Millennial Mountainside Metropolitans

by Fireflower

Rating: mature
Tags: Death, Alternate Universe, Human, Twinkleshine, Sad, Lyra, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Colgate, Lemon Hearts, Non-consensual, Moondancer, Sex, Tragedy, Profanity, Violence, Dark
Length: 59109

A compliation of vignettes from survivors of a tragedy hitting too close to home, each of them struggling to live in different environments and deal with their daily lives in and out of the city to overcome the pain from (not too) long ago.

The city of Canterlot is known to many as the capital of Equestria and for good reasons no less: home to the royal sisters and their shared subjects, it's etched within one of the largest mountains to serve as a platform to view its surrounding neighbors; because of this, it'd been believed to be safe from many threats.

Of course, all of it changed when the war broke out with relatives perishing, survivors crying, and conurbations burning after being pillaged and defiled to no end forevermore; even this one alone wasn't spared from the damage which had ensued, despite their very attributes, suffering the same fate as the rest of the country, for the most part.

In the passing years, regaining tranquility had became a central objective, especially in the eyes of the former assemblage from that same community: an adoptive mother, a former manager, a beautiful dreamer, a wayward prostitute, an introverted scholar, and a regretful extrovert; these were the lives and times of the broken individuals forever effected by the war.

In spite of their commonalities between one another that had brought them together, the women were nearly torn apart years ago because of said war and the aftereffects that had followed it; as such, these are their stories.

NOTE: Although it also takes place at the same timeframe as War Orphans' Wishes, it's best recommended to start reading Ocular Spectral Therapy first for the sake of continuity before jumping into any other story on one's own free will(power) and time.

Published 2019-12-01 05:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2020-02-01 05:30:10 UTC

Enharmonic

Author's Note

My name is Fireflower and welcome to the fifth installment of my first My Little Pony fanfic that, like its predecessor and the progenitor, is rated Mature and goes beyond the typical oneshots I had made before, using canon characters as human beings instead of their normal forms: as such, I have decided to focus on one of the main characters alongside others; nevertheless, this story will be dealing with heavy subject matters unsuitable for certain readers so be warned.

As always, My Little Pony, or rather Friendship Is Magic, including its settings and characters belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro; however, this concept of my fanfic alone belongs to me so I will say this line one time only: please do not steal this story or I will sue.

Lastly, let me also say I hope you enjoy this chapter now and stay tuned for future chapters later on: after all, you're going to be taking solace in the fact the following pattern will serve as a heads–up so to speak; besides, we've a long way to go before you can meet the rest of them.

Enharmonic

Light is the only way of how the small world worked, let along the realm that is reality in and of itself; after all, they were both interchangeable to a fault. At the very least, its absolute presence had served to provide a sense of identity for the corporeal dimensions, sensory information needed greatly at once. Now it would seem that just about everything could be found instantaneously irregardless of its very importance, imminent and otherwise so to speak of.

There was a lone metropolis now bathed in an elegant afterglow thanks to the eternal golden sun taking residence above them in the heavens with the cottony clouds traveling about in its wake. In them, the big bright blue skies contained a variety of lifeforms flying across the way over the rhythm emotion of the surface’s hustle and bustle flowing about without even so much as a care. There were towering behemoths ruling and governing their own landscape for though they were all divided, these constructs nevertheless shared the same power wielded over this very placing. Aside from a variety of vehicles running about the asphalt with its sights and sounds contributing to the atmosphere, there were ships of various sizes surfing directly across the dyed deep blue. What had made it stand out the most were the massive flocks of herons and seagulls which could run so far to and fro but couldn’t get away with even the largest of wingspans as they’d cawed. On the other side of the vast and magnificent waters where the many ships had sailed in and out of were a mountainous valley donned in a dark green growing upon the massive beautiful earth. Most importantly, the very denizens themselves were abundantly commonplace coming and going inside the city by any and all means necessary as they pleased in sheer density whatsoever.

Of the areas in question, one place in particular stood out and about: it’d been sequestered by a single road starting as a simplistic geometric corner only to cut throughout the greenery in parts unknown. On one side, a wide building on a singular story resided, basic to a fault with its brick and mortar exterior having made up the rectangular bulk while stretching on from said corner to the furthest intersection. Opposing them were a series of houses facing it, each with their own variances in acreage and materials as well as the coloring contrasting one another; nothing much else could be said about it for now.

At this present moment, a crowd of people were gathering about in front of the larger complex, every single one of them bearing their own differences in more ways than just one so to speak of; as a matter of fact, two of the individuals hereon stood out and about with attire and femininity yet they were contrasting against each other much like everyone else currently on the premises. The first of the maidenly duo bore a brightly clear skinned complexion with eyes of goldenrod and short spiky mints with a white midpoint, wearing a blue combo of a shirt, skirt, and shoes; the other was darker and shorter, bearing aquamarine orbs and long tricolor locks of purple, pink, and aqua, the only articles of clothing found were an enormous baby blue pinafore and shoes.

“Now, Star… words cannot begin to express how much I want to say how proud of you we are: it’d only seemed like yesterday you were just a little girl all alone in a big world, let alone here; even now, it makes me so sad that you’ll growing up into a beautiful woman someday soon…” the eldest of the pair sighed softly, struggling to hold back whatever liquid growing within.

The aforementioned youth in question had remained more composed yet felt infected by the very melancholy no less as she’d replied back, “please, Mama Lyra, you don’t have to cry all the time: you’re much stronger than I could ever be, even in a century or so; besides, I just can’t help wondering what it would’ve been like if my parents had been there to see me grow over time. Even now, I still miss them as well as the great friends I’d made in Ponyville, even the Apples no less: I’d never imagined the pain and suffering either of them had to go through since the war broke out, let alone risking their own destruction; I still have nightmares about her big sister but I’m getting better nonetheless because I have you and Mommy looking out for me…”

“I know and even then I know it’s only a matter of time until you leave the nest one day; the thought of it makes me feel so alone in the world…” the eponymous elder elucidated tearfully, catching a few of their collective peers off–guard so to speak, “even though we’re different, I’d still treated you like a daughter a parent could ever ask for. I love you too much to let anything bad happen to you, much less history repeating itself: I’ve been growing aware of one too many stories about families and friends being torn asunder whichever way like paper; I refuse to let any of us become a part of it…!”

“Please, you’re making a scene…” the girl struggled to breathe as she and the woman now hugging the former tightly were now getting some looks from other witnesses, a few of which were glaring for one reason or another.

Lyra soon found the patience to release Star from the grips before speaking, “have a nice half–day at school; afterwards, make sure to wait for me inside until either Bon–Bon or I return this afternoon. Don’t wander off somewhere else alone: that means no playground, no going to the stores, no hitting the fun center, no swimming at the park, and especially no heading out nearby grownup places like bars and pubs. In addition, stay away from adults standing alone on the street corners and avoid talking to strangers: there’s no telling what could be going on in their minds or what plans they have in store generally speaking; are we clear…?”

“Yes, Mama…” the youth chirped, “crystal clear…”

“See you later, Starry…!” the very woman had said before heading away from the large building across the street, turning to wave at the titular tyro whom started heading inside alongside the latter’s compeers.

It was at this point onward Lyra started trudging past the houses directly nearby herself, ecstatic to have a new destination in mind as the sounds of people younger and older started to fade out.

Halfway across from the corner, the minty woman inadvertently bumped into a masculine pedestrian, a raven haired observer peering indignantly from his sunglasses dressed in a plain white tee with blue shorts and green sandals whom barked at her, “watched where you’re going, ya fool…!”

“Sorry…!” she’d simply sputtered, “how are you…?”

“Crazy chick…!” he’d said silently in his mind, far too away and quietly for Lyra to even hear, not that she would ever be in the stationary position to know or care in the very least as far as anyone else is concerned.

With that in mind, the minty woman was free to turn corner, greeted by the sight of more houses on the right side of where she was walking compared to the left; after taking in a deep breath, she’d begun to sing:

Mythic beings fascinate me,
being just the way they are.
Tell me, little person,
can you push a cart or drive a car?
Lyres are my instrument,
but cryptids strum their sweet guitar.

It’s a mystery,
Mysticality!

Hooves, hands, horns, and heightened wingspans,
Colorful coats upon their skins.
Would it be too much to ask
to see the world they’re living in?

Everybody tells me
that it’s old and fake mythology.
It’s a mystery,
Mysticality!

Aren’t you bored of washing your throat,
Styling your hair with your hands?
I don’t mean to butt in or gloat
but ancient history stands
Creatures have wings and/or magic
They sure need it! They can spare!
All they’ve got’s imagination,
new inventions everywhere!
Infants, younglings, teens, and elders,
All alike have their clothes to wear.

It’s so real to me,
Mysticality!

August Winston,
Phimipatra,
Wanton Swingspike, Elfen Grace
Puka Flips
Baba Oceana
Who’s to say they’re all no place
Maybe cryptid like us too
And dress like us at Otacon

It’s so real to me,
Mysticality!

Yes, they’ve had plenty of fights.
No one’s perfect, you see…!
Still, I say I’m born with the rights
to study whatever I please!
I don’t need to muck around now
I’d have moved on four limbs!
I’d not trade my wonderful life for a set of new hooves!
Grab your camera: come on, zoom’s ‘dorned…
Cause your favorite gal’s a unicorn!

Me! That’s who I’d like to be!
Mysticality!

In a span of mere minutes, she’d found herself standing front of another house within the very neighborhood, much like the others albeit on the opposite side. For starters, the pattern roofing was composed of asphalt tiling colored in a sweetly silver chariot requiem with wafer–thin crystalline rectangles in moody blues. Much of the surface area had been already split into two different materials: both the white–hot woodworking and blood–red bricklaying were mostly enough. Of the quadrangular windowpanes found in clear viewing, one in particular had been adorned with a metallic awning, similar to another above the entrance. Speaking of which, a white door added the finishing touches to the very domicile, surrounded by the beauty of the brilliant green lawn, hedges, bushes, and trees.

Undeterred, Lyra entered the premises first by walking past the hedges through the congruent walkway, moving closer towards the small stairway within seconds before reaching the egress; at that point, the sunlight endured and embraced by the likes of her before could no longer follow as soon as she took refuge underneath the canopy where it’d remained abaft the goldenrod orbs.

The minty woman opened the door to find a thicker greener counterpart standing betwixt both: almost immediately, she’d pulled a small brass key and lodged it inside the lower doorknob, prompting her to turn it around until a click was heard; as a result, the inside world became clear. The background, which was serving as the foundation within the very home, let alone the entry, had been surrounded in a shade and hue lighter than her tresses combined; this had happened to make sense considering the spacious accommodations for the observant denizen in question. Underneath Lyra’s feet, the flooring was basked in a series of dark blue carpeting that had spread far beyond what she could see so to speak of; after all, it’d managed to touch all four corners yet within every fiber of their being, they were still predominately restricted to one area altogether. Adorning the surrounding at hand, the minty woman could see plenty of things in different areas: lamps near the windowsill, beige furniture on the opposite side, and a cabinet full of electronics; these were the proximate amenities chosen to inhabit inside the very area besides the likes of her. Besides the entrance she’d walked herself into, she could already notice there were at least many openings having been carved into the area, each of them serving as a gateway to other parts of the house worthy to be subjected by exploration in the eyes of individuals like and unlike her.

“Lyra, is that you; back so soon…?” yet another feminine voice reached the aforementioned listener’s ears right away, barely catching the latter by surprise, “how did it go: did you and Star happen to get everything off of your chest before the bell ranged…?”

“Mm–hmm… you know it, Bon–Bon: it brought a tear to my eye when she’d been sent off, even after all those years; in any case, what are you doing now…?” the minty woman replied, heading towards another doorway to the right after closing the door right on abaft herself to follow the voice.

As the entrant moved ever so closely towards the source, she could smell the sweetly aromas filling the air as an answer traveled amongst it, “just trying out a new ingredient for when we have to return to you–know–where; it won’t take too long so to speak. Honestly, moving to Rosemound was a nice change of pace for the three of us; it makes me sad as well that it had to come down to this: sometimes, I just wish we didn’t have to fight, let alone go to war. The other options would’ve been either Appleloosa or Rockville; of course, they’d be the kind of places frequented by a certain you–know–what.”

“Relax, it’s not that Pinkie would’ve known; besides, she’d not have been the only gal to break down over what happened to her family: AJ deserved better, even though she tried to do the–––” Lyra started speaking only to stop herself in place, fighting back fluids growing within eyesight, “anyways, I love Star Dreams to death and I’ll fight to the death if it means she’ll live happily!”

“That makes the both of us, though I’m not sure what to do once she grows up; after all, seven years can feel like much more time has passed…” the tenant talked tenaciously toward the timid traveler.

A flood of thoughts overwhelmed Lyra as she turned her eyes away from the doorway nearby; even though the morning moods bathed her, the atmosphere within the house felt wet and heavy: not even the recent stardust memories of the eager youth had stayed static long enough for long. The minty woman’s goldenrod irises became moist as the scenery had become supersaturated in texture; even the simplistic colors that made up the explored surroundings started to betray her sights as they’d swirled against one another but without even daring to mix themselves together.

Shaking about, the lone entrant grabbed onto her ears, closed her eyes, and thought to herself, “no, please, for the love of–––”

“Lyra…!” Bon–Bon’s voice spoke to the eponymous individual once again, this time more up, close, and personal than before, “are you okay…?”

It wasn’t long until the minty woman found herself greeted by the tenant face–to–face: like the former, the latter happened to be sharing the same similar traits, albeit with certain differences. Like Lyra, Bon–Bon wore her hair with two clashing colors vying for absolute dominance; however, the latter’s style was long and coiled, bearing both dark blue moon and light hot pink. The tenant’s very eyes were tender for they were colored in a true blue scheme within the rightly balanced temperatures, crystal clear like the skies and seas as above and so below respectively. Bon–Bon’s integuments were colored brightly like that of the minty counterpart standing afore, beige yet lightly tanned as they served as a balance between both the latter and Star themselves. The beige inhabitant’s attire was nothing short of only being rather simplistic to a fault currently: a royal purple blouse, a jet black skirt, and some snow white shoes served as a variance to Lyra.

“Mm–hmm…” the minty woman sighed.

Bon–Bon wasted no time whatsoever embracing Lyra, holding each other tightly as the former said, “it’s here again, isn’t it…?”

“Mm… it’s not fair: they said the medicine would help but they’re still here in my mind; even though these bastards are dead, it’s as if they cling to life…!” the minty woman wailed, catching the beige correspondent off–guard ever so slightly in the process, “there’s no telling who’s who anymore: they happened to look just like us; I couldn’t tell the difference between us and them! I never imagined how much we’ve been watched left and right, let alone have so many doubles of ourselves: there’s no telling where any of these extras had came from originally or what they were doing altogether; what if the rest of our friends and families turn out to be one of them, not to mention how they would’ve blended in?!”

“I know… the concept of fighting monsters in Equestria is nothing new so to speak, Lyra: the princesses have been up against them since this nation’s founding; of course, the whole shapeshifter idea looks like something from the Old World Folklore…” Bon–Bon had explained, soothing the titular traveler with some back rubbing.

The minty woman started to composed herself as she started to look the tanned counterpart in the eye and stated, “even so, I didn’t like how they’ve been doing things to us: tricking us all with their effortless disguises and their mimicking demeanors like if they were our neighbors; the worst part was how they’ve succeeded in fooling me…!”

“They’ve fooled us all, though they weren’t the only ones good at the art of deception if you know what I mean…” Bon–Bon replied as a teardrop had slowly started to escape out from the corner of her right eye, “our peers have been good at wearing masks too, soldiers and civilians alike. I’m still stuck trying to figure out how I didn’t even notice things at first: war crimes, terrorist attacks, rebellious revolts; if anything, I’m not unaware of the idea that we’re the only ones who’ve suffered the most. Her mother, Tristan has been an emotional wreck since the day my pupil and goddaughter, Twist, ended up in the hospital: apparently, she’s been blaming me for the soldiers on both sides killed by the likes of her simply because of the whole rigmarole of not being able to stop her; in my defense, I'd never expected her to end up at the family farm on that particular day. If I'd ever even known the things that she’d seen, then the least I could’ve done was take a picture, take Twist, and hightail it back to the shop before these bastards put two and two together about the whole thing; of course, that would mean abruptly closing up shop and get three train tickets up to Canterlot to let her know about the whole thing so to speak…”

“Bon–Bon, do you think we could’ve helped Applejack out some more…?” Lyra asked the aforementioned tenant.

A brief moment of silence escapes the tanned woman before she’d answered the minty correspondent immediately, “if we’d known sooner, then we would’ve done so and that’s the most difficult part, just being unable to anticipate the possibility of it all. Even before that day, the sheer idea of such a horrible thing happening, let alone to someone like her, was unthinkable on its own: she and her friend were the heroes we needed and deserved the most yet we weren’t there to stop the horrors from being unleashed. Besides that, there are plenty of things I can’t comprehend: the fact that we can’t go back to peaceful times or the idea that one can betray someone at a party no less; Fillydelphia is filled with such broken people left and right but at least they’re pulling themselves together.”

“Do you think that I and any of our neighbors could ever be put back together, like Applejack and Derpy…?” Lyra then said to Bon–Bon gently, looking at the large windowpane residing on the opposite side where they’d stood, “I know that I’d no problem sleeping around here and there back at my old town, but these two neighbors don’t deserve any of this pain I’d gone through…”

“I hope so; unlike us, these two were the only things closest to being family gals of the year; Applejack had a larger family compared to either of us and Derpy combined and she’d wanted her daughters to live a better life, plain and simple…” the tanned tenant tenderly told the minty counterpart, while stroking the light locks loosely.

A smile formed over Lyra’s visage as she’d turned her goldenrod eyes back onto Bon–Bon and said, “and that’s why it makes me feel bad whenever I think about them both at large. Ever since when Applejack had been chosen to bear the Element of Honesty, I never thought much about her short of being grateful for being a part of the solution when it’d came to Nightmare Moon’s return. Even before that fateful day, I’d been able to respect Derpy despite her disabilities; the fact that she’d been able to carry on raising two kids and working two jobs at the same time as a single mother is in and of itself miraculous. Having to learn how the war has taken their peace and love away from them has made me feel blessed to have you and Star Dreams still in my life; as a matter of fact, I’m still constantly reminded of all the pain their friends and family had suffered because of it, even without the media. The whole reason we’d all moved to Rosemound together wasn’t just for our safety but also to seclude ourselves from the whole idea of relieving the nightmares to the comfort of hungry journalists, especially since the industry had evolved over the years since the war broke out. It’s one thing to go and post pictures of atrocity and terror for some clout and money, but to take everything out of context and screw up the minute details, it makes the school newspaper look honest and noble by comparison which is sad considering how many children are effected because of it. Speaking of which, Star Dreams has her whole life ahead of her to look forward to so there’s no need for herself to be made into a spectacle of by photographers and videographers alike: she has normal things for youngsters her age to worry about like school, a roof over her head, some stability, friendships, and happiness; take them away and who knows what could happen later.”

“You think I don’t know that?!” the minty woman snapped before cooling down straightaway, catching the tanned correspondent off–guard, “we’d selected Star Dreams to be our daughter so we wouldn’t have to let ourselves be destroyed by the war; even then, I still can’t resist thinking about the lives we’d lost in the process and not just Bolt.”

“Me too…” Bon–Bon cried before a shrill ding pierced the both of them in the ears, breaking their unsynchronized concentration instantly.

Almost immediately, the tanned tenant trotted away back to the doorway she’d once came from, this time with Lyra following after: the noise’s source in question happened to be the kitchen. Nearby the women was a stovetop oven colored in snow white lined up uniformly underneath a binary cabinet colored in terracotta; between themselves, the space was taken by pots and pans. Directly next to it, a washbasin had stored only crystal clear yet somehow sullied water inside, an otherwise save haven for such bacteria and protozoans alike even as an adjacent window lit up. Meandering about were a quadruple slotted toaster and a wooden block filled to the brim with knives on an emerald splashed countertop abaft them, standing between cabinets and cupboards. At the farthest away from both women rested a circular dining table with a series of chairs made of the same material reminiscent of half the area’s walls as well as the bar stools nearby them. Besides the corporeality of another windowpane also found on the opposite side of the dining area, there were two doors on the adjacent side, each separated by both distance and material. Standing directly behind themselves was a jaded lonely refrigerator sharing much of the height and length of any door within this household, let alone the kitchen they were both currently in. Holding them all together now were the dimensions in this room made up of different materials: both ceiling and wall abaft painted green, the wall upfront in chalky white, and checkered floors. To top it off, the light in this room mostly came from a spinning fan residing above, providing illumination and coolness for it’d been already activated as comfort to both of the women here.

As Bon–Bon started to put on some light green mitts, the minty observer found the time to speak, “so what were you making while we were out…?”

“Brownies: I decided to try something different and add some candy pieces inside them; at least the kids would’ve liked this…” the tanned tenant talked, taking the time to open the oven before themselves so as to gain access to the foodstuff in question which had let off a sweet smell in the process, “I figured it would be nice if Twist been able to try some when we come visit.”

“Yeah, and those two as well…” Lyra sniffled as she turned her gaze away from both Bon–Bon and the baked brownies, finding the time to leave the area as well as the latter and the cooked nourishment too.

The tanned tenant walked over to the countertop to set the foodstuff on top of the emerald splashed surface; afterwards, she turned around to face the doorway Lyra entered and exited recently, staring off in thought, “I don’t know what I’d do without her; she’s the reason why I’ve been able to crawl out of bed and come home every day: that face and personality are too benign. After thinking back to what they did to Lyra, it leaves me with a sick feeling now and then: used and abused like some common plaything to be passed around like she isn’t a person, let alone a living being with real feelings and the like; not to mention, the way her stomach’s been protruding at the time. Maybe if I'd decided to have a child for Lyra, perhaps it would help make things easier for her: after all, my body is still in top physical condition for pregnancy; the only question is who should I have one with? On the other hand, Lyra might not like this whole idea: she’d already lost a child because of me and the last thing she needs is another reminder of why we can never go back home; besides, I’m still shocked about what Mercury Promenade did at the wedding years ago. Killing Cadance was one thing but killing himself to escape justice was sickening: she may have been a little angry here and there but only because she was on edge about marrying the guard captain; what fucking right did this stupid excuse of a countryman have in taking away Shining Armor’s one and only chance at true love?! All that shit he did succeeded in causing us to go back to fighting again, especially considering what these devils did to Lyra: raping and torturing her to little end in sight, not to mention they were planning to sell her and their unborn into slavery; the whole thing just succeeded in pissing me off! Yet, maybe if I’d been able to keep a closer eye on Lyra back then and there, then none of this would’ve ever even happened to her; as a matter of fact, even I could’ve been able to save that poor child of hers as well…!”

The chirping of birds was being heard outside of the windowpane as Bon–Bon tearfully stayed lost in her solitary cerebration.

Cacophony

Author's Note

It's Fireflower again with the fifth installment of my first My Little Pony fanfic going beyond the typical oneshots I had made from before and already using canon characters as human beings instead of their normal forms; however, this is nonetheless a Mature fimfic for this chapter here will deal with certain subject matters considered unsuitable for those under eighteen, easily offended, and/or quickly nauseated.

In addition, I would like to take this time to inform you this chapter is only a nightmare but it can and will bring shock, awe, and outrage out of you in ways too horrible to imagine so it's with a generous heart and mind that yours truly has uploaded another chapter after this as well on the same day no less: for those of you amongst themselves wishing to skip ahead, please do so; I promise, it will help calm your nerves a bit for the most part.

As always, My Little Pony, or rather Friendship Is Magic, including its settings and characters belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro; however, only this concept of my fanfic still belongs to me so I will say this line one time: please do not steal this story or I will sue.

Lastly, let me also say that I hope you can withstand this chapter now and stay tuned for future chapters later on then again, you've but a few options: stop right there and wait, go back to the beginning, or skip ahead to the next chapter; whatever decision you make, I won't blame you but consider yourselves warned.

Cacophony

If there were at least one thing worth noticing straightaway, then it would be the sheer fact in which the forces of uncertainty were strong with the dark side. Having said that, it didn’t mean visibility itself was reduced to complete nothingness: there were a sea of stars and a crescent moon but the latter was a deep red. Within an enormous dream drop distance was nearly enshrouded in the jet black void, obscuring the identity of any and all materials underneath the firmament. The calm gentle breeze was still found to be surfing across the unknown plane, causing some of the structures within the area to stare sway forwards and back. Standing in the background were towering behemoths, each of them with their flickering lights jumping about with every single color imaginable so to speak. Considering the lack of substantial details, it would seem that such an environment in and of itself would be desolate, lifeforms from any species absent.

One exception stood out and about amongst the dark location: a lonely woman was found to be lying about on her right side. Her tresses were short and spiky, bearing a preponderantly light shade of mint with a white hot streak directly in the middle. In the grand scheme of things, the lonely woman had been in possession such integuments of a bright and clear complexion. Over her full body were but a skimpy white tube top matching the slippers and small blue shorts hugging the wearer’s thighs.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” screamed a loud voice but it didn’t belong to the lonely women at all; with that said, it’d pierced her ears so instantaneously, the eyelids flew open and bore small goldenrod orbs straightaway.

Though caught off–guard, she took it to herself to study the environment underneath her body: even with the illumination of the moon and stars, the only source of color she’d found was black; needless to say, this had left her with question coming up and running to the surface being asked, “oh dear, this must have been too much for me: what kind of candy did Bon–Bon make for me? Come to think of it, where’s Bon–Bon; how come I’m here all alone: better yet, where’s Star Dreams…?”

As the lonely woman started to take a stand, a gust of wind sideswiped her back, causing her to shiver about while the updraft rustled away; in the process, her flopping ears were now treated to a gentle yet careless whisper, “Lyra…”

“Huh, who’s there; who are you and how do you know my name?!” the titular traveler barked out, fervently shifting her gazes around and about in search of an identity, “I know martial arts…!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!” another loud scream had invaded the minty woman’s ears, this time forcing her to cover them both up right away.

She couldn’t help herself but to hear some ringing in her ears, thinking quietly about the circumstances of it all: the unknown surroundings, the abnormal skies, and her being alone were a mystery to help her focus on tasks at hand; at the very least, the hunger for answers was more than enough to try and figure things out for now as she’d cerebrated, “okay, Lyra; you can do it. You’re stuck in a new environment for who know how far away you are from the house, let alone your wife and child: not only that, you can’t seem to make out the surrounding and it seems that the lunar eclipse is in action; no pressure, it would be easier if you could find your way out of this one though…”

“How about a clue…?” another whisper crawled into Lyra’s ear again despite her efforts, prompting her to recheck her only details again with clarity and anger, “just follow the trail and you’ll be there…”

“WHAT TRAIL; WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?!” the minty woman snapped, her face flushed with a king crimson; of course, such a state was ephemeral when a whir was heard nearby her, followed by a bright light shown from a lamppost with its adjacent radius, a pair of suspended baskets opposed each other at a rectangular asphalt where red rested closely.

From there, she could see plainly other things as well: some green grass blowing in the wind, a few trees dancing about, and some regions of barriers made up of stones; although her fury remained, it’d started to dwindle about as she'd gulped, only for the same scream to return thrice, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”

In spite of the loud familiarity, Lyra had found the inner strength to head towards the illuminated area, taking note of the red afore herself in the process as she’d trudged forward only carefully. Considering where the minty woman had discovered herself in just recently, she’d nevertheless possessed every right to remain wary of the undiscovered territory still around her altogether. Even though she was given a piece of information about the location at large, it still wasn’t enough to be considered veritable; in her mind, the dangers were there despite being unspotted. Definitively put, Lyra’s simple goals, if at all, were now being reliant on some ambiguities here and there: of them being a scarlet track seemingly painted on surface ever so thinly for her to see.

“I don’t know what’s going on here: besides the screaming and the whispering, something or someone has bothered to turn on the light; now that I think about it, I seem to know this place…” the minty woman thought, scanning the details before herself which had been given out at once, “this is Bowstring Park; I tend to take Star Dreams here all the time since she was a little kid. Something’s wrong though: usually, there are more than one light being on in this here park yet everything else is still in the dark; what in Equestria is going on here? Why is that even the case: how come someone or something knows my name, let alone able to help me out with this; what intentions does this entity want with me all of the sudden…? I don’t like where this is even going: on the one hand I know this place inside and out like a book yet I feel something chilly upon my skin; even strangely, this trail before me looks like blood but when I move closer to it, it shrinks and fades.”

“Hurry, Lyra… there isn’t any time to waste…” the other voice murmured into her ears again as soon as she’d currently faced an upwardly incline before her twitching eyes, “follow the path and stay on it; it won’t fail you now…”

“What–––” the eponymous listener struggled to speak before the light abaft herself disappeared directly; almost immediately, she was now alone in the dark, save for the moon and stars above as well as the trail that glowed, giving her a way out of the uncharted territory despite the sudden return.

Perspiration started to seep out from the minty woman’s integuments as she stared at the slope afore herself; although her straight face held its ground, it’d vibrated once more thanks to the same scream, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”

“Shit…!” she’d struggled for some lungful of air, shot up with such adrenaline as she was sauntering upon the scarlet without any sensitivity whatsoever; soon enough, she could now look back and find her point of origin now enveloped in darkness while the airstreams around herself flew around to carry the dust in the wind, “what the–––”

Needless to say, Lyra was at a loss for words when she returned focus onto the unbeaten path provided for herself: there were a series of houses within her line of eyesight, each with their own variances in acreage and materials alone; of course, the one thing that struck a chord with her was how they were all twisted up in the shape of living faces.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!” the scream took the minty listener’s focus onto the new environment as she reluctantly turned her gaze onto the glowing red underneath her feet.

While she’d showed no problem whatsoever in following the directions provided altogether, she was nevertheless lost in her own thoughts so to speak, “what is with all this fucking screaming?! It’s like the voice is close by but no one is here besides me; as a matter of fact, I can’t seem to find anyone else at all: no police officers, no pedestrians, not even a stray pet. It’s too lonely to even be Nightmare Night, let alone too cold for it to be happening; in fact, it’s not even Kooky Prank Day, let alone the time for pranks: it’s too out of season for it, much less too elaborate for anyone to go this far, especially Princess Luna of all people. Besides, I don’t remember her causing an eclipse on her watch or her sister; it’s just too scary, not to mention weird: the moon’s usually white or black at this time of night. Come to think of it, what’s with all these houses on this street looking so gnarly: they look like they’ve seen a ghost or some ghoul roaming the streets like it’s the end of the world or something; in addition, how come they’re making all these faces and stuff…?”

“Lyra…” the wind cried out once more, albeit quietly, “Lyra… Lyra… Lyra… Lyra… Lyra… Lyra…”

“WHAT THE FUCK ELSE DO YOU WANT FROM ME; CAN YOU AT LEAST SHOW ME YOUR FACE ALREADY?!” the aforementioned pedestrian shouted, almost at her wit’s end with the whole ambiguity and aloofness present.

Like before, there was no answer, at least not one taking any shape or form for the minty woman to see, smell, or even touch whatsoever, much to her growing annoyance; even more so, the stars above her were starting to fade away and all that came in her place was some more screaming, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!”

Soon, she could see that the moonlight, despite being tinted in the same color as the very trail before her, started to fade away as well; nevertheless, the path in question still glowed while her resolve began to fade. In a matter of seconds, each and every structure around Lyra’s position was slowly becoming enveloped in the darkness she’d attempted to vacate from, leading to more sweat escaping from her pores throughout. Now, it would seem the only thing guiding the minty woman is the red trail before her feet, its length and structure dissipating after taking one step closer to it after another as her speed began to increase gradually.

“Who are you running from, Lyra; who are you running to: some friendly neighbor or some familiar face…?” the airstreams howled quietly, not that she paid any mind to it since she kept dashing about onto the solid plane, “there’s no escaping it…”

“Shut up… shut up… SHUT UP…!” Lyra cried as she kept running away from the enveloping void to no end in sight, if at all.

At this point, the minty woman was sweating and drooling about as she’d remained focus on the path provided; subsequently, she soon came across what would now appear to be the source of all the shrieks throughout the atmosphere, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!”

In a span of mere seconds, she’d stood in front of a house within the neighborhood that lit up, glowing bright like the sun without blinding her goldenrod eyes. For starters, the patterned roofing had some sweetly silver chariot requiem having been torn up by decay with its crystalline rectangles of moody blues shattered. The surface area of the domicile was overwrought with much lifeblood, now tainting both the woodworking and bricklaying alike from the very windowpanes. Whilst the white door had remained unmoved and untouched, its placement served as the lone overseer of the withering plants illuminated by the glowing trail.

“Holy shit…!” exclaimed Lyra as she’d reluctantly edged closer to the premises with a heavy breath, trotted past the thorny shrubs as the red path guided her to climb the small stairway, only to find that the door was left ajar; upon pushing herself to open it and the green door abaft, she was treated to a grizzly sight, “SWEET CELESTIA!”

The minty woman was shocked to find the room behind them had been thrown into a state of professional chaos and general disarray for her to find. The background, though currently enveloped by a bright red lighting, was stained with many streaks of the same substance as the outer side been in. Furniture was thrown aside, some of which had done damage to a nearby cabinet where both the glass and electronics within the room now stood broken.

