Life, as we all know, is filled with surprises that can come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes, these little surprises that life throws our way can end up being wonderful memories that stick with use for the rest of our lives. Other times, theses surprises can instead turn out to be things that we would much rather soon forget, usually through means of lots of alcohol consumption or other depending on your preferred method.

Your life in Equestria had thus far been no different. And often time, it felt as if it spared no expense when it decided to execute such said surprises in your life.

“Hey… why are you looking at me like that?”

Take for example, that one time long ago, when you opened the door to leave your house in Ponyville for a morning jog on a day off, and found the town ablaze as a dragon flew over head and a throng of screaming ponies ran past your door. In those few seconds of shocked surprise, you had simply blinked, closed the door, waited a second or two, and then opened the door again to let in the chaos from the outside flood into your home once again.

You had been rather surprised at how well done the sound proofing for your home was.

That dragon attack on the other hoof though, had been the third one that month. Something about a migration, or revenge, or something like that. But honestly, you’ve see one dragon attack, you’ve seen them all.

“It’s not my fault! Please don’t look at me like that!”

Now, there was also that one time in the early hours of the morning at Sweet Apple Acres, when in the middle of pleasant dream, you had suddenly found yourself fully awake and unable to move anything from your waist down. As surprised as you were at your sudden predicament, you had been even more surprised when you lifted the covers and found a guilty looking Applejack winking at you... right before she continued with the first part of your day-long birthday present.

Best surprise birthday present.

EVER.

“Fine! I’m sorry, okay? I honestly thought that I could take them!”

So, when compared to those surprises, it was easy to see why Lyra’s actions had come up short in the surprise department. Because honestly, anypony could have seen the end result of her walking out into a hall filled with Changelings, coming a mile away.

Though, you supposed to her credit. No pony, or Changeling for that matter, could have anticipated having a raving mad unicorn tackle them from behind, in a hallway, and bite off a good chunk of their mane.

Surprise! Instant beard!

“No, Lyra, it’s just… spit that out so that we can be seriously about this… please?”

The seafoam colored unicorn looked a bit dejected as she relinquished her beard, and watched you turn away from her. You were trying not t be angry at her, so you focused on something else, such as how to get out of your current predicament.

There had been a sense of hope. A ray of light in the dark as Lyra appeared in front of you when the Changelings had left you and your friends alone in the room. That hope however, had quickly turned to despair and disbelief as you saw her leave to seek revenge, and immediately after, heard a commotion and screams on the other side of the door. Needless to say that when you saw her dragged back inside, and get shackled on the wall next to you, that sense of hope had quickly turned into a nice ball of despair that settled in the pit of your stomach.

And that only made things worse as it added to the already growing sense of worry. None of which, was for your own well being…

“I’m-I’m worried, Lyra, okay? I’m worried sick about what might happen to Applejack and honestly, you were our only ticket out of here.”

“But-”

“And now, not only do we NOT have somepony on the outside. But we now have this asshole here watching us!”

The Changeling in the room narrowed his blue eyes at you as you said this, and let out a growl that showed his fangs.

You were not too sure, but it looked like he was missing another one now, which you supposed must have been the Queen’s doing seeing as Lyra didn’t come back inside with a new pair of dentures.

She seemed to keep what she defeated. Kind of like your boxer shorts.

“Oh hush you asshole. That’s a term of endearment where I come from.”

The Changeling simply narrowed his eyes further and growled louder. It didn’t look like he was buying it.

“It-It is?”

Lyra on the other hoof…

“Luna, help me…” You let out in a sigh as you hung your head and allowed your body to go limp and dangled from the restraints on your wrist. The slight pain that shot up your arms from your shoulders was a welcomed distraction, though still rather distant when compared to everything else at the forefront of your mind.

“I-I don’t know what to do to get out of this now…” You let out in a shallow breath and heard the Changeling let out a small laugh as the rest of the room went silent.

Well, sort of silent.

“H-hey…?”

It hardly even registered that Lyra was calling your name, but you still managed to react enough to turn slightly to the side and look at her. She was looking at you with worry in her eyes as she lightly bit her lower lip. She looked as if she was trying to decide something important, but eventually, she made her decision and took a deep breath to steady herself.

“I… w-we could just wait.”

For obvious reasons, everypony, and Changeling, in the room looked at her with a raised brow and evident confusion in their expressions.

“Not to offend Miss Lyra, but that there seems a rather poor way to save mah sister.”

