Author's Note

Credit to RarityEQM for help with some scenes and character development.

Dawn of a New Day.

The moon glowed eerily in the dark sky high above, no star's sparkled within the vast sky, instead dark grey cloud's floated overhead in silence. A clear warning that something bad was about to happen on this cold chill night.

Crimson Rose allowed her small tongue to stick out of the side of her mouth, small delicate hooves gently feeling across the large weather worn wall of their target for this night. Diamond Dancer was keeping a look out in a uneasy manner, her eyes darting from the empty street behind her to her friend before her.

" What are you even doing Crim? " Dancer pouted as the orange filly in front of her rolled dark green hues, using her small hooves to knock softly against the many bricks across the wall.

" If you must know, all these old building's in the city are falling apart..." Rose narrowed her eyes cutely at the lower edge of the building.

" From decade's of nopony giving a flying hay! " Rose folded her ears back, doing a small turn she bucked the chosen area with all her might.

A sudden sound of brick's nudging, filled the air around the children. Rose giggled giving the wall a few more bucks, until the lower wall gave way, the brick's falling over with a thud a small hole appearing on the wall.

" Ta-da!- we have our very own door! " Rose happily snickered as she quickly lowered her belly to the ground, cutely sliding herself into the hole, only to have her round little backside get stuck on the outer edge.

Diamond sighed watching Rose kick her little legs back and forth, trying with all her might to squeeze into the building. The Silver filly slowly walked over to her friend in need, using her hoof to gently poke Rose on the backside a few times.

" I think you might be big boned Rosie..." Diamond giggled as she nudged Rose on the butt with her hoof playfully, only to have her friends tail slap her across the face swiftly.

" Not funny!- help me!! " Rose yelped in a muffled tone as Diamond rolled her eyes.

" One for the bit's and two for the show..." Diamond spun around lifting her hindlegs up, with a small smile she swiftly bucked her friend softly through the hole, a small thud filling the air.

" Ow....thank you..." Rose mumbled through the hole, Diamond slowly lowering to her own belly and swiftly sliding through the hole with no problem at all.

Inside both fillies gazed ahead in awe, the room was filled with many boxes, some towering high close to the roof, while other's were small and neatly stacked against the corners of the room. Each box had weird labels written across them, neither Rose nor Diamond had any idea what they could mean.

" Pr-Oooo-je-k?- thir-theeen? " Rose spoke aloud, tilting her head to the side cutely as she tried to read a label off the largest box.

" Project Thirteen? " Diamond whispered as she slowly walked up behind her friend.

" Phst, I forgot you're a egghead Dia. " Rose rolled her eyes as she trotted away from the shadow of the large box.

" I'm not a genius or anything, just Sunny Skies kinda doubled as a school. " Diamond huffed following after her friend, trying to keep quite, the large cold room sending a slight chill down her spine.

" Book smarts is overrated, Street smarts is what will get a filly through a tough time. " Rose blew a soft raspberry to the silver filly behind her, trotting across the worn dirty floor's carefree in attitude.

Diamond was a bit more conservative, keeping her ears folded down and aware of her surrounding's. She was expecting something to pop out from the shadow's any minute now, to chase them out of the building and probably down the street.

Yet no shadowy figure pounced towards them, nor did a monster of darkness attack the young children. Only silence surrounded them this night.

Rose let her dark green eyes gaze around the room, searching for the old wooden chest that haunted her thought's. Diamond kept close to her friend, hoping deep inside they might find nothing, so they could both get out of the small cramped room and back outside into the cool open night.

The orange filly pushed a few boxes out of the way with her hooves, small rattles of metal or glass could be heard from within as they shifted about. Diamond wondered exactly what could this building be used to hide, if somepony went out of their way to stock item's in this dark eerie place, it couldn't be good.

" I found it! " A loud yelp from Rose caught her attention, followed by a small sweet squee.

Diamond snaped her head forward, watching as her friend pulled the large chest out from the middle of a group of boxes. Rose giggled with delight, eyes lit up much like stars in the sky, small hooves clutched on the side before she quickly flicked the turn lock on the front clockwise.

A small click echoed through the room, both fillies casting a curious gaze to the chest.

" This is it!- tonight our lives change girl! " Rose smiled, both fillies placing their hooves on the lid, giving a slight push they pryed open the chest, both swiftly gazing within in awe.

No gold bit's nor gem's of every color greeted them, instead within the darkness of the chest was simply a glass vial of dark red liquid. Rose gently scooped up the vial in her hooves, gazing upon it in disappointment.

" It's...nothing." Rose sighed, her eyes gently closing in a solemn silence.

" Rose.- We should go." Diamond spoke up, knowing her friend was feeling the sting of all her dream's fading away into the abyss once more.

" Is it too much to ask Dia, for one break in life? " Rose placed the vial at her side, trying with all her might to hold back tears from cascading down her cheeks.

" It'll get better Crim, we just have to keep our faith alive..." Diamond tried to ease her friends mind, placing a delicate hoof atop the sad fillies shoulder.

" Always waiting for your shooting star huh? " Rose huffed with a slight roll of the eyes, listening to what her friend had to say, yet not believing a single word of it.

