Rift in Ponyville

Sapphire and Marshmallow were passed out on the floor, their bellies full and their fur warm under the dozens of lamps. They’d only managed to stuff their faces for a few minutes before lazily collapsing, and Lava Lamp had spent the time retracing her steps in the past three years.

“Let’s see… Well, it’s only been dead-empty for about…” She turned back to her makeshift clock, squinting at the borderline incomprehensible chicken-scratch on the chalkboard. “I’d say… pushin’ a year now?”

“That’s… honestly a lot shorter than I expected. I guess I’m just comparing it to the Empire, though…” Jelly Splash trailed off.

“Oh, right. Heard ‘bout that big explosion. You a crystal pony?” Lava unwrapped a candy and tossed it in the air, catching it in her mouth and cracking it with her teeth.

“You could say that.” Jelly rolled her eyes.

“Sorry to hear ‘bout that.” Lava Lamp crunched loudly, and Bolt was surprised that neither Sapphire nor Marshmallow had stirred in their sleep yet. “We dwindled down real slow. All creepy-like. Started with a colt.”

“A colt?” Sonar asked, surprised. Fire Bolt felt a chill run down her spine as her mind raced back to the gored youngling she’d discovered just a few days before, although it felt like months ago at this point.

“Yup. Right around everypony waking up for the day… the night, I mean. Smack in the middle of town square, ripped to shreds. He was speared on a… a big tree, I guess.” Lava’s face finally shifted from its calm expression to one of heightened anxiety. “Big black tree. No branches yet, just like… a point coming out the ground.” She sighed out a breath, taking a long moment to stare at her softly lit surroundings before continuing. “Next day, same thing, but two of ‘em. And so on. Until there were none of us.”

“I don’t understand.” Fire Bolt cocked her head to the side. “Nopony saw anything?”

Lava shook her head. “Couple tried to stay up and keep watch. Couldn’t keep awake for whatever reason.” She kept crunching on the candy until it was gone and opened another, constantly breaking the silence that threatened to seep into the room. “If two stayed up, they’d be gone the next day. If it was six, they would be, too. Nothin’ changed. Only those unfortunate ones really got to see it.”

“So… why are you the last one standing?” Jelly asked quietly as she trembled.

“Ain’t the last one! Three more down the road. No clue why it didn’t get us, though. Feels like a tickin’ time bomb.” She resorted to sucking on the candy instead, clacking it between her teeth to keep the noise up.

“Three more? Why didn’t we see them?” Sonar asked.

“Real quiet type.” Lava Lamp shook her head. “Friendly folk, though! Three sisters… Can’t say I’m a fan of all three, though!” She laughed heartily. “Two of ‘em are real sweet ponies, best you’ll ever meet. One of ‘em’s a downright bitch.”

Bolt laughed, startled. “What’s her deal?” She tried to change the topic to something lighter.

“Oh… well, I’d get it if she changed after everything, I really would. But she’s always been like that. Don’t know what her deal is exactly, but she belittles anypony without a million bits. Her broke ass always has somethin’ to talk about… All talk and nothin’ to show for it,” She wheezed, trying to finish her sentence without laughing. “She’s… pfft, she don’t even look like those other two!”

The four of them laughed together at the downright trash talking, waking the two sleeping. “Huh? What’s funny?” Sapphire Swirl was already cracking a grin regardless as the laughter died down.

“There’s more in Sire’s Hollow!” Bolt explained happily and to Sapphire’s gleeful surprise.

“Two great gals and a real crabby pain in the ass!” Lava giggled, and now everypony was laughing… Until a stern knock on the door echoed through the room. “Aw, well speak of the damn devil…” She muttered, taking a good minute to stand, stretch, and start for the door. “Always ruinin… all the fun…”

“What’s all the commotion about?” Said the mare from the other side of the door as soon as Lava Lamp opened it. She squinted and tried to force her head inside as she noticed the other ponies in the room. “Who are your visitors?”

“Big fat none of your business. Your sisters as worried about it as you are?” Marshmallow Creme was surprised at the brashness and stifled a giggle.

