“The fuck were you thinking?!”
“What did you all think would happen?”
“My kids will never walk again because of you!” Their barrage of yells echoing past me as I stare at the ponies lying way before me on the ground motionless. My heart beating loudly within my brain, the sound drowning their cries. I blink once, twice, a third time, unable to change what is before me… The nightmare continues as I don’t notice some ponies beginning to pull at my coat, yanking me away from the scene. The group of motionless ponies becomes engulfed in flashing lights and colored manes and coats.
“N…” Something tugs at my mane.
I barely feel it as the sounds of the crowd around me begins to fade back in, my heartbeat ending its solo to allow the ensemble of ponies to join. Finally before they could reach their peak my eyesight disappears after a flash of light. The blinding light being engulfed in darkness staggering me .
“That's for my daughter!” one of the ponies yelled from the crowd. More mounds of frozen mud begin pelting me from every direction.
“NIX!”
They barrage stops for a mere second before being focused at my face.
“How are you the only one unscathed?!" "I bet you got scared of losing!" "It should've been you!”"
More indistinct yelling.
“Nix, it's… okay.” I feel someone gently caress my head before wiping my eyes clear of dirt. “Stay close and follow me…”
Within the screams and yells of agony this reassuring gentle voice is the loudest. I stare into her pained reassuring light raspberry colored eyes as I feel her warmth surround me. As she pulls me up she slowly tugs me out the crowd before draping her wing over me. Holding me tightly to her side shielding me from most of the last of the mud artillery.
“HEY FREAK!” a voice from behind us yells. “Don’t let me see you in Stratusburg ever again!” Something hits the back of my head harder than any of the mud shots before.
“You… okay?” she asks, trying to use her wing to block any additional shots.
I look up at her to see her eyes widen in shock. It isn’t long before I notice the warm streak trailing slowly down my neck, forming a warm spot between my wings soaking into my coat and suit.
“I… C’mon let’s go…” softly she tightens her wing around me ushering me out the area. We walk for a while in silence. The air becomes stagnant as the hair on the back of the neck stands straight.
Boom. Several flashes of lightning and echoes of thunder go off behind us. Not even a tenth of a second between the flash and sound.
“W-wait the others… Are they-”
“I don’t know. F-first let’s get you cleaned up and take care of that wound…” she smiled as best she could before getting pelted by a stray mudball. Her smile serious as she glared in the direction the projectile came from. “Nix, did you tell them to follow you?”
I slowly shook my head, becoming slightly dizzy in the process.
“Careful… I think that mud must’ve had a rock in it. Let me know if this hurts” she winces as she touches the back of my head with her wingtip.
"ngh" I wince as unintentionly pull away from her touch.
“You’re fine…” she shoots me a comforting smile as she leads me to a building away from the crowd. Wiping her wing in the grass, the red tint fading with the rain. “Here, go insi-”
Just before she could finish her sentence my muzzle meets the door and my unnoticed exhaustion takes over. The cloudy overcast enveloping my vision with a final flash of light.
“H- Nix…”
“Nix, wake up”
I shoot up, too fast for my body to compensate. “AHhh” I groan in pain as my neck tightens up before becoming inflamed.
“Careful you will open the wound I spent all night patching up” I turn to the voice to meet the same raspberry eyes staring at me at the end of the bed.
“H-how long was I out?”
She sighs, cracking the blinds as daylight breaches the room enveloping me in its warm evening glow. She continues pacing back and forth, “Just the night and some of the morning. You should rest, you look exhausted… Also you almost look as bad as the others… wait there a second…”
“T-the others?" I softly repeat to myself.
It takes me a second to realize she left the room. The room… I look around noticing I recognize none of the items in the room.
“Here your mane and coat are singed. Did you fly in the storm or something?” Her voice comes out raspier than I previously noticed. She tries to hold up the mirror for me to see the damage.
In the reflection a disheveled and exhausted pony staring back at me. Their coat singed in several places along with patches of coat missing near the wings. The wings no better, several feathers missing and misaligned others frayed and unusable. Lastly my mane is shorter than I remember, the balanced colors now mercilessly tossed around like a dancing fire of light and dark blues.
"Equestria to Nix have you finished checkin' yourself out?" The mare giggled as she handed me the mirror. Finding herself a place on the edge of the bed resting herself next to me. "If not, I suggest you do and rest. That rock hit you pretty badly, it'd be reassuring if you got it checked out by the local nurse before you move on."