All of this destruction and mayhem paled in comparison to seeing a tenant lying at her feet: it was another woman coughing and gurgling about. Like Lyra, the tenant in question wore her hair in two clashing colors of both dark blue and hot pink, except these were now matted and adhesive. Nevertheless, the minty woman found her counterpart’s lightly tanned skin riddled in bruises and cuts of many various shapes and sizes imaginable. The supine tenant’s eyes of true blue were undermined and underlined by deep heavy bags of black with textures of such a watery translucency. Most startlingly, Lyra noticed very clearly the lack of textiles over her correspondent’s buxom body, fluids of many colors and viscosity over it.

“Lyra…” the supine tenant struggled to speak up.

The minty woman couldn’t stop her resolve from imploding, her bioelectric shock supplanted by great melancholy as she cried, “Bon–Bon…?”

“Get out of here, please… while you still can; hurry…!” the aforementioned woman coughed laboriously, struggling to move to no one’s avail whatsoever, “they’re still in the house, for Celestia’s sake…!”

“They… who’s they; where’s our daughter, Star Dreams?!” Lyra whimpered, still unnerved by the disabled tenant’s state overall.

Panting and wheezing, Bon–Bon answered the minty woman, “I’m sorry… I’ve failed you again… it happened to both of us… I was just helping, Star… get into bed when… they came up to… the doorway to knock… I asked them who they were but they… someone from behind attacked me…!”

“You’re not making any sense: who attacked you; where is she?!” Lyra sniffled, trying to make sense of what she’d witness and listened to.

The tanned tenant talked to the minty observer tensely, “please, Lyra, go on… get out of here… it’s too late for us… these men, no, these devils… THESE DEVILS ARE STILL IN THE HOUSE…!”

“What devils…?” the titular traveler trembled tepidly, tearing up at Bon–Bon’s sudden outburst, “cut out the nonsense; what are you talking about?!”

“The new way, Lyra Heartslut…!” a harsh masculine voice rasped out from seemingly nowhere; before the minty woman could turn around, she was shoved over the tanned tenant’s body before tripping and falling near the bloodstained wall.

Lyra groaned in pain as she felt her head having abruptly making contact with the shambolic partition, turning around to find a singular muscular individual standing in the entrance where the former came in. Not much could be said about the new arrival, let alone the intentions behind it so to speak of it; nevertheless, the minty woman couldn’t resist scowling considering the fact she’d been forced over Bon–Bon now. Relaying information already gathered from this indignant observation, Lyra could see nothing but darkness upon the invader from head to toe, save for some bright blue eyes and a pair of fans glowing white hot.

With memories of their mutual pain etched into the minty woman’s mind, she was quick to spit it out at the muscular individual up in front of themselves, “what is this ‘new way’ you speak of, you bastard: who on Celestia’s domain the fuck are you; did you have something to do with this?!”

“Lyra, please…!” the tanned tenant haggardly cried out towards the eponymous observer nearby, “go…!”

“Bon–Bon…!” the worrisome minty woman whimpered wistlessly, still mindful of the sinking reality where the aforementioned counterpart lain.

It didn’t take long for both of the females to be greeted with the sights more reminiscent of the new arrival, currently overwhelming themselves in mere multitudes alone in an instant: out the many, one of which found the time to hiss, “you should have listened to her hot ass when you had the chance, dyke…!”

“What is this: who are you; what are you?!” Lyra choked out as she was now noticing the space around her and the tanned tenant shrinking in circumference, “why us of all people; what do you want from us?!”

“Shut it, bitchface; say another word and we’ll start the show with you instead…!” another one of the invaders barked, grabbing the minty woman over to the side with a claw directly up to her face.

Lyra became helpless as she’d watched Bon–Bon get hoisted up off of the carpeting by the others, the latter’s arms wrapped around their shoulders as both feet were now merely a few inches off the ground; not only was the pain in such a voice authentic, even the former felt it too as a claw cut beneath the goldenrod eye as its owner thought, “what show: what do they mean?!”

“A long time ago, our queen came to this land in search of love only to find death at the hands of your dear neighbor; as a result, all of her plans of conquest came to a bitter end with a war…!” the first of the new arrivals gruffly snorted, leering at both woman with concupiscence in eyes, “even worse, your slut of a so–called wife had killed three of our comrades in the conflict…!”

“Only because of what… you were doing to… Lyra, you shifty… fuck; there’s not a day… that goes by she went… without shedding a… tear from the pain and… suffering you’d put… her through: raping and… torturing her body… to no end with your… cocks and faces like you’re… above the consequences…!” the tanned tenant hacked out in growing defiance.

The invaders couldn’t resist laughing at Bon–Bon as a low roar showed up from behind their leader; speaking of which, it was now the latter’s turn to reply, “rape is a strange word; we prefer the term mating: unlike your kind who chose to rely on their urges to copulate for leisure, we changelings mate to grow our numbers. Our queen usually takes the liberty to choose a subject worthy of bearing her young so as to fill in the ranks with the strongest among us, each with their own attributes more suited for conquest and survival; of course, even she isn’t alone with such an ability: we can pick and choose our mates to either do the same with the males or leave the females with our traces of traits. At the very least, with the rates of our reproductions, the younglings in our reach would’ve been spawned in at least half the amount of time compared to your ilk: by then, all of Equestria would have been hers for the taking as well as the subjects to be given for us to do as we please; of course, this didn’t come to pass. The moment she’d perished at that coward’s hand was when all our plans and ambitions fell through the shaft: not many of her children could know what to do next now that she was gone and some of our spies have either died, disappear, or disgraced themselves and the queen by choosing to live with them side by side instead of stealing their love as planned. Even with her gone, the name and legacy would’ve still lived on irregardless; it’s a shame that she isn’t there ruling in the Princesses’ stead to see it happen, not that you cared since you’d killed some of our soldiers as well as the young for the sake of revenge.”

“What do you know… about strength or love…?” the tanned tenant hissed with indignation, staring out into the lead individual’s eyes with some adrenaline, “all that your kind know… is how to lie, cheat… steal, kill, and destroy… to your heart’s content… of course, knowing you… your kind never had… any hearts or souls of… your very own to claim… The worst part is the… fact you and that bitch… had to rely on… this fake fuck shit to… carry out your dark… demented futures… like it’s just business… I’d pity you all… if it weren’t for the… fact you try to go… and take over our… homeland just for some… approval for your… so–called queen of… yours, you scumfucking… devils!”

“Speaking of which, we’ve had the luxury in partaking one of the old forgotten rituals from Old World: all we had to do was find a young maiden of choice and deliver her to our dark lord willing to bring our beloved queen back; ‘til then, it’s shameful her soul resides in Tartarus…” the new arrival’s leader buzzed before bellowing with a bellyful of laughter inside no less.

It wasn’t long until the minty woman’s eyes widen with shock as she’d called out to Bon–Bon, “what are they talking about…?”

“I’m sorry, Lyra: I’d tried to stop them but there were to many and some of them caught me by surprise; even worse, they’ve done such awful things to her before my eyes…” the tanned tenant had answered the titular traveler timidly with tears in her eyes, “Star Dreams is… Star Dreams… OH, CELESTIA!!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!” the minty woman wailed as the details sat in.

Sure enough, one of the invaders appeared at the doorway carrying an enormous instrument in its grip: although it’d made sounds, it was of one note, not of any concern as its slender bar bore rotating teeth; in addition, the base was was dark red like the very substances clothing Bon–Bon’s body as of now.

Of the two women whom were currently witnessing the object in question within possession, Lyra couldn’t resist gasping tearfully, soon suddenly pulled away from the tanned tenant at once; meanwhile, the latter was being dragged off to the opposite side where the damaged items stood, both eyelids now widening in a mixture of shock and horror as the wielder entered the house.

The lead individual went over to the minty woman’s side and snickered, “don’t feel too bad, slut: at least you get not only a front–row seat to our entertainment but also an extent of our new powers; afterwards, revenge will be ours for the taking and she will rise from the ashes to rule all of Equestria as she’d hoped and dream for, like before…”

“What are you doing?!” Lyra cried as the bladed instrument was being moved closer to Bon–Bon’s side slowly but surely, “stop it! Bon–Bon!”

“No… get away from me… GET AWAY FROM ME…!” the tanned tenant screamed loudly, kicking her feet but to no avail as both of their pleas were unheard, the slender object’s revving increasing in decibels for all to hear clearly.

Without so much as a warning whatsoever, the rotating teeth of the instrument was guided into Bon–Bon’s left leg, cutting deep within her bared wet flesh as she’d felt something hot and rigid separate whatever fibers of their being, crying out in shock while blood escaped from the newly grown wound inflicted upon by the wielder as the minty observer shrieked about, “NOOOOO!!”

As soon as one leg was split off, another had gotten subjected to the same fate as its tanned owner hollered about at the searing sensation she was suffering from before they were gone; despite the empty stumps now taking their very place, her attacker was far from finished, currently motioning up and down over the corpulent stomach in range of an imminent onslaught. In only seconds, Bon–Bon groaned as she’d watched her torso being opened up with the same object, more blood spraying out from the new laceration alongside some chunks of organs and another similar being of a smaller size than any of the inhabitants in question; as the contents thereof were crawling outward, the vision within her true blue orbs had started to fade away.

“Wait for me…!” the overseer of the new arrivals chuckled as he’d now moved on from Lyra’s side, abandoning her to marinate in her own sweat and tears at the sight of the tanned tenant’s dismembered and eviscerated form while trading places with the wielder in exchange for some ownership over the bloodstained object, “now then…”

“Stop it… STOP IT…!” the minty woman cried whilst the lead invader grabbed onto Bon–Bon’s tresses and started cutting into the latter’s neckline, the loud instrument’s revolving dentition tearing away the flesh and fluid off before the bone was disconnected; soon enough, the former could see what had been done: the new wielder now slung a head away from its very body.

It was at this point all the darkly coated beings active hooted and hollered at the dirty deed their leader had done dirt cheap, drowning out the melancholy Lyra was overwhelmed in presently; speaking of which, she watched as the tanned tenant’s dripping head was edged to her lips while its owner’s possessor spoke, “so, how do you like your girlfriend now? Oh, the fun we’re going to have with you…”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!” the minty woman screeched before struggling to escape but with no success as she was slapped and punched in the face and abdomen respectively, sending her back onto the ground, this time flat on her stomach before feeling her hair being pulled on, “no… no…”

“You got yourself a nice body too, don’t you…?” the new arrivals’ overseer chuckled before slicing Lyra’s clothes into pieces, leaving her completely in the altogether as Bon–Bon was.

In a small span of seconds, the minty woman felt at least three invaders coming to her side before getting into position, leaving her no room whatsoever to escape or call for any assistance. Her heavy breaths were now stifled by a thick unyielding appendage lodged within the mouth, sliding in and out without any rhythm or emotion whatsoever as her body tensed up from it all. Lyra couldn’t resist shedding so many tears as she was being explored in the very same room where she’d witnessed the tanned tenant being left to be dishonored and die before her very eyes. While the three assailants were ravaging their minty victim, she could listen to the rest of them cheering the former group on at her expense as her face became red with embarrassment alone. She could even feel more fluids coating her body now mixing in with the blood, sweat, and tears: saliva shot out from the mouth, urine trickling onward, and some white painted her matted hair. Even as both eyelids were shut away, Lyra couldn’t control her own tears or her invaders’ movements as she felt like her throat was going to become full with a hot and heavy compound. The minty woman’s body was convulsing to and fro as the invaders were taking their time to enjoy herself at her lower point, laughing and growling while causing her pain and sorrow too. She’d started cerebrating about the defiled corpse which had used to be Bon–Bon herself and the notion of wanting to embrace the cold equation that befell over the likes of the latter recently. Only one thing’s certain for Lyra: soon enough, the tanned tenant’s murderer and the two lone compatriots acting alongside would be finished with her and be done with their wayward task.

As they were pushing and pulling into the minty woman, she’d ruminated onward about her fate, “it happened again: reduced to a common whore, just like seven years ago; now, these monsters, have taken my precious wife and child away from me…! It seems no matter where I go, they won’t leave me ago: Ponyville, Canterlot, Rosemound; it’s like there’s no bounds anymore…! I wanna die, I want these bastards to end my suffering already; besides, I thought losing their baby was punishment enough but no: they just had to keep doing this to me, forcing me to suck and fuck like I’m some toy to them. I don’t know who this queen is or what dark lord they’d pledged their loyalty to but whatever happens next, I hope I don’t meet them in the next world. Star Dreams, forgive me for not being there to protect you this time; if I’d known what these bastards would do to you, then I could’ve kept you safe from harm at all costs. Bon–Bon, please don’t let what they did to you turn you against me: understand that I’d never asked for this nor wanted you to suffer like I had before; don’t be… don’t be…”

“Oh, hold on, I’m gonna cum as well…!” one of the assailants chirped before shoving back into her without any warning whatsoever, “UURGH–––”

“AHN~!” Lyra moaned neurotically, getting a face full of white fluid as she'd felt her loins filled up with the same familiar texture alone.

The minty woman had felt the weight of the world lessen greatly again as she was freed from her suffering yet bound by the solutions experienced and endured; the onlooker laughed at how her body squirmed and spasmed about, “you would’ve made a great model: it’s a shame you have to die; now, time to end this…”

“Huh…?” she groaned about as her visage was treated to the sight of a metal pole within her glimpse, no doubt being wielded by one of the invaders from before; almost immediately, a burst of energy returned to her weary body as she'd shrieked again, this time with clarity, “NO, DON’T–––”

None of that mattered as Lyra’s forehead was pierced with the thin object, pinning herself onto the floor before the onlookers disappeared in a puff of teal wispy sparks; now, she was alone, covered in an opaque substance only mere feet away from Bon–Bon’s parts and fluids too, the room therein bearing the mess that had been made.

Superfluid

Author's Note

Ah, you've made to chapter three of Fireflower's fanfic that goes beyond the typical oneshots made from before, a Mature fanfic no less on the grounds that a previous chapter has dealt with heavy subject matters proven to be unsuitable for those under eighteen, easily offended, and/or quickly nauseated; suffice to say, this was by far a strong note for many readers complete and therefore you were all given an option to skip ahead to this chapter: whether or not you had taken this offer, it was only up to you to do so nothing more.

As always, My Little Pony, or rather Friendship Is Magic, including its settings and characters belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro; however, this concept of my fanfic belongs to me so I will say this line one time only: please do not steal this story or I will sue.

Lastly, let me also say that I hope you enjoy this chapter now more than the others and still have the strength to continue onward in staying tuned for future chapters later; henceforth, I will leave you with but one saying only: thank you very much.

Superfluid

A sky full of silver linings were soon etched about, swirling over the earth in its broken patterns as patches of some blue were breaking dawn without a care. A flock of birds in various sizes and shades soon soared so serenely, not even gravity dared to pull any of them down towards the solid plane of existence. A small civilization was starting to carry on with its own lives and times, living and breathing around their happy little abodes topped off with so much hay. All pedestrians were being greeted with an abundance of some calm gentle breezes currently surfing across from the grassy knolls and to parts unknown. Aside from the town itself were a nearby forestry with a road as its guide and smoky mountains raging with growth and erosion from the trying times therein. As far as any lifeform was concerned, the smells of moistures were more than enough to provide a sigh of relief and reprieve, courtesy of the brilliant green.

Out of the many traversing about in this here environment, there was one whom was standing out and about as the dense atmosphere before themselves being sniffed away. Not much whatsoever could ever be said about this particular individual if at all, save for some attire: an elongated tattered gray cloak covering much of its owner’s form.

Residing before the lonely individual was an enormous building residing in the very outskirts of the town presently. It’d reached high as at least three stories tall with a pair of stone chimneys stretching upward as they were isolated. The very roofing possessed a style similar to the likes of many residences within the adjacent town but of wood. Hanging over from the very entrance was a big red circle with several pink hearts, sequestered by a big white cross. Surrounding it already were such countless windowpanes made of the same material and shape but in various sizes. All which had remained out there were but a pair of olive doors resting underneath an awning up in front of the trail.

“There we are again…” the observer cerebrated after taking in a long drag of oxygen from the very surroundings.

Almost immediately, the drab individual soon traversed through the partition afore, greeted by a sight cuts above than whatever stones could’ve been thrown. All of the ceilings were painted in a brownish shading style; many all separated into intersecting but otherwise equal lines with domed lanterns in the mixture. Every single wall within the room the lonely observer had entered were but a lighter hue than the brilliant green left behind in the outside world abaft therein. The beige flooring underneath was interspersed with some set of teal carpeting that had looked like it’d been purchased at a bargain prior to being cleansed. Every geometric corner nearby the entrance was occupied by a potted plant with an abundance of leaves so spacious to cover all the many kinds of footwear. It could also be seen by the drab individual that many others were sitting on olive colored chairs, either being amongst the well–adjusted or under the weather.

Of the many within eyesight, the lone observer came across a single woman from the corner of the rightmost area. Her skin was of a pale peachy bleachy scheme, wearing her hair in a mixture of brilliant scarlet and light vermilion. The ginger woman’s eyes were a light arctic blue, having already matched the few accents of her plain white sweater. As far as the drab individual could see, her territory was a round kiosk of a brassy base and plum drapes abaft of her.

It didn’t take long for the lone observer to walk up to the ginger woman, prompting the latter to speak listlessly, “how can I help you today…?”

“My name is Lemon Hearts…” the drab individual struggled to make an introduction right away, “I have a meeting with Doctor Sevenfold today at 1:30…”

“He’ll be right with you shortly…” she’d spoke.

It didn’t take long for the lone observer to find a vacant spot to rest easily, soon joining the small crowd of like–minded inhabitants instantly. Only the empty spaces between Lemon Hearts and the others had kept the flow of tranquility in check as the former looked on so dispirited. To the common viewers, the attire chosen would’ve stood out amongst the crowd; nevertheless, nobody else had dared to mind in the least. As the drab occupant reviewed the internal environment in question, some snuffles quickly escaped into the atmosphere straightaway.

Lemon Hearts grew weary before a masculine voice reached the vicinity almost immediately, “miss Lemon Hearts…?”

“Yes… you called for me…?” the titular traveler talked tersely, taking the time to tower up again as the listener turned to find the source of the new voice, “I’m here now, Doctor…!”

Out within the cold distance was a light skinned man standing on the opposite side of the area, bearing a rather different form from the ginger woman. Unlike her sizeable and colorfully lukewarm tresses, he was currently wearing some thin locks of jet black narrowly crawling out from the owner’s scalp. The lonely doctor had bore eyes of two separate but equally significant colors: on one side, the left one was a light lime; on the opposite, a dark lemon. As far as the drab individual could see, even his attire was also simplistic to a fault: an elongated snow white overcoat allowed both arms free movement.

“Good evening, you’re awfully early today…” the bright doctor greeted Lemon Hearts almost instantaneously.

The drab individual had moved towards his side and said to him, “I do what I can just to see you, Doctor…”

“So how is life treating you, Lemon: any new developments since last time…?” asked the bright doctor as he’d started to lead the way for the eponymous observer soon enough, “I’ve been looking forward to hearing your progress…”

“Not much, if at all…” the drab individual spoke.

It wasn’t long until the volume of people had begun to go lower than Lemon Hearts had bothered to notice, taking note of the closed but otherwise benign atmosphere around themselves as they were guided by a series of lights above. Standing around the twosome were a line of doorways, each of them closed off to both parties as they’d walked past them; on a few occasions, the drab individual couldn’t resist listening to the sounds of moans and groans within them. Presently, Lemon Hearts had noticed the flooring underneath both of their feet had changed into the blank tiling out in the midst of the trek throughout the hallway, having left the lobby behind themselves in pursuit of new destination.

It wasn’t long until the twosome were greeted by the sight of a different door, mostly ligneous save for some acrylic glass; of them, the bright doctor had reached into his rightmost pocket to pull out a silver key and insert it into the knob gently, speaking to the lone follower abaft him, “my office, as usual…”

Surely, Lemon Hearts was treated to the sights of the new environment he’d currently entered almost instantaneously. Both were surrounded by wide wintergreen walls wearing out the willows within along flowers, posters, and words too. A windowpane on the leftmost side bore the scenery of the town the drab individual had escaped from not too long ago. Lying next to Lemon Hearts was some dark blue furniture: a long couch near a bookcase and a chair aligned to a desk. Yonder overhead were a series of simple coils burning brightly at once, serving as a source of illumination and heat.

“It’s just the same as always, even after all these years; I guess I’d make myself comfortable…” the drab individual had said whilst watching him take a seat behind the desk, doing so likewise, “this seat feels weird: it’s different from last time…”

“Repairs, ma’am; nothing more…” the bright doctor replied instantaneously, noticing a jet black glove over Lemon Hearts’ right hand.

The drab individual rested it and the opposite hand onto the lap completely before speaking, “nothing that seems to amaze me anymore…”

“I’m aware of the reason this pertains to your choice of attire today; you don’t have to do this…” he’d said to Lemon Hearts without any hesitation whatsoever, not that the latter minded overall, “you’re safe in the hospital, Lemon…”

“For how long?!” the drab individual cried.

The bright doctor reached underneath the chestnut desk and pulled out a box of tissues whilst saying, “there, there, now…”

“It must have been real nice to see how everyone else is carrying on with their lives even after everything that happen, but me…” Lemon Hearts wept before revealing the face underneath the timberwolf cloak, half of which was chalky and riddled with scars for him to see, “even after all the surgeries, I still look like a comic–book villain, or at least to the neighbors at Canterlot…”

“But you’re not a villain…” the bright doctor said.

Some liquid escaped from both of the scarred client’s raspberry eyes as she’d wept, “even so, I can’t help myself but to think what had led up to it; even in Equestria, people die for all kinds of reasons: old age, suicide, illness… I guess this basically could’ve been considered a kind of terminal illness: in our world today, the number one most terrifying cause of death is death by fire; even now, some people would prefer cremation in the event of any death. I know some people been through it; after all, I heard about what Applejack did to her grandmother’s remains: apparently, she said is was because someone made a clone of Granny Smith, may she rest in peace, yet how is that even possible…? I’ve heard of societies and programs where such a thing is advocated: granted, it’s just as different as using magic to make copies of yourself and even then, there are still some risks inherent with this method; come to think of it, why make a clone of anyone, let alone her of all people? Last time I heard, she was already into old age so copying her wouldn’t do anyone any good whatsoever, but back on target: it would’ve been preferable if I’d not been able to survive knowing what it’s like to survive such a horror as being nearly burnt to death; I know that Twilight was almost killed in such a way and I’m stuck wondering why.”

“You know, you weren’t the first person to bring up Twilight Sparkle; I had some clientele go and mention her name here and there…” he said, pulling out thin paper layering from the thick cardboard within to give Lemon Hearts, “tell me more about your relationship with her: what were your thoughts about her, interests, hobbies, memories, and the like; how do you feel…?”

“Well, for starters, we’d both grew up in Canterlot together with four others like us: Lyra, Twinkleshine, Minuette, and Moondancer; we’d also had another gal like her in our crew named Sunset Shimmer but she’d disappeared a long time ago…” the scarred client had begun to speak, taking the tissues provided to wipe away both wet eyes and then blew her nose into it at once.

The bright doctor looked at the windowpane on his right side then back at Lemon Hearts to say, “it sounds like your friendship was bound to happen; how did you all actually meet the first time…?”

“Well, we were all attending this school for the gifted ever since we were kids together; as a matter of fact, aside from Sunset, we’d been assigned to the same class: in fact, I remember having my entire head shoved inside of a flask this one time when I was just little…” the scarred client said before bursting out with a brief laugh.

This earned a slight chuckle from him as he said to Lemon Hearts, “sounds like to me it was a big one, wasn’t it…?”

“Actually, it was very small; to be honest, I’d thought I was going to be stuck like this forever…” the scarred client had explained, dropping back to a somber gaze as the visage was before then and there, “if anything, I never imagined I would’ve died with that thing around my head, let alone have people talk about it; now, it seems they can’t resist talking about my burns. Even after the war had ended, I’m still haunted by my own wounds, especially when I look myself in the mirror: all those scars, the hair that I’d lost, the fact I’d almost lost my legs in the fire; no amount of money could convince me to stay in the city any longer. The only times I’ve ever came back was to see Twilight again and even then I still can’t help myself but to cry knowing what we both have in common; as far as I see it, she’s the lucky one for having a family and home to fall back on, especially seeing that her scars are on her bathing suit area, nothing more. Even though I too had a home in Canterlot, I couldn’t resist following after her the day the princess sent her away; I can remember the day one of her eventual friends and comrades threw that party at the Library and long before the Celebration no less…”

“The Summer Sun Celebration…?” the bright doctor sputtered calmly just as Lemon Hearts had nodded.

The scarred client kept on talking to him, “of course, I couldn’t resist being nearby her: she was like family to me; aside from being a hero, I worried about the classmates she’s been running with during the program. I remember that there have been at least three guys in her class whom spelled nothing but trouble since then and I think that ginger Krill is the worst of the bunch, always leering at women and getting into shouting matches with men; he may not have struck me as a rapist yet he kept giving off these bad vibrations here and there. Anyways, I still remember that day when Twilight Sparkle attended one of her classmates’ funeral: it’s no secret that it was Swain of all people since he was in active military, not that it’d mattered since the explosion; it’s probably safe to say since that bombing, everything seemed to go downhill for all of us. Even though nothing much had happened, I could first remember the day I’d heard the news about the Library burning down to the ground; all that I’d been thinking at the time was the memory of her being so tied down to this place since her arrival, I couldn’t help myself but to think that she’d died in that fire!”

“And yet she didn’t; many of us knew what happened next: even after all that pain and suffering, Twilight lived…” the bright doctor had said in return, still mindful of both Lemon Hearts’ emotions and presence overall so to speak, “of course, you, of all people knew this story well enough to know what happened next…”

“Mm–hmm, apparently, I’d met up with her parents the morning after the fire: they were asking me if I’d seen her last time; of course, it would make sense since I couldn’t resist staying here in Canterlot for that long…” the scarred client answered him clearly with but a mirthless laugh no less.

The bright doctor remained wary of Lemon Hearts’ teardrops and then said to the latter, “how often did you travel to and from here since Twilight moved…?”

“At least over a dozen times; as a matter of fact, the first time I’d moved was the day before the Celebration: it was a part of my job as an event planner…”the scarred client explained it to him straightaway, pointing to the scenery proximate to themselves, “usually my territory is in the capital but ever since then, I took my days off from work just to see her again when I can. It was a well–paid career, an important one at that: after all, it’d helped kept a roof over my head when my parents were still there; of course, all of that had changed the day of that fateful wedding.”

“What happened…?” the bright doctor inquired.

Taking in a deep breath, Lemon Hearts then said to him at once, “I remember being the planner for said event and watching three of my friends, Lyra, Twinkleshine, and Minuette serve as bridesmaids. At that time, I also saw Twilight and her parents there again as well as the man marrying the princess: to think that Shining Armor be the guy to tie the knot with the likes of her, Mi Amore Cadenza, no less, it’s so romantic; yet, it seems that all dreams have to come to an end, or in this case, turning into a living nightmare none of which we could wake from. Just as they were about to kiss, some guy disguised as one of the guests in attendance smuggled an acid bomb into the wedding and threw it at the princess; prior to her bursting into flames, I heard him shout ‘die, falsehearted jade!’ and soon enough, everything went to Tartarus in a heartbeat. Everything started to move slower at first with everyone in attendance: people were pushing and shoving each other to escape in the confusion and I heard some of them screaming in pain; the only people whom weren’t caught up in it were my friends and even then, the emotions were high like a kite in the park. Eventually, I was able to escape the palace and ran off back home to see my parents and tell them everything that happened just recently; afterwards, they’d told me to go and pack up my clothes so we could flee the city and take refuge: at the very least, I’d suggested going to Baltimare since whatever happened to Twilight could happen to us. Of course, look how that turned out for me: before any of us had the time to escape for Baltimare, I remember hearing an explosion closer than I’d expected; sure enough, I’d felt the earth beneath of feet shake before half of the house we were in started to collapse. I barely had only enough time to make it to the entrance until the rest collapsed and I could swear that my parents were still trapped in the wreckage: even with the space around me sinking, all that I could think about was escaping whatever caused the damage; despite this, I felt guilty having to leave them both behind. The sensation of being trapped only started to get worse for the three of us when I had finally caught a glimpse outside: not only was our house completely destroyed, I’d seen flames coming closer to where I was still crawling out; even worse, I’d felt the fabric of my dress snagged onto something as I’d gotten halfway there. Next thing you know, I ended up with the worst pain unimaginable: my skin and my clothes had both caught fire so fast, I could feel some adrenaline shoot up and tell me to escape this wreckage; of course, seeing that I didn’t wear a bra, I had to ditch the dress and climb out which I did…”

“That’s awful: I’d heard stories about people and animals burning to death alongside those whom were fortunate enough to have the flames put out; sounds like to me you had quite the trouble…” the bright doctor exhaled, inadvertently causing his scarred client to burst into more tears again, “sorry about that…”

“It’s okay, doctor… it’s just that ever since that day, I’ve been having a hard time coming back to Canterlot now and then: the fear, the fury, the pain, and the sorrow were just too much for me to bear if at all; in fact, I’d honestly even thought about killing myself often because of it…!” Lemon Hearts sniffled lackadaisically.

Needless to say, he said to his scarred client, “do you still think about, though…?”

“Mm–hmm; of course, I still can’t go and burn myself to death this time…” she’d sighed, staring listlessly at the scenery again, this time all by her lonesome, “sometimes, I stare into my medicine cabinet and think about downing a whole bottle of pills on the spot and head on back to bed. As far as I see it, my life is over: my parents are dead, my house is gone, my looks are crap, my career is over, and I’m probably going to die alone, unmarried, and unmourned; even my friends know this well and they’re all too nice to even say it outright, much less hint it: Twilight especially goes out of her way to not bring it up and everyone still feels sorry for her. I bet if she hadn’t been left to die in that fire on that day, then at the very least even I wouldn’t have to suffer like this; at least she would’ve been able to have a long successful career doing who knows what, a husband of her choosing, and a family to grow but me…? I had to spend my first few months outside the hospital pandering and begging, even though the insurance barely covered my injuries and losses; I had to go all the way out to Baltimare to sell our vacation home just to get out of debt and move on our to Ponyville or Appleloosa. I just wanna die…!”

“How about this: let’s say you did manage to go through with it, even by accident; how do you suppose your friends would feel…?” the bright doctor asked as Lemon Hearts looked straight back at him again.

A full beat of silence overwhelmed the scarred client before she’d mustered up the strength to answer him, “deceived, betrayed, deprived, maltreated, miserable… Twilight especially wouldn’t be the only one probably taking this hard just because her family helped me recover: I also realize how Pepperdance would be devastated if I’d died; after all, she also sees me as family.”

“And why is that; what relationship do you have with them…?” the bright doctor had questioned her patiently so to speak thereof, “you seem to be quite the person when it comes to inspiring the two…”

“Yeah, that’s right… Twilight has this overwhelming obligation to stay in touch with her friends and appreciate them no matter where they are or what they’ve become whilst Pepperdance makes great music alongside me; when one breaks it all down, we’re really no different from sisters…” Lemon Hearts explained before bursting out into laughter.

It took only half a minute for the scarred client to become quiet again only to be followed by a knock on the door and another voice behind themselves speaking, “Doctor Sevenfold, you’re wanted at the pavilion: Peppermint Twist–a–loo has vomited onto the floor…”

“I’ll be right with you, Nurse Tenderheart…!” the aforementioned man reply straightaway before speaking to Lemon Hearts whilst taking a stand, “I’m sorry, miss Lemon, but we have to end this session now: one of our patients is need now; do you wanna come back within two weeks from now…?”

“Yes, sir…” the scarred client chirped, also doing the same before turning around to face the door behind them as she’d covered her face back up.

It wasn’t long until she’d exited the room, greeted by the sight of a bright skinned woman up in white with locks of green and eyes of purple whom was unperturbed by the former’s departure as the latter watched him follow after.

Plasma

Author's Note

Hello there and welcome back to yet another chapter of my fanfic that goes beyond the typical oneshots made from before which I've given you since inception; suffice to say, the past chapters from before were by far a strong note for you all only to serve as a taste of what's to come later on.

As usual, My Little Pony, or rather Friendship Is Magic, including its settings and characters belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro yet Phoebe's from MyndMon; however, this concept of my fanfic still belongs to me so I will say this one time only: please do not steal this story or I will sue.

Lastly, let me also say that I hope you can stomach this chapter now more than the others before it and still have the strength to continue onward in staying tuned though the passing times; henceforth, I will leave you with but one saying only: thank you very much.

Plasma

In some form and fashion whatsoever, it was as if the hope sprung eternally from underground, seeming to be overwhelmed with enthusiastic inspiration. The heavens were riddled with golden experience, free of clouds and moisture yet brimmed with air on the g string, before the gavottes, bourrées, and gigas. Below them were the trees and leaves shooting up from the brilliant green as a rainbow of fruits already blooming alongside the fine flowers in the valley. The gentle breezes were carrying off so much pleasant aromas one could assume some exquisite establishment within proximity, the radii notwithstanding. The dirt road was found to be guiding its way to a town filled to them brim with buildings made of straw and hay, as well as sticks and stones themselves. In the middle of the land and the sky, birds and bees flew about: some soared higher than others; a few were fast as lightning, and one marrying a lone fly.

In the wake of the order and peace, there was a modest crowd of people dressed to the height of fashion: the men in attendance were wearing suits that, although dark, were still colorful to no end; the opposite sex donned dresses on the lighter side to the point of being able to burn bright. Irregardless of their very own attire alone, they’d coexisted on both sides of the greenery so to speak, split into two groups by singular red carpet stretching out from the dirt road to a small ligneous platform nearby a thin snow white archway adorned with many kaleidoscopic flowers.

