A/N: I'm not going to bother spoon-feeding you a bunch of bullshit in order to save my hide. My only excuse is: Life happened. All I can say is that I'm extremely sorry that this story has been sitting as long as it has, and that I'm glad to be back at it once again.
Special recognitions go to The Nurgling and thebluemage1 for their character contributions towards this chapter and another very special thanks to FrostFlame, Black, Aeterna Aurora Et Crepusculum, and Anubis the Muse for their awesome-tastic editing skills.
Chapter Two: A Toast to the Downward Spiral
Where else would we find Eddie but in a dive bar on the outskirts of Ponyville, especially after putting another failed attempt to woo the lovely Applejack under his belt? To tell you the truth, no one could really say. He usually ended up here, the Rusty Spur, whenever he needed a little liquid comfort. Believe it or not, these kinds of places actually do exist in Equestria, but drinking was usually seen as a taboo action.
Paint, once a vibrant and earthy shade of autumn brown, peeled from the walls in hunks that varied in size. Half broken chairs and tables sat around the wide room and contributed nothing to the overall experience other than gathering dust silently. Dim lighting and tinted windows do the small building a favor and keep the sunlight out of the way, adding to the overall crappy feeling very effectively. Moth-eaten bar stools line the very old bar, of which is covered in various coasters and small buckets full of peanuts or dry pretzels.
Eddie sat at the far end of the bar, in the darkest corner, drowning himself in his self pity and a glass of his favorite mind altering beverage, a mixture of Southern Comfort, apple cider, and a touch of some foreign liquor Eddie couldn't properly pronounce. His normally well kept clothing was wrinkled and covered in a light film of dust from sitting in this wretched place for too long. He was, as the classic rhyme states, dressed to impress.
His long, dark red coat, made of the finest leather and adorned with golden trim, hung off the back of his stool and nearly brushed the dirty floor beneath him. His silken shirt shimmered a dim violet along the wrinkles in its soft surface. His finely crafted dress slacks were a muted black, as were his very expensive looking leather shoes. Between his clothing, the expensive gold jewelry, and his perfectly styled golden hair, he certainly looked like someone who came from money.
Eddie stared at the ring on his right hand. He had been staring at it for a long time now while absent mindedly nursing his beverage. That little gem twinkling back at him with a radiance that didn't fit with the lighting. He set his glass down on the counter, the ice clinking against the chilled container.
'All of the power and money I could ask for and here I am swallowing this goat's piss they call booze.' He slammed back the rest of his drink just as a woman of average height walked out of the door to the kitchen. She had long and messy dark pink hair and eyes the color of red wine.
Berry Punch carried out several bottles from the back room; she had to restock the bottles for tonight's festivities. It was always a busy night on the eve of the Summer Sun Festival, and with all of the new business that's been rolling in lately, tonight was proving to be very profitable.
Berry set the various bottles in their places on the shelves behind the bar. Turning around, she grabbed Eddie's glass and proceeded to mix him another drink, the exact same one actually. She passed the glass down at him, sliding it down the bar with expertise unmatched by anyone.
Eddie caught it in his open hand, a grimace playing on his face as he stared down at his preferred poison.
"I swear you're trying to kill me, doll. This crap you bought this morning any better than the usual, or are you just that bad at your job?" Eddie took a swig of the drink, he reveled in the sweet and bitter heat that flowed down his throat, making his thoughts fuzzy. Berry just went back to organizing the shelves behind the bar.
"Can it boss-man, you're the one who buys the stock around here. Besides, I don't see you going anywhere else to get your fix." Berry said as she finished tidying up, if you could call it that. She turned around to him, leaning up against the back counter, giving him a sly look. She could play ball.
Eddie just snorted as he put down his drink. "You're bad for me, doll."
"Don't I know it." She responded with a smirk. A jingling bell sounded as the front door swung open and a modestly sized young woman walked in, followed by a man dressed in regal looking attire.
The woman's hair was long, blonde, and somewhat messy, though not enough to be unattractive looking. She had a very slim build and she carried a large gray messenger bag that hung from her right shoulder. She was dressed in a gray tank top, simple blue denim shorts that came down just past her knees, and running shoes. Her eyes pointed in two different directions.
The man following closely behind her was of an average height complemented by a slim, muscular build. He wore very expensive looking clothing, though much more reserved than Eddie's attire. A simple black shirt made of the finest cloth, a trimming white coat with long tails, and black dress slacks. His shoes were made of a very high end leather and were polished to a mirror shine. His golden hair was split into halves by a red stripe that fashionably complimented his pale blue eyes. His features were handsome, to say the least. He definitely exuded upper crust status.
"Mail call!" Derpy said, beaming all the while as she bounded over to the counter to hand Berry a few envelopes. The man behind her walked in casually and sat on the stool beside Eddie at the end of the bar.
"Thanks darling. Always right on time! Wait there just a second, I've got something for you." Berry took the envelopes from the lovable delivery girl and disappeared into the back room for a brief moment before returning with a small package, a few envelopes, and a small piece of paper. Berry handed the mail over to Derpy who stuffed them carefully into her bag. When she was done, Berry handed her the small note.
"That's a little something for you. It's a voucher for a free treat down at Sugar Cube Corner. Happy birthday, sugar!" Berry handed over the small slip of paper with a kind smile. Derpy looked at it for a while and returned with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
Stuffing the voucher in her right pocket, Derpy ran out the door giving a small wave. Berry waved back before looking down at the mail she left on the counter. Sorting through it all she threw most of it in a wastebasket hidden behind the counter, though one in particular caught her eye. She opened the envelope and read it silently to herself, eyes growing wider with every sentence.
"Ah, crap." She moaned as she moved from behind the counter towards the front door. "I forgot to pick up a few bottles from the Hay Loft. I'll be right back, and Horus," Berry looked to the second man who had taken a seat next to Eddie. "Help yourself to whatever you like. The new stuff is on the top shelf. And Eddie, behave." Opening the door Berry walked out into the midday sunlight leaving the two gentlemen alone to their own devices on her way to the local general store.
A brief moment passed before Horus got up and moved behind the counter. He began to browse through the modestly sized collection with a hard to read expression. He had gotten good at that sort of thing. Picking a short bottle from the middle of the rack, Horus grabbed a glass and begins to pour out a thick, red liquid.
