The Mane Twelve

Another day in this now rotten world. Living under a twenty-four seven full moon, the streets of the once beautiful town of Ponyville are now empty and only the soldiers of the New Chaos Republic are wandering, searching and killing any remaining  survivors and rebels. For rebels however, the consequences were worse. They were tortured by the Ponies of the Apocalypse accordingly so as to set an example for those who decide to go against them. However, nopony gave up. At the Cake's abandoned pastry shop, there is more than meets the eye. Pinkie Pie, along with the remaining Mane Six and a bunch of survivors found shelter underneath it, where a somewhat old warehouse was located. Despite that, everypony is scared and convinces itself that everything is over.

"I can't believe that Princess Celestia is gone..." cried Twilight.

"Don't forget about Applejack and Rainbow," said Fluttershy balling, "I don't know how we are going to go on without them."

"Yeah," replied Pinkie, "Applejack always got us through our problems and Rainbow always protected us. With them gone...we are hopeless." she ended and bursted into tears.

"I know this situation seems dire darlings," said Rarity "but we can get through this. We just need to work together, and yes, our friends were taken from us by these monsters but attacking them head on will only result in getting ourselves killed. Rainbow and Applejack wouldn't want that. Now cheer up. We will have time to mourn our friends after we banish these heathens!"

"No," said a mysterious voice in the back of the room, "We've lost them. Face it." said the mare and revealed herself.

The mysterious mare had a very abnormal appearance consisting of a hoodie to cover her head. Her appearance also signified her goth hoodie, having a pale coat and black mane with dark pink highlights. She seemed like she had total belief in her words and her sentences indeed sounded like she had given up. She turned around and faced at everypony. They looked at her as well.

"Everypony listen." she said with her hoof in the air, "Why are you even here? To save the unsaveable? Why don't you just le-"

Before she could finish, she felt a hoof in her shoulder. She turned around and faced a crimson pegasus, looking at her with a serious look.

"If you've given up, why are you here?" he told her.

The mare was at a loss of words. She pushed his hoof away and left to another room.

In a completely empty room, there existed only one unicorn, sitting alone and having only a few pieces of paper along with a pencil. It was Quill Soul, the shy unicorn that had recently come to Ponyville. That's a great way to start a new life. she thought. Suddenly, Dark Equun stood next to her and noticed her drawing. It was a beautiful sketch of Ponyville back in the old days. It was so beautiful only to see and keep seeing for hours. Dark Equun was speechless. Quill Soul noticed him but carried on drawing, adding little details.

"Why are you here? Doing nothing." Dark Equun asked her.

"What else can I do?" she replied, still focusing her sight at the sketch. "I'm not the fighting type and I'm sure that nopony wants to hear me."

Dark Equun stayed silent for a while and got up, heading to the exit. Quill Soul put the pencil down and grabbed him by the hoof.

"Please...don't go..." she said to him.

Dark Equun didn't look back and stayed where he was. He gave out a small laugh.

"So you really need a friend." he said and sat down once again, now looking at Quill Soul in the eyes. He looked at her through her glasses and gazed upon her beautiful blue eyes. "You possess such great potential. Use it."

Those were his last words. He then vanished into thin air, leaving Quill Soul alone once again. Quill Soul looked at the wall for a while and then got up, heading towards the others. You know what Dark Equun? You're right.

At the meeting ground, everypony was with their loved one. Friends and family. Only Fluttershy was alone. She may be the Element of Kindness, but that doesn't mean that she has given up on her shyness. She sat all alone, thinking about everything that had led her where she is right now. Why her, she thought. Suddenly, a pegasus approached her and sat next to her. To her surprise, it was the same stallion that met her in Canterlot. That polite pegasus with the white coat and orange mane.

"May I?" he said.

Fluttershy didn't respond. The pegasus gave her a smile and grabbed her hoof softly with his. Fluttershy blushed.

"It's going to be alright...you'll see." he told her.

"H-How do you know?" she replied, looking at him in the eyes.

"I...I just know." he said.

For a moment, both of them just stood there and looked at each other. The stallion was amazed by her stunning appearance and her beatiful, long, pink mane. Like he was her biggest fan.

"I'm Grafix by the way."

Fluttershy smiled to Grafix and gave him a tight hug. Grafix blushed and, if one could hear well enough, gave out a small squee.

"Thanks...Grafix," Fluttershy said to him, "for everything..."

Grafix said nothing. That hug was making him melt from his happiness and decided to make the most of that moment. She may never know... he thought and hugged her back.