Standing behind themselves, a tall woman was now setting foot onto the fabric as she’d entered betwixt the observant crowd afore her. She wore tresses of moderate cerulean split into two different shades curling past her neckline, already held in place by a flowery veil. The pedestrian was fruity, her integuments bearing a chocolate shade of some moderate tangelos whilst wearing irises of raspberry too. Like many people around her, the textiles were regal and formal: a flowing white dress covering much of her body with golden accents. Additionally, the lone woman in particular had worn some jewelry upon the transitional metals, sparkling about with many gemstones. She’d carried a bouquet of flowers within her grip, each of them varying in shapes, shading, and species alike in a series of teal doilies.

“Huh, what is this: how did I end wearing a wedding dress in the outskirts of Ponyville with people dressed up with nowhere else to go; where are my friends…?” the woman in white cerebrated as she looked around, finding nothing else abaft herself but a nearby town no less; nevertheless, the people up in front were still waiting.

Nevertheless, she persisted in walking, hearing a series of strings and keys being grinded up and pressed down respectively into a lofty tune overhead. Each step that the lonely woman in white took had brought her closer to the archway, greeted by a couple of friendly faces of all backgrounds realized. Despite the fact she was completely confused by the serene surroundings, she was at ease with herself, sharing the same emotion as the very crowd.

In front of the woman in white faraway happened to be another one like her, albeit with many differences between the both of them. Like the pristine traveler, the bystander at the end also wore cold tresses except they’d matched the eyes in shades of moderate purple. In addition, the eyewitness watching the woman in white also possessed some dark skin, fifty shades darker but still freed like many. One crucial thing that sat the bystander apart from the bright counterpart was the former’s darkly colored habit and shoes of sapphires. The eyewitness even wore a pair of glasses with a jet black frame and a silver necklace in the shape of a crescent moon in the fabric. In the bystander in blue’s possession was a little black book resting underneath her right forearm, ready to be read out for many to listen.

It wasn’t long until the pristine traveler had made her way to the end, presented with another fresh face filled to the brim with friendliness. Unlike the woman standing upon the wooden platform, he was a lanky male of a brighter skin complexion, his skin glowing on in the light. Much like the eyewitness, his hair was also violet yet they’d been touched with a moderate cerise resting directly beneath a dark blue high hat. Accompanying the man’s headgear were a matching dinner jacket, trousers, and shoes currently overlaying a white undershirt and a bow–tie. In addition, the woman in white could now notice a singular red rose and a blue violet coexisting all peacefully onto the leftmost breast pocket. Staring out into the pristine counterpart’s very eyes were circlets of moderate cyan underlined by red blushing, sentiments shared by the former.

As both people were now lost into each other’s eyes, the bystander in blue staring at them both right down the middle soon announced, “friends, Equestrians, countrypeople, thank you and welcome: you may be seated. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of Providence, to witness the joining together of both Autumn Leaf and Lemon Hearts in the sacred covenant of marriage, commended to be honorable among all peers and therefore isn’t by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, and solemnly. Matrimony is not just a social occasion with a spiritual touch thrown in, but a service of devotion from start to finish, in which vows are made, prayers are offered, and blessings are given. Who supports this couple in their marriage?”

“I do…!” a distant voice was heard, belonging to another woman in white, albeit in a shorter dress with a widely brimmed hat with a pink feather sticking out: like him, she’d bore bright skin and purple tresses yet her eyes were dyed a deep blue like the still waters; nevertheless, she’d persisted, “growing up in Ponyville, I had nothing but the highest hopes and dreams that I’d be married off. To many like–minded women besides myself, it is nothing more than the highest of honors attainable, an ultimate statement of legitimacy which meant untold success. Throughout the past two decades of my life, I’ve heard nothing more than stories about half of the marriages ending in divorce and, worst of all, death of either party; even though we never talk about them for one reason or another, let alone the preludes to either outcome, we were able to embrace the love and happiness from their joy. The fact that I’m standing here today brings nothing but tears to my eyes knowing that I’ve yet to experience the sensation of having a special significant other of choice to share such a lifetime with him; even the fears of living and dying alone have done nothing more other than to remind me how precious our lives are, even in Equestria no less. As Celestia is my witness, I shall congratulate them on their future journey together as both husband and wife; although that I know little about either one of themselves, outside of seeing miss Lemon Hearts at the big brunch oh so long ago, I know that Twilight and their friends will cherish this moment together nonetheless…!”

“Autumn Leaf, if it’s your intent to marry Lemon Hearts, please respond with ‘I do’; Autumn Leaf, do you take Lemon Hearts to be your wedded wife, to live together in holy matrimony and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, for as long as you both shall live…?” the bespectacled eyewitness asked as the lone spectator sat back down, watching both move to stage.

The aforementioned groom said, “I do…”

“Lemon Hearts, if it’s your intent to marry Autumn Leaf, please respond with ‘I do’…” the bystander in blue begged the question similar to the one from not too long ago, “Lemon Hearts, do you take Autumn Leaf to be your wedded husband, to live together in holy matrimony, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do…” the eponymous bride replied.

Soon, the bespectacled eyewitness spoke confidently, “the ceremony of marriage is the first and oldest ceremony in the world, celebrated in its humble beginnings in the presence of Providence as a gift given to comfort the sorrows and magnify life’s joy. Lemon Hearts and Autumn Leaf, in all of life, rare is the moment that is filled with more hope, joy, and expectation than this sacred moment; by this divine design, this moment will never be repeated, but rather be cherished as long as you both shall live. A good marriage is created: the little things in your life will become the big things; you will never be too old to hold hands, never be too old to say goodnight or for a gentle kiss. A good marriage is remembering to say ‘I love you’ on a regular basis: it is never going to sleep angry; it is standing together, leaning on each other’s strength and support. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget; it is providing an atmosphere in which each of you can grow. It is finding room for the elements of harmony within: loyalty, humor, generosity, honesty, kindness, and magic; it is not only marrying the right partner, but rather being the right partner. You will have this kind of marriage if you continue to recognize Providence as the source of your romance, love, and affection for these things are gifts to you; build your home on this spiritual foundation. Today, as you say your vows to one another, you are also committing that you’ll follow through on these solemn promises: so much preparation has gone into making this moment a special occasion for you two and your guests; these next few minutes are more important than anything else that will happen today. These are the moments that you will look back and remember when you have children, arguments, and the moment of buying your first house together; don’t ever forget the words you say this day for they will sustain your marriage through all of life’s ups and downs.”

“Phoebe’s words are so comforting: even in the face of uncertainty, she reminds me of Twilight Sparkle and the tact she’d possessed…” the woman in white ruminated happily, staring at the man in blue in front, “still, I’m troubled: not only is my body starting to sweat, I have this feeling that something’s about to go wrong; why do have this sensation telling me to run away…?”

“Oh, Lemon…” he’d thought to himself.

Phoebe still addressed the crowd up in front of them, “to all those who have joined us to witness this special commitment by Autumn Leaf and Lemon Hearts, you play an important role in the lives of this couple: your attendance here shows that you care for them and are supporting this marriage. I would ask that you support of this marriage not end on this day, but that you continue to support the union that they commit to: it is often easy for us to undermine the value of the marriage commitment by saying simple things like ‘you don’t deserve this, you really should think about divorce’ or even taking sides in an argument. Guard the words that you say, in jest and in counsel to the couple; commit today, as friends and family, to uphold this marriage to the best of your ability and never do anything to harm it whatsoever. Autumn Leaf, as man of your home, you are ordained as the leader of your home, with a unique personality and talents that add to this marriage: when Lemon Hearts was asked why she chose to marry you, she says that you make her feel sweet, getting along with others, and are a hard worker. She said that she appreciates that you respect her opinions, yet she can trust you to make good decisions for your family: at this moment, your lover for your bride is apparent, I challenge you to grow in that love as you grow old together in life; put her needs above your own and lead selflessly. Lemon Hearts, as is apparently today, your groom finds you beautiful: when asked why he chose you to be his wife, Autumn Leaf’s first response was ‘her smile’; in our conversations together, it became apparent that without you around, Autumn Leaf might starve to death! Autumn Leaf values your intelligence and that you are supportive of him as a person and the things that he enjoys doing: there are going to be times when the seeds of doubt threaten to grow within you; remember that this man before you trusts you so grow in your trust for him. The two of you have an opportunity today to start your own family: you complement each other; where one is weak, the other is strong and should either of you fall, the other can be helped put back together up and running. These vows that you are about to commit are just words, but they cement forever your commitment to one another; please join hands and face one another.”

“Okay…” Autumn Leaf said, heeding the bystander in blue’s words alongside Lemon Hearts as well, “I, Autumn Leaf, take you, Lemon Hearts, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish until death do us part…”

“I, Lemon Hearts, take you, Autumn Leaf, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish until death do us part…” the woman in white had responded in turn to the man in blue straightaway.

Sure enough, both people took out some small rings as Phoebe said, “Autumn Leaf and Lemon Hearts have chosen to present rings to each other as a token of their promise: they are a visible sign of an inward bond which unites two hearts in endless love; Autumn Leaf and Lemon Hearts, from this day forward, the two of you shall be one. Do you, Autumn Leaf, give this ring to Lemon Hearts as a token of your love for her…?”

“Yes…” he’d answered instantaneously, “I do…”

“Lemon Hearts, will you wear this ring as evidence of your love for Autumn Leaf?” the bystander in blue asked the titular bride.

The woman in white replied, “I will…”

“Autumn Leaf, please place the ring on Lemon Hearts’ finger, hold it there, and repeat after me: ‘I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you’…” Phoebe commanded as the aforementioned groom heeded them well for his bride to see, “do you, Lemon Hearts, give this ring to Autumn Leaf as a token of your love for him?”

“I do…” the eponymous listener answered, now feeling a ring encrusted with five different jewels around her finger.

The bystander in blue turned to the similar male and inquired, “Autumn Leaf, will you wear this ring as evidence of your love for Lemon Hearts…?”

“I will…” he said, outstretching his hand towards the woman in white gently without touching either female, “thank you…”

“Lemon Hearts, please place the ring on Autumn Leaf’s finger, hold it there, and repeat after me: ‘I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you’…” Phoebe spoke instantaneously to the titular bride, the latter of the females now doing the same for the corresponding groom directly upfront for the former to bear witness straightaway.

The woman in white couldn’t help herself but to cry, her raspberry orbs now supersaturated with achromatic fluids as her own sights were being blurred; nevertheless, she persisted in remaining focused onto the very man in blue, cerebrating the imminent celebrations afterwards overall, “so this is it, a dream come true: married to the man that I love and in front of my friends no less. I wish this day will never end…”

“Autumn Leaf and Lemon Hearts have pledged their love for each other, expressing their commitment before Providence and this gathering of friends and loved ones…” the bystander in blue announced to the applause of the amicable audience before them, “they’ve given themselves completely to each other and declared it publicly by the giving and receiving of rings. Acting in by virtue of the authority invested in me under the laws and ordinances within the nation of Equestria, I now pronounce you husband and wife; Autumn Leaf, you may now kiss the bride…”

At long last, both parties in attendance surrendered themselves to each other, embracing one another in their company as both sets of hands made contact with their targets’ backs instantly. Their cold eyes, which had been underlined by their blushing visages, were closed off as they’d finally touched each other on the lips, their mutual love had currently radiated about to no end. Even though many had cheered them both on, they couldn’t resist having the world around themselves slowing down to their collectively treasured heartbeat in synchronized swimming. Irregardless of the many people already bearing witness to the newlyweds’ osculation with ease, they’d felt as if they were the only people on this world that had mattered to each other at large.

Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, but somehow as if on cue, a great white flash had overwhelmed the entire area where many congregated. The earth underneath their feet shook as they’d turned to find an enormous cloud of heat and light in the distance, taking the shape of a mushroom. Even though there was distance between themselves and the polymorphous structure, many had trembled at the sight and sensitivity of the substances. At the very least, the skies were currently burning a deeply bloodstained scarlet as the smokes and flames climbed upwardly into their very direction. Most importantly, the crisp air all throughout themselves had become hot and heavy for their skin and clothing to even tolerate, not that it mattered.

As the bright flare subsided, almost all the members in attendance were forced onto the ground, feeling the fabrics and the fiber of their being subsequentially catching ablaze in an instant as the fire sprouted from them. Of the many screaming masses succumbing to the pain and suffering in just so little time overall, Lemon Hearts got the worst of it all: her clothes, skin, and hair became blackened by the flames as they’d fused together. In spite of both Phoebe and Autumn Leaf shielding the charred maiden from the damage, they, too, were also caught in the spontaneous conflagration as their attire was being instantaneously incinerated before her.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” Lemon Hearts shrieked as her flesh was being assaulted by the fire and flames latching onto her skin.

In only a matter of seconds, the soundwaves around the grounded cloud had escaped outwardly, bringing nothing but death and destruction in their collective wake. Everything and everyone still standing before it were obliterated no matter what: people, places, products, pets, and projects alike now suffered alongside each other. Debris definitely had developed every step of the way as many objects in every shape and size was now quickly being carried off further away from the epicenter.

As soon as it’d made their way to the charred newlywed’s range, plants and people alike were vaporized in a heartbeat, destroying whatever remaining structure held itself together as they’d shattered into many innumerable pieces; even with the blackened bystander and bridegroom shielding her, she was instantaneously reduced to bones amidst the heat and flames within them. Soon enough, there was nothing more whatsoever of any considerable traces to the people’s former existence or livelihoods thereof: the once luscious vegetation were reduced to smoke and ash alongside the people nearby them whom had been burning bright in pain; in Lemon Hearts’ case, she was no longer standing alone or together but now dust in the winds of toxicity and heat. Hereon out, the stardust memories of their moments on the surface of the earth were now a thing of the past, the dirtied soil still remaining despite the newly painted discoloration upon them; needless to say, the inferno shortly dissipated within only minutes, leaving behind an immense crater where the very town had used to be alongside its former inhabitants therein so to speak of.

Starmatter

Author's Note

Ah, you've come to chapter fiver of Fireflower's fanfic that goes beyond the typical oneshots made from before, a Mature fanfic no less on the grounds that three chapters ago heavy subject matters have proven to be unsuitable for those under eighteen, easily offended, and/or quickly nauseated; suffice to say, this was by far a strong note for many readers alike so therefore you were all given an option to skip ahead to another chapter: whether or not you had taken this offer, it was only up to you to do so nothing more.

As always, My Little Pony, or rather Friendship Is Magic, including its settings and characters belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro; however, this concept of my fanfic belongs to me so I will say this line one time only: please do not steal this story or I will sue.

Lastly, let me also say that I hope you enjoy this chapter now more than the others and still have the strength to continue onward in staying tuned for future chapters later: after all, one special guest will be making an appearance in this story, someone you may have known and loved; henceforth, I'll leave you with a saying, 'thank you very much.'

Starmatter

Daylight was now being burned in the minds and bodies of every possible lifeform just dwelling upon the soil of the turning world, already rotating on its own axis at a set speed while revolving as well on the same one to say the very least; as a result, half of it was stuck lurking in the dark. Likewise, the big gray sky had already become congested with many clouds to block out the rays of sunlight; despite this, a flock of birds from various sizes and shapes soaring across so serenely for not even gravity could ever pull any of them down to earth itself, free from fear and worry. There within an enormous dream drop distance was but a small civilization being defined in such hefty materials, variances used to build them from the ground up, most of them all being the ones efficiently suitable to harbor even three little pigs with not a care within the whole wide world. Fluttering about were the calm gentle breezes now surfing across every on of the grassy knolls, already touching the brilliant green surrounding it all on a solid lower plane of existence even as the dirt road guided its way from a nearby forest, a curvilinear line worth being held and crossed. Even out amongst the very backgrounds, a valley and ridge of smoky mountains were carving sharply into themselves a significant piece of the landscape alone, many of which were raging inward with growth and erosion in the very process of their trying times as clouds hovered over. Starting with the hustle and bustle about now deep into the flow, the small town was instantly filled to the brim with a rather utter abundance of many people from the various demographics: age, gender, finances, and social standing being nothing short inside the standardized metallurgy.

Veritably, one particular place in the town stood out and about in the process: while it wasn’t the only home in the very least, it was like the many others built near but nonetheless treated with respect. Standing up out from the brilliant green were some numerous monochromatic stones already carved into various shapes, each of them bearing a name and line of text underneath as basic traces. All that was occupying right nearby themselves were but an arrangement of many lovely flowers made up of various colors and species already planted upon the otherwise fertile earth which was habitat. Many of them were already being observed by wayward pedestrians traveling about with only a semblance of awareness regarding their solitary purpose within that obligatory spacing therein overall. Uniting them under one common goal was but a feeling of mere solidarity and reflection on their lives as they had all stared upon the formations that were only already sticking out from the very ground.

Standing out amongst the many denizens traversing to and fro was a lone woman found to be tearfully staring deep into the diminutive monolith in a rather melancholy trance. Her skin was one of the fairest within the land and beyond, her coating reminiscent of the palest ivory with keen milkiness within the pores as they were free of all imperfections. The woman’s eyes had already possessed some moderate arctic blue radiating about with untold amounts of electricity yet grounded to a fault with nothing but tranquility itself. Her locks were but a hot pink curling grandly past the nape of her neckline before stopping at the midsection, adorned with a barrette in the shape of a hectogram dyed in platinum. The lonely woman wore a jet–black ensemble of textiles that shielded her from the cold: a beret, blouse, skirt, gloves, leggings, and boots; also, she’d donned a purple scarf too.

“Oh, Ashby… I’m sorry that you’re not around to climb on my back and ride me around like you did when we were young; when I make it big in Applewood someday soon, I’m gonna dedicate my performance to you, this I swear on my life…!” she’d wept, planting a nosegay upon the flourishing ground upon the stone instantaneously.

The lone woman had stood upright to stare at the scenery which been provided for the likes of her as the true blue eyes started to scan in the details right around her. Of the many places that were within her line of eyesight was an enormous sea of green, its fibers are in various combinations already creating bewildering camouflage. All throughout the very herbage was but only a lush landscape denser than the open field the lone woman was now standing upon, loud and proud of its structures. Deep within every piece of vegetation now dwelling in usually contained many plants capable of providing either nourishment or mortality to any living being present. Given the immense size of such acreage, it had seemed that even the sheer probability of finding any lifeform residing in here was rather nonexistent to a fault therein. Some dense moisture of the dewdrops were being formed on the surface upon many of the green grasses housing the vary flora, overwhelming them all so to speak of. The only thing that was remaining to complete this very scenery alone was at least any stray pedestrian traveling throughout the area for whatever reason thereof.

As she’d attempted to depart from the ocean of stony lonesomes, she was caught off–guard by a wayward voice greeting her at once, “oh, hello…”

Almost immediately, the lone woman was almost quick to come across the sight of another woman approaching the former’s direction in due time. The bystander in black was quick to notice the similarities between themselves: complexions, cold irises, and even the long pink hair struck out as so. Nevertheless, the woman in black had remained aware of the differences: the latter was lemony, bearing teal eyes and an accessory shaped like a butterfly. In addition, the brighter bystander’s counterpart donned clothes of a lighter and colorful scheme: a white blouse, some emerald pants, and blue sneakers.

“Hi, there; I wasn’t expecting another one to come to the pet cemetery, let alone one with pink hair…” the woman in black had greeted the lemony traveler straightaway, unperturbed by the latter’s presence, “you look familiar all of the sudden now that I think about it: are you from around here; as a matter of fact, who are you…?”

“I’m Fluttershy and I’m a local from Ponyville, or rather was a local; also, I happen to be one of Twilight’s friends…” the colorful correspondent chirruped cheerlessly, codependences counting on caring for the kindly commentated.

The brighter bystander began to introduce herself in turn, “ah, I see: I’m Twinkleshine and I’m also one of her friends but I’m from Canterlot; what brings you here, Fluttershy…?”

“I came here to see Angel Bunny again; it’s what I’d been doing for the past seven years: I’ve been traveling to Ponyville to visit his grave at least once a month…” the titular traveler answered timely to the woman in black, noticing the grave nearby the former, “I see that you’ve lost a pet too, have you…?”

“A koala…” Twinkleshine had wept only softly.

The colorful pedestrian edged closer to the woman in black and said whilst embracing slightly, “I’m sorry for your loss; how did it happen…?”

“It all started on the day when Cadance was supposed to be wed to the captain of the royal guard, or so it’d seemed…” Twinkleshine said to Fluttershy, a stream of tears currently growing out onto both of themselves almost immediately, “I was invited to the royal wedding by our friend, Twilight, to serve as one of the Princess’ bridesmaids alongside Lyra and Minuette. Lemon Hearts also tried to invite Moondancer to the event but she was sick with the flu at the time; anyways, we were just about to witness them tie the knot when some sick bastard threw down a bomb at the Princess. Next thing I knew, chaos and disarray descended upon all of us: people were pushing and shoving each other to escape from the explosion’s aftereffects; of the many, us bridesmaids were among the first to escape with our lives. Of course, that didn’t mean smooth sailing for any of us: apparently, in the chaos we’d split off and disappeared into the strife; the first thing I’d thought off was getting my pet koala and myself out of Canterlot as soon as possible. One thing that had scared me was hearing and seeing the homes and businesses within the city collapse or exploded before or when I’d got there: all that I could think about is Ashby not getting caught up in either one by the time I’d gotten back home from the wedding; sadly, this did not come to pass. When I’d returned, I saw my house was quickly sinking into the ground; everything that was inside it became trapped into the earth but nothing could prepare me for what had also been trapped: my pet koala, Ashby…”

“Oh, goodness…!” the lemony traveler had exclaimed, holding up her left hand up to her mouth instantaneously.

The ivory onlooker still shed more tears as she’d cried, “all the windows were jammed shut when I’d scurried back and the entrance was even shut off as well; I was helpless, powerless, and couldn’t bear the reality of letting him die before my eyes…!”

“At least you had only one dead pet in your former home; my home was the only safe place for every animal in my watch…” Fluttershy stuttered, causing the melancholic Twinkleshine to shudder about at what the former had uttered like a hot knife through cold butter, “if anything, this place we’re standing in used to be my home, a cottage no less…”

“You’re serious; what happened?!” the ivory onlooker exclaimed, looking upon the lemony traveler’s lachrymose face.

Fluttershy took in a long drag of air and then exhaled, finding the time to tell the whole story, “it’d all began back when I was just younger so to speak of: like you, my native hometown wasn’t in Ponyville yet much higher up nonetheless; anyways, little did I knew, I wouldn’t stay any longer. Unlike the modern times, I didn’t have many friends outside of Rainbow Dash, or at the very least, friends like her; I was considered a weakling amongst my own peers all because I wasn’t brave enough to avoid the negative attention. All that began to change one fateful day when she began to race against one of our bullies: I’d served as the flag girl whose honor was at stake but not for long as you could easily see; the moment they’d both took off from the starting line everything changed, especially for the likes of me. The combined acceleration blowback was enough for me to lose my footing and my place in the hometown; at the rate I was falling, it was certain to people under normal circumstances that I’d die, even though I didn’t want to and I didn’t: all that waited for me were a flock of butterflies, gentle creatures that were pretty and strong enough to assemble. From that day forward, I’d swore to help all the creatures on this blue and green world, great and small; of course, I wasn’t even alone in this quest to do so; there were many whom had assisted me in acquiring said animals alongside those I’d taken in out of kindness alone. It wasn’t long until I’d gained notice from the local authorities I had to go and apply for a veterinarian’s license at court but even I didn’t get this far: one day, a huge fight had broken out while I was out at the office and a bunch of people were flooding out of the courtroom all of the sudden; apparently, it’d began after one of the instigators gotten convicted of murdering his wife. When some of the guards were getting too slow in restoring order, some people jumped in and tried to end the fight one way or another; sadly, I was one of those people who took matters into my own hands: as soon as I’d seen him brush off one of the bailiffs, I came in with a sucker punch to the face and knocked out some of his teeth in the process.”

“Oh, Celestia, I never heard such a court case get this violent, let alone you, of all people, getting involved…!” Twinkleshine exclaimed instantaneously, growing uncomfortable by the answered received in full force no less, “sounds like to me you must have been a real terror since the dust had settled…”

“I’d felt much worse than that: compared to this monster, I’d felt like a demon took control of me and the worst part was the fact that I’d let it happened; even worse, I’d honestly felt like that I was going to die for what I’d done and these creatures were never going to see me ever again!” the lemony traveler bawled in front of the ivory counterpart.

Twinkleshine patted Fluttershy on the back and whispered, “there, there… you’re safe here with me: nobody is here to harm you; after all, you’re the Bearer of Kindness, nothing more, nothing less…”

“For how long though…?” the lemony traveler responded morosely, shedding tears nearby the ivory onlooker, “at that rate, I could’ve been thrown in prison for it; as a matter of fact, I almost got put to death later on after that fateful day…!”

“Wait, you mean to tell me that you were almost executed for punching out a domestic abuser?!” Twinkleshine asked incredulously.

Regaining some composure, Fluttershy replied, “actually, what had happened with me in the courtroom was just the tipping point prior to the day when one of my classmates in the program was killed in the bombing. The truth of the matter was is that between those days, I’d been placed in there for my safety as well as due to the fact I was still one of the Element Bearers; of course, this didn’t protect me for long. What should have been fourteen weeks of getting control of ourselves was shut down within the eleventh week the night Swain was killed alongside many other soldiers; afterwards, they’ve been frantically looking for someone to blame for the attack, only to find me as public enemy number one…”

“What, how in the world did you end up as the main suspect?!” the ivory onlooker scoffed about at what the lemony traveler had just spoken to the former straightaway, “surely even you know that it wouldn’t make any sense whatsoever: you’re Fluttershy for Celestia’s sake, the Bearer of Kindness and the most peaceful among all the other people…!”

“Yet still one person and one person plus plenty of soldiers still didn’t add up: the night after the explosion, they had the guards show up at my door and search the cottage for some evidence; at first, I’d been led to believe that I had nothing to hide, at least ‘til they’d uncovered a grenade…” Fluttershy explained it already to Twinkleshine.

The ivory onlooker gasped and then said, “a grenade; how the fuck did you end up with a grenade at home?!”

“I don’t know, I’d never seen such a thing in my life, let alone in my own house; not even the animals in my home knew anything about it whatsoever, but they didn’t see it that way…” the lemony traveler spoke softly, slowly losing control of her own respiration before stabilizing, “apparently, they’d found a whole stash of explosives in my bathroom inside the shower curtains. Either way, before I knew it, they took me away from the animals and they couldn’t do anything about it without running the risk of getting into trouble, ironic that I stood I my best behavior for the good of Equestria, let alone the creatures within it; if anything, they’d put me through the ringer over what had happened with their deaths. They’d interrogated me for hours on end about the discoveries made, hounding me about the soldiers whom were supposed to be one of the last line of defense for the Crown and Country only to die before they could even do so, all because of me; every question I’d been asked, it was always the same answers I gave, nothing more, nothing less. Either way, they didn’t like it: I’d been locked up for at least over three days because it, gone without sleep or food worrying about all the creatures at my cottage wondering where I’ve been and when I’d return home while they’d kept on pushing and pulling me to the brink and at the seams; one time, I’d been subjected to a random cavity search while in custody.”

“Oh, dear, I’m sorry to hear that; was it that painful…?” Twinkleshine reluctantly asked Fluttershy.

Shedding a tear, the lemony traveler answered, “not as painful as finding out I’d been at least a few weeks pregnant, or at least until the fetus within myself was aborted: it seems despite all the contraceptives in the world, I’d been carrying a child the whole time; barring that, not even being the Bearer of Kindness protected me from them. After that, they’d decided to explain the charges to me I’d been accused of: high treason against Equestria, mass murder of the soldiers, possession of deadly weapons, fraternization with the enemy, lewd and lascivious conduct with animals, obstruction of justice, and fleeing the scene of the crime; of course, I’d objected to those charges altogether upon hearing them. Anyways, they’d offered to drop every single one of them if I’d given up the names of my supposed co–conspirators: the reason for doing so, twisted and morbid as it were, is they’d believed that I’d not acted alone in the attack; even more bizarrely, they’d suggested giving up one of my former classmates as the one true culprit behind their deaths.”

“Your classmates; what would they have against your classmates all of the sudden…?” the ivory onlooker interjected, her blue eyes now boiling about as the iciness within began brimming with static, “none of this made any sense whatsoever…!”

“And you’re right about it, Twinkleshine: it’d never made any sense at all but, like before, they didn’t want to see it that way; as such, they’d said either one of the males in my class had to go to the gallows but I’d refused to lie no matter what, even when I’d been threatened with death…” Fluttershy heaved, the air around both women becoming heavy and noxious within her breath.

It wasn’t long until Twinkleshine watched her colorful correspondent scurry off away from the former whom watched the latter let loose an assortment of lukewarm hues upon the other side of the dirt trail away from the graveyard, a chunky salsa of nausea splattering into a wayward cluster; as if that weren’t enough, some of it clung to the pants despite the small radius of it all.

After Fluttershy hacked up some more, her ivory onlooker found the time and patience to follow after the former quickly while asking, “are you okay…?”

“It’s fine, I’m sorry that you had to see that, Twinkleshine…!” the lemony traveler coughed out before finally regaining both control and composure in little time; afterwards, she continued to speak, “anyways, they’d decided to sentence me to death despite my protests and soon enough I was in tears; I’d tried to send letters to my friends and family begging to save me. It’s just that I was left fighting a war over myself and for myself alone: part of me was saying to hold on to hope no matter what, just like what the magic of friendship is for, another was saying that I should just give up and accept my fate, and I had some dark side saying I should fight my way out of this dark place.”

“What did you do…?” Twinkleshine asked.

Fluttershy wasted no time in replying back, “neither: as soon as I someone whom I’d thought would be sympathetic to my plight, I’d gave into the impulse of sleeping with him in order to delay the execution; thankfully, Big Mac was there…”

“I’ve heard of that name before: who was he; was he handsome or something…?” the ivory onlooker had asked the lemony traveler right away, “what was he doing here in a place like this…?”

“He’s a farmer from Sweet Apple Acres but it seems that he was also drafted into the fight as a reserve: apparently, he’d been in training for years on end since he’d came of age so to speak; by his grandmother’s calculations, he would’ve been at least thirty–four now if it weren’t for me…” Fluttershy sighed as she’d shed another teardrop.

Twinkleshine noticed this and inquired, “what exactly do you mean by that; how does this make any sense?”

“Simple: I slept with him…!” the lemony traveler wailed, covering her face with both hands as she covered her face in front of the ivory onlooker, “I was so scared of dying in there, I’d figured that by sleeping with him, I’d be able to get a stay until this whole mess blew over: of course, this meant keeping that relationship a secret, no matter what and not just from the others. It was obviously a matter of time before anyone would come to know the truth, especially with his family to be concerned: barring Applejack and Apple Bloom, even Granny Smith happened to be far smarter than she lets on; although they may have seemed to be the nicest folks in town, a woman such as myself especially knows better not to get on their bad side. Speaking of which, there was also another person whom I’m afraid to anger: in the midsts of our time in the program, I’d grown feelings for him as well as the other way around; if anything, being crushed would be the last thing Zuul would’ve felt had he known about the whole story from the beginning to end. He’s stuck in a cell with steel bars and stone walls altogether, coming to terms with the crimes he’d committed for, as he’d admitted, my sake alone; I suppose it’s fitting that we should never meet each other again now that the war is over, especially with what I’d done to him before then, merciful compared to what was almost done and could’ve been done to me.”

“And why is that: because of the men you’ve slept with, the career you’ve wanted, the fact that you’re here because of what you’d done to that wife–beating excuse of a citizen, no less?!” Twinkleshine spat out, instantaneously snapping Fluttershy back to reality in a matter of seconds no less with all the gravity stabilized.

The lemony traveler dropped her hands away from her face, finding the strength to stare into the electrifying eyes of the ivory onlooker and say, “huh…?”

“Look, I’ve may not have known much about anyone whom lived in anyplace as much as I’d thought to know about Twilight, but you seem to be the gal whom deserved better than this…” Twinkleshine said, edging forward to Fluttershy this time around with a little more tenderness, “you’re the Bearer of Kindness, not someone’s punching bag, for Celestia’s sake…! You’re more than just a real hero to the nation, let alone a national treasure; you’re a person with your own hopes and dreams, just like Twilight and I: even if you hadn’t been picked to bear that Element, your compassion to the least of these, let alone to that of a larger creature, is a sign of real bravery, not some stranger thrown some weight around like yesterday’s garbage! The fact that you’ve survived even after all that shit that these bastards put you through is miraculous on its own; even a man going through shit similar to your strife is more than worthy of my respect as much as the next guy and gal like and unlike you, fuck the others: after all, it’s no wonder why the both of you were destined to be friends. I bet that without this war of ours, we would’ve been able to go on and do great things in Equestria and even beyond; Tart, even my career as a world famous motion picture superstar would mean nothing without you shining a light in the darkness plaguing the planet alongside with your friends: Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and even our friend Twilight. Besides, she’d talked highly of you when we were in the hospital in Canterlot: even as she was lying in the bed with those bandages on her body, all that she could think about is you left behind in Ponyville; Twilight was trying to release you from prison yet all that we’d heard was how you’d went missing at Terminal.”

