Chapter 2: Persecution

The crow of a rooster shook the air. It was dawn already. There was a cool temperature in the area, as the sun would have to warm up the ground. The bird's chip was starting to be heard, and the sound of hooves marching on the ground was heard. Spears pointed up like waves. The stomping made the nearby earth tremble. Their prey was close by, and they would stop at nothing to get them.

In front of them was a abandoned house. Or so it seemed. Trained with various detective skills, the ponies were able to identify that the house was actually still occupied. There was shadows behind one of the windows, which meant that their prey was inside of the house, ready for their predator to make their first move so that they could flee. They earth ponies chuckled. They glanced at each other with a devilish grin. Using a torch they grabbed earlier, they threw it into the house, breaking the window, and setting the house on fire.

Immediately before the torch even touched the ground to light up every single part of the house, a gallop was heard as their prey made the run for it. The earth ponies laughed.

Time to get some unicorns and pegasus.

They started to gallop towards the sound, where they saw the family just getting themselves in a wagon before moving. Anticipating this, one of them loaded his sling shot, twirled it around in the air, and fire it, hitting on of the wheels. With the wheels starting to receive damage as more and more rocks hit, the father of the family step out and fired magical shot after magical shot, deflecting or destroying the pebbles before they could reach them. Shields would've taken much more energy, so quick energy beams would do the trick. The earth ponies dodged every single one of the now offensive energy beams that the stallion on the wagon was firing at them. A gush of wing swept beside them as the mother of the family dealt a clean hit at one of the more weaker ponies, before retreating back to safety. The earth ponies were now getting pissed off that their rival races, the unicorn and pegasus race, was beating them, and that the earth ponies would soon lose them again like last year as the forest got into view. It seemed that the family would escape.

Until a certain energy beam zapped through the air and took one of the forward wheels. Without the ability to control the direction that they were going, the wagon started to sway back and forth, nearly falling over, but it remained upright. But with a proper burst of wind from another figure, the wagon collapsed.

The earth ponies celebrated being able to catch them, and were about to congratulate the ones that helped them...

...until they realized that they were also pegasus and unicorns.

The happiness of the earth ponies soon turned to rage, horrified that their enemy would help them. The other groups from the two different tribes also became enraged, knowing they helped the enemy.

" What the heck are you doing here!? This is our prey! Stay back!" The head of the unicorns of their battalion said. The pegasus growled.

"You say you stopped them!? We were the ones that gave the finishing blow, so it was OUR victory!" The pegasus tribe said. The earth ponies growled even more higher than the unicorn or pegasus race.

"What the hay are you talking about!? We found them. We tracked them down. And even without your 'help' we would've been able to catch them anyways!" The earth ponies said. The unicorn and pegasus races growled at the earth, pointing their spears at them.

"Well one second ago you were basically LOSING to them until we came along and shot down their wheel. This proves that unicorns are the superior race!" The unicorn leader said. The pegasus growled even more.

"If it weren't for our speed you two would've lost them so it means that WE are the better race. Glory to the pegasus race!" The leader of the pegasus infantry said. The earth scowled at them.

"Glory!? What do you call this glory!? That was called taking someone else's win! That is not winning that is called cheating, you thief!" Earth said. The pegasus leader widened his eyes, before narrowing them, pulling out the mighty swords they had and the quick shooting bows, loading them with arrows.

"Oh. You are certainly going to regret calling us thief. Say that once again!" The pegasus race said. Earth growled at them.

"Thief." They said, before charging at the pegasus race, who charged at them. The unicorn race, even though not being insulted at that point, charged in as well to fight the two sides so that if they won they would finally show who was more superior. The three were about to start killing each other when they remembered why they were there. They turned around to see the family slowly backing up, trying to not be part of this slaughter. When they realized they noticed them, they started to run, but then they bumped into a wall made out of magic. The three tribes momentarily forgot their dispute as they concentrated all their forces around the family.

(Hey! For the first time in forever, they are working toge-)

(Every tribe mentally: SHUT UP!)

(Author: Okay...?)

"So look what we have here?" The unicorn leader said as he examined the family, making sure that they were not the wrong ones. He smiled when he realized they were the ones they were trying to find. "Looks like now we have you." The unicorn said. The pegasus growled.

"No. WE have him." They said. The earth ponies growled as well.

