Chapter 1
'We don't remember a lot of what happened. Our names, our families, our homes, those are all things we still remember; even if they seem so long ago and faded. But the...accident itself, we don't remember too clearly.
It started all too ordinarily. We were all cramped onto a school bus, heading home from a fieldtrip. We were all so tired and the sun was setting. Some of us gave up on waiting and went to sleep. Our teachers weren't much better. Mr. Scotus didn't mind, he was too busy being annoyed by how the traffic ruined a lot of the plans. Miss Ephialtes gave up two hours ago and took a nap herself. Sid, the bus driver, rolled his eyes at the two educators through his mirror. He probably warned them about the traffic. He probably did this before.
Most of us hate Boston now. Or Salem, or both, or something else. It varies between all of us. We all miss Gloucester though. We all miss our home.
As said, we don't remember much. A lot of us were asleep at the time. We were crossing the Essex, and then...some of us still feel the fire. Others can still hear the explosions. A few still taste the water. A couple remember more than they say, but we don't pry. We don't care. Not anymore.
We woke up, somewhere. But...we weren't us anymore. We weren't human. If you're hearing this from our world, you're likely guessing we were turned into ponies, or changelings, or some other race.
It wasn't that simple.
It wasn't that easy.
It was...the luck of the draw, I suppose.
That was ten years ago.
Time can really change a person; more so when it's a group of "dead" middle school kids.'
Twilight sighed as she trudged away from Sweet Apples Acres with a too-full stomach. She did NOT intend to eat that much, but everypony of the Apple Family was just so overly welcoming that she felt bad to say no to them, "Well, look on the bright side?" Spike said with a grin as he sat on her back.
"What bright side? We're already behind schedule?" Twilight asked, a bit more bite in her than she intended from her protesting belly.
"You learned a lot of new apple dishes, I imagine," A female voice called, getting their attention.
Approaching them was a unicorn mare, a few inches taller than Twilight. Her eyes were pink, her coat was white, and her mane was straight black with a yellow highlight on her right side. Her cutie mark, curiously enough, was half of a scissor with a string on the handle, "A bit overwhelming, eh?" She asked sympathetically, smiling in understanding.
Twilight was a bit annoyed by the too-friendly nature of this town, but was happy to find a kindred spirits of sorts, "They're hard to say no to. Are you new here?" Twilight asked curiously.
"Yeah, I came for the Summer Sun Festival," The mystery mare explained, "I'm guessing you're here about that as well?" She guessed with a small smirk of amusement.
"How'd you know?" Spike asked in surprise.
"Oh, he speaks," The mystery unicorn commented in interest, "I didn't know Dragons were old enough to talk at that size," She said, rubbing her chin.
"I wouldn't know- never met another Dragon," Spike said with a shrug, "And you are...?"
"Ahh, sorry," She said sheepishly, holding out a hoof in greeting, "Olivia Campbell. You?"
"Twilight Sparkle," Twilight returned, still looking a bit relieved as she took the hoof, "This little guy is Spike," She said, smirking at Spike's protest at being called little.
Olivia chuckled, "Well, you may talk mature, but you still sound like any other child, complaining about your youth," She quipped, getting a stuck out tongue in retort, "As for your question, I noticed the chariot. Thought the Princess was showing up early or something."
Twilight and Spike had looks of understanding, "Sorry to disappoint, but just us," Twilight said with a tired smile, "Any advice on handling the locals?"
"With or without succumbing to the madness?" Olivia joked, "Just take it in stride and let it flow. These ponies here love to make people feel welcome. I think being right next to the Everfree makes them very tight knit," She said, looking out with a distant look for a moment.
"Thanks," Twilight said, even if it wasn't overly helpful. She blinked as a thought came to mind, "Hey, Olivia, would you know where I can find any of these ponies?" She asked, motioning to Spike, who held out the list.
"Hmmm, I know OF a Pegasus with a rainbow mane: If that's Rainbow Dash, she's either doing stunts or napping from what I've seen. I don't know a Fluttershy, but Rarity...I don't know her, but I know there's some clothe designer in town. Her shop is near the edge of town. It's a bit hard to miss. Sorry if that's not much help," Olivia answered with a shrug.
"No, it's fine. Just hoping for an idea of what to expect more than anything: sounds like a possible dare devil, and I know how most designers are," Twilight said with a sigh, "Well, it was nice meeting you Miss Campbell."
