~Here we go everyone. I present to you all the first real chapter of our community made fanfiction, Harmony Lost. I can't apologize enough for taking so long to get this out the door. Between work, home life, getting sick, and what little remains of my social life, my brain has been so full of bangarang it's not even funny.
DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way, own the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or any of the characters that belong to the aforementioned cartoon. Rights for MLP:FiM belong to Hasbro and Lauren Faust. Hell, the majority of characters in this story are OC's that you readers were gracious enough to allow me to use, and for that I can't thank you all enough. And please, for the love of Celestia, support the official release.
Special recognitions go to The KageKitsune000, The Nurgling, and Karl Kadaver for their character contributions towards this chapter and FrostFlame for help in some last minute editing.
Chapter One: A Brewing Storm
Starlight Blaze awoke with a start after his alarm clock went off. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't help but get the same reaction from himself with the same end result. He peeled his face from the floor off to the right side of his queen sized bed, reached up a blindly furious hand, and tried his best to turn off the confounded noise. He succeeded in only tossing if off of his bed side table. Either way, the noise stopped.
He stood up with wobbly legs and looked around his messy room with dreary eyes. It was by no means in terrible shape, but the floor was nearly non-existent. Various articles of clothing lay about in mismatched piles on the light grey carpeting. Bowls and plates, never more than a few days old mind you, sat on his writing desk. Books of all types lay about the room, some laying open revealing all sorts of knowledge of just about everything. Various posters of different bands and performing artists lined the deep red walls. 'DJ-PON3 Rockin' Equestria!' and 'Octavia: Lady of Harmony' stood out among them, there were at least three of each all detailing different touring schedules.
Starlight scratched at his shaggy brown hair, letting a very heavy yawn escape his throat. He was a fairly tall individual standing at just over six feet. He was around his mid twenties and his body was very tightly toned, athletic and capable.
He made his way to his bathroom, grabbing a fresh shirt, jeans, and underwear from three piles of clothing along the way. He knew which articles of clothing were clean, he just didn't have the attention span or the proper amount of care to place them neatly in his drawers.
Starlight stepped onto the cold tile of the bathroom and felt his feet scream at him in protest. He wasn't quite awake enough to care at this point, which he demonstrated by turning the knobs in his shower to just the right angle. As the shower sputtered to life he looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were a piercingly bright green and the snow white cutie marks on his forearms stood out against his tanned skin. At least those two things had stayed the same. It gave him some comfort, but it also gave validity to what has happened to Equestria for almost a year now.
As he stepped into the shower, Starlight kept replaying the day it happened again and again. It was a normal day in Equestria, bright sunshine, fluffy white clouds, fragrant flowers, tall trees, and some of the nicest ponies anyone could ever hope to meet. Starlight had just retired from an eight year run in service to the throne and had chosen to live the quiet life just outside of Ponyville. Couldn't get much quieter than that, right?
Ponyville was always such a dreamy little town. It was a tight knit community, one that any form of civilization would be envious to have. Everyone knew everyone, everyone helped everyone, and whatever disputes that became troublesome were quickly and efficiently dealt with. It was definitely the kind of place Starlight could see himself living.
Starlight had settled on a little cottage just off the beaten path, just past the edge of the Everfree Forest. Living somewhere like this didn't bother him one bit. He was an experienced soldier who had served two straight terms, he knew the ins and outs of self defense. His biggest reason for dropping the military thing was so he could start a family of his own one day. His parents were dead and he really didn't have other family members to support him, so, he had made a pledge to himself that he would have a big family one day. But you just couldn't do that sort of thing if you were off somewhere different every other day, you know?
He had quickly become attuned to the quiet life, stating that it was "Just my style." He got a part time job working as a ranch hand on the Apple's orchard, even though the money he had gained through his tour of duty was more than enough to last him a long time. He liked the Apple family. In fact, he loved them. They had practically adopted him into their tight knit family, calling him, on more than one occasion, brother or son. He loved working for them, and even though he kept saying that he would do all of the work for free, they had insisted on paying him his fair share.
Starlight loved it here. He loved Ponyville, the Everfree, the way the flowers carried their scent over the vast fields of the greenest grass. He loved the wide sky that was the most impossible shade of blue, he loved the mountains in the distance, and most of all, he loved the community. He couldn't get enough. He enjoyed every little last detail of the friends he had made while here in Ponyville.
He was always the active sort of pony. One that would volunteer at Sugar Cube Corner when the Cake's were having a busy day, or go to the local library and see what kind of light reading he could pick up on. He liked spending his time around the park, watching the Pegasi have races and just chatting it up. He even loved just perusing the various stores, namely one clothing store in particular, the Carousel Boutique. Starlight had a thing for original art, be it musical or otherwise, he was addicted, and Rarity had never failed to impress.
Starlight didn't mind Rarity in the slightest. Other ponies around town would constantly go on about her, well, going on and on. But he knew that she was a kind soul, and didn't mind in the least bit whenever she asked him for his help in designing some new colt fashion. He almost thought of her as a sort of sister and felt comfortable coming to her whenever he had something weighing heavily on his mind. Somewhere along the line, she thought of him in the same regard.
It was all perfect. Starlight was ready to start the rest of his life. Or, he would have been, had the rumors not reached town.
For a long time now there had been rumors circulating between the royal armies that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna weren't really getting along lately. Words of a possible coup started buzzing around the stallions and mares, saying that Princess Luna thought that the oppressive state that Celestia had ruled under for so long must now come to an end. That the everyday citizen of Equestria should be free to do as he or she so chooses.
Unfortunately, being of the status that he was, Starlight knew all of these rumors to be true, although very loosely. He had served under Princess Luna for eight years as one of her personal Shadow Guard. Not many ponies chose to stick around for two terms on Luna's vanguard, but he had an obligation to Luna. Not as a sworn protector of her Highness, but as one of her few and closest friends. As such he was granted the title of Captain of the Guard and was almost always seen at her side.
When the rumors started, Luna really did say something along those lines to her older sister, but she did so in good conscience. Luna didn't want to tear down her sister's kingdom brick by brick, but try to reach an understanding between the two forces of monarchy and democracy.
