The sun had barely risen on a deserted road. There was nothing but dirt and rocks as far as the eye can see. There were no sounds except for the trampling hooves of two horses that were pulling a weathered stagecoach. The stagecoach was nothing special, except for the bullet holes that decorated the sides of the vehicle.
The driver of the stagecoach was a girl that was at the end of adolescents. She was wearing an old, duster coat and a battered Stetson. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail and her face had a number of freckles. She would have been a pretty girl if not for the large cut on her cheek and the bags under her eyes. She hasn’t slept in three days and she had been riding nonstop for a whole day. She was not stopping anytime soon.
Unfortunately, her will was not as strong as her body. Her eyes began to droop until her head finally fell down to her chest. She was starting to snore when the stagecoach hit a bump, causing the driver to awake.
She shook her head and scolded herself, “Come on Applejack, not now. You’ll sleep when we’re safe.” She shook herself awake and urged her horses to move faster.
After about an hour, the dirt surrounding the road turned into pastures. Soon, Applejack saw a dozen sheep and their shepherd. Applejack smiled; if a shepherd was near, then that meant a town, and a town meant a doctor. Sure enough, a town began to form up ahead.
She entered the town and stopped at the center. She barely registered the surrounding buildings. The only thing that interested her was the building with the caduceus sign. There were a couple of townspeople already outside and they were staring curiously at the new arrival. Applejack paid them no mind as she opened the door.
“Easy does it.” She said softly as she helped someone out of the stagecoach.
The curious observers all gasped at what they saw. Applejack pulled a man out of the vehicle. He had light brown hair and green eyes, just like Applejack’s. He had a muscular build and looked a couple of years older than her. The thing that surprised, and scared, the townspeople was the blood-soaked clothe that was wrapped around his waist.
“Come on, Big Mac.” Applejack urged as she half carried, half dragged the man, “You’re gonna be alright.”
“Eeyup.” Big Mac said weakly. Then someone else stepped out of the stagecoach; a little girl with a bow on her head.
“Applejack-” the little girl started, but Applejack cut her off,
“Applebloom, go back inside with Granny Smith.”
“But-”
“Do what your big sister tells you to!” Applejack ordered. She cast a cautious glance to the townspeople, who were openly starring at the scene. Applebloom looked a little irritated by Applejack, but she nodded and returned to the stagecoach. Applejack then proceeded toward the doctor’s office with Big Mac.
She kicked opened the door and entered. She stepped into a small room with a couple of chairs, a table in the center, and a doorway into the other rooms.
She yelled, “Is there a doctor?! If yes, then get out here!”
There was a scrambling noise and someone stepped through the door way. He was a thin man with a grey crop of hair. He was wearing a white coat, which was the same color as the horn on his head.
“The People of Magic.” Applejack mumbled, “A unicorn.”
The unicorn saw Applejack and Big Mac, and then he ushered them forward,
“Hurry and take him to the last room on the left.” He said. Applejack nodded and took Big Mac to the destination. The doctor walked past the two and poked his head outside the office. He shouted, “Someone go and get Fluttershy! Tell her to meet me here 5 minutes ago!”
He then quickly caught up with Applejack and helped her carry the wounded man. They carried him to a room that had a large bed and a number of medical equipment that Applejack didn’t know the name of. Then they heard the sound of hurrying footsteps and someone new stepped into the room. It was a girl around the same age of Applejack. She had long, pink hair and large, blue eyes. Applejack’s eyes slightly widened when she saw yellow wings on the girl’s back. She was one of the People of the Sky: A pegasus.
“Fluttershy,” the doctor said as he put on gloves, “take this young lady to one of the beds in the examination room. Celestia knows she needs some sleep.”
“I ain’t going nowhere.” Applejack said stubbornly, “Not when my brother needs me.”
“I’m sorry miss, but you will be nothing more than a distraction here.” The doctor said harshly. He turned toward the pegasus, “Fluttershy, please. After that, come back here and assist me.”
Fluttershy nodded meekly and placed a hand on Applejack's shoulder, but the she shook it off,
“Look, no disrespect, but I ain’t leaving.”
The doctor nodded and his horn shined with a dark blue aura. Then, Applejack felt a sharp pain on her left calf. She turned, looked down, and saw a large, now empty, needle producing from it.
“Oh, you little…” She started, but then her sight began to blur.
“Strange,” the doctor commented, “that sedative should have knocked you out the moment it entered your body. You must be very strong, and considering you’re a part of the People of Earth, that’s saying something.”
Applejack was now close to collapsing when Fluttershy caught her, or at least tried to. Instead, Fluttershy dragged the half-asleep Applejack to a room that was lined with white beds.
“Now,” Fluttershy said through gritted teeth as she lifted Applejack on one of the beds, “you just relax and let Dr. Bones help your brother.”
“But…but…” Applejack said, but Fluttershy placed a comforting hand on her head,
“It’s going to be okay.” She reassured, “I’ll wake you up when your brother is safe and sound. I promise.”
Applejack looked up at the smiling pegasus before she finally stopped fighting. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself some much needed sleep.
