> Lost Nations > by Cherry delight > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I sat in my room, sparking my horn and then dimming it than repeating. I sighed and rolled onto my back. My bed was soft and spongy. bounced on it a few times. horn kept it's pattern and I groaned. This was sooo boring. Suddenly my door burst open. I sat up quickly, hoping it wasn't my Mother. I looked up and sagged when I saw a servant at the door. "Yes Amethyst" I called. She kept her gaze on the ground as she spoke. "Her Majesty Cadance sent me to escort you to her." I felt worry start to boil in my chest. What could she want? I walked swiftly to Mother. I found her on her throne, a stack of paper next to her. She looked up as we entered and a smile lit her face. Amethyst bowed and departed. I waited for my Mother to speak worried about what she might say and what I was in trouble for now. "Don't worry Flurry you're not in trouble." Cadance's sweet voice rang out, filling the halls of the throne room with its high melody. "Flurry I hear you've been wishing to escape the castle. Am I right?" l looked down a blush burning her cheeks. A few weeks ago I had tried to run but ran into a guard stationed just outside the castle. Every time I past somepony on the street or one of the servant in the castle they gave a quiet titter. Nopony knew why I would ever want to leave such a beautiful place. The truth was that Flurry always wanted to escape. I was never free and I wanted to see the world outside of the crystal city but her parents said it was to dangerous. Any back to the present. Flurry tuned back into her Mother's speech, ears pinned back on her head. "- and that's why Shining and I have decided to let you go to Ponyville." I stared at her mother in disbelief. I was never even allowed out of the castle never mind to her traitorous aunts side of Equestria. Cadances eyes glittered at her daughter's apparent disbelief. She continued "We think considering you are an alicorn you would be the best candidate to go too Ponyville to spy. All of our spies are already out but we still need somepony for Ponyville. Your training will start tomorrow." She gave me a dismissive gesture. I walked calmly out of the room and I jumped for joy. "Yes, yes, yes! I knew it was wrong to spy on ponies but then I reminded herself that the things on the other side weren't really ponies. But finnaly I had something to do! This was my time to shine. I would make my parents proud. of me. > Flurry Heart- Ponyville > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I sit here, on the station, my wings hidden under my thermal. They probably should have sent someone more trained than me. I look around. Where did they want me to go? I take a note out of my thermal and squint as I try and try and read her poor hoof writing. Finally I decipher the message. Flurry Heart, You are a refugee from Crystal empire. Go to ponivyPonyville orphanage. Find what you can about the elements of harmoni Harmony. Love you. Cadance xxx. I look up and am startled by a pair of gold eyes looking at me. I tuck the note away in my thermal. "Hello." I say. The pair of eyes blink and back away. Soon I can see a whole pony. The pony is a grey pegasus. She grins. "Hi! I'm Lost Colour. But everyone calls me L. Well everyone except Elegance and Twinkly. So who are you? I ask this because you are new. I know everyone in this dumb little town." I blinked, my brain processing what she said. Finally I formulate a response. "My name is Flu-" I close my mouth quickly. I'm not Flurry heart anymore. "Flapjack." I blurt out quickly. I smile nervously. The white pegasus raises an eyebrow. "You sure?" She's says in an amused tone. I look at her in confusion. She sighs and looks down. She looks up again. "Where are you heading FJ?" I tilt my head in confusion. FJ? Finally it dawns. That's Flapjack shortened. I feel like an idiot. I realise that L is waiting and quickly say my story. " I am heading to the Ponyville orphanage." I say. L looks at me in interest. "I am an Refugee from the Crystal Empire." I fight down the urge to vomit. It is hard to talk badly about the Empire I am to rule in a few years. In the time I am having my internal struggle L butts in. "Yes I've heard it's horrible. Apparently everyone is a slave there and it is ruled by tyrants." I know she is being sympathetic but Celestia I want to strangle her. I continue my story hiding my hatred. "My parents were made to stay in the empire but I managed to