Yet it didn't stop the rumors from spreading like wildfire, it didn't stop ponies from starting to choose sides, and it sure didn't set Celestia's mind at ease knowing what was coming. Celestia had confronted her younger sister time and time again about the rumors of militia forming against her and the kingdom, but Luna could only answer in truth, saying each and every time that she just didn't know.
Starlight was no fool. He knew which way the tide was turning, he could see it in Celestia's eyes. She had that paranoid look, like she was always expecting somepony to come out of nowhere and strike. He had decided that if there was going to be any sort of happening within the kingdom, he did not want to be a part of it.
Luna respected his wish, releasing him from his duties with only a simple final order: stay in touch. Starlight left the castle and never really looked back. He had this feeling, like someone had placed a boulder in his gut. He was apprehensive of the whole situation, knowing that where there was smoke, there would surely be fire.
That was just over a year and a half ago. Needless to say, Starlight moved to Ponyville initially to escape whatever may be on the horizon, but he grew to love the quiet town. Until things weren't so quiet anymore.
It had finally happened, not six months after Starlight had finally settled into the fabric of Ponyville. Princess Celestia had finally cracked beneath the pressure, and razed a small village. It was somewhere far off, bordering the southernmost reaches of Equestria, but the effect was felt everywhere. Fifteen families were wiped clean from existence. Stallions, mares, and foals alike had been accused of being Lunar sympathisers and where killed on sight.
No one believed it at first. Everyone was sure it had to have been some roving band of bandits, or even a very angry dragon. Were it not for the royal decree that soon followed, everyone would have been happy with thinking that there was a giant fire breathing lizard on a rampage. A royal decree stating that any and all members of the Lunar Republic, would be put to the block without leniency. Little did everyone know that this new law was the least of their problems.
Peace in Equestria was never a passive thing. Eternal peace and harmony was never about how well everyone got along, but it was a gift. A gift from gods that transcended the sun itself. When they had seen the horror of what their most trusted vassal had done, they grew angry and seized the gift that Equestria had taken care of for so very long, and in the process unleashed a curse onto the land and it's residents.
It was painful, to say the least. It happened suddenly, but by no means did it go by quickly. For Starlight, it happened when he was on his way home from the library. Twilight Sparkle had given him some choice reading material from her private collection saying that he was one of the few ponies in Equestria she could trust with such delicate treasures. He, like every other pony around him, watched as the skies above started to cloud over, the weather team on duty trying their best to keep the unruly clouds at bay to no avail.
That was when it hit him like a brick from four stories up. Starlight's body was racked with a pain too unspeakable to mention. It was a throbbing, deep, searing, cutting pain that covered his nerves from head to hoof. He could hear and feel the bones in his legs snapping with a wet dull cracking noise and reforming themselves into a different shape, he could feel his rib cage split open and sew itself shut again, he felt his spine bend and twist against his will, and his skull cracked and shaped itself into a more rounded form. He looked through tear filled eyes as his entire body started to regress it's well kept light grey coat in favor of a pale shade of skin. He watched in some form of horror as his cutie mark appeared on both of his forearms.
After almost twenty full minutes of pure, unrestrained torture, Starlight's body finally came to a rest. He lay there, cold and full of pain, until the screams and moans of other ponies came to his ears.
He looked around at what used to be a pony filled thoroughfare, to see a street filled with strange creatures laying about naked in the street. Had it not been for the shifted cutie marks on their bodies, Starlight would have thought he was dreaming. He staggered his way onto all fours and eventually found how to stand on his newly acquired legs with some help from a nearby lamp post. Walking was shaky at first, but his new body seemed to know how to do the work, so he just went with it.
Starlight hobbled over to a nearby shop stall. One that was being tended to by a friend of his, an off white mare with a purple and pink mane. She was the first one to speak openly with Starlight after he had moved to town, the other ponies wary of him and his past as a guardsman.
Bon Bon was doubled over behind the counter, her thin pale body shaking with the pain still ravaging through her petite form. Her cutie mark had shifted to the base of her neck and looked very out of place. Her hair was still the same as she liked it, though now it was frazzled and messy from all of the thrashing about. She was weeping softly.
"Bonny?" Starlight knelt down and placed a cold hand on her back. Bon Bon whipped her head around as if she had been stung. Her eyes were full of pain mixed with gratitude for seeing a friendly face during such an ordeal.
"Blaze," She gasped between sobs. "It hurts. It hurts too much." She sat up and grabbed at her sides, the waning pain still leaving it's ache behind. Starlight grabbed her and held her close for a while, he hated seeing one of his closest friends in pain. After a little time had passed, Bon Bon had stopped shivering and wiped the tears from her face, the pain receding to a dull thud similar to what Starlight was still feeling.
"Do you think you can move? Or at least try standing?" Starlight stood up, the muscles in his legs getting used to their new shape. He reached out his hand to her, she took it with only a moment's hesitation. It was a bit of a struggle, but he got her on her feet in no time using himself, as well as the shop stall, as a prop.
Standing side by side, the two friends looked out at what Ponyville had become. It was chaos and carnage blended together to weave a tapestry of horror and lament. Some ponies, or rather the creatures they had become, had managed to work out how to stand on two feet and were shambling about, confused and in pain. Others simply lay in the dust and cried, some were out cold, passed out from the persistent agony. To think that was the least of the worries.
In various spaces some of the creatures lay motionless in a pool of their own blood. Judging by the cutie marks on their bodies, they had been a part of the weather team. When the change had happened they were plucked from the sky and several fell to their deaths. Others crashed onto rooftops or were lucky enough to avoid dying from the sudden impact. Starlight and Bon Bon moved to a small body, the only noticeable quality being the long blonde mane and a cutie mark, a series of bubbles.
Starlight knelt down over her, set his ear close to her mouth, and listened for breathing. He could hear it, but it was faint. He could also hear what little breath there was coming out as a sort of gurgling sound.
"Bonny! Help me with this!" Starlight hastily yelled as he flipped the young woman over onto her back. He knew time was a factor here, she was choking on her own blood. Starlight had to learn basic CPR being a guardsman, he just hoped that the same principles carried over into this new form.
"Derpy? What do you want me to do?" Bon Bon moved to Starlight's right side looking over the past-tense pegasus with bated breath.
