//------------------------------// // The Mare Who Lived // Story: Mare-y Potter and the Alicorn's Stone // by MathewSwiftMLP //------------------------------// Play this as you read the first chapter: Chapter 1: The Mare Who Lived Mr. Filthy Rich was waking up from his bed, in the house at 33, Mansion Drive, with his wife, Golden Gleam, and his daughter, who was a filly, very young and fragile, with a pink coat, lavender mane, with a diamond tiara on top, thus naming her Diamond Tiara. Golden Gleam was a beautiful mare, with wings and a mane in which it looks like streaks of gold. Her cutie mark was a coin with the sun in the middle of it. Filthy Rich is a chestnut coated Earth colt with a combed black mane and a red bowtie, and his cutie mark was three money bags. Filthy was - - "Ahem," cleared Filthy. "I prefer to be called 'Rich'." Sorry, Rich thought that living this life was the only life for him and his family, and there was nothing anypony can do to change that. Except for one night... Rich was trotting to work, and he was humming a cheerful tune, for today was the day his little mare had gotten her cutie mark. It was a tiara, and it was beautiful, in Rich's case. His mind was put on hold as he saw strange ponies in town, wearing robes and hats, muttering the same thing. "Did you hear about the Potters...?" One of them whispered. "Yes, I can't believe that Mare-y..." Another gasped. Rich knew that his wife was a Potter, before the wedding, which, obviously was expensive. She despised talking about the matter and was determined to forget about them, and Rich promised to do the same. He heard that they had a young mare, just about a year older than Diamond, and her name, he did not know. He thought it was Marilyn, or Madison. Either way, she was a Potter, and he put that at the back of his mind. THUMP!, he went, and he turned to see a small dragon, wearing a long yellow cloak, with white spikes, gold scales and pearly red eyes, lying on the cobblestone. "Sorry," Rich replied. The dragon, however, smiled. "Don't be, good sir," cheered the reptile. "We should be happy, now that the Shadow King has gone at last! Even Puggles like you should be celebrating this joyful occasion!" The dragon hugged Rich and trotted off. "May Celestia bless you, kind sir!" He called as he walked out of sight. Rich shook his head and thought for a moment. Dragons are not supposed to be in Ponyville, but this wasn't his matter, so he went off to his job. Diamond Tiara fell asleep early and Golden was just cleaning up the mess from Diamond's dinner, when Rich came back from work. He wanted to tell her about today, but he made a promise. At that, Wub Radio came on, starring Vinyl Scratch. "Wassup, dudes?!" Vinyl spoke from the radio. "I just wanna tell you that some of my music will be delayed because of some strange owls messing with my wubs! HEY, DON'T YOU F(*bleep*)ING CRAP ON MY WUBS, OR FACE MY BASS CA- and then, a sudden fizz from the electric box. "Well, Rich," Golden huffed. "Owls are starting to become a nuisance nowadays, eh?" "Yeah," Rich replied, then... "Honey?" "Yes?" Gold asked, sweetly. "Have you heard from your older brother lately?" "Why?" "Because I think the owls and strange people have something to do with... his kind." All was silent for a moment, and Gold was left with a terrified look. Rich asked again. "What's their mare's name?" "Mare-y. Common name, I believe." Gold grunted. "Yes." Rich decided to not tell about his day and he trotted to bed. So did his wife and after a moment of silence, they fell asleep. The streets of Mansion Drive was dark and the only light was from the lamps that surround the block. Owls were in the area, but only a few. The moon was waxing into the neighborhood and everypony, including the Rich family, were sleeping peacefully, awaiting the next day, when Princess Celestia brings the dawn. CLIP! CLOP! Hoofsteps were the only noise in the street, as a tall unicorn was casting his shadow. He looked frail and old, his mane was grey turning white and his tail was scarlet red, canary yellow, sapphire blue and emerald green, flowing in the wind. He was wearing half-moon spectacles and a blue cloak with stars and moons all over it. His name was Starswirl the Bearded. Starswirl lit his horn, and in an instant, every lamp in Mansion Drive delluminated. He continued to stare, as a small purr came from his left. He turned to see a small snow white cat, with markings