The town was ablaze. Ponies were panicking, running, calling for help. All but one little pegasus filly in a small cottage. A buttery yellow filly with a dark blue mane with a turquoise stipe down the middle. She thought it was all a game. Laughing, giggling, flailing about playfully. All of these caught her mother's attention, for she had been looking for her since the fire. "Sugar! Sugar Symphony?! Where are you, baby?!" she called out. Sugar heard her mother's cries. She began to get a little worried. 'What if this wasn't a game?' she began to think.
She stopped playing around and began to wander about the cottage. The small building was beyond the point of no return. It started creaking from the fire eating away at support columns. This started to worry her even more. She looked around the house, room by room. Her mother was outside, looking through the windows. She knew Sugar was inside, and started to break the windows to keep deadly carbon monoxide from killing her child.
It was too late for that. Sugar felt the effect of the gas, choking the very life out of her. She became dizzy, out of breath, and started to lose her sight. She had to push on, but she couldn't go on anymore. She collapsed right under a doorframe that lead to the living room. Darkness took hold of her vision as her vision started to tunnel into nothing but pitch blackness. The screams outside started to fade, as she drifted into unconsciousness.
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The ashes were warm around Sugar's body. She awoke in a panic, pupils dilated. Quick, small breaths echoed through the barren wasteland of ash that used to be a town. Sugar Symphony was alone, and she knew it. She tried to move. Pain instantly shot through her body, incapacitating her small body. Fur was burnt off, flesh was singed, and legs were burnt. The sky was smoke filled, and she had no idea what time of the day it was. She wasn't going anywhere for a long time, so she closed her eyes and drifted into a nightmare of the past event.
Hours had passed, and sugar awoke from a painful nap. However, it wasn't the same scenery. She was looking into a forest, and moving. Whoever's back she was on sensed her stirring, and placed her down on the ground gently with magic. She looked up at the massive figure towering over her. It was an alicorn, with a black coat and green mane. His eyes were a mix of green and blue. His chest plate and shoes were a dark green, incrusted with emeralds. Sugar was terrified. She had never seen or heard of this alicorn. There were only three that she had heard of. And they were all princesses. She cowered before him, shaking with fear and confusion. The darkness of the forest and strange noises didn't help. "Why do you tremble before me?" The alicorn questioned in a deep, insect-like voice. "I only wish to help you, my child. I do not mean harm." Sugar was still tense, but she managed to squeak out a few words. "Who...are...you? Why...did...you...help...me?" The alicorn only let out a small chuckle."Hehe. Who am i? I am King Volucris. Why did i help you? I saw you needed help. So, little filly, do you have a name?" He was gentile, and very respectful. Sugar was feeling a little more at ease, and decided to state her name. "I am... Sugar Symphony, your majesty." She was a bit quiet, but spoke loud enough for King Volucris to hear her.
"Sugar Symphony, hmm? Well, Ms. Symphony, shall we be off? We have a long way to before we reach the kingdom," the king said.
"Okay. But I hurt. Can you carry me?" Sugar requested.
"Of course, my little pony," Volucris answered. He used his magic to pick the burnt filly up and placed her gently on his back. She winced a little in pain, but she didn't complain. King Volucris started to walk, creating a gentile rock that instantly pacified Sugar. She fell asleep, only to dream more of the nightmares of fire and death.
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Sugar started to squirm, she was having a terrible nightmare. King Volucris started to notice it, and slowed down to a stop. He woke up the squirming filly. "Mommy! Help me!" she cried out as she shot up from slumber. Sugar looked around, realizing it was a nightmare. Looking at the King, she asked,"What's going to happen to me now?"
"Well, Ms. Symphony. I realized you didn't have a home anymore, and you're badly hurt, so i came to the conclusion that you are to stay with me as my royal guest until you are fit to be on your own," Volucris responded. Sugar realized this bitter truth. No home, no family, no friends. Especially no friends. She had one friend, and he meant the world to her. Sharpened Sabre was her best friend, and now he was gone. Sugar started to cry, she just wanted to run away, to run away and weep in sorrow forever. But she couldn't, not only because of her current state, but because she knew she needed help. "Ok, your majesty. I understand," Sugar said with tears in her eyes and a catch in her throat. She could do nothing but think. All she could think of was her mother and her friend. King Volucris noticed that she wasn't mentally there, and decided to ask what was wrong. "Ms. Symphony, are you alright? You seem a bit...off. What's on your mind? What has you crying?"