"I need you to tilt her head back to get her wind pipe open. When she starts coughing, roll her on her side." Starlight set himself to work with heart palpitations, one hand over the other. He pressed downward hard and fast in even doses. He could feel her chest give way under the force as one of her ribs snapped, sending an unpleasant wave of nausea through Starlight's body. He pushed past it and continued on.
Bon Bon knew what was happening, she was a cook herself and had taken all of the safety classes on choking. So when Starlight stopped pumping away, she wasted no time in giving Derpy all the air she possibly could. Bon Bon pressed her mouth to Derpy's and blew hard down her throat causing her chest to distend and grow.
Almost instantly Derpy's eyes shot open and the air she was given came rushing out of her like no tomorrow in a heavy bout of coughing. Bon Bon and Starlight rolled Derpy on her side, the steely taste of Derpy's hastily ejected blood prevalent in Bon Bon's mouth, and let her cough out the blockage. During her fall Derpy had bounced off of a rain gutter and bit the tip of her tongue off in the process. As she grew unconscious the blood had started to go down her throat unchecked. But now she was fine, for the most part anyway.
"Someone! Anyone! Help me!" That voice cut the air like a hot knife through butter. It was female, but very tomboyish. Starlight knew that scream, it came from his rival on the race track. He looked over towards Sugar Cube Corner to see a very thin, yet very toned, female body hanging from one of the storm drains. Her very long multicolored hair whipped about in the breeze as she hung on with slipping fingers, her focus being lost in the pain that was still affecting her body.
Starlight was up and moving in a flash, the ache in his legs losing out to the adrenaline pumping through his system. He bound ahead using long strides to cover the distance between him and his destination in no time at all. Rainbow Dash's body finally got the best of her and she went plummeting to the ground below, the second story drop being broken by a diving Starlight.
"I win." Starlight said through gritted teeth as he tried his best to look as hero-like as possible. Dash stood up off of him and helped him to his feet.
"I owe you one." Dash ran off down the thoroughfare towards anyone who still needed assistance. Starlight figured she hadn't let the fact that her wings were missing sink in yet.
Starlight looked over to Bon Bon who was cradling Derpy's head in her lap. He gazed around the chaos that was Ponyville, his eyes stopping on the bodies of the most unfortunate for a brief moment. He looked up and saw the swirling clouds above them. They were a ferocious mix of purples, greys, and reds. It seemed to him like some sort of omen.
That was how it had went that day. Everyone he knew had been shifted in the event later referred to as "The Change". It was hard to pick the pieces of their lives back up out of the dust, but everyone in town seemed to manage in one way or another. Word from outside town was that the tragedy that had taken place that day had developed into a series of scuffles. Plenty of testimony from tradesman and other travellers had confirmed the existence of militia forming in distant towns and of some of the more physically talented individuals acting as mercenaries.
Ponyville had been lucky so far, everyone had worked tirelessly to make sure that the sleepy little town had stayed neutral through it all. Merchants and other store owners had payed extra careful attention to where their goods were being sent to, taking extra special care not to sway too far in one direction or the other lest they fall under suspicion of treason. Yet it didn't stop business, let alone slow it down. Migrants from other towns had started either passing through or settling in to Ponyville in an attempt to get out of the way of the inevitable fighting that was starting to grow out of control. Never before had Ponyville been so lively, it was heart warming, really. Knowing that even through the problems that just kept popping up, there were some out there who just wanted to live the quiet life.
Starlight turned off the shower with a loud sputtering noise. Throwing open the curtain and grabbing a towel he set to drying himself off. Once he had gotten dressed(a black t-shirt and blue jeans) he started out of the bathroom and walked into his kitchen, made a piece of toast, threw on his shoes, and walked out the front door.
It was mid-summer in Equestria. Warm summer sunlight filtered itself through the trees above to the little used path below. It was still early, but the Everfree was alive and in full swing. Birds chirped high in the trees, rabbits scurried just out of sight, somewhere far off a bear yawned. Above, the skies were clear of clouds and that astonishingly blue color just seemed to stretch on for eternity. A light breeze shook the trees above letting leaves to wistfully fall to the path below. Starlight walked on, his shaggy brown hair getting tussled in the wind. He never bothered trying to brush his hair, mother nature usually took care of that kind of stuff for him.
As he neared the edge of the foreboding Everfree Forest, Starlight passed by what could only be described as a tree house. It was adorned with various masks and decorations from a far off country. The tenant who usually lived here wasn't around, the windows were kept shut and the makeshift chimney was not letting out it's usual stream of off colored smoke. Though it didn't necessarily surprise him, she was always out doing something or another in the forest.
He pressed on a little further down the path and finally reached the clearing that led into Ponyville. Trees ended abruptly in a wide meadow of exceedingly tall grass that waved gently in the breeze. Off in the distance, a small cottage sits just over a small rise near the edge of the tree line, shutters closed.
'Man, no one's around today. Something big going down?' Starlight thought to himself as he passed by the fork in the road that led to both Ponyville and towards the vacant cottage. He chose the right path that would take him to town, and in no time at all he was standing at the beginning of the main thoroughfare.
Starlight's initial wonders of whether or not something was happening around here were instantly satisfied with a near face-meet-palm moment. Banners hung all around town in celebration of the Summer Sun Festival later this evening. How could he have forgotten one of the biggest days of the year? He wasn't quite sure himself.
People lined the streets buying all sorts of items in preparation of the night's festivities. He spotted Berry Punch through the window of the local general store purchasing some, refreshments. At one of the street stalls he could see Bon Bon chatting it up with Lyra. Bon Bon waved a short greeting when she spotted him, Lyra doing the same not too long afterwards. Starlight waved back and kept walking wasting no time for idle talk. He had somewhere to be.
Starlight had to stop a moment as he came to a curve in the road. Taking cover behind the corner of a building was someone he had come to know very well recently. He was of an average height for his age, seventeen, standing at just under six feet. He had medium to long powder blue hair that nearly came down to his shoulders. He wore a white hooded sweatshirt , made of a very light and breezy material that was accentuated with trim the same color as his hair, simple blue jeans, and white sneakers. His eyes were a bright and luxurious shade of emerald green and were hidden behind his simple wire rimmed glasses. He was staring intently down the road at something, Starlight leaned up over him to see what the deal was.
