Okay, so to give some background on this, I have tried writing this story twice before and I didn't get very far on either attempt. But last night, I saw Skysun's post about her "mane" OCs fanfic, and I decided to give another go at telling Honeyfall's story which has been bouncing around in my head for literal years. However, I didn't want to commit to writing a multi part fan fic about her since that could quite frankly take forever since her story spans from the battle of all 5 herds in Starfire to after Windborn and I had already attempted to do that and failed. So, I decided on a slightly different take on the story and do it as if Honeyfall herself was telling it and get it all out in just one part. And that's what I have here.
Also, before we get into it, I did just want to say something about all the names that are included in here since there are quite a few that are somewhat unnecessarily thrown in there as they get mentioned once and don't ever get mentioned in the story again. The reason for that is these were characters who had played key roles in my other attempts and I thought it wouldn't be right to leave them out. I also know that there are a few names that are used by other people on the MB, and I just want to let ya'll know that I was not trying to copy or steal anyone's OC name. Most of these characters have had their names for a year or two now even though this if for some of them, their first time being mentioned, so I apologies if that is in any way annoying.
Okay, so, without further adieu, here is Honeyfall's story:
The Origin of Honeyfall
(as told form the prospective of Honeyfall)
I was born into Sun Herd during a turbulent time. And although I did not pay much attention to what was happening, things were in motion that would change the course of Anok forever.
It all had begun just a few months before my own birth, when the news of a new black foal being born had crashed into the 5 herds like a title wave, leaving behind uncertainty and fear in its wake. He was already a few moons old by the time I entered the world, and my sire Nightfire, one of Sun Herd’s most loyal captains, and my dam Brightsun, an equally renowned battle-mare, tried their best to shield me from the unrest, and tried to pretend that everything would be normal. They believed that Thunderwing would carry through with his oath to kill the black foal before his birthday, and all that surrounded him would soon fade just as if it were a distant dream. But they were wrong.
I remember clearly the day it happened. The day my parents died. We had been in virtual captivity -- another reality my parents tried their best to shelter me from -- and I remember being confused as to why there was so much frenzy over just one missing foal. Then, my peaceful bliss was shattered by the return of our former lead mare, Silverlake. She came bearing the news that the other herds were rising up against us.
Everything erupted into chaos after that, and I barely remember saying bye to my parents as I was shuffled off into the woods to hide with the other weanlings. As the battle began, we were all straining to see what was happening, and after some tussling, me and my cousin Sunstrike managed to find a spot under a bush with an almost unobscured view. We watched intently as our herd mates, identifiable by their brightly colored feathers, clashed with those of the other herds. It was a horrifying sight, but this sort of thing was in our blood and we could not look away.
If only I had been able to look away...
I watched as pegasus after pegasus, from both sides, was ripped out of the sky and hurtled to the ground. I watched as first the bay and navy coloring of my sire, then the chestnut and blue of my dam collide with the earth. It was only then I could look away, knowing they were gone and there was nothing I could do about it.
After a while, the dust settled, and Sun Herd stood defeated, surrounded by the foreigners that looked so out of place in this territory. The sight made me mad. My parents were dead and what was it even all for? When I had seen my parents fall, my mind had run wild putting together all the pieces of things that they had been trying to shield me from, and I had come to a conclusion: their deaths were pointless, this was all pointless, and it was all the fault of the black foal whose absence had caused this massacre.
My blood boiled in rage with this realization and I knew that I could not stay, not in the place where parents had needlessly sacrificed themselves. I ran. And by some miracle I managed to make it out and away from the battlefield undetected, but with no real direction in mind.
I guess that I must have headed north towards the vein that lay between Sun Herd and Snow Herd, because that’s where I was found days later by a patrol from Anok’s northernmost herd. At this point I had gotten thoroughly lost, and it had almost been a day or two since I had last dunk or eaten. I have no doubt that if I had not been discovered by that patrol, I would have most certainly died soon after. But they had pity on me and flew me to their Medicine Mare, Pineroot, who helped me regain my strength. I also learned at this time that the cursed black foal, despite the best attempts from the herds, had managed to reach his first birthday and had received his starfire, which had resulted in the defection of pegasi from all over Anok and ultimately the disbandment of Sun Herd as a whole.
