Prologue: Descent

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Rain, it pounded against Starfire's coat as she fell. Her body broke through the delicate clouds, her pegasus magics no longer keeping her adrift upon their heavenly fluff. The wind whipped her mane into a frenzy, each strand of it seemingly alive with it's own energies. Her tail was sodden and covered in a thin layer of ice, it stuck out of her flank like a dagger.

All the while, Starfire fell only further. Whilst the storm got more violent, and deadly in return. Starfire's face was scratched from her escape. The faint lines of heat spiraled across her face in an almost alien way. Her mane was burnt in some places, and her tail was practically non existent.

Starfire's eyes lay open ever so slightly, her pupils were unfocused in a soundless stare of horror. Shrapnel littered her face, and had left a large gash in her right eye. It snaked across her face like water to a basin. Her mouth dripped blood, seemingly for no reason.

She was doomed to die, and in her detached state of mind, she knew that all too well. Perhaps it was the screaming of her other, or the pain that radiated around her chest. But Starfire didn't care, she was ready to welcome death like she would an old friend, and fly away within its cold embrace.

It was fortunate then, that Starfire's armour still held pulse. Its mana fused spark batteries were alive and kicking, and were pumping wave after wave of power to all the systems. The battered excuse for enclave issue armour was still good to go, and was humming softly in the ferocity of the storm.  

Suddenly, a light began to glow. Starfire's faint vision was filled with amber markings. They covered her visor, but the cracks left many of them un telling blurs. Each one told her something different, one was a beautiful butterfly, another was a humble earth pony.

One diagram however, caught her gaze. Dragging her eyes closer and closer to its position, amazing her with its glory. It was a simple thing, but to the dazed Starfire, that made it all the better. It seemed to be a question, a very bright blinking one at that. 'Play recording?', it asked.

Starfire's gaze floated over towards the small 'yes', and stayed there for a few moments. The wind tugged at her mane savagely as she waited. Nothing happened. A small grunt escaped her mangled mouth - it was supposed to be a graceful sigh. Why was life so unfair? Starfire pondered.

Soon Starfire's armour died down, the hum turned to a faint squeal and her visor became black once more. Her near lifeless body flopped through the clouds, and soon began it's way towards the wasteland floor. It would be a fitting end, killed by her very comrades after an attempt at true life.

But then, light among darkness once more. It came from her Pip-Buck, it's bulky black casing shuddering with effort as it booted up. The machine made a series of small beeps, each one gaining pitch and volume as they continued. The sounds stopped, and the began again.

A voice echoed through the void around Starfire, she knew it from a place of old. But she couldn't fathom where that place could have been. It sounded smooth and seductive, yet also loving and motherly. All at once, memories came flooding back as the recording said it's first true words.

"I'm so sorry, forgive me..."

Starfire listened to the strange mare like she did her own heartbeat, as of now this voice was her lifeline. In many ways more than she knew. She could not fathom why she was so compelled to listen, but she did all the same.

Starfire waited, the clouds drifted past her as time went on.The voice was slow to start again, it gave few sniffs and sobs and was seemingly oblivious to the impending doom she was about to be hit by. Quite literally.

"My love... It's just not fair."

The mare behind the voice choked on a sob. It bounced off the stiff air around Starfire. Becoming more than a plea for forgiveness, no. It was so much more than that, it was the last words of a pony in need. Of that, Starfire was more than sure. But why was it being played for her? Why did she feel... sad?

Starfire could feel a faint clench in her heart, she was genuinely upset. But why? She didn’t know this mare, and as sad as the recording was, it held no meaning to her. Yet still she held what little breath she could for the mare, her attention focused not on her hopelessness, but an old world plight.

"We did horrible things to you, such terrible sins we committed..."

The last of the recording came out as a whisper, the mare seemed troubled by something. No doubt she was in pain for her sins, those she still had to atone to. But why did Starfire listen with not only heavy eyes, but also a heavy heart? She couldn't bring herself to think of the mare who was speaking, it hurt.

She could faintly remember that voice, it was a whisper in her mind. From a time gone past, she might have been able to recall memories of that time, were it not for her other screaming at her mindlessly.

"Yet you still loved me... I was still your mommy."

Starfire's breath caught in her throat, was she listening to her mother? Why was her mother on her Pip-Buck? Why did the memories of their time together become ever more fleeting from her mind each passing second?

Was it simply the fact that time had kept them apart? Or was it something more, a cruel twist of fate perhaps? Any and all thoughts of conspiracy were stopped as her mother spoke once more.

Her voice rang out across the clouds, a sad tone of an almost begging nature.

"Time will ensure your safety, but I still hate all of... this."

At her last word, Starfire's mother sighed. A loud bang could be heard, followed by a series of glass objects shattering. The sound was deafening in the silent air of the wasteland, each passing moment Starfire had to wait for her death. Each second was a chance to hear her mother once again, or to die with little to no dignity.

"I never wanted this my child, the war kept us apart like it did the royal sisters. Every day I yearned for your hugs, I wished to hear your childish giggles so much. You were my one and only, but I fear that you may soon perish like the rest of us"

At that moment, a loud explosion could be heard. Followed by a chorus of sirens, each spelled death for the mare behind the voice. The sounds of falling rubble came through Starfire’s Pip-Buck, she cringed as she heard the noise, warping her face more than should be possible.

 The mare was as dead as Starfire. It was almost as if they would die together. Starfire let her mind dance around the idea of dying with her mother. Perhaps it would be nice she decided. But all the thoughts of death were cut short by another voice, much more authoritative than the last.

"Come on Lightning Dust, we have to go now!"

