The Fourth Age: The Blood Wars

In a sunny glade, overlooking the town pf Ponyville and the Whitetail woods, five Equisins prepared their picnic. While the two pegasi prepared the blanket, the earth ponies gathered the food and the single unicorn, with delicate motions of her hands as her horn glowed, moved and set plates and glasses, even a decorative vase with flowers. These five were Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity. Former Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Conduits of the Tree of Harmony. Saviors of Equestria and teachers of the School of Friendship.

"Geez Rarity, do you have to be so high class even on a picnic?"

Rarity, who carefully tucked the gown of her sundress as she sat at her spot on the blanket, rolled her eyes as she spoke.

"Well Rainbow Dash," She said as the mentioned pegasi took a less the poise seat on the ground opposite of her, "I thought that a little extra decoration would help set the mood for this special day. You do know what day it is right?"

"Uh yeah of course...." Dash said, looking away slightly as she thought, "Just uh....give me a moment."

"Oh come on Sugarcube," Applejack said as she sat down with a smirk, "Even you can't forget this day."

"I didn't forget...." Dash reroted, on the defensive, "Uh...I just need a hint."

"Oh, Oh, pick me. Pick me!" Pinkie Pie began, an excited look in her eyes.

"Uh...Pinkie Pie." Dash said, wondering if that was the right choice.

"Eeeeeh, weeeeell it involves all of us, and Twilight once she and Spike get here. And its almost been ten years since then." Pinkie started, her whole body shaking with excitement.

Rainbow Dash pressed her lips, tongue sticking out as she thought, "Hang on I think I got it..."

Everyone leaned in, waiting for the answer.

"Is it....someone's birthday?" Dash said, causing the rest of the girls heads to drop and groan.

"Ugh, Dash sometimes I think yer years o' crashes rattled yer brains some." Applejack said with a sigh.

Dash looked at her friend and rival with a glare, "Hey, are you calling me dumb?"

"Um, now lets start fighting now. This is a happy time. O-okay?" Fluttershy spoke up, or whispered up as she hid in her mane a bit.

"Yeah, this is a time to celebrate!" Pinkie shouted, with a throwing of confetti, "Oh that was hint number two also."

Rainbow Dash leveled her glare from Applejack to Pinkie Pie and opened her mouth to retort when Twilight landed, or crashed, with a cloud of dust and dirt.

"I'm sorry im late!" Twilight shouted, "I'm here! I didn't forget!"

Twilight quickly ran and began placing cookies and random bits of food on the plates in a hurried motion, until Applejack took her by the hoof.

"Whoa now sugarcube. Take a deep breath and calm down."

Twilight breathed in deep, and her tight held up arms to her chest and clenching her picnic basket lowered some.

"A little more." AJ said, motioning down.

Twilight's arms went lower.

"Tiny bit more."

Twilight dropped the basket and fell to her knees with a sigh of held air. Applejack nodded, "Much better."

Twilight sighed again, "Thanks Applejack. I needed that."

"Think nothin' of it."

"Twilight darling," Rarity started as a hairbrush came out of the simple white purse she held, "Just how fast did you rush here? Your mane is absolutely in a mess not to mention your ensemble."

Twilight blinked and pulled a small compact mirror that Rarity had given her for her birthday. Though make up and such were not her main focus, Twilight did agree the mirror was useful when needing to check on her physical condition. She did not have to have her friends tell her when she had bags under her eyes anymore from lack of sleep.

Though lack of sleep would have been a minor offense. Twilight was not sure she had looked this bad since she first moved into her castle and had her friends help fix it up. Her mane was still partly wet and sticking out at odd ends. She had not applied even the smallest amount of make up, yes even she used it. Just around her eyes mostly, even Fluttershy and she knew for a fact Rainbow Dash used even a little eye liner; but she had forgotten that too. And when she looked down she saw her shirt was on inside out and her sweater vest on the wrong way. And she had her left foot on her right foot and vise versa.

"Oh dear...I look a mess." She said finally.

"Yeah even I gotta say, you look a little frazzled Twily." Rainbow Dahs commented, "Let me guess Spike woke you from an all night reading session."

"NO!"

Twilights quick response was met only with raised brows and a few knowing smirks from AJ and Dash. Twilight sighed and nodded; earning a roar of laughter from Rainbow Dash.

"Ah that's just like you egg head," Dash laughed.

Twilight puffed her checks a bit, "I am not an egg head."

"Oh don't pick at her now Dashie. After all, you still haven't told us what today is." Rarity spoke up, a smirk on her lips as Dash now grimaced.

Twilight blinked and giggled, "Oh come on Dash. You seriously don't remember?"

"I do I just....." Dash started before sighing, "Okay I don't."

All around her the girls laughed and rolled their eyes. Dash blushed a deep red as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh Rainbow Dash. What are we gonna do with you?" AJ asked, shaking her head with a grin still on her lips.

Dash stomped a foot to the ground, "Oh just tell me already."

With those words Pinkie Pie stopped laughing, "Well duh its like our tenth First Day of Friendship Aniversary celebration! It was ten years ago on this day, that Twilight moved to town and we all became friends."

Dash blinked, "Wow ten years? Was it really that long ago?"

