of The Society. The Fall had happened over a thousand years before that even occurred, though.
Firetta trotted forward, moving away from a purple earth pony stallion hawking prices for an assortment of gems and other beautiful trinkets. Another stall's owner hawked prices for trinkets, too, only her's were shabbier then her competition's and also of a higher price. The red unicorn mare was obviously poor. Her body was wrapped in dirty cloths while the earth pony stallion, her competition, was dressed in a simple black suit.
Firetta moved on. She wanted to become a citizen of The Society, and not just for the easy living. Her parents owned a popular bar that raked in the cash, and they lived in one of the biggest shacks in the Shanty, a rich family among the rich of this place. No, it was to see her brother, Comet Tail.
Comet Tail had the white coat of their mother. His mane was the same color as hers and was cut very short. His eyes were green like their mother's, and his cutie mark was a comet with a tail that spiraled around itself. His muzzle slowly turned red and his hooves were bare of fur to reveal red hooves, just like hers and their father's.
She missed him dearly. He had been inducted into The Society two years ago, to the day. Today was the monthly Induction Ceremony, where a pony of each gender was chosen to become a citizen. Firetta was meeting with her friends New Leaf and Decadent Diamond. They would meet their parents there, who would meet them at the Square after work ended. And then the Ceremony would begin.
===
New Leaf sighed as he left behind the chaotic coal mines, his workplace. They supplied the coal for The Society and for the richer ponies of the Shanty like Firetta's family. Firetta's family. The richest in all the Shanty. New couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
Usually he would have to work for another hour, as long as his parents had to today, but he had worked an extra hour yesterday at the mines so he could leave early today and meet up with his friends.
New shook, his short leaf green mane that faded into a teal flying across his face and into his eyes. He had just thought of earlier in the morning.
New Leaf had been working, chipping away the rock with a power drill, when a red pegasus pony named Dusky Skies was trotting by.
Dusky had tripped on a large stone, and fallen in the way of a green earth pony's power drill.
By the time the medic arrived, Dusky was long dead. Blood was everywhere, spread along the walls and floor of the mine shaft.
It wasn't the green earth pony's fault. Just a pure accident. But he was still arrested and locked in The Cage. New shook again from the thought of The Cage.
New wiped some mud of his pure white coat, his neon green eyes darting down to his hairless hooves, his peach skin showing. He had been told it looked like the hooves of the legendary Big Macintosh, general of the seventh legion in The Fall.
But he had heard that from a drunken unicorn that had accidentally fell off a bridge and drowned the next day. Not a very reliable source.
New passed by a mirror, his single green birch leaf cutie mark gleaming. His gray freckles were paled out in comparison to the bright green cutie mark.
He sighed as he left the cracked sheet of glass behind. He passed a dirty alleyway that was holding a gang. That could have easily been New's life right now, robbing and murdering. If no pony found out about your crimes here, if you kept your criminal acts under the radar here, you could easily avoid arrest.
New hadn't gone down that road. One of his three brothers had, though. He was the middle one, older than New, but not the oldest. His name was Bright Branch.
When New was only starting school (School was rare for the poor, but New had been friends with Firetta and Decadent, and their families were and are rich, so they helped pay a large portion of the tuition) Bright had left them, thinking joining a gang was the better option. He was found dead a year later, killed by another gang.
New had vowed never to go down that path, and to help his younger brother Serene Sapling stay away from it ,too.
New could see the tilted clock tower of the Square peeking above the tops of the cottages. He was walking in the rich neighborhood. Firetta and Decadent were neighbors, but both had been out and about, so they were meeting at their special spot, a small ,concrete triangle. A small veil of water covered an opening in it, and they would gallop through to the other side, where no pony could see or find them. Total seclusion.
New wanted to live in The Society so badly. Well, he at least wanted Serene to live there, if he couldn't.
He was tired of being poor and having to work as much as an adult stallion. Meanwhile, he hated to sound mean, but meanwhile Decadent and Firetta were care free, barely having to work, if at all. Decadent worked at her parent's jewelry store a few days a week, but that wasn't daily work, back breaking work, unforgiving work.
New shook the dark thoughts from his mind as he saw the triangle standing in the distance. He spurred his speed and soon was full out cantering towards the triangle, breaking through the flimsy wall of water, his coat becoming wet and damp.
===
Decadent Diamond left behind the thick white walls that surrounded the Shanty, her pink eyes drifting over ponies and shacks. The wall was the only gift from The Society. It kept all bad and evil out. Kept everypony else in.
She had been escorting her cousin, Turquoise Fountain to the gates. He had gotten permission, after a waiting period of over a year, to leave and mine turquoise, which was one of the only things that couldn't be found inside the Shanty.
The wind blew through Decadent's two-toned, long and shaggy hair. She gently pushed the light purple and dark purple mane over, out of her eyes.
Decadent jumped over a large, muddy puddle, seeing her gray coat flash across its surface. She wiped some dirty water from the puddle off her cutie mark. Her cutie mark was a teal diamond with a green laurel over it.
She took a brief glance at some stalls that were hawking food and other wares before galloping as fast as she could. She didn't want to be late.
She galloped as fast as she could, her hair flying behind her, getting caught on her horn. She weaved in between ponies, knocking down a snobby unicorn mare one time, but otherwise everything went okay as she saw the triangle in the distance.
She knew she wouldn't be the first there. Or the second. Firetta was the fastest running and flying (well, she was the only one who could fly, of course.)
And New Leaf, well, he had so many thick muscles, and his lean yet muscled body rippled when ever he ran...
Decadent got herself in check. No need to be oodling over New right now. She looked at the triangle again. New was galloping towards it, hard. He hit the curtain of water, the water spraying everywhere, his handsome face putting on a show winning smile.
