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// Prologue 
// Story: Lost nights 
// by Cherry delight 
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Blue hooves thudded down the empty road. The hooves belonged to a mare. The mare was breathing heavily and her mane was tangled and wet from sweat. Lightning flashed around her lighting up the moonless sky. Around her neck were two small forelegs, clinging on to her. In her mouth hung a basket. Inside the basket was a silent filly, fast asleep from the rhythm of her charge. The mare grunted as she tried to open her wings and break the rope binding them. The effort was fruitless and the mare stumbled.

The mare stopped, trying to catch her breath. She set down the basket and the fore legs around her neck loosened their grip. For a few minutes the only sounds around her were the sounds of heavy breathing and thunder. However, with the rhythm of her gallop broken the filly in basket awoke. Her huge purple eyes opened blearily. The filly was hungry and tired. When the filly yawned the mare held her breath. Tears began to well in the filly's eyes. Sensing what was about to happen the mare reached her hoof out and attempted to calm the filly down. It was a small effort and to late. With a huge breath the filly let out a loud wail. Her little lungs strong and healthy, the sound rang out. The mare tensed up and grabbed the basket. The forelegs around her neck tightened again. For a few tense seconds all that could be heard was the filly's cries. The mare twitched her ears listening for a sound.

"They're over here!!"

With the sound of the booming voice the mare shot off like she was starting a race. Thunderous hoofsteps echoed around her. The mare kept galloping faster and faster straining her unused legs. But, no matter how fast she went, the hoofsteps never fell behind. With the rain hitting her face like small bullets and her legs aching she almost lost hope. How easy it would be just to give in. To give up the futile effort. She nearly came to a walk. She would just explain everything. They would understand. But then she remembered her children. If she gave up they would almost certainly be taken from her at best. Or, at worst, ... Terminated. It felt like someone had given her new energy as she sped up. Even with all the odds against her her heart was still light and full of love. 

After a tense half an hour the hoofsteps finally fell silent. The mare, nearly exhausted, came to a trot. In the time she had been running the filly had fallen asleep again. It sounded like the other small pony on her back had fallen asleep too. Her hooves throbbed. She felt like she was about to collapse. "Soon"  The voice in her head promised. "We are nearly there." The mare plodded on, even though she just wanted to sleep. As she plodded on she tried to distract herself from the burning sensation enrapturing her legs. Ponyville sure is beautiful this time of the year. It was winter and around her everything glittered with frost. The small quaint part of Ponyville was made of gentle shapes and the smell of pine still filled the air through the frost. This was unlike another part of the city. The industrial center of Ponyville was all harsh shapes. By now the frost will have almost certainly have been destroyed. The industrial center, in the middle of the city, is where the ugliness of this new civilization really shone through. The outskirts of Ponyville, were old village was, covered up the ugliness. They stood as a testament to the old times. The mare sighed.

The thoughts that had filled her head had distracted her. The thoughts weren't particularly nice but they were better than constantly being reminded with each step that she was running away from all that she knew. The mare had finally reached the old town center. She was supposed to be here. The mare looked around for her but there was no sign. The mare sighed. She knew that she wouldn't be able to see the mare unless she wanted to be seen. The mare took the time to sit down. She took the pony off her back and placed her on the ground. She kept sleeping on the ground. The mare had a small smile on her face at the sight of her daughter. The rope around her wings rubbed against her back and she gave it a half hearted tug. She knew that it was pointless. The rope could only be taken off by another unicorn. Well providing the unicorn knew how to dispel the charm on the rope. But the mare knew that She would know how to do that. A brisk wind blew past the mare. With all the galloping the mare hadn't realized how cold it was. She looked anxiously at her two daughters. Miraculously they both were fine with not even a sign of unrest. Her small smile grew.
"Looks like they take after their Mum in sleeping abilities." At the sound of the voice the mare jumped up and took a defensive position in front of her daughters her heart racing. Standing in front of the mare was a hooded pony. The mare's eyes flicked back and forth and her ears twitched. She then leaped at the hooded figure anger in her heart and pinned the pony underneath her.
"Explain who you are and what you are doingNow! Or I will kill you" The hooded figure shook off her hood reveling... "Vinyl!"
"Chill dude. Its just me." Vinyl gave the mare a tight smile and the mare backed away. 
"Vinyl I'm sooo sorry! It's just that I've been running from her guards all day and I may be a tad twitc-" A hoof covered the mares mouth stopping the inevitable rant. Vinyl smiled with a familiar twinkle in her eye.
"It's okay Rainbow. I have two kids. I know how you feel." Both mares shared a friendly smile. Rainbow took a deep breath in.
"Lets start over. My name is Rainbow dash." She said in a pompous Canterlot accent. "What is your name?"
"My name is Vinyl Scratch." Vinyl replied , Copying Dash's accent. "Nice to meet you." The both mares shook hooves and erupted into laughter. 