"Pleasure was all mine you two: And please, call me Olivia," She requested kindly before looking curious, "Actually, if I can trouble you a moment more, would you mind returning the favor? I'm also looking for some friends that I heard might be here as well. One of them is a blue unicorn with a mark of an open book with a picture of a brain on it; the other is a white earth pony. Her coat has yellow patches you can barely see, but if that doesn't help, she has a pickaxe striking stone. If you happen to see them, mind telling them I'm around?" Olivia asked hopefully.
"Spike, you're more observant than I am when it comes to strangers: You get all that?" Twilight asked over her shoulder.
"Book-Brains and Pickaxe, got it," Spike said cheekily, giving them a thumbs up. Olivia giggled at his antics while Twilight rolled her eyes.
"Again, been a pleasure," Olivia said with a nod, "Perhaps we'll talk more after the festival," She mused before walking past them.
"Well, you certainly handled that well," Spike mused with a smirk, "I think you just made a friend."
"I think sympathetic acquaintance is the right term for now, Spike," Twilight mused, amused nonetheless as they headed off in search of the one supposed to be keeping the skies clear.
Olivia, meanwhile, wandered off around the outskirts of the town, soon joined by a Pegasus that glided effortlessly to her side. Her mane was chocolate colored while her coat was a lighter brown with blue, almost purple eyes. Her cutie mark was a white half-circle, the curve facing her front, with a red arrow point diagonally upwards from the center, "Any sign of them?" The newcomer asked evenly, walking with her head lowered and pointed ahead, almost like a predator's.
"Unfortunately not, but in a sea of ponies, finding them is a bit hard," Olivia answered with a sigh, "How'd your time go, Nasha?" She asked in small amusement.
"Brother is an ass, as always, and Veil Heim is getting a bit stir crazy in that forest," Nasha opined, "...Again, why don't we just have him show himself? Word of something like him being around and they'll know we're here before dinner is served," She reasoned.
"Because we're trying NOT to draw attention to ourselves?" Olivia reminded with a raised eyebrow.
"Hmm, didn't peg you to be on that side of things, Liv," Nasha mused curiously.
Olivia frowned a bit at that, "I'm not on any side of it, Nasha, but I can see why being a bit discrete is a good idea right now, for everyone," She retorted.
"Whatever. Honestly, me and Enki never cared either way on that debate," Nasha answered with an eye roll, "So, make a new friend?"
"She's Twilight Sparkle," Olivia answered neutrally.
"...Well fuck," Nasha said, raising her head in surprise, "Which means..."
"Yeah," Olivia answered with a sigh, looking towards the horizon, "It's all about to begin."
"And we're about to screw it to hell and back," Nasha opined.
"Nasha...," Olivia scolded out of habit.
"Sorry, we're going to buck it to Tartarus and back, happy?" Nasha rephrased rhetorically, "Also, JaJa is missing again."
"I'd say you shouldn't be so casual about that, but I already expected that one," Olivia commented, shaking her head in pity, "I'll go deal with your brother, you go help Veil Heim find our aquatic friend- there's probably more than one river monster in there."
"There's at least one in there," Nasha grumbled as she took off in a small run before taking off.
She flew at a decent speed at just above tree tops, trying to keep herself from standing out too much as she flew out of the town, traveling around the edge of the forest. She vaguely noticed passing by a distinctive cottage on the outskirts of town. After she had an outcropping of trees between herself and the town, she flew into the forest.
Most ponies were scared of the Everfree, a realm free of pony magic and yet sustaining itself perfectly fine without it; Nasha wasn't most ponies.
Her ears twitched about as she walked further and further into the foliage, glancing around as she felt the eyes following her. There were a lot of hungry creatures in this place, and a lone pony would seem like an easy meal.
Too bad for them she wasn't alone either.
Pausing at the growl catching her attention, she was almost annoyed to see the lone Timberwolf approaching her, "I'll never get why you guys need to eat at all," She murmured to herself, watching it with a bored expression. It seemed a bit confused by her behavior, but didn't seem to possess the brain power to think beyond that.
Nasha mentally counted down from three as the wooden beast charged at her. Upon hitting zero, it leapt at her with maw open and claws ready to strike. Vibrant orange eyes gleamed in the darkness of the forest, towering over her by over twice her height. Twin great horns sliced ominously through the air as the shadows concealed a lean, muscled form.
The fact that he had patches of blood on horns didn't concern her in the slightest.
"Could you be anymore cliche?" Nasha asked with a rasied eyebrow, getting a grunt and a glare for her effort, "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" She asked bluntly, looking down at his cloven hooves to see the broken twigs that had been the Timberwolf. If it reformed, it would be a long time from now.