"Not like you to start off with the hard stuff. What's the occasion?" Eddie said with a snide inflection. He was already drunk.
"Figured I would at least grab one for the road." Horus spoke with a carefully manicured voice. "I know that you are not one for beating around the bush, so here is the bottom line. I am here to retrieve you and the others. We must leave before nightfall."
Eddie looked up from his drink. Horus was never a joker to begin with, strictly business. He liked that about him, being his financial advisor. Made work go a lot more smoothly. To top it off, Eddie had known Horus for a long time now, so he knew something big was going down.
"Words from the top, huh? Any chance you're going to fill me in on the details?"
"It would be in your best interest if I refrained from doing so. I have spoken with the good Doctor, as well as Duster, and they are en route. Cackles is back in Canterlot, where he belongs. But I am having some trouble in locating Boldwin. I've been by his workshop and found it vacant." Horus took a long drink from his glass, a taste of burning hot cherries running down his throat. Jubilee's Special Reserve, his favorite.
"Guess this is serious. I ran into Boldwin a few days ago. He said something about an anniversary of some sort. I wasn't paying much attention." Eddie downed the last of his drink and stood up. Digging into the right pocket on his coat, he pulled out several bills and coins. Placing them on the counter he began his slow march to the front door, Horus not too far behind.
"Well," Horus started. "I suppose it can't be helped. I will have to send someone to retrieve him later."
As they walked out into the sunlight, Eddie kept his gaze attached firmly to the back of Horus's head.
'If he's involved, then we're all in trouble.' He thought to himself. He was looking for some reason, any reason, to find a way to get some info from his friend. But he couldn't find a reason not to trust the guy. Horus had yet to give him one. So he just followed along quietly, not walking long to the small coach being pulled by a few large oxen.
Horus was a man of extreme importance in Equestria. One of the members of the High Council, to be more precise; taking his orders straight from Celestia herself. A diplomat, charmer, and the sharpest silver tongue in the world. Even Eddie found respect in the post-Pegasus noble.
During their exit on the road to Canterlot, Eddie could see the wonder of Sweet Apple Acres in the distance. He felt his heart let loose a pang of heartbreak as the thought of Applejack re-entered his mind.
It was no secret that he loved that simple farm girl, not that he even bothered trying to keep it a secret in the first place. On more than one occasion he had tried his best to get her to feel the same way about him, but she turned him down every time. It didn't help that the first time he had spoken with her ended in a slap to the face and a quick exit. Not to mention the bad blood between him and Big Macintosh. So far, Eddie is the only one to have obtained the near exclusive rights of pissing Mac off. No one was really sure what exactly had happened, but it ended with two fully grown men in the hospital with full body casts and third degree burns.
He had history with the Apple family, though not anything directly concerning the brood at Sweet Apple Acres. Back when he was a struggling entrepreneur, Eddie was able to find work out in Appleoosa on an Apple orchard ran by a plucky fellow by the name of Braeburn and his immediate family. He grew close to that branch, to the point of being called family, but why couldn't he do the same here?
Eddie spotted a man running along the long road towards the heart of the farm. He could recognize him by the way he carried himself, by the stride in his run. It was that confounded Starlight Blaze. He was the only one in Ponyville who could get that close to the Apple family, the one thing Eddie had yet to obtain.
Eddie hated him for it. How could a simple, barely living within his means, retired guardsman, who came from a long line of earth pony farmers, beat out a rich, smooth talking, good looking guy like Eddie? It baffled him, and he hated not being in the know.
Eddie closed the blind on the small window inside the carriage. He was already sick of this place. He took solace in the fact that soon he would be in Canterlot where, hopefully, everything would be brought to light.
"It's been seven years now. Since... well, you know." Boldwin spoke in a very out of character tone. Normally he spoke with a deep, intense voice. But now, it was soft and kind.
"I'm sorry I pulled Amber out of school. It tears me apart to see her without a solid education. But the teacher here, Ms. Cheerilee, is very kind, and Amber has made a lot of new friends. She hasn't even had one of her episodes in quite a while." Boldwin gripped the bouquet of black roses in his massive, calloused hand.
"Oh, these are for you. You never told me why you always liked this particular color." Boldwin kneeled down low and placed the roses at the base of the tombstone. It was a small and simple marker, just what she would have wanted. Boldwin looked over the slowly fading gold-leaf lettering:
Catherine Ruby
Beloved mother, wife, friend.
3E478-3E506
He made it himself, that tombstone. His wife was never one for the sappy stuff, so he kept it short. Besides, no one needed to know what his wife was like, what she had done in her twenty-eight years. He knew, and that was all that mattered to him.
Boldwin stood up, looking to the sky, his mind hazy with memories. He was a monster of a man, standing well over seven feet with a build to match. He was wearing his formal attire for this moment, though formal meant clean slacks and a shirt that wasn't singed and smelled of burning metal. Being a blacksmith didn't exactly bring in the bits. Gentle winds brushed against his short black hair and danced over his strong features.
"I wish you could be here to see her grow up. She's so much like you it hurts. Right down to your stubborn nature." Boldwin's voice began to waver a bit, but he didn't cry. She wouldn't forgive him if he did, that time had passed.
He remembered her as she was, as that tall, takes-no-shit, daring, and beautiful woman that he had fallen in love with. As the mother her daughter would never get to know. He could still hear her voice in his head, those soft tones like a lullaby to his senses. She had always kept him in line. He would just melt whenever she spoke to him, like a giant mass of putty in her hands. She used to be an archaeologist. One of the best, in fact. The comparisons between herself and the legendary Daring-Do were staggering, and far too numerous to count.
She had devoted herself to finding artifacts among old ruins, exploring unmapped forests and deserts, and braving the most dangerous of situations all for the sake of learning about the past. Because of her efforts, her intellect, and her astounding amounts of courage, the academic world was by far the better for it.
But that was seven years ago. It had been hard on Boldwin, having to raise a daughter by himself. If it weren't for his friends, well, he couldn't possibly fathom where he might be now. Thanks to Horus and Eddie he was able to send his little girl to school. Not just any school, mind you, but the School for Gifted Unicorns! Man, was that a melancholy day. Very seldom does a father have to watch his entire world move on without him, but he was grateful to see his little girl move on to something more than being a blacksmith's daughter. And it tore him asunder having to pull her out of school because of this damn war.
