Chapters I could feel my heart beating quickly as my hooves start to tire as I ran faster and faster to the castle. All I can hear is the screams of my mother as she’s being attacked by changelings. I burst through the doors of the castle and looked around for anyone.
“Miss Pride I see you made it,” Princess Luna said as she stepped out from behind her sister’s throne.
“Yes, Princess,” I said trying to catch my breath. “T-the ch-changelings they've hurt Trample Star and their army is moving this way quickly,” I said panicking.
“Calm young mare your friend is fine and for the army. My sister is not present at the moment, I will have my men prepared to attack but I wish you to speak to their leader in my place,” Luna said without even stopping to think. My mind raced with questions but I could only mutter one.
“Why me?”
“This is your destiny to defeat this threat not Equestria’s. I will help you along the way but this is for you and your friends from now on. Good luck dear friend,” she spoke as she stepped closer to me and bowed. She opened her large wings and pushed off the ground flying out the opened door towards the royal guard. I could hear the battle beginning outside the castle, my heart raced as the screams of war echoed through the large throne room.
“Well hello,” spoke a dark voice with a soothing accent. “I see you've met my army, deary,” he spoke again looking at my cut wing. “It’s always grand when my babies get a chance to play. I truly love to see the smiles on their sweet little faces as they tear ponies apart. It’s a grand old party,” he laughed as he spoke adding a horrifying affect making a shiver send down my spine. I puffed out my chest and stood tall, trying not to look helpless. The colt who spoke was tall but every inch of his body was covered in armor and had two golden horns poking out of his helmet.
“Stop this war! Call off your army!” I screamed as I continued to try and look strong.
“Not now, deary. Your dear princess told you what you must do didn't she? You must defeat me and my army but not alone. With your petty friends what are their names again? Oh right, I don’t give a buck they’ll all be dead before you even get to me,” he screamed at the end of his last sentence for dramatic effect.
“We will stop you! You’re just a monster!” I screamed louder and jumped into the air trying to pin him to the ground but he quickly turned to smoke with only a pair of glowing red eyes and horns in the center of the smoke cloud.
“Oh not now, deary. You might think you’re strong now but you’re weak like the flower. You’ll never beat me or even get close! Weak! Weak! Weak!” he screamed as he took back his pony form. He started to growl and walk out the doors. Just like that pain shot through my body making my collapse on the ground. I screamed in pain and looked around the room for help but everyone was outside fighting. The pain suddenly stopped and I stood up feeling extremely weak.
“Retreat man!” screamed the colt that leads the changelings. I could hear the royal guard screams of joy as the changelings retreated. Luna walked back into the room but looked angry with me.
“How dare you send him away?!” she shouted in her royal voice. “We could have ended him right then and now!” she shouted louder. I stepped back and started to cower as she stepped closer and opened her wings to seem bigger and tougher.
“He’s a monster and he’s leading an army of monsters,” I said quietly.
“I know he is that’s why my sister put me in charge of killing him. How could I have let him get this much control? I should have locked him away when he defeated Twilight and the others!” the princess screamed at herself. I started to back away until my flank hit one of the old stain glass windows. I turned around to look at it and noticed that it had a young purple mare surrounded by five other mares and a small purple aura around them. “That my dear is Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends; they saved my life when I was a young mare like yourself. Twilight risked her and her friends’ lives to stop the beast you are destined to destroy; they died in battle about twenty years ago. Your mother was just a foal when she died, it devastated all of Equestia. Your mother suffered the most, for Twilight was her mother and your grandmother,” a tear slid down the princess’s face and landed on the floor with a soft sound that reminded me of the days mom would start crying over dad’s death.
“So my grandma was a Princess? Then why isn't mom an alicorn and not a Pegasus?” I asked softly.
“Her father was a brave stallion who raised your mother on his own until Zodiac murdered him in revenge for the death of his wife, the changeling queen. Your mother has suffered a lose greater than any pain a pony should feel. Now your other question; your grandfather was a Pegasus and Twilight was born an unicorn not an alicorn giving her the gift of death and wings when she was crowned,” Luna said trying to cheer up a little.
“How was she grated the gift of death? I don’t understand don’t you want to live forever?”
“No my dear, for I will never die along with my sister and we are forced to watch our loved ones live and die, while you out live them.”