"Yes, I did," Her horned friend answered with an eye roll, "So are they here or not?"
"We're working on that. This celebration and the Princess coming have a lot of visitors pouring in," Nasha answered before muttering, "I still don't know how that pink nutcase knows everyone that has been to this town before on sight."
"And, meanwhile, you have to watch your brother...speaking of which?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, his eyes seeming to actually brighten with curiousity.
"Olivia took over after making a new friend," She answered pointedly, "Take one guess who?"
"I don't know, Big Mat?" He answered in annoyance, shrugging in ignorance.
"Twilight Sparkle."
"...Well, that certainly makes things interesting," The pecora said in surprise before grimacing, "Not looking forward to facing down an Alicorn."
"What, Veilheim doesn't want to keep lying low?" Nasha asked with a teasing smirk.
"With the fate of the world at stake? Not really, no," Veilheim answered flatly before sighing, "Oh how I wish X was here right now. Or Gillcrest...Hell, I'd take Haywood," He said in resignation, one hoof brushing the ground.
"Could try Halley?" Nasha pointed out with a shrug.
"Yeah, but if she jumped groups again, it'd take too long to find and get in contact with her," He countered.
"Well...on the up side, we have the numerical advantage," Nasha tried.
"Yeah, I remember what "numerical advantages" did against Gillcrest," Veilheim reminded before taking a breath, "Then again, Nightmare Moon supposedly isn't the killing type, so we might have a shot."
"There's the bright side," Nasha said with a dry smirk, "Besides, it's not like we got anything better to do than kick a princess's ass, or get ours kicked by said princess."
Meanwhile
"Why are you stalking Pinkie Pie?" Olivia asked blandly.
"Theory crafting. I'm starting to suspect that her mane and tail are both actually some kind of foci for her magic," An earth pony answered. He was almost a carbon copy of Nasha, only his more masculine frame had him a bit more bulky, and his mane was short to the point of nearly being shaved. His eyes were a shade brighter than Nasha's, but otherwise the same. His cutie mark was a black half-circle, curve facing his rear, and a tilted beaker on the flat side.
"As good a theory as any," Olivia mused with an eye roll.
"I will never understand anyone accepting it as "Just Pinkie" when it's obvious she, assuming she is a pony at all, is some kind of mutation or rare subspecies," He commented casually, eyeing the pink mare from a distance, "I take it you know that Twilight Sparkle is here?" He asked bluntly.
"Yes, I do," Olivia said with a smile and a raised eyebrow, "How'd you know, Enki?"
"I made the assumption that having a party in the town library isn't a common thing," The earth pony answered offhandedly, "And it being the Summer Sun Festival..."
"Right," Olivia conceded, "You are too smart for your own good sometimes, you know that?"
"My sister says I gave up my capacity for manners and tact to increase my intellectual capabilities," He countered with a smirk.
"I doubt she said it like that," Olivia mused, "So, what's your thought on this?"
"If she wasn't the Sun's sister, I'd suggest kil- Ow, my hoof!" He snapped as Olivia 'accidentally' stepped on his appendage.
"These ponies are very peaceful and forgiving, so bringing up the K-word in public might be a bad idea," Olivia reminded.
"And I care, why?" Enki countered with a scowl. Olivia sighed in exasperation at that, while he took his chance to continue, "As I saying, doing THAT would likely get on the Monarch's bad side. And Optimists or Cynics, we'd all rather avoid that."
"Right," Olivia commented, "So...your thoughts?"
"We do whatever we have to," Enki answered bluntly, looking her square in the eye, "Just like we always do, Sharps."
Olivia grimaced at his meaning but nodded in agreement, "Right...that just leaves one important question," She mused with a dry smirk
"How King Cynic himself is going to take this," Enki answered knowingly, "I will never understand that guy."
"You hardly understand people in general," She teased lightly.
"Not true," He retorted, looking offended. If he was playful, it was very convincing.
"Emotionally, not biologically," She rephrased, getting a scowl.
"...I understand my sister," He countered lamely.
"Your one hope at humanity," Olivia pressed on.
"Whatever. I'm going back to my research...once I find where that pink abomination pronked off to," Enki said with an eye roll, "If you're going to play handler, then at least have the decency to let me conduct my observations in peace."
"I thought you were good at multitasking?" Olivia asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Doesn't mean I want to," He grumbled to Olivia's amusement.