Decadent galloped faster. She heard two yells as New probably collided with Firetta. She heard loud laughter coming from the triangle as she burst through the sheet of water, tumbling into her friends. She knocked them over like they were bowling pins.
Decadent tumbled into New's forelegs. She looked up in longing at his handsome features, his cute gray freckles on his nose inches away from her nose. She started to lean in when all of the sudden he got up, her falling onto the muddy ground. Decadent glared at New as she wiped large amounts of mud off her side. Firetta and New fell over, giggling uncontrollably as they got mud all over their damp coats.
It was Decadent's turn to giggle when the pair got up, covered in mud. The both sighed as Decadent laughed, and then shook, most of the mud flying onto Decadent.
Decadent gasped and ran through the water, the other two right behind her. They ran through the water a few times before they were all totally clean. But now they were dripping wet.
They ran and shook as they headed to the Square, the water flying off their coats. The clock tower was in the distance, chiming that it was 12:00 p.m. The Induction Ceremony would begin in a half hour.
All three laughed as they reached the Square, not knowing what they would soon face.
===
A figure with wings sprouting from her back and a horn on her head paced in the shadows of her large office, looking down on the population of The Society, who were all gathered around the door, all thousand of them, waiting for the new arrivals. The dark alicorn hissed in pleasure. It's body morphed and changed, its features ever changing. She looked at a monitor, the only source of light in the room. On it were three young ponies, galloping, dripping wet, and laughing. She hissed again, this time in displeasure. She shook her head and shut off the monitor before leaving the room. The light of the hall shined on her body, a mixture of all evil ever to grace the land of Equestria. She was unstoppable.
Firetta leaped into the air, spreading her wings as she soared over her friends, landing gracefully several seconds before them. New Leaf reached her a second before Decadent.
Firetta felt bad for Decadent. Her crush on New was pretty obvious, but either the earth pony was really mean, playing around with her, or was a blockhead, not noticing it at all. Firetta was pretty sure it was the latter. New was barely ever mean, but was a biit, how should she put this, ignorant sometimes.
She watched as they bumped into each other, rolling fast across the ground since Decadent had been going to fast to stop.
Firetta leapt into the air to avoid her tumbling friends, but her back hooves got hit by New's face, and she fell, joining their tumble. They rolled down the hill, the ball of three friends knocking over several ponies and hitting some plants before finally reaching the bottom of the hill and rolling to a stop.
They all laughed harder than they ever had as they got to their hooves. After recovering from their laughing fit, they were all left with messed up hair and hiccups as they approached the Square, joining the crowd. They trotted across the Square to a sleek pole that held the flag of The Society, a pure white flag with a single skyscraper on it and a moon inside a sun behind it.
This is were the three friends would meet their parents. Firetta was suddenly hit by a memory, the memory of their meeting, as she looked down a dark alleyway shrouded in shadow.
Firetta and Decadent were trotting down the street, both of their parents chatting, trotting close behind them, giving the young fillies the illusion of trotting alone. The two fillies had meet at their first day of school last week, and this was their first playdate.
Firetta jumped in the air for a second, fluttering around before landing in front of her new friend, smiling. Decadent stopped and clopped her front hooves together at her friends show. Decant then spewed a joke and both fillies giggled.
They were trotting faster at the sight of a candy shop. They were about to reach it when they heard a scream from a nearby alleyway. The little fillies cautiously approached the alley, their parents close behind. The fillies covered their eyes from the sight. A dirty, mean gang unicorn was holding a rusty dagger to the throat of a young, white earth pony colt. He was demanding the colt's small bag of bits. The colt hoofed them over, and then the gangster took away the dagger to then thrust it at the green maned colt, who screamed. Before the dagger could hit its mark, however, Firetta's father, Fine Flame, saw the scene and quickly whipped his shotgun out. He pointed it at the gangster and pulled the trigger with his tongue, the bullet hitting the gangster in the chest, blood spurting over the alleyway walls.
Eventually the two fillies visited the colt after the first time in the alley with their parents, who wished them well. After sevral months, the three became best friends, and Firetta had pouted to her parents for a week straight when they said they wouldn't pay for New Leaf's education. But Firetta was an ace at whining and getting under ponies's coats, so after a week they started paying for New's education.
School had ended last year for the three friends. Even though some of them were on different ends of the social pyramid, they were still the best of friends.
That was Firetta's biggest fear. That they would get seperated for life, one or two of them getting put into The Society. Either the one in The Society would be without them, or one pony would be left on the outside, alone.
Firetta shook the thoughts as they reached the pole, and New sprouted a joke or two. They all laughed and the time flew away from them. Soon their parents were arriving, and the young ponies ran up to their parents. Little did they know that that would be their last time together in the Shanty.
===
Decadent blew her mane out of her face as she approached their parents. Firetta's parents, Fine Flame and Boosy Banjo were at the front. Fine Flame was a sunny yellow coated pegasus with a gray mane like Firetta's and brown eyes. His cutie mark was a single flame.
Boosy Banjo was a female pegasus with a white coat. Her mane was light pink, and her eyes were green. Her cutie mark was a bottle of booze with two banjos in the backround.
Next was New Leaf's parents, Small Willow and Running Rivulet.
Small Willow was New's mother, a white earth pony mare. Her mane was orange with a single black stripe, and her eyes were orange. Her cutie mark was a willow tree.
Running rivulet was New's father, a male earth pony with a light blue coat. His mane was the green blue of New's, and his eyes were green. His cutie mark was a river with two evergreen trees in front of it.
Lastly was Decadent's parents, Divine Diamond and Golden Hope.