It was some comfort to me that I was not the only Sun Herd steed to be taking up a new residence in Snow Herd, but it also fueled my rage towards the black foal. This is why, when I was approached by a stallion named Stormtail, who spoke on behalf of Snow Herd’s lead mare, Petalcloud, with a deal, I snapped at the opportunity. The deal was that I would be allowed to permanently stay with Snow Herd, under the conditions that I would report any pro-black-foal activity directly to Petalcloud. And that was the beginning of my work as Petalcloud’s spy.
Once I had fully recovered, it was decided that I would be assigned to a sort of foster family type situation to help me adjust to life in the far north. I was paired with a mare named Ashberry, and her only living foal, Willowglow. Ashberry had recently lost her mate and most resent foal, and was struggling with that loss, but despite this, they were probably some of the nicest pegasi I have ever met. I didn't even come close to deserving the love and affection they showed by welcoming me into their little family. They even made sure to introduce me to some of Snow Herd’s weanling so I would have plenty of friends my age. It was thanks to them that I met two pegasi who have impacted me the most; a filly named Pebblebreeze and a colt named Snowfrost.
It was amazing how quickly we became a tight friend group. The trio we made up was pretty much completely devoted to each other from day one, and we spent almost every waking minute together. I can easily say that it was one of the happiest times of my life. But it would all come to an abrupt end all too soon.
Pebblebreeze had a brother, Dragonflight, and he had always been openly distrustful of Petalcloud and her new mate Twistwing, and believed that Icewing was still the rightful leader of Snow Herd. I had also been aware that he, his mate Patchfeather and his friends Lakefir and Smokemoon would often sneak away into the woods for large amounts of time. At first I thought these two things were unrelated, but one day I learned that Dragonflight, his friends, and many others were actively planning to join River Herd and become followers of the black foal.
At first I was torn. My hatred of the black foal still burned fiercely, but I also wasn't sure what would happen to them if I reported what I knew and I was scared it might hurt my new friend. But in the end, my hatred and fear won over and I informed Stormtail who passed the word along. Less than a day later, Dragonflight was dragged out before the whole herd and was executed as an example for what would happen to those who tried to leave.
Deep down, I knew his death was my fault, but I rationalized my guilt away by telling myself I had done the right thing. The black foal was evil, and all those who supported him were just as responsible for the destruction he caused. However, regardless of what I had convinced myself of, I still could not look at Pebblebreeze without feeling pain for her. She had been so close to her brother, and his death had broken her. Which put her in a position that left her too emotionally drained to fight off the deadly blue tongue plague.
She died not long after contracting the disease, and that broke any last strands of happiness I had found in my new home. I began to separate myself from everything and anyone and allowed myself to wallow in my hate. And my mindset was fueled by the rumors that had sprung up after the black foal had visited to offer his aid to the sick pegasi, that it was his fault that this was happening because he should have never been allowed to live. I became so wrapped up in the mindset that I barely noticed things that were going on around me, that despite Twistwing’s efforts, more and more Snow Herd pegasi were leaving to join River Herd. Eventually, this even included Snowfrost and his dam Lilacdrop.
As time passed, I only became more obsessed with the destruction of the black foal. It became all I could think about. I informed on even the slightest rumor that a pegasus was even considering defecting, and there were so many dying as a result. I may not have been the one to actually kill them, but their blood will forever be on my feathers. But at the time, I barely felt remorse.
Then the news came that a second black foal, Nightwing the destroyer, who had laid waste to Anok 400 years prior, was alive and would soon be returning to Anok. It was a nightmare come true, but for me, it was just another thing I could blame on Sun Herd’s black foal. While the other steeds in Snow Herd desperately tried to flee to the land that lay east of our territory to follow the black foal’s plan to hide from Nightwing, I was among those who stood their ground and obeyed Petalcloud’s order to stay. Even after Nightwing made landfall in Anok and the subsequent murder of all the over stallions.
Everything flew by in a blur during this time. I joined Petalcloud’s Ice Warriors, and while I may not have fit the standard she had set for her army build wise, I had proved myself useful due to my obviously Sun Herd coloring which enabled me to more easily go undetected on missions as I was not immediately recognizable as an Ice Warrior. I was a spy, and a good one at that.