There was a short scuffle in the background, and the sounds of gunfire. The never ending choir of explosions and alarms grew louder as the gunfire came closer. Each passing second of the recording was filled with the sounds of a dying world.

The old world.

"Buck off Dash, you never bothered with family... Leave , you wouldn't understand how I feel."

Lightnings voice came out as a threat, and 'Dash' seemed to realize her mistake. The sounds of scuffle ended abruptly as the sirens continued their wail. There was a long quiet between the two mares, broken only by the sounds of faint gunfire.

The sounds of dying ponies soon came, their screams always cut short by a burst of gunfire. Starfire fought the urge to vomit as she listened, and both her mother and ‘Dash’ seemed to be giving quiet prayers out to the goddess Celestia. Soon afterwards, 'Dash' spoke up once more.

"You sure Lightning? We’re losing ground to the Zebras...  we should leave right n..."

Dash was cut off by what sounded like Lightning’s hoof, the sharp sound of hoof against flesh rang out from Starfires Pip-Buck. A flurry of feathers could be heard as Dash, who Starfire could now recognise as the ‘traitor’ of the Enclave, sprawled across whatever room mother was in.

Rainbow Dash groaned as she impacted with something, and ushered a few faint cries aloud. Lightning Dust gave a small sigh, and soon enough Dash could be heard once more, swearing under mutters and breaking bric a brac.

Lightning spoke up once more, her voice cracking slightly.

"Daughter, I'm so sorry I cannot hug you one last time. I'm sorry I can't read you another bedtime story, or keep the monsters away. I'm sorry that I couldn't bring daddy back to us, and make us a family again. I... Love you."

Starfire realized all too late that she was crying, her bloodstained face was being purified by tears. Her burns stung with the fury of brimstone, as salty tears slid across her scarred face. Starfire’s eyes pained from her earlier fight, along with the ever pressing rain.

She fell with more than just gravity now, her body was being weighed down by the sheer sadness she contained. It felt like she'd been shot in the gut. Tendrils of pain spiralled out across her stomach, covering her body in a web of intense pain.

"My darling filly. Fear not the sun, fear only what lies beneath it..."

Starfire felt her Pip-Buck begin to die out, it's power source too drained to keep it on for much longer. But she wanted to hear her mother's last words, why had she not heard them before? It was all their fault. She knew that too well, but why did she lie to herself all this time?

Her tears fell freely as she reminisced over the past, over her life as a small foal. She knew that she’d never been ‘normal’, but why was she never told of her past? She had been bullied by her peers for an unknown reason. Was her origin that very reason?

Starfire's mouth made the smallest of cries, her mangled gums managing only the most simple of syllables. She let out the most agonizingly beautiful of screams, her cyan mane shone in the dark light of the wasteland, her armour closed in around her but it could not keep her spirit dimmed down.

As she fell even further, Starfire could only think of one thing. Her mother. Why had the past been kept from her? Why was she never told about her family? The Enclave... Took everything away from her, and never told her about the only heritage she had? Bastards!

Starfire, of course knew that she was never told for her own ‘safety’. If she had known then she might have been targeted, or worse... Exiled. But in the end it had still happened, her unsure past and misguided morals had caused her to be Branded.

The brand, she could see it out the corner of her eye. It stung lightly, as the leftover acids mixed with the cold midnight rain. The ghastly scar it had left upon her would stay as a reminder to her failure for years to come, if she were to live that long of course.

The air suddenly became warmer, an indication that Starfire was near solid ground. Her crumpled wings folded out, purely due to instinct. Their thin strips of muscle torn away in the harsh winds, bring both bone and blood with them in long tendrils. Starfire grunted in pain as her wings feathers slowly ripped themselves off.

With a sudden burst of light, her visor lit up once more. The numerous diagrams were replaced with one large pegasus diagram, pointing out where her damaged limbs were, and giving a near approximate time to when she bled out. With a mangled hoof, she gingerly pressed a small button located on her Pip-Buck.

It lit up, and played the recording once more. It seemed to have skipped a large part of the main thing, as the explosions were louder and louder still, and Lightning Dust was singing a soft lullaby. A fresh wave of tears overcame Starfire as she listen to her mother during her last moments, 'She's beautiful.'.

"Don't cry little filly, don't be scared. Mothers here and it's time to go to bed. Stay soundly, within your cot. To keep you safe, I'll never leave this spot..."

Another explosion rang out, much louder than the first two. Lightning coughed as the rubble came flying from the blast, halting her song for only a few moments. She then began again, a more cheery tune.

"Keep warm little filly, winter is here. Stay close little filly, keep me near. Mother loves you so much, my dear. So never forget to keep our skies clear."

One last explosion cascaded through the building Starfire's mother was in, the blast caused the broadcaster to flare with static for a few moments. The sound of her mother's screams made Starfire shiver in fear, she knew that noise... From long ago.

"Goodbye... my darling filly... I love, you."

The recording turned to utter static, and ended. Starfire let one last tear fall down her cheek, the last she would ever cry no doubt. The skies above her were gloomy and dark, their clouds overshadowed by the looming cities above.

The wind rippled across her body and tore flesh from bone, tiny trails of blood followed each segment of muscle, making patterns in the thin air. The rain pouring onto Starfire made her quake with nausea, it was chilling and cooled to an extreme that even those from Stalliongrad would find discomfort in.

Starfire slowly reached what was left of her hoof to her chest, and clasped onto a small necklace. The contact made her bleed ever so slightly. She cried, but tears did not come. The pain was a fair price though, and with one last sigh, she uttered her final words.

"Goodbye mother, I love you too..."