//------------------------------// // Prologue: Abandoning hope // Story: To The Last Breath // by Thunderbird Resurrection //------------------------------// It started, as an easy to win fight. But the battle has drove most of the guards and ponies to there doom. The lost have suffered, and the strong have been driven to forever damnation, upon the star's. So no war can be won, without the proper sacrifices. ~CommanderRezurection. A large group of about one hundred ponies were trotting a few hundred miles away from Canterlot. One pony, a purple lavender one stopped and looked back at the once beautiful city of Canterlot. What she saw wasn't Canterlot, but a hive. A tear formed in her eye as she looked at her homeland. One by one cities, and towns were being invaded by Changeling armies by the thousands. One by one each town was mutilated as tall buildings fell and the screams echoed. "Twilight?" The purple unicorn looked down and saw A young purple dragon. "When can we go home?" He asked in a scared tone. "I..." She stopped, and tried her best not to sob. "I don't know, Spike. We lost our home, It belongs to them now." It wasn't long but when Twilight was at the castle trying to stop the Changeling queen, they were captured and taken back to the top of the castle. Cadence tried to snap Shinning Armour out of his trance but it failed. If it wasn't for that trap door, they would of suffered the same pain Celestia did. Behind Twilight there was the other five ponies Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. There were also Cadence, Luna, The Cutie Mark Crusader's, and Big Mac. Seeing the three fillies brought tears. nopony should go through the pain, even one's as young as the three foals that were worried about other family members I don't know how long this will last, until we know we could fight them we probably have to survive on what we got. Twilight thought to herself. "Okay listen everypony!" She vocalized, in her surprise it got everyponies attention. She cleared her throat. "I know, we lost Canterlot, I know we lost family. But they would want us to continue living right?" The group nodded still a bit depressed. "Our families wanted us to go on and keep living, well hay, we're going to go on and keep living. If we can make it to the Badlands we may have chance." Twilight stopped and glared at the ponies, they nodded and continued trotting forward. Twilight always sucked at speeches, but at least it gave the group a little more pride to keep moving. Spike looked up at Twilight and spoke up. "i hope you know what your doing Twi, the Badlands are dragon territory and they are pretty territorial." "We just need to be on there good side." Said Twilight. She looked around getting a glance at every one of her friends,They all looked different. Pinkies traditional puffy hair was down but to keep it out of her eye's she tied it into a ponytail. Rainbow Dash cut her mane, it's a Mohawk now. Rarity really didn't change but her lady like composite has vanished. Fluttershy is wearing a bandana and has lost all feeling for the world. and finally Applejack has her cousins old black sheriff hat. "What happened to us?" She asked herself. "I hope things go back to the way they were, soon." Spike replied, and looked up at Twilight. While trotting they hear screeches coming from behind, the ponies looked behind them to see that a large explosion erupted in one of the towns. Fire was spreading everywhere, but there wasn't anything they could to. "Miss, Twilight." Twilight looked down and looked to find Applebloom staring at her with those big puppy dog eye's. "Where are we going?" She asked, she misses the farm, she misses Crusading with her friends, and she defiantly missed everypony else. "We're heading to the badlands. It should be over these small hills." Her answer made the little pony weep. "What's wrong?" "Why are the Changeling's doing this?" Tears formed in her eye's. "I, honestly don't know. They think different then us." Twilight tried to reassure the small filly, it seemed to work for now. She nodded and ran to join her friends and other children. Twilight looked toward the sky, it was already night time and she hadn't even noticed. He looked back and seen that Luna was next to her. "I may need your help in convincing the dragon's to let us stay with them." She asked the night princess. She looked at the lavender unicorn and gave a smile. "Tis, a good idea Twilight Sparkle." She said her voice cracked up. Twilight seen this and spoke up. "I'm sorry about your sister." "It's not thine fault; we were overpowered," Luna replied, "I just have to move on. Plus, without her, my magic has gotten a little weaker. I was lucky enough to raise the moon." A single tear came down her eye as she spoke. "I'm sorry about your brother, Twilight Sparkle. I know Cadence tried her best." "I know she did. I guess where ever we end up will be called home for us." Twilight responded. It has been over thirteen hours since the attack on Canterlot, the group has been walking for some time now, they had to stop. The group put up there tents and made a campfire with the surrounding tree's and rocks. Fluttershy and Pinkie were chatting. