When your Cutie Mark is your prison, only those without talents are free.
In a distant future everyday life hasn't changed for the Equestrians at all. In fact, it will never change as the ponies can no longer decide for themselves. They are slaves to their past and personality.
This is a tale about the adventures and the struggle for survival of the former Cutie Mark Crusaders and their friends as they try and free everypony from their chains and restore harmony to Equestria.
But how does one survive in a world where talents mean certain doom? Where skills will make you helpless?
Special thanks to:
- Rylius and ONeill, my awesome proofreaders - Chaotic Harmony, who inspired me to start writing - And everypony from the #Everfreeradio channel on Canternet. You guys keep me motivated!
Author's note: This is my very first fanfic and, as such, the first chapters won't be of great quality, however, I will eventually get better and maybe, if needed, rewrite the first chapters. With that said, enjoy! =====
Chapter 1: Race through the forest
"Oww" Apple Bloom turned around at the THUMP sound and sighed, knowing exactly what caused it. Sweetie Belle lay flat on the ground and rubbed her nose. "Am I bleeding?" Apple Bloom let out a frustrated groan and approached the dainty unicorn mare. "A little, but it'll stop." She answered. "Now would ya please stand up? How'd ya manage to topple this often, anyway?" Apple Bloom poked her horn. "You're the mare with the light, after all!" Sweetie Belle spit out some dust and gave her an annoyed glance. "Apple Bloom, running through creepy forests at night is not my super special talent." Her eyes softened and she looked at the ground, whispering to herself: "And I'm very grateful for that..."
Apple Bloom's mind drifted off, escaping from the eerie forest to Sweet Apple Acres and their old club house. Our super special talent... The red-maned mare shook her head. Ain't the time for memories now.
She gave Sweetie Belle a reassuring nudge. "So am Ah, but we are pretty far away from the Refuge and should be much farther ahead by now. Ah wanna be home by midnight so we can get some sleep, tomorrow's gonna be a pretty long day." Sweetie Belle stared at the ground a little longer, then stood up and shook off the dust on her white coat. "Alright, but let me fasten my saddle bags a bit, they keep chafing my back." Sweetie Belle turned her head around and pulled at a strap. "That should do it." Apple Bloom nodded and started walking towards their destination again, watching her every step as Sweetie Belle raised her glowing horn.
They hadn't walked far before a voice from above made them halt. "Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle!" An orange shape crashed through the canopy of leaves showering the two mares with twigs and acorns. Now it was Sweetie Belle's turn to groan as she started to clean her coat again. "You really do like dramatic entra--" The orange pegasus cut her off with a gesture. "Sweetie Belle, no time for jokes. I have spotted a filly, a colt and a foal on the outskirts of the Everfree forest, not far from here." Apple Bloom looked at Scootaloo in shock. "Marks?" Scootaloo shook her head. Apple Bloom threw off her saddle bags, Sweetie Belle's flying right after them. "Show us the way!"
Apple Bloom prayed to Celestia as the three mares ran through the Everfree forest. Hopefully they hide well...Oh please Celestia, don't let the Timberwolves get them...
The forest got thinner, they crossed a clearing with a small pond mirroring the beautiful night sky above. If they weren't in such a hurry Apple Bloom would've loved to take a break and look at the stars. Instead she leapt over the pond and dashed back into the forest. Now that the moon lit their way Sweetie Belle canceled the light spell to stay unseen. Apple Bloom turned her head and looked at the white mare behind her. With the bleeding nose, the fuzzy mane waving in the wind and the wild, determined expression she barely resembled the innocent filly she used to be. Struggling for you life really changes your very personality, Ah guess.
Apple Bloom perked up as she heard an all too familiar howling in the distance. The timberwolves! "Scootaloo!" she yelled against the wind. "The timberwolves have spotted prey!" Scootaloo didn't bother turning her head to answer. "I heard it, but we're almost there! Better be ready to buck some firewood, ladies!" Apple Bloom growled, too often had the wooden predators killed the little ones that fled into the Everfree forest. Not this time! Firewood's right, once I'm done with 'em that is. Sweetie Belle's horn was glowing again, flaring with a blue flame, ready to devour anything that its mistress would touch. Apple Bloom noticed a movement at the corner of her eye and risked a quick glance to the left. A timberwolf was tearing through the woods, occasionally revealing its glowing eyes through the undergrowth. "Sweetie Belle! Over there!" she shouted, the unicorn answering with a snarl that could rival the rough wooden creature to her left. Sweetie Belle veered towards it, her horn glowing even brighter, and crashed into the timberwolf, the creature howling in agony, then suddenly silent. Apple Bloom did not slow down to look after her friend, the white mare had proven herself in combat numerous times.