“Um… We were actually wondering if you’d allow us to introduce ourselves to your friends,” Said another, much kinder voice.

“Oh! Why didn’t ya just say so?” Lava fully opened the door at that, and three ponies filed into the already crowded living room. She was right – two looked alike, and one… didn’t quite match. They certainly looked similar, that was a given, but the more bitter pony stood out like a sore thumb.

“Oh! Quite a few of you! My name is Iris Tenderheart, this is Marigold Meadow, and this is Velvet Daisy.” The three siblings found pillows to sit on regardless of the now nine ponies in the room, but thanks to the environment that Lava had created, it felt more cozy than cramped.

Iris sat in the center, and based on who smiled when introduced, Bolt assumed that Velvet Daisy was the… harsher one. She tried not to stare, but their unique facial markings reminded her of Sonar’s own coloring. “It’s nice to meet you three!” Marshmallow Creme extended a hoof that only two took. “My name is Marshmallow, I just woke up a minute ago, ha! Sorry about that. We don’t get a lot of food at home, and I guess Sapphire here and I went a little overboard! Your manes look really pretty- oh! Is that an earring?” She leaned in to observe Iris’s jewelry, who smiled fondly.

“Yeah! I can pierce your ears, too, if it’s something you’d like! Totally free, I know that kind of stuff was way expensive in Canterlot and Ponyville and I’m sure it’s worse now!” She matched Marshmallow’s high energy, something that made Sonar smile at the sound.

“Oh wow, I’m always looking for a change. That would be awesome! I’m from Cloudsdale, and the only piercings we do up there are with knives. Not in your ears.” Her tone didn’t change as she spoke, and Iris laughed.

As the two continued to chatter, the one named Marigold Meadow turned to Bolt. “Hello,” She said softly. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Fire Bolt. Everypony just calls me Bolt. This is my partner, Sonar Moonshadow… everypony just calls him Sonar.” She smiled, hoping not to intimidate the quiet-mannered mare.

“Cool. Nice to meet you guys.” She leaned in closer, whispering. “And I’m sorry about Velvet. She’s not very nice to us, either.”

“Hey, it’s no big deal,” Sonar whispered back, and Bolt briefly noticed Sapphire and Jelly walking to the kitchen. “You don’t need to apologize.”

“Oh, she’s my sister… I definitely do.” Marigold pulled away just then as Iris laughed and put a hoof on her shoulder, still deep in the conversation. “So… how did you guys end up here? Do you know Lava Lamp?”

“Now we do.” Bolt grinned. “Princess Cadance sent us to Sire’s Hollow. We’re kind of on a… a journey of sorts, but I don’t think any of us really know what we’re looking for.”

“Princess Cadance?” Marigold gasped. “I thought she disappeared with the rest of the Empire!”

“She did,” Sonar replied grimly. “There was only one crystal pony in the city when we got there… That’s Jelly Splash in the other room. She restored the Crystal Heart, and Cadance came back with it. Nopony else, though.”

Marigold looked astonished. “What… What did she look like?”

“I couldn’t tell you.” Sonar chuckled, and Bolt held in a giggle of her own, surprised that it wasn’t obvious. “I’m blind. Boltie can tell you all about it, though, she’s the one who found the princess.”

“Oh!” Marigold blushed, embarrassed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“Don’t worry about it, you’re just fine!” He cut her off, and a brief moment of awkward silence fell over the three before Fire Bolt spoke up.

“She was a literal zombie. I mean it, walking-talking dead. The Heart brought her back, though, and I think she was doing a whole lot better when we left her.” She looked away, fighting the guilt in her throat at the mention of leaving the princess behind.

“Oh wow. That’s freaky. It’s really admirable that you guys brought her back, though. Did Lava tell you… what happened here?”

“A little bit. The tree and all that,” Sonar replied and Marigold nodded solemnly. “What have you guys been up to in the meantime? She mentioned that it’s been pretty quiet for about a year now.”

Iris and Marshmallow suddenly joined the conversation as Velvet Daisy sat bitterly. “Oh! We have all kinds of fun here!” Iris Tenderheart said cheerily. “We should go outside! I’ll show you the games we play!” Marigold smiled shyly as Iris beamed.

