The Solar Flare

The Solar Flare:

By Celestia Nyx Nova:

Prologue: The Age Of Contemplation:

“Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would smile at the beauty of destruction.”

Markus Zusak.

When most consider the epitome of fear: there are often mixed answers:

''Death!''

''Starvation!''

''Prejudice!''

No matter the reason why, how said fear came to light is the most important. It sounds like a boorish term, but that was the current way of truly explaining oneself in a time of hopelessness and subjugation.

How else can you explain your innate ability to be unprepared or understanding the unknown? That is a question many took the precious time out of their day to think. Just think on the feeble matter of this infinite concept. But...in times of hardship, ideals can be corrupted, and it was thus-

''Die, you insufferable taint! Be banished from this realm for all eternity!''

a new age of values and morals came to be the supreme way of life for this cold, desolate broken shell of a utopia. The main question of all this is to ask yourself: how do you deal with conflicting emotions? Emotions that drive your mind to its limitations, only to become the product of your own creation. As the great historical figures mentioned time in, as well time out again through varying interpretations:

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.

But now, something else lingers in the darkness, so close to the shadows that it too threatens to consume both in a brilliant light of chaos. It resides within all, but-

*splash!*

The rain sprinkled with haste, blanketing the once silent earth with mud. Ahead lay a never-ending slope of mud, leading down to a dip in the foundation of the small cottage some few yards away. Every so often, the cackling sounds of thunder and lighting revealing three shapes, two of them Equine in nature whilst the other reptilian and scaly.

''So how do you want to handle this one?'' a gruff voice called, signs of fatigue present.

''Should we check for survivors? Maybe they weren't all caught,'' a female voice offered, a slight tinge of pride accompanying it.

''Perhaps.'' the third and final voice semi-agreed. ''but that is a chance we cannot allow: we're wasting as it is: plus I already performed a scan: no life forms for the next 50 miles,'' this one seemed to carry the most burden of the trio. ''we have to go.''

Shuffling forward, the only sounds piercing the air besides the steady rainfall was the rhythmic breathing from the cold.

''Ugh, remind again how this happened here, i'm not sure I follow seeing as this used to be a good town,''

''You mean you still don't know? Did you listen to anything Master Dai told us back in Sandgen?''

''Oh, i'm sorry: I was just busy keeping the harpies at bay!''

''Quiet, the both of you! Spike, you should have been taking notes like I told you, and you Sunset: while I appreciate you saving our lives back there, you could have at least shown a little skill in the art of multi-tasking. Every second is crucial to us as we may not get this chance again, so focus!''

''Sorry, Twi,'' the pair apologized.

''Good, now according to our intel, our target should be at The Blade's Edge, a few klicks North, so gear up.''

Agreeing either way, the trio moved forward at a swift pace, trying their best to keep from any prying 'eyes', lest the Children Of Nightmare come knocking. Relaying across the path, small structures and corpses lay strewn about, battling a fight with Father Time as the blanket of hot, acrid air chipped away and the distant rumbling of clouds portrayed a swirling vortex of despair around the town. Dragging herself with a slower stride, Twilight Sparkle stopped to realize two things.

''You know, she called from behind. ''you're half right: this was a good town...until that day reared its ugly head. We made a lot of friends here, Spike haven't we?''

''Mmm-hmm,'' the drake agreed. ''hard to believe their not all with us now,''

''I know,'' Twilight sighed, running a golden armoured hoof through the rubble in front. ''hard to believe this only started 1000 years ago, right after we took down Tirek. The world went downhill from there.'' she brought a picture untouched by time in her field of magic for her comrades to see.

''W-We really should get going, Twi.'' Spike advised.

''Good idea.'' the trio sped off, moving past the wreckage and out on the mountains plain, yet none looked back to the still standing sign that portrayed:

Ponyville's Golden Oak Library/ Castle of Former Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Some time later:

The pair trudged on for what seemed like miles, past the Satorian Mt. Ridge, over Ghastly Gorge, and even through what remained of the Everfree forest: cold, hungry, angered and most of all: lost in the growing maze of Equestria by the day. Nightfall consumed a good portion of their journey into the ever so rising sun, a sight and feeling Twilight held deep hatred for.

''Great, it's up again.'' Twilight ducked behind a lone, bushy tree. ''why can't night be permanent?''

''Oh come on, Twi: you don't hate it that much.'' Spike waved a claw in naivety.

''You wouldn't know,''

''Spike!'' Sunset scolded. ''you should know better.''

''Whatever,'' Spike huffed into his clasped claw over his maw. ''just speaking the truth. And as a matter of fact, I-

''That goes for both of you.'' Twilight began to cut into her companions.

''Me, what did I do?'' Sunset pointed a hoof to herself in shock. ''he started it!''

''And now i'm ending it! You have no idea of the pain I went through all thanks to this d-d-damn sun and all it stands for!''

...

''I had a good life: friends, books, all the basic necessities that made me me,'' Twilight sniffled. ''I'm the Princess of Friendship, and how do you expect me to be that if I have no friends or wings? Look at me!'' Twilight gestured to herself, showing off the dark and gold plated armour surrounding her forehooves, body plate that hugged her slender purple frame, brown cloak draped over her neck and friendship tiara given a rustic and gated look from the Victorian Pony era, colors of the different elements uptop the star of her cutie mark.

''Well, yea you lost your wings, but that doesn't make you any more or less different than us: you're still Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.'' Spike sat and stretched, a few bones popping from the sudden movement.

''I agree with Spike: I mean, would you think I'm a Princess or Alicorn because I have bat wings?'' Sunset smirked, portraying her curved fangs, furry pointed ears, and leathery wings. ''Nergal the Insatiable accidentally bit me when we did our little expedition to the Minotaur Plains. and while I didn't want that to happen, I don't regret that.''

''Because it wasn't your destiny...it was mine and it was taken from me.''

''So why here? Why Canterlot?'' Sunset wondered.

''Because...we need to talk to Princess Luna about getting clearance.''

''For what exactly?''

''Operation Godmode.''

Yes, even the greatest of influences hold hatred to their beliefs or in their lives, but Twilight soon discovers that a new evil lurks closer than ever before, but the only way to know it to see. The only way forward is to go down. This is the tale of how one word changes the tide of any front: envy.