Ever since then he could feel his late wife with him. Every time he would watch his beloved daughter run off to play with her friends, he could swear Catherine was standing next to him, smiling with tears in her eyes. He wasn't much on faith. Heaven and hell had no purchase in Boldwin's life. But he knew that he was doing the right thing moving here, to this quiet, happy town. To him, this was the heaven he wished for his daughter. This was the paradise he could give her. This was the one place he knew that she could be happy. This was the place where they belonged.
Sunlight started to turn cold as time finally caught up with him. How time flies by when you're lost in beloved memories. Boldwin looked around the small graveyard. Headstones of all sorts poked up here and there along the small cobblestone path that wound it's way through the small lots. Flowers of all sorts bloomed with bright and cheery colors and tall oak trees grew strong, casting long shadows in the evening light. This little graveyard was off the beaten path a ways, sitting just within sight of Ponyville off to the west. The grass grew long here, but was always kept in check.
Boldwin stuffed his massive hands in his pockets and slowly strode away from his wife's grave, giving a small bow of his head to the marker. He stepped with wide and powerful strides that took him to the front gate in no time at all. A plaque hung here, at the front gate:
Ever After
He couldn't help but feel a little disgusted at how optimistic it was. To him it felt like a slap to the face.
'Ha, ha! Your wife's dead! Now lets make one last joke to spite you! HA, HA!'
It pissed him off. It pissed him off to no END! With a fist as solid as the thickest mountain Boldwin crashed himself into the gate, sending the small archway a good twenty feet in the opposite direction. That sound stuck with him for a while, metal crumbling beneath his hands. His eyes were wide and furious.
Who was responsible? Who made that sign? Where does-
'Stop. Please.'
"Catherine?" There was no way he just heard that. Then again, he supposed it was what she would say if she saw him like this, among other things. Dammit, he could even see her face in his head. Those pleading eyes, even the way her hair fell along her face when it wasn't tied up.
"Dammit. Dammit." He just kept repeating that word over and over again as he finally lost his composure and began to cry. He wept like he did every year, openly and without a hint of shame. No one would blame him. No one dared.
Some time had passed. Well, a lot of time really, the skies above had stopped trying to hold on to the last rays of sunshine an hour ago. Boldwin's head pounded, his nose ran, his eyes were red and puffy, and his clean slacks were dirty. But he felt better. It felt good to just let go every now and then. Catherine had taught him that. A lesson he still held close to his heart.
He stood up and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He looked up at the full moon above him, the stars twinkled absent mindedly all around. He smiled. It did feel good.
He rolled up his sleeves as he strolled over to the wreckage that was the wrought-iron archway. He grimaced as he examined the innocent architecture. He was going to have to fix it, regardless of whether or not he was the town blacksmith. He slung the mass of metal over one shoulder, something that would have taken at least two large men to do, and began walking back towards town with a spring in his step.
Pinkie Pie had invited him along to some big shin-dig at the Carousel Boutique. He had no reason not to, and she had been almost like a surrogate mother to Amber. It was Pinkie who had introduced her to the Crusaders a year ago, and it was Pinkie who could get his daughter to smile the widest. He owed her more than anyone could possibly know, showing up to a party was the very least he could do. Even if he didn't care for them much.
Getting lost in the stars had blinded Boldwin's sense as he walked. As he came to a small bridge that led over a stream, he could smell smoke. Wood and metal. Panic hit him before he even saw Ponyville.
He took it all in. Flames a mile high, screams of torture and death tore at the peaceful calm of the night sky. A terrifying golden ambiance engulfed the entire town in front of him. He could hear windows being blown out as fire's reached their peak. He could hear clashing steel mixed with the cries of anguish.
Yet none of it mattered to him. Boldwin's mind was on one thing and one thing only. His daughter.
"You there! Drop your weapon and get on your knees!"
Boldwin watched through hazy eyes as several men, clad completely in gold and silver armor, approached him. Their weapons were drawn.
"Who are you?" Boldwin spoke without even hearing himself. He was still stuck on worrying for his little girl. "Where is my daughter?"
One of the soldiers came dangerously close to Boldwin, his spear pointed up at his throat. "By order of her Highness, Princess Celestia, we have found Ponyville guilty of the crime of high treason. Comply with our orders and you will be taken to tribunal in Canterlot. Resist and die."
Boldwin could feel it. He felt it rising up within him again. That primal urge. That rage. That anger. That need to kill anything standing in his way. That nightmare he was born with.
Boldwin's eyes went black. Darker than the smoke rising from the town he called home. He grabbed the spear being held at his throat and simply crushed it in his hand, the thick pole snapping with little effort. With his other hand, he gripped the mass of metal once called an archway tightly and swung downward with all the might he could muster.
Where once there was a guard, now was only a crumpled mass of blood and metal. The ground in front of Boldwin exploded on impact in a tidal wave of dirt and clay, covering him from head to toe in gravel and gore. The rest of the soldiers drew their weapons, thinking they were prepared to face the consequences of their actions.
Boldwin looked at them, the right side of his face covered in the blood of his enemy. He had tasted blood now. He felt no remorse for what he did, it felt good to let it all out. His eyes began to burn a bright and terrible shade of red, matching the color of the hellfire burning away his heaven. He spoke with a voice that caused the very foundations of the ground to shake, that forced mountains to bow before him in fear.
"Where is she?" He lifted his makeshift weapon from his victim's remains, blood and small bits of bone dripped from its gnarled ends. "WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?"
Starlight couldn't even begin to fathom what he was seeing. There was no way, absolutely no possible way, he was awake right now. He had to be dreaming, he had to. He must have fallen asleep waiting for the girls to be done with their showers. Yeah that's it. Just one big nightmare.
"No. No, no, no."
Applejack's voice cut through his thoughts much more swiftly than he would have liked. If it weren't for her voice anchoring him to this world, this terrifying reality, he would have been content with going insane.
He looked down and around at his group of friends. Applejack's eyes were wide, Macintosh's mouth was wider. The Crusaders stared with horror painted to their faces. He was the first to come out of it. Out of that veil of disbelief. He tried to speak as calmly as possible, but failed. Horribly.