“Yeah, I’d heard the whole story from her; I wish I had the strength to tell her everything the first time around…” the lemony traveler said sadly.

The ivory onlooker soon cooled down a bit and replied, “look, I’m really sorry that all of this happened to you: after all, that shit they’d done to you could’ve befallen upon anyone else; besides, I had some friends of mine whom were raped when Canterlot was attacked and whatnot…”

“You did…?” Fluttershy gasped, “I hope they’re alright…”

“Of course, for the most part; let’s go head back into town now: I’ll treat you to some lunch…” Twinkleshine replied intrepidly.

The lemony traveler broke away from the ivory onlooker again, this time more gently as the former said, “that’s okay… I already had a small meal…”

“Nonsense: after what I’d seen, you need something you can hold down; besides, consider this a favor of mine…!” Twinkleshine exclaimed, grabbing Fluttershy by the hand gently without a care in the whole wide world whatsoever, “it’s the least I can do for a hero like you: any friend of Twilight Sparkle and her classmates’ also a friend of us, nothing more; now, let’s go…”

“Okay…” the lemony traveler whispered about as she was being led away from the graves they’d both stood upon, still comforted by the gentle breezes brushing up against their textiles and tresses even when they were currently walking on the dirt trail underneath.

Underworld

Author's Note

Hi there; it's me, Fireflower here once more with an electric feel ready with a new chapter of M3 on the way: suffice to say, the past chapters from before were by far a strong note for y'all, serving as a taste of what's to come later on as I write them all right at my fingertips.

As usual, My Little Pony, or rather Friendship Is Magic, including its settings and characters belong to --- you know what? F:heart:k it; you've made it this far so there's no use in me repeating what I'd said before in the disclaimers, especially after what y'all just gone and went through.

That being said, I want to say thanks again for putting up with my story this month so far, especially if you been reading the prequels as well since years ago: I honestly wished that I could have done this sooner, let alone finish it; what's funny is that had I done so in half the allotted time, I would've surprised y'all with another story on the same month, albeit on New Years' Eve but I digress.

Underworld

All throughout the way, there was an abysmal unknown of complete blackness where only such factors of sight, substance, and scent lay buried in those obscurities best referred to as a void. The exceptions that had given clues to the very location’s identity were surface, sensitivity, and sound: such were the gentle breezes being close to comfort anyone that would cross their paths. Most importantly, the current occupancy was above from simple desolate, let alone abandoned; after all, there were a few colors in many caliginous shades and hues giving off their silent cries.

Then, without any kind of warning whatsoever, some buzzing birthed the baseless boundaries, resonating about amongst the atmosphere before subsiding almost instantaneously. As if on cue, a trail of lights started to appear from nowhere, each with their own colors starting to illuminate the background they’d now been suspended upon all the live long day. Everywhere they’d went, the most predominate color found were but fifty shades of gray resting about with their own jagged edges and the like, stalactites and stalagmites no less. While there were plenty of rocks to and fro, an abundance of crystals were also discovered so to speak of, each with their variances in shapes, sizes, and shades as they’d all shined.

Stuck in the middle of it all was a lonely woman lying on the ground amongst the illuminated caverns to no end in sight whatsoever so to speak. She’d possessed some skin that was shining about like ivory, riddled with a few cuts and bruises having already made their way throughout and in. The lonely woman’s hot pink hair curling grandly past her neckline was already adorned by a single pearl diadem bearing a trio of jaded flowers. Adorning most of her entire body was a fuchsia dress with a cobalt accent matching her slippers; additionally, she’d also worn a light yellow flower.

“Huh, guys…?” a small dainty voice escaped from the lonely woman, too quiet to be picked up by any lifeform within the premises if at all.

Irregardless, the sounds of silence which were ruling the stony lonesome yet elegantly bejeweled environment had felt their unchallenged reign come to an end when another voice spoke to her, “good day, Cankerworms, here with today’s weather: mostly cloudy with a one hundred percent chance of you kowtowing to the Queen; this is Change Kowtow reminding you all to kowtow!”

“What the…” the lonely woman gasped, her eyelids flying open in an instant to unleash a static electricity of blue within, only to survey the grounded terrain afore her, “where on Equestria is this place: what is it; where are my friends?!”

“Greetings, Twinkleshine…!” a different voice abaft of herself spoke, prompting the corporeal target to turn around and find a bloodcurdling sight.

Found to be plastered on an enormous crystalline screen was a lonely individual peering out at where Twinkleshine was currently residing overall. In all fairness, not much was said about the ivory inhabitant’s onlooker; after all, compared to her attire, the latter was obscured by a black cloak. Nevertheless, she could see a patch of pale white nearby the edges of the viewer’s bloody scarlet edges radiating about with all the obscurity therein.

Twinkleshine was at a loss of words initially before summoning whatever strength within her to exclaim straightaway, “who the fuck are you?!”

“As you can see, my name is not important nor is my identity so to speak…” the ivory inhabitant’s onlooker calmly answered, much to her chagrin as far as it could’ve been seen, “what is important, however, is the sad drag of a story that happens to be your life, past and present so to speak. In under the past two and a half decades of your life, you’d eaten the same food, dressed the same, sit in front of the same kind of films: you were just that kind of girl but then one day you go and get lost in the chaos; you couldn’t even be original about the route you’d taken. Nobody’s complained about it at the time and nobody’s complaining now or ever, if at all: I, like a small few every single day, was dying of boredom anyway; but guess what…? Some will be coming back and they’ll be bringing their new toys with them, which brings us to you: Twinkleshine of Canterlot, what you are standing is the caves beneath your fair city, once home to the avaricious and ambitious wishing to claim the jewels found deep within now a forgotten underworld stripped bare like the cadaver of a once fair and joyful bride from afar. At least, that’s how the story went or was supposed to go: whereas you and many of your neighbors of this once proud city and beyond had went on with their lives, liberties, pursuits of happiness, equalities, and the like alongside those lacking in at least any of them thereof, the invaders and infiltrators alike surveyed every nook and cranny within your humble abode. Out of many of these places within and beyond Equestria’s capital, the caverns were one of them; in this case, it’d been safe to suggest, if at all, they would serve as a prison for those whom would dare to interfere with their plans: of course, all which could be said is that there was only one so far. Sadly, it would seem that, aside from both friends and neighbors, you were amongst the deceived: the fair bride and princess you’d seen slain before your eyes was neither fair nor of noble blood, at least in the eyes of your rulers; it was Queen Chrysalis, ruler of the Changelings, a race of shapeshifters known as the innate masters of disguise, copying their subjects perfectly. Even though she’d been able to mimic Mi Amore Cadenza in her entirety, she couldn’t adopt her true personality if at all: the kind and fair soul whom bore witness to the beauty in everything, including her chosen true love of her life and his dear sister; although Chrysalis had deceived the both of them as well as their friends and families with her facade, she couldn’t deceive them all. While many such as yourself excused her mistakes on account of the stress of fighting the war and losing many of your compeers before and after, only one saw through them and took matters into his own hands: a man by the name of Mercury Promenade, a guest such as yourself, sought to end her charade by any means necessary, even risking the lives of many, including Celestia.”

“Mercury Promenade, but why would he go to so much trouble: why didn’t he consult Princess Celestia or her sister Luna with the information, let alone Shining Armor or his sister Twilight; as a matter of fact, if Chrysalis impersonated Cadance, then why risk our lives to take her out?!” she’d said strongly in a stern structure so to speak.

The viewer was unnerved by Twinkleshine’s interrogation yet showed her the decency to answer nevertheless, “apparently, because the threat of having to be subjugated by the likes of those belonging to the beasts of no nation but of that which is of the Black Queen’s domain proved to be too much for the likes of him; of course, bombing the false princess’ wedding wasn’t his first option. In the months leading up to it, he’d been known as one of the many rank–and–file subjects observant to the news thereof; unlike Twilight whom was deceived due to her injuries sustained, Mercury was quick on the take, serving as her assigned bodyguard even when the dust had settled for a while. Of course, for only a vast majority of the time he’d spent, it was with the real Cadance alone: every second spent with her was more than just a job but rather a learning experience regarding her life and connections with the family she was going to marry into; speaking of which, the only commonality they’d shared was growing up without parents in their youths. Aside from that, they were both different as the night and day in which the princesses had once ruled over separately as well as equally unlike the societies underneath them now and then: she was a local highborn loved by many for her talents and personality whereas he was just only a commoner from another land, hated despite his similarities. Of course, all the respect Mercury had for Cadance went out the window the day she was replaced, or rather kidnapped by Chrysalis’ troops while stepping in as a replacement; even though no one else knew about it, strangers or loved ones alike, he’d paid attention long enough to see the differences between the true princess and the false queen. It also didn’t help that Luna had to be away on this day just to repair ties with the other nations, leaving her sister all alone with the psychopath masquerading as their niece whom they’d sworn to know and love; not even Twilight, whom looked up to her as a sister rather than a sister, could use her intelligence to comprehend the reality of the real Cadance. Of course, the scholar’s pursuit were what had ironically led to her near death in Ponyville, left to burn in a fire destroying the library she’d once called home, all to save a friend from a heinously grim fate; if anything, had things gone much smoother by comparison, it would be safe to say she would’ve came to the same conclusion as Mercury did. Anyways, his requests to delay the wedding, though sound enough on the account of the preceding war, were denied by Shining Armor’s family as well, not too surprising since everyone was too busy to see beyond their gates of horn and ivory or even exhausted to be burden with the probability of being attacked in their own home; even his protection was woefully inadequate. Speaking of which, Mercury’s attack did little, if at all, to deter the Black Queen’s horde from mounting an offensive on Canterlot: originally, they were supposed to attack on her signal alone, revealing her true form before all the spectators, however, with Chrysalis dead, the changelings succumbing to both confusion and delay, despite laying waste to the community and its people.”

“So all this time we’ve been lied to by an invader whom somehow snuck in, despite our efforts?!” the ivory onlooker screamed, her face currently becoming as red–hot as a bloody habanero.

The shrouded individual nodded and spoke to her, “even worse, some of the soldiers under her beck and call took the time to take their anger out on the populace: raping women, killing men, torturing the young and old alike in a fit of waywardness following her very death; you were among the many whom escaped these cruel fates, which is why you’re here today. For you see here, you’re meant to serve as the surrogate of one whom has seen through the disguise worn by Chrysalis from another world similar to yours; unlike Mercury however, your friend had been casted aside by her own peers and mentor for daring to question the behaviors of the false queen playing as Cadance. Despite being able to bask in the melancholy of Twilight Sparkle, Chrysalis allowed her amorous ambitions to rule herself, even as she gave herself away to her would–be victims underneath that persona; as a result of her machinations, the Black Queen had been dealt with a tremendous blow, one of many in which she’ll suffer for her crimes against both Crown and Country. In any case, the world beneath your home was once your friend’s prison, only to be freed with the help of the true princess Cadance herself thanks to their mutual bond, something Chrysalis lacked; considering your similarities between you and Twilight, it would be safe to suggest that even you can escape this forsaken oubliette to the home you’d both whence came from. Of course, this will not be an easy challenge for should you fail, you will suffer the same fate like the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza had done, alone and abandoned by all, including her usurper Chrysalis; with that said, considering how you’ve been amongst the many whom had forgotten the caverns, even the clues provided will be enough to guide you back to home. Even without the modernizations of daily life taking hold over the very caves, the lights will serve as the key to your battle for survival; of course, much like how every key can’t fit into every lock, not every light will proved to show the way so to speak: while they may not take sides, the environs will brim with all sorts of dangers, hidden and otherwise. After you set foot out of this area, you will find yourself with choices to guide you to places known and unknown but choose wisely: even though you are free to go back anywhere at any time whatsoever, take note that there exist some decisions more irreversible as they’re important; in addition, the time you have overall is proportionate to your willpower and manpower alone.”

“If that’s the case, why me…?” Twinkleshine asked, her indignation subsiding yet still standing strongly afore her singular viewer, “I may have grown up alongside Twilight Sparkle since we were young but we’re not one of the same; if anything, she’s more fitting to succeed compared to the likes of me: after all, she’s the Bearer of Magic herself, chosen to lead and follow…! I am but a humble highborn with nothing but hopes and dreams of her own, much like many of our friends so to speak: all that I ever wanted was to be a movie star, nothing more; even the glitz and glamour of the capital that is my hometown was beginning to fade away. With that in mind, I didn’t tire of the friendships we had shared nor took her to task for abandoning any of us up in Canterlot for the new ones in Ponyville, much less the other way around: I’d lamented the pain and sorrow many of them had to go through since the war had came to our doorstep and the fact we’d came close to losing it all made us count our blessings. This mutual tragedy we’d endured over the years was more than enough for any of us to cherish the bonds and they weren’t the only ones who’ve learned this lesson: all sorts of people, young and old, here and abroad, male and female, have appreciated the gift of life as we know it and have started sharing it with the rest of the world, like before. Throughout over the past millennia, Equestria has become a sheltering arms for refugees from the old world and the ways of thinking: even in its inception, we had to come to terms with the reality of having to cast aside the hatred and exploitation for one another for the sake of survival; we’d came too far to let this longstanding legacy become reduced to rubble. Princess Celestia is a great ruler but even she knew that she couldn’t hold onto the Elements of Harmony forever; after all, the last time she’d used them, it was on her own sister Luna, the first time in which she couldn’t return for another thousand years: following that, Twilight was chosen to be the successor and even she couldn’t do it alone like themselves, much less her. The fact my friend had to return home to Canterlot defeated and injured made me realize how we took those relationships with one another for granted: even though she’d insisted on shouldering the blame, I knew that I should’ve done more than just follow her to and from Ponyville if it means seeing Twilight again. Besides, I couldn’t for the life of me bear the thought of spending the rest of my existence without being able to see her again, if at all: Twilight Sparkle is the closest thing to a sister in my eyes as well as that of my other friends and even they know this to be true; after all, we‘d came together when she’d returned home a broken and burnt woman. The least that anyone should do in my shoes is not to make the same mistakes which had led up to such horrible things ever again: as far as Twilight sees it, our relationships are about keeping in touch with one another no matter what, something many can relate; after all, she wasn’t just chosen by Princess Celestia to spread this gift to everyone, but also by the whims of fate itself.”

“And here you are, chosen by fate to serve as a proxy of your friend in this very exercise to test your skillsets; the choice is yours, Twinkleshine: either rise up and conquer the uncertainty within yourself or wither and die alone and abandoned like the one true Mi Amore Cadenza…” the ambiguous individual sighed before the image fizzled out into the crystalline nothingness.

Now, it was clear to the lonely woman that she was alone again naturally, a rather grim reality presented to her with the bits and pieces entailed. The very environment she’d awoken from was already stripped down of the basic amenities and companies so to speak, a bothersome realization. Even the recent message Twinkleshine listened to, courtesy of the announcer Kowtow, did her little favors, if at all, when it came to information. One thing which had gotten to the lonely woman was her singular viewer: aside from the latter’s attire, the summarization wasn’t enough for her.

She’d taken a deep breath and faced the trail of lights hung up on their side, silently cerebrating about, “okay Twinkleshine, you were there on the day when our teacher taught us all geology; although, it would’ve been nice if we’d known about it sooner: if this happens to be a part of Canterlot, then the least we could’ve been able to do is have a map of the underground. Oh, how I hate these kind of days, trapped alone and beneath the city you and your friends called home, much less the capital no less: where’s Twilight and her friends when you need them now?!”

Twinkleshine had no other choice but to follow that path; after all, irregardless of the vague clues provided, she understood better not to stay here any longer. Taking a first trot forward, the lonely woman felt the photons radiating from their territory now bathing her body while pointed out the damaged sustained. Thereon, she could feel comforted by the fact that the trail in question was devoid of any dangers so to speak; besides, the ambiguous individual said so well.

It wasn’t long until the lights behind became a distant memory; in Twinkleshine’s frontal point of view were at least five in different colors than before: green, yellow, blue, crème, and purple. These happened to serve as the divergent paths provided for the lonely woman, each just as ambiguous like her previous viewer but more colorful as far as she can see them all straightaway. Of course, she was firmly aware of the fact they were serving as the choices in question for her to pick alone: like what been told to her, they’d possessed outcomes should she ever reach one.

“I gave you my heart and yet I’d turned around…” a maidenly voice lilted from the far right pathway; the purple lights on that end synchronizing with the tones therein, “I always had my own brother: he was already here before; I didn’t question where he came from, he wasn’t lonely anymore. Soon, we did everything together: he taught me how to fly a kite; I watched him grow into a gentleman, he’d helped me go to sleep at night. It’s so weepy.”

“That’s Twilight’s voice; maybe she’s here…” Twinkleshine commented, edging towards the sound of music itself.

As the lonely woman made her selection, she could hear it again while walking along the vivid trail, “but then I’d been sent to Ponyville, a cute sextet of maiden sounds and now that everybody loves us, he’s just a face out on the mound. Thrown out of my own studies, to see the world as it’d unrolled, only to be nearly burned alive; everyone comforted me. What’s this evil…?”

“What evil…?” Twinkleshine ruminated about in nervousness supersaturated, “what’s she talking about?”

“I gave you my heart and yet I turned around…” Twilight’s voice sang even though her origins remained unknown to the lonely listener thereof, “a requiem for the dreams that never came to be… I gave you my heart and yet I turned around…”

“Twilight, please make this song end; she’s coming around the bend…!” a quintet of girlish sounds joined in, bearing the same quality as Twinkleshine herself.

Sure enough, the lonely listener could see the path ahead almost at an end as she heard the singular voice lilted:

Just take it from me,
I knew you’d came around.
Though our fates are cruel
Our bonds are jewels
We are siblings, and family together.
If you like, then our love lasts forever.
Since we are related, it’ll be ok.
So different now from what it’d seemed,
now life has killed the dream I'd dreamed.

Just as the aria concluded, Twinkleshine came across five more paths like before: this time, the colors provided were now consisting of cyan, pink, white, orange, and yellow; likewise, she’d needed to make a decision for the sake of progression.

“Alright then, it seems that you’d gotten right the first time, like before; it’s just like the entrance exam: the beginning’s always the easiest…” the corporeal woman heaved as her heartbeat started to stabilize soon enough, catching her breath while studying them all, “you just need to stay alive and find the exit; every cave has a way out…”

“A righteous tongue exercises discernment and it will also pronounce supreme judgment…” another aria began to sing, this time coming from the fruity lights between the metallic pathways for Twinkleshine to hear.

Needless to say, the corporeal woman felt a bead of sweat fall onto the earth like if it were a steely pen, saying softly, “huh, what kind of song is it…?”

“Blessed heroes who endure temptations proven they are crowned throughout generations…” the new matronly voice lilted as Twinkleshine moved towards it straightaway, albeit reluctantly than before, “Providence, fountain of integrity… Providence, sacred fire, please have mercy…”

“That’s weird: it’s an elegy; did somebody the singer knew died…?” the corporeal woman whispered softly as the lights alternated between dimming and brightening about slowly around her.

Nevertheless, the aria of sorrow continued on:

Oh how sacred, how serene
how benign, how lovely
O’ lily of purity

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Providence, sacred fire, please have mercy
Oh how sacred, how serene
how benign, how lovely
O’ lily of purity

“Come to think of it, that voice, it sounds familiar: could be one of Twilight’s friends from Ponyville; was she a farmer or something…?” Twinkleshine had cerebrated as the warm photons cloaked her about despite the lack of solidarity therein, “who is she: what is she; where is she now…?”

“Now, then Twinkleshine: what will you choose next; an unrequited and forsaken love or a needful and appreciative charity…?” another feminine voice hissed into the corporeal woman’s ears as the latter was now presented with a fork in the pathway: one was radiating with ruby red lights and the other was glistening with a mellow yellow schemes so to speak.

Taking a deep breath, Twinkleshine trotted towards the latter and entered the trail, only to be greeted with a startling discovery: the moment she’d sat foot onto it, the ground underneath her had started to give way, the terrain swallowing her entire body whole; as soon as gravity kicked in, she was quick to let out a bloodcurdling scream, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

The corporeal woman’s loud voice fell on deaf ears as she’d fallen through the void, the solid yellow lights above her fading as she’d began to sink further into the darkness all throughout her; soon, her body had suddenly made contact with the ground again, this time with the assorted stalagmites piercing her body and the clothes worn as they’d ravaged them altogether at once.

Twinkleshine used her free hand to grasp the distant illumination above but to no avail, left to cough up blood before succumbing to the pain.

Pristine

Author's Note

Hello, it's Fireflower as always ready to give you another chapter on the way: of course, this chapter contains references to certain subject matters and thusly the reason why this story has been rated M for Mature; of course, you've already knew that far too well so as such, this will be the last time I mention this.

Aside from disclaimers long ago, I'd like to take this time to say thank you for never pulling out too early since we're now in the halfway region of the story's progress; somehow, the new year will provide us with a new hope to have and hold with tender loving care rather than yet a totally lost cause and the strength to continue onward in staying tuned for the future that is the now: I believe at this rate, everything will make sense soon enough.

One last thing before I sign off, I want to confess that I've had a hard time writing this chapter because of the implications and explicitations within them: as much as I'd wanted to write this out, I couldn't resist having all sorts of negativity brewing in my mind, especially considering whom I'd been writing about; nevertheless, I'd persisted hoping there would be no hard feelings between us all, 'kay?

Pristine

A bright and starry night befell over the world, its inhabitants graced with the sights of much distant plasmas and a lone proximate crescent sharing the violet firmament. The only things that had dared to reach them but to no avail were tall skyscrapers drenched in even colder colors, made with industrial materials and orthogonal shaping. As a result of their beings’ fiber, an exertion of influence could be felt in every aspect of the environment and its denizens alike, irregardless of their own types thereof. Even amongst the concrete jungle, patches of lush vegetation were found within themselves, each bearing both flora and fauna hospitable to the likes of its very observers. The areas between them were sequestered in predominately gridded streets where all sorts of metal contraptions ran rampantly about while people were literally sidelined. The only checkpoints beyond the premises were bridges to the adjacent mainland; everything surrounding itself happened to be water reflecting the lights above and near. Resting amongst the seemingly endless compound was a small island occupied by a jaded statue of femininity with a torch in hand now enlightening the lands, air, and sea. Between the landmasses and the fluid separating them at a vast distance, there were many ships of all shapes and sizes skittering about freely around themselves to and fro. Hovering on and about were various aircraft ranging from the smallest of gliders to the biggest airships; with that said, their collective freedom had their own limitations.

Out of all the structures found within the premises, one building in particular had stood out and about: a snow white loft stuck in the midst of others. Like many that were sharing the same street, it was a pink flat top, evenly to a fault for many of its potential observers from any point in the timeline. At least three rows of glass were found plastered upon the loft, many of which were the clearly crisp windowpanes of a much quadrangular scheme. Yet its simplicity alone did itself no favors, even as a rarity; after all, the glitz and glamour of its surroundings was a gritty reminder of the anomalies. Seeing the pictures and words amalgamated from the pastel colors upon the cardboard were more than enough to state the purpose therein suffice to say.

Having said it, the interiors thereof were much more complex so to speak, not that the outsiders themselves would get to know about it so to speak of. Although darker than the nighttime sky itself, there were spotlights hanging from the rails nearby the ceiling shining their way with ranging spectrums. Speaking of which, the only color which had reflected the exterior came from the pillars holding it up, each still bearing an enormous fraction in height. The flooring was composed of achromatic crystals, bearing the textures of the very windowpanes around them but much stronger and more ornamental. In the range were two stairways that held up a metallic platform where stereos around a turntable played off their arrangement of percussion and brass. Lost in the throes of ecstasy were a handful of spectators already intermingling with each other, moving to their own rhythm and/or that of the music. Yards away from the assemblage were a series of furniture either occupied by the people or were adorned with various refreshments and flowers alike.

One particular individual amongst the equals happened to stand out and about, a lonely woman no less lost in the crowd but still finding her way through. Her integuments were a milky chocolate shading, richly with the finest of flavors and textures alike as they were free of whatever imperfections overall. The lonely woman’s eyes had matched half of her very tresses, already shining brightly like the aquatic sapphires throughout the stars and within the world. The rest of her short hair was colored in a shade of soulful silver with a tint of very light blue highlighting itself as a starkly contrast to the remainder. Adorning the lonely woman’s body were a cherry halterneck stopping near her umbilicus, a short black skirt covering the thighs, and heliotrope high heels. In her hands, a silver purse was slung around the right shoulder, its thin strap crossing diagonally to the waistline while touching her exposed skin at once.

“Humph, so this is the place for my next assignment: don’t understand why it couldn’t have been someplace quieter in the city, not to mention the locale; how in the world did Mr. Stripes think it’s a good idea to rent it out for this…?” the lonely woman had cerebrated about, staring out at the large crowd proximate to her and the broadcaster adjacent to themselves.

Keeping the distance in between, she’d stayed at the sidelines while currently walking up to the stairway directly in front of her, avoiding all sorts of physical contact with the other spectators. In little to no time whatsoever, the lonely woman climbed a much higher altitude, directly away from her peers much like the operator behind the machines yet still maintaining needed space.

It wasn’t even long until she’d locked eyes with another individual away from herself: a singular man was currently standing behind a light green door. Like the woman in question, his skin was dark, albeit with some roughness around the edges as the shading proved to be underneath the former alone. Unlike her, the man’s eyes were obscured by a pair of sunglasses, leaving his coloring a mystery; of course, the scar above the leftmost served as a clue. Another commonality they’d both shared was the mismatched hair growing out of their scalps; in his case, it was much shorter and more monochrome. Speaking of which, the man’s attire was also simplistic to a fault: aside from a white muscular shirt, black pants, and gray sneakers, there was gold.

Compare to the lonely woman, he’d seemed to be in better spirits like much of the crowd in question upon speaking softly to her right away, “evening, Minuette and welcome to the Metro: I take that the atmosphere is to your liking; how’s it hanging…?”

“Cut the crap, Zaroff; I’m not in the mood for this: traffic was utter Tartarus tonight, like usual in the city…!” she’d snapped softly, slinging her gaze unto the people abaft themselves before returning to the titular guard, “let’s just get this over with; I can’t be here all night: I have to go and leave Manehattan in the morning…”

“Of course, we’ve been waiting for you for a long time: the studio is all set up; right this way…” the man sighed, turning to open the door before guiding Minuette inwardly within only a few seconds.

Instantaneously, he and the lonely woman were greeted with a much more drastically different part of the environment, something which had been pleasing to the latter. The surroundings in question were so brighter than the dark atmosphere, not to mention much more colorful and solidified compared to the lighting overall so to speak. She can even see the fact that the bulbs used to guide the denizens in question were of a bleached scheme, bearing enough static electricity operated at the utmost potential. Even the tiling underneath their very feet had bore more opaque shades and hues already crying out with strength in numbers as well as all sorts of advantages unknown. On the right side of their collective viewpoints were but a line of doorways totaling up to several, each of which bearing the same dimensions in terms of height and width. Considering the near lacking of personnel compared to the main assembly, it’d have seemed the two would be all on their lonesome, thanks to this otherwise quiet place. Nevertheless, Minuette couldn’t even resist picking the rather faint moaning near herself, despite the fact she couldn’t finding out where or whom the source was if at all.

The lonely woman was soon left alone as Zaroff returned to his post, sighing intensively, “finally…”

She’d wasted no time whatsoever in perambulating past the first half of them, each of which was obscured by the closed doors thereof. Although that Minuette was free to her own devices, even she’d came to terms it’d not last long; the mews alone reminded her of that. Meandering about the destination, the lonely woman’s mind brimmed tempestuously: a mixture of anticipation and dread all colliding. Presently, she’d intently smelled the oxygen before exhaling, taking note of its distinct qualities: so saccharine yet smoky fragrances. In a matter of moments, Minuette had straightened her face out, bracing herself for the upcoming turn of events within her own control.

“Hey, Minnie…!” the lonely woman heard, prompting herself to stand still and face the source of the new voice, “we’ve been waiting for you; what took you so long…?”

“Keep yourself together, boys: it’s been a real pain getting here to the nightclub; not even daring to leave the hotel early did me any favors, not since the train ride…” she said, glaring outwardly at one of the speakers residing within the opposite room upfront.

Inside it, the contents thereof had left little to anyone’s imagination, especially when it’d came to the likes of Minuette herself whom observed it all. Like the secluded area in which the lonely woman was in, the background thereof was simplistic to a fault, bearing an icy scheme like her hairstyle. Additionally, the room in question had some furniture too, albeit softer and more fitting for the likes of a twosome capacity compared to beyond. One solid commonality between the hallway and the adjacent accommodation happened to be the lighting scheme therein, not which they cared. Another difference which set it apart from the rest of the building so far was the firm carpeting seeming to be bargained for then cleaned up after. A small ensemble of electronics was found to be within Minuette, minuscule and insignificant despite being sizable enough to be carried away.

Within in that space was but a pair of men possessing commonalities between themselves: brighter complexions, modest clothing, and a gentle gaze; even so, there were some differences. For starters, one of them was tall, wearing long green hair with some gilded highlights therein; the other stood a few inches shorter than the former, bearing short violet tresses in jagged edges. Secondment, the first man was a little chunky despite sharing the lonely woman’s body typeset; the adjacent counterpart happened to skinny, bearing an aerodynamic potential still untapped. Thirdly, the burgeoning occupant had possessed eyes of scarlet behind his squared spectacles; the other one happened to be bearing a barrage fire of emerald splash gleaming about at once. Fourth of all, the first man wore a black suit and tie with a gray undershirt along matching shoes; the adjacent counterpart donned a blue shirt and sneakers combo with yellow shorts and visor.

Of the two men in question, the colorfully dressed one had been the first responder to the lonely woman right away, “are we ready to go: is everything taken care of; anything we need to know about before the party starts…?”

“Just some ground rules first so that I don’t want you to go overboard like the others that I’ve seen this one gal on the newspapers…” she’d answered, entering the doorway confidently without any satisfaction whatsoever, “you can eat me out, titty fuck me, get a handjob, and fingerbang my vagina for all I care but I don’t want any of your hands or dicks inside of my ass! Also, I want to leave the same way I’d came so none of that pain and suffering shit: no piercing or scars of any kind whatsoever on me, and none of those golden showers or scatman crochet; if I feel so much as a gash in my skin–––”

“Relax, Minnie, times are different now: if Fillydelphia can clean up its own act, then there’s no reason why this Big Fruit of a city should do the same; besides, you should’ve been dancing…” the bespectacled inhabitant interjected, closing his eyes as Minuette shut the door behind them, “all these young folks have been filled to the brim with the vim and vigor of the high society…”

“I used to be high society once, making a living as a dentist happened to be a respectable career for the likes of me especially; that was then, this is now…” the lonely woman said as she’d glanced at the egress again with a solemn look.

The shorter male had taken his time to ask her a question straightaway, “where did you work at…?”

“Does it even matter anymore…?” Minuette sighed forlornly before shaking away her demeanor in an instant, strengthening resolve, “look, let’s just get this over with; we all know why we’re here: I have needs that must be satisfied…!”

“We know…” the tall guy had said quickly.

It didn’t take long for the lonely woman to lower herself as she’d became occupied with the rigid protuberance unveiled by the bespectacled owner. She’d kissed it around rather gently, their flesh grazing one another while moving up and down with her tongue making its rounds in the process. After a few licks, Minuette had forwarded her hot mouth around the tall man’s prepuce by a few centimeters, taking in girth and length so willfully. Despite having both lips salivating about, the lonely woman breathed in easily, concentrating her efforts onto lapping at the tumescence inside of it. Before long, she’d pushed herself into increasing her speed, sliding back and forth like a piston much to her bespectacled observer’s delectations. Minuette had felt the tall man’s shaft swelling up a bit due to her very efforts, even as its size still remained the same within her very aperture. The lonely woman wasn’t the only one whom anticipated the outcome of her efforts, especially considering the fact the saliva brought lubrication. Even though that she was fully in control of her actions, the true blue eyes were soon becoming wrought with an excess of liquid seeping outward. Of the two performers whom were blushing about, Minuette had burned the deepest amongst her mahogany visage as her tears failed to cool it all.

With a free left hand, the lonely woman rubbed the yard along while ruminating about, “get on with it: you’ve done this plenty of times, thanks to those shifty bastards; you can even remember the taste of it all…!”

“Almost there…” the bespectacled inhabitant said, breaking her out of the train of thought as she huffed on and about before he discharged himself upon the latter’s soft and wet visage with little warning, “ahhh…!”

“Mm… sounds like to me that you had some blue balls for a while: you a virgin or were you lonely…?” Minuette cooed as she’d lapped at much the white compound that had landed from the tall man without a care.

Rather than getting an answer from the bespectacled listener, the colorful bystander spoke up, “actually, I haven’t gotten laid in my life…”

“Really, well fuck me nine ways to Sunday: it seems to me that I’ve been living under a rock for a long time; of course, this may as well be your first time…!” the lonely woman had exclaimed derisively, cleaning herself up in the process as she’d faced the shorter male, “it seems to me that everywhere I go, a bunch of people out in Equestria haven’t even fucked a woman before. What a fucking pain: it seems there are far too many of us womenfolk compared to men out there; no wonder why we’ve been singled out as conquests…! I’ve heard of the saying ‘there are plenty of fish in the sea’ but where I’d grew up, the aquarium was just a tiny lake; my friends never even thought of having a special somebody of their own to settle down with, let alone date. If only if they had been able to sleep with a man of their own, then everything would be all set for them; of course, not everyone is cut out for such a relationship of any kind for whatever reason, especially the seemingly eternal teacher’s pet: she deserved a bod like mine…”

“Tell me more…” the tall man talked tersely.