You couldn’t help but nod your head slightly in agreement as Lyra looked at Big Macintosh with a sad smile and then turned to look at you, her expression unchanged. Her breathing began to sound ragged, as if she was about to start crying and spoke again.

“If-if we wait, I’m su-sure they’ll find us..”

“They?” You blinked as a slight dab of hope painted your words. “Who’s they Lyra?”

Lyra’s eyes suddenly began to blink faster as they watered a bit and she began to chew on her lip.

“Th-there’s a backup pl-plan…” She finally said. “Y-you see, I…”

“I just don’t know what’s wrong with him…”

Earlier that day, two ponies walked down one of the snow covered streets of Ponyville as they conversed with one another and the snow crunched beneath their hooves. One of them wore a blue scarf around her neck, while the other wore a gray scarf around hers. Both ponies were wearing white ear mufflers to keep their ears warm, and they stepped aside for a bit off the road as a covered cart being pulled by Thunderlane and followed by a white unicorn went past them.

“He seemed happy all this time and now, well, he’s just so distant.”

“Well, your relationship did start with you tying him to your bed and trying to rut his brains out.”

“But he loved that!”

“Yes, I know, you didn’t stop bragging about how you broke the bed.”

“Mmm, yes…”

“And, there was also that time with the riding crop and hot candle wax.”

“Yes, and that one he really enjoyed too!”

“No. YOU enjoyed the bucking. What HE enjoyed were third degree burns.”

“But it wasn’t my fault, Cloud Chaser!”

“Not the point, Flitter! You set his coat on fire and burned his-”

Whoops! Wrong conversation…

“Ah just don’t know what’s wrong with him lately…”

Another pair of ponies walked down a different snow covered street in Ponyville as they made their way towards a familiar repair shop. One of them, an earth pony, wore a green scarf as her Stetson hat settled comfortably atop her head. The other one, a pegasus pony with a slightly rounder midsection, wore a red scarf and pink ear mufflers that blended with her mane. Both of them continued walking down the street, completely unaware of anything passing on by only a few blocks away.

“I don’t think anything's wrong with him, Applejack. At least I don’t think so… I mean, if you don’t mind me saying. I mean, sorry I-” Fluttershy suddenly found herself quieted by an orange hoof placed over her muzzle and Applejack’s smiling face in front of her.

“Sugahcube, Ah told yah you don’t haf’ta keep apologizing like that.”

“Bum Abblejack, ham sorry, ha don’t hunt to be ha loud mouth…” Fluttershy managed to mumble out around Applejack’s hoof.

Applejack simply chuckled as she removed her hoof and began walking towards the shop again.

“Sugahcube, yah family now. Been family for over ah year. Heh, Ah don’t mind if yah but in and speak what’s on your mind every now and then.”

The shy pegasus simply smiled lightly and nodded her head as she joined her walking down road towards the repair shop. They both walked quietly for about a block, the only sound now being that of the snow beneath their hooves, before one of them felt compelled to speak again and finish what she wanted to say. A warm smile was clearly visible on her face.

“You know he loves you dearly, right? He’d move a mountain for you if he could. Anypony can see that…”

No immediate reply came from the Stetson wearing pony. But instead, she stopped and looked straight down at the ground. The worry of having said something she wasn’t supposed to, immediately became evident on Fluttershy’s face as she rushed to apologize to her friend and sister-in-law. The words though, never left her lips as she got a look at Applejack’s face.

A huge smile adorned Applejack’s muzzle as she turned up to look at her.

“Ah know Fluttershy…” She replied with a slight giggle to her voice as she remembered the events of that morning, and began walking again towards the repair shop, her smile seeming to just grow wider as she walked along.

Fluttershy visibly relaxed and fell in next to her as they continued walking down the road again.

“Ah guess ah’m just kind of worried mah idjet might actually be trying sumthing like that. He’s sure been kind of distant these past few days to make me think he’s up to sumthing.”

Her friend only giggled at this as she nodded her head and paused for a second in her stride.

“Oh dear, that would be worrisome! I mean, where would you even put a mountain if he gave you one?”

The round of laughter that burst from both ponies was enough to get a few stares from the other ponies on the street. Neither of them paid any attention though as they allowed it to ease the stress of having to come into town to drag their respective coltfriends home for lunch.

“Maybe, heh, maybe ah can put it in the living room, heh.”

