Throughout the night, Crescent watched over the group and surveyed the area constantly until Mountain began to stir and finally awaken.

“Sleep well?” Crescent asked.

“Well enough.” Mountain replied groggily wiping the sleep from his eyes. “Just give me time to wake up before you go to bed.”

“You got it.” Crescent replied. “Need me to do anything while waiting?”

“Check our current stock, ammunition, food, water, all of it.” Mountain answered.

Crescent nodded, stood and headed off into the store room and checked on all the supplies and saw that there was still enough to get them through the next couple of weeks, but it would last a while longer if they cut their rations in half. before heading back into the main room. “There’s just enough for a few weeks, but we can make it last by cutting ourselves down to half rations.”
“You care to explain what he did?” Crescent asked.

“Ahem, It was quite some time ago, back when I was a young colt.” Mountain began. “I was just on my way to class when all of a sudden this other colt pushed me to the floor and snatched my saddle bag and threw it to the side. He was about to hit me when suddenly we both hear Mist shout at the bully, the colt warned him that if he didn’t leave, he’d beat him to a pulp.”

“What happened next?” Applejack asked curiously.

“Mist stood his ground and once the colt went at him, Mist wiped the floor with the colt in self defense, though he did get suspended for a few days.” Mountain finished. “I even offered to help him get his grades up, but he declined, said he’d do that on his own. I swore that one day, I would help him for saving me from that colt.”

“What happened to Mist, besides getting suspended?” Fluttershy questioned.

“He came out with a bloody snout, that’s it.” Mountain replied.

“He must have been quite the idol to you since then.” Archie said. “My brother never stood for bullying and I’m proud of him for it, always have been.”

“I strived not only to be like him, but even more so to have him as a mentor and fight against bullying.” Mountain replied.

“He’d love to hear that himself.” Archie replied.

Mountain looked over at Mist. “I’ll do anything to ensure his survival, I know he’d do the same for me. I just hope we don’t have to leave here before he is able to get up and moving again.”

“Me too” Fluttershy added.

"And I know why." Scarlet added. "He had once been bullied until he couldn't take the pressure and threw away his weakness and cowardice. I know this because I trained him in unarmed combat and it was he that came to me for help."

"Huh, no wonder he had gotten so good. He learned everything he knows from you, and I thought I had taught him well enough." Archie replied with a slight giggle. "Shoulda known better than to think that."

"I agree." Scarlet replied, joining the laughter.

After a few moments, the two settled down and surveyed the rest of the group.

“I’ll do anything to ensure his recovery, but I have to force feed him like a foal since he is unconscious and unable to move on his own.” Scarlet stated before a blush lit her cheeks. “A-and just so you know… I-I kinda… H-have a crush on him… But seeing that he’s taken… I’ll just have to live without him.”

"Well, if you ask, I'm sure him and Fluttershy won't mind you laying next to him as well." Archie replied.

"Umm… I don't mind, just as long as Mist doesn't." the yellow mare replied. "But I wouldn't risk it right now and just… don't try anything with him without our approval."

"I understand." Scarlet replied.

Fluttershy nodded and turned to the rest of the group, awaiting their course of action.

“Well with two of us being temporarily disabled, we cannot leave unless it is an emergency.” Mountain said as he laid down on his bedroll. “Scarlet, find yourself a bedroll and pick a spot and try to get some sleep.”

Scarlet nodded and done as instructed, lest her attitude towards the others get her thrown out as she lay down relatively close to Mist and Fluttershy, but not close enough to be interfering with their comfort zone as everypony began to hunker down for the night aside from Crescent, who stayed up to keep watch over the group.

***

Mountain looked at him sternly. “Are you crazy, we’d starve at half rations at this point.”

“What other choices would we have besides leaving before Mist can recover, or for Rainbow Dash’s recovery for that matter?” Crescent argued, making his point valid.

Mountain opened his mouth to argue, but closed it, seeing that there was no arguing the point, if they were going to survive, they would have to make their supplies last as long as possible, even if it meant cutting down on how much they consumed. “I’ll break it to them when they wake up in the morning, I’ll break it to Dash and Mist when they recover fully.”

“Alright, it won’t be too much longer before I’ll need my sleep, so I’m gonna go ahead and get laid down.” Crescent said to Mountain.

“Go ahead and get some rest, I’m good enough to keep watch.” Mountain replied.

Crescent nodded and laid down, closing his eyes as he drifted of to sleep.

Mountain sighed as he took over the watch, wondering how he’d break it to them without sounding insane.

As soon as he began thinking about it, Applejack, Archie and Fluttershy awoke.

“Morning everypony.” Mountian said as they all rose from their bedrolls.

“Mornin’.” Applejack replied.

“Good morning Mountain.” Came Flutteryshy’s answer.

“If it even is morning.” Archie added.

“Umm… Everypony, there’s… there’s something I have to tell you all… you may not like it… but… We have to cut our rations down to half the normal if we are to survive long enough for Dash and Mist to recover, it’s our responsibility to make sure they know when they are recovered.” Mountain said.

“If it means our survival, then it must be done. That’s all there is to it.” Archie replied, voiding any reason for argument. “It’s how I’ve lived before Mist and Fluttershy found me.”

“I see, there’ll be no argument from me.” Applejack replied. “But if you don’t mind my asking, Have you seen the princesses while you were out there?”

“Ahem, I have actually, Let me regale you on the time I spent with them and how I met them.” Archie replied, lifting her bow which now seemed to have a particular glow to it now that they actually payed attention to it.

Author's Note

Sorry for keeping you all waiting, here's another yummy chapter for you, Chapter 9 is a fic of it's own, a link will be posted when it is finished.