She’d ignored the bespectacled observer instantly, taking a stand to face the visored counterpart with a wink and a smile before whispering, “c’mere…!”

Without warning whatsoever, Minuette brought the shorter male closer before stealing a kissing from him immediately, much to the latter’s shock as well as that of the tall viewer so to speak. Even though that the lonely woman had bothered to make herself presentable for the new target, the stardust memories of not too long ago were fresh in the colorful kisser’s mind nevertheless. She’d wasted no time in sampling the texture and tastes therein upon the surface area afore her; unlike the prepuce from much earlier, it was a little rough around the edges for what it’s worth. The fact Minuette was osculating shorter male caught the bespectacled observer by surprise, not that she’d minded since her eyes were closed, lost in the moment overall with her correspondent. In a small total of seconds, the shorter male finally opened up to the lonely woman, both tongues finally slipping out for their mutual exploration as she’d gained new information on him at once. Now it would seem that she’d finally found a sense of stability within her own mind and body, unbounded by the weight of the world, the depths of its seas, and even the final frontier of space. Gone were the days Minuette overwhelmed by emotions such as fear, fury, pain, and sorrow; in their place, there was bravery, calmness, pleasure, and joy, ideals best suited for the likes of her. Soon enough, the lonely woman was now on the verge of losing her footing despite maintaining control; of course, she wasn’t even alone in this one since the target up in front felt this way too.

“Mmph…!” the colorful kisser grunted before breaking away from herself, a thin trail of saliva stretching betwixt themselves, “it seems that you’d been experienced at this gig; how long have you been at this whole deal, Miss…?”

“A lady of any time of day or night like myself should never go kissing and telling about freely; now then, let me slip into something more comfortable for you, sweetie…” Minuette had snickered as she’d removed the purse off of her body, placing it within her right hand tightly so to speak of.

It didn’t take any long for the lonely woman to slide her head out of the cherry halterneck, baring her torso completely to the shock and awe of the two men in question: the most notable aspect therein were her supple bosoms bearing the density of deflated volleyballs as its endings bore the circumference smaller than the doorknobs within the building in question, much less the room.

Stuttering about, the shorter man asked her immediately, “are they even real…?”

“Why don’t you shut up and fucking touch them to get your answer already…?” Minuette sniggered as she was bouncing her billowy cleavage up and down in front of the colorful observer; this had prompted him to start placing his hands over them at once, “now you’re getting the hang of it; at this rate, I’m gonna have so much fun with you, little man…!”

“What do you mean…?” the shorter man gulped as the lonely woman took precious little time to open the metallic accessory within his shorts.

Uncovering a similar appendage from the clothing in question, she’d slid it underneath the chin with a smile, explaining calmly, “that look in your eyes, they belong to someone who couldn’t resist waking up after coming in your underwear one too many nights; I bet that you’ve been dreaming of something like this, having a woman by your side to fuck her rotten whenever. Of course, you strike me as someone who has just started college just so you can hope to make love with her after all the magazines stopped doing it for you; at least, it would make sense since you’d gotten old enough to move out of your old folks’ home, free to make your own choices like everybody us. No points for guessing what it’s like to go through puberty and whatnot: all those changes taking place as soon as you’d turned a certain age and the search for reasons why they’d taken place; the fact that you were forced to cast aside your boyhood daze on that day was nothing short of a tragedy to the kid in you. Even now, you’re still clinging to your youth because it’s all that we have left in this world before we shuffle off the mortal coil provided to us since birth, irregardless of whether or not we grow old enough to reminisce the earlier points of our lives like which we’re doing here in Manehattan. Definitely speaking, our lives are like the teeth within our maws: no matter how damage is dealt and/or prevented, there’s nothing we can do to stay this way forevermore, let alone distract us from the growing inevitability coming after life itself when all is said and done, like the ones before and the others following us.”

“Wow, who gave this woman the moody blues: I would’ve expected this from the emo kids but not her; is she a nihilist or something…?” the shorter man cerebrated, squirming about as Minuette utilized her upper body to maintain the prepuce within his lower half with a madder gaze, “gyuh…!”

“Heh, I was right, you are a virgin; at least you’re going to remember the time that we’d spent together for years to come…” the lonely woman laughed before returning to the wet work she’d started earlier ago, taking in more like before as it’d been done to the tall viewer; as far as they knew, rest wouldn’t be partaken in until the task at hand was finally achieved so to speak of.

Needless to say, her sandwiching and tickling about had paid off as the colorful spectator splattered his discharge across the neckline, dripping downward between the bust as they were already becoming caked about slowly but surely much to their mutual surprise and, in the former’s case, relief.

Suddenly, Minuette was overwrought with a terrifying resolve, her tinted visage, once red like a rose shifting to a pale green as visions betrayed her: dizzying about, she’d turned her face away from the shorter male before an assortment of lukewarm hues escaped from its consumer’s maw, a chunky salsa now staining the flooring as well as some of the twosome’s clothing overall.

The bespectacled observer’s face went from intrigue to shock as the lonely woman was coughing up a storm of nausea in front of themselves; as such, he was quick to saunter out towards the door instantaneously opened up before all three of the room’s tenants while screaming, “THIS GIRL IS SICK AND NEEDS HELP NOW…!”

All the while, she was panting and groaning, struggling to stay still even as her limbs finally buckled beneath their averaged weight; this caused her to fall nearby the shallow technicolor pool of her own making as the shorter counterpart guarded the room they were both still in so to speak.

“Hang in there, Mini…!” the colorful watchman’s voice was soon heard echoing into both of Minuette’s flopping ears, even as they were currently subsiding alongside her narrowing view altogether, “don’t go dying like this…!”

Decay

Author's Note

Ah yes, I've been expected y'all readers to find yet another new chapter of M3, the one story out of many of my craft to go above and beyond the oneshots since the inception of my presence read at once; suffice to say, I'd to go back to the past and read over what I'd written back several years ago, the story that started it all with the good and bad that had entailed.

Aside from disclaimers long ago, I want to take the time to say thank you for never pulling out too early since we're now in the new year and a new month with a new hope to have and hold with tender loving care rather than yet a totally lost cause and the strength to continue onward in staying tuned for the future that is the now; in addition, I would also like to apologize for not doing so in time as usual since I'd wanted to finish this earlier: I believe at this rate, everything will still make sense soon enough as we all float onward, like before.

Lastly, let me also say that I hope you can find some strength in reading this chapter now more than in the others before them enough and to continue onward in staying tuned though the passing times before it because this serves as a callback to one of the nightmares Applejack had suffered through; as a matter of fact, she, too, will be making an appearance in this story as well.

Decay

At the very point onward, darkness had already settled itself in while surrounding every single thing and being whatsoever dwelling inside the pitch blackness of such the deepest of shades altogether belonging to befit an abyss that no one would ever find the bottom of to say the least. Within it all were but both nothingness and obscurity in their entirety, all remaining static and dynamic interchangeably and respectively as if they were doing a dance that not a keen observer whosoever if at all would be able to even see to start with, even with the most special equipment. Already a shattered dimension which is so out of this world, even the most basic of concepts such as shadow, substance, sight, sound, and mind were all camouflaged so deeply inside the scenery at hand they were as if none of them were perhaps real to the naked eye in any form.

Then, all of the sudden, every inch of it all had disappeared in an instant; in its place were many things which had now taken up residence so quickly: it was as if the very light had come on and shown the way. The cool breeze floating above the ground gave way to a sight that one could have never seen before: the big blue sky was as clear as a crystal lake with only the golden sun itself residing in there all alone. There were also birds flying in the sky, coming in all sorts of functions and fashions whatsoever: colors, shapes, sizes, speech, and species united as well as divided within the same atmosphere altogether now. A clutter of leaves were also dancing in the winds without a care in the whole wide world they were all dwelling in, all of them practically devoid of the brilliant green which were matching the grass of origin. Joining them all were a few insects of some sorts: flocks of butterflies and bumblebees bursting throughout with their own sense of direction as they alongside one another within the vicinity at the very moment. Even so, the rays of sunlight were beaming down upon the lands from all possible angles therein whatsoever, bestowing both heat and light to all of those inhabitants residing below it suffice to say nevertheless.

Of course, the very scenery was turned away by the sight of clothing being worn on its owner’s body, possessing a color cooled down to the rightest shade much closest to the very light in and of itself. A long flowing blue dress had made its way down past the kneecaps and into depths of darkness with lighter polka dots resting within the lower region as they’d been already accented by a hot pink train. Tresses of a darker shade were already found to be adorned with a singular pearl diadem bearing a triumvirate of jaded flowers, all possessing a heliotrope epicenter lodged within each of the five petals. Speaking of which, there had been another flower found on the wearer’s body; unlike the others presently above, it was more organic and elaborate, colored in the quantic dreams of an indigo prophecy. Even with the bared forearms exposed to the crisp cold air, the milk chocolate integuments had provided its owner some liveliness, freed from any sort of imperfections normally hidden by the clothing.

“Oh, Minuette… even in death, you still had that winning smile of yours; it’s a shame it won’t even last forever…” a nearby voice broke apart, prompting the titular listener’s eyelids to fly open, bearing sapphires deep underneath.

The lonely occupant turned about to discover an enclosed space where only the scenery had been provided freely, prompting a confused retort, “huh, what’s going on here; what the fuck: why can’t I even move?!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today in great sadness to give a fallen fellow a final farewell…” another voice was also heard within the distance, this one in a deeper tone compared to Minuette so to speak, “Minuette was known to this community as a hard worker who had showed determination when it’d came to brighten up the faces of the people living amongst her. As a dentist, her abilities had helped provided her and the city she’d lived in the comfort of living our daily lives through the importance of basic oral hygiene as well as the solace in confiding with her band of friends. Even without the comfort of family living, the fellowship proved to be strong enough to endure any and all challenges which had came our way at many separate occasions whatsoever; of course, even that wasn’t meant to last. Despite the will to live past the horror in which had befallen upon the capital she’d called home with Equestria as well as its inhabitants, yet another life had been tragically cut short not by explosions or gunfire but rather the sickness unto death. The fact that Minuette has fallen from grace as a result of the war is a tragedy in and of itself, her clean bill of health exchanged for a relatively short lifetime of carnal knowledge and substance abuse: even worse, her only offspring serves as a reminder of the pain many mothers had suffered through. Nevertheless, she’ll live on in the hearts and minds of others touched by her presence, be if for good or ill: friends, progeny, neighbors, and even acquaintances alike shall not let this tragedy hinder us the same way as it’d struck her before, let alone drive us to go down a similar path she’d taken after the ill–fated war; as such, we’ll now pause for a moment of silence to reflect.”

“You can’t be serious: I’m not dead; I’m just sick, that’s all…!” the lonely occupant muttered as she’d attempted to rise from her station, only to find nothing but stillness.

Accompanying the numbness which she’d felt so instantaneously were the rising choir of melancholy emanating from beyond her current location already apparent of the very situation. Amongst the many, it’d sounded like to Minuette that they were a bit easy to recognize at once, albeit faintly and for some strange reason or another so far away from where she’d remained.

Out of the few which the very occupant hadn’t bothered to attempt recognizing, one voice broke out in a mirthless laugh, “you know, I feel so funny about this whole situation; we’d happened to be so alike in more ways than one: we were talented women cut to pieces by the world’s blight and forced to bear children we couldn’t abort despite the men causing us all needless pain…!”

“What talent; what on Equestria is this gal talking about: what does this have anything to do with me?!” Minuette whispered as she struggled to fight off whatever kinds of forces keeping her inside, “I need to end this madness now…!”

“And yet, I feel sad, knowing that no matter how many times I made him come inside of me, I’d lived, bearing a bastard son whereas his wife gave birth to four daughters; at least Minuette can die with her reputation redeemed in spite of such indiscretions…” the snigger subsided into a sound sniffling soon enough, something the occupant grew to harken.

It wasn’t long until Minuette caught a glimpse of one of the people she’d heard so recently upon making contact, a visage started to scratch away the surface of her determined resolved overall. The voice which had now made its approach then revealed its true identity to the occupant at once: a bright skinned female with flat silver hair and face wet with sadness running throughout. Dressed up in the height of fashion, Minuette had found the attendant all covered up in darkness: a conical hat, long cloak, blouse, and gloves were given as a signal of such very feelings overall. The only exception which wasn’t even stained by the pitch blackness of such an attire in question was but a tender rose red as the madder sky that wasn’t hanging directly above them currently. Even so, the occupant can see a deluge of tears falling out from the bright skinned female’s contorted face as the former witnessed the effort the latter put in holding them back to no avail. Staring into such a melancholic amethyst gaze had found there was even makeup running about and amok as the smooth natural skin soon became stained alongside such a strong emotion alone.

Minuette stopped stone cold dead in her blazing hot pursuit to regain control of herself as she’d choked out, “Trixie?!”

“You know, it’s kind of ironic seeing a friend of someone I’d once considered to be my sworn enemy lying in a casket, bruised and whatnot…” the eponymous mourner commented about, looking at the occupant with a solemn visage upon the former, “once upon a time, I’d wanted nothing more than Twilight’s stupid grin wiped off; now, it has seemed I’d gotten my wish. Growing up, I was nothing more than a little old dirty bastard child and the surviving half of a parasitic twin no less: my mother, bless her soul, raised me on her own since I’d crawled out of her womb as if I were nothing more than an only child; from what she’d told me in my youth, my father was one of the great magicians in the world, let alone in Equestria. It’s even sadder knowing that this may as well not be the first time I’d gone to Canterlot: the both of us ended up traveling all the way there just so that I could be enrolled in Princess Celestia’s school; mother said this could’ve helped get closer to my dad and look how that turned out for me. I was nonetheless a talented prodigy at least in her eyes but I’d shared no interest in staying here for long; after all, I’d settled on a quest to go and find my father but even I knew that wouldn’t be such an easy task: even though I was at top of the class, I still felt as if it wasn’t enough. After leaving that very school, I had vowed to build up my credentials before I’d dared to face him in Las Pegasus: this meant becoming one of the best traveling magicians within all of Equestria, wowing the crowd to and fro with my marvelous stunts; considering my youth, it would’ve been a straightforward plan so to speak. At least that’s how the plan worked until one fateful day in Ponyville; it all began when I’d traveled here to perform for the populace, a simple occasion that I’d no problem succeeding in doing, or would’ve if it weren’t for one thing: a band of friends led by Twilight Sparkle had taken umbrage with my talents and stood up to challenge me. At first, I’d beaten all of her friends but not her yet so to speak, not that it’d mattered since I’d not gotten the chance: I’d remembered the day an Ursa Major came to town and started wreaking havoc, no thanks to my so–called fanboys; after she’d showed me up, I became a laughingstock everywhere I’d went and on foot no less since my trailer was gone. Broke, starving, homeless, and humiliated, I’d found myself into dire straits, forced to take up a job at a rock farm owned by a small family consisting lonely man living with a wife and a couple daughters: of them, half had already moved out of here in search of their destinies, whom I’d reason to believed included someone I’d already met; anyways, it was hard to make a living. If anything, I’d swore to myself as soon as I’d gotten back on my feet, I’d be able to get my vengeance on Twilight Sparkle or so I’d thought; one day, a band of men came to that place and turned it into something I’d haven’t wished on the likes of anyone, let alone her of all people: the things they did to them as well as myself had left me screaming and crying to this very day.”

“This is starting to upset me…” Minuette cried.

The attendant pulled out a paper cloth from underneath her hat and placed them over her eyes, wiping away her tears as she’d wept, “for all the prices I would’ve been willing to pay, this was far too much for anyone, much less myself, could even do, especially without the bits I’d been earning; as a matter of fact, the money we’d lived on wasn’t all that they’ve taken from us. Since their arrival, this rock farm became nothing short of a brothel for women such as myself: though a few of us still excavated and the like, it was usually either in skimpy clothes or nothing at all; I was unfortunate enough to be stripped away from my clothes, left out in the nude in front of the leery men and gasping peers. Even my employer whom had owned the home was also at their mercy; forced to watch his wife and offspring cater to their whims while he was held down with both arms broken beyond all recovery but they were just the tipping point before I’d ended doing the unthinkable: I’d ended up sleeping with him, usually against his will because the thought of him dying was too much. Now that I’d gave my virginity away to him, not only did I fear for their lives, I’d also feared for the life of the child I’d conceived alongside him; even since my first time together, I couldn’t resist feeling guilty having let my desperation and hunger for vengeance get this far, especially since I’d ironically gave it up in exchange for their survival. To ensure that this baby would be left further uncorrupted by another man’s seed, I was forced to engage in other barbaric forms of activity, including copulating with one of the women; thankfully, it wasn’t one of his daughters but the threatening possibility of having to do so was weighing heavily on my mind, day in and day out, so much so I’d nearly choke on my vomit. It wasn’t even long until our prayers were answered so to speak: the war was coming to an end and so were our tormentors’ lives and/or careers; of course, the road to recuperation hadn’t been easy for the whole family, especially considering the diseases they’d contracted in the process. Speaking of which, I’d hoped that both of my parents would still be alive by then; however, that would also mean having to tell either of them the pain and suffering I’d been through within the war: the men whom had their way with me, the son I’d gave birth to, and the nightmares I’d suffered through amongst other troubles long before my time in Ponyville. Nevertheless, the only thing this ordeal had succeeded in doing its worst to me was make me empathize with the others and let go of the petty hatred I’d let get ahold of me when it’d came to Twilight Sparkle; after all, the fact she’d lost a friend because of the war had made me realize how foolish I’d been in seeking revenge. The only regret I had was the fact I’d gave up my pride in the process; my hosts whom had taken me in before the war understood far too long ago that it would be a matter of time until that day came yet to think it would arrive at the cost of our purity: to this day, I still wonder what could have happened if I’d been infected rather than two of their daughters whom had stayed.”

“Now I see the rumors were true: we’d all laughed at Trixie and now look at her; I guess this is payback for what had happened seven years ago…” the occupant cerebrated, shedding a few tears in the process as a single rose had fell onto her chest gently at once, “I bet this nightmare’s a fancy way of saying, ‘serves you right for getting messed up, you little whore’…”

“Farewell, Minuette: I wish I’d gotten to know you sooner, preferably without the warfare…” Trixie sighed, departing slowly.

Minuette then felt her eyelids become moistened as she’d heard another voice from beyond her line of sight and station, it was feminine like the attendant but more collectively stable overall, “let me start off by saying that as a fellow self–employed woman in Equestria, I’d barely known much about her family, let alone her parents. The only thing that I can remember about Minuette were the times she’d came to my bar looking for a way to help her take the stress off of her mind, much like I’d done. I lament the fact that she’d died without a family to remember all the good times that they had with; I lament the fact that her friends will remember her as one of the citizens directly affected by the invasion earlier. Even the loss of my daughter Coronet has made me realize the poor choices I had made before the war and not just as an alewife no less: the fact I had the reputation as the town drunk getting high off of my own supply would’ve been grounds to have my children taken away. To this day, I’m still haunted by her passing yet hopeful that her spirit will find peace as our homeland recovers from the tragedies that had torn itself and us apart and asunder with the help of its people. All that we should do now is not let their deaths be in vain nor should they be forgotten by those whom were close to them and are alive; instead, they should be remembered for the lives that they’d inspired and their legacy as well, even those whom had sold their bodies for coins and drugs.”

“I didn’t know that Berryshine had a family, let alone a daughter; I feel really bad for her: I know that I’ve been drinking here and there after work before the war but even I didn’t go that far…” the occupant choked out, a stream of tears forming underneath while squirming about within, “still, am I’m really that terrible of a person…?”

“Is there anyone else whom would like to say anything about the dearly departed before the end?” the same masculine voice from before asked solemnly while Minuette sobbed quietly about.

For a moment, it’d seemed that the melancholy expressed by the likes of both attendants almost subsided soon enough; however, this wasn’t the case as another rose up to the task at once: “yeah, Ah have something…!”

“Hmm…?” the occupant uttered as she’d prepared her eyes for the new sight approaching the space at once, “Applejack?!”

Another dark skinned female took it to herself to view Minuette, bearing golden locks free from whatever accessories adorning either coldly headed counterpart. Unlike Trixie, Applejack was dressed in a simple white gown with her name on it; additionally, the latter had worn a jet black armband around her left forearm. Even though the tanned blonde kept herself composed, her face had showed signs of a tempest brewing about, jaded orbs out amongst a freckled visage alone.

“Come t’ think of it, Ah had always wondered what kind of person would do such things t’ herself, having sex, doing drugs, all the while neglecting her only child; but, now that the war is over, it’d seem that Ah finally understand: you make mah dear Winona look chaste by comparison…” Applejack spat out reluctantly.

The occupant, though confused, kept crying, “AJ…”

Feeling nothing but stiffness in the process, the tanned blonde had continued on, “with that said, Ah can’t resist pitying ya nonetheless; like ya, Ah had so much in common with ya, just like what Trixie had said: talented yet torn down by men we’d thought would never come t’ hurt us. Ah had never been willing t’ wish such a fate on anyone, especially a child if they so happen t’ remind me of mah sister Apple Bloom; it is sad knowing Ah had gotten mahself in this mess over her, only t’ nearly strangle the poor girl with mah bare hands. They say the ties that bind leave softer bruises but they’re never strong enough to withstand treachery, wrath, or lust when it comes to soldiers who should’ve been out there defending our homes and gardens; the fact mah grandmother is dead happens t’ be truly haunting fer the both of us and the fact mah brother had been entangled has hurt me even more. Fer all which Ah had thought Ah known, these bastards could have just ended mah life and be done with me since people die in war but no, gals like me had t’ be left alone only t’ suffer; in mah case, they’d left me with a nasty gift: some lues and a son whom can never see the world fer what it truly it, a festering stink hole filled t’ the brim with cruel people and their cruel deeds. At least the only good thing coming out of it is knowing that he’ll be safe from the likes of me, too broken t’ raise a child or look after mah kin without wondering if today’s gonna be the day Ah put either of them out of mah misery; of course, Ah worry about what will be said should he ever learn the truth of it all: the fact he was brought int’ the world by three hateful men?! T’ tell ya the truth, Ah had never thought much about romance, let alone settling down t’ continue the family name and trade; as a matter of fact, if it weren’t fer this war, then Ah might as well would’ve continue to be the hero Equestria needed and deserved. Of course, we can’t always get what we want in this day and age, a lesson that many like mahself have learn far too well, even if Twilight hadn’t come t’ town; after all, nothing lasts forever anyways, especially when one’s health has been compromised, be if by drugs or disease: the men who’ve wrecked mah family had done a damn fine job making sure of that. Speaking of time, Ah know that mains’ short: considering the fact that I’m probably going t’ die real soon, the least that can be done is making the best of our remaining lives by making amends; even my Granny Smith, may she rest in peace, knew this t’ be true and the fact Apple Bloom and Ah watched hers be taken will be one of the things haunting us for the rest of our lives. Perhaps, many of us have a lot t’ think about our lives and how we’re living them, if at all: the idea that Ah am still standing up has made me realize how far Ah have fallen, not just as a Bearer but also as a member of the Apple family overall; t’ think of the promises broken ‘cause of me, it wouldn’t have been surprise if mah parents had disowned me fer mah deeds.”

“Oh, Applejack, you poor little thing…” Minuette wailed, staring backing at Applejack and the teardrops the latter had also shed in the process, “I feel so horrible about it all…!”

“This will now conclude the service at once: from the land where many have been born and to the land where many have now return; may her soul be able to find mercy and rest in peace…” the same masculine voice from before had spoken up once again this time with feeling to say the least.

By then, the occupant watched all so suddenly the big blue sky obscured by the pitch blackness; before then, she’d heard the tanned blonde said, “it’s sad seeing ya in a coffin like this, what with having t’ be the last person in the family t’ be having yer life taken away because of the war and yet ya still could’ve continued t’ do good with that career of yers. Of course, considering what Ah had done, it’s no better than the pot calling the kettle black; anyways, guess this is goodbye: supposing that Twilight told me about you sooner, the least Ah could’ve done is get t’ know you better in the flesh, especially alive…”

“BUT I AM ALIVE; I CAN PROVE IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW: JUST PLEASE OPEN THE COFFIN ALREADY AND YOU WILL SEE IT AT ONCE…!” Minuette then wailed loudly, freed from the numbness plaguing her body so she can bang the hard surface frantically but to no avail, “I CAN BE A BETTER PERSON: I CAN PROVIDE A BETTER FUTURE…!”

“Goodbye…” was all that the trembling occupant listened to as she’d kept shuffling about in the enclosing final space overall.

Minuette ignored it all, screaming out at once, “NO PLEASE, DON’T DO THIS; NO… NO… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!!!”

Crescent

Author's Note

Ah, you've made to chapter nine of Fireflower's fanfic that goes beyond the typical oneshots made from before, a Mature one no less on the grounds that a previous chapter has recently dealt with subject matters proven to be unsuitable for those under eighteen, easily offended, and/or quickly nauseated; suffice to say, this was by far a strong note for many readers all and therefore you were all given an option to skip ahead to this chapter: whether or not you have taken this offer, it was only up to you to do so nothing more.

Aside from disclaimers long ago, I want to take the time to say thank you for never pulling out too early since we're now in the second half of the story's progress; somehow, the new year had provided us with a new hope to have and hold with tender loving care rather than yet a totally lost cause and the strength to continue onward in staying tuned for the future that's coming on: I believe at this rate, everything will make sense soon enough.

One last thing before signing off, I hope you can be surprised about this chapter now even more than the others before because this is the first time I've written a character such as herself; of course, considering the fact this is the same story where over half her friends had appeared, it shouldn't be so surprising so to speak of: what is surprising is that my original character will be making an appearance too.

Crescent

Now, it would seem that one part of the world had its very atmosphere already applying some direct pressure upon itself with coldness and calculation. At the very least, the spacious skies had objectively held up the flashing lights, all bearing silver linings within themselves among the sea of dark clouds. The air all throughout crisp and cool enough to commute many different aromas from all walks of life had each of them varying in quality and quantity. Even so were many flowers had slowly sprouted from the brilliant green, instantaneously bearing witness to ever rushing waters roaring from the cataracts. A calm gentle breeze was surfing onward and sliding about throughout the stony roads and dusty trails already cutting across the vast hillside landscaping. Nesting nearby the rocks and water was but a civilization currently defined in such an intricate manner, bearing more colors and shapes than the earth. Density notwithstanding, it was only a matter of perspective to find an utter abundance of such individuals from finite but numerous typed demographics.

Out of many buildings in this rather quiet place, there was one that had stood out amongst others: an enormous one nearby the heart of the city remaining in the cold distance within the premises. It’d stood up as high as about several stories tall, complete with a triumvirate of bicolored spires poking upwardly against the skies above with the middle being the point of absolute symmetry. The predominately ligneous roofing the very complex had shared happened to be more elaborate, reminiscent of a clearly nocturnal firmament with all the temperate swirls beneath a gilded rail. Almost all of the stony lonesome walls were just simply painted in the richest shades of purple, save for the bleached entrance where a gilded chronometer hung under the rectangular window. Speaking of which, many of the crystalline surfaces found imprinted amongst the front had bore an identical arching shape with the very same accents found throughout the entire surface area. Neighboring it all were thin blades of grass with some of them bearing a lighter shade to serve as pathways to and from this place as well as the others, something which many could ascertain to. All that remained to guide whichever individuals in and out of the building in particular was a gilded stairway holding up two proportioned pillars painted predominately in a darkened peach.

Anyways, there had been one ray of light beaming in the center of a room but it wasn’t provided by the outside world; nevertheless, it was more than enough so to speak. Within the very location thereof, its sights and sounds were currently blending in with the colors more ornately than the exterior in question, no doubt the work of people. Much of the background altogether happened to be bleached like the very entrance and yet it was adorned with the many purple draperies attached to them all so presently. Of course, there were bound to be exceptions overall: the flooring itself was but a checkerboard of greens; the adjacent wall possessed a screen with a still image therein. Huddled together within the confined space were at least some scores of people, all from various demographics imaginable sitting down upon the spacious stands intently. Standing betwixt themselves and the opposite wall is a white quadrangular electronic lit up, the scope of it all reflecting the light back onto the latter in a series of colors.

One singular person is found to be standing up to face the small crowd of people up in front, a lonely towering woman with bright skin. She’d wore a pair of thick black glasses overlaying her darkly rank irises of purple, staring at the multitude with a somber yet stoic glance. The woman’s hair consisted mostly of scarlet with two violet stripes down in the middle, starting with an extra adjunct holding up the peak. Snugly in place, she’d donned a thick black turtleneck sweater alongside with some beige pants into the mix and a pair of brown boots.

“If I’d known that there would come a time I would be back at Celestia’s School, then the least I could’ve done was build some more confidence earlier in my life; after all, I was willing to let my former classmate and friend, Twilight Sparkle, be up to the task at hand like she’d have…” the bright skinned woman said jubilantly before the listeners already in attendance.

One of the audience members had sneezed, followed by another whispering softly, “bless you…!”

“When she’d asked me to speak to you on her behalf today, I was obligated to honor the occasion due to her contributions not just as the Bearer of Magic, but also as my neighbor…” she said softly before clearing her throat straightaway, soon seeking the seconds needed to segue, “it’s fitting that Twilight Sparkle would’ve loved to talk about her favorite subject of choice. Growing up, the two of us had studied in this very school looking for a purpose in our lives: it would seem as if that we were all set in our ways and with good reason as many of you can see clearly; after all, if it weren’t for our passions of learning, then we wouldn’t be here today. Of course, there are plenty of other factors that would’ve impacted every single thing about our existence to even the smallest of details, whether it’s the friends you have or your choice of fashion; while that many would not see every decision, good or bad, as something that can decide the fate of the world at large, they can, however, play a role in our very lives. Overlooking the past war alone, I’ve felt crestfallen on the day when my friends told me Twilight Sparkle was sent to Ponyville the day before the Summer Sun Celebration; all that I’d looked forward to on that day was seeing her face again because it was the first time I’d decided to put myself out there. Despite feeling humiliated and estranged, I had others whom stood behind to convince me that I still had value, not just as a friend but also as a person: Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Minuette; they were the three people whom kept me close since that fateful day seven years ago, like they have before. Decently put, Twilight wasn’t the first person to leave me behind in Canterlot without saying goodbye: another girl whom we’d thought was our friend, Sunset Shimmer, went to the same school as us over a decade ago; in retrospect, it’d happened to be a good thing I hadn’t met her again before she even tried to do so. But don’t insinuate that I’ve become a hypocrite in the process, let alone took those experiences as a disincentive to reject friendship: even when I’d devoted myself to my studies, there was always a feeling in the back of my mind that either one of them would return home one day; of course, I didn’t like how it’d come to pass. Years before Canterlot was besieged, I’d heard the news about the library burning down and thought back to the newspapers that said Twilight was staying there since the Summer Sun Celebration: I was at a loss of words and all of us were both worried, not just for her sake but also for the others living down in Ponyville; after all, she wasn’t the only one whom was there. Even to this day, I still wonder about how many lives could’ve been greatly affected by this very war alone, especially considering the damage she and the other Bearers had undergone during this time: barring the lost literature therein, the burns Twilight suffered through were just part and parcel of the whole picture; everything in that town had changed over time since the fire. Still, I’m blessed to have all of my friends alive and well to this day, yet I feel guilty knowing what had happened to them, besides Twilight: Lyra and Minuette were assaulted by changelings while Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine lost their homes in the war; if anything, I’ve more than enough reason to believe it should’ve been me suffering alongside them…”

“What makes you say that, Mademoiselle Moondancer…?” a distant male voice was being heard nearby amongst the muttering crowd.

The titular speaker fixed her eyeglasses and replied only softly overall, “I’m sorry, but who are you…?”

“Bag, Messenger Bag; most people call me Mess ‘cause of my reputation, yet you’re free to call me whichever nomenclature you choose…” he’d instantaneously introduced himself without any hesitation whatsoever so to speak, “I want to start off by apologizing for the sudden interruption; it’s just that you had me at the whole ‘suffering’ thing: would you mind elaborating about it…?”

“Of course I mind: even though it’s been only seven years, I still bear their pains alongside mine; besides, the war had changed them far too much…” the bright skinned woman simply scoffed straightaway.

It wasn’t long until she’d heard small footsteps coming her way gently as Messenger Bag said, “I understand: after all, I’d came across others whom felt the same way; I’m a certified psychotherapist, nothing more…”

Moondancer could easily see a man without a plan yet on a mission for something only known to him alone; of course, compared to her, he was in dire need of an introduction. His skin was much unlike the speaker in terms of quality: a scant fifty shades darker, it matched that of some copper toned tableware of a bygone era best stored in a museum. Messenger Bag also wore some spectacles, albeit thinly rimmed to outline his fiery yet tamed scarlet pupils, restricted by none other than his very welcoming visage therein. The man’s locks were short, darker than the dimmed environment everyone was in yet had some bits of star platinum within themselves to be easily differentiated upon study. Another contrast between him and her was the attire, the former being more colorful: aside from the white overcoat, there was a blue shirt, some green pants, and black shoes.

“Hmm, I see and what were the commonalities you’ve found in your time…?” Moondancer inquired calmly now that Messenger Bag was in full view of the others at once, “surely the research your profession has gathered may as well have served a purpose in mental hygiene following into the postwar era, Mister Bag…”

“Increased stress levels, paranoia, anxiety, depression, insomnia, suicidal tendencies, panic attacks, hallucinations, night terrors, hypochondria, and the like; these were symptoms of serious problems survivors had suffered from since the war, from invalids and the able–bodied alike…” the dark skinned man answered the brightly skinned woman steadily so to speak.