They both continued to laugh even up until they turned a corner and the repair shop came into view up ahead. And, as they walked up to the door, their laughter finally began to settle.

“Though, heh, yah know Fluttershy? If mah idjet’s up to sumthing like that, as sure as Celestia raises the sun, mah idjet brother is right there with him. Thick as thieves them two are, yah might just get your own mountain too.” Applejack finished with a hardy laugh as she placed a hoof on the door to push it open. She had to pause though as she turned around to look at her friend who had suddenly gone quiet.

“Fluttershy? Yah okay sugahcube?”

“Applejack, please don’t joke like that. I don’t want Mackie to get hurt trying to get me a mountain. I mean, he’s going to be a daddy and-and…” The pegasus finished lamely as her ear pulled back and laid flat on her head. For her part, Applejack simply took a step towards her and placed a comforting hoof around her withers. She often forgot pregnant mares were prone to emotional swings, though she really didn’t think their running joke would be a trigger for it.

“Ah sorry sugahcube, ah’m sure both of them are fine.”

“You *sniff* really think so Applejack?”

“Of course ah do sugahcube. Ah’m sure of it! Yah don’t see any moving mountains do yah?”

“N-no…”

“See?” Applejack replied as she gave her a firm hug and moved back to the door, and pushed it open to walk inside the repair shop.

“Ah’m sure both of them are fine. Ah’d even bet they’re both behind the counter talk-” She stopped dead in her tracks as a now far more cheerful pegasus took up the space next to her inside the door, talking as she went.

“Oh dear, what a relief. I mean, I wouldn’t even know what I’d do if Mac-”

Both ponies now stood still and silent as the light from the outside poured into the dark repair shop and cast their shadows into the empty interior. Neither of them could find the ability to say a single word as they stood still for a couple of seconds, and then walked inside in unison. Their eyes scanned everything in the room back and forth, hoping that something would explain what they were seeing. Applejack’s eyes eventually spotted something on the counter, a piece of paper, and she walked over to it. Her hoof settled on it as she let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding in, and picked it up.

“Applejack,

I left to go to Canterlot for a job. I’m bringing you back a surprise. Come meet me near the edge of the Everfree Forest in two days. Come alone.

Love, …”

Applejack blinked once and slowly lowered the letter back onto the counter as her face became a scowl and she turned to look at Fluttershy. She simply blinked back at her and looked around the shop, letting out a quiet gasp as her hoof flew to her mouth. Applejack turned to look away, back at the letter she had just read, and her scowl only grew to the point that the innocent piece of paper might have suddenly burst into flames.

“AH CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!” The anger and stated disbelief rang clear in her voice as she turned around to look back at Fluttershy just as the piece of paper actually burst into flames.

Fluttershy for her part was quick to grab the fire extinguisher kept near the counter and put out the small fire as a deep worry made its way into her voice.

“Oh dear! Oh my! Applejack please calm down… if you want that is.”

However, Fluttershy’s plea fell on deaf ears as Applejack paced back and forth a few times before she let out and exasperated grunt as her voice rose in decibels with each syllable that began to leave her lips.

“Only a few days away from the Hearth Warming Eve pageant and that idjet gone n’gotten himself in sum’kind of trouble!”

“Oh dear, Mackie!”

Fluttershy immediately dropped the fire extinguisher and began to fly frantically around the shop, the word trouble apparently being the key word needed for her to begin to panic. Applejacks disbelief and anger at the situation quickly gave way to concern and worry as well. And, though not as panic stricken as Fluttershy, she too began to take in the state of the shop in more detail as a heavy sensation of dread formed in the pit of her gut.

The entire inside of the shop was trashed. Areas of the floor were broken, holes, smashed into the ground through pieces of broken floorboards as if somepony had rammed their hoof through them. The wall separating the workshop from the shop itself had the full body outline of somepony that had been thrown clean through it into the other room. The door that led from that room was off its hinges and lay on the floor, seemingly kicked down by whoever had been thrown through that wall. And everywhere else, more evidence of an extremely one sided fight littered the shop.

Even the ceiling was not without some sort of damage.

Applejack had to take a step back and try to convince herself that neither her stallion, nor her brother had been on the receiving end of everything she was seeing. In fact, she was pretty sure if anypony was capable of this, it was her brother.

