Chapter 1: Rarity's Potion
Chapter 1: Desolation
Chapter 1: Desolation
Smoke filled the air as Twilight coughed heavily, and scanned her surroundings. Once the smoke cleared, she gasped with a look of disbelief and heartbreak: her friendship castle was destroyed! Tirek may have managed to destroy her treehouse library, but she had been given a crystal castle. Now, it had been destroyed too. The only things that remained were the sides of the castle she had once called home, with sparkling shards, wood, books and papers floating and scattered everywhere. Some of them burned.
"What the?..." Twilight said before remembering what had happened before she lost consciousness. The urgent letter Celestia had sent, reports of the dangers going on around Equestria, the planning for the journey ahead, Discord coming to them with a warning, all the ponies stripped of their abilities, the urge of magic in her horn, her friends rushing by her side towards Tirek, Spike calling out her name, the explosions, a giant fireball heading towards her, then ... emptyness. It was all coming back to her now. But that meant ...
"SPIKE! ... Spike where are you?! Spike please answer me! SPIKE!!!!! ..." Twilight yelled as she went searching through the wreckage of her use-to-be home. Twilight was in full panic mode. If something happened to Spike .... she would never be able to forgive herself.
".... elp ..." a faint, muffled voice spoke from a pile of small crystals. Twilight heard the voice and rushed over.
"SPIKE!" Twilight exclaimed as she went to the pile and pushed it all to the side. She gasped at the sight.
Spike lay on his back with burns and scratches all over his body. It even looked like some scales were damaged. The baby dragon was badly hurt, and when he tried to move it, pain shot through his body like electric pulses. Twilight's eyes watered.
"Oh Spike ..." Twilight said softly as she cried. She put her hooves around her loyal assisstant, and hugged him gently while crying. This couldn't be happening! Not to her, not to Spike! The baby dragon put his arms slowly around Twilight and hugged back.
"Twi, it's going to be okay ..." Spike said in a soft voice. Twilight looked at Spike with soft, watery eyes as she carefully separated from the hug. She felt terrible.
"Spike ... You're going to be okay. I'm going to get you some help. I-I'm so sorry ..." Twilight said before wiping a tear. Spike gave a sad smile before closing his eyes. Twilight smiled back before using her magic to put Spike on her back. She trotted out of the destroyed castle to get help.
"Help! Please! Somepony! Anypony!" Twilight yelled, hoping she and Spike weren't alone. Sadly, it looked like they were. But the sight that greeted her snapped her out of her train of thought. Buildings were either destroyed, half standing or partially standing. The town of Ponyville looked like a half destroyed ghost town. And nopony was in sight.
"Twilight!" a voice called out in the distance. The unicorn looked to see Derpy Hooves flying to her.
"Derpy!" Twilight exclaimed before the gray pegasus landed.
"Derpy. I need help. What in Equestria happened here?!" Twilight asked, wanting answers as much as possible.
"I saw Tirek destroy Ponyville from Cloudsdale. He wanted all the ponies to surrender. He even ate this weird gas stuff from the ponies. After he blasted you and your friends, he destroyed tons of buildings and ate the gas stuff from the ponies. It was horrible!" the mail pony told the alicorn.
"Derpy, please tell me everypony is safe! What happened to my friends once Tirek blasted us?!" Twilight asked urgently.
"Everypony is safe. Your friends flew in different directions, and Applejack crashed into her barn. The other pegasus ponies and I managed to help save them, but once Tirek started destroying the town, we had to help. Sadly, Ponyville isn't the only place that got hit..." Derpy answered before looking left, right and behind her. Twilight followed her gaze.
Sugarcube Corner was turned into a twisted mess of wood and a giant cupcake; Rarity's Boutique had been shattered into nothing but wood, broken glass and fabric all over the place; smoke rose in the distance from what Twilight could only guess was Applejack's barn. But the real shocker was what was behind Derpy. Burning, melting, and forming out of place was none other than Cloudsdale.
"NO!" Twilight exclaimed in shock. Cloudsdale, the place where pegasus ponies called home was falling apart.
"Derpy, how did ..." Twilight began, but the pegasus stopped her.
"Tirek fired a giant fireball at Cloudsdale while we were helping ponies evacuate Ponyville. Rainbow and the others are trying to fix Cloudsdale as best they can," Derpy explained.
"Derpy, please tell me the hospital hasn't been damaged! Spike is hurt and he needs help!" Twilight told her friend, looking at the baby dragon.
"Yes. The Ponyville hospital is actually one of the buildings that's still standing. You better hurry!" Derpy replied.
"Thank you," Twilight said before carefully running off to the Ponyville hospital.
"Help! Somepony! Please, I have an injured dragon!" Twilight exclaimed running up to the front desk. Nurse Redheart came and saw Spike.
"We'll take care of him Twilight. ..... I need a strecher, and staff up at the front. Injured baby dragon in need of medical care!" Nurse Redheart said to Twilight before signaling the emergency over the loud speaker. Doctor and nurse ponies came and took Spike from Twilight. The alicorn watched sadly as Spike was rolled away from her. The good news was Spike was in good hooves. But now, she needed to help her friends.
"Hold on everypony!" Twilight said now running from the hospital towards the direction of Applejack's barn. It didn't take long to get to Sweet Apple Acres. Once she did though, she witnessed a sight she never could have imagined: the barn and house was on fire, with fire fighting ponies helping to put out the flames. All four Apple family members were huddled together outside the burnt wreckage crying and comforting each other.
This couldn't be happening! Yet, it was ...