"Mac," He started. "I need you to stay here with the girls. A.J., come with me. We need to act fast if we want to save anyone still in those buildings." In that moment came Soldier Starlight. Always placing the mission first, and never leaving anyone behind. His eyes went from caring and panicked to hard, cold, and calculating.
Applejack snapped back into focus, her voice becoming decidedly more firm and determined. "Right behind you." She turned to Macintosh. "You get them back home. Tell Granny what's goin' on an' wait. If things get rough, you know what to do."
Mac just nodded. He gathered up the Crusaders, grabbing each of them and giving them a little shake to snap them back to reality. With the young girls in tow, Mac sprinted off towards the Apple family homestead once again. Starlight and Applejack did much the same towards the inferno that was Ponyville.
The closer they got to the mayhem, the harder it was to make progress. Coming to the edge of town, the smoke, the heat of the fire, and the smell of burning flesh bombarded their senses without remorse. They could hear the chaos before they could see it. Screams of torture and cries for help were the only noises that transcended the roar of the flames.
Starlight and Applejack approached the town from the south, from a path that led over a small ditch via a small bridge. Starlight came to an abrupt halt after they crossed the bridge. He grabbed Applejack by the arm, rather unceremoniously, and quickly pulled her behind a discarded hauling wagon that sat just off the road.
"Hey! What are ya-"
"Quiet!" He snapped at her. He hadn't done that before. He didn't look at her; he just motioned down the road a ways with a short nod. Applejack bent over a ways so she could get a decent look around their wooden barricade. She saw several men clad in silver and gold armor standing around in a group. It looked like there was some sort of disagreement going on. A few of them were holding torches, others had their weapons drawn. Applejack knew that armor. She had been to Canterlot on more than one occasion.
Applejack pulled herself back from around the wagon and looked at the ground, her mind filled with questions she wasn't sure that she wanted answered.
"We need to move. We can take the back alley by the Hay Loft." Starlight said as he got up in a crouching position and began to hurriedly move to the other end of the wagon.
"Starlight, wait a second." Applejack was still trying to process what she had just seen. But he wasn't stopping.
"We don't have time." He sounded intense, but patient. Like someone who was born to lead and who dealt with this kind of situation before. He stopped momentarily at the other end of the wagon to look for any other guards. "Listen, I'm not sure exactly what I saw either. But what I do know is that those guys weren't in any big hurry to put out those fires."
Starlight looked back to Applejack, his eyes were his again. They showed concern. They were scared.
"I also know that we need to make sure everyone is okay. We need to get as many people out of here as we can, but we should probably avoid any of those soldiers to be safe." He looked back at the street again, ashes and smoke obscuring his view. "And to think, I thought I had pushed this life off a cliff."
Then he was gone again. Starlight was back to business as he saw his opening. The way to his destination was clear. "We gotta move." He mumbled.
Starlight motioned Applejack to come closer and then to wait for his signal. Sparing one final scan, Starlight took off down the street as fast as he could go. Even though the sprint took nothing more than a few seconds, Starlight saw enough horror to last him a lifetime. Between the burning buildings and the deafening roar of the flames around him it was bad enough. But having to vault over burning bodies, to see people he knew slowly being erased from history was unreal.
At the end of his sprint, Starlight had to slide beneath a small gap beneath a fence. Mr. Brawn, the owner of the Hay Loft, had always kept it locked to keep kids from playing in the alley as well as deter anyone from robbing his livelihood. During the commotion, something had knocked a few of the lower boards loose.
He recovered quickly, going from a laying position to crouching in seconds. His hand instinctively found one of the loose boards that lay about in random places. He never broke his line of sight on the end of the alley way. Standing up he moved back to the gate, unlatched it, and swung it open wide. Backing up just enough, he waved his free arm from around the corner giving the all clear.
After signaling Applejack, he hastily sprinted to the other end of the dark, narrow passage. He looked left, then right. Starlight could hear heavy footsteps coming from the right; that lead further into town. He wanted to avoid any confrontation as long as he could, but wishes seldom came true in these kinds of situations.
Applejack approached from behind him, crouching low she also scouted out the area. Starlight stepped back from the corner, as did Applejack. His eyes were on the ground in front of him, he was racking his brain trying to figure out a secondary route. But he simply couldn't think of anything. Applejack could see he was having some issues, but she knew a way.
"We can cut through Sugar Cube Corner. The back door leads into a back alley that'll take us right to the center of town." She tipped her hat back down onto her head. Starlight looked at her in mild disbelief. Why hadn't he known about that?
"Been here as long as I have, ya learn things." She said with a smirk as she re-tied her work boots. She looked at him with reassuring, yet very scared, eyes. She wasn't even sure that Sugar Cube Corner even existed anymore. But her courage was astounding. Starlight admired her for it.
"You take point, then. I'll cover you." He lifted his bit of wood he had grabbed. It was, for lack of a better word, crude. But it was better than cinders and random pieces of trash.
"You sure you can keep up? And are you sure you can fight one of them off with... that?" Applejack asked, her voice filled with doubt.
He just gave a simple nod. It was all he could afford to spare.
They would have to cross the street to get to the main thoroughfare. It was risky and visibility was low. Starlight gave one last look around the corner of the building, and gave Applejack the go-ahead. She tore across the street at a speed any pegasus would have found impressive. Starlight took off, not more than three or four strides behind her, matching her gait with the same amount of effort.
Starlight could hear a faint whistling noise then FWACK!
He lifted his makeshift weapon just in time to block the oncoming arrow that would have hit him in the right side of his neck. The point jutted out at him coming precariously close to his features, the arrow embedding itself nearly halfway through the thick piece of wood. One of the feathers was red and gold; a phoenix feather, fired from a long bow.
Starlight didn't waste any time getting to the other side of the street. He covered the distance between himself and Applejack faster than even he could have expected. He dove and took her with him just before several more arrows hit the building directly behind where Applejack's head had been.
"What in the hay!" Applejack sat up against the wall of the building she had been thrown next to. She looked up to see four huge arrows sticking out of the wooden frame of the opposite building. She had seen her life flash before her eyes before. But for some reason or another this one felt more final. More real.
She snapped back to her senses and looked over at Starlight who sat panting to her left. "Thanks, Starlight. Who are these guys anyhow? How could they make a shot like that?"
Starlight closed his eyes. He was shaken to the core.