Her stallion on the other hoof…

She leaned against the counter and put her hoof on it as she tried to think about what might have happened. However, no sooner did her hoof touch the counter that she immediately brought it in front of her face. It was covered in something sticky, and she felt her heart skip a beat as she rushed to draw open a curtain and shed light on what she had just placed her hoof in.

What she saw then, made that feeling of dread in the pit of her gut turn into a steadily rising anger. There was apple jam splattered across the top of the counter. But it wasn’t the jam she was focused on… but the figure outlined by it.

She could clearly make out the outline of a pair of shoulders and a head, together with what seemed to be drag marks in the jam caused by a pair of arms dragging over the counter as if trying to hold on to it. She knew of only one creature in the whole of Equestria that could leave such a body print.

Her mouth opened and immediately closed as that steadily rising anger forced its way out through clenched teeth.

“How. DARE. THEY!”

The sudden outburst from Applejack and the rumbling of the walls was enough to cause Fluttershy to stop in her panic stricken flight around the shop, and dropped to the floor.

“They? Who’s they?” The panicked pegasus asked in a hopeful voice as a maddened glint suddenly made itself apparent in her eyes.

“HO HO… This gonna get good. NO PONY hurts mah stallion!” Applejack declared as she began making her way to the door.

“Ye-yeah!”

“When ah find out who’s behind this they’re gonna be in for a world of hurting! Come on Fluttershy! Don’t know what’s going on, but looking at this mess, we gonna need sum’help!”

“YEAH! I’ll go get the things from my shed!”

Both earth pony and pegasus stopped on their way to the door as one looked at the other in confusion.

“Uh, what sugahcube? What sh-”

“Hormones!”

The suddenly twitchy eyed pegasus blurred out bringing a hoof to her mouth and cleared her throat.

“Oh! Excuse me… I’m sorry Applejack. I’m a bit emotional because of the hormones and Mackie not being here.”

“Um, okay sugahcube. But what-”

“OH! We should get Twilight and the girls to help get our boys back!”

Applejack could only stare at her, confused, while Fluttershy simply smiled innocently at her, even though she had just blatantly tried to change the subject. After a few seconds though, she decided to indeed chalk it up to hormones, and started walking towards the door.

“Uh, alright then, let’s go!”

Both ponies left the shop intent on getting their respective stallion back and beating the stuffing out of whoever was responsible. And, as they walked towards the library, no pony walking outside dared stand in their way.

“An-and that’s why *hic* when-when they left and took you away *sniff* I-I used my ma-magic to return everything to how it was.”

“You did WHAT?!” The Changeling suddenly demanded in a shrill voice, but no pony paid him any attention. What Lyra had just divulged was of much greater importance than the only Changeling in the room flipping its lid.

And what she had told you had obviously caused her some sort of distress. Why though, you did not completely grasp. But, little by little, she had begun to break down and cry throughout her retelling of the events that led to her being outside that window in the first place.

Apparently, after you had been knocked out, she pretended to be unconscious as well while she lay on top of you. The noises of the struggle stopping had not been because Big Macintosh had been overpowered. In fact, the Changeling trying to subdue him never stood a chance. But instead, he had been forced to stop and surrender in order to keep you and Lyra unharmed.

Once he had been properly subdued, you were all loaded into a covered card and taken away, leaving behind one Changeling to cast a spell to fix the shop so as to avoid suspicion. Lyra had almost immediately teleported out of the cart, unnoticed, and waited till the Changeling left behind was done cleaning. It had been the kind one, the one with the pink eyes. And when she confronted her…

“So, my hunch was right…” You said loud enough for Caramel to clearly hear you. You still weren’t sure what his and the Changeling’s story was, but you felt he needed to hear this clearly.

“She’s on our side.”

“And that worthless parasprite will pay for betraying our Queen!” Again, the Changeling shrilled, but still, no pony paid him any attention.

“Uh huh *hic* without her, I wouldn’t ha-have known *sniff* how to undo the magic used to fix your shop.”

“Sweet Celestia, Lyra! Do you realize what this means!?”

The sudden joy in your voice was mirrored on the hopeful smiles of everypony present. Well, except Thunderlane, it was kind of hard to tell if he was smiling or holding back a sneeze with his muzzle so tightly bound with the green goop.

“N-no? Maybe?”

“Lyra, it means that if anypony found that mess, without a doubt, Applejack will immediately suspect something is wrong with that letter! And, if she involves the other girls…”

A grim and sinister smile took hold of your lips as unspeakable images played out across your imagination while you looked off into the distance. It must have been quite a sight, because out of the corner of your eye, you managed to catch a slight movement as the Changeling took a step back from you.

