A warm breeze lingered in the air, carrying the fresh scents of the newly blossomed flowers blanketing the meadows of Ponyville. The day was an inviting one to those out enjoying it. The rays of Celestia’s sun pierced through the few clouds that loomed overhead, making quite a luminescent sight. Birds, squirrels, and others woodland creatures had been going about their duties, making each precious second count in this lovely day.
As expected with this kind of day, Twilight Sparkle has shed from the confines of the Golden Oaks Library and met up with her friends for a nice, quiet picnic. Reaching the top of the small hill, the six friends came to an alluring sight. The scattered rays of sunlight mixed with the shade of the clouds, mingling together as they loomed over a meadow of dandelions. Awed by the sight, the group stood in silence to absorb the surroundings. Pinkie Pie, however, was the first pony to gleefully run down to the meadow before them.
“Come on slowpokes, what are you waiting for?” stated Pinkie, with her ever enthusiastic attitude.
Rainbow Dash looked at her friends, then back at Pinkie. Smirking with confidence, she bolted towards Pinkie, her rainbow mane flapping in the breeze as she ran.
“Race you there!”
The others looked at one other, a competitive nature brewing, testing each other’s mettle. Applejack was the first to chase after the blue and pink mares.
“Rainbow Dash, why are ya’ not using your wings? Don’t you want to win?” Applejack called as she started gaining on Rainbow.
“Because, I don’t want to make you look bad! You don’t want to lose to the fastest flier in Equestria, do you AJ?!” Dash boasted, while panting as she pushed herself vigorously, eager to win.
“Now that’s something ah seldom hear from ya’!” Applejack chuckled through her breaths, the thought of humility from her friend being a nice sight.
“Last one to the tree is a rotten dandelion!” Pinkie emphasized, adding even more of a bounce in her gallop.
“What tree?!” Dash called, already far ahead of Pinkie.
As if the world surrounding Rainbow heard her inquiry, a lone tree stuck out of the meadow before them. The shade provided by it seemed almost too good to be true, as there was no other amount to be found nearby besides the rolling clouds. Sitting there rather secluded from its’ brethren, the leaves swayed and wisped as a cold but subtle breeze blew over the meadow. Almost tackling head first into the tree, Rainbow managed to accurately maneuver herself out of the way with the quick reaction of her wits and wings.
“Hold…hold on girls!” Rarity panted, obviously showing her lack of enjoyment in getting a good work out. Rarity, who was followed closely by Twilight had caught up to the three, while Fluttershy brought up the rear. The three stopped next to the tree, clearly out of breath. Collapsing on the ground from exhaustion, Rarity’s stomach lurched up and down from her quick breaths.
Barely able to contain her laughter at this sight, Rainbow Dash managed to speak between her breaths and chuckles. “Come on Rarity, it wasn’t that hard! You’re not the running type, are you?”
“Well, I don’t want to ruin my mane!” Rarity said, touching it delicately, scanning for imperfections.
“I suppose we should get this picnic going girls.” Fluttershy butted in to disperse the tension, setting the basket down.
“Wait, Fluttershy…don’t tell me ya’ ran with that basket.” Applejack fussed.
“Of course not! I wouldn’t want to ruin all of our food.” Fluttershy mumbled, stretching her wing out as she said this, fully revealing a large basket.
After placing the basket down, the canary pegasus rummaged through its’ contents to remove a large folded cloth. After expertly tossing it open and letting the canvas spread amongst the ground, she started to empty out the assortment of goods.
“Ooh, ooh, Fluttershy! Let me help!” Pinkie smiled, already dunking her head in the other side of the basket. Despite the overzealous nature of Pinkie, the pair continued to unpack the assortment of goods with great haste.
Turning from the scene, Twilight gazed around her in pure awe. Getting up almost sub-consciously, she trotted out of the shade of the lone tree, just to be immersed in the glistening sun. Creeping away from the group, with the faint sounds of her friends from behind, she perked her ears back out of curiosity so she might be able to catch the words of her friends.
“It was very sudden to have a picnic today, don’t you think?” Rarity mentioned to the others.
“Not really. Today was so calling for a picnic. I didn’t even know anything about this. Usually I always hear about this stuff from the weather patrol.” Rainbow Dash told them.
“Really? Did they not tell you or something?” Fluttershy scrutinized, carefully studying what Dash said.
“I don’t know. I think the weather patrol captain must’ve issued it in the later shift, but I really have no clue. Maybe something else was supposed to happen and it got overlooked, who knows.” Dash replied, blatantly stating that she has little info on the subject.
“I don’t really care what happened, it’s just too nice out!” Pinkie elated.
“Ah agree. Couldn’t ask for anything else.” Applejack added.
Allowing her focus to shift off her friends, Twilight returned her full attention to the stretching meadow. Taking a calm and collective breath, she closed her eyes and embraced the fervent rays of sunlight that shined down upon her from the heavens as she let the stress of her daily routines fade away. With Canterlot shimmering in the distance, this day seemed so unnatural that it felt almost like an illusion, but one that she wasn’t going to question.
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Her heart was racing, all she could hear was her wings flapping and feel the wind rushing through her mane. Looking back, her eyes widened as she saw her pursuers. She gazed forward again. Don’t look back. She thought as she pushed herself further, trying to out-fly them.
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Twilight….we’re coming for you…
Who…what was that? She thought, trying to rationalize the origin. She shook her head, trying to clear whatever small fantasies she may have been having.
Twilight, we know who you are.
Another voice spoke, sounding very similar to the last, but carrying a threatening tone to it, almost seeming palpable.
Who are you? Get-Get out of my head!
Locked in place, Twilight could only watch the scene, her eyes locked on her friends. Dark, ominous clouds on the horizon seemed to have rolled in, with a dense mist that quickly surrounded the five ponies under the tree. Silence ensued, as Twilight could only watch, deafened to the world. The air was cut by the sounds of the screams and shrieks of the ponies blanketed by the fog. Then the screams stopped just as quickly as they started, leaving nothing but a cold chill up Twilight’s spine as a light wind wisped around her. Blackness slowly crept into the scene. Still frozen, Twilight could only watch as the darkness engulfed her.
The blackness seemed alive. Twilight could both sense and feel its’ presence with her. As if the darkness was aware of its’ acknowledgement, it lifted, allowing something to bleed into view. As a light burned through the inky sea, the Elements of Harmony manifested themselves in front of her, all of them side by side, glowing brightly. An old, cobblestone room was added into the picture as the Elements glowed in silence.
As Twilight gazed at the row of Elements, a piercing light shone from her crown, causing the colors of the Elements to cascade into each other. A loud burst of sound echoed off the walls, followed by a blinding flash. Even with her vision swimming, Twilight saw the horrifying sight that had ensued. The Elements from the necklaces had remained in place, but their glow had been extinguished. Only her crown had remained lit, glistening somberly. Slowly, each of the necklaces and their respective gems began to crumble and shatter, leaving the shards to litter the aged cobblestone floor before her. Only then did she see her crown slowly crumble to dust, leaving only the gem intact, hovering in place.
In the last wisps of light emitted by the magenta gem, a pair of red glowing eyes had appeared, embedding itself on the gem. The eyes stared into Twilight like a wildfire, as if its’ soul intent was to engulf her. A crack erupted across the gem, causing the eyes and the gem to blink out, as well as its’ glow, and it too joined the other counterparts, broken and scattered amongst the floor. With the last light of her crown gone, the blackness had returned to engulf her.
You and your friends will perish…
“Twilight? Twilight snap out of it!”
Twilight shook her head, looking up to see Rainbow Dash standing before her, concerned.
She looks like she’s seen a ghost, looks even paler than Luna’s moon. Dash thought in silence.
Twilight looked around, she saw that the sun was still shining, the birds were still attending to their activities, and the roaming meadow of dandelions still remained in sight.
