Seraphis Virtuoso

by Absentialucci

Prologue

Prologue

Scootaloo wasn’t sure when it happened, all she knew was that one moment, she was excitedly chatting with Sweetie and Applebloom, the next… screams. Sounds of shattering glass, distant explosions. Everypony around her started panicking, and she was separated from her friends. She darted under and around hooves, left and right, over and over until she was completely disoriented. All she wanted to do was find some place she could hide.

The tables!

Of course! If she could get under the tables, she’d be safe. Well, at least safer. She wouldn’t be in danger of being trampled. Trying to center herself in the chaos, she breathed deeply. Slowly, her senses returned. The tables weren’t too far, now that she wasn’t fleeing aimlessly. She took another deep breath, calculated a route between all of the panicking ponies, then she dashed forward. She dodged a pair of forehooves slamming into the ground in front of her, jumped over a Unicorn who had fallen amidst the confusion, and swerved around an unusual looking pony. She couldn’t tell if the pony was a mare or stallion, but it looked like a weird Pegasus. There were wings, but they were weird looking. Almost like a beetle. And there were holes in random parts of its coat. She ignored it, staying focused on the table. Just a few more hoof lengths, and she would be able to take a quick breather, and decide what to do next.

She dove under the table, breathing heavily. She swallowed hard, moistening her throat. Had she been screaming? She shook her head, then winced and hissed in pain as she hit a table leg with her head. Rubbing her head with a wing, she was able to take in the chaos surrounding her little island of solitude.There were a few Unicorns and Earth Ponies lying on the ground, not moving. Maybe they’d hit their heads? There was certainly fruit punch pooling around them. Maybe they’d been knocked into the punch bowls. To her left, she could see two regular Pegasi wrestling in the air with three of the weird looking Pegasi. Maybe it was a game that only Pegasi who could fly played together. To her right, she saw three Earth Ponies, dressed as Royal Guards. They had their weapons out… was there a training exercise? She soon got her answer as two of the strange Pegasi dove at them from the air. She averted her eyes as one of the Royal Guards speared one of the Pegasi. The other strange Pegasus tackled one of the guards to the ground. She only now noticed that the weird Pegasi were armed. This wasn’t a training exercise! And the Pegasi who were wrestling…

She turned back towards them, and gasped before covering her eyes. The two Pegasi were no longer flying… their attackers stood above, flicking blades clean. She peaked out from behind her hooves. The red liquid on the ground wasn’t fruit punch… it was blood! And the weird Pegasi were attacking the wedding guests! She watched in horror as the three attackers turned from their slain victims towards the two remaining Earth Pony guards. They were about to attack them from behind!

She scrambled from under the table. The screaming seemed more distant now. All around her, guards and some guests were fighting with the attackers. It was a losing battle. But maybe she could help the two guards nearest her.

“BEHIND YOU!”

She screamed as loudly as she could. The three ambushers jumped, having been startled by her. One of the guards whirled around, Scootaloo could now make out that she was a Unicorn, not an Earth Pony. She didn’t let the three attackers recover from their shock. Immediately with her horn aglow she threw the table Scootaloo had been hiding under into the ambushers, knocking them flat. Her companion, who was still facing away from Scootaloo, towards the two attackers in front, turned his body. One of the attacker’s swords was deflected by his armor, and he plunged his spear into the other, impaling it. Before the first could react, he stepped over the fallen attacker, and lined up a solid buck. He hit dead on, catching the remaining attacker in the cheek and neck. There was a sickening crunch, and Scootaloo watched it crumple to the ground. She was frozen in shock. Just like that, she had seen life snuffed out of five, maybe more creatures! She started trembling.

The mare looked at her for a moment, before she was instantly by Scootaloo’s side.

“Sergeant! Check on our three would-be ambushers. You know what to do if they're still breathing. Check on Flicker, Clouddust and Echosong. On the double!”

The Earth Pony snapped a quick salute before carrying out her orders. The Unicorn mare slowly approached Scootaloo, eyes scanning everything, though there was a brief respite in the immediate area. Scootaloo started breathing quickly and shallowly.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay!” The mare’s voice, harsh in her commands, was soft when addressing Scootaloo. “It’s okay. You’re safe for now. But I need you to come with me. We’re setting up an evacuation point.”