However the reason they met swiftly suck up there mirth and there smiles turned into frowns. Vinyl sighed and rubbed her head. "Look Rainbow..." Rainbow looked up from were she was wrapping up her filly tighter.
"Mmm" She said even though she knew what was coming next.
"We need to stop stalling Rainbow. I know it's hard but she's young and won't survive the journey." Tears started to fall from Rainbow's eyes but she refused to acknowledge them. Rainbow kept wiping the tears from her cheeks but soon they started to stream out of her eyes. Vinyl watched. To watch the strong element of Loyalty break down was hard to watch. Vinyl wanted to go and hug her but she knew that Rainbow need to accept reality. It was hard enough when Vinyl had given Base to her trusted friend. Rainbow had to give her foal to a stallion who she didn't trust. "Being the element of Loyalty it must be super hard for her." Vinyl thought. Suddenly Rainbow turned and wrapped her hooves around Vinyl's side, tears flowing freely out of her eyes. Vinyl stood there, awkwardly stroking her hair. Finally Rainbow calmed down enough to speak.
"I prepared myself I did Vinyl. While I was pregnant I told myself I wouldn't get connected to her." Rainbow's eyes strayed to her sleeping daughter. "But when she first looked at me with her gorgeous purple eyes I couldn't help it. I fell in love." Vinyl's heart went out to Rainbow. Vinyl was not usually an empathetic person but she couldn't help herself as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. For a few minutes there they stayed, Rainbow's eyes never leaving her daughter's and Vinyl trying to calm the mare down.

Finally Rainbows forelegs let go of Vinyl and she tore her eyes from her filly. She sat on the floor wiping tears from eyes and sniffling. Vinyl waited until she dried her eyes before nudging her.
"Hey. I could take your daughter to Soarin." Vinyl said, sympathy shining through her words. Rainbow shook her head vehemently.
"She's my filly." Dash almost snarled. "I'll take her." Vinyl blinked, surprised. She then raised her hoof in the surrender. Rainbow realized how she was acting and shook herself. She pinned her ears back. "I'm sorry Vinyl." She took a breath in."We'll continue as planned.  You take Lost to the camp and I'll follow you after I've done this. Kay?" Rainbow smiled weakly. Vinyl raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure you'll be OK?" Dash nodded. Vinyl took the white filly in her levitation. She was about to leave when Dash cleared her throat. Vinyl looked over her shoulder. Dash gestured to the ropes around her wings. With an embarrassed expression Vinyl undid the charms and the rope fell off Dash's back. Vinyl nodded and Dash smiled back. Rainbow Dash watched as Vinyl jumped away. Dash sighed and she felt tears well up in her eyes. She grabbed the basket and leaped into the air silently. Prepared for her horrible task.

Unlike the travel to the square, the travel to Soarin's house was quick. "Too quick." Dash landed silently on Soarin's door step. She tried to avoid looking at her daughter but her eyes wouldn't obey her. She walked over to her filly. She knew the filly was fast asleep but she couldn't help but say a few last words to her daughter. 
"Hey squirt." Dash said,forcing joy into her voice. "You may not be able to hear me and you probably won't remember this but I feel obliged to say something. I know when you're older it will seem like I have abandoned you but I haven't. If you ever get teased at school remember one day I will come back. " Dash stepped back fire in her eyes. "On that day She will burn for her crimes. I love you and I always will, no matter what."
Dash stepped of the cloud supporting the house. She tried to keep the filly in her vision for as long as possible. The last thing she would ever remember of her daughter. The purple eyes opened and tortured cries rang out into the sky.