She’d soon spoken to him at once, “yeah, I’d had those problems too; they’re not pretty and the fact my friends were suffering from them did us no favors: Twilight especially gotten the worst of them since she’d watched Princess Cadance die in front of her during the wedding.”

“Ah yes, the Canterlot Tragedy, a day in which Equestria lived in infamy and with good reason no less…” Messenger Bag sighed with restraint, sitting back down in a different location unoccupied, “how did you react to hearing the news personally…?”

“Initially, not much at all for the most part: I was sick on that day studying all night before; however, the explosion later that night literally knocked me out of my bedside so to speak…” Moondancer answered back before pointing to the device residing nearby the first row up in front with a remote in hand.

The image shifted into something more simplistic: three circles represented by primary colors with the overlapped regions in a mixture, save for the midpoint completely blackened out; the dark skinned man observing this change cerebrated, “and so the story begins…”

“For at least over a millennium, Equestria has been founded under a singular common goal, a new home to escape from the perilous old world…” the bright skinned woman began to speak as she pointed to the picture in question abaft herself, “even though most of us are of Polyphonic demographics, our collective homeworld used to be all the way out across the Celestial Sea. Contrary to popular belief, Princess Celestia didn’t name the body of water separating our homeland from Griffinstone and the Dragon Lands; in fact, the nomenclature predated her nascency by at least over another millennium, long before Starswirl was even born as many of us knew. Conversely, although the Luna Oceans and Bay were associated with her younger sister, it was only at least over four centuries ago, especially before Nightmare Moon’s return; at that timeframe, few people other than the Princess herself remained aware of that foregone conclusion soon enough. Either way, it was known as the Aeon Tenabram, or more commonly in the Ponish tongue, the Shadow Epoch, a time when there was great strife in the Platommic Continent between three major civilizations: Ponyland, Trowa, and the Germarial Tribes; each of them was at war with each other as well as the wildlife that had attacked them, especially Bugbears. Nobody know where these creatures came from but the common consensus besides numerous variations and subspecies is that they’re believed to be the work of Grogar’s evil magic; whatever the case may be, the temporary truces that came as a result of these encounters led to fewer friends and neighbors alike after the bitter end. To combat the rising mortality as well as the overpopulation of their own homes and gardens, they’d chosen to set sail and foot for new worlds as they had thought: of course, this didn’t mean that everyone set sail westward to what would become Equestria for there were ships that had gone in other directions, sometimes finding themselves in places already inhabited by others. Realistically, adapting to the new world as we’d have known it meant coming to terms with the changes differentiating between our ancestral homelands and places like Equestria; as previously mentioned, there were other lifeforms like us that were inhabiting it: normal tribespeople living deep within wildernesses made up of trees, rocks, sands, or even near the coastlines. In addition, there were others that were known for manipulating the elements to their advantage migrating to and from here as well as changing their forms whenever needed: of them happen to be those that breathe fire from out the mouth, despite being reminiscent of individuals like ourselves; although solitary, the threat they’d once posed was too significant to be left alone. Compared to our ancestors where people die for all kinds of reasons, be if old age, suicide, and illnesses, especially terminal ones such as cancer and tuberculosis, there was one commonality between both worlds: the number one most terrifying cause of death is death by fire, and being around lifeforms which had wielded such a power served to be enough reason for violence.”

“But people around them living in places such as Fillydelphia don’t do that anymore, don’t they…?” another feminine voice interjected, bearing more youth than the likes of Moondancer herself so to speak.

A small frown grew on the bright skinned speaker’s face as she’d asked, “and who might you be…?”

“Skye… Skye Interwar: I’m a foreign exchange student from Neighpon; also, I’m sorry for interrupting you…” an answer was heard in the far rear, prompting Moondancer to settle back down into her previous state, “I’d came here alongside a few others to watch the cherry blossoms this month…”

Unlike him, Skye was also shown to be female yet her stature in question had set her apart from many of the adults by virtue of being shorter than them. Like the bright skinned speaker, the youth in question also happened to be one of the same yet the latter’s integument was lightly tanned so to speak of. Another distinction that Skye possessed was the utter lack of eyewear even as she’d also bore some lukewarm eyes, darker and more down–to–earth. Between the two, the youth in question had worn some orange hair reaching to her shoulders, despite being hidden away by a bluesy brimmed beanie. Much like Messenger Bag, Skye donned colorful clothing: a yellow turtlenecked shirt with white accents, scarlet gloves, blue jeans, and black sneakers.

“Ah, yes the cherry blossoms: in your native tongue, they’re called sakura and the Hanami you’re speaking of refers to a simpler time when your people watched them bloom before you; forgive me for say this, but it’s kind of sad that they’ve changed, wouldn’t we all agree…?” the dark skinned man wistfully wheezed wantonly.

Moondancer regained her composure, pressing the same button towards the electronic before the image changed again: this time it was a sextet of individuals about much older than the others within the crowd, each with their own similarities and differences; afterwards, she’d said softly, “yes, I’m aware of the festival in question but that’s not what we’re here to talk about today. Even now as you can see on this slide, the founding of our nation was no less perilous than the others countries within the Polysphere such as Austailia and the like; after all, it was before the Discovery Generation, a time when the Ternary Islands were invaded by the Castro Empire over half a millennium ago during tumultuous times. Speaking of which, the first time Equestria had some trouble was due to Grogar, an evil sorcerer whom created various monsters in an unending pursuit of expansionism, no different from the other entities, save for his powers; because of his wretched ways, one hero stood up to challenge him: a woman named Gusty whom united other like–minded individuals together to banish him. Though she’d been remembered as one of the earliest heroes, she didn’t live long enough to see more following after his imperialist reign: even though this homeland had plenty of agriculture before that time, many of the tribes didn’t share the prosperity with one another, let alone appreciated the peace earned and kept. Eventually, winter came but unlike the ones experienced in much of Platom, it was so much more: the ensuing blizzard destroyed much of the crops, forcing the three leaders to meet together at a summit to search for the cause; still, more blame gotten passed around between one another before deciding to seek greener pastures. Running from the blizzard, the tribes came to the same place only to make the same mistakes like before: as a result, the trouble in paradise started over again, this time burying their homes and gardens along them; soon enough, their trusted assistants learned the cause of the snowstorm happened to be a bunch of windigos. Decisively realizing the hate their peers have given one another led to this ordeal, they’d casted aside their grudges old and new alike, embracing each other’s companies to the point where their newfound camaraderie have led to lives being saved before reaching past the points of no return and the foundation of a new holiday, Hearth’s Warming. After the Fire of Friendship was stoked, the windigos were driven away due to the eventual lack of hate; with these lifelong lessons learned, the tribespeople joined forces together and shared the land alongside with its seemingly unlimited bounty, not just with themselves but also with others like and unlike them, including those whom were indigenous to Equestria prior to its founding. Yet, as history has taught us, more obstacles have remained to this day: from the magical to the mundane, be if the end of the world as we know or just a loss of a certain ice cream flavor, perilous times have yet to end; aside from the lingering possibility of Grogar’s return, there were other threats that had to be combated here and there throughout this time.”

“Miss Moondancer, based on your research, you’d learned about what Equestria was like before the Regal Sisters rose to power…” he’d said, this time raising his hand for the bright skinned speaker to see clearly despite the darkness, “what methods were used to ensure that this peace and prosperity were maintained…”

“We’re getting to it shortly…” Moondancer replied, clicking again at the device so the picture changed; another sextet appeared, this time more balanced when it’d came to genders, and alongside them were some corresponding objects: a shovel, a shield, a mask, a flower, a cloth, and a book.

The youthful ginger looked at the people and the items in question and asked the bright skinned speaker straightaway, “who are they and what are those objects…?”

“Well, as you can plainly see, Skye, they’re known as the pillars of Old Equestria as we know it, each with their own distinctive artifacts in question…” Moondancer answered confidently yet with utter humility in her very tone, “coupled with the set of skills, they were face of the post–Gusty era, intermediates between her untimely end and the beginning of the Royal Sisters. The shovel was wielded by Rockhoof whom embodied the element of Strength: once an underweight farmer, he’d found greatness by saving his village from an erupting volcano against insurmountable odds, digging a trench to divert the lava flow away into the ocean; his heroics became a literal living legend. The shield, Netitus, was wielded by Flash Magnus whom embodied the element of Bravery: a member of the Royal Legion of Cloudsdale prior to the Wonderbolts’ foundation, he’d created a diversion to save his comrades from firebreathers by luring them into a thundercloud; said item was kept as a reward at the behest of its previous owner, Ironhead. The mask was worn by Mage Meadowbrook whom embodied the element of Healing: a plague doctor studying under her mother, she found a cure for the Swamp Fever epidemic that ensnared their village; afterwards, she’d left home to seek patients in need of treatment from other illnesses, bearing the article of clothing used to protect herself from the flash bees since then. The flower was grown by Mistmane whom embodied the element of Beauty: unlike the others, she’d came from a foreign land that happened to become modern–day Neighpon itself; she’d left for Equestria after defeating and saving its empress from herself and her own expansionist campaign by planting it back into the ground and restoring the land in exchange for her beauty. The blindfold was worn by Somnambula whom embodied the element of Hope: her village took inspiration for the name after saving it and their Pharaoh’s son, Prince Hisan from an evil Sphinx; even since that fateful day, it was also left behind by her alone in exchange for a necklace of glopaz replacing the pearls sold away to feed her neighbors as a gesture of gratitude. The journal was written by Starswirl the Bearded whom embodied the element of Sorcery: inside it were various spells and events recorded by him detailing the adventures had alone and alongside the five others; little is known about the contents overall save for the fact it was written in Olde Ponish and that it has been hidden away from the general populace upon rediscovery.”

“About the journal, if it were the case, then how was it obtained…?” Skye inquired again without hesitation whatsoever.

The bright skinned speaker wasted no time replying, “it was obtained in an antique shop at least several years after the war: rumor has it that a child purchased Starswirl’s journal amongst other items; apparently, she’d brought it to a similar school one day and happened to be studying it alongside other classes taken, even during lunch. At long last, the girl attracted the attention of Princess Luna whom was visiting on that day: when she’d told her about how it was obtained, the princess relayed the news to her sister Celestia whom had to host a conference the day after; it was explained that the book had belonged to their mentor from over a millennium ago…”

“To what extent was Our Royal Highnesses’ reaction…?” Messenger Bag now shot a question in Moondancer’s range, his scarlet irises now focus on the artifact in particular, “it’d seemed surprising that they would’ve be attached to it very much….”

“Indeed, he’d shepherded them to be the new rulers of Equestria: based on their conversations, they’d learned a lot from Starswirl when it’d came to magic; of course, considering the upmost importance regarding his journal, it’d been confiscated for our protection due to the treaty…” the bright skinned speaker spoke, much to the growing intrigue of the audience present.

The youthful ginger couldn’t resist thinking about what Moondancer had just said, “I didn’t know that one of the pillars was from my homeland, let alone connected to the foundation of Equestria; speaking of which, I’d never imagined that she’d followed that man whom taught the sisters whom would grow up to be Princesses: I wonder how they’d felt about their destiny…”

“In any case, through their teamwork, they’d protected Equestria from threats far and wide during their lifetimes…” the bright skinned speaker announced, pressing the remote once more to show a late addition to the sextet, another man, “of course, their camaraderie wasn’t meant to last long, something that they’d even knew all too well. One day, the Pillars had encountered a man by the name of Stygian whom had brought them together to maintain and share the virtuous ideals they’d represented; however, according to Starswirl, he and the others had a falling out with him when they’d found him with their possessions. Apparently, they’d realized that he was so envious of their abilities he’d planned on stealing their attributes so he can have some power for himself; as a result, Stygian was cast out of the group, which had led him down further on a darker path, left with a lust for vengeance alongside. Following the expulsion, he’d returned to face Pillars again, this time after transforming into a Peon of Shadows; his new goal was simple to a fault: to extinguish their light and rob the world of hope alongside the other virtues he’d attempted to claim for himself. Realizing the immense power Stygian had now wielded at his disposal, Starswirl and five others came to the conclusion that a sacrifice must be made: this meant that they’d to cast a huge spell to stop his reign of darkness from ever taking root; speaking of which, they’d all taken the liberty of planting a seed in advance prior to the fated faceoff. To this day, no one knows of their collective whereabouts, not their friends, family, apprentices, not even their admirers; even worse, seeing that the events took place over a millennium ago, only the Princesses had survived to remember this day: Celestia took this especially hard yet knew that she and Luna had to take on the task of running the country at once.”

“Wow, I guessed they must have been very lonely…” Skye said sorrowfully, shedding a singular teardrop.

Sighing in solidarity, Moondancer responded, “not at all, they’ve understood the fact that their sacrifices were necessary to protect Equestria and those whom were living there, especially them alone; after all, the plant they’d left behind were the very things that the sisters needed to run it in their absence: the Elements of Harmony.”

“Yes, I’d once recalled that there at least two of the former wielders: Fluttershy and Twilight; one of them was involved in the program seven years ago…” the dark skinned man said, causing the rest of the audience to erupt in whimpers regarding his statement in question. “I’d happened to know because I was there on the day Persimmon Tart’s trial when he was convicted…”

“What trial: did something happen so long ago; more importantly, what does this have anything to do with her of all people…?” the youthful ginger ruminated as she was currently focusing her attention on him with confusion and curiosity.

It didn’t take much time for the bright skinned speaker to regain the floor soon enough, coughing about, “yes, I was informed of the trial in question and the role she’d played by Twilight but that’s not the issue: the important thing is learning about how our civilization came to be, especially regarding Equestria; however, I feel that we’ve talked long enough for the time being. Thankfully, lunch has been provided in advance for all the guests in this school: you’re all free to use the thirty minutes therein to unwind and intermingle with the others; in addition, I’m willing to continue on afterwards to anyone interested in the second part of the whole lecture after break. Please take note that any student looking to have their extra credit assignment validated will have to see me as soon as possible prior to leaving the premises today: after lecture, I will be hanging around the office at least until midafternoon at four o’clock; ‘til then, relax…”

It was at this point in time the lights pollution, if at all, had now increased in both quality and quantity alike, the dimness now vaporized instantaneously. Only then, it’d became crystal clear to everyone whom had listened clearly to Moondancer’s announcement seeing that they were freed from the dark. Therein, the very audience held a collective sense of relief and anticipation, even Skye and Messenger Bag despite their differences from much earlier. At long last, everyone altogether could look forward to indulging themselves into the pleasures of subsisting on the assorted foodstuffs and beverages alike.

“I gotta learn more about these Elements of Harmony…” the youthful ginger said to herself, moving along with the crowd as she’d remained aware of her enlightened surroundings so to speak of, “they seem to remind me of that adventure my friends and I had been on not too long ago; I bet Nina would love to hear about it…”

It wasn’t long until the bright skinned speaker followed after the spectators with a mixture of real pride and accomplishment, far from the unscrupulously avaricious failures of a future past the horizon.

Corona

Author's Note

Ah, you've made to chapter ten of Fireflower's fanfic that goes beyond the typical oneshots made from before, a Mature one no less on the grounds that previous chapters have dealt with another heavy subject matter proven to be unsuitable for those under eighteen, easily offended, and/or quickly nauseated; thankfully, this one will be considered the tamest of the bunch but no less smaller.

Aside from disclaimers long ago, I want to take the time to say thank you for never pulling out too early since we're now very close to the end of the story; somehow, the new year had still provided us with a new hope to have and hold with tender loving care rather than yet a totally lost cause and the strength to continue onward in staying tuned for the future that is the now: I believe at this rate, everything will make sense soon enough.

However, let me just also say that, with many thanks aside, I hope you can be able to stomach this chapter now even more than the others before it and still have the strength to continue onward in staying tuned though the passing times; nevertheless, I want to apologize for letting this chapter go on longer than I had expected: it seems that chapter two's reputation for being the longest has been officially dethroned, something that the previous chapter happened to shared.

Corona

There was a complete absence of light currently dominating the very environment, all shrouded in mystery and suspense which relied consistently on the element of uncertainty at large. While there had already remained a stark likelihood of loneliness filling the air itself at once, the atmosphere was more than enough to clear out within due time for one reason or another. Additionally, even at least a few clues were presently providing some semblance of substance which was instantly dwelling inside even with the lack of a solid terrain, let alone earth.

Lain out right amongst the pitch black darkness was one of the very few possibilities which was becoming unveiled rather slowly: a lone bright skinned female lying supine. In about the strands of dark scarlet were but two lone stripes of purple sliding down in the middle of it all, starting with an extra adjunct holding up the summit firmly at once. Considering the fact the woman’s eyes were tightly closed, she was fast asleep at the moment, especially considering that her fabrics were light purple with pink polygons.

Of course, it was far from peaceful as it was shown clearly, tossing and turning about amidst the darkness as her face contorted in a struggle between straightened out and overwhelming emotion. Shuffling about in a somewhat reckless abandonment, the brightly skinned woman remained trapped within the comforter as small snorts of oxygen commuted onward without a care therein. To think something or someone would interact with the likes of her would be out of the question, even as if she was stuck inside the veils of darkness, ghastly as it may be currently so to speak of.

“MOONDANCER…!” a voice shouted out into the darkness followed by hard knocks upon the wood, prompting the titular tenant’s eyelids to fly open and unveil her darkly rank irises of purple.

It didn’t take long for the brightly skinned woman to arise from her slumber, turning her gaze to the source of voice with a yawn, “huh… who is it at this hour…?”

“MOONDANCER… ARE YOU IN THERE?!” the first voice echoed again, this time more frantic even as she was taking the time to pick up a pair of glasses nearby to wear them, “PLEASE RESPOND…!”

“Alright, I’m coming; keep your shirt on…!” the aforementioned tenant barked as she’d stepped out onto the flooring beneath her feet.

As the bright skinned woman took no time to confront the rapping instantaneously, its owner grew more frantic as they turned into gentle booms, now shrieking about, “MOONDANCER, OPEN UP…!”

“CALM DOWN, I’M GETTING THERE…!” she’d replied in turn, her clear visage becoming more concentrated with crimson than her eyes while approaching the door up in front of her, “what’s up?!”

“It’s about your friend, Twilight…” the voice answered, stuttering about as Moondancer finally opened the door.

At long last, the brightly skinned woman made contact with the subject’s identity: a masculine individual of a similar nature standing before. Like her, his hair was matching both eyes and pants, albeit a solid blue ran raggedy with some strands being out of place yet otherwise neat. The man’s attire consisted of a long–sleeved yellow shirt and black shoes, each of them stained with splotches of crimson above the textiles.

Moondancer’s frown melted into shock as she was watching him panting and wheezing about, clutching his stomach while asking, “Comet Tail, what on Equestria happened to you?! You look liked you’d seen a ghost…!”

“Worse… I saw something happened to her…!” the eponymous visitor sputtered as he struggled to control his respiration, staring at the feminine tenant, “can I come inside…?”

“Of course…” she said softly to the man at once.

It didn’t take long for him to be led into Moondancer’s domain: despite the darkness, her presence was enough to put him at ease; with that said, he spoke to her, “I want to start off by apologizing for my behavior… it’s just that I’d never prepared myself for such an occasion, let alone seeing two of her…”

“Two of her; are you talking about Twilight…?” the maidenly tenant asked as she sat Comet Tail onto her bedside, helping him take his shirt off after turning on a light, “you’re not making any sense about it; please calm yourself down and tell me everything…”

“Okay, I’ll tell you: it’s just that I never saw myself as good enough to talk to Twilight lately, at least not after the Celebration; it’d all began when I’d went to her house earlier to deliver a note, letting her know how I feel…” the man said softly.

A poignant pause presented itself between him and her, at least until the latter asked the former, “what were you going to say to her in that letter…?”

“How much I’ve grown to love and respect her since the plundervine incident…” Comet Tail explained it plainly to Moondancer with only a somber look amongst themselves, “ever since that day, I couldn’t go outside without worrying about the ground underneath my feet rumbling about. It’s funny… up until this moment, I’d never considered the possibility that I would be bound and gagged by something so gnarled and dark, let alone get this close to being assaulted by them; I believe the Neighponnaise had a term for it, except there were octopi and a woman… Even now, I can’t look at plant life the same way ever again no matter what: the sight of weeds and thorns make me nervous to no end, especially ones that go unchecked for too long; one time I’d gone without food for an entire week ‘cause I was afraid of being attacked in the bathroom should I go use it. The worst part about it was the fact that even after all the fighting and resistance, I couldn’t seem to get any relief from it: everywhere I’d went, people had either laughed at me or dismissed me outright because they couldn’t stop talking about how all the women were raped in the past, especially Applejack of all women; even I’d wondered how cruel we’ve been back in the day. I know Twilight had been questioning about what happened to her even before that day, especially since she’d became her friend after the Celebration; I lament the fact Applejack had been suffering since the day before the war broke out, especially considering who’d gone and did this to her no less. No one had been able to even ever care about how I’d felt on that day the same way as her, despite how different and distant I am compared to her or any of her friendship circle, whether in Ponyville or Canterlot; even now, I’ve felt more alone in the world than ever knowing that out of all the people whom cared about my plight, she’d helped me out the most. It’s sad knowing about what happened to others who’d suffered like me and even worse, especially Twilight’s friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash; these girls had saved Equestria more than once so far and this is how they’ve been repaid for their deeds: beaten and raped long before the others no less?! This whole thing makes me sick to my stomach having to go back to these days: this was meant to be one of the safest countries on the planet, not a playground for evildoers; sure our ancestors happened to deal with monsters on a regular daily basis, especially Gusty and Starswirl alongside their ilk but what happened in our time years ago, this was too much. Now it seems to me that the whole universe loves to have yet another nasty consternation to give us: some old friend from your youth has come back to Equestria as a demon with an army of thralls to enslave the homeland; even worse, Twilight has been fused with one of her doubles she’d brought back with to Canterlot…!”

“What… you mean to tell me that my best friend has been merged with her doppelganger; but that’s impossible: how would that even work, outside of magical means?!” the maidenly tenant exclaimed following the lonely man’s expository explanation in due time no less, not that it’d matter as he’d shed a drop from his left eye.

Nevertheless, he’d persisted, “I know, Moondancer, but something seemed strange about the whole thing the second I’d seen it happen; it’s odd, seeing two Twilight Sparkles together no less, especially considering how they looked alike: one of them was similar to a demoness with her hair flying up like it was ablaze, wore glasses matching her horn, and had wings and tail. Her double ad even acted like a whole different person compared to her, some kind of smiling sweetly sister’s sociopathic surprise servicewoman, the opposite of the real one; come to think of it, the former was kind of surprised to find out how drastically different they were from one another initially: she even went so far as to ask if this was actually the real deal or someone else. Of course, the minute she’d said no, they… they… they both… TWILIGHT, WHY?!”

“Twilight…?” she’d sputtered as Comet Tail’s composure broke timelessly, watching him cry out profusely as he turned away from her, “we’ve always been together: I’ve learned so much from and with her ever since we were in kindergarten together; she’s always been so scared and shy…”

“I’M SORRY, TWILIGHT; PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU: FORGIVE ME…!” the melancholy man yelled out with tears in his eyes.

As Moondancer watched him collapsed onto the comforter, both of them were assaulted by a harsh yet feminine voice hissing into the darkness around themselves, “ask for forgiveness from Twilight, the woman you’d ditched, but as for us, we never had the slightest intention of forgiving you…”

“We… what is this ‘we’ stuff; who in Equestria are they talking about…?” the maidenly tenant gasped as she and Comet Tail were now looking for answers immediately, “show yourself already…!”

“Now, now Moonie… I’m pretty sure that you’ve already remembered me by now; damn, it must have been years since I’d returned to this old city: even I’m still questioning how much has changed since then but enough talk from me cause you’ll know soon enough…” the hissing cooed about; afterwards, both Moondancer and her guest were treated to a startling sight therein.

Out from the darkness were a legion of men and women dressed in various fashions as well as lacking thereof, all of whom had eyes glowing about in a moderate cyan as they stood next to a fiendish threesome. Compared to the gathering storm opposite of the tenants in question, the trio had commonalities: some fiery shaped hairstyles, tattered wings, clawed fingers, pointy ears, gnarled dentitions, and forked tongues too. Plain as day despite the darkness before the dawning, it was safe to say that whatever was on their very minds, neither Moondancer nor Comet Tail would dare to stay here anymore longer with the likes of them.

Of course, they still had some significant differences between the fiendish threesome themselves, especially at the first glance from the tenants’ collective perspective so to speak of. For starters, one of them was a tall female with a madder scheme upon her integuments while the remainders at her sides were lightly skinned males: one opalescent, the other amber. The fiendish intermediate had elongated tresses of vivid crimson and brilliant yellow matching her frock whereas the others wore short hairs of moderate azure and brilliant orange. The red giantess wore eyes matching the glow of their congregation, albeit against a jet–black sclera; the smaller males both donned brilliant amaranths amid snow white instead. Out of the fiendish trio, only the intermediate herself wore black boots with moderately crimson accents; the remainders donned predominately black tunics and leggings instead.

Seeing them all in the shared line of sight made Moondancer’s skin crawl and her hair stand on endwise as she spat out, “Sunset…?”

“In the flesh and blood as I live and breathe, Moonie; I’m pretty sure that you were dying to see me again after all these years…” the titular giantess cooed without a care, looking down upon the tenants beneath her very feet, “it’s such a shame no less: alone again after I’d abandoned you to your friends… what were your names again: Lyre, Lemonhurst, Twinkletoes, and Minutia…?”

“Don’t play that shit with me, murderer: you know their real names good and well, she–demon; besides, I know what you did Twilight…!” Comet Tail barked out at the fiendish intermediate without a care.

This earned the lonely man a showing of the two remainders baring their fangs, booing and hissing about: of them, the cobalt one was the first to buzz, “you shut your mouth; you shut your fucking face, fuckboy…! Even our lord and master Sunset has proven to be kind and merciful to the likes of her, despite her similarities…”

“Yeah, you stick a sock in it, cuckhead…!” the gilded fiend chimed in with a guffaw before turning to face Sunset with a submissive grin, “did it work: are we finally going to town for them soon, master…?”

“In time, Snails… there’s still a matter of tying up loose ends here: as far as I see it, it has always been my destiny to rule since the day I’d first looked myself in the first, quite literally so to speak; of course, my precious teacher couldn’t have me going off alone like it’s nothing…!” the red giantess answered back as she’d given Moondancer a mean look.

This made the maidenly tenant gasp, “Princess Celestia… what have you done to her…?”

“Nothing too significant, for the most part; after all, I need her alive for a lot of reason and former loyalty isn’t that important enough…” Sunset said to Moondancer with a hearty chuckle, unnerving both the latter and Comet Tail himself in the process, “besides, killing her as well as her kith and kin would have far–reaching consequences beyond a world war so to speak. Ever since I was little, all that I could think of was how alone I was in Equestria: while everyone had families, friends, neighbors, and/or anyone willing to sell them pierogi, I happened to be a dirty little orphan girl with no past or future to claim as my own; that all changed when she took me in. It’s sad knowing that I’d betrayed my mentor’s trust by letting myself become obsessed with that mirror, but not sad enough to embrace my destiny; even now, I couldn’t believe how many years it’d taken for that dream to become reality: me ruler of all over Equestria, no the world…! Of course, even I’d happened to be willing to share that power with the likes of someone else, which I’d expected of myself or anticipate: as I was digging up some dirt to eliminate any of those whom would’ve opposed me, I saw that precious Twilight all alone in the world with her family cheering her up, even that sister–in–law, the Dean of my rivals’ school. Despite this, it wasn’t enough for her to keep smiling: everyday I’d observed her, she was being pushed around by both schoolmates and faculty alike despite being the rudder steering their ship onto the path of victory for oh so long ago; not even that bitch of a principal gave a shit about Twilight, piling a fuckton of work on a teenager while dangling her dream college like carrots. Even then, my transformation into what you are seeing now wasn’t even the first so to speak; in fact, we’ll be getting into more of that latter but right now, you must be wondering about what it has to do with your precious Twilight: it’d all started back when we’d first met on summer vacation no less. She was at her wits’ end, ready to thrown herself over the edge and into the void from which she could never return from; of course, all that change when I’d stepped into her life, initially because the tears she’d been shedding at the time were too much: come to think of it, I was wondering how she ended up there instead that podunk school I’d escaped to years ago. Anyways, I’d found myself hugging and kissing Twilight like a couple of newlyweds, off campus and out of sight of course; it seems to me that unlike our fair and just world, being exploited by a principal who cares about a record more than the well–being of others was just the tip of the iceberg: even her family would’ve been shocked about her having interest in romance. Speaking of which, our relationship served as the tipping point for the other Twilight to transform first after one experiment too many: at first, she was more like an angel to me, or at the very least a martyr considering what her school did to her on a regular daily basis; what I had never counted on was her attempting to use this power to take revenge…”

“Revenge… on Twilight’s mind; but she would never… would she…?” the maidenly tenant squeaked out.

The red giantess wasted no time laughing uproariously before regaining her composure, “relax, as far I’d seen it now, these two Twilights are more different to each other like snowflakes scattered to the quantum fucking wind: even the Twilight of my own original homeworld was willing to show mercy even after what happened to her friends and family. What’s even more funny is that Princess Celestia chose her to be my replacement after my departure and all she’d ended up doing was heading out to Ponyville with five other like–minded girls like her to go save from Nightmare Moon and the like; of course, after what these bastards had done to them, I think it’d be nicer for the rest of the quintet to meet their other selves. Even a she–demon such as myself can remember what it’s like to have some personality, especially since I was one soft and weak; compared to what I’d done, your Twilight’s friends would be itching to have some payback with their tormentors once they’re done with face–to–face with each other: nothing screams girl power like polymerization and synchronization.”

“What face–to–face; what does this have to do with her friends: how do they fit into all this?!” Moondancer hissed out loud at Sunset, now unperturbed by the latter’s gestures and presence, “speak up, dammit…!”

“The main five, silly…?” another feminine voice droned on, playful and pleasant yet foreboding and flagrant for it didn’t belong to either the bright tenant or the red giantess.

The source of the new speaker was instantly revealed to be out amongst a quintet of women like Moondancer herself: like many others surrounding Sunset and her underclassmen, their eyes were obscured by cyan, except only slightly; in addition, they, too, wore clothes that had blended in with their peers as well as the tenants watching them all. The first was bright skinned yet tickled pink like her hair with both irises of a big blue matching the jacket, boots, and wristbands, accented by a raring–to–go concave; in addition, she’d worn a snow white shirt with a big purple heart in the midst of it and a pink skirt with three balloons: two had just shared the same eye color but one was yellow. Nearby was another one with fair skin, albeit with a reminiscence of lemon chiffon in a lighter shade with eyes of teal ready to move heaven and earth and lighter pink hair: her attire also consisted of a white blouse but they were accompanied by a chartreuse skirt and boots combo; her skirt had a small flock of lepidopterans trailing about. Standing next to the lemony compeer, the bystander happened to have ivory integuments and eyes like starry sapphires: unlike the two whom donned rosy tresses, her own hair was colored into mulberries matching her diamond studded skirt and boots; with that said, even the latter also wore a white shirt like the former except with long sleeves. From there, another bright onlooker seemed to stand out about with her shorter hair possessing thin racing stripes resembling the entire spectrum: like the pink peer, she wore a blue and white combo of a matching jacket and boots except her undershirt possessed a tricolor thunderbolt; in addition, her pink and white skirt overlaid long black shorts. The last of these was not like the others for she was a dark skinned blonde with eyes in an emerald splash matching the regions of her predominately white blouse: aside from the widely brimmed hat over her long tresses, she wore a denim skirt held up by a leather belt with a red apple shaped buckle with a dark brown pair of fruity boots.

The maidenly tenant’s heart rate started skipping some beats here and there as she’d whimpered, “no, it can be…”

“Sorry you had to see us this way, Miss Moondancer, not that you did anything wrong at all: we students at Canterlot High never had a clue how our doubles were being treated, let alone Twilight…” the lemony traveler sighed as she looked up to the red giantess before returning to face the aforementioned witness, “even in this world, she can’t seem to catch a break either way. Of course, it won’t probably matter anyway once we bond with our doubles again; in any case, you probably know us well enough to see the similarities between us and them: the Elements of Harmony was just one stark difference out of many especially since your Twilight led them so long ago. Well, even Sunset assured us that she’d learned from her mistakes as well as our from the past; you see, we have adopted one singular truth: no matter where others are born and raised, there will always be cruelty defined effortless. A long time ago, we would’ve been seen as the beautiful side of the spectrum, a world where ponies can wake up, go to school, and sometimes see the world: when you explore beyond the comforts of your home, you get to see all the flora and fauna to your heart’s content; it was a dream come true, especially for the likes of me. Since shifting focus to the other side of things, no thanks to that uptight bitchface, we’ve grown accustomed to unlocking our true potential hidden within but unlike many who push and train themselves until their bodies gave out from being too sore we like to stick to having many passionate pittances with each other. Poor Twilight Sparkle hasn’t had a good time with anyone in her entire life before Sunset came into her life; Crystal Prep was a horrible mess that pushed her to the edge of everything and nothing. You think people these days would learn their lesson after one too many tragedies and calamities but no, they keep making the same stupid mistakes over and over again; speaking of stupid mistakes, you want to get on their fan clubs’ bad side…? Just post a slanderous horrifying rumor anyhow and holy oasis they’ll eat you alive and not just for dirty stinking lies: we’ve had to take an entire neighborhood full of families to task for allowing a bunch of kids to beat and traumatize each other on a regular daily basis over some candy; it’s so unbelievable, ain’t it…? But we did it because dear goodness they were making our Manehattan feel like the Crystal Prep Students: well at least they all said sorry to our Twilight before the whole thing, only because Sunset convinced her to find another way; the Ratfinks, on the other hand, had to watch a trailer park be burnt to the ground, even though we took the liberty of evacuating everybody earlier.”