"Phoenix Company. Best archers in the royal armies, best swordsmen, best tacticians, and so on. They're almost an army within an army. Their commander is flawless, and nearly on par with Celestia's Vanguard." Starlight opened his eyes again. He was puzzled. "But why did they roll out their best for a simple raid? There's no way they would have expected opposition from Ponyville. Not that they had really received any."
Applejack got up on her feet, then helped Starlight do the same.
"Don't let them escape! Take their flank from the alleyways surrounding the courtyard! Move!" A gruff, boisterous voice resounded clearly over the flames.
"Yes, Commander Breaker!"
Starlight felt a pang of fear; Sugar Cube Corner was their only salvation at this point, but they had to pass by the City Square.
"What do we do now! We can't just sit here!" Applejack said. She had come to the same conclusion.
Starlight grabbed his plank and removed the large arrow embedded into it with some trouble. He managed to keep it intact, thankfully.
"Easy. We just have to be faster than they are. Let's move!"
Both of them tore across the length of the alleyway and beyond, Applejack leading on slightly ahead. They didn't bother trying to get a feel on where their enemies laid in wait, but took to serpentining and vaulting over discarded structures and burning bodies. Arrows pelted the ground around them, coming inches away from their mark and sending plumes of dirts and ash spraying upwards.
As the two neared the Square, they came to a rather abrupt halt at a very disturbing image. Blocking their path was a large pile of burning something-or-another. The stink of the smoke was something unnatural. It wasn't the pang of burning wood, or the acidic sting of metal, but something of a pervasive stench that invaded the senses without relent. Starlight knew all too well what that smell was. He just prayed against hope that Applejack didn't; her vomiting told him otherwise.
The former soldier and the honest farm girl could only try and hold back their tears as they watched everyone they loved and cared for burn before them. The mouths of the burning were hanging agape, screaming in a horror that was taken by the roar of the flames. Women, children, men, the elderly and the young, all burned alike.
Standing around the mass was, of course, a band of soldiers. Their backs were turned to them, but Applejack's involuntary gastric response alerted them to their presence. Within a moment each of the soldiers had their weapons drawn and were taking positions at the ready. Starlight could discern five foot soldiers as well as three archers. The odds were stacked against them, even with his expertise.
None of the soldiers advanced. They were awaiting orders...
'From him.' Starlight finished.
Out from behind the pile of bodies walked a man clad in the finest Celestian armor. He was broad, bald, and carried a gigantic hammer of sizeable power. His deep red cloak flapped about in the torrential heat of the flames surrounding them. He looked at Starlight and Applejack with his pure white eyes, a symbol of the Celestian initiation.
Applejack tugged on the back of Starlight's shirt. Several more soldiers had crept up behind them, blocking their escape.
"You have nowhere to run now. By the order of our Princess Celestia, you have been found guilty of the crime of high treason." Spoke the Commander.
Starlight answered him with a question, keeping his eyes on the archers all the while.
"Treason? Under what circumstances?"
"Aiding the enemy. There has been irrefutable evidence to support the claim of giving shelter to a wanted assassin. Wanted, for the crime of killing a very important military figure." The Commander's eyes reflected the flames all around them, his anger apparent. "But I need not explain myself to the likes of you. Now, you may either come with us, where you will be given a trial amongst your peers. Or, well..." The Commander motioned with his hammer to the burning mass of flesh behind him. "You could end up like your friends from the Boutique."
Starlight knew better than to go quietly. There were only empty promises in war, nothing else. He finished scanning the area for an escape. He found only one, and it was a long shot.
He leaned over to Applejack.
"The flower shop. On the left. Be slow and you're dead," He muttered. She nodded only slightly. Starlight straightened up and stood tall, the arrow and the plank in his hands at his sides.
He locked eyes with the Commander. "I thought I recognized you. Younger sibling to the greatest Commander Phoenix Company ever had. So, I would assume that he died in the line of duty and you took his place? How touching."
The Celestian Commander didn't take too kindly to the overwhelmingly sarcastic tone his enemy took when speaking of his late brother. Who was this pee-on anyway? He wasn't just some run-of-the-mill citizen. It was the way he stood, the way he held those makeshift weapons, the way he spoke, that look in his eyes. Not only did it piss him off, it made things a little more complicated.
"Watch your tone, whelp!" The Commander fumed as he gripped his hammer tighter. Starlight looked rather unimpressed, a large grin played across his face.
"Having your goon squad to take down two defenseless civilians is a bit much, don't you think? I mean, your brother could have done this job himself."
That sent him over the edge. Unclasping his cloak from his large pauldrons, the Commander began to walk towards his prey. The head of his weapon began to shine faintly as his anger came to a peak.
Applejack felt like strangling Starlight. "An' just what in the hay are you doin'?" She whispered hastily. Starlight didn't respond, only tightened his grip on his weapons.
The commander drew closer and closer, his men lowered their weapons. They had seen this episode play out multiple times earlier; it would be short work for their Commander.
Five paces away, and time slowed down.
Starlight's breath became quiet. His heart rate slowed.
Four paces.
The Commander held his hammer in both hands.
Three.
Starlight loosened his grip on the arrow slightly.
Two.
Applejack finally caught on and prepared to run for it.
One.
Time finally snapped back into place, and everything moved like a blur. As the Commander set himself into a horizontal swing, Starlight noticed the small opening between the plates covering his opponent's shoulder. With one deft movement, Starlight stepped into the arc of the oncoming swing, narrowly dodging the blow of the head of his enemy's weapon. This close to his opponent, he had room to maneuver and catch his opponent completely off-guard.
With a snap of his arm, Starlight placed the razor-sharp head of the arrow into the Commander's left shoulder. The gratifying feel of metal puncturing leather, followed by a sliding feeling as it cut through muscle fiber, gave Starlight a sick sense of accomplishment. Taking the moment with much solace, Starlight swung his other hand with all of the force he could muster, and brought the thick wooden plank down on the side of the Commander's head with a deafening CRACK!
The Commander's vision went white and his head felt as though it was lighter than air.
'Who is this guy? How did this simple civilian get the better of me?' He thought as he started to black out, until he noticed the cutie mark on his opponent's right forearm. Realization hit him like a freight train. This wasn't some run-of-the-mill rebel. This guy had set a trap, which he had been foolish enough to walk right into.
