Don't Go Outside...

Rule #7: Pray to Luna

"I promised my ponies that we'd win this war...and I did whatever I had to...to keep that promise.

Don't you understand...? I did what I had to do! I only did what I did because it was necessary!

Still...you believe killing me will solve all your problems? You believe my death will end all this?

You are not prepared....."

-Princess Celestia

"Easy Sugarcube! ACK! Ya'll are squeezin the life outta me!" Applejack wheezed as Twilight grasped her in an air choking hug. Rarity had already given the country mare a big hug, along with Spike. Twilight, however, seemed to be the happiest to see her.

"Oh Applejack I knew you were alive!" Twilight wept, her muzzle pushing itself into her shoulder "I knew you'd be ok! I was so worried though because your farm is all outdoors and...and I was just scared that..."

Applejack simply chuckled, patting Twilight on her back and muttering "Aw shucks Twi', ya'll should know me well enough to know that ah'm a tough gal! It's gonna take a lot more then just a few little punk ass zombies to go tusslin' with me to bring me down!"

Spike nudged Twilight, a triumphant smile on his face as he whispered "Told you they were zombies!" Twilight simply shook her head at Spike's statement, sniffing loudly and backing away to let the country mare breathe. All around, refugees poured into the orchard lands of Sweet Apple Acres, moving through to bed down in the fields of trees or secure their seats on the evacuation train. A definitive aura of hope could be felt in the air, the prospect of escaping very possible.

"This operation is just so...so....." Rarity began, her eyes scanning over the farm.

"Big, ah know," Applejack sighed, tipping back her stetson "Can't hardly believe it mahself, but it is. These fru fru royal guards keep sayin' that ah'm gonna get some kinda special reward or somethin' like that. HA! Them boys can keep their rewards, ah just want to go back to bucking apples." The mares chuckled for a moment until Applejack piped up once again "Speaking of 'Big'....Rarity ya'll said Big Macintosh was stayin' with ya," She looked around at all the survivors, a look of worry passing over her face "Where is...where's he at?"

Twilight felt a slight tear in her heart as Rarity spoke up, a sad tone to her voice "Macintosh...stayed behind, Applejack."

The country mare looked towards Rarity with a pleading look on her face as she spoke in a begging tone "Tell me...tell me he ain't one-a them! Tell me he's still Big Macintosh!"

Rarity sighed, shaking her head "We don't know Applejack...we were running for Town Hall when a massive group of them started chasing us. Big Macintosh stayed behind to lure them off...we haven't seen him since."

Applejack chewed on the corner of her bottom lip for a moment, nodding slowly. She seemed to have taken the news well, but she was definitely worried. "Well...," she began "There ain't nothin' ah can do about that. Macintosh was always so brave n' all, always lookin' out for me and the rest o' the Apple Family. He's a tough-n'....he'll make it out fer sure."

Rarity nodded before letting out a light yawn, patting her mouth before she said "I think I'll go secure our seats real quick and then see if I can catch up on my beauty sleep..." With a quick hug from her friends, the diva began to walk off. Twilight turned her head to Spike and Catie, whispering quickly "You two go on ahead with Rarity, you should rest as well."

"What about you Twilight?" Catie whispered back, the same question on Spike's lips.

Twilight smiled and gave them both a hug with her front hooves, whispering to them "I just need to talk to Applejack for a little bit...we have a lot to catch up on you know?"

The two young ones nodded, quickly running off to catch up with Rarity, leaving Twilight to look up towards Applejack and raise an eyebrow. Applejack sighed, rubbing her forehead with a hoof before muttering "All right...come on then, you of all ponies deserve an explanation anyway..."

The two walked in silence for a good while, weaving in between the trees and through several clearings. Twilight studied the beautiful details of the wood, the crisp bark, the indention of hooves that had been bucked against the tree, signaling that it was time to deliver their precious fruit. Twilight looked towards Applejack with her eyes every few moments, taking in her facial expressions. Applejack kept a simple frown on her face, her eyes partially closed. Those eyes had seen things...Twilight could tell. Regret...misery...guilt even. At long last, the two stopped under one of the larger trees in Sweet Apple Acres, with Applejack pushing her back up against the bark and sliding down until she laid partially on her back and leaned up against the tree.

"So..." Applejack began "I bet you're lookin' for answers...well ah gotta few, though ah'm not sure you'd like em'..."

Twilight sat back on her haunches, letting out a light sigh before beginning "Applejack...why did you never return any of the notes I sent you? Why didn't you tell me you were safe, that everything was ok here?"