“Oh, th-that. I know *sniff* that’s why I-I did it…”

And yet, that murderous look quickly left you as you turned around to look at Lyra. She was still crying, and her tears had left clear marks across the fur on her cheeks.

“Lyra? But then, why are you crying though? What you’ve done is phenomenal!”

“I-I know *sniff* it-it’s just that…”

More tears left her eyes as her lower lip began to tremble and she tried to take in a deep, but shaky breath. For whatever reason, the room seemed much more quiet than before, which was surprising seeing as it was almost as if the wind and snow outside put itself on mute as well.

“I-I wanted *sniff* to-to save you by myself…” Lyra finally let out with a quiet so that pulled at your heart, and you felt your mouth dry out a bit.

“I thought that maybe *sniff* maybe then you’d want to… want to be w-with me more…”

Everypony, and even Changeling, in the room suddenly turned to look at you with wide eyes. You had honestly not expected anything like that, and you could only blink as you tried to select your words carefully. The seconds of silence threatened to turn into minutes, but eventually, you found something the resembled a correct answer.

“Lyra…” You paused to make sure you had her attention, and you did as she looked at you with big, round, and hopeful eyes. You could only give her your best smile, and…

“Lyra, we already hangout a lot though.”

And everypony in the room facehoofed, or they would have at least if they weren’t bound, as what Lyra just confessed to you went clear over your head.

“By the Queen, you are thick…” The Changeling chimed in, and you only arched a brow at his direction as you continued.

“I mean, I’m sorry I missed out on that book signing you wanted me to accompany you to a while ago. But you and I are good friends already, so you don’t have to prove anything to me.” You said with a smile that slightly faltered by Lyra’s disbelieving look.

“And uh, well, this is kind of, you know, too serious an issue to have tried to do it on your own like that.” You continued talking but ended with a smile. “I’m just glad you didn’t get really hurt.”

Lyra only blinked at you as her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. You were having a really hard time reading her reaction, but something told you that you may have said something wrong.

“Lyra? Are you-”

“I’m fine…” She interrupted you as she finally managed to get her jaw to work for her and gave you a smile. Although somewhat forced.

“Really? Cause you look kind of gassy…”

“I said I’m fine…” She once again smiled at you, though this time it looked a bit more genuine.

It was enough to make you stop asking her. And instead, you began to look around the room and at everypony else in there with you. For whatever reason, they were all looking at you with bewildered, and disbelieving looks. All of them were silent as they looked at you like that…

Well, all of them, except for Big Macintosh.

“What’s on your mind Big Mac?” You asked knowing full well by now what that stoic stare of his meant. Big Macintosh however, only stared at you, like he always did, and even did the motion of switching his piece of straw from one side of his mouth to the other. He didn’t have his piece of straw, but apparently old habits die hard.

A second passed by before he closed his eyes and shook his head as he let out a sign and finally spoke.

“Just wondering if yah came up with a way out of this here predicament we all having. Applejack may have seen the shop by now, but it don’t mean she knows where we are at.”

“HA! That’s right!”

Everypony finally turned to look at the Changeling that until now had been ignored with his outbursts. He visibly reveled in the sudden attention he got, and sneered at you as he took a step closer to you.

“That “bitch” mare of yours will never find you!”

That insult stung, and your jaw set so tight as you glared angrily at the Changeling that you were certain you would crack a tooth. But you didn’t care, not for long as an idea quickly formed in your head, and you returned his sneer.

“Oh yeah you asshole?” The expected effect was immediate. It was now the Changelings turn to glare angrily at you as he took a few more steps closer to you.

“You filthy creatures don’t stand a chance against us!”

“Big words coming from a bug! And don’t you DARE speak about my marefriend like that again!”

“Heh, or what, human?”

“Or you’ll never even see my plan coming…”

“Your plan? Don’t make me laugh! What plan?”

“Revenge.”

“Reven-”

The Changeling’s question only made it out so far as he nearly bit his tongue off thanks to your foot connecting squarely with his jaw. You had waited for him to get close enough to you to be in range and that he was sufficiently distracted. And, at the opportune moment, you threw out your leg in an arching high kick. The impact was tremendous, and the anger fueled force behind it was enough to lift him off the floor, and fling him clear across the room into the table in the corner.