“W-what? Rainbow Dash, what’s wrong?” She questioned, with a hint of fright in her voice.
“Nothing, it’s just that…eheh, well it looks like you’ve just seen a ghost. What gives?” Dash laughed nervously, trying to bite back the concern for her friend.
“It’s just…I-I had this weird dream… or vision…” Twilight struggled to form words, and eventually her words trailed off, leaving Rainbow blinking, waiting patiently for her to explain.
“I-I don’t know how to explain it…It was just awful Rainbow, just awful!” Twilight choked out, a tint of despair in her voice.
“Do you want to go and talk about it with the others?”
Nodding only slightly, Twilight picked herself up. They started to slowly walk back together, Rainbow Dash remaining at her side the whole way back.
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She continued to flee from her pursuers, quickly glancing back again. She only saw her mane and clouds as she raced ahead. Whew, they’re gone! What a relief! Turning forward again, her brief moment of joy was replaced by dread. Out of the corner of her eyes, her pursuers were on either side of her. Diving in, one rammed into her side, causing her to stray off course, losing control briefly. Ignoring the jagged, painful twinge in her side, the mare gritted her teeth, pushing herself further, soaring ahead of the two pursuers. Much to her dismay, the pain in her side worsened as she pushed forward. Letting out a yelp, she continued to fly against the pain.
Her opponents quickly made up lost ground, cutting her off from both sides yet again. Due to the burning pain in her side, she was out of options. Diving to hopefully escape, she started to nose down. One of the pursuers however, seeing this action, reacted by closing in and ramming her wing, causing her to spin.
“Ready to say goodbye, Ms. Stargazer?”
Then with a final ram on her side again, she flew downwards in a spiral. Unable to control the spin, she braced herself for a cold, hard landing on the ground.
“Well…that takes care of her boss!”
“Yes…it does.” Said the other pegasi.
“Boss? You don’t think we should…make sure the job is done?”
“That’s the plan.”
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Rainbow Dash and Twilight sat down next to the cloth on the ground, which was littered with the assortments of foods and snacks they had brought with them. Rainbow Dash nodded to the others, then nudged her head in Twilight’s direction, changing her facial expression to a grim one. Twilight glanced down at the food in disgust, as if she lost her appetite. Then her ears perked down, reminded of the words she just heard echo in her empty mind. The others looked at her in worriment, sensing that something was amiss. Finally, somepony broke the tension.
“Ya’ll okay there Sug’?” Applejack frowned in apprehension.
“I-I don’t know. I am okay for now though… We’ll all talk about it later. For now, let’s just go on with the picnic, okay girls?” Twilight insisted, doing her best to contain the thoughts.
“Whatever makes you feel better darling. We’re here for you.” Rarity assured, continuing to drink her tea, followed by a bite into a buttery croissant.
“So, what do you ponies think of the picnic? I think it’s awesome, you know? It’s like that one time, when we celebrated Twilight’s arrival in Ponyville. But only it wasn’t a picnic, it was a party, ooh, and there was cake, punch, a library-” Pinkie rambled on.
“I-um, think it’s great! What do you think Rarity?” Fluttershy cut in, saving her friend from her own ramblings.
“Well, I believe it’s a lovely day to do something like this! What about you, Applejack?” Rarity said politely, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, ah think it’s pretty-” Applejack started.
“Yeah, that welcome party was great! I love parties, I mean, remember that time I thought you girls didn’t like my parties anymore? Silly me, right, right? Oh, that gala party was so awesome too! I just loved it, I got to party with all those ponies!” Pinkie butted in, practically oblivious to being cut off in the first place.
“Ahem! As ah was sayin’, ah think this picnic is great.” Applejack continued, glaring at Pinkie.
Rainbow Dash about to speak, but stopped after her eyes caught sight of something. Dust and dirt flew up and started to rise a small ways northeast of their position. The other mares, quickly picking up on what has just happened, swiveled to see what had caught Rainbow’s eye. This was even enough to free Twilight out of her current anguish, bringing her attention to the zone of interest. They looked at each other, and each sharing a brief moment of acknowledgement, they galloped off to check out the cloud.
Arriving near the crash-site, the group was greeted with a trail of dirt, followed by blood and feathers. Following the trail, their eyes came to the source of the crash. A white pegasus lay at the center, her light blue and orange mane as well as her coat covered in grime and blood. Her cutie mark remained visible. Two grey clouds, with a light blue and orange lightning bolt, connecting the two clouds together in a flash of blue and orange adorned the mare’s flanks. She was riddled with cuts and bruises, with her right wing covered in blood. A bluish-purple color could be seen on the wing where blood hadn’t soaked into the coat.
“Oh, sweet Celestia, you poor thing!” Cried Fluttershy as she rushed to the unconscious pegasi’s side.
“We need to get her to a hospital. She needs help!” Rarity exclaimed, barely handling the scene before her.
“That won’t be necessary.” A deep voice said behind her, with enough force for the entire group to hear.
The six ponies turned to see two broad pegasi; they both had a grey coat. Their cutie marks were covered by a symbol of some sort. Judging by the complexion and physique of these pegasi, they were obviously not from Ponyville.
“Now, step aside, and leave the pegasus to us.” He said in a low tone, a Trottingham accent heavy in his voice.
“What do you want with this pegasus?” Twilight snapped at them, obviously aware they meant harm.
“That information is none of your concern. Again, move aside or I will have to take her by force.” He repeated, his facial expression remaining solid.
“What makes you think you’re going to get her?” Rainbow Dash retaliated in a serious tone, taking a low stance as she flared her wings.
“Look kid, I’m not here to mess around.” He said gritting his teeth, he then barked: “Now…stand aside!”
“We’re not going anywhere!” Dash stamped her hoof.
All of Dash’s friends, seeing the tension building, assumed a defensive position, blocking the crashed mare from the two stallions.
“I see, well I suppose I have no choice then, huh? I’m sorry I have to cut this little incident short, but...” He trailed off. Suddenly, he spun on his hooves, and landed his back hooves center mass on Dash. The action was so swift and precise, Rainbow didn’t have any time to react. Keeping his momentum, the stallion jumped on top of her, and started to beat her with his hooves.
The second pegasi tackled Rarity, pinning her to the ground. Reacting as quickly as her hooves would allow, Applejack head-butted the pegasus that was on Rainbow Dash, causing him to be knocked off, teetering on his two back hooves. Gaining his rear footing speedily with the help of his wings, he found himself unable to move. He turned to gaze back at a pink mare holding his two front hooves behind his back, standing helplessly on his two back hooves, unable to move. The next thing he knew, he was on his stomach, hogtied.
“What, how did you…? How were you holding my hooves down?” He struggled, awkwardly trying to get free.
“Oh, well…just got some rope, nothing too special.” Pinkie mocked, giggling as she tightened the knot on the rope.
Muttering in pure frustration, he resisted endlessly, until he finally wore himself out. Panting rather profusely, he eventually was able to muster a head-butt into Pinkie, but only hitting her chest. His front hooves still binded, the pegasus went into a berserk rage.
“You won’t stop me from claiming this pegasus!” He yelled fiercely.
He kicked and cursed, doing anything to succeed. But with Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack, together the three were able to restrain him onto the ground. Rarity, still pinned from the other pegasus, seized the opportunity to plant a hoof in his cheek as hard as she could when the moment presented itself. Blood spurted a bit from his mouth, making him grunt. As the two continued a tense struggle, Twilight rushed to Rarity’s aid, slamming into him with as much speed as she could muster, making their bodies tumble and roll after the impact.
Collecting herself from the initial crash, Twilight turned her attention towards Rarity. Holding out a hoof, she smiled at her, seeing her seemingly unscathed. Thankful, the fashionista got up off of the ground, clutching Twilight’s hoof as she did for support. The unicorns trotted over to the pegasus, noticing that the shock knocked him unconscious. Staring at him for a moment, Twilight turned away, satisfied that he was down.