"Cus' things weren't ok here Twi'!" Applejack half-shouted, her voice raising a bit "Ah've got bodies for fence posts, for Luna's sake! Ah'm the Element o' Honesty Twi', ah wasn't gonna tell you things were fine when they sure as shit weren't!"

Twilight nodded slightly but pushed the point regardless "Why didn't you send me anything then? Any kind of words or something would have been ok...I wasn't expecting a full on essay from you."

"Twi'..." Applejack sighed "Ah've got a bit of a workload on mah hooves if ya'll didn't notice. Ah'm one workhorse short of a full functioning farm and Ah've got to buck eight times more apples then normal to feed the entirety of Ponyville. Ah ain't got the time to go writing letters back n' forth when ponies could starve!"

The unicorn nodded in agreement, giving Applejack a look of apology. She had a pretty valid point...so there was nothing she could do to push it anymore.

"How did..." Twilight began, her brain having trouble in forming the words she wanted "How...did you...def...d..."

"How did I kill so many ponies in the defense of mah farm?" Applejack muttered, staring towards the ground with guilt written all over her face. Twilight nodded, drawing another sigh out of Applejack "Twern't like ah liked it now...ah only did what ah did because mah life and Granny Smith's life was in danger. You would of done the same thing if ya'll saw Spike getting chased after by them bastards."

"Yes but..." Twilight muttered, her eyes slightly narrowing towards Applejack "There's more then just 'Bastards' on those spikes...isn't there?"

Applejack looked away with guilt clearly stamped all over her. She couldn't lie, Twilight knew that, and if she did she'd spot it instantly. "Twilight..." she whimpered, tears forming in her eyes "They were gonna steal ya'lls Apples." She started to cry, drawing Twilight to quietly walk over and pull her into a hug. The country mare weeped as Twilight gently held her, rubbing a hoof over her back as she wailed "Ah'm sorry! Ah'm so sorry Twilight! Ah was protecting everypony's apples! Ah couldn't let ya'll starve because some greedy bastards were trying to steal yer lifeline! They were so mean about it, demanding to get food, saying they'd kill me if ah didn't give em up."

She sniffed, burying her face in Twilight's coat as she went on sobbing "Ah...ah chased em' off at first but...they just kept comin' back! And then...then one time they tried to...tried to force me against a tree Twi'! They tried to...ah had no choice!" She sobbed heavily into Twilight's coat, the unicorn holding her tighter as she gently ran a hoof over her.

"Sshhhh...." Twilight cooed "It's ok...you did what you had to do...I'm not angry about it...nopony's angry about it...they were trying to hurt you and you defended yourself..."

"But stringing em up like a fuckin' trophy Twilight!?" Applejack sniffed "Even if it was ta keep the monsters away...ah can never forgive mahself for what ah did."

"Maybe you will, in time" Twilight whispered "What some ponies don't understand is that we'll go to whatever lengths imaginable or unimaginable to protect ourselves or the ones we love"

"Like Big Macintosh did fer you?" Applejack whispered, looking up at a shocked Twilight "Ah know he did it for you n' Rarity, but he was focused on you most of all."

"How did you...how would you...?" Twilight whispered in surprise, drawing a chuckle out of Applejack as she sniffed and wiped her eyes free of tears.

"He had a thing for ya Twi'," Applejack said "Said you were cute n' all, with that dorky kind of attitude."

"I am not a DORK!" Twilight spat, frowning towards her friend who simply laughed slightly.

She tipped her Stetson back and giggled "Course yer not. Anyway, he said you were a right fine gal, kinda shy like him when it comes to anything to lovey dovey or social like that."

"Hey now, that's not...it's..." Twilight whimpered, struggling to come up with a defense. Applejack wasn't having any of it though.

"Don't even try to cover it Twi'" Applejack mused "Yer a worse liar then ah am, and THAT is sayin' somethin'!" Twilight simply huffed as Applejack went on "He never was a really forward pony though...no matter how many times ah tried to get em to talk to ya, he just clammed right up when you bounced yer purple ass on through the farm."

"Ugh, it's LAVENDER, first of all!" Twilight growled "And second, I know he likes me already! He KISSED me in the rain before running off to lure the Afflicted off!"

Applejack's eyes widened, a whistle passing through her lips before she whispered "Really now? Shucks, ah figured he didn't have the apples fer it...though it makes sense fer the situation."

Twilight raised an eyebrow and asked quietly "What do ya mean?"

"Well," Applejack began, looking up towards the branches of apples that hung overhead "Tell me what happened prior to said passionate kiss."