Commander Breaker fell to the ground, unconscious, but not dead. Applejack had already covered the distance between them and the flower shop, the Forest of Foliage. Before the soldiers witnessing the unexpected turn of events could react, Starlight bolted to his left towards his goal. Applejack looked frantic as she tried to find a way through the front entrance. Several large pieces of burning timber had fallen just inside the open doorway, making the easy way impossible to traverse.
Lifting his wooden plank, Starlight threw his "weapon" at the large bay window that stretched across the front of the small shop. Pieces of shattered glass flew in all directions as a massive intake of fresh air caused a backdraft. Fire exploded forth with an pulse pounding boom, catching Applejack by surprise.
Without even breaking pace, Starlight launched himself into the burning building, Applejack not far behind. Inside was some sort of fresh hell. It was one thing to witness a fire outside, in the open air. But this was like being strangled, like the last remnants of precious oxygen were being ripped from their lungs without their consent; un-willingly becoming fuel for the now re-kindling flames.
They both dropped to the floor, just beneath the broad windowsill. A chorus of shouts followed through the shattered pane of glass, soon followed by a volley of arrows. Heavy, ironclad footsteps began to pound their way towards the smoldering ruins. Charred clay pots that sat on the sill above them shattered into a thousand pieces as arrows streaked through the flames.
Time, like the odds, was not in their favor. Starlight tried his best to see the back hallway behind the register, but the sting of the smoke made seeing anything impossible. He tried his best to remember the layout of the building, but taking the time to piece together coherent thoughts would surely get them killed.
"Come on, get movin'! The exit's this way!" Applejack had to scream to be heard over the flames and crashing pottery. She grabbed Starlight by the back of his shirt and pulled him to his feet. Staying low, the two made a hasty shuffle towards the counter where the register sat. Ducking under the small hinged portion, Applejack and Starlight dove behind their newfound, more reliable, cover.
"Shouldn't I be the one saving you?" Starlight said with a strained voice and a smirk; the smoke was getting thicker and the heat was almost unbearable. Applejack didn't look as amused, in fact, she looked surprisingly calm.
Applejack reached a hand behind her and began to sift through the various gardening supplies beneath the counter. After a few moments of searching, she pulled out a pair of heavy-duty work gloves and a small gardening spade.
"Guess these'll have to do." She muttered. Applejack handed the spade to Starlight, who only stared at it with a questioning grimace. Applejack knew what he was thinking.
"Them things are sharper than they look. One time, I had to rush Macintosh straight to the hospital after one of these babies fell on him. We were doin' construction on the barn one year, an' Applebloom left the gardening supplies on one of the rafters. I sure hope they're alright." Applejack put on the gloves she had salvaged. A perfect fit. "Besides, if you're as good with a knife as you are with that piece a wood, I reckon you'll be just fine."
Starlight looked back down at his new weapon. 'Not much of a knife.' He thought as he gave a small shrug. He slipped the spade into the back pocket of his jeans for safe keeping and easy access.
That was when they both noticed something strange: arrows had stopped firing through the windows. Applejack and Starlight held their breath, ironic considering their current situation, and waited for something, anything, that would tell them that they were safe.
Straining to hear over the rising roar of the flames, they both waited for the signal, or lack thereof. After a few painfully slow moments, their hopes were dashed as the rubble blocking the entryway began to shake; the sound of metal plates crashing into the burning structures rang out over the din of the increasing inferno.
"One more should get it!" A male voice shouted.
"Tear it down, Echo!" Said a female.
Starlight and Applejack shared a brief moment together in simultaneous panic. Those soldiers were going to retrieve the bodies, regardless of whether or not they still drew breath. They had to get out of there, but the fire had created massive amounts of thick smoke that stung at their eyes and singed the back of their throats. Even navigating across the room would have been a monumental feat.
Applejack was the first to move, her astounding amounts of courage winning over her fear. She grabbed Starlight by the front of his shirt and hauled him with her as she started towards the back entryway.
"You gonna pick up your feet? Or am I gonna have to save your hide again?" Applejack shouted.
Not one for being upstaged easily, Starlight took the hint and traversed the cluttered hallway to the best of his ability. Several support structures leaned along the walls, their ends lit with a slowly growing flame. Pieces of shattered pottery and random gardening supplies lay about the floor haphazardly, making footing uneasy. Plants of all sorts, once vibrant and full of life, lay burned or burning in random areas. The smoke here was almost too much to bear, the burning plantlife sending up nauseating plumes of burnt material.
Starlight and Applejack tried to take their time navigating their way to the exit. It was a weird feeling having to be careful and panicked at the same time; Starlight mused that this must be what surgeons must feel like when they are elbow deep in someone. Halfway to the exit, Starlight felt his foot slip in something wet. It went against his training to look, but he did anyway.
Staring up at him was the severed head of someone he knew rather well, someone he was proud to call a friend. Her pale green eyes locked onto his in a silent scream, the kind you hear only in your darkest nightmares. Her face was morphed and burned from the fire that had raged through here earlier; the skin bubbled and charred. Her red hair had been mostly burned away leaving only a few clumps attached to her scalp. Beyond her was a room painted with gore. Still-burning bodies draped themselves over the ruined kitchen table, three in total. Blood had been splashed across the walls and cupboards, and entrails spilled out onto the floor from abdominal wounds.
Starlight only looked for a brief moment, but the image wasn't too hard to memorize. He nearly lost it: his mind, his lunch, everything. Applejack called to him from further down the hallway.
"You find somethin' important?"
Starlight felt his mind go numb, a trick he learned while in the service. "Rose. Lily and Daisy, too." He said in a monotone voice.
He could hear Applejack's breathing stop over the flames and the crackling of the burning building. The Flower Sisters had always been good friends to the Apple family. They would share tips on how to grow crops, even offer to sell some of the Apple family's product in their store. Now here they were, gone.
Starlight tore his gaze from the carnage that used to be three of the most kind-hearted people no one would ever get a chance to meet again. He felt his back straighten and the muscles in his legs tense. Starlight looked with hard, cold eyes down the hallway at Applejack, her face obscured slightly by smoke and debris. She had her hand over her mouth and was trying her best not to lose herself. She wasn't doing a very good job.
