It all seemed so sudden.

Twilight peered out her window one morning and marveled at the gathering clouds. She wasn't up to date on the pegasus weather schedule, and figured perhaps they were due for a large downpour this morning.

Twilight turned from the window, smiling. She hadn't intended on going outside today anyway. Best to lie back down under the covers and read a good book.

Twilight settled down, reading the newest installment of the Daring Do series. As she knit her brow, pondering over Daring's situation in retrieving another treasure against insurmountable odds, she failed to notice Spike waking up, and walking outside to get the morning paper.

"Um, Twilight." came a voice as Twilight heard the front door open. An odd chill and smell reached Twilight's nose, and she shivered for a second, looking over her book down towards her dragon friend.

"SPIKE! Please shut the door! It's freezing out there!"

"But, but, Twil-"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Twilight leaped from her bed, looking down at the second story. She quickly teleported to the front door and shut it.

"I don't see why you couldn't have just-" Twilight was interrupted as the smell she experienced earlier came to her nostrils again.

"What's, what's that smell?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Twilight!" Spike threw open the door, and the two stood there in the howling cold wind.

Dark billows of smoke coughed out into the air. Explosions of all different colors showered the countryside. This wasn't a cloudy day. This was a battle zone.

-------------------------------------------

"Oh, let's go inside little friends." Fluttershy looked nervously at the billowing smoke, and winced every time she heard a bang.

"I'm not sure what's going on," Fluttershy said, turning to her huddled animals, "but I'm sure somepony-"

A large explosion rocked the small cottage Fluttershy and the animals called home. All the animals scattered, despite Fluttershy's pleas for composure. Once they'd left, Fluttershy turned to the door and poked her head out to investigate, looking more shocked than afraid.

A tree just a few yards from her house looked like it was split in two. The bark was all black and charcoal colored, and a couple of the branches were on fire.

Fluttershy gasped, then flew up to the tree, batting the flame with her hooves. The branches were weak, and they feel off as soon as Fluttershy touched them, falling into the stream below. As the fire extinguished, issuing a mighty hiss from the water, a family of ducks and a turtle leapt from it's waters and looked up to their pegasus friend in silent inquiry as to what was happening.

"Come inside!" Fluttershy said, beckoning them towards her cottage.

Fluttershy turned her back on her animal friends and suddenly felt herself being rocketed into the air. She couldn't turn her body as she flew, and thudded against the outside wall of her cottage, bending her body backwards at a painful angle.

Fluttershy got up and, after rubbing her head and examining her tweaked back, turned back to the animals.

"Come on, right this- *GASP*"

The animals weren't there. Ground zero for the last explosion was right where the animals stood. The turtle's shell lay a few feet away, colored black from the blast, minus it's owner.

Fluttershy turned and ran inside, slamming the door behind her. It was only then, after catching her breath, that she broke down and sobbed. A couple squirrels poked their heads out of their dwellings inside Fluttershy's house and came to her side, trying to comfort her.

Fluttershy felt better knowing her animals were there for her. She only hoped she'd be able to do the same for them. Holding them tight, ignoring for a moment the explosions, the smoke, and the barren landscape outside, she suddenly felt her motherly instincts come into the fold.

Her eyes narrowed. She would protect her animal friends, whatever the cost. Jumping to her hooves, she grabbed the squirrel's up in her mouth and ran towards the kitchen. Her birds and other woodland creatures emerged from their homes and followed frantically.

Once they all grouped there, Fluttershy pushed aside a rug and revealed to her animals a trap door. Opening it with some difficulty (and receiving some aid from her forest friends), she urged them to all go inside.

"Quick! Into the medicine cellar. I'll be right with you as soon as I can!" Every creature obeyed without a word.

Fluttershy closed the door, then looked up as an explosion tore part of her roof away. Smoke and howling wind came roaring in, causing soot and ash to fill the kitchen. Fluttershy coughed and ran for the door. She had to know where her other pony friends were.

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Rarity and Sweetie Belle were found collectively screaming inside the back room of Rarity's boutique, usually reserved for extra storage. The Cakes were the closest to Rarity's boutique, and while Pinkie and Cup Cake huddled with the twins, Carrot Cake ran to Carousel Boutique to retrieve the unicorn sisters.

Carrot Cake had a hard time finding the two sisters between the explosions.

"Keep yelling! I'll get you out of here, girls!"

Finally he threw open the back room door and took charge of the situation.

"Ok, girls, stay close to me, stay calm. Rarity, put Sweetie Belle on my back. Come on, keep up."

Rarity didn't have a problem with staying in step with Mr. Cake's lanky stride, but had to work on staying on course with the roundabout path Carrot took in order to return to the sweet shop. She couldn't keep her eyes off her sister.

"We're almost there!" Carrot hollered over a few more explosions. "Stay with me! We'll make it!"

The three burst through the door, Carrot Cake taking the door off it's hinges as the trio slid into Sugarcube Corner. Carrot Cake couldn't stop sliding, and found his face smashed against the front table display glass. Pinkie appeared on the other side.

"Oh my gosh! Are you guys alright?! What's going on out there?"

Mr. Cake tried to speak, but found his face was stuck to the glass. "We don't know, Pinkie." He finally said as he got up and dusted himself off, reuniting Sweetie Belle on the floor with her sister, "our guess is just as good as yours."

"Where's Twilight?!" Mrs. Cake asked, "she could send a letter to Celestia!"

"No, Spike does that!" Pinkie said, misunderstanding how out-of-place her minor correction was.

"Whoever!" Carrot hollered, a little high strung over dodging so many explosions. There was a clatter of hooves behind the group, and they all turned around defensively.

Twilight stood there, huffing and puffing, with Spike on her shoulders, barely hanging on.

"Spike! Twilight!" Everypony hollered.

"Do you know what's going on, Twilight?" Mrs. Cake asked, getting a little hysterical.

Twilight looked up. Her face was covered in soot, her legs were shaking, and her eyes were filled with tears.

"The...the library is on fire." She said softly.

The words Twilight spoke seemed so desolate and hopeless, it was as though the last light in the room was sucked out.

The weight of the situation, the uncertainty as to what exactly was going on, and the plight everypony now had on their hooves, settled in.

Only the twin's crying broke everyone from falling into a funk. It seemed to awaken Twilight, who, after shaking her head a couple times, said, "where, where's everypony else?"

The cakes looked at each other. "We don't know! We haven't seen anypony else accept you four." Mr. Cake explained.

Twilight turned to the door, squinting. "There's got to be a mistake. Celestia," Twilight looked down, her eyes roamed the floor, but were taking in nothing, "she would have...would have." Twilight fainted on the hard wood floor, then was immediately helped up by Pinkie Pie and Rarity as the group wordlessly moved further back into Sugarcube Corner upon hearing more explosions.

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