Divine Diamond was Decadent's mother, a short, pink coated unicorn. Her mane was the same two layered mane as Decadent's, and her eyes were pink. Her cutie mark was a large diamond ring.
Golden Hope was her father, a male unicorn with a gray coat. His mane was gold, and his eyes were blue. His cutie mark was three bars of gold stacked on top of each other with a gold heart behind them.
The parents trotted over to their children. The ceremony was about to begin.
Everypony stood in silence, a few foals wailing, soon to be shushed by their mothers. A portly male unicorn took a stage that had been erected in the Square. His coat was dark blue and his mane was canary yellow. His eyes were light blue and his cutie mark was three scrolls stacked on top of each other. Decadent believed his name was Scripted Scroll.
Scripted began the long speech about the Fall, about how the princesses were killed by some thing that was a mix of all mosters, blah blah blah. It was all the past. Decadent just wanted to get to the pickings.
After a half hour, Scripted moved to the bowls, announcing that since it was July, stallions would go first. He reached his hoof into the bowl that held half a million names. He picked one and unfolded it. He read out loud " Storm Striker."
A big light blue pegasus swooshed onto the stage. He had a light green mane and purple eyes. His cutie mark was a storm cloud with a lightning bolt through it.
Then Scripted moved onto the next bowl. He fished around and read out loud "Decadent Diamond." Decadent shook as she trotted forward, her body rigid as she reached the stage. Her face broke into a smile as she stood next to Storm Striker.
The pair trotted away, off stage. It was then that Decadent realized that New and Firetta were not coming. That she had left them behind without even a goodbye.
New reached out a single hoof as he watched Decadent trot away from them without even a acknowledgement that they were there as she slowly trotted up onto the stage, soon disappearing.
While the crowd began to disperse with sighs and mumbles, New and Firetta stood still and stoic, never moving, both just staring into space. Finally the trance was broken when a young orange pegasus colt smashed into them, knocking them over before fluttering away, turning down a dark alley.
New helped up Firetta. It was as if he was emerging from a coma. Everything was sharper and in much more focus. He looked at his friend's finely chiseled features. How had he never noticed...
But he was shaken from the thought and feeling as Firetta nudged him on the shoulder, smiling weakly. The sharpened senses and new thoughts disappeared as they swept each other into a tight hug, not romantic, but like a brother and sister.
When they split, they smiled. Then Firetta frowned and asked "Why---why didn't she say goodbye..." her voice trailing off as she looked into the distance at the pristine white walls that surrounded The Society. They reached above the clouds so no pegasus could fly over them. New had once seen Firetta attempt it. She was one of the best fliers he knew, and she had come back, barely conscious, somehow managing to stay afloat long enough to reach the ground.
The two shared a knowing look. They knew it was over, and there was nothing they could do. Suddenly Firetta, one of the strongest ponies he knew, buried her muzzle in his shoulder as she began to sob. Several tears leaked down New's face, dripping off his muzzle as he held her close.
When they split apart, they both took a last longing look at the stage. New sighed as Firetta wiped the last tears from her eyes. They then locked eyes with each other and began to slowly trot away. New gave one last glance to the Square before turning around, disappearing around a street corner with Firetta and their families.
===
Decadent huddled in a corner of the carriage they were being escorted in. She finally raised her head, breathing shaky breaths and wiping her red, puffy eyes.
Storm was sitting on the other side of the enclosed carriage, looking out the window, trying not to notice Decadent's sobbing.
Decadent bit her lip as she looked up the muscled body of Storm, a spark of some primal feeling lighting her heart and mind on fire with passion.
She tried to take steady breaths as she pushed the feelings away. What was that?
Decadent thought back to her fillyhood as she remembered skipping to school with Firetta, and playing tag with her cousin Turquoise Fountain and her uncle Watching Blue. He was an all blue earth pony with a cutie mark of a diamond watch.
But then she remembered her parents. Her mother, always distant, always more focused on her work than her own daughter. Then there was her father, who worked at the hospital. He was found having an affair with a nurse by the name of Cough Drop. It had happened when she was only three, and since then her parents had been slowly growing ever distant, so wrapped up in their work and feelings that they forgot her. A lot.
She remembered one time several years ago when she, her parents, Turquoise Fountain and his dad, Watcher Blue, had been going to visit the Park, a little grove of trees on the other side of the shanty. They loaded up the carriage and forgot her, and didn't realize it until they got to the Park. They arrived home from the Park several hours later, having left a young filly out in the streets, where bad things could happen. Thankfully she lived near Firetta, so she had ran as fast as she could to her house.
She didn't realize it, but she felt as though she was unloved, and leaped on any stallion that showed any hints of feelings for her.
Decadent left her memories as the carriage screeched to a halt, hurting Decadent's ears.
She looked around as the door of the carriage opened to reveal a portly purple unicorn stallion, who bowed to them. He moved almost robotically, as if being controlled by a remote controller.
He moved to the side as Storm fluttered out of the car, with Decadent close behind. Her eyes opened wide in amazement as she looked at the sleek, towering structures in front of her.
Hundreds of smaller buildings spread across the large, clean streets where ponies of all colors and kinds moved about, entering and leaving buildings, waving and smiling.
On the one edge of the city, there was a giant, blue lake. Several small yachts floated on its surface, the ponies aboard laughing as they sipped beer and wine from glass mugs and cups.
On the shore of the lake four buildings stood. In the middle, a giant building shaped like an "o" stood, its metallic surface glinting in the sun's light.
On one side of the "o" building, there were two small circle buildings shaped like massive periods.
On the other side a weird shaped building stood. Its shape was indescribable. It was metallic like the other buildings.
Decadent was awoken from her haze of amazement when a friendly, female orange unicorn stood in front of them waving shyly. She then said" Welcome to The Society!"
