Five months ago

Sweetie Belle collapses against a tree, panting. Her legs feel like jello, and her lungs ache.

"Can we please stop?" She pleads with her two best friends Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

Apple Bloom sighs, "I suppose it's about time we set up camp."

Sweetie falls to the ground and takes heavy breaths. She has never been one for long-distance walking, though she supposes she really should be better at it by now considering she's been walking for the past five years. Not without rest stops, of course, but she and her friends are runaways, so it's their only choice to walk and walk and walk.

Five years ago, on the day of the First Battle, Sweetie had been separated from her sister in the crowd and confusion. She'd wandered around, lost and confused, calling for somebody, anybody. That was when she'd found Scootaloo and Apple. They'd been crying in a corner, because Twilight had convinced Rainbow and Applejack to leave them behind.

"There is no room in the carriage. If we want to get to Canterlot, leave them here."

With no place else to go, Apple, Sweetie, and Scootaloo had run off and were still running five years later.

Sweetie always wondered what could have possibly made Applejack and Rainbow leave their sisters. It wasn't that they didn't love them, Sweetie had seen evidence if that, so then what was it? Were they thirsting for power and glory? Did they think they were doing the right thing? Or were they just eager to do whatever it took to be favorable in the eyes of Celestia? Sweetie laughs dryly. Sure these five years have changed her and her friends, but Rainbow and Applejack were changed in a single day. Unless, of course, they'd always been like that.

"What'cha thinkin' of," Apple asks, plopping down beside Sweetie.

Sweetie forces her face into a grin.

"Oh nothing!" She says.

She could never tell either of her friends her thoughts about their sisters. It would crush them even more than they already are, like crushing fragments of a rock until there's nothing left but a fine powder that blows away.

"A little help here?" Scootaloo complains, as she struggles to put up the heavy tent they stole a few years ago to avoid sleeping on dirt.

Sweetie laughs, "I'd better go help her."

That night even though her friends are all asleep, Sweetie lies awake staring up at the stars. Everyone is always talking about how staring up at the stars will make you feel small, but Sweetie doesn't feel small. Staring at the stars makes her feel as if she's part of a world that is beautiful. Whenever she's tired of the ugliness of the war, she stares at the stars and remembers that beauty still exists, even if the rest of the world is ugly and cruel.

It was her sister Rarity that first told her to look at the stars. Sweetie remembers the exact day. She'd come home crying from a bad day at school, and her sister had wiped her tears away and taken her up to the roof. She'd told Sweetie to remember that beauty could still exist amid ugliness. The day after, Rarity had seen Sweetie a new dress with the pattern of the night sky, and paid for a moonroof in Sweetie's room, so she could look at the stars every night.

Sweetie feels water trickle onto her shirt and realizes she's crying. She brushes away the tears and buries her head in her pillow. Eventually, she lulls to sleep.

Sweetie jerks up with a start at the sound of voices. She tries to get up but discovers she's already standing. She blinks her eyes open and looks down only to notice her arms and legs bound to a tree by rope. She pulls and struggles against the rope trying to get free. Her efforts are in vain. Someone must be an expert at knot-tying.

"Sweetie! You're awake!" Scootaloo says with relief.

Sweetie turns her head to see Scootaloo and Apple Bloom tied to the tree next to her.

"Wha-What's going on?" Sweetie asks, still straining against the ropes.

"Struggling won't do you any good, sillyhead," A voice chirps.

"That," Apple mutters grimly, "Is what's going on."

Sweetie cranes her neck to look around the tree. The minute she does, her eyes pop open and the first thought that comes to her brain is, "We are screwed."

The forever-infamous terrorist Pinkie Pie skips towards the girls. She is followed by none other than enemy-of-the-state Sunset Shimmer who had tried to steal Twilight's crown and changeling queen Chrysalis who had tried to suck all the love from Equestria. Of course, the infamous flamethrower strapped to Pinkie's back does not go unnoticed.

"The Muffinbaker," Sweetie whispers, partly in awe partly in fear, and she struggles harder.

Pinkie giggles, "Don't worry, little muffin." She pats Sweetie on the head, "I won't use it on you."

"Then why are you here?" Scootaloo asks angrily, "And why with them?" Scootaloo nudges her head condescendingly at Sunset and Chrysalis.

"That's none of your damn business," Sunset glowers angrily.

"Simple. I need love to feed my people. Love comes from bodies. Bodies resist less when they're dead. P.A.R.T.Y kills bodies. There you go," Chrysalis says snarkily.

"As for your first question, we've been keeping an eye on you renegade girls and we've decided that it's time to check for your marks," Pinkie chirps.

"Marks?" Sweetie asks.

"Both side's soldiers are required to have a mark. For the Republic, it's a moon right here," Pinkie pokes Sweetie's ankle. "For the Empire, it's a sun right here," Pinkie pokes the back of Apple's neck.

Pinkie looks at each of their necks and ankles with an electronic eyescope, which allows her to see through any kind of disguise.

"You're clean!" She announces in a chirpy voice.

As she walks away with Sunset and Chrysalis in tow, something inside of Sweetie changes. She doesn't know what it is, but she turns to Scootaloo and Apple and sees that they have the same idea in their minds.

"Wait," Sweetie says.

Pinkie stops.

Sweetie exchanges looks with her friends, "We want to join P.A.R.T.Y."

Pinkie grins her manic grin, "Glad to have you!"

Author's Note

I wanted to make something clear. You can probably already tell that everyone is a human in those story. They have no wings or powers either. However, the dragons still exist, but they're humanoid, and they just look like humans with scales and wings. Also, in this chapter we meet the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I would like to mention that the Mane Six are between the ages of 23-25, Spike is about 20, and the Crusaders are about 15. I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but the idea for Pinkie to have a flamethrower came from Sabotage Valkyrie, because I think a flamethrower is very suitable for Pinkie, though my name for the flamethrower is different. Anyway, thanks for reading my story! The Muffinbaker. I know, stupid. But I figured a ridiculous name would suit Pinkie. In some ways, the Muffinbaker is like Pinkie herself. It seems silly, but is really frightening. Not a while lot happened in this chapter, but I hope you like it anyways. We'll get more action in the next chapter. Anyway, I hope you like this story!