A World Without a Rainboom

by Mocha Star

Legion and Loss

The guards wasted no time sending several letters via different methods to Nightmare Moon. The ones sent via magic appeared in front of her immediately while she was almost halfway through the history of the Children of the Night. After reading the letter quickly, she roared and reared, and the weather turned to a storm as she landed. "Thy first mission in nigh. Get thee to Ponyville. and destroy the Inn and a few other buildings to send a message to Shining Armor; if he is there he will perish and his rebellion with him, if he is not he will know the pain of loss."

"Yes mistress. Um. We don't really know about killing a pony, though."

"Thy loyalty is false!?" Nightmare Moon screamed in her royal voice, lightning flashing across the sky and the temperature dropped significantly quickly.

"Nay, Queen Nightmare Moon, we will do your bidding."

"Thou must go now, leave my sight and do not return without results." Nightmare Moon opened her wings, took the book in her magic and flew back above her to the city.

---

Arriving at Ponyville after a long trek at what would be 2 AM the Children of the night looked around the town. The ponies in town were used to the schedule and slept their usual hours again; often screaming awake, audible from outside their homes.

"There's the Inn, scatter across the town and when you see the fire here, start your own. Okay?" Night Lead whispered and the word spread as she went to a safe distance in front of the inn. Twenty minutes later a horse whinnied in the distance. Charging her horn she and two others cast a fireball spell into the entrance door several times until their heads began to ache from excessive magic usage beyond their level.

Turning Night Lead galloped out of city limits back in Canterlot’s direction. Screams began to sound behind her from the locals as her other ponies joined her in fleeing. Stopping a mile away they turned to see several fires burning within the city and commotion increasing. "We've done our job, let's go!" a stallion Pegasus called from above.

"No, we have to see if they... died."

"We don't even know who they are, or were. Let's go before we're caught."

Turning the Children of the Night began galloping back to Canterlot to escape the horror of what they had done.

---

"Mommy, daddy? I can't breathe, where are you?!" Twilight awoke coughing violently in her bed to black smoke filling the room, "Mom? Daddy? I can't see you, are you here?" When she didn't see any movement she laid on the floor and crawled to the door and tested the knob. Cool, I can open it, but slowly. Those books weren't totally useless, I guess.

Crawling across the hall she turned the corner and out the front door, fire engulfing the house behind her as she got up and galloped into the street. The Inn burnt like kindling thrown into an already roaring flame. Several houses were burning from the roofs as ponies, Pegasi and unicorns fought the blazes. Looking around Twilight didn't see her parents and became worried until she saw her father exiting the Inn with her mother on his back and a shield around them.

"Mommy" Twilight ran to her parents and looked at them, they had small burns all over and her father collapsed and dispelled the shield as soon as he was outside the Inn a safe distance away. Her mother was unconscious and her breathing was raspy and short. "Medics! Help! Help!"

"T-Twilight, don't bother. We'll live and there are too many ponies injured more. We... we have to stay together. Promise us you'll stay close."

"I promise, daddy. Please, don't go anywhere, I'll be right back to see if anypony is in the Inn. I won't go in!"

Twilight ran around the burning building and only saw fire inside or jumping out every window. Returning to her parents; her father was sitting beside his wife now checking her pulse. He smiled.

What'll we do? Shining, where are you?

---

"A.B., smells like mama's cookin' breakfast. Must be morning. Wanna get up and see what's on?" Applejack said with Applebloom wrapped in her legs. Applebloom moaned and yawned before scooting out of bed and going to the door.

"OWOWOWOW! HOT HOT HOT! Applejack, the doorknob burnt my tongue, what's goin' on?" Applejack jumped out of bed and took a deep breath in, her eyes widened then, she galloped to Applebloom.

"Fire! We gotta get out. I'll buck the door down, then you get out, if you see a fire, run right back to me if you can't get out." Applejack bucked the door at the knob and it swung open, slapping her in the rump and making her step forward as Applebloom raced down the hall, heavy smoke filling the room quickly. "Crawl, A.B., don't gallop! I forgot about that!"

Crawling to the other rooms, Applejack got Big Mac and her parents out of their beds and they crawled downstairs. The smoke was blinding and burnt their lungs when they coughed and breathed. Applejack felt somepony in front of her and kept on their trail as she became disoriented, she knew the house inside and out from her fillyhood, but playing in the darkness of night versus the choking burning smoke of a fire are significantly different.

She lost the pony in front of her and began to panic, trying to find anything to orient herself she scampered ahead and bumped into something, "What is this?" she called out. "Ma? Pa? I'm at the fridge! I'm here, can ya hear me?! I'm turning left to the door, follow me!" Coughing she crawled to the door and feeling it was closed she took in a deep breath and held it, burning as it was, then hopped to her hooves, turned and bucked the door down.

Cold air rushed and covered her body from her rear legs, offering a second of relief as the fire rushed past her from the front, pushing her out the door. Letting her air go she screamed as the fire consumed her as she tumbled out of the house. Feeling pain across her body she tried to stand but the pain was almost too much. She felt herself leave the ground and the air sting her body as the air rushed around her.

"We got another one! Hurry, medics, stabilize her with the others. Miss? Miss. Can you hear me? Can you tell me your name? What day is it? What color is my mane?" Applejack coughed and opened her eyes. It burnt so much to see and to open and blink her eyes.