“I’m so sorry…”
“Quite alright my dear. Now Zodiac has complete control over the changelings thanks to a simple spell I taught him that he manipulated to control and army. You need to kill him, avenge your family, and save Equestia from this monster.”
“What do my friends have to do with this?” I asked remembering how Zodiac said something about my friends.
“You are the seven deadly sins, are you not?” she asked looking at me.
“No we’re not we’re just normal ponies!” I shouted shocked.
“Oh my, no one told you,” she paused and ran out of the throne room as quick as she could. She ran back in with a chest on her back as she ran/flew back. “These are yours and your friends. If I’m right they’re names’ are Pride and Brigitte Sparkle, Green Apple, Clear Crystal, Thunder Dash, Rose Shy, and Candy Pie, ” Luna said proud of herself that she remembered our names.
“I get it now…” I said as the princess fastened the chest to my back and used a quick spell to fix the pain in my wing so I could fly home to Ponyville. “What happened to my mother?” I asked finally remembering that she was badly injured.
“She didn't make it, along with the other attacks that happened tonight in Ponyville. Rose, Green, and Clear have all lost their father or mother tonight along with you and your sister. I’m sorry.” I started to feel tears form in my eyes as I took off in a full run out of the castle and took flight as soon as I left the building. As my wings beat in rhythm I felt my pain start to melt away, hot tears filled my eyes and whipped into the wind as I flew faster to ignore them. I landed in front of the small house my sister and I share and quickly burst through the door.
“Pride are you okay?” asked a tall but fragile, light orange, young mare with red and every shade of pink and red mixed mane. I nodded a yes and took the chest off my back. As soon as I saw the chest I started wondering what sin my sister was. She was always showing me what new stuff she wanted and every stallion in town wanted her, even when we bought their house they could hardly afford it but Brigitte had worked out a deal with the realtors. Could she be lust, I asked myself.
“Sis is there any news from Canterlot?” I asked quickly as I opened the chest to make sure nothing fell out. The chest was filled with beautiful necklaces that had medium sized gems of all different colors. Two necklaces floated out of the box and flew to the pony they belonged to. I looked down at the necklace and I started to tighten around my neck and the gem started to glow a light purple color to match its own color. I looked over at my sister and noticed hers was glowing a light red to match it too. I quickly shut the chest and ran out the door with it still in the house. I flew to each of my friends houses and told them to go to my house. As I reached Candy Pie’s house it started to rain heavily, making it harder to fly with my injured wing. We reached the house just as Brigitte was giving everypony tea. Clear was now crying heavily as she noticed the framed picture of all of them and their parents at the park last year.
“It’ll be okay, Clear. I promise I miss my mom and dad too but we’ll all get through this together. I promise,” Candy said as she hugged Clear. She looked like she was about to burst out in tears too.
“Something happened tonight,” I said as I got everypony’s attention. “Canterlot was attacked by changelings and Princess Luna gave me this.” I opened the chest and all of the necklace flew out and wrapped around the right pony’s neck. They started to glow and spell out what sin they represented. Candy was gluttony, Brigitte was lust, Green was envy, Clear was greed, Thunder was wrath, Rose was laziness, and I of course was pride. I never really showed pride maybe it was the fact that my cutiemark was rainbow and symbolized my sexuality that made me show a lot of pride. The others did display their sins more than I did, Green is always talking about how he envies rich ponies, Brigitte always wanted this or that and had every colt wrapped around her orange hoof, Rose would normally stay away from activities that involved being outside she liked to say inside and draw or that’s what she says she’s doing, Clear is extremely greedy she never shared and had no care for anyone besides herself, Thunder never shared his power he’s trying to run for mayor of Ponyville, and Candy always was either drinking cider or eating but she was still really skinny.
“What does this mean?” asked Thunder as he tried to rip off the gem but I just tightened and he stopped and looked at me.
“I found out who killed our parents it wa-“I was cut off.
“Those dirty changelings!” shouted Clear as she used her magic to slam down her tea mug.
“No it was Zodiac, he killed our parents and grandparents, to get to us,” I said as I tried to explain what Luna had told me earlier.
“How could Zodiac do that when it was changelings, is he one of them?” asked Rose shyly.
