Marked

by Dark_Soliloquy

Prologue-The World that Burned

Author's Note:

I recommend you do the Monospace font for this story

Bloodshed. All that comes from war is bloodshed. When balls of fire fell from the sky, it burned everything.

It burned the lives of innocent ponies.

---

"-And it would really be better for your-" Silver Suit, the royal adviser, got abruptly cutoff as a deafening screeching sound ripped through the castle. A ball of heat and destruction crashed through the roof of the castle.

"Silver...!" Princess Luna screamed. She looked at her hurt leg and limped, dodging the rubble, towards him. He was motionless, pale and cold, not warm and alive.

He was dead.

"Celestia!" Luna shouted. "Anypony, please!" She looked around, and to her horror, the meteor had almost destroyed the whole castle. Then her eyes landed on the once-beautiful white mare lying on the ground.

And she was not breathing.

Luna was alone.

---

For ten years balls of fire rained upon Equestria, never stopping for more than a week. The sun, scientists said, was breaking, its pieces raining everywhere. Luna had to carry the weight of leading Equestria through this. When it was all over, half the population was dead. Princess Luna died shortly after the Fire Rain.

That was before the Union.

---

The Union changed everything. Since nopony wanted another princess, the Union was created. It was their idea to mark ponies. They came up with all the new technology, and owned practically everything in Equestria, or as they call it, New Equestria. No more struggle, They said. No more discontent, only harmony. What did the princesses give us? Disharmony.

The marking, they said, would be necessary to work towards their cause. After all, ponies somehow couldn't earn cutie marks naturally anymore. So, on everypony's thirteenth birthday, they would get marked. It was a strange process, but very fast. Only five minutes. And, of course, it didn't hurt, the doctors would give you some nanodust to fall asleep. Simple.

Now the mark was nothing special or unique. Just a small symbol. And, if you looked closely, you could see small numbers and letters. A code of some sort. One wouldn't pay much attention, of course, but many ponies began to question.

The Union didn't take kindly to those who questioned. So, they got rid of anypony who seemed, ah, curious. After all, curiosity was a dangerous quality to have.

---

"Blitz, you're going to be late!" My mom calls.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming Mom!" I yell in reply. I'm busy trying to find my nanowatch, which I conveniently misplace when I need it most. I throw clothes around my room, scrambling to find my watch, when I notice something. My window is open, ever so slightly. I don't dwell on it long, of course, after I close it I race downstairs. "Mom, have you seen my nanowatch?"

"Your... Oh, no I haven't seen it, dear. You'll just have to go to school without it. Now, eat your breakfast! School is almost-" Mom is interrupted by the school bell. She sighs. "There's the bell, dear. Late! On your first day..."

"Mooooom!" I groan as I take a slice of toast. I raced out the door, and clambers on to my nanoracer.

"Sweetie! Your backpack!" My mom stands in the doorway, waving my bag.

"Mom, nopony calls them that anymore," I roll my eyes. "But thanks." I snatch my bag and zoom across town.

"Hey, I'm walking here!" A pedestrian shouts angrily.

"Sorry!" I yell. Seriously, that guy should get a nanoscooter or something. Nopony travels by hoof these days.

I screech to a stop as I land at my school's entrance. Everpony is already inside, I probably even missed the welcome ceremony. I really start to wish I had the mark, now, because then I could open the door myself. Reluctantly, I knock on the door.

Great. The principle opens the door.

"Ah," He smiles. "Late again, are we? I remember you from last year. Blitz, correct?" He pauses to let me answer. He doesn't look frustrated, or even annoyed, which is actually kinda strange.

"Yes, sir." I say skeptically.

"Well, since it's the first day, no hard feelings, eh? Come in. The ceremony isn't over yet."

---

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

The sound of hoofsteps.

You turn around. A shadow. He looms over the doorway, and you hold your breath.

You breathe a sigh of relief. He passes over the doorway. Thank goodness.

You're safe for another week. But even that isn't enough.

---

"Now, when Commander Sparkle lead the west troops into the Apaloosa Battlefield, what resulted when the Griffon warriors met them?" The history teacher drones.

Some kid with glasses raises his hoof.

"Yes, er..." The teacher looks at his nanopad. "Sheldon?"

"Commander Sparkle tried to make an alliance, but General Fang commanded his griffons to attack!" Sheldon says this like it's the best thing in the world.

"Correct."

At this point I'm not even listening. The Union thought that giving us nanopads would help us study, but I wasted all my bytes on games. I thought it would be more worthwhile, I mean, most of my time is spent with my eyes glazed over in class. Half of the school did it anyway.

This was just going to be another normal school year.

---

"...Her? Are your sure?" A voice whispered.

"Yes. She already knows more than she realizes." A well-dressed stallion said smoothly. He was slender, with high cheekbones, and eyes that were as sharp as steel.

"How do you want us to proceed?"

"Give her a... Special invitation. Like the others."

"But you said she wasn't like the others-"

The stallion looked at his attendant. His eyes were like daggers.

His assistant gulped. "Yes, sir." She cantered out of the room.

The stallion, leader of The Union, smiled and whispered to himself. "Soon, girl. Soon, you shall see what the Union can do."

And with that, he turned to his laptop. On the screen was footage from the school.

Blitz was being watched.