Standing just down the street, speaking to a stall vendor, was a rather petite looking woman with very long pink hair that flowed about her body wistfully in the breeze. She wore a long, sunshine yellow, sun dress and simple yet elegant shoes. Starlight spoke aloud without even looking down at his friend.
"Man, Blue, I knew you had a thing for Fluttershy, but isn't stalking her taking it a bit far?" Starlight's friend nearly jumped out of his skin. He didn't hear Starlight approach.
"Holy-! Don't scare me like that, dude! And what have I told you about calling me Blue?" Starlight only chuckled to himself.
"Fine, Seraph." He said sarcastically. "You still haven't answered my question."
Seraph just stood there, his red medical cross cutie mark on the right of his collarbone peaking out from under his hoodie, trying to find a good lie.
"I-I wasn't stalking Fluttershy. I just grew a little nervous as she passed by." Starlight looked at Seraph with a knowing look complimented by a sly grin.
"You know you rhyme when you lie, or when you're nervous." Seraph's face grew red, his old habits coming back to haunt him once again. He just looked at his feet. Starlight took some pity on him. "I don't know why you wont just go and talk to her. I mean, she isn't seeing anyone, right?"
Seraph looked back up even more visibly flustered. "It's not that simple! I can't just go and talk to Fluttershy like that! I mean, why would she even want to talk to a guy like me, right? She could have, literally, any other guy in Equestria." Seraph looked dejected and went back to staring at his shoes. Starlight was growing impatient.
"Okay, fine, you win. But I'm not going to let you stalk a wonderful lady like her." Starlight grabbed Seraph by his hood and began to drag him along behind him.
"Hey! W-What are you doing?"
"Since you feel like you have nothing better to do, you can help me out. I have an appointment at Sugar Cube Corner, they're swamped with the festival tonight and it looks like you just volunteered yourself." Seraph tried to resist but Starlight was much stronger than he looked. He caught Fluttershy's curious gaze and saw her give a little wave. Starlight waved back, Seraph just blushed, dumbstruck.
After a short bout of dragging and being dragged, the two stopped at the front door of Ponyville's bakery, Sugar Cube Corner. People were lined out of the door to pick up their orders. Not breaking stride Starlight dragged Seraph up the stairs, much to his protest, and wedged their way through the doorway.
Inside the bakery was chaos unbound. Shouting, pushing and shoving, harsh language, just to name a few actions. Starlight was having a hard time navigating his way to the front counter until Mr. Cake called out to them.
"Starlight! Thank goodness you're here, and not a moment too soon!" The crowd opened up around Starlight and his unwilling luggage with a few step asides and out of the ways. Starlight held up Seraph by his hood, lifting him off the ground.
"I brought some extra hands! Figured we could use the help!" Starlight dropped Seraph who landed on his feet.
"Thank Celestia you did, we're even busier than I initially thought. Go and head on back to the kitchen, Pinkie Pie can fill you in on the details." Starlight cut his way past the crowded room, Seraph not too far behind. As he lifted the hinged portion of the counter he had to shout a greeting to Mrs. Cake who was buried chin deep in boxes of assorted pastries. If she heard him, she didn't respond.
Starlight and Seraph walked into the kitchen, the smells of various frosting's and cakes filling the air with an irresistibly mouth watering scent. Bowls caked with flour, hardening dough, and frosting lay about the kitchen in various piles, the large industrial dish washer working overtime. Timers were going off at random intervals adding to the uproar coming from the passage that led back to the lobby area. Through all of the chaos and dishevelry a pink blur could be seen whipping around the kitchen, simultaneously pulling pastries out of ovens, reloading new pastries, frosting, and decorating all at once. It stopped for a brief moment as it caught sight of the two new helpers.
Pinkie Pie had been shifted into an average form, not too skinny, not too muscular, not too overweight, just average. She was wearing a pink t-shirt that donned the logo of Sugar Cube Corner on the front, obscured by the white apron she chose to wear while baking. Her poofy cotton candy-like hair still poofy and cotton candy-like. Her tan Capri pants were covered in flour and drying dough. She had the most genuine of smiles plastered to her face.
"Oh, hi! About time you showed up, I was starting to wonder when you'd get here, not that I thought you would ever not get here, I know that you never break a promise, oh is that Seraph, hi Seraph did you come to help today?" Seraph just sort of nodded, he had only been in town a few months but he still hasn't gotten used to processing all of the information Pinkie Pie could spew forth in a few seconds.
"Great! Grab an apron, grab a bowl, pick up a spoon, and let's go!" Starlight and Seraph did as they were instructed. Donning their aprons and grabbing their culinary arsenal, the two set themselves to work. It was time consuming and Pinkie Pie ran a tough operation. She was always making sure that everything was in order, staying five steps ahead of everything at once. She was like some sort of machine.
Cakes of all sorts were born that day. Pound cakes, angel cakes, fruit cakes, cupcakes, marble cakes, devil's food cakes, chocolate cakes, vanilla cakes, red velvet cakes, just to name a few. In no time at all the trio had put out enough cakes to finally sate the demanding crowd, and in a few hours the massive number of people dwindled to just a few every now and then.
"Oh man, I can't believe it's over." Seraph sighed as he collapsed into one of the chairs near the small table on the far side of the room. "If I never make another pineapple upside-down cake, it'll be too soon." Pinkie Pie was still as bouncy and bubbly as ever.
"I'm surprised you kept up! I know that I had troubles keeping up sometimes, but then I just got faster and faster until I got to this speed, which I guess you could call fast, or even super fast, oh, what about super-DUPER fast?" There she went again. Seraph was too focused on what Pinkie Pie was saying that he didn't have nearly enough time to be annoyed. Starlight just smiled as he dried the last few dishes that came steaming out of the dish washer. Pinkie Pie always made him smile like a complete idiot, even if she didn't mean to.