“Princess Luna told me that our grandparents died in battle against him and his wife, the queen of the changelings, giving him control of them and becoming, the king of the changelings. He’s using them as an army to kill off anyone who’s related to the six ponies who killed his wife. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Twilight Sparkle, killed Queen Chrysalis and in his blinded anger Zodiac murdered the six as they left the castle. Through the years he has started to kill our parents to anger us into fighting him, giving him the powers to take over Equestria. The princess gave us these gems to show us what sin we are,” I was cut off again.
“What do you mean sins?” Candy screamed.
“Well as the gems proved we each hold the power of our sin in our gem, like how I am pride and I um… do pridey stuff, I guess,” I had no idea what we were supposed to do now.
“Then what does Zodiac have to do with these here gems?” asked Green.
“Luna said we have to kill him with our sins combined,” I spoke quickly. “He was a student of Luna’s, she taught him about how dangerous dark magic can be and he left the school to study it when he was old enough. He grows in knowledge as we speak, control the minds of the innocent, murdering for fun, and planning to over through the princesses,” I stopped talking to let that sink in.
“Well hay, I better tell Apple Bloom I’ll be out,” said Green as he left and ran back to the farm.
“So, is anypony else going?” I asked quickly.
“Yes!” they all yelled and ran out of the house to tell their families they were leaving. I sighed and started to feel stress take over my body as I realized we only had a small time to kill Zodiac and had no idea how dangerous it might be. Clear was the first back followed by the others. I stretched my wings and started to fly out the door as fast as I could. On hoof was going to take way to long and not everypony can fly only Brigitte, Rose, Thunder, and I.
“Darling how are we going to get to the Changeling Kingdom?” asked Clear.
“We can’t fly, and Clear’s magic isn’t strong enough to give us all wings. I guess we have to travel by hoof,” I sighed and started walking towards the kingdom. The others followed but started to trail off with side chatter about how exciting this was.
My hooves started to ache with every step I took; I gently lifted into the air to give my hooves a break. The rain was starting to clear up and you could see patches of blue sky. Pain shot through my injured wing and I started to quickly fall out of the sky, I couldn’t move my wings from the pain and all I could think about was falling on the ground with a thud. I opened my wings all the way as pain started to blur my vision and I closed my eyes meeting my fate. I felt large muscular hooves grab my body mid air and set me on the closest rain cloud. I still couldn’t open my eyes from the pain but I felt a cold feeling cover my body and then the pain was gone. I opened my eyes and took a deep gasp and looked around to see where I was and who saved me. Thunder hovered over me holding tightly to Clear how must have used a spell to fix my wing.
“How?” I choked out.
“You were flying next to Thunder and when you fell he caught you, placed you on this cloud and picked me up while you were out and I used a healing spell to fix your wing. What did you do to your wing?” Clear spoke as if she had no care in her voice and was only helping me because she needed me alive.
“I landed on it when I was fighting,” I said trying to forget that I couldn’t save my mom.
“That spell should have fixed it for good, I could tell someone tried to earlier but didn’t have enough energy for the whole spell,” Clear said as she was set on the ground. “We should rest here for the night.”
“Yeah we should my hooves are killing me,” Candy moaned. Thunder and Brigitte flew around the forest and gathered large leaves and started to tie them together and try to cover us from the rain. Most of the rain clouds were gone and it looked like it would stop raining any minute now. I couldn’t move very much because the pain drained out all of my energy but I started to limp over to Clear.
“Clear can I have some of that gauze?” I asked as she started to wrap my wing. The pain was gone but my wing was too tired to hold itself up. She quickly wrapped my wing and tied the bandage to my body so it held up my wing. I stood up slowly and started to walk over to Brigitte who was sitting close to the fire Rose started. I snuggled into her side to keep her warm. Her orange fur was damp from being outside and mixed with my dark gray fur. I never looked like I belonged in the family, mom was a light orange like Brigitte and light blue and purple mane, dad was golden yellow with red and white mane but I was dark gray with black, white and rainbow streaked mane. I never felt like I belonged, the only place I felt loved was when I had music lessons with Vinyl and Octavia Scratch. They taught me everything I needed to know about music from learning how to play the cello to how to autocorrect your annoying sister into sounding like a monster. They treated me like their daughter, they could never have children and they adopted me as their own. Them and Brigitte were the only people I truly cared about after dad died. Mom hardly spoke to us after he died, she would just sit and stare at his picture and mumble. We had to take care of ourselves from that day forward. I quickly fell asleep to the memories of my family and drifted off into a deep sleep filled with dreams of adventure and mystery. The camp was silent except for the soft sounds of ponies snoring and softly mumbling in their sleep.