escape. They ran a flower shop before this began." I pretend to be wistful. L nods sympathetically. "I'm sorry." She says softly and I nod. Her tone brightens as she says. "If it is any consolation I live at the orphanage too." I nod like I am happy but inside I want to kill myself. I am startled when she takes my hoof in hers and drags me deeper into the town. "Come on! It's this way!" I thud my hooves on the ground as quickly as possible, so as not to be dragged. As we rush along I try and pull away for I am sure I will die. How can a PEGASUS be stronger than an ALICORN! In the end I stop struggling and just let myself be dragged to my doom. Finally we stop. I look over at L dazed. She looks fine and is even smiling at me. How dare she! As I start to fix my wind blown hair, she starts to laugh. I turn round to her and glare but she doesn't notice me. How dare she laugh at me! My glare deepens but to my surprise I start laughing too. Soon my body is racked with laughter and L's laughter grows. I gasp as I try to fill my lungs with air. Just as I start to be able to breathe L thumps me on the back. "You're not bad Flapjack, you're not bad." I choke winded and summon a glare which I shoot at her. She just chuckles. She turns a smile still on her face. "We're here." She says loudly. "Yes back to the shack." She mutters under her breath and frowns. I pretend I haven't heard and I look up. Ahead is a dull red house. It is weird coming from the Crystal Empire. I guess I forgot I am in Harmony Kingdom now. I gulp back a small sob. I've always wanted to come out of the Crystal Empire but now I am out of the constricting palace I want to go home. "Get a hold of yourself Flurry" I muttered under my breath. I feel something on my back. I turn my head tears blurring the bottom of my eye. Meeting my eyes is L. She smiles sadly, her foreleg over my back. I lean into her foreleg sometimes it is hard to remember the Harmonians aren't real ponies. After some time L pulls away. "Hey it's okay. One day Princess Nerd will defeat Princess Lovealot." How is it that I can go from thinking of her as a real pony to wanting to kill her in less than 5 seconds. "Anyway" she continues, oblivious to my seething. "You have a home now." She turns her head and looks at me. "Follow me." She trots swiftly into the dull building ahead. I look at the brick block uncertainly before following L. "I'm watching you building" I mutter as I enter it. When I get inside I tear my eyes from the structure. I blink as my eyes adjust to the darkness. Inside there is a small square room with a desk in the middle and a hall either side. L walks confidently to the desk and puts her foreleg on it in a cocky way. Sitting at the desk there is a small green unicorn. She is wearing a top that says "I am the boss." The top is covered in coffee stains. Next to the mare is a small mug. "Keep cool and drink coffee!" is the message on the cup. I bite back a groan and start walking unsurely to the desk. While I am walking L starts up a conversation with the mare. "Hey Mrs B." She says confidently. "Mrs B" takes a dredge from her mug and replies in a manner that makes me think she has had this conversation before. "Hello Lost Colour." L frowns jokily. "Oh Mrs B I have always asked you to call me L. Please indulge me once." L says batting her eyelashes. Mrs B takes another long sip from her coffee mug before answering. "No." Mrs B looks down and starts typing on her typewriter. L pouts before realising I am standing there. She looks at me and beckons me over. I walk slowly over to the grubby desk. "Mrs B..." L starts talking. Mrs B sighs and looks up. "What is it now-" I catch Mrs B's eyes and she stops talking. Suddenly her frown erupts into a smile. She gets up from her desk and walks round to the front of the desk. She takes my hoof in hers and starts shaking it so hard I am sure it will fall off. "My name is Mrs Bakewell." She drops my hoof. "I can't say I've seen you around here before." I open my mouth to talk but L interrupts me. "Mrs B she is a refugee form the Crystal Empire." Mrs Bakewell's eye's round with sympathy. "Oh you poor dear" she says softly. "Don't worry we'll look after you until the nasty war is over." I round my eye like I am about to cry. Mrs Bakewell wraps me in her forelegs. As she pulls me into a hug I try not to wrinkle my nose at the musty smell of coffee she has all around her. Eventually I am let out the hug and I take in a long breath of fresh air. "Dear I am going to need