"What then hay man!? I already told you, WE had them since the very beginning!" Earth yelled. They started their argument again, and every single pegasus, earth pony, and unicorn had their weapons barely touching the other's neck. The tensions were so high that the entire atmosphere around them was beating them with a sickening heat. It seemed like for the first time in this 300 Year War, the first drop of blood would finally be splattered over the floor. But right when it seemed like a war would break out, they quickly glanced and saw that the family, somehow, had escaped.

"What?! Impossible!" One of the pegasus said. Then they turned against each other again as they started to blame each other once again.

"It's your fault!"

"No it's his fault!"

"No you!"

"It's your stupidity! It's definitely your fault!"

"No you!"

"Oh no it ain't me! It's his fault!"

"NO YOU!"

And as these three tribes bickered yet again, while the heat in the atmosphere around them heated to uncontrollable proportions, the temperatures dropped by a fraction. Above them, creatures fed by hatred against one another swirled around them. While they would not be as powerful as they would later be, soon, very soon, there would be so much rage to fuel them that it would be impossible to live there.

The times of cold was very far away, but it would come, very soon.

The family had escaped and were now too faraway for a expedition group to find them now. They regained their breath and laid down a bit. They had their wagon, but it was no unusable.

"What are we going to do now?" The Mother worriedly said. The Father inspected the wagon.

"This thing took too many hits already. I don't think it would work for much anymore." The Father said, sighing. "But at least the children are okay, but with so many things against us...I don't know what to do anymore..." The Father said. "I-i-i think it might be time..." The Father said. The mother gasped.

"No! We can't let that happen!" The mother cried out. The father sighed as another argument was about to unfold, and he hated arguments, especially since his logic would usually win, and thus his words would hit harder than any action possible to them.

"If we don't they run the risk of being killed." The Father said.

"There must be a way! Who would accept them anyways!? They would just be separated from each other and then we'll never be united again!" The Mother said, crying. "Even if somepony accepted them they would become his or her's slave!" The mother said. The father placed a hoof to his head as he sighed, trying to stop his emotions from getting him as well.

"I simply don't know. I don't regret marrying you, but we knew this would happen from the very beginning." The father said. He smiled a bit. "I would give everything again for you." The father said, wiping the tears away from his wife and love. "But we have to make the right decisions. If not, then not only our hopes in this life would die off, but the hope of Equestria itself would perish." The father said, hugging her. She sighed, tears still going down, but she decided to gulp all of that pain back in.

"I know...but who? Who would take in our children?" She asked. The father pondered a bit, trying to find something in his memory that might become useful. Then it hit him.

"Remember that certain unicorn that once did a speech about ending this segregation?" The father said. The mother tried to remember, and after a moment, nodded.

"But are you sure he'll accept them?" The Mother asked. The father nodded.

"I'm certain. Starswirl will accept them and hide them while this whole thing happens." The father said as they motioned their children to come with them.

"You know it'll be difficult to get there, right? He's in the middle of the unicorn tribe." The mother said. The father nodded.

"I know, but if we catch him when he travels to another tribe, we can convince him to take care of them." The father said.

"It will be dangerous, you know." The mother said, but a small smiled had formed on her face.

"I know, but we'll go through this together, and by the end, we'll be together again." The father said as they departed into the forest that hid them. They knew there would still be a lot to do and a lot of moments where their lives would be at risk.

But if they stayed together, nothing will happen to them.

The 300 Year Rivalry War would continue to rage on, but the time was coming for it to end, and from those ashes would bring an empire.

But even being united, this family, along with many other families like them, would continue to be under the constant threat of being separated, if not destroyed. Something must be done to stop this madness.

And help would be on its way.

"Only wait a bit more, only a bit more, and then our divided world will be reunified and rebuilt into a ever lasting empire, where its limits is the sky."

But for now, the stage is set, the conflicts are presented, and just like any story, it's time for the action to begin.

To be Continued...

Author's Note:

Okay! That took WAY longer than it should've been, considering the number of words there are. My stories are being slowed down due to life, but I promise that I'll try to pick into high gear once summer comes. Until next time...see ya-

Random Reader: But hey! Isn't this story about Midnight and Spectrum?
Author: (1) Shut up (2) This is the setting up for their story. So please have patience.

Anyways...see ya then!