Rainbow Dash was still lying on the ground, trying to recover from the barrage of hooves she received to her head. Pinkie glanced back at Rainbow, then back at the others still holding down the restrained Pegasus along with her. Nodding to Fluttershy and Applejack, she moved over to Rainbow Dash. Kneeling down carefully, Pinkie held out a hoof, offering it to Rainbow. With an exhale, the cyan pegasus firmly grasped onto her pink hoof, and heaved herself up. After regaining her balance, Rainbow Dash managed to find her words.
“Thanks Pinkie, I…I-uh, needed that. Ugh… my head is killing me.”
“Do you need anything? You don’t look too good.” The usually bubbly mare asked with concern, a serious look on her face.
“I think I’ll be fine. I just need a minute.”
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Twilight occasionally glanced at the restrained Pegasus, still muttering to himself. Gazing to the distant city of Canterlot, a thought came to her. I could teleport back to the library to write a letter to Princess Celestia about this.
“I’ll be right back girls, it’s urgent.” Twilight stated.
“Do what you have to Twilight, we got this.” Dash replied.
Adding a nod, Twilight did one final check to make sure her friends had the situation under control, then she poured all her concentration into her horn. Purple sparks and a resonating essence were shining around her horn, as she pictured the library mentally in her head. Then with a flash, she was in the main room of the library.
“Spike!”
“I’m in here Twilight!” Came his voice from the other room.
Trotting into the adjacent room, Twilight was swift in her delivery. “I need to get a letter out to the Princess, now.”
“On it.” Spike said, putting down the stack of books in his hand to obtain a scroll and quill.
“I’ll explain the story later. For now, take a letter.”
Dear Princess Celestia,
I am writing to inform you of some pegasi that tried to capture an innocent pony, and in the process, gravely injured her. They have some sort of symbol on their flank, covering their cutie marks. I would like an explanation if possible. It is possible the two are tied into some operation. We have captured the pursuers in the southern Ponyville meadow, just a short ways north of a lone tree. We await your immediate reply.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
“Okay, sending it.” Spike replied, engulfing the parchment in a green flame, followed by a small pop.
“Now, we wait for Celestia to reply.” Twilight said, her nerves on edge.
After letting the mare settle down a bit, Spike finally spoke up. “Would you mind now telling me what’s going on?”
“I wish I could tell you, but even I don’t know what this is-”
Breaking her sentence, a popping noise sounded from Spike, with a following green burst of fire and a trail of smoke, leaving a letter before them.
“Wow that was fast.” Spike said surprised, picking it up. He cleared his throat, and read it aloud.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I do know of these symbols you mention. I have a squad of royal guards en route to you now to escort those pegasi to the palace and assist the other pony. I will speak with you and your friends later, but for now, I have business I need to attend to.
Princess Celestia
“Well, that’s not much information on the subject, is it?” Twilight suddenly mumbled. “Spike… I need to return to the girls. Take care of yourself.”
With a flash, the unicorn was gone, leaving an utterly confused dragon in her wake.
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The group of mares had been able to occupy their time in Twilight’s absence with the situation at hand. While Rainbow Dash and Applejack had been keeping a close eye on the two stallions, the conscience one having now fallen silent and still, Pinkie and Rarity had chosen to assist Fluttershy with the crashed mare. Her condition was bad, but with the help of the picnic cloth, the trio had managed to stem the bleeding. As if on cue, the tense silence of the scene was broken with a loud pop and a flash, revealing Twilight in the center of a quickly dispersing magical aura.
Obviously on edge with the whole scenario, Dash was the first to notice the unicorn’s reappearance. Without hesitation, her question followed, words dripping with adrenaline.
“Any word on what the hay is going on?”
After taking a moment to collect herself from another long-distance teleportation spell, Twilight was able to get the announcement to the group. “The royal guards are on their way.” The five mares managed a collective sigh of relief, letting some of the tension go with the wind.
Noticing the crashed pegasus now patched up, Twilight walked over to closely examine her. “How is she doing?”
“She needs help, but I think she should be alright until the guards get here.” Fluttershy spoke. Her years of treating animals had come in good use for this, as well as helping the canary mare remain calm under such pressure.
The sound of flapping wings had halted any possible further conversation, as all six mares turned their eyes skyward to see four Royal Canterlot Guards overhead, two of which were pulling a chariot. After circling once, the squad had touched down right next to the mares. The Guards had an appealing amount of physique, followed by the traditional gold plated armor that shined gallantly in the sunlight. One of them stepped forward, bowed kindly, cleared his throat, and spoke clearly.
“Twilight Sparkle, we were sent here in regards about two pegasi that attacked an innocent mare.” He mentioned, now taking note of the patched up crash victim. Motioning to one of the Guards pulling the chariot, the stallion unhitched himself, proceeded to pull a medical kit off of the back, and had went about attending to the crashed mare.
The Medic approached quickly with the medical kit, setting it down beside the unconscious mare as he knelt down. First, he discarded the pieces of cloth that were used to stem her bleeding. Taking some water and some cloth, he dampened it in water. Trying his best to clean the cuts and scratches without promoting further damage, he narrowed his eyes as he concentrated. After thoroughly cleaning the wounds, he poured some disinfectant on the cloth, and proceeded to go over the cuts a second time.
As he finished going over the collection of cuts a second time, he quickly grabbed two rolls of gauze. Wrapping them around her torso and right wing with hasty movements, he was able to patch them up. Closing the kit, the guard retreated back to the chariot, whilst overhearing Twilight.
“They are the ones right over there.” Twilight stated, pointing to the stallions being watched over by Applejack and Rainbow. “I see. We shall take them from here. Lieutenant, secure the two in the chariot.”
Seeing the Guard Pony approaching, the pegasus had begun to squirm and thrash, reviving his berserk rage from earlier. Turning around, the Lieutenant gave a swift kick to the pegasus in the gut, producing a cry of agony as his struggling stopped, his lungs now free of oxygen.
“Sorry you had to witness this, but by orders of princess Celestia and Luna, we cannot take any chances with this.” He muttered bitterly, narrowing his eyes on the criminal, and scooping him up with his hooves, and disposing him in the back of the carriage, followed shortly by his unconscious accomplice.
“I suggest you get some rest.” Looking over to the crashed mare, he had just seen his Medic offering a nod to him from the chariot. “That mare should be fine, but we request that you watch over her for the next few days as she makes her recovery.” The guard continued, his Lieutenant now seated in the back of the chariot and the Medic hooked back up to the front. “We shall be taking our leave now.”
“Alright, thank you for helping us out. Please get word out to us if you find out anything.” Twilight replied, with a small smile on her face.
“We will see what we can find out.” The guard replied, solid as ever.
Placing himself in the back of the chariot with his Lieutenant, the order was shouted. “Alright men, let’s move!” In a well-practiced motion, the chariot lifted off the ground, and banked toward Canterlot once gaining enough altitude, and flying off into the distance until out of sight.
“Let’s take care of our friend here.” Twilight said, turning towards the others. “We need to get her the library.”
Simply nodding, Applejack set out, heading over and gently picking up the unconscious mare. Fluttershy and Rarity accompanied her to keep the mare stable and secure while Applejack walked. Pinkie and Rainbow went over to pack up what remained of their picnic. Once their tasks have been accomplished, they regrouped with Twilight, and started trekking towards the Golden Oaks Library.
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Once the group had arrived inside the library, they had moved the mare in tow by Applejack onto Twilight’s bed. Spike had joined up with the mares upon hearing their entry, trying to get what he could out of them, but was only met with similar answers he received from Twilight. The group initially turned all of their attention to the mare of subject, making sure all of the bandages held and that she was stable to say the least.