"I know. Feels only like it were yesterday." Applejack said with a smile.

Rairty nodded, "Indeed. It is amazing how fast time can fly by."

"And through it all we've been the closest of friends despite all the challenges we faced." Twiligh added, "And nothing will ever change that."

"Awww I'm just so happy!" Pinkie then grabbed all five of her friends into a big hug, "You're the best friends a girl could ask for!"

The six girls all embraced each other, with the peaceful moment only interrupted when a heavy breathing Spike, came running up the hill with a heavy basket in his hands.

"Geez Twilight. Leave me in the dust why don't you." The salamander gasped.

Twilight freed herself from the group hug and flew over with a flap of her wings to pick up Spike and hug him tight.

"Oh Spike, I'm sorry." She hugged her for all she could and soon the other joined in as well.

"Best group hug ever!" Shouted Pinkie Pie.

Spike however struggled to free himself, finding the sudden display of affection somewhat bothering to his young pre-teen mind. That is until he felt Rarity's arm around him.

Okay maybe this wasn't so bad after all. He was never going to wash himself again!

The seven of them stayed like that for a few moments more before they all let go. AJ fixed her hat as she reached into a basket and pulled out several bottles of Sweet Apple Cider.

"Well, enough hugging lets start having fun!"

Everyone cheered, and the friends started their picnic in earnest.

Across town at Ponyville Hospital, the screams of pain echoed in a maternity room as a young Equisin woman pushed with all her body could muster. The pain of bringing new life both tormented her and filled her with an inner strength she never knew she had as she struggled to push out the new life that rested still in her womb, yet so sought to be free.

It was almost poetic. If she could just find the right words....

"AH! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!" The equisin woman shouted, grabbing her husband by his shirt and started shaking him viciously.

"Just one more push now." A nurse said, even as both the woman and man now started screaming.

The woman screamed as she pushed once more, the man screamed as his hands were grabbed and crushed in the vice grip of his wife's hands.

And like that two screams faded, and one scream began.

With great wails and kicks the new young Equisin came into the world, sticky and covered in goo and blood.

"It's a girl! A unicorn!" The doctor announced, "Congratulations Mrs. Flower Bloom. Mr. Night Flier."

"Oh she's beautiful." FLower Bloom said, as she was handed her new born baby girl. Night Flier himself even ignored the pain of his, very likely broken hands, to smile in awe of his new born daughter.

"She's beautiful sweet heart." He said, lifting a hand to his wife.

Flower took her husbands hand, and he shouted in pain and yanked his hand away; which only made him scream more as broken hands don't like sudden movement.

"Oh, sorry dear." She gasped.

"Don't worry, we've dealt with this before. Nurse take Mr. Flier and have him get x-rayed and taken care of."

The nurse nodded and led the father away, who grimaced as he tried to not use his broken hands.

Flower frowned, but then smiled as she looked down once more at the little girl who suckled at her breast.

"You're so beautiful." She whispered and kissed her daughters head.

"Mrs. Bloom, I hate to interrupt this moment, but we will need to take her for a few moments to weigh her and take a few tests to ensure she is healthy." The doctor spoke up.

"I know. Just...a few seconds more." Bloom said, gently caressing her daughters head.

The doctor nodded, and allowed a few moments for the happy mother.

Though the moment was sweet, it had to end. As the new born baby, now named Cherry Blossom, was taken for weighing and examination, the nurses and doctors went to work.

She was a big girl, almost 10 pounds. Her mane, what little of it there was, was a mix of her fathers Cyan blue and her mothers ocean green. And she had the prettiest green eyes ever; as one nurse said.

Blood type O Positive. She seemed to be breathing okay, and her pulse was normal.

And she even had a birth mark. Though it was certainly odd. A dark purple blotchy looking hand. Just barely noticeable on her back left shoulder. Though most of the nurses and doctors saw it as just an odd birth mark. Two nurses left and began writing in a book they kept, as they walked away.

It was night in the city of Durdanel, Capital of the nation of Stormtree. As one of the stronger nations of humanity, Stormtree prided itself on maintaining safety in its cities, even in the dead of night. So the woman did not need to worry for her safety. Guards patrolled the streets, and any local trouble makers or thieves guild members would not even consider attempting a robbery in this part of the inner city.

So sure of her own safety, the woman did not even see the shadowed individual in a heavy cloak following after her. Steps locked in time with her, the figure grew closer and closer. Then the woman turned, perhaps some long forgotten sense of danger that humans had not needed since the time of the Arrival in ages past, when they were divided by primitive tribes and fought to establish themselves in the New Lands.

The woman could not scream, as a hand shot over her mouth and the full weight of the cloaked individual forced her down. But she felt the pain of something sharp stab into her sides, into her belly and drag across. She screamed, though it came out muffled and she fought.

She kicked and clawed, not just to save herself but the young life that had only just started in her. That she had only just learned of and was eager to tell her husband of. The pain came again, at her neck and soon she fought no more.

The figure rose and headed down an alley, leaving the body behind; blood pooling in the cobbled streets.

A pen was dragged across a small notebook in hand in a single line and the figure disappeared in the alleyways of the capital.