I do not remember much of what happened, I was so focused on preventing the black foal’s power from growing, but my most clear memory from this time was about a former Desert Herd stallion by the name of Brokenflame. He had been recruited from Rockwing’s followers when the over-stallion had died. Brokenflame was like a mentor to me, and had taught me much of what I knew about spying. But then we learned that his loyalty was a lie, and that he was really a sympathizer to Star. Petalcloud order that he be killed, but before then, Brokenflame managed to find a way to talk to me. He tried explaining that he was only here to protect his mate and unborn foal that had fled to the Trap. He tried to convince me that the Ice Warriors were the true evil, not the black foal. But I would not listen, and Brokenflame’s death only left me feeling numb and alone.
However, I believe that what he said to me planted the seed for my questioning of what we were doing. Because the longer I stayed with the Ice Warriors, the more I saw of the destruction they caused, and I began to see that at the direction of Petalcloud, more steeds had died then had died as a direct result of the black foal. I tried my best to tune out these thoughts, but they were always lurking just below the surface.
Still, I continued on as an Ice Warrior. I was sent all over Anok to spy, though as the number of missions I was sent on increased, so did the danger and it had happened more than once now that I had been forced to kill other pegasi. My death count kept racking up, but I forced myself to be unbothered by it.
The cycle continued, until Petalcloud made her most daring play yet. Now, joining forces with Nightwing, they had moved on River Herd while the black foal was absent. I helped round up those I saw as traitors and move them into the interior of Anok. It was here my loyalties to Petalcloud were really shaken as I saw first hoof the conditions the prisoners of Nightwing’s new herd were kept in. Here, they were no longer treated like pegasi. I also saw that while Nightwing preferred to inflict pain on most, only showing compassion to the foals who he was really using for his own gain, the other black foal showed determination and loyalty to the steeds of Anok when he agreed to Nightwing’s ridiculous terms to save the walkers.
At this time, I also became aware that my only surviving friend from my happy days in Snow Herd, Snowfrost, was among the captured steeds. Despite the best of my intentions, it was difficult for me to ignore his presence. I paid visits to him when I got a chance, but he had changed since I had last seen him. I could see the pain that lingered behind his deep brown eyes and it was only then I really understood how the actions of the Ice Warriors were affecting Anok. I now acknowledged that I had been wrong all this time, and it really was not the black foal, Star, who was guilty of breaking Anok, it was those who resisted. And I was included with those at fault.
This realization took a long time for me to process, but in the end, during the final battle, I made the right decision. The first right decision I had made in a long time, and I turned on the Ice Warriors. I fought alongside those I had viewed with hatred for so long. I fought for Star.
But things did not become easier, after the battle was over. Star had been victorious, the remnant of the Ice Warriors had fled, and I was permitted to stay, but I was still viewed with distrust. I could not blame anyone for that as I knew that I deserved much worse than what I got, and I was grateful and content with my fait. But that was not good enough for Snowfrost, who was the only pegasus who stood by me. He insisted that I had risked more than anyone else in joining Star and was determined to find me a meaningful place in the herd. And he did.
A few weeks after the battle, Snowfrost disappeared for a few hours, but promised he would return soon. When he did, he was flanked by two weanlings, a chestnut colt and a buckskin filly who I would soon learn were named Whiteflame and Tawnyfeather. This was the day that Snowfrost asked me to be his mate, and I agreed. The two weanlings became our first foals as they had been orphaned in the battle, and like me before, they needed a foster family to help them adjust.
As I got to know my new foals, I became astonished to find that the colt, Whiteflame, happened to be the son of Brokenflame who had died without getting a chance to meet his colt. After this, any misgiving I may have had about this new arrangement were gone and I became fully committed to my little family.
Four years later, our family grew a little bigger with the birth of our third foal, our first biological foal, a colt we named Nightriver in honor of his Grandsires Nightfire and Iceriver. Three years after this I had the second of our biological foals, a colt we named Robinstrike. And shortly after his birth, I was asked to foster another orphaned colt by the name Beetlestorm, and this was the start of a pattern that would continue each time I gave birth to another foal, and it was repeated with the addition of our first biological filly, Swanblossom, who was joined shortly thereafter by a filly named Brightpool and a colt named Springflight. Our youngest two were incorporated when I had Lilacburst, and days later was asked to foster a colt named Ripplereed.