The doorway to the kitchen swung open, the words "They're in the back, dear." coming from Mrs. Cake's voice wafting through the entryway. In stepped a modestly sized woman with long dark purple hair, accentuated by a pink stripe that cascaded down it's length. She wore a simple t-shirt that was a deep shade of lavender, simple form-fitting blue jeans, and simple shoes. Yet the simplicity of her outfit was also what made her seem practical and smart.
"Well, I guess you guys don't need my help after all." Starlight looked over to Twilight Sparkle, finishing up with the last measuring cup.
"Hey Twilight. Didn't really expect you to show up. What's the occasion?" Pinkie Pie bounded over to Twilight, somehow getting behind her studious friend and wrapping her arms around her neck in a surprise hug.
"Hiya Twilight!" She said in an overly-cheery manner. For some reason or another, Pinkie Pie was more, well, Pink today. Twilight laughed as she peeled her friend off her back.
"No occasion. Thought you could use some help is all. I passed by earlier today while picking up some necessities for tonight and saw how long the line was. Must have been a lot of work." Seraph just grunted out a tired sigh in response. Starlight and the others chuckled to themselves. Pinkie Pie moved over to Seraph placing a warm hand on his shoulder.
"I know just the thing to cheer you right up! Some ice cold apple juice, on me!" Pinkie grabbed Seraph by his hood and dragged him out of the kitchen. He tried to resist, but damn it, she was much stronger than she looked too. Too tired to protest, he just let her do as she pleased. Twilight looked after them with a perplexed look, Starlight had the widest of grins.
Starlight looked to Twilight and motioned for her to take a seat at the table. As she did he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of iced tea and poured them a couple of glasses. Holding up a small jar and a spoon Twilight told him that she would like two spoon fulls of sugar. Happy to oblige Starlight mixed the drinks, adding only half a spoon to his own, and carried them back to the small table.
Sunlight streamed in through the open window, the warm rays being complimented by the day's cool and constant breeze. Weather in Equestria had been erratic since the Change, the shifted pegasi could still manipulate clouds, but flying was a limited option. Today seemed like one of those days, where mother nature takes pity on her children and blesses them with the most perfect of days. Lillies, roses, daisies, and chrysanthemums made their heavenly scents known on the breeze. Clouds had spawned overhead, moving lazily about, busy with their own agenda.
They both sat there a while, sipping sweet tea and soaking up the sun. Several minutes later Twilight broke the calm silence.
"I've been reading into the Change again." Starlight set his drink down on the table and looked into her violet eyes. Her cutie mark had been shifted to her pupils, it was offsetting at first, but it seemed to fit after you got used to them. He had asked her a long time ago to help him dig up any and all information on the subject. Normally that sort of thing wouldn't be much of an issue, but after descending into this rabbit hole, the two had learned that it was best to leave sleeping dogs lay. Between the discovery of ancient civilizations and cultist organizations surrounding the event, the two had agreed to keep a tight lid on the situation and never breathe a word to anyone else about what they had found.
Starlight couldn't really get angry with her. He knew the kind of girl that she was, curious and always wanting to learn more. Really it was his fault that she knew as much as she did.
"What did you find out?" Starlight spoke keeping eye contact the entire time. He wasn't happy-go-lucky Starlight anymore, he meant business. His more intense side, the soldier in him, came rising to the surface. Twilight had seen this side of him before, it was scary at first, but she knew he didn't mean any harm in it. It was just how he reacted when things got serious.
"I was able to get a book from Canterlot, "The Lost Ancient Legends of Equestrian History." Starlight knew that book. He also knew that it was in the restricted section of the royal library, for royal eyes only. Reading the look on his face she could see the questions coming before they came. "An old friend from my time at the School for Gifted Unicorns was able to get the book. Yes I have friends back in Canterlot. No, I wasn't sure he was my friend until recently. His name is Inkwell, Quill Inkwell. Get your mind out of the gutter, he's just a friend." Starlight was never so impressed with Twilight as he was when she could practically scry the future. She had pretty much satisfied all of his questions for the moment. She continued.
"This book was able to give me more information that I could have ever hoped for. Stuff about gods, even older than the sun and the moon, entire kingdoms falling under their own weight, love stories that end in both tragedy and despair." Twilight's eyes glistened for a moment as her mind sank back into the depths of her "borrowed" book. "But then I came across a legend that I'm still not sure I even want know about. The origins of the Elements of Harmony." She set to explaining the whole thing. How the Elements were gifted to the Alicorn lineage a long time ago. How every one of the residents of Equestria were much more bestial than they had just previously been. How the might of Harmony had enabled them to live in peace for eons. How everyone had fucked it all up.
"So, basically we didn't change into some new life form, but we reverted back into a more savage shape. Back to what we once were, a race of creatures only capable of destroying one another." Twilight finished her long winded summary of the book and sipped her tea. Starlight let all of the information pool in the back of his mind. He let it all sink in one bit at a time until he completely grasped the situation.
"Then, a full on war is bound to happen." Starlight looked down at the table, his worst fear coming to the surface to rear it's ugly misshapen head. Twilight looked at him with empathetic eyes. It wasn't like him to worry about things that weren't right in front of him, but she knew all about his fears and his past. Get-togethers with everyone had brought most of Starlight's personal life to light. No secrets between friends, right?
Starlight snapped back to it, pushing the thoughts of the inevitable out of his mind as best he could. He looked back up at Twilight and gave a wide smile.
"No sense fretting about events that haven't even happened yet, right? What time is it anyway? I was supposed to head over to A.J.'s around four and- OH CRAP!" Starlight glanced over to the clock that was mounted just over the window above the sink. 4:17 p.m.
In a flash Starlight downed the last of his drink and bolted out of the kitchen door sparing a quick "Gotta bolt!" at Twilight along with a little wave. Tearing out of the kitchen, Starlight almost ran headlong into Seraph causing him to slow down a moment to spin around his friend.
"Whoa! Where's the fire?" Seraph called to him.
"Gotta get to the orchard twenty minutes ago. Bye Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake. Catch you later Pinkie Pie, gotta run!" Not even staying back for a response, Starlight tore out of the bakery and made his way towards his home away from home.
He felt the wind rip through his hair, felt his feet pound hard onto the earth below, felt his heartbeat race in time with his long strides. He loved to run, especially on days like these, but the constant stream of "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" running through his mind kept him from fully enjoying the experience.
