My Little Hoof-Blood #1: The Shattered Armor

by Crystal_Clear123456

Spectra Shock

I flapped my wings and soared through the sky, then coasted down to my friends Iron Blade and Cupcake Frosting, who were trotting along the streets of Manehattan. The skies were too busy with Pegasus traffic, and flying low to the ground was better if you wanted to get along quickly.

"Hey there, Spectra," Iron Blade said, "What're you planning to do this summer?"

"I don't know, camp, maybe?" I replied.

All of us were almost grown mares and stallions, but we still didn't have their cutie marks. We seemed to have tried every thing possible for our cutie marks, but still nothing on our flanks. And we were too far away from Ponyville to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Yes, we could have just found Babs Seed, but we didn't know where she was.

But summer was approaching, and school was about to be released. Tomorrow was going to be the last day, and our class is going on a field trip to the Crystal Empire. I couldn't wait to see all the cool sights there!

"Well, I'd better get some sleep before the field trip tomorrow," I said to Iron and Cupcake, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"You too, Spectra!" Cupcake called as I flew away to my cloud house above Manehattan.

I opened the door and stepped inside. I placed my saddle bag on the floor, next to my desk. Then I sat on my cloud bed and thought about my life - and what weird things happened.

My father was a Pegasus pony who lives in Fillydelphia right now. But I never knew my mother. My father only said that she got lost somewhere in the Crystal Mountains, but she wasn't dead. Not yet, at least. My stepmother was kind enough - she was also a Pegasus pony.

I hoped that I wouldn't be kicked out of my school again. But I doubted myself, since I'd mess up all the time, even when I'm not expecting it. Lying on my cloud bed, I fell asleep with these thoughts swirling through my mind.

* * *

I woke up and ate an apple fritter for breakfast, then strapped on my saddle bag and flew to school. I spotted Iron trotting along down below. Cupcake was bouncing along the sidewalk by that intersection.

I coasted down besides Iron and said, "Hi, Iron!"

Iron stopped trotting. "Hi, Spectra," he said, "Are you excited for the field trip today?"

"I'm not excited, I'm nervoucited!" came a shriek from Cupcake. Iron and I turned to look at her. Her fluffy mane was swinging back and forth as she hopped along the sidewalk.

I rolled my eyes. "Cupcake, calm down. We're just going to the Crystal Empire."

Our teacher told the class to meet at the Friendship Express station. Sure enough, when we reached there, the rest of the class was waiting with our teacher, Silver Lane.

"There you are, Spectra, Iron, and Cupcake! Come on, class, we can now go to the Crystal Empire!" Silver Lane said.

The class cheered, and we filed into the Friendship Express. Cupcake, Iron, and I sat next to each other as the train driver called, "All aboard!" and the train took off.

On the way to the Crystal Empire, I thought that something or somepony was watching me. And it wasn't Iron or Cupcake, or anypony that had any crush on me. No, this was somepony or something evil, vicious, and -

Suddenly, the filly on the seat in front of her screamed. "Eeek! Monster! Help!!!"

A hissing noise filled the car of the train, and the rest of the class screamed and backed against one corner of it. The hissing grew louder as I watched in terror as the first row of fillies and colts darkened in color until they were completely black, their manes vanishing. The Pegasi grew webbed wings, the unicorns' horns grew sharp and black, and the earth ponies grew those as well. They turned around and bared their fangs, and with horror, Iron, Cupcake, and I realized that these ponies were Changelings.