You foot and knee exploded in pain from throwing such a kick, but that mattered little as you pulled yourself up off the floor with your arms, and pushed your feet against the wall behind you.

“Celestia’s flowing mane! What are you doing!” You heard Caramel’s panicked voice call out to you as you strained against your bonds.

“I’m *huff* coming up with a plan on the fly! *hurk* May not break this green goop, but *huff* maybe with my weight and a bit of effort, I can break off a piece *hurk* of this old wall behind me!”

Everypony in the room just stared at you as if you had lost your marbles. However, that didn’t last long before they all immediately began to struggle against their own binds as well. Well, almost of them with the exception of Lyra.

Lyra instead remained motionless for a few seconds as she looked at you with a sense of wonder in her eyes.

“I-I didn’t know humans could throw a buck like that!” She suddenly commented as she threw some experimental kicks with her hind leg like you had.

“Yeah *hurk* not really *huff* hurt like Tartarus… *hurk* Help me with your magic Lyra!”

“Huh? Oh! Right!”

Lyra stopped mid kick and her horn flared with a golden iridescence as a golded hued magical field enveloped you. It didn’t feel very helpful, but she strained harder as she tried and her horn flared even brighter. You heard shallow creaking noises coming from the wall against your back. It was slowly working.

“Come *huff* on! Just *hurk* a bit mo-”

“YoU FIlthY HuMAN!”

Your concentration lapsed for a fraction of a second as you turned to look at the Changeling. He was slowly picking himself up of the floor, his eyes burning with a green magical fire as he wobbled his way out of the remains of the broken table.

“I’vE hAd enOugH of YoU INFERIOR CREATURES!”

“Oh yeah bug boy! *huff* Come here and say that to my…” Your voice left you as the Changeling suddenly burst into a giant ball of green fire that tore through some of the rafter and punched a hole clean through the ceiling. Your jaw dropped at the spectacle and you stopped struggling against your binds for only a second before you doubled your efforts with every passing second of the unfolding sight in front of you.

Wings, red and leathery, burst through the green fire as a deafening roar burst from within it.

“Lyra! Hurry up!”

“I’m trying!”

“Try *hurk* harder!”

Too late.

The ball of green fire exploded outward with enough force to take away your breath, and let loose a wall rattling roar from the creature that now stood in front of you. The red leathery wings were attached to a creature with the head of a lion, the tail of a scorpion, and the horns of a bull. You had seen it before in one of Twilight’s books, and what you recalled from it was enough to fill you with fear as you felt you face drain of color.

“I-I didn’t know they could turn in-into non-pony like creatures! Maybe you shouldn't have insulted him...”

“Oh hey, guess you're right, you can add that to your book and-LYRA HURRY UP AND HELP ME OFF THIS WALL!”

“I’m-I’m *hng* trying!”

“Lyra!”

“Hold on!”

“Lyra! Hurry-”

With a ferocious roar, the Manticore leapt at you as it flung a giant paw into the air, claws gleaming like devilish steel, and brought it down on you. The world seemed to go into slow motion. You closed your eyes at the sound of breaking wood filling your ears, and the world spun as your life flashed before your eyes.

That all came to a screeching halt as you felt the sensation of claws digging into your flesh…

Applejack let out a pained gasp as something inside her chest suddenly felt as if it had been hallowed out, and her head was inexplicably drawn towards one of the windows of the library. Outside, she could see the snow covered scenery of Ponyville, and beyond it, off in the distance, she could see the Whitetail Woods. They were covered in snow, and it looked like a heavy snow storm had been scheduled for that area. Clouds were already overhead and were slowly beginning to unleash their fury.

Those clouds had not yet been placed there hours ago when they had first found the destroyed shop.

“Applejack?”

“Huh?” Her ear twitched as her attention was called back to her group of friends in the library. And slowly, she looked at each of their faces, and every single one of them showed a deep concern. Looking to her side, Fluttershy still remained there looking back at her. She looked like she was about to break down crying, but was trying to put up a strong front.

Things had not turned out like she and Fluttershy had anticipated.

They had expected a full out charge to recover their loved ones, just like they had when Rarity had been kidnapped by Diamond Dogs. However, the situation was much different from then, and nopony, or dragon for that matter, had seen who or what had caused the damage to the repair shop. And when they asked around, nopony could tell them if they had seen her loving human or brother leave the shop.