“Burning a neighborhood to the ground: how the fuck can you do that to someone; why?!” the lonely man snapped, his face now red with heat.

It was at this point the normal intermediate began to answer, “you want to know why… because it was a whole fuckton of fun for the lot of us, especially considering what they’d done; after all, these selfish bastards had their fun tormenting each other and themselves: have you see the party they’d confessed to throwing for three troublemakers only to betray two of the invited…? I did like the fact it was fun watching these traitors seeing a nearby neighborhood being burned to the ground, even though it’d messed up the land and air despite being a controlled burn and not some run–of–the–mill wildfire; sure, even I’d admitted it was overkill but we were being far too merciful in dealing with their kind, especially their parents no less. Just think about it: all those years within that decade and then some spent on get–rich–quick schemes to get some jawbreakers only to end up losing that money and then more in so many ways known and unknown; granted, they were kids but sometimes you wonder what their folks were thinking about when everything was going to the dump within that timespan. I’ve always wondered what kind of people had these kids: lazy dullards spouting non–sequiturs, geniuses aiding and abetting ne’er–do–wells, greedy oversexed scoundrels, siblings emulating their doting bitch of a mother, desperate weaklings relying on borrowed power, aimless beauty queens, bikers with attitudes, foreigners and their ways, bald kids with slabs of wood, and so on. Sure, they weren’t always like this, at least not to each other, yet with the way things were going, these nine minors were on their way to destroying themselves yet they couldn’t measure up with the big kids on the block, whether they be a trio of licentious bullies living in a dreamworld composed of their victims’ nightmares or some firstborn fuckwit fucking up his brother’s life. Peace and quiet are great enough to encourage people not to let a giant H fall onto them and end it all but there always be voids growing within yourself; as such, you hardly get to feel alive long enough to appreciate it and maintain them for as long as you can: barring death, do you ever wake up feeling like you wish you can go back to sleep and forget it all…? I know one too many individuals do and not just elders like Granny Smith and Goldie Delicious, but also younglings too naive to comprehend things like suicide and such; of course, that’s the natural mindset for all living things, something that your kind can relate to, especially seeing what Twilight went through in your world. For a society that takes peace for granted, the people who think this way are both normal and abnormal at the same time: on the one side, when wars break out, it’s seldom peacemakers and peacekeepers who celebrate; on the other hand, we have a bunch of cowards worshiping death and destruction of others from a hideyhole full of modern comforts. Either way, we’re one of the same to some extents ‘cause we all gotta go the way of all flesh someday so the least we can do is make the most of it between now and then while preparing ourselves in the meantime because facing the truth of this cruel sick world so one can understand it means nothing without ideals like friendship and family, even if you’re a talking tree stump.”

“Okay, besides the fact that you told me about how you justify following this she–demon, what the fuck are you saying?!” the maidenly tenant snapped out stressfully, holding back the urge to gag reflexively despite them, “the real Twilight would’ve never said or done these awful things, let alone be around people who do such things on a regular basis; please snap out of it…!”

“You’re right… the real Twilight was, is, and always above the fuck shit you’ve been listening to, especially considering that your half of her went all the way to Ponyville to learn about friendship; it’s such a shame she’d ended up going alone to have the plug pulled abruptly, wouldn’t you agree, AJ…?” the rainbow–haired observer sighed derisively to the tanned blonde.

Finally, the far–right woman got some airtime of her own, laughing uproariously before getting a grip and groove back into the swing of things, “boy howdy, even Ah would feel sorry to see mah doppelganger here, lying on the floor weak and vulnerable to the taint they’ve forced her into; all the more reason t’ avoid men unless they soft and weak as ya. Of course, ya know so much about being soft and weak, seeing that yer precious Twilight upped and abandoned ya t’ be party of one; either way, we’re all just the same as everyone else, even those who reject concepts like the golden rule and common goods: adherence is required but violation be damned. Even in our world, many have conquered and ruled for reasons only known t’ the likes of them: no matter how many great accomplishments here and there further down the line, history will remember all the blood that had been spilled by virtue of examining the soil beneath our limbs; after all, it’s in many creatures’ natures t’ cause death and destruction for we’ve embraced it all. Forget fighting for peace or giving it an honest chance, they’ve spoken far too much about their own secrets: the function of all societies, including one we live in, is the concept of finding power in anything whether its acting skills, emotions, bloodshed, cheese, friendship, hate, language, legacy, love, lust, music, trust, and even virginity; sharing and hoarding means little. Irregardless of the various production values, redistribution of wealth, consumption by others, research and development, replication and dissemination, and the eventual decomposition into nothingness, it all comes down to the ability to inspire others to your will and their will, be if friend or foe; in the end, it’s the means and conclusion that matters for it is its singular purpose. Sunset and Midnight will conquer Equestria and beyond for simple reasons: enlightening those born without knowing faith, hope, or charity as well as suppressing those who undermine and syphon them for their own usage; the fact that an imbalance exists here and there is a reason why magic exists on both ends, whether you took weak to seek it or too strong to share it with others. By the sovereign will and force of arms, we’ll rule your homeworld and in so doing remake them and each other, conquering and beat the nations of your planet into dust and reforge them into our self wrought image: a collection of societies without misery, cruelty, selfishness, treachery, or deception, something your Princesses would love the most as much as her loving subjects. Our descendants will walk the hillsides and depressions of the future, graceful beneath the sun, rain, moon, and stars, with no more between them and their naked purity than a hydrogen ion; then, the clashing best laid plans of mice and men going astray will be nothing more than a past nasty, sad yet worthy reminders to spread friendship and magic to those worthy of our cause.”

“Your plan will fail: you’ll never make it this far, not with the Elements of Harmony; they’ll stop you all…!” Comet Tail spat out with indignation, much to Sunset’s enjoyment whom was rolling back in the air, laughing madly; this had brought him confusion and delay in the process, “what’s so funny about it, you she–demon?!”

“Your counteraction, the silly idea that your homeworld’s precious Elements of Harmony would do that: had any of these subjects retained the slightest iota for the whole millennia, they’d have take better care of them as well as their potential wielders; besides, I have no use for them anymore…” the red giantess had answered, casting away the joy and excitement straightaway.

Moondancer had felt her own ears ringing about, finding the resolve to ask Sunset at once, “how come…?”

“It’s simple… I already have all the power I’d wanted and it’s all thanks to my faithful friend’s research; if it weren’t for her, then I wouldn’t have gotten this far…” the red giantess shot back, hissing about as she’d directed the maidenly tenant’s attention to the former’s congregation of followers, “after all, she’d shown me how much more importance there is in other things overall. Originally, I’d planned to take over Equestria alone upon my return but the problems of that Twilight’s world reminded me of some sad little contradictions here and there; the fact she’d been pushed around by both her peers and teachers had made me sick to my stomach, even to the point of realizing how foolish I’d been acting. To think we’d team up to escape the drugeries brought by our unfair, uncaring, and unavoidable worlds of hatred, misery, and death, a normal individual would’ve killed for such a golden opportunity; with that said, even I was smart enough to convince this Twilight to spare her tormentors since we’d needed all the manpower to conquer your homeworld. After all, Princess Celestia has been nothing but merciful to the likes of me, especially before my initial escape from her domain, something that her counterpart from beyond the mirror had in common; also, she was more of a real mother to me as Twilight’s parents were to her, all the more reason to spare her, that and maintain the balance of course: no use in destroying the world. So then, this is it, the end of the line for you two: when this is all over, your resistance will be nothing but a fleeting memory for you’ll be assimilated into the fold; but, before we get to that point, I’d like to say sorry for abandoning you and your broken down friends, especially considering what they had to go through with that cursed war and the terrorists lumbering about.”

“You’re pretty fucked–––” the lonely man attempted to speak before being forced onto the ground all of the sudden; afterwards, he’d looked back to find that his right leg was twisted out of shape with an eerie fuchsia glow, down but not out.

Moondancer’s eyes widened with shock as her shrinking pupils took note of Comet Tail’s position, forcing her to bolt up and reach out to him; of course, this had earned her a similar fate, her left hand now radiated in a darker shade as the sudden force pinned her toward him in an instant: she was now completely helpless, powerless, and incapable of dealing with the pain.

The maiden tenant gazed at her masculine guest with dismay, weeping softly, “dammit…!”

“I’m sorry it’d to come down to this as well: even as a so–called she–demon like me, according to Commodious, I have no use in you two being corpses or my opponents…” Sunset said as her legion started advancing towards both Moondancer and Comet Tail without hesitation whatsoever, “a real friend wouldn’t have allowed it to happen at all. Had any of your peers and/or opponents thought rationally, it would’ve been obvious that a war with Equestria would’ve doomed them from the very beginning, especially if Nightmare Moon had entered the picture as she were: take a look at yourselves, products of a pathetic packet of societies devoid of sense and sensibility; but, fear not, you two won’t die, at least not yet… Now then, I, Sunset Shimmer, command you subjects all to restrain them both and tranquilize them…!”

“HAPPILY, YOUR GRACE…!” the standing multitudes complied, doing as the red giantess told, much to the tenants’ collective discontent as they’d both became completely immobilized.

Of them, the bouffant woman produced a syringe with a clear liquid from her coat pocket and stuck it into Moondancer’s wrist with a giggle, “goodnight, Moon…!”

“ACK…!” the maidenly tenant cried out as she felt a bunch of hands grabbing onto her body, something that Comet Tail felt all too well, “Twilight, what have they done to you…?”

“Sleep tight, young lovers…” Sunset said sweetly as Moondancer’s vision starting dissipating, soon seeing nothing but absolute darkness almost instantaneously.

Darkest

Author's Note

Hello there and welcome back again to yet another new chapter of Millennial Mountainside Metropolitans, the one story out of many of my craft to go above and beyond the oneshots I've given you since the inception; suffice to say, the past chapters from before were by far a strong note for you all yet on the bright side, we're nearing the end of it completely.

Aside from disclaimers and thanks, I have a little confession to make: seeing that you've noticed a new character joining into the story recently, you'd be right for expressing confusion that she's now appearing despite the five character limit; of course, you need to be reminded that this was already in the making since the very beginning, something that you should've anticipated.

Speaking of new characters, I have brought forth Jasper from the very first story all grown up, but not too grown up: he still has a long way to go, especially with that disease claiming his eyesight; as a matter of fact, he's not the only one bound to make an appearance so to speak so sit tight.

Darkest

The skies were brightened about as the golden sun completely illuminating the firmament with its rays brighter than the substance of metal gears. Traveling across the log horizon of the crashing skies were gentle breezes carrying various debris and scents composed of light and heavy materials. An occasional howl carelessly whispered unintelligible dialogue yet it was unheard of overall, uneffecting both the sound barriers and lifeforms. The topsoil and a few floras upon themselves were already pushed and pulled along by the many shifting paths, dancing about rather safely at once. To say that the loneliness was currently filling the deadened air served as an understatement even if a single grain of truth had taken root previously.

The woodwind sounds of whistling cut on through the cold diurnal air as it was followed by the constant percussion of steel parts in rapid succession. Within the distance, an enharmonic orchestra had already came in the form of a slender yet rustic locomotive locked in a continuously circular motion. Rapidly yet carefully, the synchronicity of melody was currently on repeat with the very grinding of metal accompanying the whooshing smoke clouds. Standing nearby were another set of tracks empty unlike the road being taken with a series of lights and billboards being littered about infrequently. A couple cars which were in the process of being pulled alongside by the engine lit up brightly, albeit dimmed compared to the arid landscape itself.

The many coaches coasting throughout in motion had some insides more elaborate yet moist, not to mention the fact there was life already stirring about. The ceilings were in a brownish gold, illuminated by a series of lanterns nearby with furnishings elaborately telling many stories of past cures all in teal. The walls closing in where the windows took refuge were of a brighter color so to speak, bearing the qualities of static electricity which flashed messages. Underneath it were an abundance of the brilliant green in a cluster of swirls in every possible shade for the observant to even acknowledge and the like. Seating was of no consequence for the very inhabitants within the car, although the abundance of density therein had made whatever tranquility unlikely.

In any case, not every passenger aboard was standing about as one kind of area in particular was fit enough for the tasks of slumbering freely. Only luxuries found within itself were a windowsill and furniture at a close range, more cleaner than a wolf–whistle and chaste than a catcall. The fact they were already devoid of crowding individuals served as proof of how neatness was the norm, emphasized by the ligneous form. All in all, the scenery beyond itself became picaresque due to the shining sunlight shimmering throughout the looking glass and its blinds.

Sitting in a chair near the windowsill was a darkly skinned woman looking upon at the ambient scenery changing about in accordance with the moving train. She just so happened to be donning some elongated tricolor tresses composed of sapphire, plum, and rose, each strand running halfway towards her very back. The lonely woman’s amethyst orbs were vibrant like actual gemstone yet they were dulled and listless, taking in the details of foreground and background. Her attire was nothing less than simple: a cobalt vest over a cornflower blouse, a rose red bow–tie around the neck, a purple starry skirt, and pink stockings.

“Attention all passengers, we’ll now be approaching Rockville in a few minutes time: if this is your stop, then we ask you check your belongings and hope you have a nice day; either way, thank you for choosing Friendship Express, Equestria’s finest in rail transit…” a voice had announced but it didn’t belong to the lonely woman due to the lack of a corporeal formation.

Nevertheless, her ears were flopping to the sounds of loud whistling as she’d cerebrated about, “it’s kind of sad going down from Canterlot again after all these years no less, especially after what I’d seen: the lives that were changed, the liberties which were lost, the happiness which were receding, and the equality with everyone’s mortality; I’ve seen it happen far too much here. It’s not just strangers here and abroad who’ve gotten a raw deal; everyone I’d known and came to love suffered because of this fucking war: neighbors inside Canterlot and out were hurt, friends were attacked and abused, and families were torn to shreds. I, especially, suffered no differently either: I’ve been left out to be burned alive, watched places getting destroyed with and without fire, learned about my friends’ sufferings before and during the war, even saw Cadance die in front of me; even worse, Shining tried to end his life over that wedding. No amount of memories is going to wash away the horror we’d all faced over the years, especially considering what had happened: I, alongside Rarity, Fluttershy, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine lost our homes; Pinkie had to stare death in the face when Morkhav tried to kill her; Applejack, Rainbow, Lyra, and Minuette were raped with half of them carrying children to full term. The only one who’d suffered the least was Moondancer and even she’d blamed me for leaving her out to dry since that fateful day; left a note saying how much I’d hurt her before she’d went off to attempt suicide by overdosing on amphetamine salts: even Applejack tried to keep up her body weight and look what happened. Speaking of which, it’s not like she’s proud to have Jasper born into this hateful and heartrending world as of now, not since his diagnosis: Sweetheart lamented the facts all too well about women getting pregnant from rape and the like, especially with diseases like syphilis; she even said making it past age two is miraculous in and of itself, considering his mother’s decision no less. Even looking at him struggling in his sleep is depressing, not knowing the difference between dreams and reality; usually, a normal person would wake up and open their eyes but Jasper is blind because of what they did to Applejack: he says that he sees colors in his dreams rather than people, places, or things but darkness is his reality. I just don’t understand what kind of horrible lifeforms would do such a thing to these kinds of people: even the Changelings had an explanation and even that wasn’t enough to deter us from our indignation; the others don’t deserve to get much love from us for what they’d done and been doing for so long ago. I love Equestria, I love the princesses, I love my neighbors, I love my classmates, I love my family, and I love my friends; no amount of atrocity or terror is going to deter me from doing the right thing, especially for their sakes for what it’s worth: I just can’t have any more of these wretched deeds be done to us any longer…!”

“Now arriving at Rockville…” the voice from earlier blared on, “please make sure to be aware of your surroundings: the company is not responsible for the damage or disappearance of personal private property of any kind whatsoever; in the event of injury or death occurring onboard, the train will make the nearest stop and emergency services will be notified as soon as possible…”

“Okay then, here we go: wake up, Jasper; we’re here…” the dark skinned woman had finally spoken out the mouth, her tone dry yet sweet as the train was slowing down to a complete stop.

Arising from the opposite side was another passenger of a smaller size, slowly crawling up out of the lower bunk within the two beds therein. Of the clothes stepping outwardly into the light were a pair of white socks beneath some emerald pants and even this was just the beginning. Revealing the wearer’s identity, Jasper’s integuments were composed of coffee, found upon the hands poking out of a splotched cyan shirt. Though the traveling tyro was facing her, the former’s eyes were closed tightly; still, this was of no consequence whatsoever for the former. At long last, Jasper stood afore the woman with few hair strands growing from the former’s scalp over the otherwise bald area darkly colored.

The small youth stuttered about, “Miss Twilight…?”

“You alright…?” she’d asked him, earning a nod, “we’re here… I’ll help you get your shoes and clothes in order; they’ll be expecting us shortly…”

“Who…?” Jasper peeped as Twilight gathered some items from above his berth: a knapsack, a gunnysack, a cane, and a pair of shoes.

The older female wasted no time whatsoever in giving the male youth an answer, “the Pies: my friend Pinkie meant to visit them earlier this month but she’s sick with the flu; her family’s still stuck picking up the pieces after all these years…”

“What pieces; was something broken…?” he said as she started wearing the knapsack abaft herself right away while helping him put his shoes on, “I don’t understand…”

“You don’t need to, Jasper, at least not yet: you got so much ahead of your life to look forward to; besides, even without Fluttershy around all the time, it’s my responsibility to keep you safe as well as hers…” Twilight answered as she stood up, gripping the gunnysack in her rightmost hand while the titular traveler held on to his cane on the leftmost.

Both passengers held each other’s hands tightly as they’d left their beds, joining the masses of departures in the general vicinity of the cars to follow their way out of the stationary train. As the twosome did so, they were now standing upon a wooden surface, part and parcel of a platform where many like and unlike them dominated the area as was to be of expectation. Out of many, the dark skinned woman took in the details of their new environment by sight and scent alone: mountainsides raged with growth and erosion, devoid of aroma and pollution. Herein, she could easily see and believe that she was no longer alone in the world, let alone in the open area, despite the neutral tones in which her only charge couldn’t even see at all.

It wasn’t long until the platform the duo was on started clearing up in due time, traveling crowds split into two simple groups: the arrivals whom were now filling up the locomotive and the departures having already reached their collective destination; they were part of the former now rather than the latter then and even Twilight took note of spectators remaining in and out as well.

As soon as the twosome were farther away from the area, the train started to pull off from its adjacent station, resuming the orchestral movement which had signaled the arrival so earlier ago as its other observers dispersed: of them, he was quick to break the physiological bond in between the older woman and himself as his ears were being covered with a cry, “uuuuuuuuu…”

“Oh, my… times like this make me lament what kind of world we’re being left with at the end of the day: I wonder if Fluttershy had those days; then again, it’s a pointless question…” she’d begun ruminating about while watching Jasper drop to his knees immediately, almost in a state of helplessness, “Jasper…?”

“Uuuuuuuuuu…!” the male juvenile whimpered.

The very rhythm of transportation was getting further away from the town and its denizens, not that he’d noticed, though his hands were being gently touched upon by tender Twilight talking, “Jasper…”

“Hmm…?” the eponymous youth stammered about, “Twilight…?”

“Please listen to me: it’s gone now; the train didn’t hurt anyone…” the singular adult spoke to the lonely child calmly.

Even though his eyes were shut away, his skin remained aware of her presence: gripping yet gentle as it should be for such a truthful idealist like herself; as such, he’d finally inquired, “where are we…?”

“We’re in Rockville, sweetie… it’s much quieter than my hometown…” Twilight answered Jasper softly, looking around and taking note of how scarce yet so populous the eponymous community was with its dwarfing demographics, “now, climb onto my back; I’ll carry you there…”

“Okay…” the juvenile male sighed, heeding the adult’s command without complaint or resistance whatsoever as he gripped her neckline.

After feeling the weight on her back increase significantly, she’d picked up his cane and said, “we’ll be at the Pies soon enough…”

With a cane and gunnysack sharing the same hand and a backpack now serving as a cushion for Jasper, Twilight stood back up and resumed walking again, wasting no time if at all to reach her destination.

The particular area in question was a quickly growing phenomenal homestead free of stereo but otherwise brimming with life and liberty nonetheless. Rather than copious yields filled by a potential golden harvest, it was mayhaps rather barren save for an overabundance of rocks in all shapes and sizes. A wooden fence overlooking the area sat still on the solid ground, planted neatly all throughout the way as it’d kept the stones away from the house. In close range was a single solitary windmill standing by as it’d provided the home with its own brand of gentle breeze like sentient ligneous lifeforms. Nearby on the opposite end therein was one of the mountainsides lurking about, posing of little consequence to the pair all present and accounted for.

“Hmm?!” a gruff yet feminine voice echoed from the blue door the lonely woman knocked upon, something which had startled the byhanger youth, “someone’s at the door…!”

“Already… who is it…?” a similar voice on the same side had replied, albeit frail and gaunt compared to the former.

Clearing the throat, Twilight spoke up, “it’s just us travelers, ma’am: we’re from up north; can we please come inside…?”

“What business dost thou have with us rock farmers: applicants or merchants…?” the secondary voice hissed softly, showing signs of reinforcement in her tone, “either way, today’s almost at an end…”

“I know and that’s why we’re here: I’m Twilight Sparkle and I’ve come here on behalf of the Princess Celestia but not alone; I also have a child with me and his name’s Jasper…” the lonely maiden answered back without any hesitation or anger.

A moment of silence came betwixt both parties at least until one of the tenant’s sighed as metal clicked, “understood: I’m turning the lock now…”

Almost immediately, the frail and gaunt source revealed to be of the same gender as Twilight; unlike the latter, age and weight were much greater along with the former’s bright skin no less. Dark green tresses were found tied into a bun, save for a few strands already out of place in the very neatness as it was tainted white for the lonely maiden to see clearly, unlike the male youth. A pair of golden framed spectacles were held securely in place by its petite chains, overlaying its elderly owner’s tired icy blue whilst underlined by thick concaves wearing out the integuments. Much of the tenant’s body was cloaked in a jet black dress from top to bottom with some thin white lines intersecting one another evenly; in addition, she’d worn a gilded brooch with a gem. Standing firmly underneath the tenant’s right hand was a plastic stick shorter than the women themselves, held in place by the bespectacled one; another difference was its comparable length.

“Thank you…” Twilight had said intermittently all the while, “sorry if we’d disturbed you, Miss Pie…”

“Tis fair… besides thy rosy strand, I hadst nearly mistaken thee for mine daughter Maud; thou should knowst me as Cloudy Quartz, the matriarch of the Pie family: ‘twas a good thing Limestone hadst let me know in advance…” the elder resident introduced herself to him and the maiden, dropping into a more placid demeanor.

Twilight crouched down and told Jasper, “we're in…”

“I take this is thy progeny, dear Twilight…” Cloudy Quartz said as she’d watched the young male release himself from the maiden instantly, “where be his father by any happenstance…?”

“Let’s say that he’s not around so to speak: the war had claimed many lives and the last thing needed is to know where; I hope you can understand…” Twilight answered the matriarch as the former held onto his hand.

A straight face was worn by Cloudy Quartz as she’d then spoke, “I see: he’s an orphan; aren’t thou married now…?”

“No, I’m still a virgin: haven’t been claimed or courted by any males yet and I don’t see it happening anytime soon…” the maiden had answered the matriarch almost rather immediately, “is everything fine…?”

“All seems right with the world, yet barely: our guest Pommel is assisting Marble with table setting; ‘tis almost dinner…” Cloudy Quartz said.

Both he and Twilight had entered the humble abode, the latter taking the time to close the door behind themselves so as to maintain whatever privacy had been returned in the process. The lonely maiden had taken the time to study the background, finding it filled to the brim with taupe shading as they were already held up with some enormous pieces of timber plank. A thin carpet was discovered in the epicenter of the floor nearby the lemony guest, bearing different hues of purple as they were all separated into some differently colored ringlets. A pair of of some dark blue curtains hung near the windowsill, already portraying the dying light that was the golden sun as well as the scenery beneath itself where the twosome came. Standing up in front of both Twilight and Jasper was a lonely fireplace with its own logs dry and barren, resting in between a drawer and shelf containing many of the ceramic tableware.

The darkly skinned maiden looked at the stairway and asked the matriarch, “I see then… will your husband be joining you…?”

“Of course… Maud is just assisting him in preparations; they’ll be right with us soon enough…” Cloudy Quartz answered Twilight almost instantly, taking the time to walk away from her younger guests, “Limestone is also going to cleanse herself…”

“What’s on the menu…?” the darkly skinned maiden inquired.

The matriarch in black answered, “rock soup: takes awhile for the minerals to break down and become fit for consumption; I’ll go over and check the meal…”

“Okay then…” Twilight said as Cloudy Quartz had escaped the former’s line of eyesight straightaway, leaving both of the latter’s guests alone to their devices, “for a family of victims, they seemed to be well–adjusted: Pinkie told me that her parents and sisters were prisoners in their own home, especially considering they were basically cut off from the rest of society. Even I’d heard that Lyra was going to be sold into slavery here, turned out into a common prostitute like they and their mother; was this home the headquarters for Plato’s Cavern or the major area for its dirty dealings and the like: in either case, could Rockville have been an ideal setting for such things? Come to think of it, what was Morkhav doing here of all places when the war broke out: could he’d planned this out from the beginning just to take their riches for himself or was there something more to this story that I’m not getting; as a matter of fact, did all the men that raped a few of my friends also did the same to the poor women here too? Compared to the existential threats my friends and I have been facing, these things happened to be lurking in the background waiting for something like this to come to pass; even the seeds had been growing and taking root before we’d even been chosen to wield the Elements themselves and not just literal invasive ones.”

The legatos of laughter were being heard outside of the windowpane as the young male held onto the darkly skinned maiden tightly within the spacial dimensions, even as she’d shed a hot teardrop from the corner of her leftmost eye.

Dawn

Author's Note

Ah, you've made to the final chapter of Fireflower's fanfic that goes beyond the typical oneshots made from before, a Mature one no less on the grounds this chapter deals with heavy subject matters proven to be unsuitable for those ––– you know what? F:heart:k it; you've made it this far so there's no use in me repeating what I'd said before in the regarding the stuff I had y'all read since December.

That being said, I want to say thanks again for putting up with my story this year, especially if you been reading the prequels as well since years ago: I honestly wished that I could have done this sooner, let alone finish it; of course, this chapter was the hardest because I was expecting to keep it short like the others but the length was too much for me to ignore considering its potential.

One last thing before I sign off, I want to let y'all know since I've gone back to writing Twilight again, I had to rely on some media for some inspiration, especially since this will be about what she'd to go through but don't fret: it'll all be over soon enough, seeing that we all happen to like her as she were; besides, this ending will be very special and with good reason no less, like before but comforting.

Dawn

An absolute absence of light currently dominated the otherwise almost colorless environment; of course, it didn’t mean it was lonely or without some semblance of substance or sound in the very least. Even so, there was almost no way whatsoever it was either a solid vision of terrain or even the earthly ground to say thereof; not helping matters was the endless legato of wind mixing in with rain. Only the sea of countless fluids was there, being easily translucent due to the lack of solidarity concerning whatever compounds therein coexisting amongst each other despite the flotsam and jetsam. Nevertheless, the very dangers themselves were already still ubiquitous overall because of these minimal traits, lacking of both safety and security while seemingly filled to the brim with endless freedom.

Trapping within the dark oceanic terrain was a lonely individual floating about, all four limbs pointing downward to their collective owner’s ignorance. The very occupant in question had some dark skin which possessed a feminine structure, with the complexion and texture of herbs and spices fit for a meal. A set of multicolored locks made their way from the very darkness thereof, providing some form of illumination with only hues of sapphire, plum, and rose. Even though she wasn’t moving on her own free will, her eyelids were barely open, flashing a pair of amethyst orbs circumnavigating about so to speak. Worn over the female’s body, a rose red dress with hot pink accents were matching her slippers and star; in addition, she donned a pearl crown of flowers.

“Shining, you must marry me…” a feminine voice instantaneously traveled throughout the very fluid but it didn’t even belong to her at all.

As bubbles of air had escaped from the corporeal woman, another ethereal voice, this time now masculine, quickly replied, “I can’t…!”

“Marry me…!” the first voice echoed back already, “you want to continue our bloodlines, don’t you…? Then, you’ll have to marry me…”

“Hah…!” the second echo gasped about.

The primary voice spoken out with calm comfort, “Princess Amore’s legacy will always be with Equestria, let alone its subjects; after all, if it weren’t for her, then we may as well not exist at all, or at least as we are… Don’t be sad, Shiny: I’m certain that we’ll meet her again someday, all of us will; besides, she’s the whole reason for the occasion and it’s what she would’ve wanted…”

It didn’t take long for the lonely individual’s eyes to widen about, forced to see an abundance of fluid pouring right into her body at once; as a result, she’d was gasping for oxygen even as it’d escaping from her orifices, quickly coming to terms with the situation at hand. The corporeal woman had wasted no time whatsoever searching for a clear path to escape the enclosing threat of drowning, swimming upwardly in a rampant determination as soon as she’d seen the light directly above her station reflecting about with a brighter color. Sure enough, she’d found what had been desperately need upon awakening: no longer was she assaulted by the excess achromatic liquid, though her respirations had yet to cease being erratic; even the relief that came to pass wasn’t enough to deter her suspicions overall.

“Fuck…!” the corporeal woman heaved as she was frantically searching for a place resembling of dry land within the darkness, the few stars above her acting as her guide, “how did I end up here of all places: this doesn’t look like anyplace that I know of, let alone on the map of Equestria; on the other hand, it seems that I’m in a river but which one and where…?”

“Shiny…” a feminine voice was now heard entering the atmosphere as well as the listener’s airspace at once.

This had prompted the corporeal woman to look around for the source of it all, only to find nothing of proper substance; as such, she was a little frustrated but still kept her focus on staying up as she cerebrated about, “Shiny… what’s so shiny about this place…? The only thing that’s shiny are some stars but not that many; down here are some rocks and water, nothing more, nothing less…”

“Shiny…” the distant voice had spoken again as its listener was on the lookout for a solid terrain to latch onto, “Shiny…”

“Hmm… come to think of it, what if that voice was referring to my brother: who else happens to be called by that nickname, besides my family; if that’s the case, then where are they… where is he…?” the corporeal woman now ruminated as she’d happened to be now paddling about in search of the other speaker straightaway.

As she was swimming across the fluid surface of her own uncharted territory, she was calm on the outside but thinking all throughout beyond the time: her attempts to abandon loneliness, if at all proved to be successful yet she’d not been so put at ease by the stardust memory of a similar monotone voice; because of a singular clue therein, the enigmatic environment grew about too.

The corporeal woman couldn’t resist hearing the same word over and over again while on the move; however, the distant voice grew about in emotions, alternating between laughing and crying with the occasional howl, “oh, Shiny…”

“I don’t like where this is going: is Shining in danger…?” the lonely listener lightly lisped lackadaisically, leering at the lighter landmasses left behind likewise, “either way, I have to get there soon enough…”

“Oh, my little knight, Shining Armor…” the ethereal speaker lilted before laughing softly again.

At this point, the corporeal woman’s ears were assaulted by sensuous mewling; this left her green in face as she’d struggled to control her reflexes: of them, she’d swallowed some surmounting substances back down her throat and gagged, “didn’t expect to hear this all of the sudden; why now though…?”

“Oh, Shiny… you’re so bad but I like it…” the distant voice sighed softly to no one’s comfort if at all, especially the lonely listener herself, “it’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a husband; are you all mine… are you all mine…?”

“Blech…!” the corporeal woman coughed out, letting loose an assortment of lukewarm hues on the liquid area she’d attempted to hold in: as if the chunky salsa of nausea splattered in a wayward cluster wasn’t enough, her struggle to stay afloat meant she was currently surrounded by said discharge, much to its owner’s indignant contempt overall; nevertheless, she’d persisted.

Despite everything, the lonely listener’s ears were treated to the sounds of singing soon enough:

This day was going to be perfect
the kind of day of which I’ve dreamed
since I was small
Everybody had gather ‘round
Said I looked lovely in my gown
What they didn’t know is I’ve been fooled by all…

“That’s Cadance singing; that can’t be right: she’s not even around…” the corporeal woman cerebrated, shaking away the memories of her sickness as she was still back on the search, “still, where is she; what is she doing here: why is she singing…?”

This day was going to be perfect
the kind of day of which I’ve dreamed
since I was small
But instead of having cake
with all my friends to celebrate
My wedding bells, they didn't ring for me at all…

I could care less about the dress
or even partake in any cake
the vows in which we would’ve said
that through any kind of weather
I’d want us to be together
I wonder could he’d care for me at all

The eponymous entity continued, prompting the lonely listener to look.

Though comforting, the corporeal woman remained suspicious, thinking silently about to herself, “if she’s still alive, then why here; could my mind be playing tricks on me: is my shame and guilt coaxing me to accept a false hope within this dream…?”