With the commotion of the process finally dying down, silence fell across the room as the group settled down around the room. Breaking the silence, Twilight decided it would be the best time she could have to talk to her friends.
“Girls, I had something happen to me earlier in the dandelion field. Rainbow Dash can attest to this.” She mumbled, gazing across the room at her. The others had perked up, looking forward to getting some information from Twilight about her strange behavior earlier.
Fidgeting nervously, Twilight managed to find her words. “Well, I had some sort of… vision, and…there were these voices, saying they know who I am and that they would…kill us...” She lulled, her voice losing strength on the final words, just audible enough to be heard by the group.
The reactions across the mares were scattered. Dash and Applejack were a bit skeptical, but the others looked rather taken aback, more for the current look of their friend when she had delivered the news, rather than the news itself.
“My word, that sounds awful…” Rarity said, concern noticeable in her voice.
“It felt so real… I couldn’t control my thoughts, my movement… it was as if I froze up.” Twilight continued, starting to develop a slight quiver from recalling the memories. “And I don’t know why… but I think this mare may have something to do with it.”
Looking back at the now resting mare, Applejack mentioned in passing, “We may be in a bit of a predicament then.”
“I also have a bad feeling about these visions, if what Twilight says is right. She wasn’t able to hear me until I was practically yelling.” Dash added, showing her sense of a bad vibe as her tone grew serious. Silence fell upon the group once again, not sure what to add to the conversation. So the group remained as they were, allowing themselves to chew over what little information they had.
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Oh Celestia, my head.
Opening her eyes, she immediately shut them again. The afternoon sun had managed to place itself on her face, making vision difficult. Slowly letting the world come back to her, the mare felt her senses return to her body. She was sore. Very sore. But it feels like nothing is broken. She noticed that she was also located in a bed. Moving her head slowly, she managed to move her line of sight away from the sun and towards the other side of the room. Opening her eyes, her vision was still a blur. Slowly, the room before her came into focus. Six mares were scattered about, carrying a somber sense in their postures.
“What? Where-Where am I…?” The exhausted and confused pegasus mustered, her voice trailing off at the end.
The group turned to look at the new voice in the room. Twilight, being the most relieved at this sight, managed to speak first, her words calm and reassuring.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe.”
“A-Are you Twilight Sparkle?”
“Yes, I am.” Twilight responded, a bit more on edge due to this confirming her suspicions.
Fluttershy, more concerned about the mare in the bed, interjected herself into the conversation. “How are you feeling?”
“I am doing okay, very sore though.” She replied, rubbing her hoof on her shoulder, then suddenly started to cough spastically. Blood started to drip down her lips. Fluttershy assessed the situation quickly, and had grabbed a tissue and gently wiped the blood off her mouth and chin.
“Hehehe, sorry. I may have exaggerated a bit.” The mare added weakly, chuckling at her own physical state.
“Darling, it is so good to see that you are awake.” Rarity added in. “Oh, where are my manners? I am Rarity. Would it be possible if we could get your name?”
“My name is Sunspeed. Sunspeed Stargazer.” She replied, before hacking and coughing violently again.
“You’re Sunspeed? I’ve heard about you in the Ponyville Express newspaper a while ago!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“Have you now? Well I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” She replied, partially relieved to know that someone had a sense who she is.
“Why were ya’ in the newspaper, Sunspeed?” Applejack questioned, scratching her hoof with another.
“Some problem in Trottingham was getting out of hand, so I lent a hoof. Turns out I helped out more than I thought.”
Cutting into the conversation, Twilight couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know why those pegasi were attacking you?” bringing the subject to a more pressing matter.
“I honestly have no idea, I encountered them back in Trottingham, and they have been pursuing me since then.”
“Hopefully Celestia will be able to find out.” Twilight mumbled.
“You were in bad shape. Luckily we were there to teach those two ponies what we think about messing with other ponies!” Dash said fiercely, clopping two hooves together and grinding them together. “If they think that-”
Cutting Rainbow Dash off, the room was suddenly engulfed by a bright light, blinding the inhabitants momentarily. When nothing but remnant light waves remained, only then the mares dared a look at the light wave’s epicenter. Princess Celestia stood before them, a slight glow still surrounding her.
A bit surprised, they all got up from their respective spots in the room and bowed. Sunspeed was the only exception, still lying in bed.
“Princess,” Twilight started with a beat of happiness, standing from her bow, “have you found anything?”
“I have. I am here to inform you with some unfortunate news. Those pegasi you stopped Twilight were part of an organization. This organization has been known to us as the Society of Deceiving Element Harmonics. You see, a couple decades before Luna was imprisoned on the moon, they had attempted to destroy the Elements, and almost succeeded. After their crushing defeat, they were soon forgotten and for what we thought, erased from history. I am afraid I was too blind to see that they recovered. They always tried to cause havoc; to follow in the wake of Discord generations before. I think they’re after the Elements of Harmony again, and your new friend also seems to be a target for them too.”
Pausing momentarily to regain her composure, Celestia continued. “I know that this is big news, but you must find a safe place to live. Ponyville is no longer safe for you.”
“What?” They all said in unison.
“Where would we possibly go, Princess?” Twilight asked, taken off guard by her response.
“Hoofsdale, a town in southern Equestria. I have a connection there who can help, her name is Starstride. She will provide you with the necessary provisions. You must all leave early tomorrow morning. Any longer, and the situation will become too perilous.”
“We will Princess...” Twilight said, losing her strength at the thought.
“Do not worry my student. I have every bit of faith that you all shall be able to look after each other. But, I must take my leave. There are matters I must attend to.”
“Farewell, Princess.” Twilight stated, wishing her mentor did not have to leave them at this time.
A blinding light once again engulfed the room, leaving the seven ponies silent for a moment. Processing the information that had just been given to them by Princess Celestia, Twilight was the first to break the interminable silence that permeated the rooms’ atmosphere.
“Everyone, we need to get ready. We should be able to prepare this evening and be ready to set off tomorrow. We should all stay in the library tonight, just in case more ponies come looking for Sunspeed.”
Looking over to Sunspeed, Fluttershy had went straight to the point. “Do you think you will be able to start traveling tomorrow?”
“I should be able to, but I may slow us down.” Sunspeed stated, followed by coughing yet again, blood spitting from her mouth, luckily being caught by the tissue in Sunspeed’s hoof.
“It’s settled then. We all need to pack for a full day’s travel tomorrow. I will make sure to pack some extra provisions tomorrow morning, and count our rations. It’s a relatively short distance, but with Sunspeed traveling with us, it should take us all day. We don’t need to bring along much, just enough for the trip and a little extra.” Twilight concluded, with each pony understanding what’s needed for the road ahead.
The ponies in the room now having their plans left the room, each preparing for the road ahead of them, only leaving Sunspeed to her thoughts. Gazing up at the ceiling of the room that held her, her eyes glazed over as she became lost in thought. Overcome by her exhaustion, she wiggled around in her bed trying to find a comfortable position without injuring herself further. Mumbling to herself angrily as her body popped in a few places, she finally found a comfortable position, and closed her eyes. As she closed her eyelids, her last reverberating thoughts echoed through her mind.
I wonder what traveling with the Elements of Harmony will be like, and what do I have to do with the Elements of Harmony? Hopefully tomorrow will be a good day…I just want a safe journey.
A Long Journey (Reworked/Revamped)
Twilight opened her eyes slowly, the world slowly coming into view. Pulling the covers off, she made her way to her hooves sluggishly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Punctuated by a silent yawn, Twilight shifted out of bed, stretching her limbs while adding a sigh of relief.
Coordinating herself in the darkness, she made her way down the stairs into the kitchen. Upon arrival, breaking free from the haze of her usual morning routine, Twilight looked out the window of the kitchen, noting the beam of light coming from the now setting moon. Returning to her routine, she quietly made a cup of her usual herbal tea, followed by plopping down at the table, still trying to make sense of the thought of being awake. Sipping her tea delicately, letting the mildly sweet sensation awaken her, thoughts of the up and coming day were there to greet her.