===
Firetta was flapping frantically as New galloped below her, pouring all his strength into the activity.
Firetta looked behind her shoulder to see the five ponies chasing them, all earth ponies holding guns. She looked forward, smashing through a cloud as she twisted in the air.
She swerved out of the way as one earth pony, a light pink mare, fired a cannon on her back. The missile from the cannon flew past Firetta, and hit a nearby pillar of rock.
New pushed forward as Firetta soared above him, a faint trail of flickering flames in her wake.
The ponies chasing them reared as the pillar of rock toppled, crushing one of them, an indigo stallion.
Firetta looked down at the cantering New. He was sweating profusely, the sweat outlining his large, meaty muscles, which rippled in the light as he ran...
Firetta was shaken from the trance when twin gunshots could be heard, barely missing her left wing. She sped up to catch up with New, the feeling gone.
===
New sighed as he leaned against the cave wall, closing his eyes.
They had escaped the Society officials by the skin of their teeth. They had lost them when Firetta had somehow managed to pick New up and fly as fast as she could, flying over a wide gulch, leaving behind a trail of flames.
Firetta was hunched in another corner, resting. She turned to him for a second, her glimmering eyes meeting his before staring at the wall of the cave again.
New sighed again as he remembered how they had gotten into this situation.
New, Firetta and their families were trotting down the street, trying to smile and laugh, when they were attacked. A gang came out of a dark alley, firing off shots. One hit Golden Hope in the right fore leg. He fell as Divine Diamond, his wife, picked him up in her levitation and galloped behind some trash bins.
Meanwhile Firetta's dad, Fine Flame, pulled out his shotgun that he always carried. Fine always carried it since the Shanty was an unsafe place to live, and didn't want anypony to get hurt.
Fine pushed his wife into a abandoned store before firing, taking down one of the gang.
Meanwhile two gangsters snuck up on the two younger ponies and grabbed them, pulling sacks over their heads before pulling them into another dark alley.
New had then awoken several hours later to find himself in a bulletproof carriage being pulled by two pegasus gangsters. One unicorn gangster sat at the front. New had heard them talking of how their catches would bring a good profit as slaves, both muscular and strong.
Suddenly cursing could be heard up front. New looked out the to see twin jets zooming towards them, no ponies pulling them. The unicorn frantically whipped the pegasi gangsters, screaming profanities. Suddenly one of the pegasi guards fell still, his light orange coat splattered with his own blood. The whole carriage tipped as they fell from the sky, the unicorn the next to be shot. He fell off the front of the carriage, plummeting.
The remaining pegasus tried to pull the carriage back up, but wasn't strong enough. Soon he also fell still, bullet holes littering his body as Firetta leaped out the window, holding onto New.
The pair plummeted, but soon a tree came within sight. Firetta had flapped frantically and caught onto one branch, while the carriage hit the ground, exploding into a ball of fire.
Then the pair had jumped from the tree and galloped away, five armed ponies following them.
New shook his head as he got to his hooves. Now they were trapped Outside, no weapons, no food. New's belly began to rumble as he trotted out of the cave to a small, wilting patch of grass, nibbling on the dying stalks.
Meanwhile Firetta stuck out her tongue, disgusted, at her friends actions. But soon her hunger was to over whelming and she moved next to him, nibbling also.
His face was one of seriousness as they raised their heads. New took a few hoofsteps forward. He trotted for a minute or so until he saw a winding trail of smoke rising from an unknown place. He pointed it out to Firetta and the pair took off towards it, one flapping and the other galloping.
Decadent's eyes spun in her head as she tried to take in everything. A lettuce-wrap vendor, the cart painted the most vibrant pink. A stop sign, a untarnished red. An advertisement board, light blue and shocking yellow.
Decadent's nose was filled to the brim with new smells. Sweet-smelling cooked banana, a rosy smell emitting from a bush of roses. And a clean smell coming from a small robot cleaning the streets, a trail of light pink bubbles in its wake. A young filly, probably born here, pops a bubble, shouting in glee.
Decadent's ears were over-flowing with sounds. The light chirping of small song birds, a quartet on the street corner humming a light tune, and wind chimes placed randomly over the city chiming their own beautiful music.
Decadent's skin was overcome with sensations. The feeling of clean, crisp air softly blowing through her mane and across her coat. The feeling of amiable passerby rubbing against her softly as she waded through the crowd, right behind the unicorn leading them. The feeling as one of the pink bubbles from the robot bursts against her coat.
Decadent's tongue was soon on overload as the unicorn guide stopped at a street vendor, buying both of them lettuce wraps. Decadent could taste the tangy sauce over the crisp carrot, the sweet taste of the pineapple, and the crisp, refreshing yet bland flavor of the lettuce.
Decadent sighed as she swallowed her last bite of lettuce wrap. Storm Striker seemed to also be in a euphoric state, smiling a she stared up at the beautiful blue sky.
How did they get the sky so blue here if the sky was so gray in the Shanty? thought Decadent as she continued to soak in the city.
Suddenly the euphoric state fled from her mind as she was reminded of what had just happened.
Firetta and New, left behind. Her family, left behind. All without a goodbye. The only pony she knew here was Storm, and he barely qualified as an acquaintance.
Decadent sagged a bit as she followed the their guide through the sea of pastel colored ponies. They all seemed so happy, almost too happy...
Suddenly she was thrown from her mind when she bumped into Storm, who had stopped. The unicorn had also stopped, pointing excitedly at the building in front of them.
The slender silver building was a little over three stories, probably ten floors sandwiched between its walls. A small gold plaque on the side of the building, in front of a giant set of blue glass doors, read "Sparkle Building."