True bride would love the groom
With all heart within its room
Yet I’d still wanted himself all mine

The ethereal singer continued the aria, voice growing in decibels as its listener swam intrepidly:

Early escape, now it’s all too late
No chance here to save the day
Hope, they’ve been lying as they say,
“we don’t fear this war may be lost
to the ones who’d stop at no cost
Not care for, love, or cherish them each day”

For I’d oh so loved the groom
All my thoughts he’d done consume
Oh, Shining Armor, I’ve been here so soon
Finally the moment had arrived
For me now an unlucky bride
The wedding we didn’t make
His fate has ended up all fake

Shining Armor should’ve been…
mine, all mine…

“It’s so creepy: could this have been the real Cadance; if so, then how I didn’t have noticed it?” the corporeal woman spoke as the laughing grew louder, this time with an echo piercing the air and liquid around the former entity in question.

It wasn’t long until the listener had found what she was looking for, just as her strange journey was at an end; coincidentally, the ethereal voice sang:

This day should’ve been perfect
The kind of day of which I’ve dreamed
since I was small
Everybody’s under control
Every male and female, young, ol’
Such a great girl should’ve gone had it all…

“Finally, dry land…” the corporeal woman cheered softly, climbing out of the fluid almost in an instant before taking a stand keenly, “now then…”

“Do you like it, Twilight Sparkle…?” a tender voice had greeted the titular traveler without any kind of hesitation whatsoever even as the latter was coughing up some water still trapped within her very mouth.

Standing before the eyewitness was a tall woman residing amongst the dead trees and its barren landscape beneath their very feet. Like Twilight, her counterpart had donned a triumvirate of long tresses, albeit of purple, pink and gold curls held in place by a veil. Unlike the darkly skinned woman, the tall denizen was brightly skinned, also bearing some orbs of amethyst over the latter’s grin. Twilight’s correspondent was clothed to the height of elegant fashion in a flowing white dress with some goldenrod accentuation. Speaking of which, the tall woman wore jewelry made up of various metal and gems sparkling about, including one crystal heart.

The darkly skinned observer started to shed a teardrop as she’d ran towards her complementary counterpart, sniffling about, “Cadance, I’m so sorry…!”

“What for, my charge; what do you have to be sorry for…?” the aforementioned denizen had soothed Twilight straightaway, the former’s dress catching the latter’s streams amongst other stuff, “you did nothing wrong…”

“Of course, I have… I mean look at me, Cadance: I’m standing out there in parts unknown with nothing more than a wet red dress and pink glass slippers; if anything, then the fact I’d just had to wade through my own vomit earlier is just only the tip of the iceberg…!” the darkly skinned straggler wept profusely, much to the brighter correspondent’s growing shock and confusion.

Cadance hugged Twilight gently and whispered softly, “it’s okay, Twilight… it’s nothing too serious: I’ll help set us up the campfire while you slide out of your dress; it’s the least I should do…”

“Aren’t you worried that we may not be alone; what if there are voyeurs nearby: worse yet, what if they’re planning to do awful things to us both…?” the darkly skinned straggler had inquired, breaking away from her brighter counterpart’s hug to look around intently, “it’s bad enough we’ve lost you once; I don’t want to see you go again, not any more…!”

“Let me worry about you: I’m more grown than you by virtue of being your former sitter; besides, my auntie didn’t chose me on a whim, you know…” Cadance interjected, snapping Twilight out of the blue.

Calming down, the darkly skinned straggler wasted no time reaching for her back as she’d sighed, “you’re right… I should just relax at little: like I’d said, I’d swam through my own vomit recently so the least I can do is not catch a cold or worse; at least with all this water, it won’t show up for long…”

Almost immediately, Twilight had casted aside her rose red dress, left with only but a pink ensemble of a brassiere, panties, stockings, and garter belt clutching the integuments; considering her undergarments, she’d bore supple bosoms dense like deflated volleyballs yet offset by jagged edges nearby both shoulders with scars and scabs painting a white hot picture of pain and panic.

“I see that you’re still hanging in there: even after what they’d done to you, you’d still lived on; always strong enough to carry through to the bitter end…” the brighter skinned observer commentated about, unfazed by the paradoxical complexion therein so to speak of, “if anything, I should’ve been able to help you out more often; you were my responsibility, for her sake…”

“It’s not like we’d predicted this would happen here and then, especially in Ponyville: all that I’d wanted was to save Fluttershy and look what it’d led us; it’s just that I’d never thought someone would go this far to have me die in a fire, let alone trick me into using a joke fire extinguisher…” Twilight sniffled about as she sat down before Cadance.

The tall woman joined her shorter correspondent right away and sighed softly, “me neither, you’re weren’t just some hero that Equestria needed, you were like a sister to me; as a matter of fact, I was willing to postpone the wedding until you’d recovered: Shining even went so far as to guard you with his life when no one else could at time…”

“I know: that’s a debt I can never repay no matter what; we’re siblings and siblings are supposed to watch out for each other, not let themselves be destroyed or worse, destroy one another…” Twilight snuffled about as Cadance soon put a leftmost arm around the former’s shoulder gently, “it’s funny talking about bonds when I’ve been neglecting my own throughout a lifespan so far. Even amongst likeminded individuals, my connections were never this strong nor were getting stronger either: neighbors, friends, family; of course, this didn’t make us bad people if at all… or so I’d thought. Still, there were exceptions no less, especially considering who I did for and why: ever since I was little, I’d always looked up to Princess Celestia as if she were my actual mother; still, even I knew deep down in my heart and soul that was a gross exaggeration and with good reason no less, something many knew well. Overall, I’d thought of myself as different from the others because of my fixation on books and schoolwork, fiction and otherwise; sometimes, I find the time to lock myself in my own room for so long, I could only leave to eat, bathe, and go to school: one time, I’d passed out from starvation over the weekend. Retroactively speaking, I shouldn’t have let it dominate my whole life, at least that was what she’d thought about me; I remember the day before the Summer Sun Celebration and how I’d let myself blow off my only friends from school: Moondancer took it harder than the rest of them ‘cause she’d seen as the more closest to me. Still, I’d gone away to Ponyville, my only home away from Canterlot, all to do Princess Celestia’s bidding no less: originally, I was supposed to go out and make friends but it seemed to me that there had been more to it than it’d met the eye; after all, I was more worried about Nightmare Moon returning here of all times than simply making friends, especially new ones. That said, I’d never looked down upon them the whole time, especially not since we’d freed her sister from that influence; even to this day, I’ve felt nothing but sorrow and rage in having to abandon those girls, but they weren’t the only one whom suffered since my absence: classmates, neighbors, and even my family… even now, I can’t go on further knowing what had happened. All the pain they had suffered, whether it was beatings, rape, or losing their home in a fire, they’d paled in comparison to what I’d seen you go through and your our wedding no less; you’d deserved so much better than what Mercury had done to you, especially since he’d risked so many lives. I’m so sorry for everything: I’ve been pushing so many people away I had to go away to make new friends only to risk losing them all, not to mention the fact I’d left my old friends and family behind to let them suffer before me; I know far too that nothing I say or do is going to bring you back but please understand, I had no malicious intent whatsoever in letting you die, Cadance.”

“That’s so sweet of you to think this way, Twily; however, I, too, have a confession to make: I’m not the big sisterly figure you’ve grown to know and love…” the tall woman cooed, her eyes glowing a toxic jade; at the same time, the shorter counterpart’s sclera was also tinted with a similar color as well.

As soon as Twilight’s eyes returned to normal, she’d started squinting about in a struggle to stay still, all the while sputtering, “what are you talking about…?”

“Oh, you poor deluded fool; even after what had been happening recently, you still don’t realize it: I’d already told you…!” Cadance laughed derisively, watching her target become weary and fatigued all of the sudden as some aura left the latter, “perhaps, my words have no effect on you; it’s like what everybody says: ‘actions speak louder than words’. Wouldn’t you agree, Twilight Sparkle…?”

“What… are… you… saying…?” the eponymous woman groaned as a bright light flashed afore her eyes.

The peer in white was engulfed by an aura of toxic jade, enveloping herself into the sparkling fire and electricity much too soon. The otherwise well–kept tricolored tresses Cadance had wore were now a darkly translucent teal dyeing all the diaphanous strands. Her skin even turned darker, more so than the darkly skinned eyewitness with intestinal accents of aquamarine glycosaminoglycan. Cadance no longer wore the amethysts around her eyes but rather the emeralds splashing around with such accompanying precision. Even so, the floral veil and white dress combo was no more, so was the wearer’s identity; unlike Twilight, the former became nude. Because of it, the Cadance nearby ceased to be chaste and modest, curvaceously bearing a dense bust, petite navel, and wide hips.

The jaded impostor mewed softly as she and the adjacent shadow had towered over her weary target, “ah, that’s much better; it’s such a shame, though: the fact that no one has even dared to notice what had happened, not even you…”

“What are you talking about: who are you and what have you done to Cadance; matter of fact, what have you done to me?!” Twilight exclaimed as she’d discovered herself feeling much heavier than her body actually was during her small movement, “I can’t even seem move as much as I need to now more than ever; what is this dark magic you’ve placed upon me now?!”

“Changeling magic, honey, the finest in all of Equestria, no, the world, if I do say so myself; by the way, you can now call me Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, not that squib of a sex bomb you’d called your babysitter…” the taller woman quickly answered her shorter target without a care in the whole wide world whatsoever as the former soon started stretching out the true form.

Although Twilight averted her gaze away, the heartbeat began to increase following the jaded impostor’s sudden reveal as the former had attempted to crawl away, prompting the latter to latch on the adjacent foot with its owner whimpering about, “no…!”

“Where do you think you’re going, missy: off to head out into parts unknown again after all this trouble; is that any way to treat a familiar face?” Chrysalis gradually snarled as she’d dragged her target over to the former’s side without effort, “of course, you were always expecting your precious Cadance to be there when nobody else could, not that you’d been faultless anyway. It’d taken only merely weeks to fit myself into where your sorry excuse of a princess had been in: all that I’d done was simply disguise myself as her precious groom and trick her into going on a walk with me at night when everybody else was asleep, even that ruler’s nocturnal sister no less; after that point, everything had fallen quietly into our grasp. As soon as Cadance was in my captivity, my changelings were more than ready to wait until the royal wedding came to pass as scheduled: the moment the captain of the guard and I were wed, my children would descend upon the crowd and take over this pathetic city of Canterlot then the rest of Equestria, at least that was the original plan. It seems that despite my perfect disguise of her, only one amongst you in attendance had been able to see through it after all: a lowly little foreigner whom had asked far too many questions one too many times and to one too many people so to speak; even with you around, you were this close to agreeing with that meddler before he was shut down, not that it matters anymore though. What did matter was how he was able to stop the wedding from coming to pass as well as my plan to conquer the entire nation: before I’d ever even managed to consummate my union to your dearest brother, Shining Armor, that bastard Mercury ruined it all; sat me on ablaze with a crudely made acid bomb some kind of holiday tree and right in front of our audience no less. All that I knew was if it hadn’t been for that treacherous fuck, then everything I’d ever wanted would’ve been firmly in my grasp: their precious rulers harvested day in and out, the guard captain my husband to control, and everybody else drained out of love; of course, as you can see from my presence, the plan fell through along with their dreams as well as your kind’s dreams.”

“What about Cadance: what were you going to do to her, leave her alone to rot; what if you’d wanted to harvest her of love?!” Twilight grunted as she was struggling to escape the jaded impostor’s grasp yet to no avail whatsoever.

As Chrysalis had then grabbed onto her target’s left arm, the former took a whiff of the latter’s hair and said, “oh, heavens no, I was going have something more pleasurable for a super special woman such as herself here: considering how everybody looked up to Cadance recently, I was going to let her undergo a little heartbreak completely. Then, as soon as she’d given into depression at the sight of myself stealing a kiss from Shining Armor, she would be vulnerable enough to let herself be opened to any changeling willing to get a taste of her; sure, Celestia and Luna would also be available as one of their rightful rewards but the sensation of watching their precious Cadence turned into a whore would be the most sweeter. It’s not like that I want to kill any of them, especially since they had so much potential to me and my brood after all these years: considering the fact the three of them were so grown and sexy, turning any of them into martyrs would galvanize their subjects; with that said, as far as you and your neighbors have seen earlier, Mercury has already gone down in history as Cadance’s killer. Still, having to feel my aftereffects since I’ve been gone is oh, so breathtaking at the end of the day when it comes to Equestria: with every single subject under the princesses’ influence living in fear, it’s clear they’ll never be seen in the same light ever again; of course, the only thing I’ll miss even more than the hope of taking him as my king is indulging in simple pleasures of life.”

“You really are an evil woman…” Twilight muttered before feeling a few sharp lines connect with back, one in which had opened up the brassiere so completely, its owner’s cleavage had fallen out of place rather quickly, “ah, what on Equestria are doing now?!”

“Feeding myself: us changelings gain our strength from the love of other sapient lifeforms, especially your kind, Twilight Sparkle; speaking of which, your little fucktard of a man ruined our special plans so I will ruin you…!” Chrysalis hissed intensively, fondling the titular target’s bosom as well as licking away some sweat off of the latter’s cheek.

Twilight felt the structural integrity of her own body being compromised before getting thrown back onto the ground, this time laying supine as she’d spat out in return, “screw you, shapeshifting bitch: you don’t deserve to have my brother as a husband or me as a sister after what you did to Cadance; as much as I hate to admit it, Mercury was right to thwart your plans!”

“Indeed, what’s funny is that I’d also sensed some love for her from the likes of him; forcing Mercury to watch her be ravaged would’ve been enough to break him…” the jaded impostor laughed as she’d lowered herself on top of her shorter target’s body, enamored with the near symmetry between the two, “I’m done with him as well as Shining for that matter; now then…”

“Mph…!” Twilight muffled as Chrysalis was stealing a kiss from the former, both eyes accented by the blushing about due to the extremely close distance betwixt themselves; of course, the latter felt some trace amounts of physiological resistance underneath, taking the time to catch a pair of wayward forearms straightaway so to speak.

Of the two women, the jaded impostor grew more eager to explore her target’s mouth against the owner’s wishes, unwilling to surrender despite being trapped between both flesh and soil as the aura of concupiscence grew around their collective area; soon, the osculating onslaught ceased as the former exhaled to the latter, “it’s no wonder why you look up to that prissy princess bride. Compared to her, you have still lived your life untouched by both men and women alike: what a shame, her princess’ most faithful and hopeful student lying on the wayside, alone and unloved by all; it’s safe to say had you been able to be surrounded by more men rather than women, you would’ve been all set for the rest of your life. Under normal circumstances, a pretty smart girl such as yourself would’ve been able to enjoy anybody’s company, let alone mine especially; if anything, then all the love you’ve given me while I was alive and kicking it in Cadance’s form is still more than enough for me to indulge myself in the pleasures of your moist and supple flesh, Twilight Sparkle. Perhaps, had my plan to take of Equestria had gone off without a hitch, I would’ve let one of my changelings take your virginity afterwards, provided that I’d broken you well enough as I should’ve done with Cadance, Celestia, and even Luna herself; come to think of it, those friends of your you’d spoken of could’ve enjoyed their company like the lot of your dear neighbors.”

“My friends…?” Twilight stuttered, her eyes leaking about as they’d flashed between cleared amethyst and clouded emeralds, “no, please…”

“I’m taking you for myself and I’ll take very good care of you; after all, we changelings feed off of love…” Chrysalis cooed as she’d took aim at her teary target’s bust and started latching onto one of the two nubbins with a tongue, earning a brief shriek from the latter as the former swirled about to little end in sight so to speak of overall.

Even as Twilight brimmed with willpower, her body was still unable to move even so much as an iota buried within a single muscle whatsoever, prompting herself to cry ever so softly, “help me, anybody… Stop it…!”

“How do you like it; doesn’t it feel good…?” the jaded impostor moaned, running her hands over upon the lighter flesh of her target’s body before poking underneath the fabric of latter’s supersaturating undergarments, “your body doesn’t lie; Twilight, you really are a beautiful woman…”

“STOP IT…!” the aforementioned maiden wailed.

Before Chrysalis was even able to continue her intrusion, a loud voice had boomed belonging to neither her or the lighter skinned target underneath, “LET THE MAIDEN GO, THY DECEPTIVE USURPER…!”

Almost instantaneously, the jaded impostor had spontaneously combusted, rays of light emerging from her own dark body as she screamed about. Chrysalis’ flesh began to singe quickly as the bright flames started to consume her straightaway while leaving Twilight unharmed in the process. Even though both women were still nearby overflowing sources of water for the taking, only the jaded impostor was already disintegrating here.

When the assaulting belligerent Chrysalis disappeared in a mass of photons and fire, the heart inside the young maiden beat against her chest as she already looked upward at the very source. It wasn’t even long until Twilight was quickly accompanied by another feminine figure, this time descending from above almost immediately to the former’s overwhelming relief so to speak of. The new visitor bore a complexion rivaling the likes of the young maiden herself, albeit fifty shades darker as they were already free of such irregularities plaguing about before and after. Glimmering about in the cold distance was but a pair of cyan irises glowing about alongside with the rest of its owner’s eyes, capturing Twilight to remain firmly calm at attention straightaway. The floating female’s elongated hair had flowed to and fro, sparkling about as each and every one of its tresses were a bluish tint with both lighter and darker hues alike coexisting in harmony. Aside from the small obsidian tiara matching a widely white crescent necklace, the new visitor had donned a long shimmering dress colored in pink and a pair of some achromatic slippers too.

“Princess Luna… thank you…” the young maiden gasped as she was in awe of such a presence yet barely able to move again, “please tell me… what is going on…”

“Perhaps thou hast already discovered an answer to thy own question, fairest Twilight; after all, thou art in control of thine own phantasmagorias: in this case, it seems that thine survivor’s guilt refuses to be parted away…” the titular elder sighed as she’d now stood on the ground gently at once so to speak of.

It was at this moment Twilight took the time to sit up and cover her bared chest with the red dress from before, taking the time to speak softly, “even so, I’d never managed to consider the possibility as to why I’m being singled out for such things: up until this moment, all that I could think of were how everyone I’d close to got horribly affected by the war ever since. It’s been at least seven years and I’m still feeling guilty about what had happened throughout this passing time: people have lost their lives, liberties, emotions, equality, all of it, and not just to the invaders; even worse, some of those people have been someone I’d known for who knows how long. Classmates, friends, neighbors, and even family were suffering about and I couldn’t even stop it from happening: heartbreak, injury, accusations, arrest, deportation, homelessness, insanity, imprisonment, rape, torture, kidnapping, suicide, even murder; the fact they’d all suffered through at least one thing, if not, after another still hurts me to this day. We’d known that at least four of my friends had suffered the most compared to the likes of me, even considering my own injuries: Lyra reduced to the changeling’s sex slave, Minuette turned into an unwed prostitute, Applejack ravaged by syphilis alongside Jasper, even Rainbow’s scared off of intimacy; still, none of which paled in comparison to what I’d seen on that fateful day. My dearest sitter Cadance, or rather maybe someone pretending to be her, was killed in front of me by someone who should’ve been more trustworthy and during my own brother’s wedding no less… yet, I still feel as if it should’ve been me instead of her even though I’d been burned before the event came to pass. I think that to call what had happened funny would’ve been an insult to comedy itself, especially considering all these events here and there: it was terrible seeing everyone at the wedding gripped in fear, but Cadance, she was like a part of the family even before then and see her body burnt to a crisp made me breakdown in tears like I was back to being a newborn again. Even now, I’m just so confused as to what to think of it: I’m mad at Mercury for killing Cadance, I’m mad at the changelings for attacking Canterlot, I’m mad at myself for not seeing the signs like I should’ve done when Cadance changed; I’m mad at everyone, present company excluded of course.”

“Tis normal to feel indignation: ‘tis what we doth with it that’s important; even now, I’d ruing the choices made even before mine banishment…” the regal figure sighed as the young maiden dressed herself back into the drying clothes slowly but surely, “speaking of which, Twilight, art thou aware of Princess Amore…?”

“Barely, if anything, I really wish that I’d bothered to remember all the details: come to think of it, I believe she was one of your first pupils, Luna…” Twilight answered the eponymous princess softly, removing the flowery diadem right away.

A sky full of stars appeared above the two women as the eldest of them said, “indeed and she was also mine sister’s as well, long after the Pillars disappeared; as a matter of fact, Princess Amore was the main reason for the wedding: Cadance was the last remaining descendant through her blood. Even before the invasion, the heritage was concealed to the public in fear of any malefactors seeking to quash the bloodline once and for all; the truth of the matter was she’d been meant to liberate her people from the millennial curse placed upon her ancestral hometown: although Canterlot hast been the progenitor of modern Equestrian society, the Crystal Empire was main. It’d held many people much like our kind long before we’d even been able to reach their realm; as a matter of fact, it’d even been ruled by the very princess whom I’m speaking of right now: Amore mayhaps been the youngest compared to even myself but she was so much like thyself. With that said, her tenure didn’t last long as either of us hoped: a being calling himself Sombra deposed the princess outright and established himself as King of the Crystal Empire; afterwards, Celestia and I were called upon to free her subjects from his reign, only to witness it disappear before our very eyes into the land of the ice and snow, never to return for another millennia. Even to this day, the curse that the usurper had placed onto this realm haunted the both us for the rest of our waking lives; the worst part was the fact that we weren’t even alone in all this so to speak of: a lone survivor named Radiant Hope witnessed it already happen despite her efforts to warn us about the truth regarding him. After that fateful day, we swore to keep this area of Equestria was being explored not only out of the hopes for the Crystal Empire’s return but also out of respect for what we’d been led to presume to be one of the last of Princess Amore’s subjects, the very same woman whom had been deprived of both hometown and her neighbors so long ago.”

“So Princess Cadance was the last living descendant of Princess Amore; but if that’s the case, then why didn’t she tell me about it…?” the youthful maiden asked the lonesome princess, a face hot with confusion and wet with sadness, “she was like a sister to me: we did everything together, told stories to each others, even shared the same thoughts at times! I thought her being switched around with Chrysalis was bad enough but I’d never considered the possibility she’d been this important, let alone related…!”

“I understand that and the idea that her bloodline ending with Cadance’s demise was still no different from Radiant Hope witnessing Amore’s defeat at Sombra’s hands; even now, she’s still had to be surveilled out of concern for her own life being taken by her own hands, much like thy brother…” Luna replied, also shedding a tear in the process.

Twilight had cerebrated about, “oh Shining…”

“It’s clear that even with return of the Crystal Empire, we’ve stood at the end of an era: the end of the Somber era, as we’ve put it; between Amore’s downfall and Cadance’s death as well…” the lonely princess still had continued speaking to the young maidenly counterpart nevertheless, “nothing was ever the same; now, Equestria hast changed once more and we’re paying the price. The real question is wilt thou continue to suffer in silence alongside Radiant Hope or carry onward with thy sitter’s legacy though her memories…? What’s interesting is that we could’ve saved them all: we could’ve ceased that brute’s reign of terror before it’d truly begun, yet we didn’t; on the other hand, had we’d arrived at the Crystal Empire far too earlier, we, too, would’ve been trapped in there for an entire millennia, forced to fight against Sombra for our freedom until either of us submitted. We may have been powerful enough to wield control over the day and night cycles for over a millennia but we art not immortal; even Cadance herself, may she rest in peace, knew this all too well and her very demise is our burden alone that we must carry on with…”

“But what about the others: my family, my friends, my neighbors, even Radiant Hope; how must they carry on…?” Twilight sniffled about.

A brief sigh escaped from Luna before being backed up with words, “the same way they always have, much like thyself: they may thinketh of themselves as weak because of the pain they’ve suffered but that’s not true; even today’s younglings have found themselves stronger to carry that weight. Even without the death and destruction waged upon our homeland, there willst always come a time for choices, no less than two but otherwise finite nonetheless: as always, even the right options have their fair share of consequences; seeing thou art suffering from the shame of it all, I’ve been willing to intervene like I have with the others before.”

“The others, you mean my friends; are they still okay…?” the young maiden wept, now looking away from the lonely princess as the former clutched the abdomen, “even they have to know I’m still sorry for all this; after all, we were supposed to be stronger than all this, not dented iron…!”

“Perhaps, they’ve an answer for it…” Luna said.

Twilight was then greeted by another rather surprising sight, albeit just as pleasant as the very princess’ arrival, if not more so: a quintet of young barefooted women in similar attire such as the initial twosome, although less formal overall; likewise, they were all different from each other. The first was bright skinned yet tickled pink like her hair with both irises of a big blue nearly matching the likes of Luna’s eyes: the former wore a snow white shirt and some denim shorts with some yellow leg warmers, not that any of them had minded, especially the youngest thereof here. Nearby was another fair skinned individual with pink hair, albeit with a reminiscence of lemon chiffon in a lighter shade with eyes of teal ready to move heaven and earth: a long emerald splashed nightgown was covering up most of its owner’s body yet both forearms had remained bare. Standing next to the lemony compeer was yet another brightly skinned bystander, this time with ivory integuments and eyes of starry sapphires: like the former, the latter’s attire also covered up much of the subject’s body, except the face was bare; additionally, a straitjacket had overlaid the gown. Then, another light skinned onlooker had seemed to be standing out and about with shorter hair possessing thin racing stripes resembling the entire spectrum: unlike the others, a set of jet–black undergarments were tightly hugging its owner’s body, offset by the presence of both muscles and curves. The last of these was not like the others for she happened to be a dark skinned blonde with eyes in an emerald splash matching that of the jaded impostor except they were free of toxicity; like the ivory correspondent, the former also wore a white gown but both forearms were free like a bird.

The maiden in red was on the verge of breaking out into joy before the bouffant counterpart blurted out instantaneously while waving about without so much as a care in the whole wide world whatsoever, “hey there, Twily, long time, no see: pretty sweet to be living inside a dream now, huh?! Of course, there was that one time with Moondancer but it doesn’t count; after all, parallel universes are so overrated nowadays, am I right…?”

“Huh, what are you talking about, Pinkie: you’ve even seen her as well, at least since you’ve heard about what happened…?” Twilight had stammered about in slight confusion before smiling big in utter relief again like before, “this sounds so… so… anyways, I’m so happy to see all of you girls again; words cannot begin to describe my regret for what happened so long ago!”

“Tweren’t nothing, Twi; if anything, Ah am still the one whom has a lot t’ be sorry for the most; after all, stranglin’ a child, let alone a sister, still haunts me to mah soul…” the freehanded woman in white sighed softly, looking upon her own palms to find them roughed up and callused as such with violet mosaic clusters on the left.

The tanned blonde’s bounded correspondent couldn’t resist holding back a bloodstained tear yet stayed calm enough to reply, “at least you’re still getting the help you need after all this time: I don’t think I could stand to look at Sweetie Belle any longer if it had been her instead of you; even saying it’s too painful for the likes of me. Come to think of it, there’s no telling how long it would be ‘til the inevitable day of my demise: the sheer idea that I’d gave into my first instinct to attempt a murder–suicide rather than help her; even that horrid girl from Peachtree had a heart and soul to realize what she’d been doing was wrong too. Even now, I’m still okay with Sweetie Belle hating the whole world for what she’d gone through besides my own disgusting deeds; as a matter of fact, the whole mess she and her friends had to endure was just too much for them to deal with at any age whatsoever: the war was bad enough on its own but to think all this happened despite having saved Equestria more than once, I’d–––”

“Relax, Rarity… it’d be wise to not let that tumor of yours grow any further; after all, even I’d be better off dying if anything happened to Scoots…” the rainbow haired observer interjected, looking down at her abdomen to see a bleeding crack in her undergarments, “I couldn’t go a day without thinking about how I’d slept with whichever guy or gal my age before the whole war. The fact she’d to hear me orgasm as I was bleeding from those glass shards inside my vagina did little to distract me from seeing her cut up like an orange before getting stabbed in the head; I don’t know what Scootaloo would’ve done if it were the other way around with the both of us, let alone what my parents would do if they’d ever found out I’d perished with or without her…”

“Don’t even get me started on that matter: even I dread the thought of my parents learning what had happened to me before and during the war; who knows what my brother would even dare to do…” the lemony woman entered the conversation piece finally, shedding the cleanest of tears amongst themselves in the process.

Luna then jumped back into the circle, the sky growing warmer and brighter ever so slowly, “let us not reminisce on past transgressions, be if thine own or others; you’ve all been able to succeed in embracing life and the lives of others to the point of defending them with thine own: the fact thou hast been chosen by the yestertide Elements of Harmony is proof of it all. Considering the dire circumstances regarding mine return, their choosing to be wielded by thee was meant to be the passing of the torch in which both of us sisters had once held since its prior inception by our mentor Starswirl and company. Even maiden Twilight’s departure from her home in Canterlot had been planned by my sister Celestia in an overtly successful decision to rescue myself from the Nightmare Forces’ control; of course, transitioning back to homeworld hasn’t been so effortlessly as we’d originally thought, especially considering the inception of a holiday which had followed ever since my banishment. What had not been planned, however, was the extent of the darkness we’d been compelled to confront at home and abroad: it seems that compared to the foes mine sister and I battled against together, the troubles in which Equestria had been dealt with, though mundane, still proved to be unspeakable overall; bone–grinding, blood–curdling, sweat–inducing terror. The fact that all of thee hast endured them in one extent and/or another was tragic on its own: ransacking, plundering, and the smashing of teeth and nails, amongst other horrors in this age; they weren’t something that anyone, especially heroines such as yourselves, deserved to endure. My sister would’ve rather these serialized tales of unfortunate events didn’t come to pass yet the evil we and our predecessors have fought so hard against have wreaked havoc on thine minds and bodies as well as that of both kith and kin alike; even without the use of might or magic, the folly of our kind persists, the adulation of evil continues guiding our world to the very brink. Thankfully, in light of mine redemption, we still believe that the people of this world, especially our own subjects, can redeem themselves and my sister wishes to entrust us with the power to do so; this world and its inhabitants can see the light and the warmth that friendship brings towards themselves much like before, lest the dark and cold destroy everything we hold near and dear. In the past seven years since mine return, not only have I studied the changes with the millennial timeframe, mine sister’s court had observed it too: even to this day, there were civilizations much like that of King Thrace’s domain, devoid of love and friendship, as well as that of our own; in betwixt them, they’ve managed to build thriving civilizations, surviving in modernity. Now, tell me, Twilight Sparkle, what saith thee now: in spite of everything which had come to pass, dost thou honestly wish to abandon everything you’ve all learned from each other and thyself; art thou planning surrender to the forces of negativity and evil or continue on with the struggle on the side of positivity and good like thou and thine peers hast done like before…?”

“Well, when you put it in that way, the least I can do is still keep going; I still have so much to live for: my family, my friends, my neighbors, my nation, my princesses, and my ideals…” the maiden in red had answered all of them, grandly smiling about despite her currently watery eyes, “for far too long, I’ve let myself be shut off from the whole world throughout my own entire life. Up until this moment years ago, I’d never considered the possibility I’d been able to find something that’s been missing inside of me, let alone remembered what it’d even looked like; even now, this heart of mine has been on edge lately due to a string of failures plaguing my mind, body, and soul as well as others such as yours and our kith and kin through these years. The fact that all of you’ve arrived here in my time of need shouldn’t have surprised me after all that we’ve been through lately; besides, if it weren’t for Princess Celestia here, who would’ve dared to know what could’ve happened to the lot of us here: if anything, then this whole world, including Equestria itself, would’ve ended up as a desolate wasteland, devoid of any and all life. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to step out of my shell and home thanks to her, despite the pain and suffering we’d all endured: barring the war, I’ve been able to empathize with the others and strengthen my old bonds between friends and family too; additionally, I’ve been graced with the opportunity to make new friends as well, each bearing a specific quality to unlock the Elements. Even though that things have changed between the six of us, one of the only constants we do still happen to share are our bonds: each of them represent a commitment we’ve made to not only each other but to ourselves and to others inside and outside them; as much as I lament what had been done to many of us, I have more than enough reason that we can still carry on the legacy. Seeing that everybody still chooses to look up to and sympathize with us, I can still see to it that our journey’s not over even yet: although that everything is calm now, I still believe that there are still some adventures already awaiting for us to be even told; it’s clearly miraculous that we’ve been allowed to survive after all these years and should it come down to it, we still can…”

“Hmm, no despair; how interesting…” the lone princess spoke.

Twilight held back some laughter and said to Luna immediately, “what point is there for me being in despair…? After I wake up, I’m looking forward to seeing you all once again: all I got to do is keep traveling around Equestria for an entire week at least; after everything we’ve been through, nothing else should matter…”

“Be sure to treat it as nothing then, lest you’ll all fall down into a much similar path I’d been on a millennia ago…” the lone princess replied as she’d begun to dissipate before their eyes almost suddenly so to speak, “thine lives are still worth living in this troubled world; thou mustn’t throw or, worse yet, let them be taken away…”

“YES, YOUR MAJESTY…!” the smiling sextet stated, most of which soon joining in with Luna with the maiden in red retaining her corporeal form.

It didn’t take long for Twilight to be alone again naturally, standing on the brilliant green among the riversides with nothing but a sky full of stars fading out as the golden sun rose to greatness; although she wasn’t unscathed, a sense of relief took hold of her body as amethyst orbs looked had upwardly with an abundance of hopes and dreams waiting to become fully realized at once.

The maiden in red whispered, “goodbye…”