Today is going to be a long day… I wonder how the others are going to hold up? They may not like it. I’m not even the biggest fan of this, but the Society is after us, so we have to listen to the Princess.
There was something that… Ah. Need to check on the provisions. Mmm, tea first, provisions-
Completely lost in her thoughts, Twilight was unable to see a canary pegasus stumble into the kitchen. The pegasus made her way over to the pitcher of tea that was sitting on the counter. Grabbing a mug, she poured the steaming liquid into it, then gently set the pitcher back down on the counter.
Taking a sip and finally becoming aware of her surroundings, she took note of the source of the tea sitting across the table.
“Good morning, Twilight.”
“What? Who’s…? Oh, good morning Fluttershy.” Twilight replied quietly, her thoughts subsiding from the sudden outburst as reality returned.
“Looks like the others aren’t up yet.” Fluttershy mentioned.
Only after looking around for others after the pegasus snuck up on her, Twilight was able to fully compile a response. “Doesn’t seem like it… I was actually just about to go check our provisions for the journey today before you broke my train of thought.”
“Oh um, I’m sorry. I hope it wasn’t too important.” Fluttershy remedied.
“Don’t worry about it. I was just thinking about this whole situation… It’s a lot to take in.” Twilight told her, scratching her head.
“Yeah. I feel kind of nervous about leaving, don’t you?”
“Somewhat. I don’t want to leave Ponyville. It’s… rather hard to think about, you know? There we were, enjoying a lovely day, and now we have some crazy situation with some society after us. Now we have to leave, and I don’t get why.” The lavender pony rambled on. “I wonder what Starstride will be like. And Hoofsdale. I’ve never even been there before, have you Fluttershy?”
“Oh, my. Heavens no. I've actually never heard of it, to be honest.”
“I bet it’s a nice place. Hopefully we’ll be safe there, and away from all of this until the Princess takes care of it.” Twilight replied, her eyes pacing from the kitchen floor to Fluttershy.
“I just hope we won’t be followed or… th-those s-scary visions come back...” Fluttershy said, shuddering at the thought.
“Don’t worry Fluttershy, we’ll be fine.” Twilight reassured.
“I hope so.”
As the two ponies continued to chat briefly, an exhausted pink pony entered the room. Stifling a yawn, Pinkie managed a good morning in-between yawns.
“Good morning Pinkie Pie. Did you sleep well?” Came from Twilight once aware of the third presence.
“I slept all right, I was a bit uncomfortable sleeping on the floor in that spare bedroom of yours, but I’ve had worse.” Pinkie answered lethargically.
“I’m sorry I didn’t have more beds, but at least you got some sleep. Want anything to eat?” Twilight queried.
“Maybe a cupcake will do me some good.”
“Over there on the counter. Help yourself.”
Making her way over to the kitchen counter, she scrambled around, looking for a cupcake. Her eyes lit up as she saw a triple coated chocolate fudge cupcake sitting in a box, neatly displayed in plastic. Opening the container, the frosting stacked sweet was utterly devoured in a single gulp, leaving nothing but crumbs.
She turned around, and saw Twilight and Fluttershy looking in disbelief at her.
“What? It’s good!” Pinkie exclaimed with her mouth full. Making her way over to the kitchen table, she sat down quietly, still immersed in her cupcake. Twilight stood up from the table and proceeded to walk out of the kitchen. Before she disappeared from their sight, she poked her head around the corner back into the kitchen. “I’m going to go check the provisions, this won’t take long.”
Making her way into the living room, Twilight’s eye caught the sight of the saddlebags they packed and prepared for today’s journey. Trotting up to them, she knelt down and started to rummage through the bags, one by one.
“Let’s see. We have some warm clothing if there ever comes a need for it. Uh… the croissants, apples, cider, and other food from the picnic. A few blankets, a few books on Daring Do and some other things. Miscellaneous stuff here, some bandages for Sunspeed. Oh boy… there is so much more.” Twilight rambled aloud, sighing at the end.
“Is there anything I could help you with Twilight?” Fluttershy asked timidly, peering around the kitchen door.
Jumping slightly at the voice, Twilight turned around, glaring daggers quickly before realizing who it was. Regaining her focus, Twilight was able to get her mind back to what needed to be done. “Could you just check on Sunspeed? Sounds kind of odd but we have to ensure that her wounds are not tearing or anything.”
“All right, I can do that.” The pegasus replied with a nod.
________________________________________________________________________________
After heading up a flight of stairs, Fluttershy stood at the side of the bed, looking down on the injured pegasus. Lifting the blankets carefully as not to wake her, she examined the pegasi’s wing and torso. Her injured wing stuck out like a sore thumb, obviously appearing swelled. Sunspeed was lying on her side, making Fluttershy shift her hooves quietly to the other side of the bed. Holding up the blankets once more, she checked the gauze on her torso.
A small patch of blood seemed to have made its’ appearance through the gauze. Squinting her eyes, Fluttershy was relieved to confirm that the blood was dried and not recent. Lifting a hoof and scathing it across the soft gauze, she tried to get a better sense of clarification of the physical stability of the sleeping mare. Feeling rather distraught and grim at the pegasus’ condition, Fluttershy shifted her gaze off the pegasus. Thinking profoundly to herself, she was oblivious to the mare’s waking.
“…nhh…Who’s…?” Sunspeed murmured, her vision blurred and obscure, stirring from her deep slumber. Slowly bringing herself in an upright position, she rubbed her eyes, and eventually took note of Fluttershy.
“Good morning Sunspeed. How are you feeling?” Fluttershy managed, a concerned tone lingering.
“Ugh…I’m feeling all right. Still very sore, but-…” She stated as she tried to stretch her limbs. Yelping suddenly, she clutched her torso as she gritted her teeth. “I didn’t think that would hurt…”
“Oh my! Please be careful Sunspeed!” Fluttershy snapped in worriment, putting a hoof on her shoulder trying to stem further movement. “Do you really think you can move?”
“Grr… I can. Just have to get used to it.” Sunspeed responded, looking up at the worried mare.
“Let me help you up then. Be very careful not to open up those wounds.” The mare responded, holding out a hoof to the battered pegasus.
Sunspeed clutched Fluttershy’s hoof, followed by wrapping her other hoof around Fluttershy’s withers as she climbed out of bed, fighting against the pain. Fluttershy winced at this sight, but continued providing support. Finally, Sunspeed was able to stand firmly on her own hooves. Heaving a sigh of utmost relief after it was done, the two pegasi walked down the stairs, Fluttershy supporting Sunspeed the whole way down.
________________________________________________________________________________
“Good morning Sunspeed.” Twilight greeted, turning her attention away from the saddlebags. Sunspeed nodded, then took a glance around the library. The walls were aligned with books of all sort. It would have been more surprising not to see books than anything else. The scent of a sweet herb tea lingered in the air, noticeably perking up Sunspeed at the smell.
“Is there somewhere I can sit down? I still feel rather weak on my hooves. It might just be fatigue, but still.” Sunspeed inquired, staring intently at Twilight.
“The kitchen table is in there, and if that isn’t suitable for you, there is a couch in there as well.” Twilight replied, returning to her examination of their provisions.
“A couch in a kitchen? That’s unheard of.” Sunspeed raised an eyebrow questionably.
“Well, I don’t want a couch in the main part of library. It wouldn’t fit the atmosphere. It is a library after all.” Twilight answered, sticking her muzzle into a saddlebag.
“I guess it makes sense…” The pegasus answered, though still a bit skeptical as she began to hobble towards the kitchen. Pushing herself rather hard to get there, Fluttershy continued to support Sunspeed. Upon reaching the kitchen, the couch was spotted, tucked away in a corner. Reaching the sofa, Fluttershy stood nearby for support as Sunspeed gradually seated herself.