The pair followed the hyper unicorn into the inside of the "Sparkle Building."
The walls were painted a light lavender, which felt homey and comforting. Small pink starbursts covered the wall also. A pink chandelier, each glass candle holder a small star, hung from the ceiling, sparkling from the light seeping in through the windows and glass door.
The unicorn, who revealed her name to be Dusty Bolts, lead them up purple tiled steps. Decadent's hooves hit the tile with a click clack, click clack.
Dusty explained that they called these buildings Stacks, or apartments.
When they reached the fifth floor, Dusty lead them to a huge window. The view showed a small pool and a small lawn where fillies and colts cantered around, laughing and screaming in joy.
Behind the pool, a wall of buildings grew up to the sky. There was also many yards and pools behind the buildings next to them.
Dusty pointed out the names of the surrounding buildings. The Celestial Building, the AJ Building, the Flutters Building, the Lyra Building, the Lunar Building, and finally the Chrysalis Building. Many of those names sounded a bit familiar, as if she had heard them in a lecture or something in school.
Dusty lead them up another floor before dropping Storm off at Room 657, 6th Floor, Sparkle Building. At least that's what it said on the plaque outside his room.
After ten minutes, Dusty emerged from the room after showing Storm how to work the room. As she closed the door, Decadent could see Storm laying back on the bed, already sleeping.
They went up another floor. They trotted down a small hallway, lit by pink star scone lights. They stopped at Room 777. Dusty unlocked the door, her smile stretching her face like a giant sparkling white snake.
Decadent gasped as she trotted into her room. Storm's had been different then this.
Decadent collapsed on the bed, looking around at the beautiful room around her. Te bed was extra squishy, exactly the way she liked it.
The walls of the room were a light coral, Decadent's favorite color. Rows and rows of books lined the walls. One of her best kept secrets was that she loved to read, and even had found a few of the only remaining books outside in the streets of the Shanty. Most books had been destroyed or ripped apart long ago, but the small crate of books she had found had been read millions of times over. She had memorized half the sentences in every book, even though most of them were boring and about mining or lumber.
But to see this library, as her own,. made her squeal in delight.
She learned from Dusty that each pony's room was designed to match their needs and wants. It was specialized, and the the second a pony stepped into a new room such as this one, it reformed to their personality and likes.
As Decadent leaned back into the pillows, looking at the stainless-steel kitchen in one corner of the apartment, Dusty told her something.
"I will be back in an hour to pick you up for some basic tests, nothing crazy. Bye!" Dusty then proceeded to slam the door shut. The image of her crazy smile was plastered behind Decadent's eyes as she picked up a book from the shelf on orchard-growing.
There was no reason to worry. After all, it was just some simple tests, right?
===
Firetta flapped slowly over to the shack, beads of sweat forming on her brow. New was crouched behind a bush several feet away, a slingshot he had thrown together clenched between his teeth, loaded with a small rock.
Firetta reached the door and tapped her hoof against the door softly, cringing at the sound. They were desperate, hungry and lost, and this was the only possible way they would live through the night. Sure, they had lost the Society ponies, but they could hear timberwolves starting to howl at the moon.
The door slowly creaked open. Firetta bit her bottom lip, scared of what lurked inside.
So she was relieved when an old, brown stallion answered the door, a kind smile plastered to his face.
He kindly invited them both in, his last few strands of mane bobbing up and down as he nodded to their question of food and shelter.
New and Firetta sighed as they thanked him. They both curled up beside a fireplace where a small fire was burning. The heat hit their coats, warming them quite nicely.
The old stallion sat down in a rickety rocking chair. He introduced himself to be Bubbly Wine, hence his cutie mark of and overflowing bottle of wine.
He came back, his rusted black glasses shining in the firelight as he handed them daisy sandwiches while he cracked open a bottle of wine, taking a large gulp.
Just like my mother, having a cutie mark of alcohol and always drinking thought Firetta. But she couldn't critise, he had just probably saved them from being timberwolf meat.
Firetta and New had heavy eyes, and were soon curled up next to each other, falling asleep.
That feeling of her heart beating faster returned as she looked at New, who had fallen asleep and was snoozing softly, a small smile on his muzzle.
She just wanted nothing more than to smash her lips against his.
This time, though, the feeling did not flutter away after a minute or so. This time it stuck. Firetta curled up tighter, snuggling into New's side, fully enjoying the moment.
Author's Note
Sorry that this took so long, just very busy. Hope you enjoyed this!
Decadent put down the slim book on orchard growing. Sure, as a filly she had read books on mining, but those were a hundred times more exciting than this dull tome.
She looked up at the light teal clock hung on the wall next to the door. She had a little over a half hour left until she was due for her tests. Decadent gulped. Sure, Dusty had said it was nothing big, but Decadent really hated needles. Like a lot.
Decadent got to her hooves and trotted into the kitchen, marveling at the steal appliances and smooth granite counter tops. She turned on the stove and boiled some noodles she found in the pantry. She then plopped the noodles on a white plate with a heavy helping of hearty hell-hot tomato sauce. Decadent ended up running into the bathroom and smashing her muzzle into the toliet to get rid of the heta that had taken over her taste buds and her mind.
She spit the toilet water out of her mouth and chugged a whole bottle of OJ, sighing as she made her way back to the bed, picking up a book on mining, her favorite topic.
She was swept away by the detail of the mining in the book that she did not notice when Dusty arrived, knocking on the door for ten minutes before slipping a key in the door and forcing her way in.
"Hello!" Dusty said with what seemed to be a forced smile. Did these ponies ever stop smiling?
Storm was behind Dusty, making Decadent's heart leap. She followed them both down the stairs and onto the crowded streets. Storm had put on a navy tuxedo that went well with his baby blue coat.