Starlight ran past stores and shop stalls, ducked and weaved through random pedestrians, and cleared most of the busy streets in no time at all.
"Let me guess, late for something?" That telltale voice resounded over the roar of the passing wind. From just off to his right he caught a glimpse of that ever so familiar stream of long rainbow colored hair. Starlight came to a stop not too long after that, catching his breath as it was still somewhere in the kitchen of Sugar Cube Corner. He looked up to see Rainbow Dash's rose colored eyes and smiling face staring back at him.
She looked healthy and very fit. She was wearing a cyan athletic tank top that had a white wing pattern sewn into the fabric on her back. She was also wearing black athletic shorts that were made of a jersey material, very finely crafted running shoes, and fingerless gloves that allowed her to climb easier. Her cutie mark was seldom seen as she was one of the few around whose mark had stayed where it had originally been. Since the Change, Dash had been searching for new ways to get airborne. She took to climbing to high places and jumping from rooftop to rooftop in order to get that same rush. Even through the Change, she was still the fastest thing around, there was no way that she was going to let some cosmic power take that away from her.
"Haven't seen you run that fast in a long time. Shame you can't be that quick on the track, you might actually turn out to be a threat." Dash slugged him playfully on the arm, Starlight returned with a smile.
"Yeah, careful what you wish for Crash. You might just-"
"Rainbow Dash! I just simply cannot believe that you would just bolt off right in the middle of our conversation!" A fairly tall woman came fuming down the road towards the two. She absolutely exuded high society as she walked, taking carefully practiced steps while trying her best to keep a fast-as-possible pace in her deep purple high heels. Her midnight violet hair was long, but not too long, and was done in a very uniquely glamorous style. She wore a formal white button-down shirt that was free of any and all blemishes as well as a black skirt that clung to her form. She wore hoop earrings that dangled about as she walked, each of them made of the finest gold, as well as an amethyst necklace that complimented her overall ensemble. She was carrying several bags with her. Well, not really carrying them as she was levitating them behind her, one of the rings on her right hand glowing with a faint light-blue radiance.
"Good afternoon, Rarity." Starlight had finally caught his breath and stood up to greet his friend taking a bow and shooting a sarcastic grin in her direction. He had always joked with her that she thought she was royalty, after getting enough reactions out of her it kind of became an inside joke among the lot of them. Even Dash bowed.
"Oh, ha ha. A good afternoon to you as well Starlight. I hope you don't mind me saying, dear, but you look very out of breath. Is there somewhere you need to be?" Starlight had nearly forgotten after bumping into two more of his friends. He wanted to just bolt off, but that would have been rude. He could spare a few seconds for these guys.
"Well," Starlight began,scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "I was supposed to be at Applejack's to help with the renovations on the back field. They're supposed to be putting up a new barn today." Rarity looked a bit taken aback.
"Well then, you need to get a move on then. We can catch up with each other later, I'm having a little get together tonight in celebration of the Festival at the Boutique tonight. Pinkie Pie will be running the festivities mind you, so the approach will be, regrettably, informal." Rarity made a shooing motion with her right hand, her cutie mark on her wrist making itself known to the sunlight. It had rearranged itself to look like a very fashionable bracelet. "Now move along! You really shouldn't keep a lady in waiting."
"Yeah get out of here Romeo!" Dash shoved him in the chest, getting him started. He shot her an annoyed glance and used the momentum from the push to help give him a good running start. It was no secret that he and A.J. were close, but not that close. Dash was the only one who would consistently tease him about it, so it hadn't gotten out of hand.
Starlight bounded across the fields and hilly terrain that separated him from his destination. Passing by random people in a blur of black and "Oh crap!"
Moments later the giant red barn of the Apple family came into view, the ornamental wind measure on top peaking out above some hills. He stopped a moment at the top of the mostly downhill slope that led into Sweet Apple Acres, taking in the scenery while he still could.
The barn was really the cornerstone of the entire farm. It sat right in the middle on a huge patch of cleared land, the various buildings set up around it in no particular order. There was the chicken coupe that sat just outside the barn's entrance, the pig pen that could be seen peeking around the back of the barn, the old well, and the huge ranch house that sat off a ways on it's own little hill in the distance.
All around the complex stretched land covered in almost every sort of produce available. Closest to the main entrance to the farm was a wide field of fresh corn that just started to really come in at full swing. Stretching from that, fields of celery, beans of all sorts, pumpkins, even hay fields made themselves right at home in carefully cut plots of land. But the real attraction was the orchard. Sure there was plenty of land for other produce, but the orchard itself blew them all away. No contest.
No matter how good your eyesight, no matter how far you tried to find the end, it just couldn't be done. Apple trees stretched for as far as there was visible land. Mountains off in the distance were painted a deep and luxurious shade of green that complemented the blue sky so well you would have thought you were staring at a painting. This time of year was when the apples started to near harvesting time, the delicious red orbs hung from the trees teasing anyone who walked by. It was damn near torture for Starlight not to help himself to one.
He passed by the barn and various buildings that served their own individual purpose, cutting a patch to the house that sat in the background. When he got there, good old Granny Smith was seated in her rocker on the front porch, soaking up the sun and enjoying the beautiful day. She saw Starlight approaching, now jogging, and a smile played over her face.
"Sorry I'm late Granny. Got caught up at the Corner." Starlight breathed. Even though he had taken the last stretch with ease, he still cleared all of Ponyville and then some in just a few short minutes and was very out of breath. Granny looked down at him, she liked Starlight, he was an honest man who loved doing honest work.
"Well it's a good thing you showed up when ya did. Applejack an' Macintosh done went to the back field 'bout half hour ago. Best catch up with 'em, they're awaitin'." Starlight started to head off towards the south. "An' be quick about it! My knees are achin', means there's gonna be a storm tonight."
He didn't need much more motivation, but he broke out in a sprint to humor the old lady. She loved to bust his balls, and he loved to let her. Made him feel like one of the family. He guessed that's why she did it in the first place.