"Well, your majesty, I lost a friend. I am sad now because he's gone," Sugar said, her mind still off in her own thoughts. King Volucris took this to heart. He really wanted to help the poor little filly. He came up with a solution, but he kept it to himself. He didn't want to reveal his true form yet. He might startle her away. "I see. Well, we still have a while to go. Do you wish for me to cast a spell to help you sleep better?" King Volucris offered.
"I guess," Sugar said without emotion. The king realized the trauma was setting in. She was in a depression, and he hoped his idea would work. He looked at the pegasus, and began to cast his sleeping spell on her. Sugar instantly felt it's effect, and began to drift into a peaceful sleep.
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Visions of happy memories were circulating around Sugar's dream. Her mother, Sharpened Sabre, the cottage, all of these brought a smile across her face, and love into her heart. Then, a buzz started to sound in her mind. It was an annoying buzz, like the sound of a swarm of cicadas. She could've tolerated the sound, if her visions of love hadn't started to fade into nothing.
Sugar cracked open her eyes. She saw faint images of a sort of flying thing. Her curiosity only opened her eyes even more, and soon an image flooded her mind. Changelings, all around her, staring as they sucked the love out of her. She shot up, wanting to escape this place, but only pain came in response. She looked over at the king to ask if this was correct. Instead, she saw a giant changeling, but he had the crown and necklace of the alicorn she had befriended. The king realized that his subjects were harming her, and let out a buzz of irritation. Immediately, the insects backed off, and flew away. "I'm sorry if they hurt you, Ms. Symphony. I can assure you it was only based on pure instinct to feed on love," the giant changeling apologized with a buzz in his voice.
"What's going on?! What did you do with King Volucris?!" Sugar shouted. She was dying of fright. All of this new information to be processed all at once, it was too much for her. "Ms. Symphony, i am King Volucris. However, this is my true form. The alicorn you saw was just a disguise. I knew you would've never accepted my help if you knew who I really was. I can assure you, I will not harm you. Just trust me," Volucris said calmly. The filly could do nothing but listen, for if she tried to run, intense pain would follow.
A couple minutes passed, and Sugar Symphony was still panicking. King Volucris reached a large wooden door and stopped. He let out a buzzing sound, and the wooden door opened with a loud creak. The king walked inside, following a red felt carpet down a long, stone hallway. Candles lined the walls, creating a little warmth for Sugar. They passed through another large door and entered a grand court. A dozen chandeliers hung from the ceiling, creating the amount of light of a sunny day.
Sugar peered around King Volucris' head to see what lie ahead. What she saw nearly scared her to death. Ahead, there were two thrones. One made out of jade with green cushions and a large emerald in the head piece. Next to it, there was an occupied sapphire throne. In that throne, sat the only creature that has ever defeated Princess Celestia, Queen Chrysallis. The queen looked hungry, licking her lips as she stared at the frightened filly. Sugar wanted to look away, but her gaze was captured by the changeling queen.
"Welcome back, my king," Chrysallis said. "I don't know what the occasion is, but thank you for fetching dinner. I haven't had a filly since my visit to Canterlot." King Volucris stopped walking, and stared at Chrysallis with a watchful eye. "Ms. Symphony will not be harmed as long is she is here," he stated firmly. "She is to rest and live with us until fit to survive on her own."
"Why? She's an easy meal. Why did you bring her back if we aren't going to eat her?" Chrysallis questioned with a hint of anger in her voice.
"I brought her back so that I can fix your mistake. Your stunt on Canterlot is why we are scorned and blamed. With Ms. Symphony, I can mend the broken bond," Volucris argued back.
"Admit it, you were hungry, too."
"Yes, I was. But we could've gotten love a much more peaceful way." While the two were arguing, Sugar Symphony only cowered on King Volucris' back. She couldn't understand much of their babble, but she knew she was the center of the argument. "...and besides, Chrysallis, if we helped her, she'd love us! If she loves us, then we don't starve!" King Volucris shouted. He was at his boiling point. He had never argued so much with his wife since she returned from her failure. "Fine, Volucris! Keep the pony! For all I care, she could die in the hospital wing! I'll just eat her then!" Chrysallis screamed. She flew off to her chambers, knocking down every servant she passed.
Volucris just stared at the throne, rage filling his eyes. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. He looked on his back, and Sugar was balled up, sobbing quietly in both terror and guilt. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Ms. Symphony. As I promised, we will take care of you, and we will show you great kindness. Now, let's get you patched up, you need some sleep."