"Applejack...it wasn't passionate, it was just a kiss!" Twilight growled "Luna save me...you're worse then Rarity sometimes." The country mare simply chuckled, waving a hoof at her to keep her going. The unicorn simply sighed, moving on "He stopped to face them after he saw them coming...I turned back, told him to forget it because it was suicide. He kept telling me to go on, that he'd catch up, that he'd meet us. I tried to refuse...tried to make him see reason but then he...he kissed me, told me I had his heart...and he'd come back for it. I was so...so dazed, confused...I ran. I believed he'd come back."

"Well then," Applejack laughed "Makes sense then! Macintosh was never a pony to ever leave loose lassos untied. He knew there was a chance he might not make it back...and if that was the case...at least he'd have you on his lips in his final moments...knowing he had the courage to admit his feelin's for you."

Twilight blushed slightly and whispered "But...I don't even know if I like him back...I don't even know if I could right now. Look at what's happening around us Applejack...it's chaos. There's an evacuation train behind your BARN for Luna's sake! How could I ever focus on something like love right now?!"

"Cause it may be the only chance ya'll have left..." Applejack whispered, giving Twilight a serious look who in turn simply stared. "Think about it Twilight...Big Macintosh could be dead right now, or one of them."

"Don't say that..." Twilight whispered, looking away.

Applejack simply ignored this, moving on "Or, he might come back. And then what? We either get on the train and run off to Canterlot or we're suddenly mass attacked by the entire diseased town of Ponyville and we die. What else is there to do Twilight except embrace and do all the things you wouldn't have normally done before all of this happened? What if this is the last chance ya'll got at romance? How are you gonna say you lived yer life to the fullest if ya can't even give this a shot?"

"I didn't say I wasn't giving it a chance..." Twilight muttered "I was just...it's just so sudden Applejack."

"Like any of this disease bullshit wasn't sudden?" Applejack scoffed "Twilight we went from having a picnic to running about Ponyville boarding up our homes and sitting on our asses for two months."

Twilight sighed, looking away for a moment and whispering "I guess your right...I just hope he comes back. He really does deserve a chance doesn't he?"

Applejack smiled, putting a hoof on her shoulder and whispering "At the end o' our world Sugarcube...everypony deserves that chance."

The country mare suddenly started to chuckle, drawing a curious look out of Twilight who asked "What's so funny?"

Applejack shook her head, waving a hoof about as she said "Aw it's nothin'...just reminds me of the time you went on that trip to Canterlot bout' a week for we had our picnic. You were gone that whole time and it was drivin' Macintosh nuts! Ya know he was planning on asking you out on a date the day ya left...poor boy."

Twilight's mouth slowly started to open, a wide-eyed look on her face "Applejack...?" she whispered in question. Applejack raised an eyebrow at the question of her name, drawing a terrified sounding question out of Twilight "Where...did you say I went?"

Applejack frowned, pointing a hoof out in the distance, to the tiny silhouette of Canterlot which was just barely visible from behind the shield "To..Canterlot. Ya'll left on such short notice, the only thing we had to tell us where you were was the note. Spike said he came home to the Library one day to find that note attached to your door...said you had been summoned to Canterlot on short notice."

"Applejack, I never went to Canterlot." Twilight breathed "I was at the Library all week planning for that picnic!"

Applejack's eyes widened "What do ya'll mean? Spike said the night right before the picnic you suddenly came home, walking in all tired and weary. You went right to bed without a word to him!"

"Why didn't he ask me where I was, or what happened!?" Twilight shouted, a panicked look on her face "Why didn't any of you mention this!?"

"Whoa...simmer down there Sugarcube," Applejack whispered "Ah'm tellin' you the truth. We never asked because we thought it really wasn't our business. As long as ya'll came home for the picnic we wouldn't have any grievances. Why do ya look so scared?"

"Because I have memories of that week Applejack!" Twilight cried, a panicked look on her face "I remember a metric shit ton of the things I did during that week...and you're saying none of that happened!"

Applejack frowned "That's....weird." she said simply, scratching at her forehead. She suddenly looked up as she saw Twilight beginning to walk away "Hey! Where ya'll goin'?" she shouted.

"To Shadow-Mane," Twilight growled "I got a feeling he'll know something about this...and I'm not taking no for an answer this time."

~*~

"Yes, we'll move up positioning here, here, and here," Shadow-Mane ordered, pointing to a few spots on Ponyville's map. "We'll set the Magic-Focusing crystals at these key points in the town. Once we're all clear, artillery teams will rain the arcane down on the town, setting it ablaze. Good news is those bastards are attracted to magic as they are noise, so we'll hopefully take a good portion of them down in the first minutes of the attack." His command post had been situated inside the second floor of the barn, in a small room in the back. It was a perfect place to avoid interruptions or nagging questions from the survivors.