This time around, they had no idea where to even begin looking. And because of that, they had been forced to take into consideration a different course of action.

“Twi-Twilight…” Applejack finally spoke as she looked at her friend and placed a hoof on her own chest, over her heart. It was beating a mile a minute and that hallowing sensation had only grown. She had to close her eyes and take a steady breath before she felt she could speak again.

“Ah-ah love him Twilight… Ah can’t see mahself without him. An-and y’all saw the shop…” She paused as she swallowed her fear, and gently patted her chest. “And sum’thing in here, in mah heart, is screaming at me that he’s in sum’kind of danger.”

Twilight’s gaze only fell away as she listened and her ears pulled back in shame. But she looked back up when she felt Applejack place her hoof on her shoulder, and spoke to her.

“But yah right… we don’t know where to look for them, and that letter we found proves that whoever left it has got a bone to pick with me… Th-the best thing we can do now…” She paused again as she felt she had to swallow a whole ocean this time, and prepared to do what she had no mind to do in the first place.

“The best thing we can do right now… is to go to Canterlot and ask the Princesses for help in finding mah kin.”

“No way! Are you sure about this AJ?!”

Applejack only turned to look at Rainbow Dash, and nodded as she met her eyes before she turned to look at Fluttershy.

“Ah’m sure… Besides, if he and Big Macintosh are together, they’ll watch each others’ backs.” She said with a reassuring not at the pegasus and smiled. If Fluttershy could put on a strong face, then by Tartaurs so could she. Even if it was just for Fluttershy’s own sake.

“Neither of them s’gonna let nuh’thing happen to the other.”

A small tear rolled off of Fluttershy’s cheek, and she slowly cheered up.

“You’re-you’re right!” Fluttershy let out with a whisper of strength in her voice that rapidly grew. “They’ll-they’ll protect each other! They’ll watch each others’ backs because they’re-they’re as thick as teeth!”

“Thieves.” Applejack corrected with a gentle smile.

“Right! They’re as thick as thieves!” She finally squeaked out loudly as she took, or tried to at least, take a page from Applejack’s earlier comment at the shop. “And Mackie would never miss the birth of our foal… Or else, no matter how many times he yells banana, nothing will save him from me punishing him!”

Nopony in the room was sure what that whole comment about the banana was about. But unanimously, they all silently decided to chalk that up to pregnancy hormones as they all now suddenly found themselves a whole lot more determined to do whatever they had to do.

“Spike! Go ahead and send a letter to Princess Celestia to let her know what has happened and that we are on our way to Canterlot! You’ll stay here in case something new comes up.”

“Yes Ma’am!” Spike replied with a salute as he rushed off to get a quill and piece of parchment.

“Are you sure about this, Applejack? I mean, I am only suggesting this because I think it’s the most logical course of action for us to take given the circumstances. I mean, if you still feel that-” Twilight stopped rambling on as Applejack gently placed her hoof over her mouth, and smiled at here.

“Sugahcube, ah thank yah kindly for this here. But ah trust y’all to do all what y’all can to help Fluttershy and me out with this. Ah know yah doing your best Twilight.”

“Thank you, Applejack…” Twilight replied with a smile once Applejack had removed her hoof. “We got him back to you in one piece once already… We’ll do it again, I promise.

Applejack only kept smiling as she turned towards the door and began walking towards it.

“Ah know sugahcube, but ah also know it wasn’t just thanks to y’all he pulled that off. If his mind’s set on sum’thing, then he’ll do it. So if he ran through ah town of mares in heat just to say he was sorry… Ah’m sure nuh’thing s’gonna stop him from getting back to me from wherever he’s at.”

You were stuck.

You were literally stuck to the wall as the sensation of claws digging into you only intensified as the Manticore tried to pull them out.

“Ho-holy buck Lyra…” You managed to force out as Lyra only grinned at you through the clear strain on her face. Sparks were falling from her horn as it burned a hot white, like a piece of steel, with sheer magical energy she was pushing through it. There had been a simple explanation as to why you felt as if Lyra’s Magic was not helping you get off that wall.

She had not been focusing on you alone.

Instead, through whatever logic she saw fit, she had focused her magic on both you and the section of wall behind you.

At the last possible second of the Changeling Manticore attack, Lyra had torn a human sized section of wall, with you still on it, and left a huge hole to the exterior of the building you were in. She had then turned you face back, and swung the wall and you around to intercept the Manticore’s attack so that the wall faced it, and you faced her. The Manticore’s claws had gone through the wood of the wall, and torn through your jacked and into your side.