Heartfire had survived the conflict as well and he was the one that put an end to the unkown mare's words. He was the same as when he came to Ponyville. He was silent, lost in his thoughts. He only looked at the other ponies, but his mind was elsewhere. At one moment, a sparkly white pony passed by him. Heartfire quickly snapped out of it. It's her. he thought and stormed towards her, kind of startling her.

"Heartfire?" said the mare to him, like she had met him before.

"Thyme! So it is you." said Heartfire with relief.

And indeed it was her. The same Thyme that sat with him at that cafe, during his first night at Ponyville. The same Thyme that he shared all of his experiences and laughs. She was there, next to him again.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was sitting with Twilight Sparkle while she was trying to pull herself together, trying to figure out a solution to this madness. Rarity was nowhere to be found. Pinkie was devastated. After all of this, she was unsure whether to smile again or not. Her mane was straight down and her coat colour got darker, like that of when she was back at the rock farm. Suddenly, two identical ponies appeared behind her.

"Aw, come on now Pinkie, cheer up!" said one of them, the happy and cheerful one, shining like the now non-existent sun.

"W-Wha?" said Pinkie after lifting her head, full of tears, in a complete mess.

"We know that these situations are somewhat difficult, and I myself don't agree with Dolce most of the time, but that's not an excuse to stop smilling." said the second one which, although looked more pessimistic than her sister, had the same bright smile.

Pinkie couldn't help but smile back, her colour coming back and her mane getting all fuzzy and messy again.

"You're right!" she said with happyness and hugged the twins, "Thank you, both of you!"

As Heartfire and Thyme walked next to each other, constantly opening new topics and laughing with each other, Heartfire's eye noticed a pony crying. He approached her to find out that it was the same mare that was against the Mane Six. She turned around and looked at Heartfire with a cold look.

"G-Go away..." she said with a cracked voice.

Heartfire sat down and put his hoof on her hood, taking it off.

"Look, if we're to complain and cry all the time, we're never going to get Equestria back. Only if we work together we can."

He then got up and showed the mare his hoof.

"My name is Heartfire."

The mare wiped her eyes and latched on his hoof, Heartfire raising her to her hooves. She immediately put on her hood.

"Violet. Violet Haze."

"Nice to meet you, Violet." said Heartfire with a smile.

Thyme behind him smiled to herself. I made the right choice. Looking around for a while, she noticed Twilight being lost in her thoughts and looking at something. Thyme focused her magic and teleported next to her, leaving Heartfire and Violet Haze to get to know each other a little more. When she teleported next to her, she just couldn't hold back but ask:

"Are you..Twilight Sparkle?" she asked and looked at her amazed.

It didn't seem like it, but Thyme was a very fond fan of Twilight's work and reports on different scientific and social matters which were proven revolutionary. Thyme herself was interested in discovering different kinds of things, that being one of the reasons why she was at Ponyville.

Twilight didn't seem to notice her. Like Heartfire all over again, she was lost in her thoughts as well. It was a map that she was looking at. A map of Canterlot to be more precise. Thyme took a quick peak.

"If it's the catacombs you're looking at, it won't work." she said, not expecting to get an answer.

Twilight raised her head and looked at Thyme.

"How do you know?" she asked with maximum curiosity.

"Well, considering that we're not messing with morons, they will have probably flooded them or blocked them. The best technique is to enter via magic. Unicorns, I mean."

"But what about the battleships? They will notice us with all the spark out teleportation magic creates."

"M-May I interrupt?" said a third voice with hesitation.

Both Thyme and Twilight Sparkle turned around and noticed a slightly taller Unicorn with glasses, keeping a small distance from the two unicorns.

"I read in a novel," the unicorn continued, "that the best offence is defence. So, the best way to teleport without the battlefleets noticing would be to distract them while attacking them as well. A job suited for pegasi."

Twilight looked at both of the unicorns amazed. She quickly opened a notepad and started writing down something while mumbling to herself.

"It's perfect," she said with amazement,"Girls, this plan, with a little more development is going to be perfect! What are your names really?"

After a small introduction, the three unicorns got back to business, choosing the perfect and most fit pegasi to assault the battlefleets, an exam that tested both their courage and their power.Thyme then ceased the opportunity to introduce Heartfire, which proved to be the strongest and most brave pegasus. Eventually, he was declared the leader of the pegasus squad. Fluttershy got her confidence back and decided to introduce Grafix as second pegasus in charge. Grafix at first wasn't sure but after a kiss on the cheek by Fluttershy herself, Grafix was more than confident. Pinkie Pie, now completely rejuvenated by the twins Dolce and Oscuro, encouraged the pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies, making them laugh and forget about all the anxiety and risks. The earth ponies, would follow the unicorns and break the doors, being the strongest in hoof power. Besides, unicorn magic wasn't the only thing that would protect them. Leader of the Earth Team was Violet Haze, the self-centered but self-controlled leader and in these times, self-control is essential. The plan was set and everypony fell to sleep for tomorrow would be the day of liberty or death.