In the town square, there was a big net propped up by two large wooden poles precariously leaning inward. “Alright, you’re going to hit this ball over the net!” Iris shouted from the other side. On one end, Iris, Marshmallow, and Velvet stood as a team, while Bolt, Sonar, and Marigold were a team of their own. Jelly Splash and Sapphire Swirl sat on the sidelines with Lava Lamp who would judge the game, too tired to partake in the activity. “No wings, no flying, and no magic! You can use your hoof or your snout, but no back leg kicks! If it hits the ground on your side, you lose a point!”

“Got it!” Bolt shouted back, and at that, Iris threw the ball into the air before powerfully smacking it over the net. Marigold jumped to bounce it in the air with her snout, and Bolt confidently hit it back over with her hoof. The back-and-forth continued for only a few moments before Marshmallow’s wings spread as she reached for the ball, causing the whole group to erupt into playful shouts.

“Hey, no wings, no wings!” Iris exclaimed, and Lava Lamp raised a hoof.

“One point for team… you guys!” She called out, pointing to Bolt’s side of the net.

“Aww, man! Sorry, guys!” Marshmallow giggled, and nopony took it that seriously – except for Velvet Daisy, that is.

“Hey, way to completely ignore the rules. Can you even hear? Is that a problem for you?” She sneered, making Marshmallow’s face drop sadly.

“Hey, Daisy, quit it!” Iris stepped in.

“It was just a mistake. I’ve never played this before.” The pink pegasus tried to explain to the angry earth pony to no avail.

“No, I don’t want to play with you guys. It’s only fun with my own friends… You guys shouldn’t have even come here.” Velvet got in Marshmallow’s face, prompting Iris to step between the two.

“You can leave, then. Go back home if you’re going to act like this around our guests,” She said firmly, and Velvet promptly spun on her hooves, trotting away in a random direction. “Sorry, Marshmallow. It’s not you, she’s just…”

“I guess I should play, then!” Sapphire stood and walked into Velvet’s place, attempting to diffuse the sour mood.

“You think you can handle it?” Bolt joked, knowing that the teasing would make her sibling play even better.

“Oh, I can handle it. Can your blind boyfriend see the ball?” They shot back, and everyone but the three in question widened their eyes in shock. Sonar just laughed heartily, thoroughly used to the banter between them.

“Hey, try not to get your feelings hurt when I win, ‘kay?” He tossed the ball into the air, hitting it with such force and precision that it smacked Sapphire square in the face. They snorted out a laugh, and the whole crowd then erupted into fits of laughter – even Jelly Splash let out a chuckle.

Velvet Daisy, still in their line of vision, shouted something snarky to the group until the unthinkable happened in the blink of an eye. A razor-sharp point erupted from the ground in half a second, spearing the pony through her midsection and shooting blood in every direction. She didn’t move or make a sound. In fact, she seemed already dead.

Nothing but the sound of the ball bouncing against the pavement echoed throughout the tiny town until Iris let out a gut-wrenching scream, racing towards her sister as Sapphire Swirl followed hot on her heels. The others stood frozen, paralyzed in terror. “What do I do? What do I- Velvet!” She slammed her hooves against the spike, screeching as she tried to reach the suspended mare. Sapphire flew to get an aerial view, and when they determined that removing the pony’s body was futile, they placed their arms around the earth pony.

“Iris, she’s…” They tried.

“No! That’s not fair! We made it so long together, it’s not- It’s just not fair!” As the adrenaline and initial shock wore off, she crumbled to the floor in sobs, thrashing away from Sapphire’s touch. The pegasus took the hint and backed up a few steps, looking over to their frozen peers with desperation in their eyes. Curiously, Jelly Splash took a few cautious steps forward before running full force toward the scene and forcefully pulling the pony from the sight despite her missed punches and protests. Fire Bolt snapped back into reality and raised her wing to shield Marigold Meadow’s pale and frozen face, but the damage was already done as she pulled the whimpering pony into a stiff embrace.