around it's vertical eyes. "Fancy meeting you here, Professor Clover." The unicorn replied. A flash of light came and standing in the cat's place was a unicorn, with a green mane, white coat and a brown robe,. "How did you know it was me, Headmaster?" She asked. "I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly." replied Starswirl. "You'd be stiff too, if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day." "What on Equestria do you mean? I passed by many parties and celebrations on my way here." "Well, if we should be celebrating, don't you think they could've done it undercover? Even the Puggles are noticing that something odd is going on. It was all over what they call 'Wub Radio.' Owls appearing out of nowhere." "Well, we should agree with them, because we had too little to celebrate for almost a decade and a half." They began to trot towards the mansion on the end of the block and sat on the warm grass. Professor Clover was still looking a little...upset. "What is ever the matter, my student?" asked Starswirl. "It's just..." Clover didn't know where to begin. "The reason that everypony is celebrating... are the rumors true? About the Shadow King - -?" "Now, Clover, I have told you that in matters like this," Starswirl raised his hoof and shook his head. "You must call him by his name, and I show no fear of saying King Sombra." Clover flinched, but quickly calmed down. "After all, fear of the name creates fear of the thing itself." "Well, that's because you were the only one that the Sha- er, very well, King Sombra was afraid of." "You are being modest. Sombra has powers that even I can't muster." "Well, that's because you're too... noble to use them." "To be honest, Clover, I've never blushed this much since Madame Cheerilee said she liked my hat." Clover chuckled and her mind was back on topic. "Anyway, is it true? That Sombra came... to the Potters...?" Starswirl looked in the sky, and stared down. Clover then, found out herself. "Oh my Celestia," She started to develop tears. "The Potters... and their filly survived..." "Yes, Clover," exclaimed Starswirl. "It is a sad tragedy, indeed, but it also brings us a new light to Equestria. A beacon of hope." "How is the filly going to get here?" "Hagridshy is bringing her." "Do you think it's wise to trust Hagridshy with something as important as this?" "Clover, I would trust Hagridshy with my life. Besides, she's a Pegasus, and she is an excellent caretaker, so she will handle Mare-y pretty well." "Well, I'm not saying her heart is not in the right place," Clover protested. "I'm just saying that - -" Her words were drowned by the sound of wings beating against the sky. A Pegasus landed safely, carrying a little basket, containing a little filly. The Pegasus had a creme-yellow coat, with a silky black mane, as well as a moleskin coat. "Professor Starswirl, sir." She replied in a soft voice. "Professor Clover." "Ahh, Hagridshy," Starswirl smiled. "Any troubles, I assume?" "None at all. She fell asleep as Sirius Mic and I helped her out of the destroyed home." She lowered the basket and Starswirl carried it with his Levitation Charm. Clover, then, looked at the house behind her and gasped. "You're not meaning to place Mare-y here?" asked Clover, in shock. "I am," Starswirl bowed. "The Riches are the only family Mare-y has left." "Yes, but why with them? I watched them, and their filly was kicking her mother for sweets, and they encouraged her to pick on other fillies, because of her cutie mark. Mare-y Potter, living HERE?! This child will be famous, I wouldn't be surprised if they made stories about her, there won't be anypony in our world who won't know her name." "Precisely," Starswirl nodded. "She far more better, growing up away from all of that... until she is ready to take it." The old unicorn settled Mare-y onto the porch and settled down a letter, in which read on the envelope. Mr. and Mrs. Filthy Rich 33 Mansion Drive Ponyville Well, we have no business here," Starswirl echoed. "We might as well join the celebrations." He turned to see that Clover was once again a cat, and Hagridshy was airbourne. He turned to the rainbow maned filly and it was sleeping peacefully. "Good luck, Mare-y." He whispered, and with a flash of light from his wand, he was gone. Meanwhile, everypony who has heard of this tragedy raised their glasses of cider and chanted into the never ending sky. "To Mare-y Potter, the Mare Who Lived!"