I woke up to find that the camp was empty and the fire was damp as if somepony put it out with water. I stood up quickly and felt the pain I expected wasn’t there. I stretched out my wing that wasn’t wrapped and took off in a run out of the shelter. A dark figure lurked in the shadows of trees and I could hear a low growl. I felt the hair on my back start to stand up and I lunged towards the shadow, missing it and landing on somepony’s tail. I heard a high pitched squeal of fear and saw Rose leap into the sky and onto the nearest cloud hugging it tightly.
“What the buck was that for?!” she screamed.
“I thought I saw something in the shadows and I heard growling…” I trailed off and looked back at the shadows.
“That was Thunder and Green fighting over who’s stronger,” she said as she stepped off the cloud.
“Oh,” I said but didn’t take my eyes off the shadows. I knew something was there, maybe somepony is following us. I let out a low growl and hunched my back like a cat before it strikes. I could feel the threats presents and I knew something was there, I could feel it.
“Relax, Pride every little thing will be alright,” Rose said as she sighed and sat down leaning against a rock. I sighed and acted like I didn’t care but I still felt like somepony was there.
“Where are the others?” I asked as I sat down next to her.
“Lookin’ for food and stuff to carry the rest of the way seems like a waste to me though,” Rose answered as she started to drift off into sleep. I stood up and started to fold and take apart the camp and make it travelable. I could tell I was hungry by the growls my stomach was starting to make. I stretched and took the bandage off my wing and started to stretch to sore muscles. I took off in a slow glide and started to look for the others.
I quickly found Green and Brigitte but they seemed like they weren’t looking for food like the others were. I quietly landed and hid behind a bush to find out what they were doing. Brigitte started to step closer to Green and did a little hop but opened her wings to fly closer then started stepping slowly closer to him. I could tell what they were doing at once, Brigitte always did her little walk/fly thing when she was flirting with somepony. I gulped but still stayed and watched to see where this was going.
“We should just ditch them and stay right here and do stuff,” Brigitte said as she was only inches from Green’s muzzle. He quickly stepped back until his flank hit a tree trunk. “What’s wrong, big boy? You scared a little filly’ll tame you?” she purred with every word she said and stepped closer to him.
“No, Miss Sparkle, I’m not scared. We need to look for food for the others,” he stuttered.
“They won’t miss us,” she said more seductively. She gently placed her hoof on his cheek and started to lean in for a kiss. This wasn’t good they needed to focus on killing Zodiac and they need to do it quickly and not dilly-dally. I jumped into the air and pounced on my sister spreading my wings making her look like a tiny filly compared to my overly large wings. She shrank into the dusty ground and hid her face with her hooves, trying to protect herself. I closed my wings and stepped off of her and looked back at Green. He looked scared and shocked at what had just happened, he stared at me and Brigitte then took off in a fast run back to camp.
“This is no time for you to go around lusting after every colt you see fit,” I said as I took off in after Green’s trail. I could hear her scoff and try to figure out what to say to me as I walked away. I knew she would be mad at me for the rest of the day but I did what I needed to. When I reached camp Green was trying to look busy but blushed and ran off to find Thunder. Rose hadn't moved since I left to find the others but there was now a pile of fresh fruit and flowers to eat. I started to eat an apple and instantly noticed that Sweet Apple Acres apple’s tasted a lot better. I chocked down the apple and stood up to tie the leaves from the shelter on Thunder and Green’s backs.
“Is everypony ready to go?” asked Clear as she cleaned off her pure white fur that look almost like it was shining. We all nodded a yes and started in a quick trot back on our journey.
“Are we there yet?” moaned Rose as she sat down on the ground and started to act like she was dying.
“No, and don’t ask again,” shouted Thunder as he continued walking past Rose. My hooves started to hurt a little so I decided I’d let them rest and I took off in a slow glide above everyone else. “Hey, Pride!” screamed Thunder as he looked up at me.