“Thanks Fluttershy, but you really didn’t need to.” The white mare began.
“Oh, it’s no issue. I’m glad I could help.” The canary pegasus responded, adding a small smile.
“Do you need anything? Something to eat maybe?” Fluttershy added momentarily, casting her eyes on the injured pony.
“No thanks, I’m good.” Sunspeed politely refused.
“You must eat something. You need your energy, especially after a day like yesterday.” Fluttershy said, almost trying to coerce her into preparing for the day. “We have a long day ahead of us.”
“All right. Anything is fine, I have no preference.” Sunspeed gave in, sighing.
Nodding with contentment, Fluttershy walked over to the kitchen to spot anything edible. Her eyes flew to both sides of the counter, searching for anything. Resting her eyes on some fruit, she walked over and picked up what she could. Returning to Sunspeed, she showed what she had.
“I was able to find an apple, a banana, and a small bowl of cherries. Not much, but it’s something. Have what you like.” Fluttershy told her.
“Are you sure you don’t want to pick first?” Sunspeed mentioned, browsing the items before her. Fluttershy shook her head, motioning for Sunspeed to go first. Hesitantly, she grabbed the banana and started to peel the skin off of it with her teeth.
“No take backs.” Sunspeed replied shortly afterwards, biting into the banana. This needed a few more days. Tastes a bit meager. Her thoughts reverberating as she chewed. As she ate her banana, Pinkie turned to meet Sunspeed’s eyes.
“Ready for that awesome trip we’re taking today Sunspeed, because I am!” Pinkie elated, the usual energy taking hold of the mare now.
“Yeah, sure am.” Sunspeed followed suit.
“Yay! It’ll be fun!” Pinkie spoke enthusiastically, clopping her hooves together in excitement.
“I bet it will.”
Finishing the banana, Fluttershy silently came over and disposed of the banana peel. Holding a hoof out to Sunspeed, the yellow mare said, “I think it’s time we get ready, don’t you think?”
Grunting slightly at the thought of moving, Sunspeed managed a yes.
________________________________________________________________________________
“Twilight, wait!” Spike urged, running up to her. “Wh-when are you coming back?” Carrying a tone of uncertainty in his voice.
“I-I don’t know Spike. I don’t want to go, nor do I know what will happen.” At this point, Twilight knelt down and lowered her head to be eye level with the dragon. “I don’t want to leave you, I honestly don’t… but I have to. I have t-… I have to ensure you’re safe, to ensure Ponyville is safe.” Twilight responded sighing, trying her best to maintain her composure.
“Twilight… Just… Be safe, all right?” Spike bit his lip in anxiety.
“I will.” Twilight replied, giving him a passionate hug. “That doesn’t mean that you get off from keeping up with the library and your daily chores.” Twilight added, managing a smile.
“Sure thing, Twilight.” Spike replied softly.
Breaking apart several moments later, Spike proceeded to walk over to the front door of the library. Putting his claw on the door handle, he gazed down at the floor, with a gloomy expression that clouded his face. Opening the door, he made way for the seven ponies.
Saying their goodbyes to Spike, the group exited the library, putting distance between themselves and the library. In the distant outskirts of the town, Celestia’s sun started to break the horizon as Luna’s moon took to the opposite horizon. Engulfed by the treetops, the pale moon faded away, while the rift between night and day shifted once again. The rift between the fabrics of time seemed almost tangible. Daylight glistened brightly off of the trees and buildings, while the moon and the starlight twinkled in unison.
Despite the incredulous sight, Twilight gazed back at the library. Spike stood at the doorway, standing cold and still. Perking her ears back, she closed her eyes as she turned her head to face the cold ground beneath her hooves. Spike… I’m going to miss you. We’ve been through many trials and errors together, and now… I’m alone, without you by my side. Just take care of yourself, all right? After all, we’ll be back home before we know it. Twilight thought shallowly, trying to convince herself that things will go accordingly.
Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Twilight turned her sight to the road before them. Pulling out the map she had in her saddlebags, she began to research on the direction they needed to go. Mumbling to herself occasionally, she finally came to a conclusion.
“All right girls, we need to head south, through the Everfree Forest to get to Hoofsdale. Like I said last night, this’ll take all day. We want to get there as soon as possible.” She announced, turning to the others.
“Th-The Ev-Everfre-free Forest-t?” Fluttershy said fearfully.
“C’mon ‘Shy, it can’t be that bad. I mean, you live right by it after all? And I am the fastest flyer in Equestria you know, so you have nothing to worry about!” Dash remarked.
“That you are Dash, but y’all aren’t any good at bucking apples, now are ya’?” Applejack noted, looking at Dash.
“Really AJ? You can’t be serious!” Dash said with a smirk.
“Ah am. And when this is all over, we’ll have an Iron Pony rematch just for me to prove it.” Applejack challenged.
“Oh yeah? You’ve got yourself a deal!” Dash said, spitting on her hoof, she held it out to Applejack. Grinning at this, the farm mare did the same.
“With your egos now sorted, can we get started?” Twilight butted in impatiently.
The others nodded in unison, ready to start their trek. Fluttershy stuck close to Sunspeed to assist her with walking, as she was still very sore. The seven started to make their way down the path towards the southern exit of town, the Golden Oaks Library behind them.
________________________________________________________________________________
Spike stood out on the entrance of the library, watching as the ponies left on their journey in the distance. Clenching his claws, he gritted his teeth in frustration followed by an expression of sorrow. Gazing only at the lavender pony who led the others, he left himself to his thoughts. Come on Spike, you’ll be fine. Twilight’s just leaving, it’s nothing too bad… Who am I kidding? For all I know it could be a while until she comes back. I don’t want her to be in danger. Spike balled his claws again, harder than before. He shut his eyes fiercely, fighting back a sudden urge to cry. It’s…difficult to see her go on such a short notice... Coming to a conclusion on his thoughts, he opened his eyes, and waved one last time at the group before closing the library door behind him.
“Hey girls… do you think Spike will be okay without us?” Twilight asked, worry already taking hold.
“Yeah, ah think that dragon can make it through on his own.” Applejack nodded.
“That little guy can take anything. He’ll be fine.” Dash said confidently as she hovered off the ground beside them.
Rarity leaned over to Applejack, who was beside her, “I don’t think Twilight is holding up well.” She whispered, pointing to Twilight. “I hate talking behind ponies, but don’t you think we shouldn’t add to the touchy subject?”
Applejack nodded in agreement, but uttered no word of response. Twilight, still leading the pack, was oblivious to their conversation, being lost in concentration. Sub-consciously trotting along the path to the south, she kept to herself.
“…we have a long journey ahead of us. This is going to be difficult with my injuries, but I’ll toughen through it.” Sunspeed commented to Fluttershy, after noting the look of concern on the mare’s face.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be there soon enough. Just try not to think about it.” Fluttershy told her.
“I hope so.” The pegasus chuckled in response.
________________________________________________________________________________
The seven ponies stood as they cast their sights on their hometown. Luna’s moon had finally disappeared, allowing the sun to fully embrace the skyline. If they focused enough, small groups of ponies could be seen starting their day as the town came to life. Applejack walked in reverse, still facing the town. As she slowly started to break off from the others, she turned and began to trot very gradually down the dirt path that led into the Everfree Forest, making sure she didn’t get too far ahead. Soon enough, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash followed suit, then by Rarity.
“I don’t want to leave, the woodland creatures need me there to help.” Fluttershy blurted out. Sunspeed put a hoof on her shoulder, and rubbed it tenderly.
“Don’t worry, they’ll be safe. Ponyville will be safe, and so will we.” Sunspeed encouraged valiantly.
“That’s very bold of you Sunspeed. I’m just being doubtful, but I’m sure it will be okay.”
