It was a beautiful, sunny day. Almost. Birds were chirping and the sky was blue, or at least it would be if not for an ethereal magenta bubble surrounding the mountain city. Ponies milled about in the stone-paved streets, dwarfed by the towering spires of the castle. There was an unusually high presence of armored guards, which, while foreboding, didn’t seem to detract from the lives of those around them.
Two unicorns, a mare and a filly, walked along a cobbled road, going about their day. The mother gazed up at the castle, where a royal procession was taking place, the marriage between a Princess and the Captain of the Royal Guards. The massive palace had gorgeous architecture, with polished walls, ornate stained glass windows, gilded spires, spacious balconies, and a sprawling garden. The town below was beautiful in its own right, having storefronts with decorative facades, elegant mansions in posh neighborhoods, and well-kept streets complete with fountains and sculptures. It was a city of the well-off and the elite.
Out of nowhere, charcoal grey, chitinous creatures amassed outside the massive force field. They pummeled themselves against the bubble, causing what had appeared to be a filmy substance to crack. The ponies underneath glanced up at the noise, life coming to a standstill as they couldn’t help but watch their impending doom. The barrier popped after several hits, pieces falling away like shattered glass. It only took a matter of seconds for the entire structure to crumble. Quite the commotion ensued as the ponies scrambled about in chaotic terror.
While the filly looked on with immense curiosity, the mare was worried, eyes betraying a ghost of fear and recognition. She gulped and quickly scooped the foal onto her back and zig-zagged for home. With the defenses breached, green missiles rained all around as these beings dive-bombed the city. Landing right in front of frantic citizens, they climbed out of their craters and gave chase.
Several tried to catch the mother, but she stayed her course, even kicking out at a few in stride. Others opted to terrorize the townsfolk, cornering them and causing general mayhem. Ponies that were unfortunate enough to be caught had restraints made of viscous green slime placed upon them by the rampant monsters. Meanwhile, on the battlements above, legions of the infiltrators clung to the ramparts, painting the castle black.
The swarm on top of the palace came to a standstill, waiting to confront a group of six ponies, ready for a draw. In quick succession, each of the beings was engulfed in emerald flames. When the magical fires had subsided, ponies bearing striking resemblances to those in the center were left in their wake. An all-out brawl ensued amongst them, drawing the attention of the filly. She stared at the commotion in awe, while the mare bit her tongue and continued to run.
But before they could make it very far, the ground in front of them erupted in a shower of rubble and dust, a shadowy figure rising from the smoke. While being the same height as the mare, its presence towered over them. It approached the two slowly, hole-filled legs clacking on the paving stones, backing the pair into an alleyway. Cowering, she slowly retreated under the intimidating creature’s cool gaze, eyes darting to and fro. A few more joined the insectoid surrounding them, grinning wickedly with fangs bared and translucent wings flared.
The mother pressed herself against the wall, attempting to shield her offspring. She desperately tried warding off the unwelcome guests, while they just cackled and hissed, frightening the poor filly. She lit her horn with a wavy aura, pausing the fiends momentarily. However, they called her bluff; the notion that she hadn’t already used her magic on them causing chuckles. Almost fluently, the mare growled and snarled at their attackers in response, as if trying to communicate with them in their native tongue. She winced and shrank back, terrified, as if she had done something wrong. Her daughter peeked out from behind her legs, watching the exchange in a state of confusion. Quickly glancing down, the mare let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the oblivious, albeit perplexed, look on the filly. The vermin were taken aback, but soon resumed their predatory advance with more fervor, eyes narrowed and growling.
Left with no other choice, she lashed out and hit one of the intruders blocking her path. Panicking, the mare picked up her daughter and ran, sweat wicking off her body as the air whipped past. They followed in hot pursuit, calling out to their comrades to join them. The main aggressor fired a beam at the two, narrowly missing the mother. Those flanking it tried as well, some causing sticky splotches of the neon goop to appear on the ground around them.
There was a stillness in the air, like the calm before the storm. Ears perked up and eyes alert, the creatures came to a halt and turned towards the palace, as if they had a sixth sense of some sorts. Abruptly, a pink sphere exploded from the castle and rushed to greet them. The spell washed over the bound ponies, melting the sludge into thin air. It cascaded through the streets, picking up the invaders and sending them flying like ragdolls. Carried at the forefront was what must have been their leader; a larger, more regal-looking version, with a tiny crown atop long and lanky teal hair.
The mare peeked at the filly, who stood aghast, trying to decipher what was happening. Accepting her fate, she closed her eyes as the pink wave arrived, hitting them with the force of a bull. It tore at her skin as if it was clothing, boiling it away like a receding tide, time slowing to a crawl. She looked at her daughter, guilty eyes pleading, and was met with surprise. Shooting an accusatory glare at what she deemed an imposter, the filly slowly realized that this was, in fact, her mother. Her shock mellowed to a semblance of understanding and pity as they were engulfed in the spell. Weary tears of regret slid off the mother’s face, hanging still in the air as her body was jerked out from under her. Hooves outstretched towards each other for a final embrace that would never happen, they locked eyes and shared a bittersweet smile of loving reassurance, one last farewell.
The filly felt a powerful shunt, sliding across the gravel and into a wall. Her mother was catapulted into the horizon, destination unknown, one speck almost lost amongst her fellow creatures. She flattened her ears as she stared out longingly into the distance, her heart weighed down by emotions she could never comprehend, her mother never to return.
And then her mother was gone.