The border of the forest was right ahead, only few trees scattered on their path, allowing the two mares to move even faster. Scootaloo flapped her wings and flew above the trees, trying to spot the young ponies. "They are right there! By that tree!" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Scoots, we're in a bucking forest! What..." The earth pony collided head-on with a tree in this moment of inattention. Stars danced around her field of view as she collapsed to the ground. Scootaloo landed next to her. "Yep, right this one AB." The orange pegasus turned around to their little VIPs. The colt, a beige unicorn with black dots and an earth brown mane stood in front of a baby blue filly, also a unicorn, with a lemon-colored mane and a basket containing a light green foal. The colt pawed at the ground in a feeble attempt to look menacing. "We're here to save you, so it would be wise for you to stop threatening me. Can't save ya if I'm frozen with fear, you know?"
Apple Bloom stood up with slightly crossed eyes, sending the colt into his I-protect-my-sister-stance again. Scootaloo snickered as Apple Bloom's eyes returned to their usual positions. "I'm Scootaloo and this wannabe-lumberjack is Apple--" The pegasus mare was interrupted by a familiar voice, crack included. "Scoots! AB! We got some company!" The little colt and the filly clung to one another and looked at the incoming unicorn in fear. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and shouted an answer: "Belle, I'm trying to comfort our little friends here. Why did you invite your annoying friends to the party?" Sweetie Belle came to a halt, gasping for air and giving Scootaloo an annoyed look. "Sorry Scoots, but they insist on staying for dinner. You gonna help me cooking?"
Apple Bloom blew her mane out of her face. "Oh Ah'll cook somethin' alright, a nice buck sandwich. FORMATION!" The three mares took position around their protégés, Apple Bloom picking up a rock with her mouth. "They always hunt in packs, we have to make room for our escape, remember that! Knock out the first wave and then RUN!" Scootaloo nodded and took off, floating just above the ground. The friends stared into the dark woods, the tension increasing with every second. The little ponies kept clinging to one another, not making a sound. Even the foal was either silent or asleep. The three mares looked around nervously, recovering from the sprint and feeling the adrenaline rush through their veins. Apple Bloom could hear branches break and leaves crumble under huge claws. She bit on her mossy rock in a moment of fear as the bushes on the border of the Everfree forest came alive with yellow glowing eyes.
Sweetie Belle's horn flared up once again as four wolves came charging out of the undergrowth heading right towards the ponies. Apple Bloom threw the rock up in the air, turned around a bucked it at the nearest enemy with deadly speed. The projectile found its target, smashing the branches like twigs. The creature tripped and fell, the glowing eyes extinguished and the body reduced to a pile of debris. "Nice shot there AB!" shouted Scootaloo as she lifted one of the wooden predators in the air and let him fall onto a bunch of pointy rocks, the wood of the creature splintering everywhere. Sweetie Belle, in the meantime, had leapt on top of a wolf, struggling to get a clear path for her horn. A quick jab penetrated the head of the creature, setting it ablaze with light blue flames. The last wolf saw itself outnumbered by the three ponies and howled for reinforcements, but was cut off and sent flying into a tree by Apple Bloom's strong back legs.
The mares panted for breath a short while. Apple Bloom was the first to recover from the shock of the fight and gestured the colt to climb on her back. "We don't have time, c'mon gals, we need to get them to the Refuge!" Scootaloo shook her head and grabbed the basket with the foal, lifting it into the air with some difficulties. "Hurry up, I can't carry this thing all day!" Sweetie Belle hurried the filly to ride on her and perked up as the wolves' howls cut through the air again.
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes as six timberwolves came charging from the woods. "Oh, good, I was hoping you'd come to hurry me up! Belle, follow Scoots, I'll be right behind you!"
The three mares dashed for the Everfree forest, running in a wide arc around the timberwolves with their cargo squeaking in fear and the predators howling just a few meters behind them.
Night Owl yawned and threw a glance at the border of the forest with teary eyes. Yawning again he turned around on the wooden wall walk and continued his patrol. "I'm walking back and forth on the palisade, how is that a patrol?" he asked the wooden floor. An amused voice answered in its place: "Like you said, you're walking back and forth. I'd call that a patrol, no matter how long the walk." Night Owl raised his head to find his path cut by a young, gray unicorn mare. "Here, take a sip of this." She shoved a wooden bowl under his nose. "It'll awaken your sleepy head in no time, promise!" He looked at the murky liquid in the bowl and sniffed, instantly regretting it as the scent of moldy wood insulted his nose. He sneezed, almost knocking the bowl out of the mare's hoof. "What in the hay is this? It smells disgusting! How can you expect me to drink this, Soothing Cup?" She rolled her eyes. "It's tea and it won't kill you." The mare pouted playfully. "I cooked it just for you, how can you do this to--" "ALRIGHT, I'll drink it!" Night Owl interrupted her. Soothing Cup looked at him in excitement. Holding his breath he opened his mouth and drank the whole bowl in one big gulp. The mixture had a bitter taste, with the slight flavor of pine needles.