Scootaloo stared at her, eyes dilated, vision darkening at the edges. “W-wha… h-how?” She could barely form words with her mind rushing with adrenaline.

“I’m Captain Sunflash. You’re safe with me and my team. Can you tell me your name?”

Scootaloo tried to forcibly slow her breathing.

“That’s right, slow down. If you keep hyperventilating, you might pass out.” The mare was right in front of Scootaloo now, she opened her forehooves invitingly. Scootaloo’s natural aversion to touch left her, as she darted into the inviting forehooves of an adult. “There we go.”

Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs around the Captain, babbling and mumbling. It was as if she couldn’t get close enough to her.

“You’re okay. You saved me and Sergeant Spade, did you know that?”

Scootaloo nodded, burying her face into the chest fur of Captain Sunflash.

“What’s your name sweetie?”

Scootaloo felt herself calming down. Though there seemed to be a cloud in her brain, causing her thoughts to seem distant.

“S-Scootaloo… ma’am.”

“I’m just Sunflash for you, Scootaloo. Thank you for saving Spade and I.”

Scootaloo just nodded numbly. A short cough sounded behind her, and she tensed up.

“Report, Sergeant.” Sunflash’s voice hardened as she saw her comrade approach.

“Corporal Flicker is dead, but Private Clouddust and Lieutenant Echosong were only injured.”

“We’ll have to mourn Flicker later. Are Clouddust and Echosong fit to move?”

“Yes ma’am. Their wounds aren’t life-threatening.”

Sunflash nodded.

“Okay.”

She squeezed Scootaloo.

“I’m going to let you go, but I want you to stay close to the four of us, okay?”

Scootaloo slipped out from her grasp, and silently nodded.

“Right. Lieutenant! Private! I want you two on either side of Scootaloo here. Sergeant, you take the front. I’ll follow up on the rear. Understood?”

Sunflash’s comrades gave her a chorus of affirmative words.

Sunflash nodded. ‘Alright, just like your training. Starburst. We’ll quickly and efficiently move through here, link up with any other Royal, Solar or Lunar guards. Our main priority is getting these civilians out of here safely. Move out!”

Scootaloo found herself being ushered through the room. The four guards seemed to be moving around her in an efficient and professional manner, as though she were royalty. In a way, it was almost unnerving. As a team they checked any pony who had fallen. The fighting seemed to have moved away from the room, further outside. Scootaloo could hear the sounds of fighting. Her four guards turned into six, and she was joined by two more foals about her age, and five adults. All the others who had been in the room, including her friends, were either dead or missing. Scootaloo numbly moved in tandem with the other two foals, who wore similar expressions to her own.

“Okay everypony. We’re heading outside. Captain Armor should be organizing an evacuation. We’ll get through this. Stay together!”

As one, the group burst outside. The distant sounds of fighting suddenly came crashing down in full force onto Scootaloo. One of the foals she was with, a little Earth Pony filly, crouched down, whimpering. Scootaloo looked at her other small companion, another Pegasus colt. They had a brief, silent communication, then they both pressed on either side of the Earth Pony filly.

“Come on, the guards will keep us safe!”

Scootaloo hissed, her colt companion nodded.

“Yeah! They’re awesome! Come on Blossom!”

They gently nudged Blossom forward until she started moving.

“W-what’s your name?”

Her voice was a high-pitched squeak. Scootaloo could tell she was on the verge of panic, and was desperately searching for anything to distract her from it.

“I’m Scootaloo. Your name’s Blossom?”

She nodded shakily.

“B-Blossom Fall. A-and this is my friend, Cider Press.”

The Colt nodded to Scootaloo, though she could see in his eyes that he was just as scared as Blossom and herself. Summoning all of the courage she could, she put on a tough face.

“Well, Cider, Blossom. Stick with me. I saved Captain Sunflash and Sergeant Spade here. So they’ll doubly keep us safe. We’ll get through this!”

Despite everything going on, Scootaloo felt warmed when both Blossom and Cider seemed to visibly relax. They’d get through this. Then they’d find her friends, and everything would be perfect again!

She tried to push the sight of the ponies they’d passed by who did not join them. She would not think about them. She would not dwell on them. She wouldn’t! She had to be strong! Strong for her two new friends, and strong for her two missing ones. Scootaloo steeled herself, and moved confidently with the group, as they made their way towards the Evacuation point.