your passport." I blink. Oh yes. I pull out my fake passport. Mr Note don't fail me now. I hand it to her along with a fake doctor's note about how I HAVE TO wear my thermal. Mrs Bakewell inspects the passport before handing it back to me. She than looks at me. "Don't you have any other belongings." She says dubiously. My mind blanks for a moment. My parents didn't go through this. Quickly I construct an answer. "I couldn't bring any belongings because I didn't have anytime to pack. It was a split second chance to get beyond the border and to Harmony." I look down and act sad but really I am trying to hide the sweat dripping down my brow. Mrs Bakewell nods sadly like she understands. She than quickly changes the subject. "Flapjack you have met Lost Colour?" I nod and L nods too. "OK than you can share a room with her. I'm sure you'd rather share with her than somepony you've never met." I nod again. Mrs Bakewell turns to L "Now I trust you will be a good filly and make her feel welcome and to be well behaved." L slings her foreleg around me, an innocent expression on her face. " Now Mrs B when have I ever been badly behaved?" Mrs Bakewell raises her eyebrow. She than smiles. "Go on Lost Colour you can go." Mrs Bakewell turns and heads back to her office. Before Mrs Bakewell can even sit down I feel myself being dragged down the right hallway and up a flight of stairs. Finally the pulling sensation on my leg stops and I stagger into, what I can only assume is, L's room. When my head stops spinning a yawn escapes my mouth. I suppose I didn't realise how tired I was. A voice cuts through the quiet "looks like somepony is tired." I fight back anouther yawn. "I'm sorry" I mutter as my legs collapse beneath me and I am asleep before my body hits the floor. Today a new filly came. I dunno whether she is gonna be a friend or foe. She has a really weird accent and seems high strung but... I dunno is it wrong to judge. I mean she seems nice enough but I guess I'm just gonna have to see. Lol u should have seen when she collapsed on the floor it was well funny. Welp I guess I'm gonna have to try and get her into bed. This is gonna be hard she is pretty big. oh also I annoyed Ele and Twinkle today. lol There soo funny when there annoyed. See ya tomorrow. L > Breakfast. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I opened my eyes to a golden light staring at me. My vision is blurry. What is my sister doing now? I sit up. "Stop it Skystar." I mutter before lying back down and trying to go back to sleep. "Who's Skystar?" A voice asks me. I sit back up and my vision clear. Looking at me with a confused expression is L. I squeak as the events of yesterday flood back into my head. I hide under the covers. L's muffled voice comes through the thick covers. "Well?" I peak out of the cover's. "It doesn't matter." I say as calmly as possible. As I say those words my eyes close. I don't mean to but my eye's close. I am nearly asleep when L's obnoxious voice breaks through the barrier of my unconsciousness. "Hey FJ can we go downstairs I'm really hungry..." She whines. I ignore her and am nearly back in the world of sleep when- THUD. I feel myself being dragged out of bed and onto the floor. It is freezing and I glare at L, who is laughing her head off. Somehow she manages to get speak through her mirth. "I gave you a chance FJ. This is your fault." She says her voice shaking and wiping a tear from her eye. "Anyway" she continues oblivious to my glare. "Its breakfast." With that she yanks me to my unsteady hooves. Without giving me a chance to steady myself she rushes me downstairs. When we are downstairs she finally let's go of me and I tumble to the floor. L looks at me with a bemused expression. "Boy, FJ you really aren't made of much." She offer's her hoof and I warily take it ready to be yanked up like before. However to my surprise she helps me up gently. I look at her gratefully. She smiles before turning. She walks in front of me and leads me into a corridor just to our left. I ready myself as I hear a loud buzz coming from a nearby room. To my dislike she leads me straight into that room. To my surprise it wasn't as bad as I thought. In the room there are about five medium sized tables. They are a plain brown colour and for a moment I feel a pang of homesickness for the dining room in the crystal empire. I soon realise that all the noise in the room has stopped. I look around and see about 15 or so fillies and colts are staring at me. The younger