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were having an arm wrestling contest, and Rarity was talking with Spike. Twilight looked around and was glad the will to be friends haven't broke completely off. She smiled and laid back on the log behind her. "At least we're all getting along, like the good old day's." Twilight sighed. "Let's just hope these dragon's from the Badlands aren't as bad as we make them out to be." With that she drifts off to sleep. During the night Applejack and Rainbow Dash were keeping watch. "Ah don't see nothing, how about you RD?" Applejack asked the rainbow colored mare. "Nope, the whole line between Equestria and the Badlands are barren. Well almost completely Barren." Rainbow Dash looked at her cow girl friend. They both were distracted by a noise off in the dark. "Keep guard, if this is a changeling ambush we have to act fast." She whispered. Rainbow Dash got into fighting position. "Applejack, if they come at us." Rainbow Dash breathed heavily before looking back at her friend. "Run get everypony out of here and just run." Applejack nodded, unsure of leaving her friend to die. A few seconds passed and the noise grew louder. Rainbow Dash was about to attack when a figure started to move close. It was meters away and then the shadowy figure stepped out to reveal that it wasn't a changeling, but a dog a puppy. "What in ta' hay is this dog doing here?" Applejack said to Rainbow Dash. "She probably abandoned the town she was in." Rainbow dash whistled and it got the attention of the dog as it ran up to her. "Poor girl." Rainbow Dash cooed softly as she patted the dog on the forehead and muzzle. "Spike would probably love her, so will every other kid here." She chuckled a bit. Her chuckle was caught off sort as the dog began to bark at the darkness. "What's wrong girl?" Said the worried Rainbow Dash. The dog whimpered, before she could say anything wings from the distance were heard and Rainbow Dash's eye's widened. "Applejack, get everypony up we have to leave." She looked at Applejack with a serious facial expression. "Now!" Applejack nodded and rushed with the puppy following her to the tents and woke up everypony. Rainbow Dash took her stand. She can see those, creatures. They came out of the darkness and revealed themselves to be Changelings. There was silence for a minute before Rainbow Dash spoke up. "You want a pony? Come and get me." She quietly said. A changeling rushed at her but punched it in the muzzle. a couple more came straight at her but failed at it equally. "Applejack what's going on where's Rainbow Dash?" Twilight said worried about her friend. "She's fighting off ta' Changelings." Replied the cowpony. "By, herself." Fluttershy cooed softly. "We have to help her." Rarity spoke up. "I agree." Pinkie said. "Ah don't know what's going on but by ta' looks of things over there, she's winning." Applejack said looking back at Rainbow Dash who seemed to be holding them back. Rainbow Dash bucked one Changeling in the muzzle with her back legs, and stomped on the stomach of another one on the ground with her front legs. "Damn, there is too many." She looked around finding herself surrounded. She looked above the crowd to see her friends and the other ponies making it out. Her focus shattered as a Changeling bucked his legs into the back of Rainbow Dash's head, knocking her to the ground. A few other Changelings pinned her down and held her up. The group of Changelings cheered as a bigger and taller Changeling warrior accompanied by a smaller Changeling came up and stared at Rainbow Dash in the face. "Rec tok marku taka." Said the Changeling. The small Changeling then spoke. "He said, you death will be fast, any final words?" Rainbow Dash looked up. "Yea, you can go to~" She was cut off as the jagged arm of the Changeling plunged deep within Rainbow Dash's rib cage piercing her heart. Rainbow Dash was in allot of pain, and was coughing blood. The others looked back and seen the whole thing, some cried softly, and the other ponies just looked down. "Goodbye Rainbow Dash." Twilight said, tears formed in her eye's as the other ponies turned and trotted away. The Changeling pulled the jagged and sharp arm out of the rainbow maned Pegasus and as her lifeless body fell, Rainbow was no more. The Changeling's took the body and dragged it into the darkness. Continues from Chapter 1...