Starlight strode through the rows of trees at a brisk pace, looking left and right trying to spot the rest of his surrogate family. He didn't have to look long. He could hear soft singing coming from up was a tune he knew, but he wasn't quite sure from where. Coming across a small clearing he found a rather nicely done tree house sitting in a squatty apple tree. That's where the singing was coming from, and he knew the tune to be the "Official Cutie Mark Crusader's Theme Song". He had heard it coming from the same voice a few times before when she thought no one could hear her.
Starlight approached the "Headquarters" and rapt his fist against the bottom of the suspended boardwalk, the singing stopping and multiple foot steps shuffling about. In a few seconds time four young faces popped out the window and looked down at him.
Even through the Change, these four hadn't changed all too much. Sure they were different(less hair, hooves, and general equine-like) but they still had that same shine in their eyes, that same spunk and determination, that same optimism. That same lack of cutie marks.
"Oh! It's Starlight! You lookin' fer mah brother and sister?" Applebloom called down. She had her hair done up in that insanely cute red bow that testified to her young age. Turns out the bow was some sort of family tradition and was passed down from generation to generation between the girls until they reached a certain age. Starlight couldn't help but admire the somewhat unnecessary tradition, it said something about their family's integrity. Applebloom was wearing her usual blue overalls and red t-shirt.
"You just missed them! They were here not too long ago." That was Scootaloo. She had taken to wearing light hooded sweatshirts and shorts, much like her idol, Rainbow Dash. Today was, of course, no different. She had also taken to being more active in the sport that was sweeping Equestria, the one that was taking the pegasi population by storm. She was never really a talented flier, but since the Change, no one was.
"They went that way, through those trees." Sweetie Belle chimed in. She had taken to wearing the dresses that her older sister, Rarity, had made for her. Even though she wanted to be wearing something more practical and fun, Rarity refused to allow her reputation as a "new age fashion designer" be ruined because her younger sister would prefer to wear common clothing rather than the pieces of artistry she could create. Sweetie Belle had taken this as a challenge and hadn't failed in nearly destroying each and every dress made for her in some way or another.
Starlight glanced behind him in the direction Sweetie Belle was pointing, then back up at them. He could see Amber peeking out of the doorway. She was a little thing, much younger than the other girls, but she was a very smart and gifted young unicorn. She had moved here with her daddy, Boldwin, a blacksmith by trade, with a group of refugees about six months ago. As to why they had moved to Ponyville, no one could say. Boldwin was a very quiet, and very intense, giant of a man. Amber was a pretty young thing, apparently just like her mother. Boldwin had at least revealed that much. She had long, fire red hair that was tied into a low ponytail. Her eyes were a majestic shade of a pale pink that never failed to grab someone's attention. She was wearing simple, earthy clothing. A red t-shirt and blue jeans.
Starlight gave her a little smile and a wink. Amber didn't know what to think of him. He wasn't like other adults who just tolerated the Crusaders, he was practically one of them. He always came to them with some new plan to help them find their cutie marks, be it simple or outlandish.
And the truth was, Starlight really did love the Crusaders. He could see a lot of himself in them when he was their age. He had almost become the outside confidant of the group, always waiting with an open ear and helpful advice. On more than one occasion, Cheerilee told him he should take up teaching. Starlight would just laugh and tell her that he was still too much of a kid to teach and that he'd settle on keeping this bunch out of trouble.
"Now, what in the wide world of Equestria are you four doing up in that tree house when you could be off helping to put up a barn in this wonderful weather?" Starlight said to the group.
"Applejack is still mad at us for destroying the kitchen after we tried to make breakfast this morning." Sweetie Belle said sheepishly. "We figured it would be a good idea to stay out of the way." Starlight sighed and shook his head.
"You know what I told you guys about cooking after last time?" They did. It had ended in panic and mass chaos as half of Rarity's boutique caught flame. "Well, come on then. You'll all be fine as long as you're with me." Starlight struck a heroic pose. "None can defeat me!" The girls giggled at him. He loved the sound. In no time at all the four girls were on the ground and moving in the direction of the construction zone, Applebloom riding on Starlight's shoulders.
By the time the group got to the site, work had already begun. Framing the barn and setting the base was the task to be completed today. Big Macintosh was carrying a couple huge pieces of timber, his bright red tank top pulled tight against his huge body. His apple half cutie mark was shifted to his left bicep and bulged outward against his straining muscles. He was a titan before the Change, but the addition of posable thumbs made him a demi-god. Applejack was setting to hammering the front A-frame together when she spotted Starlight and the girls.
She was easily the tallest of the group after the Change happened, standing almost as tall as Starlight himself. Her cutie mark had shifted to her lower stomach, just to the left of her belly button which she was happy to show off by wearing tied up button downs or short t-shirts. She had always taken pride in her body, as the best athlete in Ponyville could you blame her? But since the Change, she really took to her new, more able body like a duck to water. She was trim and fit, and unlike Pinkie Pie or Starlight, she didn't have some underlying strength. Applejack wore her abilities on her sleeve with a sort of subtle pride.
Applejack brushed her wheat-gold hair out of her face as she stood up, and tipped her hat at her friend.
"Howdy Starlight. Was wonderin' if you was gonna show. Pinkie Pie keep ya long?" Starlight nodded.
"It was a nightmare, I wont be able to think about pastries without having flashbacks." Applejack laughed openly, as did Bic Mac who wandered over after he deposited his load.
"Well I hope you aint too traumatized. Granny said she'd bake us up some apple pie when we're done here. First of the season." Starlight could almost taste that secret family recipe.
"Aw hell, I can't very well turn that down. Curse you fragile willpower!" Another bout of laughter. Applejack looked at the group in front of her, her forest green eyes beaming with business.
"Alright you five, let's get to work. We already got the foundation down this mornin' and we need to get the frame lifted and set before dark. No slackin' now." Applejack picked up her hammer and her bucket of nails and set herself back to work, not wasting a minute of daylight. Starlight set Applebloom down and faced the group of young adventurers.