ones are staring at me with looks of wonder on their face. The older ones however have a bit more tact. The turn their heads quickly but I can still see them stealing glances at me. L looks at me and see's where I am looking. She glares at the whole dining room and instantly everyone but the really young ones avert their glances. I look at L impressed. She looks back at me with a smirk. She walks forward heading to a nearly empty table save for one yellow earth pony. I realise I am standing still and I trot to catch up with her. As I reach the table L is already sat down. I plonk down next to her. Opposite us is the yellow pony. She looks down and tries desperately to not catch my eye. I clear my throat but the yellow pony doesn't raise her head. L looks at me and realises that I am staring at the yellow pony. She notices my confused expression and explains. "That is Angel Flower." "With a name like that she must be a saint." I think drily. I turn my attention back to L. "-Fluttershy." L finishes. My breath catches in my throat. That is the name of one of the Elements of Harmony. "What about Fluttershy?" L frowns at me. "Flapjack you should have been listening." she says with a slight glare. "I said that Ange is Fluttershy's daughter." Quickly a question enter my mind and I blurt it out without thinking. "What happened to Fluttershy?" I ask densely. Angel flinches like I just hit her. L glares at me. She drags my ear towards her and I wince. She whispers: "Fluttershy died by being killed by evil Cadence and her army. She was trying to make peace when Cadance shot her with magic." I frown that doesn't sound like my mother. L continues. "She is very shy and doesn't want to hear about her Mum's death. Got it?" She whisper's fiercely and tugs my ear. "Yes" I quickly squeak. L lets go of my ear and a smile reappears on her face. I rub my injured ear. Angel get up quietly still looking at the floor. She walks quickly over to a huge grey machine. I am surprised I have seen it before. Angel taps her hoof over a bright square and a tray pops out of the machine and into Angels expecting forelegs. Then these weird small laser things appear and they- Wait what?!I rub my eyes. They must be blurry. They are not. The laser's create her food! How is that even possible?! L turns and see's me gaping. She smirks. "Don't have these in the Crystal Empire?" It's a question but she says it as a statement. I blink quickly in succession. L soon grows tired of my wonderment. She drags me up and over to the machine and explains how it works. "You have to tap that big button there that says start." She taps the button and the square shows a few options. Breakfast Brunch Lunch and Dinner. L taps breakfast. The square shows a list of food. "You then have to pick what food you want." She touches the picture with toast on then gestures me to make my pick. I choose porridge. The screen show a a list of things I can have with it. Honey, Suger or jam. I pick honey. A tray pops out the machine like it did for Angel. L holds out her forelegs. I see that the tray has small magic locks so that it doesn't fall off the ponies hooves. I light my horn gently and recognize a charm that is used on our plates in the crystal empire where the food doesn't spill off. L carries the tray over to the table and places it down. I follow her eagerly and sit down. I dig into my porridge somewhat warily but to my surprise it is amazing. Before my spoon even touches the edge of the bowl it is all gone. I rub my stomach. I turn to L. "That was great!" I realise that L is looking at me in shock. Even Angel has a smile on her face. "Celestia, FJ! You do realise that you can breathe while eating. Right?" She raises her eyebrow. I feel a blush bloom on my cheeks. When you grow up with 5 siblings you learn to eat otherwise you turn your head away for a second and your food has been stolen. The only time I didn't have to eat super quickly was when I was with my Mother but she barely ever ate with us. Father never helped when our food was stolen in fact sometimes he was the thief. My heart pangs but I mask my feelings and force a smile on my face. I don't have to wait long for L or Angel to finish. L burps when she is done and stretches. She gets up and walks towards a chute. I follow L. She dumps everything down there cutlery and all. Angel follows her. I trail behind them and we head upstairs. We finally reach L's room and I jump onto the bed and lie down. That was possibly the best breakfast in my life.