The end result of how that could have played out instead would have been much worst given the circumstances.

“You-you’ve been practicing, huh?”

“Ye-yeah… Twi-twilight’s a good teacher.”

“I can see that.”

“Heh, hold on…”

“Okay-wait, what do you mean hold onAHHHHH!”

You felt the claws of the Manticore get yanked out of your side as in a horrible turn of events, Lyra’s magic held you immobile against the wall as she swung it around. You kept screaming as the sheer force behind the motion made you sick to your stomach, but stopped immediately as a very confused looking Manticore came into view, and a horrible realization dawned on you.

A section of the wall right next to your head exploded into pieces as it made contact with the Manticore’s head and it let out an pained roar…

Lyra was going to use the section of the wall she had torn off, and by default you, to beat the crap out of the Changeling masquerading as a Manticore.

“Oh Goddesses! Lyra! What the buck are you doing?!”

“Trust me!”

“No! Lyra! StoAHHHHH-KYAHHHHH!”

Words could not describe the pants soiling terror that ran through you as she pulled you back, and used you to defend herself from the Manticore’s scorpion tail… which immediately exploded through the wall between your legs, missing your precious bits by the fabric of your pants. The tip of the tail stopped only an inch from her face, right before she grinned at the Manticore, seemingly ignoring your screams of panic.

“LYRA! STOP!”

“Trust me!”

The scorpion tail withdrew from the wood, readying another attack, and in some part in your fear addled mind a voice told you that you should trust her. But that was quickly ignored as a much louder voice in your head screamed that you were about to die as she raised you up, and swung you down in an arching motion. A pair of horns exploded through the wood on either side of your head, one right next to your neck and the other next to you eye, as she brought you down like a baseball bat on the Manticore’s head causing it to let out another ear splitting roar. You yourselves felt the impact radiate through the wall, almost as if you had been the one hit, and stars filled your vision.

“Ly-lyra, please…” You managed to force out right before the horns withdrew and the sickening sensation of being raised into the air again filled you with dread.

“I know what I’m doing!” Lyra yelled out right before she brought you down again on the Manticore’s head. This time, the horns burst through the wood above your head, nearly impaling your arms. The Manticore let out another roar, much more pained than before as it was forced to the floor from the impact. You didn’t have much time to do anything but scream right before you were lifted into the air a third time.

“I’M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GET HURT!”

“KYAHHHH-OOF!”

“ROAR!”

This time, the horns missed your neck, right before she lifted you into the air a fourth time.

“SO WHY DON’T YOU JUST BUCKEN BELIEVE-!”

“KYAAHHH-OOF!”

“ROA-OOF…”

And a fifth time...

“THAT I’M NOT JUST SOME CRUMMY-!”

“KYAH-OOF…ugh…”

“Ughh…”

And a sixth time…

“STALKER, YOU JERK!”

“OOF!...”

“…”

And on the seventh, you rested from your screaming as she once again lifted you into the air, but instead swung you around in a wide arch. Time slowed down as you flew through the air, taking the time to see everything that came across your vision. Falling snow had poured in through the hole Lyra had torn out of the wall. There was a storm brewing outside and it seemed like it would only get bigger from there out. Big Macintosh came into view, and you were able to see that he was still bound to his table. His eyes were as big as saucers as he watched you sailing through the air.

Lyra’s magic faded from you as the section of the wooden wall behind you exploded into pieces when it reached its destination and a ball of green fire erupted with it, and engulfing you as you flew through it. Still in slow motion, the kind that only seemed to grip those in the last moments of life, you could see pieces of burning wood flying in every direction. But that mattered little as your eyes came to rest on a most peculiar site. The blue eyed Changeling came into view, unconscious, as he too soared through the air with you from the sheer force of the impact.

Lyra had literally beaten the transformation out of him… and she had used you to do it. It had been a game ending home-run swing.

Hmm, I can't help think that last part was directed at me. I wondered if she’s angry about something… Those were the last thoughts that ran through your head, right before you and the changeling hit the wall on the other side of the room in a pile of unconscious limbs, rapidly fading green fire, and smoldering wood.

Author's Note

Happy New Years to you all!

Disclaimer - All characters presented in this work of fiction are owned by their respective creators and owners. In short, all the wubs go to Hasbro.