"...huh?" her voice hadn't registered as my eyes remained glued to the mirror
"Rest for a bit then we ca-..." she stops mid sentence before I could feel something slowly pull my face from the mirror.
She had gently pulled me closer to her face earning my full attention. Her raspberry eyes showed nothing but care, her voice while stern had compassion littered within every word. Despite still not knowing her, she still has done miles more than any of the ponies I've met before.
And for what? I couldn't understand it, just to be in the race yesterday it was all for themselves and now somepony outta nowhere is willing to risk their entire life to help me. Somepony hated by the whole town for...
As the thought passes through my head it occurs to me, I don't remember anything from the competition yesterday. The only things I do remember being suiting up, chatting with the other runners, the anticipation before the start and the lineup. Afterwards it's the events leading up to now.
"Your face looks nice... Why do you guys cover up anyhow...?" She asks as she runs her warm delicate fingers running all over my face tracing the outline of my jaw and muzzle. Her eyes looking everywhere before planting themselves on my own.
The warmth rushes to my face as I try to pull from her grasp."T-thank you... I... dont know your name still..." I reply embarassed at the thought.
She giggles turning away continuing into a full laughing fit.
It was at this moment before the warmth in my face intensified.
"Gosh I'm sorry it's not funny, but you are right I didn't introduce myself." she continues trying to catch her breath and regain her composure. "My name is Flitter..."
Even as the moon's radiance shines over all of Equestria showing all her subjects power and grace, it's comforting glow still can't rid one of their worries. With the sudden arise of a dangerous trend and its current monopoly over the media spreading it's interest, as each day passes it becomes harder to suppress. Despite it's danger more and more ponies seem to flock to the danger.
"Is it possible I'm misinterpreting this danger for something that is actually enjoyable...? But what could be fun about something that could potentially ruin your life or worse end it?" Deeply princess of the night sighs, the weight seemingly heavier than before. The unharmounious clattering of hooves earning her attention as she views a trio of guards flying her way. The flapping of their wings strained and their mouths noticeably dry.
"Priness we have returned, regretfully we still have no word about Onyx Bolt..." one of the guards wheeze out as the rest try to catch their breath.
"We did manage to quell two ongoing Storm Races, however..." another guard chimes in trailing off near the end.
"However... What?" I reply sternly standing before the guard. Her eyes couldn't meet my own, avoiding contact at all costs, Going as far as turning away as Luna tries to lean down to meet her gaze. She yelps as the princess nears, prostating herself once she manages to meet her eye level.
"I'M SORRY ONLY ONE OF THEM WAS TRULY SUCCESSFUL..." her voice echoing throughout the halls unsettling the other guards as they followed in suit.
The statement itself increased the weight she held, sinking her heart as her worries run rampant throughout her mind "The other Storm Race, what of it?" After composing herself Luna reclines in her throne hopeful for more celebratory news.
"There appeared to have been some wounded... Even some disceased which are beyond discernable..." The female guard croaks out premtively wincing as she finishes the other two peeking from underneath their forearms.
The statement washes over Luna as suddenly the weight she carried for who knows how long suddenly drops into her gut. It didn't take long before Luna staggered her vision blurring as something streamed down her face. Any coherent thought melted as all she could think of was the deceased. The thought that subjects under her watch crippling themselves when she had the rescources to stop it, nay the ability to personally prevent it wounded her. It may not have been long since she returned to her duties, but it didn't mean she was any less of a ruler. Any attempts to stop the tears was futile as it began to stream out and affect her body. "Where and how long ago?"
"Statusburg... n-not more than an hour ago"
"Prepare the chariots we may be able to prevent anypony adding to the number of deceased, should we make haste..." Luna ordered walking past the trio of guards.
"Very well Princess and what of Nix?" the female guard asked grasping Luna's hand, softly quivering as she does.
"...Ease yourself Scarlet." Luna smiles caressing Scarlet's teary face. "He is quite the tenacious colt, you should believe in him as he would you... You are free to accompany me to Stratusburg should it be for my sake or his," the princess smirks continuing on out towards the main chamber.
Author's Note
If you want to add any critiques or advice feel free Im open to suggestions. I will make sure to lengthen the chapters from now I just felt this was a good ending point for the beginning.
If by any means