They made their way down the street towards one of the small round silver buildings next to the giant O building. After twenty minutes they had arrived at the front door. In giant red metal letters over the door, it said "Redheart Building."
Decadent ventured into the building, trotting up many steps. On the second floor they stopped at a medium sized room labeled "Newbie Room."
Decadent scrunched her brow at the name, but then concluded that the room was used to take tests on all the "newbies" to The Society.
When she entered, she wanted to canter away all the way to the mining camp her cousin Turqouise Fountain was staying at.
Two giant chairs sat in the room, on opposite sides. Hanging over the chairs were giant tubes. And in each tube a needle as long as a pony's leg was concealed, glistening in the light.
Decadent's rump smacked into the door as she tried to back up.
A chartreuse earth pony stallion trotted towards her. He had a charcoal colored mane and big, blue eyes. He wore a white doctor suit. His cutie mark just peeked out from under the white coat. It was a needle full of a red liquid.
"A vasovagal, I see." the pony said. He took Decadent's hoof, telling her his name was Shot Doc.
"Wh-what's a vasovagal?" Decadent asked, nervous and scared.
"One who is scared of the thought of needles, sight of needles, and feeling of needles." Shot said. This made Decadent shiver madly.
But eventually Shot Doc coaxed her into the chair. Storm had been waiting in his chair for about ten minutes, and rolled his eyes when she sat down, almost crying at the sight of the needle.
Decadent did not notice as Dusty left the room to wait outside, and that a young pink earth pony nurse came in. The pink mare went behind Storm's chair while Shot Doc went behind Decadent's.
"One, two, three."
Suddenly the needle pierced Decadent's skin, making her cry out loud. But then suddenly all thought left her mind. All she knew was that she was happy, and that was all that mattered.
===
New woke early in the morning with Firetta wrapped around him, her legs draped over his side. Her mane was matted and she was drooling on his back.
New jumped up, wiping the spit off his back quickly. The spit hit a surprised Firetta square in the eyes. She moaned as she groped for New before falling back to sleep.
New rolled his eyes and moved towards a delicious smell emitting from the kitchen. He could hear Bubbly Wine humming while he worked. New slowly made his way into the kitchen.
Bubbly was flipping pancakes, whistling as they flipped around in the air before hitting the pan with a plop. Soon he flipped each pancake, one at a time, of onto a plate. He then got two more plates and evenly separated the flapjacks between them.
New smiled and greeted him, smiling like a jolly foal.
Bubbly smiled back, burping as he somehow did not drop the plates as he stumbled into the living room where Firetta still slept.
New followed Bubbly, having to jump over multiple empty wine bottles, probably the cause of Bubbly's tipsiness.
When New caught up with him, Firetta was already awake, munching on her first pancake. New sat beside her and picked up his first, swallowing it in two bites.
While they ate, New could feel Firetta's eyes on him. When he looked in her direction, she would advert her gaze, but the second he looked away, he could feel her staring at him again. It was a little creepy, if he had to be honest with himself.
Soon they had finished, and Firetta carried the plates to the kitchen. Bubbly was headed outside to water his garden. New needed some fresh air. Plus, the only garden he had ever seen was his family's. which had been a 5 by 5 piece of dirt with a few lettuce plants in it that always died and rotted before they even ate them.
He was awestruck by what he saw.
Bubbly's garden was massive, covering what seemed to be miles upon miles. It was like a see of unstoppable purple, surging forward at his hooves.
"Welcome to my garden," Bubbly said, quite smugly.
New stroked one of the millions of purple flowers. He sniffed one, and his nose became overloaded with smells. It was sweet yet somehow a bit tangy smelling. He couldn't imagine what it tasted like.
"Go ahead," Bubbly said. "Taste one."
New dove forward, gulping down the biggest one he could find. He moaned n pleasure as a sea of tastes rocked his taste buds. Sweet, sour, tangy, and a little spicy. Just the way he imagined the best food in the world would taste.
"These are called violettas. They taste like the tastes you love most. No one pony will taste the same thing when they eat a violetta."
New's eyes spun in their sockets as he leaned down to eat another, but Bubbly pulled him back.
"If you eat more than one violetta a day, it will poison you and bring you a sow and painful death." Bubbly said.
Suddenly Bubbly leaned down a snatched a violetta from the ground, groaning as he licked his lips, getting every last bit of flower in his mouth.
"These flowers were invented by Twilight Sparkle, fourth princess of Equestria," Bubbly said, staring t New as he processed the information.
"You mean Tyrant Sparkle, the fourth Tyrant?" New asked.
"Oh my boy, they must've not taught you the real history of our past."
"But why would they do that?"
"Because they are The Society. Now, let me tell you thereal history of Equestria." Bubbly then proceeded to trot inside. New had no choice but to follow. He gave the field of violettas one last look before shutting the door and following Bubbly towards the fireplace.
Decadent laughed out loud as she galloped out of the hospital door, Storm right behind her, spinning around in the sky.
She only knew one thing.
Happiness.
She and Storm returned home to the Sparkle Building. They got close to his room, and Decadent, with all her sights better than they had been before, pressed Storm against the door to his room.
She smiled naughtily at him. She was so overwhelmed with the feeling, so overwhelmed that she couldn't hold anything back.
She softly pressed her gray lips against Storm's azure ones before snaking her tongue into her mouth and pushing against him hard as he pushed back. They were like that way for a long time, enlocked in each other in the long hallway covered in lavender paint and light pink carpet.
After what seemed an eternity, the pair broke, a thin trail of spit hanging between their mouths. Storm smiled, breaking the trail.
Decadent extracted herself off of him, shaking her plot in his face before almost skipping down the hallway in glee.
