Cataclysm: They've Returned

Fluttershy and Spike were hunkered down inside a hollow tree. They had fled into the everfree forest when foal mountain was attacked. Even though it had been two years since Equestria was sent into chaos not even her missing friend Discord could summon they were still living in the forest. “Come on Fluttershy, we have to gather more supplies” Spike told her.

“Oh I don’t no Spike, we have plenty for tonight” She argued not looking up from the dying fire they had.

“It’s only a little passed moon rise, and it’s cold tonight, we need more plus we have to find something to eat” he told her.

“I don’t know Spike” she looked out into the forest, “It’s so dark out there”.

“Come on Fluttershy, we won’t take too long” he nudged her.

“O-Ok” she stuttered as she slowly trotted outside. Spike helped hitch the wagon they managed to escape with to her back and they started looking for wood. Fluttershy timidly glanced around. Since the downfall of the world she knew, everything seemed so much darker. Especially the forest. “Spike are you sure we need to be out here, we have enough twigs for a fire” he could hear fear in her soft voice.

“We have three twigs, the fire will die out within a few hours,” Spike told her.

“Fine” she barely whispered as Spike picked up a few twigs in front of a tree. Fluttershy was picking some safe blue colored berries from a bush when she thought she heard something. She thought is sounded like muffled chewing. “Is somepony there?” she softly called. She saw the bushes a few feet from her move. Then she heard it. The growling. “Spike get in the wagon!” she yelled as she galloped faster than she ever had as a freshly turned earth pony zombie jumped out from the bushes giving chase. Spike jumped in the wagon and took a huge breath and blew green fire at the zombie. It didn’t reach. He tried over and over again as Fluttershy galloped. She was going so fast that she didn't see the rock that tripped her. The wagon flipped over with her and Spike hanging on as it dragged them over the edge of a cliff in the forest. As Fluttershy plummeted she hit her head on a rock which knocked her out cold. As they landed the wagon flipped over on top of Spike and Fluttershy. As much as he tried Spike couldn’t lift it up. Soon he could hear the zombie pony banging on the wagon and growling. Spike trembled and hugged Fluttershy. There was a thud outside the wagon and the banging stopped. “What was it after?” he heard a stallion ask.

“It was banging on this broken wagon,” another stallion said.

“If it was banging on it then that means something living must be hiding there” a third stallion stated.

“Should we check?” the first stallion asked.

“Yes, it could be a pony it was after and we’ve been sworn to help no matter what,” the third stallion said. Spike watched as a green magical mist hugged the wagon lifting it up. Spike was met with three Canterlot guards. He sighed in relief.

“Please help us!” he pointed to Fluttershy, “she’s hurt!”. The guards took a closer look at the yellow pegasus on the ground. She was bleeding from her head.

“Let’s get them to the castle fast!” the unicorn guard said grabbing Spike and Fluttershy in his magic as they dashed back to a chariot.

                                          ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rarity sat in the office that once belonged to the Princess of the sun herself, Celestia. It felt to Rarity like home. Or as close to home as she was gonna get. Rarity had spent the first few days exploring the office for anything she could find to lose herself in. She trotted over to a bookshelf across the room and took out a golden bound book. She sat at Celestia’s desk and opened it. Each page was a letter Twilight had written to Celestia of lessons in friendship. Looking through them brought back so many good memories. She had read the book so many times since she found it shortly after claiming the office as her own room. Some ponies thought it was bad of her, but she didn’t care. She somehow felt closer to the princesses, to Twilight taking the office. She turned to the first page of the book of letters. It was actually a letter Twilight wrote to Celestia shortly after they defeated Nightmare Moon freeing Luna of her envy created dark side.

Dear princess Celestia,

I wanted to thank you so much for letting me stay here in Ponyville. For letting me make the Golden Oaks Library my home and for leading me to not one but, five amazing best friends. I use to think I didn’t need friends, but after what happened recently, I see that I was wrong.

Your faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle.

Rarity recalled the day they had saved Luna, and she recalled the sadness she felt when she thought Twilight would have to leave. A knock on the door brought Rarity out of her thoughts. “Come in” she called. A guard pony walked in.

“Rarity, somepony has requested a meeting with the pony who took over the routines around here and since Star Hunter is out searching for food and survivors, we’ve brought him to you” the guard said.

“Please bring him in,” she said standing up and trotting out in front of the desk as the guard waved the guest in.

“It’s about time,” Spike said as he walked in. Rarity’s eyes went wide. “Spike?!”.

“Rarity!” the little dragon called running up to her and they hugged, “I didn’t think we’d see any of our old friends again!”.

“We?” Rarity asked, “are you with...Twilight?”. A look of sadness crossed his face.

“No” he sighed, “Fluttershy, and she’s hurt”. Rarity magically floated Spike onto her back and galloped to the medical wing of the castle. She trotted in looking for the doctor. She spotted him by a bed writing something down on a chart. She dashed to him and could see the pony on the bed was Fluttershy.

“Doctor, is she ok?” Rarity asked going to Fluttershy’s bedside.

“She’s suffered a concussion, she could be out for a while” Dr. Hooves informed, “I’ve stitched up the cut on her head though”.

“If anything changes please let me know Doctor” Rarity said. He nodded and trotted off to check on a few other patients in the room. She and Spike set there by Fluttershy’s bed and Spike told her everything that happened and she was sure to help him understand what had happened wasn’t his fault. Soon Spike fell asleep leaning against Rarity. She took him to Celestia’s office and tucked him in on the sofa against the wall then she snuck off to Luna’s room. There was something she finally wanted to check out. She went to the princesses closet and magically floated out a few small boxes. She opened one that said journal crystals box one on it. She floated out a sapphire crystal. Inside the crystal was a glowing yellow number one. Rarity could tell that these crystals were made with the same magic spell she used on the crystals when she and the girls made Twilight’s tree root chandelier. Only it was more advanced. She touched her horn to the crystal and suddenly her eyes glowed midnight blue as she was lost in the memory that was noted down by Luna. She was looking at the castle garden. Beautiful stars and a bright moon shone down on the garden. Luna was sitting at the end of the garden with Celestia. “You’ve made the night sky lovely as ever little sister,” Celestia said.

“Thank sister. I spent a lot of time adding the glow to the moon” Luna stated looking up.

“Hard work that has surely paid off,” Celestia said, “I must retire for the evening”

“Rest well big sister,” Luna said as Celestia nodded and trotted inside the castle. Luna was alone in the garden just looking up at the sky. Every now and then creating a shooting star over different parts of the sky over Equestria.

“Good evening Princess Luna” she heard a stallion say. She looked behind her to see one of the night guard trainees smiling at her.

“Good evening, Sir Star Hunter” she greeted in return.

“If it’s not too forward your Majesty, I must say this night is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen”. he looked away blushing a bit.

“Would thou like to sit with me for a bit?” Luna wasn’t sure why she asked, but she couldn’t help herself.

“Sure” he smiled and sit down next to her, “It’s my pleasure princess”. They both looked up at the sky as one of Luna’s brightest shooting stars shot across it. “A lot pretty shooting stars in the sky tonight,” Star Hunter said watching in awe.

“Yes, I have heard ponies tend to make wishes on them,” she said, “would thou like me to conjure one for you to wish upon?” she asked. Star Hunter smiled as he removed his helmet.

“Right now princess, things are so perfect I don’t need a wish”.