While everypony was asleep, Rarity appeared out of the blue, pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and began to write. After a short time of writing, she slipped the note next to Twilight.

"Goodbye...my friends." whispered Rarity, "You are the best friends a pony could ever hope for..."

She left the hideout with a tear in her eye and nopony ever noticed apart from Heartfire, whose desire for a good night's sleep was long gone. He didn't try to stop her, let alone talk to her. He only looked at her leaving, slowly fading into the black.

"Do the right thing." he wispered.

"Can't get sleep either?" said a voice behind him.

Heartfire turned around and saw Thyme.

"I should ask the same for you." he replied, "Sit."

The two of them were now lying at Heartfire's spot near a window, looking at the moon outside. Heartfire gave out a small smile.

"You're beautiful..." he said while looking at the moon.

"It is indeed." Thyme replied, looking at it as well.

"I was reffering to you." said Heartfire now facing Thyme.

Thyme was caught off guard there. She blushed and didn't want to look at Heartfire in the eyes.

"Heartfire, I-" she said while turning around to face him.

She never got to finish this sentence as Heartfire interrupted her by touching his lips with hers. Thyme didn't back off. She did the exact opposite. She closed her eyes and gave up to her desire. Heartfire slowly moved away and looked at Thyme's beautiful purple eyes.

"Our first and probably last." he said, breaking the silence.

Rarity made a run for the Graveyard but when she got there, she felt a presence behind her, shortly after entering the gate.

"Why have you come, young mare? What is it that your heart desires?" said a familiar yet cold voice.

"To make a deal with you, you monster!" shouted Rarity and turned around to face Death. "You take my life, and bring Rainbow Dash back!"

For a moment, Death just stood there and looked at Rarity with his dead look. He banged his scuthe at then ground.

"And what would it be that it may stop me from just sliting your throat right now is the real question you should ask."

"Nothing." said Rarity without losing even a minute her cool.

"I admire your bravery," he said and gave out a small laugh, "The Element of Generosity to the end I see, sacrificing herself to bring back the most loyal of them all. Fine. I will play your game, mortal. But I don't guarantee that it's going to be a peaceful arrival to the world of the dead!"

Death then lifted his scythe and stuck it clear into Rarity’s heart. She let out a shriek of pain and fell to the ground seeing Death's scythe with her very heart stuck to it.

Death raised his scythe once again and then beat it with Rarity's heart into the ground. As he did, he formed a pentagram and flames spit out of the ground which were immediately extinguished, revealing Rainbow Dash in a perfect condition.

"Ughhh, what happened?" said Rainbow Dash as she got up slightly dazed.

She then saw Rarity on the ground.

"Rarity!" she yelled and flew towards her.

"R..Ru….Run Rainbow…The…" she hardly spelled, coughing blood and reaching into Rainbow's ear, wispering the location where their friends were safely hiding.

"But...but what about you?!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

"My…t….time…is up…da…darling, now...make me prou…proud and protect the others o…k…?" said Rarity with her last breath.

"I promise...I will!" yelled Rainbow as she flew off, heading towards the others.

As Death  gazed at Rainbow Dash fleeing with tears running from her eyes like waterfalls, Death grinned and gave out a maniacal laugh, one unlike the others, more sinister and evil than the rest. A laugh that made the plants rot and nature around him wither.

"These ponies are the most entertaining." laughed Death and faded into the Darkness.

Twilight woke up from the noise of a raven cawing outside the hideout and got up in shock as she heard a pony yelling.

"Intruder! Intruder!"

Twilight got up quickly and stormed towards the gathering room only to see Rainbow Dash strouggling to get away from the angry mob of ponies after her.

"EVERYPONY STOP!" Twilight yelled and everypony ceased, "She's just...Rainbow..."

She couldn't finish the sentence and immediately began crying. Rainbow dashed towards her and gave her a pat in the back.

"It's okay Twi, I'm here. But...Rarity..."

It was only then when Twilight remembered noticing a note that was right next to bed. She ran back to her bed and found the note.

"So it really was a note." she said, picking it up and beginning to read.

  My Friends,

    Please remember me when you read this. I am sorry for leaving in such a short notice without warning anypony, but this world is torn apart. It's full of hatred now, and envy, with its streets empty, only the patrols roaming around, ready to attack and kill us. That is why I want no place in it. This isn’t a world for a fashoniesta such as myself, I would only get in your way, or worse…get you killed.

    My Friends, I believe you can save this world. I believe in all of you. Now...make me proud. I’ll be watching you...always...