She reached her room, fumbling with the key and pouncing onto her bed, making the book on mining fall off and hit the ground, bouncing away into a shadowy corner.
The feeling of hightened senses did not ho away as Decadent sat around in her room for an hour, energetic. After bouncing around for a while like a filly on an overdose of coffee, she became slightly tired and trotted down to the pool to rest in the sun's loving rays for a spell.
She trotted down the final flight of steps, soon reaching the main floor. Dusty was waiting there for her along with Storm, who had a black and blue striped towel wrapped around his neck and a pair of swimming goggles covering his eyes.
"Decadent! Come here!" Dusty shouted.
It took her a minute to remember who Dusty was. Her memory felt a little blurry around the edges. She tried to think back a day, but nothing was there, just empty space. But Dusty called again and Decadent was racked from her thoughts.
She galloped over to her guide, who still had the crazy big smile plastered on her face. But now Decadent ha done on her muzzle, too.
"You two need to get jobs so you can sustain yourself. The Society cannot pay for everything for a pony. Luckily, here we do not have to pay rent."
Decadent tried to remember when she or anypony she knew had to pay rent. Nothing. Nothing at all.
"Storm, you might be interested in a job at the weather team. One of the slots for cloudkicker has just been opened up since one of the workers has Left us."
Storm nodded graciously.
"What does Left mean?" Decadent asked curiously.
"You shall learn in due time," Dusty said. "Decadent, a pony by the name of Golden Circlet has opened up a new jewelry shop and is looking for some new hires. Would you be interested?"
"Of course!" Decadent said, flabbergasted.
"Alright then, done deal!" Dusty said. "Now you two go have fun at the pool." Dusty then promptly turned around, heading out the giant doors.
Storm and Decadent smiled at each other. A small flat screen TV was stationed by the door to the pool. A male pegasus announcer wearing a maroon tux was reminding everypony that a mandatory storm from the weather team would be put into motion in ten minutes. But, of course, the two younger ponies galloped outside and jumped into the crystal clear pool with a loud splash.
He surfaced and splashed her with water playfully. His green mane was clinging to his neck and head, and his deep purple eyes shone in the light.
But soon dark clouds gathered over them. Either they did not notice or did not care. Either way, the were soon the only ones left in the pool.
Then it began to pour. Hard.
Storm pushed Decadent up against the side of the pool, kissing her softly as the rain began to pitter and patter against the pool's once serene surface.
Soon it was rippling and controrting from the raindrops while they kissed.
But when Storm pushed his lips harder, she hit her head against the pool wall. She was brought back to reality with clarity of thought for a miniscule second.
Why was she making out with a pony she just met?
Why was she so happy?
And why was her memory so bad?
But then her clarity was lost and she was lost once again in Storm.
===
Firetta sat on the cold, wooden floor of Bubbly's house. He had cracked open yet another bottle of bubbling wine. Firetta's mother was also was addicted to beer and wine. Both had much to do and worry about, a the drink just banished it for a night of not knowing and not caring.
"Tell me, children. What do you know of this land's history?" Bubbly inquired.
New, who was a foot away from her, answered.
"Basically all three Princesses except Princess Cadence went crazy. Cadence sacrificed herself to stop the manical Princesses and their may followers."
"Quite the opposite, my dear son. Now I shall tell you the true story of this land's past."
Bubbly cleared his throat loudly and then began.
One day Princess Cadence, princess of love, traveled deep into her snowy realm. She found an ancient artifact of the times when only alicorns lived upon the Earth.
The artifact, a silver necklace, had the power to make the wearer join with any living thing the wearer desired.
She originally brought it back to her castle to destroy it, but ended up just locking it away in a secret room.
One year later, on the day of Princess Twilight and Queen Chrysalis's union in marriage, Shining Armor suffered from a tragic heart attack. He survived, but was on the brim of death. H e could easily suffer another at any time.
Cadence rushed her husband back to the Crystal Empire. When the doctors announced with great sadness that he would not make it through the night, Cadence made the hard decision to join together with him so he could live.
After they joined, greed overcame Cadence's mind. It had turned out even Twilight would have more power than her. Now she was on the low end of the pecking order. The darkness swirled about her head while the princesses noticed her changes. No one knew she had joined with her husband. They just thought he had simply died in Cadence's arms. The only weird thing was that she refused to disclose the location of the grave.
It won out after ten months of frantic struggling, and she consumed her second victim, a pegasus known as Flash Sentry. Soon she became even more greedy and started consuming servants and civilians during the night.
One day while in Ponyville, her anger won out and she joined with Lyra, the musical unicorn. But Lyra helped warn everyone by shoiwng herself to Princess Twilight.
Now the princes shad to many bodies in her and their parts would shift in and out. She was forced to wear dark robes that were mistaken for mourner's robes. They hid her changing body, that one time would have her pink leg, then Lyra's mint one, then her husband's white one.
One day at Twilight's castle, the Lyra part called out to Twilight when her mouth became Cadence's. Twilight took off the cape to see the mismatched body underneath.
She and her wife fought valiantly, but Cadence had also swallowed ten royal magic unicorn guards, amping her power up.
Chrysalis and Twilight both became one with Cadence, who was then known as "The Shifter." They warned Celestia and Luna just before they were consumed into Cadence.
Cadence then went on a search for the most dastardly villains. First she sought Tirek from the bowels of the underworld, and became one with him. She also joined with Trixie, Gilda, Sombra, Discord(which took a heavy toll on her), and Ahuizotl. She also joined with over a hundred regular civilians.
Celestia and Luna attempted to face her. It seemed that they would win, but Cadence evoked the last remains of Nightmare Moon out of Luna, and Nightmare took Cadence's side, helping her sister and her counterpart, the real Luna, become one with Cadence.