"Crusaders! Front and center!" In a moment the girls lined up, tallest to smallest, and stood at attention. "Alright ladies! We have a job ahead of us. One that could very well make or break most people. But in your eyes I see the fire. Not just any fire, THE fire. A passionate flame to burn away the shadows of doubt. Today we shall do the nigh impossible. We shall build. We shall create. For this day, you will become, Cutie Mark Crusaders: Barn Raisers!" The girls laughed and cheered on their captain. "Now, Applebloom. You're handy with tools, go help Mac with those A-frames over there. Sweetie and Scoot, you two ready the pulley system, make sure to get those ropes nice and tight. Amber, come with me. We're going to help A.J. set the anchors into the foundation." Starlight looked them over with an appraising eye. "Everyone set?"
"Sir, yes sir!" They all cheered in unison.
"Alright, company. Move out!" And with that they all went to their tasks. Applebloom worked on the A-frames like she was supposed to, having no trouble with Mac's help. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle set themselves, not just to readying the pulleys, but setting them up as well. Sweetie using her magic while Scootaloo's practiced hands enabled her to climb the nearby trees with ease. Starlight and Applejack were having a surprisingly easy time getting the wrought-iron anchors into the concrete foundation. Between their strength and Amber's knowledge of metal smithing(her father is a practiced blacksmith after all) they were able to make short work of the normally tedious task.
Within a few short hours, filled with yelling, falling, laughing, and cursing under one's breath, the group finally got the prep work done. Standing along the thick rope that layed on the ground, everyone picked up a part of it's length, the Crusaders in between Applejack, who took the front, and Starlight, who took the back positioned in front of Big Macintosh.
"Alright everybody," Applejack shouted back. "Heave!"
All at once the group pulled on the rope as hard as they could. Moving inch by inch the team moved forward, the Crusaders being of little help as the area of rope between A.J. and Starlight was taut enough to keep their small bodies suspended above ground, their feet flailing about comically. They had set up the pulleys to pull every piece of the barn together at once, to not only save time, but effort.
Through much heaving and pulling, all four sides of the barn pulled themselves together followed by uproarious hurrays and applause at a job well done. They all set themselves to their final task, nailing the four sides together.
By the time they had everything completed, the sun had started to set in the west setting the skies ablaze with celestial fire. They all stood there and admired their work. It always felt good doing an honest day's work, but it felt even better when you could do it with people you cared about. Especially if it meant helping those same people out in the process.
They had all stood there a long while, so long in fact that the deep blues and purples of the oncoming night started to seep in past the mountains. Applejack made the motion to head on home and get cleaned up for the get together at Rarity's place later that night. When the Crusaders were told that they had more than earned the privilege of coming with them, the motion was carried by unanimous vote. They all walked back together, tired and sweaty, but feeling like a family. Starlight, Applejack, and Macintosh walked together, the Crusaders leading the way a short distance ahead.
As they neared the house the heavenly smell of a freshly baked apple pie cooling on a window sill came to them on a light breeze. That prompted Starlight to challenge the Crusaders to a race, his inner child getting the best of him once again. He could easily outrun them all, but he took pity on them and let them win in good nature.
They all walked in through that front door feeling like champions as Granny Smith presented them with freshly cleaned towels and big glasses of ice cold apple cider. Mac and Starlight allowed the girls to use the facilities first while Granny Smith speed cleaned their clothes in the washer/dryer. Magi-technology was a wonderful thing. By the time the girls were done with getting cleaned up their clothes were already long clean. The men were next, each taking one of the two bathrooms in the house. Same story and operating procedure here.
After their cleanliness was restored everyone went down to the kitchen where Granny Smith had already set up several plates of apple pie, cooled to perfection. If there was ever a way to describe the sheer wonder that was the "Apple Family Apple Pie" it would be like getting your brains blown out by a rainbow. And Celestia bless her, she made two more pies for the party.
Everyone's hunger sated and their bones rested, the group headed for the door with one word on their minds: party. Granny Smith stopped them all before they walked out. She was holding seven umbrellas. Even though they all said they would be fine, that it wasn't raining out, and that they didn't need any rain protection, Granny Smith still had them take them anyway.
"These bones never lie. A storms a comin'. Big 'un too." She said with a snide sense of pride. They all took their respective rain shields and walked out into the cool night air, honoring the demands of their senior.
Dusk brought with it the smells and sounds of the night. A damp, cool breeze had replaced the warm caress of the day's gentle wind. Crickets chirped loudly among the tall grass, cicadas sang loudly from the orchard all around the farm, off in the distance bats and other night faring winged creatures began to take off into the night with a loud fluttering of wings. Stars, as numerous as the blades of grass all around them, shined brightly overhead in pin pricks of ethereal light. A full moon graced the night, lighting everything in sight ablaze with it's cold fire. It was nearly as bright as the sun itself, the giant alien orb could almost be mistaken for a spotlight from a passing balloon.
Despite what Granny had said before, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky at this hour. Though several could be spotted hovering among the Dragontooth Mountains to the east, they didn't seem to be coming any closer and posed no threat to the night's festivities.
Starlight, Big Macintosh, Applejack, and the Crusaders all walked towards town, taking their time to enjoy the wonders gifted to them by the Princess of the night. Starlight and Mac talked passively about nothing in particular, though it was more of a one sided conversation. Even though he was given a new body, Big Macintosh was still a man of very, very few words. A.J. kept to monitoring the girls, being sure not to let them get too far ahead of her.
"So," Applejack said aloud as she pulled back to the boys. "What do you think the festival is gonna be like this year?" Starlight looked to the sky and wondered. Mac did the same.
"Well," Starlight began. "We didn't have one last year. With everyone freaking out over the Change, and Princess Celestia flipping her lid, we had skipped the holiday. So, I can't really say I have a clue."
"Eeyup." Mac drawled in agreement. The Crusaders bound back to the group.
"I bet it'll be just like old times," Applebloom chirped. "With music an' dancin' an' stayin' up late."
"Not to mention the food." Scootaloo chimed in, lights dancing in her eyes. Starlight thought about it for a moment.
"Yeah, of course. It's been a rough time, I can't imagine what would keep us from taking on this celebration like we used to. I mean, what could happen..." He stopped his train of thought as he crested the final hill on the road to Ponyville, the one where you could look down on the whole town. No one spoke, no one wondered, no one dared laugh. As the thunderhead finally rolled in from the mountains to the east, reverberating in booming thunder, horror and disbelief arrived with it.
Ponyville was burning.