0(read the notes at the bottom of the page to have an explaination, whenever a number appears after a statement. I think that you will need it, at some point)
Prologue: Friendship and War part 1; Mind Games.
It was a quiet and wet autumn morning on the southern border of the Everfree Forest, I must have awoken up at the 5th Celestial1.; In fact I couldn't sleep very well that night; I remember that I had returned in flyby in the rain from one of those wonderful parties that since one month, more or less, Pinkie Pie throws for Cheese Sandwich, when he randomly passes by Sugarcube Corner, during his journeys. She is always so happy when he is in town -I don't mean to tattle, but those two are so happy together2. They form a composition, if you don't mind the term, really explosive- but I'm rambling right now, sorry.
Anyway, I put myself to sleep, trying not to wake up Angel -he was a little bit paranoid those days, he didn't even wanted me to go to the party-, and I passed out more than getting asleep.
I immediately found myself in my weird dream: I was in a flowery field, I could clearly see my shed in the distance, but there was no Everfree Forest. Princess Luna was with me, but neither my infinite will of bowing down to her could make my hooves move of a single inch.
After a while, I would magically levitate (!) a small rock with a light yellow magic field, throwing it away right after, in front of me.
Princess Luna moved, like to follow the rock, but after a single step forward, She disappeared behind the orizon. Right after that, my friend Rainbow Dash entered my sight, dressed in a bulky white suit and with a big glass helmet in her hooves, and started orbitating over the orizon-hill.
I only could blink once, that I suddenly found myself in a different place, with a relative sense of sickness.
It was the Twin Thrones room in Canterlot, this time, where I could clearly hear a slapping noise from behind the Double Throne of the princesses.
When I came around it I could see a OhmyCelestiaIcantlookIfeelill3, performed on my friend Twilight Sparkle by the Unicorn Trixie and an unknown sand-color Unicorn, with a red-striped yellow mane, and her cutiemark a flaming sun.
Luckily for me I closed my eyes to that horror, but behind my eyelids I saw Discord, sitting on the top of a hill.
"Prepare yourself, Fluttershy" he said, before snapping his fingers.
Suddenly, I opened my eyes, and saw Angel bunny, who climbed my forehead while I was sleeping. Forehead which I could feel hot and sweaty (I must had taken a soft post Pinkie-Party illness during the night), with a look that could express all his worry.
As soon as he noticed that his shedmate had awoken up, he made a loud interrogative squeek in a tense tone, his whiskers softly poking my muzzle.
"Oh Angel, you poor thing, I am okay, It must just have been a bad dream. You know the Pinkie-Party postumes"I whispered to the bunny.
As soon as he heard my calm voice, the fluffy bunny made a soft sigh of relief, he clearly was much more calm than how he was before.
"Me too, Angel. Now, please get off the bed, then I'll get up and make you a nice breakfast, okay?" I moaned, sweetly.
Angel immediately jumped down my mattress, squeeking cheerfully. It made me so happy seeing him like that.
I got up my bed to go take all the groceries that my shedmate loves so much, and crossed my bedroom in front of my mirror; I actually didn't look that good: my mane and tail were horribly ruffled, ruining the match with their pink color; there were terrible dark circles around my sad, blue eyes; even my wings were creased, and I could feel deep chills under my yellow coat. I must had lost many liquids, during the night.
I quietly went downstairs trying not to disturb Angel Bunny, all focused in reading the previous day's newspaper; by looking at it I noticed the piece of news on the front page of the 'Lunar Courier4', which was talking about the previous day's party: 'THE LATEST PARTY THROWN BY THE SUPER DUPER PARTY PONIES PINKIE PIE AND CHEESE; THE CO-ORGANISERS STATED: "THIS PARTY IS GOING TO BE THE PARTY OF THE CENTURY! YES, EVEN BETTER THAN EVERY PARTY THROWN, SCHEDULED, DREAMED, EXORCISED AND SINGED! YES, YOU TOO ARE INVITED TO THE MOST EPIFANTASTIMITHYC PARTY IN ALL OF EQUESTRIAN HISTORY"' it really has been an 'epifantastimithyc' party, like every other party thrown by the super duper party ponies, after all.
I laughed at myself for my pre-packaged phrase. I wasn't really me, thinking like that, in such an absolute way.
I headed to the kitchen table, and started crushing the groceries for Angel, putting them in the automatic washer, and then I made myself a herbal tea, putting it to warm up on the teslagem cooker.
After that, I sat at the table, waiting for the washing cycle of the vegetables to terminate, as the heating process of my tea; at one point, I noticed that the windows of my shed remained closed through all the past day, since I had been away to partecipate at the party.
So I headed to the closest one, removed the metal bar which blocked it, unlocked the lock, and opened the dampers.
With my eyes closed I took a long, deep breath, and in the nostrils on the tip of my muzzle penetrated a nice, strong smell of... ashes and concrete dust? I suddenly widened my eyes, And I really wasn't ready for the devastation presented before my very eyes.
"Sweet Celestia! Angel, quick, come see!"5