"It, it hurts everywhere. My name's Applejack. This' my family farm. Where's ma, pa? Applebloom! Big Mac! Granny?!" Applejack tried to move but she noticed a green aura around her. Magic? "Who are you?"

"I'm Nurse Tailor, We're going to put you down and look for any other survivors. Please, do. Not. Move." Nurse Tailor turned and Applejack noticed Nurse Tailor was a Pegasus mare, then she shut her eyes. Where's my family?

Applejack felt a poke on her rear leg and moved it away, wincing from the pain in her burnt body. "AJ?"

"Applebloom!? I-I can't move, how are you? Are you okay? Do you see anypony else?"

"I." Applebloom went silent.

"What, Applebloom?"

"I don't know. I ran out the front door and then I was screamed for help, then these ponies came to help. They told me to wait over there but, I saw you get out and... Only you so far."

"Oh, A.B., c'mere. Lemme see you."

"Applejack, I don't think..." Applejack started to move and clenched her teeth through the pain as she tried to turn to Applebloom. "Okay, okay. Lay down, please. Look, here I --”

“Oh, Applejack," Applebloom gasped.

Applejack started to open her eyes as another nurse came over and splashed medicine on her face and eyes. "Wait to open your eyes, you've had serious chemical burns and they need to heal. This will help with the pain but you have to keep your eyes closed until the doctor looks you over. He'll be here soon, hopefully. I have to go, but, Nurse Tailor will be here to care for you, okay?" Applejack nodded and tried to open her eyes a little but the pain was higher now than it was before.

"Darn you magic users, I was using my eyes a minute ago! Fix me up with your healing spells and get me moving again, darnit!"

"Excuse me!?" the nurse stopped and regained her composure, "Miss, you have to stay calm and wait. Other ponies are hurt too, I have to make sure they don't die. Please, wait here." With that the nurse galloped off.

"Applebloom, how do I look? Is it bad? It hurts a lot. All over my front mostly."

"I-I-I don't..."

"Buck it, just tell me!" Applejack scolded, squeezing her eyes closed and regretting it.

"You're coat is black all over and you're face is red and puffy. I-I see... red stuff on your side. It's not blood... I, don't know what it is but it's really bad. I don't know what to say, sis. You're burned real bad."

"She had third degree burns to almost half her body. Second degree to her face and her sides have signs of a fourth degree burn to her chest. It's a miracle she's alive, but she's an earth pony so that helped a lot. I'm Doctor Ball. You've been stabilized and the nurse gave you a topical cream that will aid the healing exponentially. You were the first to receive it so you were the luckiest, now we have less for the rest of the town," he said in a sullen tone.

"However, you will have to rest here until I can get you to the PV clinic and treat you. I'll be honest, it'll be a little while before we can get you in, there are ponies worse off than you. Little filly, you're her sister?" Applebloom nodded as Applejack tried to take a deep breath in unsuccessfully, coughing roughly. "Stay with her and keep her awake and when the nurses or medics come by tell them this: Code yellow, 32, phase 1. Repeat that."

"Uh, Code 32-"

"Code yellow."

"Code yellow, 32 phase 1."

"Again."

"Code yellow. 32. Phase 1."

"Good, I've got a city to check, please, stay calm. See you soon." With that he galloped away.

"What's with all these doctors gallopin' away? Applejack, you feel okay?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna be fine. How about you? You hurt at all?" Applebloom didn't answer. "A.B.? Ya there?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I got a little burn but, they said I'd live."

"That's great to hear, A.B. Do ya think I'll be going back to acting anytime soon?" She mused, trying to smile only let a cracking sound and a wince leave her as she began to realize she was really badly burnt.

"Yeah, sis. You'll be amazing in no time."

---

"Mommy, Poppa! There's a fire next door! We must get out!" Rarity called as she was running downstairs. Pinkamena and her parents had fallen asleep in the living room and sprang to life when Rarity called to them. She rushed by and out the door to the sounds of panic and confusion of the town.

"Is she having another nightmare, Pinkamena?"

"No, smell it? That's fire smoke! Let's get out! Quickly before we get cooked!" Pinkamena shouted as she ran out.

"Quick, Iggy. Get the scrapbooks and I'll get the letters." Dividing they ran around the house quickly and then outside with two saddlebags each full of various memorabilia as they gawked at the burning around them. "What's going on here?"

"I don't know, mother. Let's get out somewhere safe. Where's a safe place?!" Rarity screamed in a panic hopping around frantically as she looked at the fire on the neighboring houses.

"Rarity, calm down. You're sleep crazed. Just relax. We'll go to the city hall. There are spells and unicorns there that are trained to fight fires and heal minor injuries." Rarity turned and galloped her fastest to the town center bumping into other ponies as she went. "She needs sleep, I don't know how much longer she can go on," Cloudy stated with worry.

"Rarity hasn't slept for three days… nights... whatever. She has the worst nightmares, she says. I wonder what they're about," Pinkamena said as she smiled slowly and stroked her chin before shrugging then skipping after Rarity with her parents close behind in a trot.

Comments

[IMNOTHERE889]

Day 1: dang.... I have no words.... Damn..

[CoffeeBean]

shiet.