“Get the fuck off me! Stop it! Daisy, my Daisy-” Iris whipped around, wiggling to try to escape Jelly’s tight grip as Sapphire flew around, seemingly aimlessly.

“You don’t need to see any more of this, trust me. Listen to me, Iris, you need to walk away.” She gave up her fighting soon after that, crying and shaking like a leave as she allowed Jelly to guide her as far as she could. Sapphire finally returned with a large tarp and draped it over the horrifyingly destroyed corpse and the odd tree-like figure it was speared on, and although it was torn with small rips and holes, the coverage was better than nothing.

“Inside. We all need to be getting inside, right now,” Sonar finally asserted, so Lava Lamp wordlessly stood and opened her front door for everyone to enter the cozy home. Bolt kept her wing raised expectantly as stepped away from their hug, but Marigold didn’t budge. She simply stared ahead with her mouth agape, now at a feathery wing instead of her sister’s mangled body until Iris stumbled toward her with Jelly’s help.

“Mari, get inside!” She cried hoarsely, her voice cracking. That seemed to snap Marigold out of her trance and sent her running inside without a second thought.

Once everyone was inside, chaos erupted. Marshmallow Creme filled two glasses of water a bit too hastily, dropping and shattering one in the sink as Marigold Meadow started to hyperventilate. The living room was packed, so Lava Lamp joined her in the kitchen to clean up the mess and fill a new glass. Once Lava shakily placed a water in front of each of the two sisters, she hurriedly returned to the sink to throw up violently as Marshmallow held her curls away from her face. “I don’t know how that happened, I don’t know what happened, I always tried to just…” Iris rambled before noticing the cup in front of her and gulping down its contents in mere seconds, ignoring the water that ran down her chin.

Bolt lied down in front of Marigold and touched a hoof with her own in an attempt to ground the panicking mare. “Follow my breathing, ‘kay?” She instructed despite the fact that she was barely keeping from hyperventilating herself. “In through the nose, out through your mouth. Can you do that?” Marigold nodded and attempted to mirror Bolt, slowly but surely regulating her breathing with some difficulty. Eventually, she had calmed down enough to snuggle up with her sister and drift off to a kind of sleep, jolting occasionally as her body fought the shock off. Bolt turned to Sonar and whispered, “I need some air.”

Fire Bolt stepped outside and walked for a bit despite her fear of the unknown, sitting on a lone patch of dirt and staring at the stars. They blinked back at her, but she couldn’t decide if her eyes were deceiving her or not. She didn’t even notice that the door had opened until the dust and rock rustled lightly under Jelly Splash’s hooves. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Bolt whispered back, deciding against looking over at her friend as tears threatened to fall. “Sorry to leave, I just-”

“It’s too much. I know. They don’t understand how we do,” Jelly finished her sentence, opting to look at the stars as well. “There’s nothing like watching a sibling die. Nothing.”

Bolt swallowed the lump in her throat. “I don’t even understand like you do. It’s not the same, it wasn’t so… violent.”

“Hey, none of that. The feelings are just as violent… You’re just like me.” Jelly sighed and sat next to her. “And I never thought to recognize that before,” She continued after a long moment of silence. “I know already talked about it, but… I’m really sorry for… how I am. It’s not fair to assume that none of you could possibly understand me. And it’s even more unfair to keep being so hostile when you’ve done nothing but help me.”

Bolt smiled, still refusing to turn. “It’s alright. I would be scared and angry, too.” She gazed at the moon, her mind drifting to Princess Luna’s banishment. “And I am. But I have too much to lose. You had nothing.”

“Now I have everything,” Jelly whispered, and the pegasus finally looked at her, confused. “I never had the chance to have friends like you guys. A safe home. And now that I do, I guess I just got myself confused and didn’t know how to act. But I’m learning.”

The two returned to stargazing, and a warmth settled over them. Something twinkled in the sky, and it felt… strange. Loving. Like a big hug from the vast universe and beyond. And despite the horrors that had transpired in mere moments, Fire Bolt and Jelly Splash were overcome with the sense that everything would be alright.