Starlight set one foot in front of the other, carefully maneuvering his way towards the exit. He stopped briefly when he got to Applejack.
"We can make a memorial for them. We need to go." He spoke with a cold determination in his voice, one that brimmed with rage and the resolve to avenge his fallen friends. It scared Applejack, more than being in a burning building, more than wondering where her family was, more than being chased by soldiers that were determined to see her removed from history. Of all the things she could count on, she had always been certain it would be Starlight. But after hearing those words, she just didn't know anymore. It was like that last ray of light at the end of the tunnel was just smothered by some beast. A beast that liked to call itself vengeance.
Starlight moved onwards, from here the hallway was relatively clear, and the way to the exit was in plain view.
CRASH!
Time always has a way of making fools of people, and when that barricade finally gave way, Starlight and Applejack knew their time was up. A burly soldier stepped his way into the lobby of the flower shop, his features silhouetted in the smoke by the now raging flames.
"They in there?" Shouted a strange voice.
"I got nothin'." Said the shadow. "I'll take a look and see if they're hiding."
"Not the smartest idea you've had, Echo! That place is about to come down, and you saw what that guy did to the commander!" Shouted another stranger.
The shadow reached behind its back and pulled out the shadowy form of a long bow, as well as an arrow. "Tell me about it." Echo muttered. The armored soldier stalked his way through the building, his arrow notched into the bowstring, ready to fire at any moment.
Applejack and Starlight stood stock still, neither one of them moving a muscle for fear of being detected. Starlight began to lower himself to the floor slowly and with much care not to brush against one of the burning supports. Applejack stood still, her resolve and bravado shaken by Starlight's words. She was scared, too afraid to move for cover. Fear stepped in like the unwanted guest it loved to be and wrapped its anchors around Applejack's legs.
Starlight moved with machine-like precision around the debris between himself and Applejack. When he had closed the distance, Starlight placed a hand around Applejack's mouth and pulled her back, navigating backwards through the blockage.
Nearly to safety and Starlight felt a solid bump against his foot, followed closely by the crashing noise only an unbroken flower pot can make. Starlight could almost feel Applejack die in his arms, and he would be lying to himself if he said he didn't either.
In a flash, a streak of brown came sailing through the air, the arrow embedding itself in the wall where Starlight's head would be had he been just an inch or two taller. Something about the immediate threat of death spoke to Applejack, as she seemed to toughen up once again. She stood on her own, a fearful look in her eyes, and began to hurry her way towards the door.
Starlight dropped low to the ground once again and watched the tirade that was Applejack in danger. She was like some sort of unstoppable sledge hammer, her fists swinging madly in front of her. Not even the thickest of the supports could withstand a single blow, the sturdy wood exploded on impact, sending wood splinters and cinders flying through the air. Starlight hadn't seen this before, let alone heard stories.
Clearing a path through the hallway had its downfalls, one of which became apparent when the building started to groan and cry out in protest. Starlight knew all too well the sounds of a building about to fall in on itself. He had heard it once before, in the accident that took the lives of his parents.
"Applejack! Stop!" Starlight shouted. "You're bringing the whole place down!"
If Applejack heard him, she wasn't showing any sign of it. She cleared out the last support in her path with a mighty backhand swing and proceeded towards the wooden door that lead outside. Without even breaking pace, Applejack cocked her fist back and gave the door a no-holds-barred punch.
As much as the beams being absolutely destroyed was impressive, what Applejack did to that door was by far the most astonishing feat of strength Starlight had ever seen. When her fist connected with the door, not only did the door explode into a flurry of splinters and sawdust, but the frame was knocked completely from the building.
"Holy-"
CRASH!
Starlight looked back around towards the interior of the shop. Beams and supports were falling all around him now, and it would only be a matter of time before he was crushed.
Not wasting any time, Starlight bolted to his feet and ran the short distance to the back alleyway, stopping next to Applejack who had collapsed onto her knees.
"AAAAHHHHHH!"
Looking once more to the burning flower shop, Starlight listened to the cries of the Celestian soldier as the building fell on top of him, searing his flesh in ways that one can scarcely imagine.
"Echo? No! No no no no!"
"Someone pull him out of there! Now!"
"You two! Cordon off the alleyways! I want those two fugitives found!"
Starlight grabbed Applejack by the arm, pulling her to her feet with a quick jerk.
"Starlight... what did I just...?" She stammered, her eyes wide and unbelieving.
"No time, AJ!" He shouted, frantically dragging her behind him with all of the haste he could muster. The former soldier kept dragging her to the end of the path, stopping once to catch his breath and to check the area for their pursuers.
He looked at Applejack, her eyes were still glazed over in disbelief. "AJ, I need you with me here. Don't zone out now of all times."
She didn't respond; her fixated gaze upon the cinder-strewn ground beneath her feet the only form of communication. Starlight grew worried for a moment and double checked the street before grabbing Applejack's arm again.
"Sugar Cube Corner is just around the bend. If we can make it past there, it's almost a straight shot to the Everfree Forest. We should be safe there." Starlight said aloud, if only to reiterate the plan to himself.
Sparing a third glance, the two fugitives tore off down the street, not even sparing a second thought as to what may lie in wait. After their mad dash to the end of the street, they spun to the left to see their destination: Sugar Cube Corner...
"What in the... Not the Corner, too..." Starlight gasped. Still ablaze before them was the near skeletal remains of the one building in town that had always guaranteed joy and good times; of sweets and friends. The mock gingerbread roof was roaring with the flames that flanked the mock icing masonry. The vibrant pink shutters and doors were aflame, now permanently stained the color of soot. The tower that held the second story had long-since toppled to the street below, causing an almost ghastly efficient chimney for smoke and fire to billow from.
Starlight and Applejack both stared in disbelief. Between them both, they should have expected to see this. But something inside them didn't want to; something inside them had told them that this place would be just fine. That no matter what happened, the Corner would stand tall and proud. And, between the two of them, that something died right then and there, leaving a pit of despair and hopelessness in its wake.
Beyond the fire and the hellish torment of the screams of those who were still caught in the fray, Starlight and Applejack could see the edge of the Everfree Forest in the distance.
"Just a little further, AJ!" Exclaimed the retired soldier to the farm girl as he grabbed her arm once again and began leading her past the burning wreckage of the place where so many memories now turn to ashes. "Just a little further and-"
"HELP!"