But she did not spare Nightmare, No, she just consumed her too.
With no higher powers in her way, the monstrosity that had once been a kind princess attacked the cities of Equestria, but left enough ponies to keep a good amount of followers.
When she approached Ponyville, of the five remaining friends, only Applejack and Fluttershy stayed behind. Fluttershy showed the uptmost bravery, and Rainbow Dash failed miserably for her element of Loyalty, but in the end Pinkie, Rarity, and RD escaped intot he unknown, never to be seen again.
"Now, her is the info you will find most helpful. She created-"
But all of the sudden a crack of lightning from outside could be heard. None of the trio had heard it begin to rain.
But the lightning had hit the home, engulfing it in deep orange flames.
Firetta screamed. She could see New's tail flicking a few feet in front of her. But that was all she could see in the clouds of ash and smoke.
She had no idea where Bubbly was. One second he was telling them vital information and the next she was being whisked away into a world of flames and smoke.
Something creaked, like a weeping wail, above her. A beam, with crimson flames licking its edges, fell to the ground, tumbling towards them.
"NEW!" Firetta screamed.
He looked behind himself to see the burning beam toppling towards them.
Firetta wailed and beat her wings up into the air to escape the beam.
New dodged the beam on the ground, but soon the smoke and ash became to thick and he was hidden from Firetta's view. Her heart beat furiously, and her lungs were now taking in more ash than oxygen.
She gasped one more time before she propelled herself upwards.
She broke through the layer of smoke, in a world of pristine white clouds.
She took deep breaths as she scanned her surroundings.
A pillar of sandstone, streaked with yellow, purple, and pink, stuck its tip out of the fluffy layer of cumuli.
Other then that, the only sight was a sea of white clouds with smoke licking their bellies.
Firetta tried to calm down, but after her evolving feelings for New had fully come together, she could never feel not nervous around him. And not being with him made the nervous feeling inside even worse.
She took one last breath before plunging through the alabaster cloud layer.
Smoke furled around her yellow wings, making them look like as if they themselves were smoldering.
She had dived about a half mile away from the fire consumed shack, but she could still see the pillar of orange light from that distance.
What was even worse was that the fire had caught onto the scraggly bushes that were so dry they were just asking to catch alight with flames.
She furiously flapped her wings, shooting through the sky like one of The Society's fighter jets.
She slowed to a stop.
Fighter jets.
She glanced across the sky.
And just as she had realized, a fighter jet was shooting bolts of fire lightning at the area around the shack.
All that was left of the shack now was some smoldering logs. But the area around it was still quickly burning to ashes.
Her eyes searched frantically for New.
She then looked back at the cave they had stayed at before venturing to Bubbly's shack.
A little white figure, his coat smudged with ash and dirt, was crawling over the cave's lip, his body shimming inside.
She gave one last look of regret at the remains of the shack, but knew that, if he was still somehow alive, that Bubbly would have to take care of himself.
Then she saw New's tail disappear in the cave, into the inky darkness.
But then one of the fighter jets landed. Firetta hid behind a boulder that was a rusty brown. She peered out form behind it.
Ten ponies, all suited up in pristine white Society armor and armed with the biggest guns imaginable, approached the smoldering ashes of the shack, the flames curling around their bodies, but the armor not even becoming the tiniest bit burned.
They extracted something from the ashy house.
It was Bubbly. His skin, disgustingly akin to his name, had bubbled up in the flames. Whatever hair he had had before appeared to have burned away.
But he wore a makeshift metal suit that covered the most vital body parts.
He could easily be alive.
Her eyes flitted back and forth, from the squadron of soldiers to the dark, inviting cave.
And, the feeling of guilt and regret all ready building up on her chest, Firetta galloped for a few feet before launching into the air, heading towards the cave.
She felt tears collect in her eyes. If it was from the guilt or from the speed of her flying, she could not tell. All she wanted was for New to hug her, for him to take her in his arms...
She hiccuped, the tears now racing down her face.
Yep. For sure, it was the guilt.
She soon reached the cave. She tumbled over its lip, her landing far from exemplary.
She rolled like a bowling ball, crashing into New, who seemed to be the pin. The two looked into each other's eyes as they recovered from the crash.
New tucked a loose strand of Firetta's mane behind her ear, which twitched happily at his touch.
"Yo-ou okay?' he asked softly, brushing a cheek of her smooth, soft cheek.
Firetta just pursed her lips, nodding slowly.
He leaned in close to her ear, his warm breath giving her the shivers.
"It'd gonna be okay."
She snuggled into his neck before sadly letting go. She couldn't let him know about her feelings. At least, not yet.
Not yet.
But it might be never if she didn't do it now.
Firetta wasn't one to become scared, nervous, and cowardly. But many of those things had been happening. It was unlike her. And most of them were being caused by New.
"N-new," Firetta whispered, her voice raspy from crying.
"Hmm?" he said sleepily.
And once again the feelings of cowardliness, of nervousness, came over her.
"Uhhh, ummm-" she began.
But her incoherent sentence was interrupted when a bang shot through the air.
New surged to his feet, peeking out from the cave's entrance. Firetta also got to her hooves, scampering next to him.
The leader of the squadron held Bubbly, who had his eyes open. A frantic light was inside them.
But that light wa srapidly fading. Soon it was gone with the wind.
The leader dropped Bubbly on the dusty, ashy, fire consumed ground, sharply tuning on his heels and mounting a fighter jet.
His subordinates did the same, and soon they were off.
And the two in the cave covered their mouths in horror as blood spilled from Bubbly's chest.
The Bubbly was gone, his body consumed by flames.