The growing silence within the room was suddenly broken, the sound of the front door to the building swinging open caught both children off guard, Diamond quickly shoved her friend forward to hide.

Rose winced in slight pain, her hoof crushing down on the small vial at her side, the glass shattering in a soft echo, cutting into her hoof deeply while the strange red liquid found its way into her body.

Both fillies hid behind a large wooden crate, ears folded back unsure what to expect. Rose let her eyes fall to her hoof, a burning sensation spreading up her leg slowly. The door came to a close after a second, as two large stallion's walked into the main area of the room.

Both were dirty and walked with a slight slouch, just from a small gaze Diamond figured they were probably thugs. The first stallion a large grey coated fellow, gazed about the room, eyes filled with a sense of apathy.

" Where is this so called "Sample" anyways? " The stallion yawned, his friend a large black stallion with a fading grey mane trotted up behind him swiftly.

" It should be in the chest, be careful with it too-the boss said it's dangerous. " The black stallion rolled his eyes, pushing past his friend before gasping aloud.

" Holy Buck! " He yelled in slight fright, eyes falling upon the broken vial shard's and the dark red liquid seeping into the wooden floor.

" Phst. Looks like it's broken. " The white stallion shrugged.

" No! Really? " The friend snapped eyes darting around the room, spotting Roses tail swishing side to side near the corner.

" Damn the boss is going to have our asses on a silver platter." The white stallion groaned, his friend quietly reaching into a small nearby drawer, lifting out a crossbow ever so slowly.

" Maybe.- but he might take it easy on us if we can catch him some rats..." The black stallion spoke aloud, pointing the crossbow towards the wooden crate.

Diamond was scared to move her hooves, let alone try and poke her head out of the corner to see if they could make a run for it. Blue hues gazed behind her, Rose looked a bit pale in color, her hoof was bleeding quite a bit. Diamond knew if she didn't get it mended soon it could be bad.

Collecting her courage, she counted down till she would peek out from behind the box.

" Is it clear Dia? " Rose asked in a soft whisper, holding her hoof up in a small limp.

Diamond huffed softly, quickly poking her head out from behind the crate, a loud popping noise filled the air shortly. Swiftly much like lightning, a bolt sailed through the air, the sharp metal edge hitting her square between the eyes. Where most fillies would of toppled over and bled out from there, Diamond merely winced softly, the clang of the bolt simply falling to the ground with a thud.

" Nope just got a headshot. " Diamond quickly shook her head side to side cutely, before nudging her friend firmly, both fillies speeding off past the stallion's, who simply stood there in shock and confusion of what had just happened.

" Get them! " The black stallion yelled, dropping the crossbow to the ground.

The grey thug pounced hard onto Rose who screamed in terror, Diamond glared holding her head down and rushing forward. A loud crack filled the building as the small filly headbutted the full grown male with enough force to send him toppling back.

Rose yelped softly breaking free as she quickly bolted off out the front door, Diamond shook of a slight daze quickly running off towards the door as well.Stopping only for a second to spin around and give their attacker's one last gaze.

" What are you? " The black stallion asked never budging an inch, Diamond only sighing aloud before dashing off into the night.

" Then, after a few days, she got sicker n' sicker still. In ain't no time at all, there was nothin' I could do. " Diamond spoke in a soft almost distant tone, light blue eyes filled with the formation of tears.

" I...I pushed her. That's how it broke, ya' know? It was my fault! " Her voice whimpered with guilt.

" I pushed her and it broke, tryin' ta hide. I said I'd go into that building- Said I'd follow her. Shoulda said somethin' then!- I Shouldn't have let her go! " The filly winced, a trail of tears running down her cheeks.

Star Strider lifted a hoof to comfort the child, only to have small hooves swat him away. The sun in the sky had just begun to rise, the day starting off with his curious nature. Deep within his soul he knew he shouldn't have asked about Dia's mysterious friend.

" No!- Don't ya' try and say it wasn't my fault!- I've stayed in the company of lies far too long." The filly spoke in a quivering tone, using delicate hooves to gently brush the tears away.

" To be honest kid.-I wasn't goin' ta say that. " Strider stretched his hooves a bit, giving his wing's a slight pop.

" If ya' think you're at fault, so be it!-But to wallow in fear of your mistake's is for rookies." Strider turned away from the small child, who glared towards him in silence.

" I don't wallow! " Diamond pouted as the young stallion shrugged.

" Phst!- then prove me wrong kid, go and face up to your past- It's the only way you'll ever really be able to move on." The stallion turned to face the child, his tall frame towering over the her smaller one.

" If ya' can't do that!- I'm afraid you'll just be wallowin' and I don't have time for no babysittin' ! " The stallion flaunted a hoof as he quickly turned his back to the filly, hiding a small smirk.

Diamond slowly wiped the tears away from her eyes, knowing deep down Strider spoke the truth. She had been running for so long, unless she faced her past, she'd never truly know peace.

" I...You..." Diamond tried to find the right words, only to stumble over them.

" I know! , I'm right!- Want a private escort to the hospital kid? " Strider smirked, turning his head slightly towards the filly.

" Yes please. " Diamond spoke her eyes locking with the stallions, this day had begun cloudy yet she could sense the sun on the horizon.