A cry of distress emanated from Sugar Cube Corner; a voice that caused not only Starlight to stop in his tracks, but Applejack to snap out of her haze.
"That sounded like... Oh, no!" Applejack whipped herself around in a moment, rushing towards the burning building without restraint.
"AJ, wait!" Starlight called after her, quickly breaking into a sprint himself.
They both stopped before the flames of the Corner, feeling the intense heat beginning to burn at their skin. They couldn't proceed any further without risking near fatal injuries.
"Starlight, we have to save her!" Applejack cried, refitting her leather gloves around her fists, ready to charge in and do what must be done.
"I'm not suggesting that we don't! But we're not getting in the easy way!"
Applejack balled her fists and looked to the Corner again.
"And that building would come down faster than a damn rainboom if you went in that way, too!" Starlight added.
Applejack looked flustered and distressed. "Well then what the hay are we supposed to do? That's Pinkie Pie in there!"
Starlight put his right hand on the back of his neck and his left hand to his forehead; a sign that he was dedicating his entirety to formulate a plan. "I think I got it!"
Starlight gripped the gardening spade and pulled it from his back pocket, then proceeding towards the inferno with a hearty sprint. Pulling his fist back, Starlight threw the tool at one of the forward windows, causing flames to erupt from the backdraft. Looking back to Applejack, Starlight gave her the signal to wait and keep a lookout for soldiers, then jumped into the burning building.
The interior of the store was destroyed. Every tasty treat that had graced the beautiful cake shop lay on the floor or splattered against the walls or overturned tables. The bright and cheery wallpaper was now a wreath of cascading flames that licked at the ceiling. The only saving grace was that the smoke had somewhere to escape to, seeing as the second story had been recently removed.
Starlight could feel the immense heat of the building sear his flesh and literally burn his eyes. His clothes became hot as the ambient heat nearly hit the flash point of the thin cloth and denim. His nostrils burned with the heat; the scent of smoke and ash erasing all memories of the heavenly scents the Corner had usually boasted.
"Pinkie Pie!" Starlight called, trying his best to project his voice over the deafening roar of the flames. "Pinkie Pie, where are you?" He received no answer, so he began to move as fast as he could towards the kitchen area. When he did, the door was stuck shut. Rearing back a bit, Starlight placed one solid kick on the door, causing the burning entryway to fall inwards towards the kitchen.
What had once been a fully functional kitchen, was now a hellish landscape of burning supports and destroyed equity. Directly above the kitchen area had been Pinkie's room on the second floor, which now allowed the flames from the walls to reach towards the open skies above after the tower had fallen. Various supports and pieces of plumbing lay strewn across the floor of the kitchen, with a pink lump wedged beneath one of the larger beams.
"Pinkie!" Starlight shouted as he bolted across the room and knelt at her side. "Pinkie? Pinkie?" She wasn't responding; not a good sign. "Pinkie, come on! This isn't the damn time for a damn snooze!" She was covered in burns; her face and arms were nearly burned away.
Reluctantly, the rescuee opened her eyes; the blue orbs meeting Starlight's dark green. "Star... Starlight? Where is everyone else...? Mister and Missus Cake... and the twins...?"
"Okay, good, you're alive." Starlight looked at the support his friend was trapped beneath. "Now, I know you get this a lot, but please try not to talk, Pinkie. Okay? I'm going to move this and we're going to get somewhere safe, okay? Pinkie? Pinkie, what are you-?"
He looked down and caught Pinkie's gaze; she wasn't focused on him anymore. Instead, she was looking at a mass of burning material by the refrigerator. It took Starlight a moment to grasp the situation; adding up what the mass was and why Pinkie's face held nothing but anguish of the deepest sort.
Starlight could feel his gorge rising, and tried his best to keep it in. But those two little burning lumps, being held tightly by the two larger ones... he couldn't keep it in. He was violently ill with not only physical, but emotional and mental strains at this point; and were it not for the constant heat and the cracks of the building all around him, he would have stayed that way for a while longer.
"Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, DAMMIT ALL TO SHIT!" Starlight roared as he gripped the burning support that was imprisoning his friend. He could feel the white-hot material burn into the thin layer of skin on the palms of his hands, but he didn't care.
"I'm not letting anyone else die today! You hear me? No one!"
With one great heave, Starlight tossed the giant beam aside, sending it crashing into the far wall. He bent over and gripped Pinkie by the arm, wrapping it around his shoulders and propping himself beneath her for support. Her breathing was ragged and she was limp and in who-knows how much pain, but she was alive.
Moving as fast as they could, Starlight dragged Pinkie out the back door and out into the boulevard, where Applejack was waiting with bated breath.
"Oh my heavens... Pinkie Pie..." She breathed at the sight of her injured friend.
"This night isn't over yet, AJ." Starlight said, his palms blistered and bleeding. "Help me get her to the forest."
Applejack nodded, propping herself against Pinkie the same way Starlight had done, and the three moved as one towards the border of the Everfree Forest. When they had finished their short trek to the forest, Applejack stopped abruptly, nearly causing Starlight to lose his balance and the now unconscious Pinkie Pie to fall.
"Applejack! What the hell are you... doing?" Starlight stopped talking as he gazed downwards to where the apple tree fields once were. From this spot, you could look down and see almost all of the orchard, which was now nothing but a field of burning dreams.
For a moment everything froze, as if stopped by some grand deity. Applejack stood there, her friends leaning against her, the fire that was her home casting her in a golden silhouette. But she didn't have a look that said "I've just lost my home!" but a face that Starlight was mimicking as well:
"Where is the rest of the Apple family?"
A/N: Holy shit, it feels good to be really writing again. Most of this was done a long time ago, so you may see a difference in style throughout most of the first 3/4 of the story and the last parts. I guess I should give the update here and now: I will update this story whenever I have time to do so. I really do want this story to come out and really hit home, but current personal circumstances prevent me from getting any real time to sit down and do anything constructive or creative.
Aside from that, this is sort of where the boring stuff ends. All of the OC's will be introduced next chapter, and more of the mystery that is the Change will be brought forward. We'll hear from both sides of the conflict, and (because I love teasing you guys) I'll be opening the character submissions again for more... varied options, in the future as the story progresses.