"Sooo?" Soothing Cup leaned towards him with an expectant expression on her face. "What do you think?" He looked at her with a tortured smile. "It's...delicious. I...love mold. Thanks." The unicorn's smile faded. "I know it doesn't taste good, you silly colt. It's supposed to wake you up! You know, like coffee!" Night Owl blinked. Actually, he felt pretty lively right now, like after a good night's sleep. He looked at the mare with an astounded expression, summoning the smile on her face again. "It did! How did you... Thank you ver--" He was cut short by a howling sound in the distance. He looked into the forest, every muscle in his body tensed.
"The timberwolves have spotted prey..." The mare looked at him with a worried expression. "But...who could they..." Cold fear gripped Night Owl's heart. He nudged the mare by his side. "Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, that's who! Go tell Zecora and try to find whatever weapons are left." The mare jumped down from the wall walk and looked up at him. "You are not going out there, are you?" The stallion shook his head. "No, but we need to be prepared when they return. The Fateless won't try and fend off the timberwolves. They will be back soon and we better be able to provide some cover for them once they're here!"
A second howl cut through the night, this one sounding like the creature was in agony. "GO, Soothing Cup! Hurry up!" The mare flinched at his stern voice and sprinted towards the small wooden huts that were encompassed by the palisade. He looked at her until she had disappeared in the camp and then galloped along the wall walk, shouting orders. "Grand Torch, light those beacons! Blade Wing, wake up every single pegasus you can find and scout the area! Find those three crazy mares as soon as possible! Everypony else help Soothing Cup scavenge for everything we can use as weapons!"
He turned to stare into the dark forest again as the ponies hurried to execute his orders. Please, Luna, don't let the creatures of your night get them!
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Sweetie Belle could hear the timberwolves behind her and Apple Bloom to her right as they dashed through the forest. The filly on her back cried in fear, clinging to her mane. Occasionally she could see Scootaloo with the basket flying above the canopy of leaves, visibly fighting with the weight of her cargo. We are almost there, come on! "Hey, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom shouted. The white mare turned her head. "How come you don't trip when we're sprintin' like this?" Sweetie Belle ignored her and concentrated on her spell instead. The blue light her horn emitted was just enough for her and the earth pony not to collide with trees. Her legs hurt more and more, the trees clawed at her with branches and twigs as if they were determined to supply the wooden predators with the food that the mares stole from them.
"Hold on tight, little filly!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she leapt over a trunk in her path. Said filly squeaked, but managed to stay on her savior. Sweetie Belle could see the light of torches and beacons through the forest and pegasi soar the skies. She sent a beam of light through the tree crowns above her to announce their arrival. I hope they are prepared for us. Sweetie Belle could now see the gates of the Refuge as the forest got thinner in front of them.
Suddenly, a hot liquid bewet her cheek and a desperate scream from her friend made her turn her head. She definitely heard her friend running, but the light was too dim to see more than a scheme tearing through the undergrowth.
Moments later, the forest ended and they walked onto the clearing that was the Refuge. A great palisade with a gate was right in front of them as Scootaloo handed the basket to another pegasus and dove down to support her friends. Sweetie Belle levitated the furry ball on her bag and handed her to one of the guards, then turned around to face the timberwolves. Apple Bloom was right next to her, the three mares panting for breath as they got ready for battle once more. The predators hesitated to step onto the clearing. They knew that they were no match for a determined pony once their natural camouflage was useless to them.
"Scoots! Belle! AB!" A shout from the palisades caught their attention. Night Owl, the captain of the guard, waved down at them. "Why do you always invite guests to our Refuge? We are short on food without a bunch of pony-devouring wolves, you do know that, right?" The white-coated unicorn cringed. Oh no, the food! Scootaloo yelled back: "Yeah, Sweetie Belle invited those." She grinned at her friend. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "Actually, I think they like the smell of fresh chicken." Night Owl laughed, then pointed at the forest. "No matter the reason, here they come!" His head disappeared behind the palisade and reappeared moments later, he had picked up a bulgy bottle containing some orange liquid with his mouth, holding it by a leathery looking cord. "New mixture by Zecora, watch this!" hissed the captain through his teeth, moving his head back and forth to ginger up the flask.