“Ready to go?” Sunspeed asked, returning the favor by offering Fluttershy a hoof. She nodded and took the hoof, followed by the two pegasi ventured forth into the forest behind the others, with Fluttershy guiding Sunspeed for support.
Twilight stared blankly across the fields that littered before Ponyville. A certain building caught her gaze as she studied the scene before her. The Golden Oaks Library stood as a beacon for her in the heart of town. Narrowing her eyes, she bit her lip nervously as she turned around. Starting to make her way into the forest, she took one last glance back at Ponyville, then started to walk behind her friend’s trail.
As the seven walked down the dirt path, the forest seemed to close in around them. There was a damp, almost musty feel that swirled around them, making the area around them seem out of place. As they pushed forward, the silence was finally broken.
“Oh boy, I don’t feel so good. I feel really queasy.” Dash stated, shaking her head.
“What’s wrong dearie? We just walked into the forest. It’s not very common to start feeling queasy all of a sudden.” Rarity mentioned, perplexed as to what to think.
“Yeah, I feel dizzy right now. I don’t know why.” Dash responded, rubbing her head.
“Already scared Rainbow?” Applejack prodded, suppressing a chuckle.
“Real funny. Well, whatever it is, it certainly doesn’t feel cool. Ugh…” Dash mentioned in disgust, almost dropping to the ground from hovering in the air.
“Geez Dash, maybe you should stop flying if it’s bothering you that bad.” Sunspeed added, observing her carefully.
“I don’t want my hooves to hurt, now do I? I’d rather fly most of the way, but if this keeps up, no way!” the rainbow maned pegasus replied.
“We can take a break if you need it that desperately. But, we need to get to Hoofsdale as soon as we can.” Twilight advised.
“Nah, I’ll be fine. Who needs breaks?” Dash snorted.
“Ahem!” Sunspeed cleared her throat, glaring at Rainbow.
“Oh, sorry, hehe.” Dash chuckled, putting her hoof behind her head, while forcing a smile.
“Well, it seems that this journey is going to be a long one from the looks of it.” Rarity muttered.
“It would have been so much faster if we just could have flown there.” Dash pointed out.
“We technically could’ve…” Sunspeed started.
“Indeed, but I don’t think having a royal escort would be the most subtle. If anything, going on hoof, as much as I despise this, is better so we don’t run the risk of getting those ruffians on us again.” Rarity explained.
“Sounds about right!” Pinkie added cheerfully.
“It makes logical sense when you think about it. If we’re running from this organization that we have little to no information about, we probably don’t want royal guards escorting us. For our friends from the society, that should be a huge sign for them. It’s like we’re practically saying, ‘Hey, we’re right over here! Come get us!’ ” Twilight stated, nodding in contentment with her answer.
“That does make some sense…” Fluttershy pointed out.
The conversation seemed to have died down after Fluttershy’s comment. Hearing nothing but the noises of the forest, along with the rustling of hooves on the ground. As the group ventured forth for what seemed an interminable amount, the light that the sun provided them seemed to fade out as the canopy of the forest thickened. Bringing the levels of visibility to a much dimmer spectrum, the seven pushed forward regardless of the surroundings. Fluttershy, on the other hand, let a number of whimpers escape her vocal cords. Sunspeed, still with the mare, was able to provide words of support to the canary pegasus, keeping her going even as the forest went about its’ business.
As they continued down the dirt path, the outline of something came peculiarly.
“Hey, what is that? Do y’all see that?” Applejack asked, pointing ahead.
“Look who’s scared now.” Dash chided away.
“Hush you, look at that.” Applejack said while pointing a hoof.
As they came closer, an abandoned shack came into view. It’s few windows were broken, the door hinges were rusted and the door was hanging to one side. Every time the passing wind wisped by, the shack creaked slightly, making an unpleasant sound. Pinkie approached the shack, and examined it in curiosity. Poking her head inside the door, she eyed around for anything peculiar.
“Anything in there?” Twilight interrogated.
Pinkie replied by shaking her head, then motioning to continue down the dirt path. Scratching her hoof with another, she peered over Pinkie to check on the others. Sunspeed sat down at a nearby log, panting heavily as Fluttershy handed her a canteen of water. Her eyes lulled over to Rarity and Applejack, who stood chatting, Rarity obviously trying to make some point to the farm mare. Dash was lying on the ground, her two front hooves rested behind her head, and the two hind legs crossed, smirking at the scene before her.
It seems like we need to rest. We’ve been walking for what feels like hours. I think we all need this, especially Sunspeed. The lavender pony thought to herself.
“Let’s take a break. We all could use one. We’ll continue towards Hoofsdale in about… an hour or so.” Twilight announced to her fellow companions after locating the sun through the dense canopy. A collective sigh was given at this, and everypony just seemed to plop down where they were if they weren’t already. Twilight sat down at a nearby rock, looking rather concerned at Sunspeed.
“Here, drink up. You need the water.” Fluttershy requested, holding out the canteen.
“Thanks, Fluttershy.” Sunspeed panted in exhaustion, reaching for it shakily. She fumbled around, trying desperately to get the water into her dry throat. Drinking it insatiably, she almost emptied the entire canteen in one go. Releasing a pent up gasp of relief and satisfaction, she closed the canteen lid and handed it to Fluttershy.
“Thanks for that, I really needed it.” Sunspeed said moments later.
“No problem. Do you need anything to eat?” Fluttershy asked.
“No, not really. I don’t feel famished.” The injured pegasus replied.
“Come on now, you got to eat something.” Fluttershy insisted, nudging her hoof gently.
“N-no, I am fine, really.” Sunspeed hesitated, shaking her two front hooves to support her answer.
“Come on now, we really can’t have you passing out. With the condition you’re in, you need your strength.” The shy mare persisted even further.
Betrayed by a gurgling of her stomach, Sunspeed nodded, finally defeated. Fluttershy began to rummage through her saddlebags, after she neatly placed the canteen back in one of them. She dug out two carrots and an apple.
“The apple should give you a boost with the sugar, and the carrot is full of nutrients that should help you recover.” Fluttershy told her, handing them over to her. Fluttershy kept one carrot to herself and bit into it, producing a loud crunch. Chewing silently, Fluttershy sat down quietly next to Sunspeed as the two had a quick snack together.
Rainbow Dash yawned excessively as she lay on the ground. With her interest lost in the conversation between Rarity and Applejack, her eyes began to sag. Finally giving in to her fatigue, she closed her eyes, and drifted off into a nap. Twilight shrugged indifferently as she gazed over Rainbow Dash and her encumbering fatigue. The unicorn then turned her attention to Rarity and Applejack, who were still chatting.
“Ah’m telling you, it will not work.” The farm pony asked.
“Just hear me out Applejack. If you let me work with you for a bit, you could shine all across Equestria! Earth ponies are dominating the modeling industry this time of season, and I have a new line in the works that will make you absolutely shine!”
“Between the farmwork and marketing, I hardly doubt I could fit modeling on the side. That and Big Mac will never let me live it down.” Applejack stressed, yet remaining firm on her point.
Looking away, Twilight decided to undo the saddlebags that were on her back. Briefly scrounging around, she grabbed herself a croissant, and took a bite of it. Engulfed by the sweetness of the buttery product, she continued to finish the pastry as she observed the stillness of the forest around them. Finishing the last piece of the croissant, she had decided to close her eyes and try to rest while time permitted.
________________________________________________________________________________
Stretching several times to help loosen her tense body, Rainbow Dash picked herself up off the ground. Standing, she took a quick look around her. Her friends were all getting ready to move out again.
“Good afternoon, sleepyhead.” Pinkie giggled, coming face to face with Rainbow Dash.
“Hi there Pinkie, we’re moving out again?” Dash yawned, blinking her eyes repetitively trying to wake herself up.