It may not have been pretty. It may not have been happy. But that is my story. I cannot erase the horrible things I thought and did in my past, but I try my best to make up for what I have done.
OC Character Description
(in order of mention)
Honeyfall - blood bay mare, black mane and tail, black points, white apron face marking, two uneven hind socks, zaffre blue wings, hazel eyes
Nightfire - solid dark bay stallion, black mane and tail, black points, navy colored wings
Brightsun - light chestnut mare, chestnut mane and tail, thin stripe, one hind white anklet, sky blue wings
Sunstrike - chestnut stallion, chestnut mane and tail, bald face with badger face, four white socks, jade green wings
Pineroot - (formerly Pineberry) light palomino mare, white mane and tail, four white socks, wide blaze, pale green wings
Ashberry - light bay roan mare, black mane and tail, white star, two front white stockings, gray wings
Willowglow - (formerly Willowfrost) palomino chimera paint with bay splotches on her left shoulder, white mane and tail, wide blaze, faded gray wings
Pebblebreeze - (formerly Pebblefrost) blue roan blanket appaloosa filly, black mane and tail, white star, light purple wings
Snowfrost - gray stallion (looks white), white mane and tail, white wings, deep brown eyes
Dragonflight - (formerly Dragonfrost) buckskin blanket appaloosa stallion, dark brown/black mane and tail, dark brown/black points, pale gold colored wings
Patchfeather - chestnut pinto mare, creamy white mane and tail, bald face, four white socks, white wings
Lakefir - buckskin pinto, black mane and tail, black points, thin blaze, four white socks, brown and white wings
Smokemoon - solid blue roan mare, black mane and tail, black points, heavy feathering on legs, dark blue wings
Lilacdrop - pale red dun mare, red mane and tail, red points, thin blaze, lilac colored wings
Brokenflame - red chestnut stallion, red chestnut mane and tail, wide blaze, one front left sock, black wings edged with gold
Whiteflame - chestnut stallion, chestnut mane and tail, star and snip, two hind white socks, white wings
Tawnyfeather - dark buckskin mare, black mane and tail, black points, purple wings
Nightriver - dark blood bay stallion, black mane and tail, black points, apron face, ice blue wings, blue eyes
Robinstrike - light blood bay stallion, black mane and tail, black points, star, two hind white socks, sky blue wings
Beetlestorm - red chestnut stallion, red chestnut mane and tail, four white anklets, white star, light purple wings
Swanblossom - gray (looks white) mare, white mane and tail, zaffre blue wings
Brightpool - light chestnut mare, pale chestnut mane and tail, thin stripe, light blue wings
Springflight - palomino stallion, flaxen mane and tail, thin blaze, white wings
Lilacburst - chestnut filly, chestnut mane and tail, three coronet bands, one left hind anklet, white star, lilac purple wings
Ripplereed - buckskin colt, black mane and tail, black points, one front left sock, white star, dark sky blue wings
Gosh, I really want to read it, but I don't have time and it's a little too long. Please remind me later to read it!!! I know it'll be great!
Wow, thats amazing!!! I think it was a bit hard to follow, (this might have been because it was moving a bit fast for me. Or because Im reading this in school) but other than that, its a wonderful story! Great job @Dragon!
Is Snowfrost a son of Icewing/Iceriver?
"I was paired with a mare named Ashberry, who had recently lost both her mate, and her only living foal, Willowglow. They were probably some of the nicest pegasi I have ever met. I didn't even come close to deserving the love and affection they showed by welcoming me into their little family. They even made sure to introduce me to some of Snow Herd’s weanling so I would have plenty of friends my age. It was thanks to them that I met two pegasi who have impacted me the most; a filly named Pebblebreeze and a colt named Snowfrost."
Who's "they"? That paragraph... doesn't really make sense. It was only Ashberry, right?
I am a little bit confused. It says "He was already a few moons old by the time I entered the world"
Most foals were born at around the same time. So... I know Star was born early, was Honeyfall born late?
Wow! That story is amazing!