One brave timberwolf stormed on the clearing, only to be hit by the flask Night Owl had thrown his way, splashing the liquid all over the creature. For a little moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the wooden body of the wolf caught on flames that devoured the wood with astounding speed only leaving a little pile of charcoal and glowing ash. The other guards threw similar bottles and soon the three mares were surrounded by a wall of flames. "Best of all, the flames don't burn anything the liquid hasn't touched. No forest fires!" As Sweetie Belle inspected one of the fires she noticed that the fire did not spread. Another miracle from Zecora's soup kitchen.
The gates to the Refuge opened slowly as the fires got smaller. "They won't burn forever, get in quickly!" Night Owl shouted as he jumped down from the wall walk to greet the white unicorn with a hug. Suddenly she heard a small sob from behind her. Scootaloo landed and approached Apple Bloom, whose tears moistened the ground. "Hey AB, what's the matter? We rescued them, aren't we supposed to be celebrating?" Apple Bloom was now crying and threw herself into Scootaloo's embrace. The orange Pegasus looked at Sweetie Belle, her eyes expressing only confusion.
The white mare remembered what happened during her escape and cold fear took control of her heart. She slowly raised a hoof and touched the liquid on her cheek, then looked at it. The small drop of red liquid mirrored the stars and the dancing light from the torches around them. Blood? Apple Bloom looked at her with teary eyes, still hugging Scootaloo. The understanding came moments later and Sweetie Belle's vision blurred as her own eyes filled with tears. Scootaloo looked at her and then at the little filly they rescued. A red pegasus put down the basked with the foal next to the filly. Scootaloo closed her eyes as Sweetie Belle joined them in their embrace, seeking comfort in the closeness to her friends. The sobs of the filly filled the silence as Soothing Cup hugged her lovingly and even the foal started crying.
The little colt, so eager to protect his siblings, was nowhere to be found.
The black cloud was getting her coat soaking wet as the lavender pegasus wrapped her hooves around it and dragged it towards Ponyville. Cloud Kicker's wings were growing numb in the chilly night air. She hated flying in these dizzy heights, but one does not find clouds on ground level. And storms don't brew themselves either. Cloud Kicker sighed and threw an almost wishful glance at the soft, cotton candy-looking clouds over the Everfree Forest. If only the weather in Ponyville would handle itself, too. A twinge in her flank pulled her out of her daydreams and back into reality. She grabbed the cloud again, continuing her towing service for lost clouds as the pain subsided.
I wouldn't have work then, would I? Time to get this storm up and running.
Cloud Kicker had always loved to work for the weather team. Thunderstorms, sunshine and every possible shape of clouds were just weather to the inhabitants of Ponyville. But to her, it was art.Creating feathery clouds was a difficult act to pull off and she was proud of it. Sure, a big cumulus looked intimidating and a squall line was downright scary, but creating an almost invisible streak of mist just by tugging at the edges of a small cloud without ripping it apart - THAT was true weather making.
Another sting in her flank made her cringe. She let out an annoyed groan. "ALRIGHT, I'm on it!" She didn't even know who she was talking to, but she didn't care either.
Yes, creating all the beautiful kinds of weather was and always would be her passion. Guess nothing is fun if you are forced to do it. She raced towards the small lights on the ground who betrayed the village's location in a nosedive, no longer sure if the tears in her eyes came from the speed or the lump in her throat. She gave Thunderlane a quick nod as she stuffed her misty catch into a hole in the dark, now complete blanket of clouds. The dark grey stallion flew towards her and handed her a towel from his saddle bag.
"Sheesh" he said, looking at her with a mix of deep respect and compassion. "Caught that dark one in the mountains, eh?"
The lavender pegasus flinched and took a closer look at herself. Her fur was coated in ice crystals that were starting to melt just now, her jasmine mane stuck to her back, soaked with cold rainwater, her tail dripping as well. "You should probably stop flyin' up there and start compressing clouds to brew a storm." Compressing clouds was one way to create darker storm clouds. Cloud Kicker also deemed it the lazy way. "You're gonna catch a cold and I don't wanna see you flyin' around with a fever." The winged mare rolled her eyes.
Thunderlane glared at her and she sighed, giving him a weak smile. "C'mon, compressing clouds is not a challenge. Anypony can push some clouds together. Even Twilight Sparkle could do that, having a spell for touching clouds and all." Thunderlane raised an eyebrow. "She does? Since when...ARGH, stop changing topics!" He shouted. "I gotta start this storm, you've done your part!" He threw another stern look her way and dashed away, through the clouds that covered the sky.