“Mhmm,” I replied.
“Mind if you take this for a while or help me set it in a cloud I need a rest my hooves are killing me!” he shouted louder.
“Sure,” I said as I landed next to him and took the leaves off his back and flew up to the nearest cloud and set them on it.
“Oh man, my hooves are killing me,” he said as he lay down next to them on the cloud.
“What about us ponies who can’t fly?!” screamed Candy in protest. She shook her hoof in the air and started chanting ‘not fair’. I sighed and landed next to Clear to ask her a favor.
“Can you do a spell to make non pegasi stand on clouds?” I asked as nicely as I could.
“Why would I?” she asked snottily.
“It’s the only way we can travel and rest at the same time,” I said trying to explain my plan.
“Fine but as soon as we get out of this mess you owe me, big time,” she said as she quickly cast her spell on Candy, Green, and herself.
“Thank you so much,” I said with a smile. I quickly picked her up and landed her softly on the cloud with Thunder on it. Brigitte picked up Candy and did the same; we both had to work together to pick up Green and Rose lazily lopped onto the cloud with a moan of protest. “Brigitte and I will push first, if that’s okay?” I asked as I flew to the back of the cloud and started pushing. The cloud felt weightless and was easy to push; it took us half as long to reach a good camping place as it would have on hoof. We quickly unpacked the extra food we saved and set up camp.
“I’m glad we packed extra firewood, now that we’re out of the forest it’ll be hard to find any,” Green said as he lit the fire setting the extra wood to the side. “Who’s hungry?” he asked unwrapping the leaf that held the food. We all screamed a ‘yes’ and ate in silence. “If we were one of those rich ponies we would be eatin’ sal’ds from around Equestia, right ‘bout now,” he said angrily. I ignored his little rant and ate quickly and started to look for clean water. All I could find was a small pond but I still needed to boil the water for it to be safe to drink. I ran back to the camp and looked for something that wouldn’t burn up in the fire or put it out.
“Oh I have these,” Candy said as she pulled out a metal flask and a small pot out of her frizzy mane.
“I get the flask but why a pot?” asked Rose as she grabbed the flask and took a swig of the containments. “Blah that’s not even cider! What the hay is it?!” she screamed spitting it out.
“Oh that just something I’m working on at the bakery, silly,” Candy said like it was nothing. She took the flask and took a big swig of it and started to sway while she was just standing there. “That’s good stuff, right there,” she said with a giggle.
“How much have you had today?” I asked smelling the alcohol that now filled the air.
“Not very much,” she lied. I shrugged it off and grabbed the pot and flew back to the pond and filled it half way. I set the pot in the fire and the water started boiling and the toxins fill the air.
“Here’s the water,” I said taking it out of the fire and letting it cool. Once the water was cool enough to drink I took a huge swig of it and started to feel my dry throat stop aching. I relaxed and sat next to the snoring light pink pony. “Goodnight, Rosey,” I said remembering my fillyhood name for Rose. I quickly fell asleep and started to snore along with the others.
I woke up with a jolt like the day before but I still felt strange feeling that someone was there. I stood up on my hooves and slowly opened my wings, I stepped closer to fire. There was something in the shadows of a tall tree. I fully opened my wings and started to growl. I took flight and gently hovered over the others sleeping bodies, trying to protect them. I slowly moved closer to the shadows and landed quietly. I heard a low growling and the shadows started to move quickly back and forth.
“Who are you?!” I shouted.
“I am Capricorn, youngest of the Zodiac’s twelve daughter. My sister sent me here to send you a warning. Fear us! Our father sent us to kill you before you reach his kingdom. We will kill you if you step any closer to our home. Return now, you have been warned!” screamed the pony changeling-pony hybrid.
“Never Princess Luna sent me on this quest and I will not deny my Princess!” I shouted and shot my wings out trying to stand my ground.
“Silly pony, you should fear us!” she shouted and disappeared into thin air. I looked back at the others to make sure they were okay but they were still sleeping. I sat down and started to stand guard and see if Capricorn came back.
“Who are you looking at?” asked Candy cheerfully.
“No one,” I answered quickly to ignore any more questions. “Go get some water,” I demanded.
“Fine, miss bossy boss. So mean,” she said as she walked away carrying her pot.