Serendipity and Anastasia were strolling through the Canterlot Plaza on a sunny Saturday afternoon, thinking about where to get something to eat.
"We could go to the Tasty Treat and see Saffron's foals." Serendipity suggested, a little glimmer in her eye that she always got when she thought of something so adorable as little fillies and colts.
"As much as I want to see them again," Anna smiled politely. "I think I'd like something a little less savory, and more sweet. I've been really stressed out lately and could use a treat." She looked away, sighing in exhaustion. Serena knew that her friend had been pulling all-nighters for several days trying to keep up with all the assignments in Celestia's School for the Magically Gifted. As the daughter of the school's founder, she'd always felt the heavy weight of expectations to be great upon her shoulders.
"How about CC's Tea and Cake shop? We could enjoy treats and relax for a while." As Serena spoke, Anna envisioned the serene café of Canterlot ponies gathering, calming her nerves the more she thought of it. "Maybe we'll get there before sundown if you wanna stop daydreaming." Serena joked, bumping her friend's shoulder.
They went into the café where all but three tables were full with chattering ponies. Anna walked over to one of the tables, ignoring the many eyes that followed her every move, while Serena went to the counter to order their usual, two brownies and two cups of milk.
Even from the front counter, it was hard to ignore the whispers of the ponies. "Half-breed." "So strange." "Dangerous?" Serena knew that the ponies of Equestria were still new to the concept of ponies and other creatures having offspring, but when Princess Celestia had birthed three hybrid heirs from Discord, they were immediately followed closely by every eye in Equestria.
Anna was suddenly alerted by a distant rumbling. She looked around, no one else seemed to notice. A few seconds later, another rumble. Except this one was much closer, making the tables shake. Everyone noticed this time. Everyone in the café was still, the tension in the air was sliced when someone dropped their fork.
Anna looked down at the fork clattering on the floor. When she looked back up, she saw dark figures scattered in the sky. One of which was rapidly growing larger. No, not bigger...closer. Anna whipped her head towards Serena, who turned and looked at her, her eyes wide in fear.
As if time had slowed as Anna fell out of her chair and ran to her friend, reaching out with her claws, only to see her friend get tackled by the dark figure. Her eyes followed the terrified mare, though her body couldn't keep up as it crashed into the glass display case. She looked up to see the light pink mare staring up at the ceiling, her face in complete terror. Anna followed her gaze to see cracks spreading across the ceiling tiles.
Moments later, the ceiling gave way and collapsed. Anna managed to cry out one last time before everything went dark. She heard the dust settling around her, opening her eyes to find herself in a magical bubble, sitting untouched above the pile of rubble that used to be the cafe. She looked around as the first responders were searching through the rubble, none of them even looking at her.
She took a deep breath, tensing her shoulder muscles, readying them to spring open as she reached her claw out to the edge of the bubble. It immediately popped, dropping Anna. She spread her wings and flapped once to catch herself before dropping onto the rubble.
"Serena," she gasped, looking around for her mare friend. When she couldn't find her, she went from where she stood and climbed the pile of concrete to where the wall of the cafe used to be. Where she'd last seen Serena.
She began to move the large blocks of concrete. Turning to the first responders, she yelled, "Someone help me!" A male dragon and female unicorn came to her aid, helping her remove boulders and cinder blocks until she saw a familiar pink pelt. Her heart ached as she cried out. "Serena! It's okay, I'm here now." They quickly uncovered her body as well as the dark figure that had attacked them. Anna's thoughts raced as she stared down at the unconscious body. It was a Changeling. But the Changelings had all reformed many years ago when Thorax became their leader. Was this a rogue? Why had it attacked? Why here? Why now? Why her?
When Anna removed the sheet of concrete from above Serendipity's head, she was taken aback as if someone had smacked her. Her claws covered her mouth to keep her from throwing up as she looked at her friend's bloodied face. Tears blurred her vision as she fell, unable to look at her.
The first responders removed Serendipity and the Changeling and carried them to the tent where they'd set up to help the others that had been trapped in the rubble. Anna waited until they cleaned Serendipity's blood from her face and bandaged her up before going to see her.
"Her horn's broken beyond repair, but she'll live." The medic told her, trying to be sympathetic. 'No thanks to me.' She thought, kicking herself for not trying harder to get to her.
Anna looked down at her claws, digging into the ground. 'Did I create that bubble?' She looked around at the creatures that had gathered to see what had happened. 'If I didn't, then who did?'