Now, I should probably interject here and say that things may have been a bit confusing in that piece of the story. I’m not going to apologise, sometimes a little confusing can be good, keeps you on your, whatever you stand on. As a great, uh, thing once said “What fun is there in making sense?” But I can assure you, it gets good from here on in.

The pony was thrown to the ground by the explosion, chunks of wood flying everywhere, and spluttered as smoke filled the room. Once again, despite the situation, he found himself thinking “I just painted that door”
Coughing, he pulled himself to his feet as a group of armed and armoured ponies filled the doorway. Warily looking around, he helped the other pony to stand, deploying the small weapon he had attached to his hoof.

“What is your name?” asked one of the presumed soldiers, his voice distorted by the mask on the helmet he had on, as he pointed a gun into the room.
“My favourite colour is blue before you ask”
“Cheeky as always” said a new pony just beginning to walk through the door
“Is there a reason you’ve burst into my house and broken down my door Cobalt?”

The new arrival was jet black, with a white mane. A small beard clung to his muzzle, and a sparkle lit up his yellow eyes. A cutie mark of a telescope pointed at the heavens sat proudly on his flank, and the hooves that tread carefully into the room were well kept. The only protection against the cold he had was a scarf and hat.

Cobalt snorted as he drew further into the room. “I figured I should make a dramatic entrance” both ponies were now eye to eye. A smile split the face of both ponies as they embraced each other. Is there anything manlier than two ponies in a man hug?
“It is good to see you again Cobalt”
“Stand down soldiers” Cobalt said “Do you know who this guy is, and what he can do?”
Both ponies began to walk outside when the first guard heard a whisper in his ear
“My name is Nova by the way”

If I may interject here, yes our hero’s name is Nova. I like to be a bit creative with the way I tell this story. And I love to see the confused look on everyone’s faces. Anyway, this bit gets interesting.

Nova and Cobalt were deep in conversation when the other pony dashed out of the house towards them. “And this must be Starlight Dancer is it?” Cobalt said as the other pony drew closer.
“Yeah, same old sister” Nova sighed as Starlight slipped and skidded up to them.
“I’ll have you know I don’t go by ‘Starlight’ that’s so over the top, it’s just Star” Said the mare at their feet.
“Get up Star” said Nova sternly. “You and I both know that Cobalt wouldn’t turn up out of the blue for something that wasn’t important”
Star slowly pulled herself up as Cobalt and Nova continued walking towards the waiting truck.
Snow was falling gently onto the ground, the strong wind now but a distant memory. The only sounds were the breathing of the group and the soft crunch of snow under hooves. That tranquil silence was broken by one simple sentence “You’re right Nova, this is important, things are bad”
What followed was an oddly relaxing journey. Despite the knowledge being poured into his head, Nova couldn’t help but feel a sense of tranquillity, as if, on some level, he had been expecting this.
“Equestria is dying Nova” Cobalt said. “We’ve known it for a while now, ever since the princesses left”

Nova and Star knew the story well, their parents had told it to them when they were younger. Legend said that of the four Princesses of old, only two had stayed. Their real names had long since been lost, but all knew of their sudden departure, and the years of chaos that had followed. That one event had shattered the mind-set that ponies had had for centuries, the belief that the princesses would always rule, and keep them safe. The two that stayed found life becoming harder and harder for them, until they were forced into exile, forced away from their kingdoms. Nova had always thought this was just a story, but Cobalt had just said it as a statement of fact.

“In fact, many scientists believe that the damage was done in the time before that, that the princesses’ departure wasn’t a departure” Cobalt said
“What was it then?” Star demanded
“It was an evacuation”

What followed was a story that shook Nova to his core. Apparently, during the reign of the princesses there had been a group of 6 ponies who defended the land against invaders. This defence had earned those ponies great prestige, and they had become drunk on it. One founded Sweet Apple Industries, a company that now effectively ruled the planet. The company had no respect for the land, it had destroyed swathes of land to make way for factories and plantations.

This was not the only damage done, Cobalt explained, one of the ponies’ perilous mistake had decimated Pegasus kind, destroying the ancient city of Cloudsdale, and almost destroying the Pegasus species. Another of the group had held a gathering of such debauchery and immorality that it had corrupted an entire generation of ponies, sparking conflict and disorder across the land. Cobalt’s tale ranged from the pony who had disappeared into the wilderness, taking all the animals with them, to another who had gone further and further into the pursuit of perfection in their art, to the point where they began to carry out unspeakable horrors.

All of this had cost the land, to the point where it had simply failed. Without Pegasi to control the weather, it had raged out of control. The soil failed, thanks to SAI’s relentless exploitation. Eventually the Princesses had done all they could, and had fled into the sky, never to be seen again. “Conditions have deteriorated, right up until today” Cobalt finished
“So what are we going to do?” Nova asked “What is your great plan to save the world”
Cobalt chuckled as a hulking facility drew closer ahead of them. “Oh Nova, ever the optimist” Star and Nova both gasped as the contents of the facility came into view.
“We’re not going to save this planet” Cobalt said
“We’re going to leave it”

Author's Note

Well chapter 2, the seven people who have read the first chapter at the time of writing hopefully want a second chapter. Let's hope that many more chapters appear after this!