“Yes indeedy!” Pinkie confirmed.
“All right, sounds good. Just give me a moment.” Dash yawned again as she trotted over to get her saddlebags beside the shack, a suitable place for them prior to an impromptu nap.
Fastening the last buckle, the saddlebags now hugged her torso comfortably, while still allowing the freedom of her wings. Rainbow Dash walked over to Twilight, who just finished readying herself for the rest of the trip.
“Are we all ready to move out again?” Dash asked Twilight, cocking her head to the side.
“Mostly. We should be moving out in just a few minutes. We’re waiting on Sunspeed.” She replied to the cyan mare.
“Cool. Hey, do you know what time it is?”
“I can’t see the sun too well, but based on the light breaking through the canopy I’d say maybe late afternoon. I really have no clue.”
“Oh, all right, that’s cool.” Dash muttered.
“Sorry Rainbow, if I knew, I’d obviously tell you. I just want to get to Hoofsdale so we can settle in and get-”
“Okay, we’re finally ready!” Sunspeed interrupted, raising her voice slightly so the others could hear her.
“Good. Let’s get moving then... I’d rather not be caught in here at night.” Twilight stated to the group, a hint of worry in her voice.
The seven ponies now continued down the same dirt path that winded through the forest. Traversing into unknown territory of the Everfree Forest, the group kept to the path, ultimately hoping for an end to it.
As they progressed over the next few minutes, a dense fog took hold around them, making it much harder to see. Coupled with the thick canopy stunting the afternoon light they had, visibility was very limited.
Twilight, now noticing that the mist was going to be a problem, called out the rest of the group. “Find the hoof of somepony and grab on to it. We don’t want to get separated!” She called back, unable to know how far back her friends were. The party skittered about until all everypony had an occupied hoof. Walking awkwardly down the clouded path, they gradually made their way south.
After what seemed to be an eternity of walking, the fog finally eased off, if only a little bit, and the seven were luckily all still together. Separating a small bit they kept walking with the slightly better visibility, Applejack was about to turn to Pinkie Pie and mention something, when she suddenly disappeared with a crumbling sound.
Managing to let out a yelp, the six turned to their surprise to find Applejack clinging on to the edge of a ravine. Sunspeed lunged forward on sight towards the mare, ignoring the pain.
“Take my hoof!”
Applejack reached for the hoof, but a part of the ground slipped out from her other hoof, and her body turned the other way, her face staring directly down at the endless ravine.
“Help!”
Rainbow Dash flew directly under Applejack, pushing against the farm mare’s two back hooves, trying to lift her up. Sunspeed was finally able to grab onto Applejack’s hoof, and pulled. Struggling with the searing pain, she ignored it and continued. As tears streamed down her face and her vision distorted, she managed to pull the farm pony up, out of harm’s way. Paralyzed in pain after overexertion, Sunspeed collapsed onto the ground, unable to move, tears now flowing freely down her face.
Helping Applejack to her hooves, Dash hugged her, trying to calm the panicked breaths of the orange mare. Pinkie went over to Sunspeed, and helped her up through the suppressed yells of pain, having a hoof wrapped around her neck for support.
“Is everypony okay?” Twilight said nervously.
“Yeah, I think we’re okay.” Dash mentioned.
“Twilight, we should probably stop for a minute, Sunspeed’s not looking too good.” Pinkie added.
Fluttershy joined Pinkie Pie and had started to move Sunspeed away from the cliff face, her two front hooves draped over the other mares’ necks and her hind legs dragged on the ground as the two ponies struggled to keep her upright, trying to get her over to a tree. Writhing in pain as she was being dragged, Sunspeed started to cough up blood once again.
Setting her upright against the tree, Fluttershy scrambled to undo her saddlebags and grab her tissue to wipe the blood off her lips. Rummaging through her saddlebags with haste, the canary mare pulled out the packed medical supplies. Examining the pegasus quickly, Fluttershy took note of what she feared.
“Oh no, Sunspeed, you ripped your wounds back open! You need to stay still, okay? This is going to hurt.”
Sunspeed nodded as Fluttershy started to patch her up, struggling against the overwhelming pain. In an attempt to divert her thoughts away from her physical condition, she noticed Applejack, still visibly shaken from the event.
“You okay Applejack? You had quite a scare there.” Sunpeed had barely managed to say, her voice shaking more than the look in Applejack’s eyes.
“Ah’m doing okay… how about yourself?”
“It…Ugh, it hurts, I need to avoid doing that next time.” She answered, groaning in pain as Fluttershy cleaned and bandaged the wounds. Fluttershy just finished her torso, and started to thoroughly clean her right wing, while trying her best to be gentle. Accidentally clipping a small portion of the wing, Sunspeed yelped in affliction, followed by a loud grunt.
“That wing is tender!” Sunspeed snipped.
“Sorry, sorry! I’ll try not to do that again.” Fluttershy apologized, her previous professionalism now fragile and cracking.
Twilight lifted her gaze from Sunspeed, and started to take note of her surroundings. The beginning of an aged stone bridge stood at the end of the path they were following. With the fog still relatively thick in the air, the other side of the bridge could not be made out in its’ entirety. Turning back to Sunspeed, Fluttershy had just finished off wrapping her wing and was already helping the mare to her hooves.
“How are you doing Sunspeed?” Twilight stated, finally managing to snap out of her thoughts.
“I don’t think I can go much farther Twilight. Hoofsdale better be close…”
“Twilight, she’s right. She can’t travel in this condition, but we can’t stay here either.” Fluttershy said, her face portraying the message louder than her voice.
“…we should be. This seems to be a rather odd place for a bridge. We must be close.” Twilight said, the hope previously held by the mare now slipping away. “Can you walk Sunspeed?”
Putting a hoof forward, Sunspeed applied pressure to her hoof, only to be followed by a loud whinny as she started to collapse under her own weight. Twilight however was ready for this, and had managed to catch Sunspeed with her telekinesis.
“I’ll take that as a no. Sunspeed, I can carry you the rest of the way if I have to. You just have to do your best to relax.”
“Ngh…okay…” Sunspeed muttered, not able to muster anything else.
“We need to get across this bridge.” Twilight announced, now turning her focus to the group. “Rainbow, would you be able to fly ahead and check to see if this bridge is still intact?”
“I got ya’ Twi’.”
And just like that, Rainbow was already off, quickly swallowed by the dense fog. A tense moment sank in to the atmosphere of the remaining group as they waited to hear from Rainbow. Seconds passed, then minutes. Only after a call out into the fog did the group hear anything.
“It’s all clear! Come on across! You are not going to believe this!”
“You heard her, let’s go.” Twilight finished.
________________________________________________________________________________
Crossing for what seemed like a mile long bridge, the six ponies found themselves on solid ground once again. The fog still held relatively thick, so vision was still limited.
“Rainbow, where did you go now!?” Shouted Twilight.
“This way! It’s over here!” Called a voice from the fog.
A leap of hope now back in her heart, Twilight took off towards the sound of the voice, being careful of the semi-conscience mare in her grip. Her friends quickly followed suit, the same hope fluttering in them as well.
Coming to a complete stop, the group had quickly halted their movements for what had laid in front of them, with Rainbow there to greet them. The fog that had gripped the forest suddenly ended, as the group had just found themselves outside of the forest, standing on the edge of a small cliff face.
With the fog and the trees now behind them, a cold wind had come to greet the mares. There was a light dusting of snow covering the ground, the fringes of winter still gripping the landscape. The sun was now hanging on the horizon, about to conduct its’ elegant celestial dance with its’ counterpart.
This was not the main focus of the group however. Every single one of the mares were focused on the large cluster of lit buildings existing just at the bottom of the cliff face.
Cracking the first genuine smile Twilight had had all day, she was able to find her voice amongst the relief. “Welcome to Hoofsdale girls.”
