Author's Notes:

This is the Pre-Season Preview (prologue) of My Little Pony Friendship of Generations Season 01 - The Dark Stars. It precedes the actual story of The Dark Stars and is meant to introduce the story to you, the readers. This is my first My Little Pony FiM-Fiction. It shall be written in episodic style, meaning that every chapter will be like an episode of a show. Each one will be titled as an episode and played out as one. There will be a two-part season opener and a two-part season closer as well. Also, despite what you might think, Fluttershy is NOT the mane protagonist of this story, Star Rider is.

Dear Diary,

It's been a long fifteen years since those horrible incidents, and I still can not understand why they could have ever happened. They all began when one of my best friends, Princess Twilight Sparkle, went missing along with the other three princesses of Equestria; Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. Their sudden and unexplained disappearance put the entirety of Equestria into a state of sheer panic and desperation. We thought it was the end of the world, and that all we had to look forward to now was deep darkness and sorrow the likes of which we had never known.

Fortunately for everypony, someone was willing to step up and rule in their place. Somepony was able to take the throne and the duties of raising the sun and moon, of ruling over the land. Prince Blueblood had recently wed a beautiful unicorn named Aurora Lights. Following the marriage and her ascension to princess-hood, Celestia herself turned her into an Alicorn. A momentous day for sure, but it was that very day that the other princesses disappeared. Twilight, I miss you so much. Where could you have gone to?

It had been weeks later, after the disappearance of Twilight and the others, that the accident happened. Another good friend of mine, Applejack, had begun to fall into sorrow. Her honest nature kept reminding her that she was saddened by the mysterious disappearances, and each time she only got worse and worse. It was Apple Bucking Season, and her mind wasn't on the trees. She bucked a weak one on accident, and the next morning, her brother found what was left of her. The apple tree had fallen on her, crushing her body and causing the flesh to tear and the innards to push their way out.

Big MacIntosh went into a state of depression after this, and the apple trees became quickly neglected. For months he would mope in the barn, until one day Apple Bloom and Granny Smith went in, only to find him hung from the rafters. A note he had left stated that he just couldn't live with the sorrow any longer. If it weren't for her friends, I'm sure Apple Bloom would've begun to think about it herself. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, as well as Granny Smith, helped her stay strong and survive in this unfair world.

It was a month before this all began that Rainbow Dash's dream came true. She graduated from the Wonderbolts Academy and was accepted into the group by Spitfire herself. But with all that had happened, she too fell into a deep depression. It was at that time, during a routine training exercise, that Rainbow accidentally flew into a tornado. The twister threw her into the pointed tip of a nearby buildings weather rod. You think as good of a flier as her could've recovered. I believe her sorrow took away her will to even try. Even someone as strong as Dashie couldn't ignore her pain.

After this, Pinkie Pie left one morning and never came back. She hasn't been seen or heard from since, and nopony knows what happened to her or where she went. Rarity was found in the Everfree Forest around the same time, having been mauled by an unknown beast whilst trying to collect the silk of the star spiders. What we found of her was terrible. What we didn't find of her only made us sick. I couldn't believe all of this had happened.

All of my best friends...dead or missing. I became a recluse after this, staying in my home and crying myself to sleep every night. I tried to end my suffering many times, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. If I had, all my little animal friends would have no one to take care of them. Although my pain was great, and a deep hole had opened itself in my heart, I could not selfishly act on it and leave them all behind like that. It was hard, but I had to stay strong for them, even if all I wanted to do was cry. Even now, fifteen years later, my thoughts are spent on remembering our fun times and the adventures we'd go on. "The friendships we formed would go beyond generations," Twilight once said. Such high hopes crushed so easily.

A few years following Rarity's death, Granny Smith passed away in her sleep. It was the same day that Apple Bloom finally got her cutie mark, a blooming apple flower. We all like to think that she died happy in her old age, even despite all the sorrow her family had gone through. Babs Seed had moved to Ponyville from Manehattan prior to this, along with her sister, to help tend to Sweet Apple Acres. Braeburn and a couple from Appleloosa came as well. Even the other two members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders lent a hoof whenever needed. They managed to make everything work out for the best, and eventually, a few more members of the Apple family came out from all over Equestria to help in whatever way they could.

Along with Apple Bloom, both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had finally earned their cutie marks as well. They all gained them right around the same time actually. Sweetie's is a musical note similar to that of the concert cellist Octavia Melody. It's so wonderful that she finally realized her natural singing talent. It's all that she had after her sister was killed. Her first performance was a dedication to Rarity with a song written specifically in her honor. She called it "Generous Love". Not a dry eye existed upon hearing it. The sheer beauty and emotion of it was breathtaking.

Then there's Scootaloo. Her cutie mark reminds me so much of Dashie's. A wheel with two lightning bolts and a cloud of dust behind it. Every time I see her, I have to hold back my tears. After Rainbow's death, Scoots found it really hard. Her idol had died. But not only was Dash her idol, but the big sister she never had. Growing up in an orphanage, she didn't have anypony else. So she decided that she would make Rainbow proud, and worked harder than ever to achieve her dream of reaching the clouds. One day, her wings finally sprouted. Tears of joy burst from her eyes as she took off into the skies.

She stopped when she saw a beautiful rainbow, and with a salute to her fallen sister, she vowed to become a Wonderbolt. Since that day, she's become quite an amazing flier. She achieved her dream in all ways, not only joining the Wonderbolts, but taking over after Spitfire's retirement. Every day she flies, she honors her big sisters memory.

Spike never left Golden Oak Library, and still lives there to this day. Unfortunately, I barely see him anymore, and usually only when he sulks past one of the windows. For the most part, he lays inside his little bed and sobs silently to himself as he looks up at the empty bed before him. In the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor remained steadfast and strong, despite the pain of losing not only his sister, but his wife as well. He took charge of the nation with all he had, and lead it to peace and prosperity. Pound and Pumpkin Cake have grown up in this time, and now help their parents run Sugarcube Corner. The two of them are very talented in baking. They even created a new cake recipe in honor of their old foal sitter, Pinkie.

Fifteen long years ago, everything changed. My life was thrown into a tailspin and through a series of horrible events, nothing would ever be the same again. However, only five years ago, hope finally reentered my life. I went to the market to get some cabbage when I met the new owner of the Carasoul Boutique, Grace Storm. She had been appointed as Rarity's assistant, and then took over following Rarity's death. She was with her younger sister Star Rider. Their parents were gone, and Star was raised by her elder sister.

I met and talked to Star Rider, and found that she reminds me so much of the wonderful friends that I lost. She's brave and wild like Dashie, but always smiling like Pinkie Pie. Like Rarity, she's dedicated and hard working, and is smart and studious like Twilight. Whenever anypony needs help, Star is always there, just like Applejack. For some reason, when I got to know her better, my sadness began to subside. It had been ten years of constant pain and misery, but for the first time I felt at peace again.

Maybe it was just me going crazy from all the sorrow I had felt, from losing all of my friends in such a short amount of time. Maybe it was me putting my faith in something because I just needed to. Whatever the reason, I just knew right then that Star would make everything alright again. No more endless crying. No more laying in bed without a hope in the world. No more pain in my heart. From that point on, I pledged to live my life again, and no longer mope around in the past. To my friends who taught me so much about the joys of friendship; of Laughter, Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, and Magic. To all of you, I thank you sincerely, and I hope you're watching wherever you are.

~Fluttershy