Indeed. Thought Cloud Kicker as the pain in her flank did not return. I'm done for the day and there's a nice warm bed waiting for me. It didn't cheer her up. It never did.
She knew Thunderlane was right. She would have to fly, no matter how sick she was. Otherwise...she shuddered at the thought of the burning pain that had held her Cutie Mark in a smoldering grip when she resisted the strong urge for the first time. And the voice...the Order.
"No" Thunderlane paused in his briefing and turned to look at her with a confused expression. "Kicker, what are you doing?" A panicky whisper reached her ear. Thunderlane frowned. "Cloud Kicker, what do you mean, 'No'?" The whisper returned. "Don't! We don't know what will happen, it may kill you!" Said mare spun around to her white friend, glaring at her with fury. "Listen here, Storm Flute, I am not going to take orders from my own talent!" Cloud Kicker stomped her hoof like a stubborn filly, punching a hole into the cloud they were standing on. "We are supposed to control our talents, not the other way round!"
Now Summer Breeze piped up, an angry tone in her voice: "Don't be egoistic, Ponyville needs us! Weather team ain't some kind of kids' club, we have responsibility!" The lavender pegasus could not control herself anymore, took off and flew over to her pink-maned workmate, stopping inches away from her face and staring daggers at her. "Don't act like you are sacrificing your free time for this, Breeze!" She rose two meters and then addressed the other pegasi: "Look at us! Every other day we are brewing up a huge storm just so we have clouds to clear the sky of the next day!"
Her workmates cringed and looked down, not able to look her in the eyes. Even Thunderlane looked insecure. Cloud Kicker nodded. "Don't you get it? We're creating ergotherapy for ourselves! We used to be artists, everypony. And if I can't make weather the way I want...I don't want to do it at all." Cloud Kicker's felt the first tears emerge from her eyes, the salty liquid running down her face and neck, tears that carried memories from happier times. An age of freedom, beautiful sunny days, thunderstorms that rivalled the fireworks of the Grand Galloping Gala and calm snowfall.
As time went on the silence threatened to suffocate her. She dove through the cloud and towards Ponyville, determined to resist the orders of her very own passion. But as she punched through another cloud in frustration darkness consumed her surroundings.
Cloud Kicker looked around, not being able to orient herself. The darkness around her was perfect, beautiful and terrifying in its own way. She felt lonely and her wings and hooves grew numb as she tried to take her bearings. She perked up as a calm, but strong voice dug its way through the darkness.
"Cloud Kicker...do you not desire harmony and safety? I am here to bring perfection to your lives. You will not suffer hunger or thirst, your enemies will perish under my reign." The mare could not feel her wings anymore and panicked when they stopped flapping. Oddly enough, she seemed to float anyway. As her hooves quit their service she tried to make out the source of the voice. "Who are you?" The voice giggled.
"You may call me the Order. You are not the first one to resist me. But you, as everypony else, will use your talents for the greater good..."
The words echoed in her head, the soft whispers sending her into a trance. Perfection, safety...harmony. That sounded like a good idea. Perfection, safety...harmony. Yes...that was what she desired. But...we already have harmony. This simple though sent a wave of energy through her body, defeating the numbness and washing away the dizziness. She began flapping her wings again, rather trusting her own body than the Order.
"You, too, will not volunteer to serve perfection? Very well."
She yelped as something silky touched her cheek, exploring every single inch of her face before running down her neck, continuing its journey across her body, leaving her with an ice cold feeling where it touched her. She shivered as the chilly sensation spread out over her coat and finally stopped at her flank, feeling her Cutie Mark. Her flank began to tingle and a high-pitched whistling sound filled her ears, eliminating all thoughts. The voice returned once more:
"Serve me well."
Then, all of a sudden, the darkness was gone and Cloud Kicker found herself bursting out of the cloud she had entered what seemed like hourse ago, her Cutie Mark burning with pain as the urge to utilize her talent was stronger than ever, thwarting every attempt at thinking. She pulled out of her dive and turned around to reunite with the weather team, her tears streaming freely. She hated herself for her weakness.
Arriving at her dwelling above the thunderstorm that was wrathing at Ponyville without mercy Cloud Kicker lay down on her bed, her aching wings unfolded and relieved that she did not have to fly for the time being. But soon, relief was replaced with deep sadness as she was mourning the loss of her passion. She had always hoped that some day the Order would disappear, that maybe somepony would be able to resist it and put it in its place. But the wielders of the elements of harmony and even the alicorns were chained to their talents, incapable of fighting this entity with its distorted take on harmony.
But ultimately Cloud Kicker had lost all hope and optimism. Weather will never be art again...