He looked to his four sergeants, drawing a nod from each of them before he barked "You know your orders, begin facilitating the refugees onto the train! Luna wants this operation done quickly before the Afflicted catch wind that we are here! DISMISSED!"

The soldiers snapped a salute before quickly trotting out of the room, leaving Shadow-Mane alone to study the map. He sighed, running a hoof over his forehead. He was tired...hadn't slept for nights...and he was getting more and more on edge. He had to push himself regardless...he had to do this for Luna, for Ponyville! They were counting on him...and he wouldn't fail them...not again.

"Shadow-Mane..." hissed a voice, causing The Captain's head to snap up and stare towards the door which slowly started to close. Twilight was hiding behind the door, her form revealed to Shadow-Mane as the door closed and she locked it slowly with a hoof.

"Twilight..." Shadow-Mane growled "What's the meaning of this?"

Twilight moved forward slowly, staring up at her horn as she muttered "You know I'm the Element of Magic...you know what kind of power I could wield...don't you?" Shadow-Mane glared at her as she approached the table, her eyes settling back down on his and glaring right back "You know what kind of beacon I could launch up right now? The 'draw every Afflicted in Ponyville here' kind."

"Why would you ever want to do that Twilight?" Shadow-Mane barked "Why would you ever want to destroy everything we've worked so hard for!?"

"BECAUSE I'M BEING LIED TO!" Twilight roared, putting her front hooves on the table and holding herself up, getting as much height as she could "My friend told me I went to Canterlot one week prior to the incident, yet I remember it differently. I remember being in my Library, studying, working, and planning for a picnic! You said you knew about the orders from Celestia! Did you see me there!? Where was I during that time?!"

Shadow-Mane simply stared at her, his eyes partially widened and a look of worry pressed over his face. "Twilight..." he finally whispered "Why do you insist that I'm against you? I have never once lied to you at all during the time you've known me. I have given you only cold, hard, facts. I DID see you at Canterlot, ok!?" This had the immediate reaction of Twilight slowly lowering herself to the ground, a look of disbelief on her face. She listened as he went on "I didn't know about any of this, any of this 'memory' stuff you just mentioned! I saw you in Canterlot, and you looked fine! You were with Princess Celestia at the time, and I was guarding Luna with Captain Moon-Lance! She said something about taking you on a tour of her newly opened university, and after that, I didn't see you again until just earlier at Town Hall!" That's the truth, I swear on it on my life as a Royal Night Guard! May Luna strike me down with Nightmarish vengeance if I lie!"

Twilight looked down towards the map, whispering quietly "I'm sorry Shadow-Mane...it's just...I'm so confused right now. I keep seeing things that I think are my memories but I never remember any of them happening. I saw Ponyville burning, I saw the entrance to what may be the bunker or facility you were all thinking the attack originated from. I just....wish I knew what was going on."

Shadow-Mane walked around the table, putting a hoof on her shoulder and whispering "It's alright...I don't blame you. Celestia was a traitor, Luna is not. You can trust me, and you can trust her...ok?" Twilight nodded sadly, looking up as Shadow-Mane whispered "The train leaves tonight...you should go see if you can get some rest. We'll be in Canterlot by the day's end tomorrow."

Twilight sighed, nodding and muttering a quiet 'Thank you...' to Shadow-Mane before quietly walking out of the door. She quietly made her way down the stairs and out the front entrance to the barn, looking around for a moment before beginning her trek forward into the trees. She stopped though, suddenly, her breath catching. A sliver of movement had caught her eye, at a distance far away to her left. She looked up slowly, her heart thudding as her eyes centered on a hill far off. A figure was moving, walking towards the farm...a large figure. She gasped, galloping quickly to her left and straining her eyes to see what it could be.

"Please don't be Afflicted...please...please don't be..." Twilight begged quietly, narrowing her eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat as caught a better look at the deep-red coat of the stallion walking towards the farm. He had his head up high and a calm but weary expression etched on his face. He smiled though as he caught sight of Twilight, his emerald eyes gleaming in the light of the setting sun.

Big Macintosh, had come home.

Twilight galloped forward with intense speed, tears streaming from her eyes as she bounded over the grassy plains that surrounded Sweet Apple Acres. The work horse simply sat, taking in a few breaths as Twilight rushed towards him, crying out in joy and leaping at him. She crashed into him, drawing a grunt out of the work horse who fell back with her, getting a full on kiss on his lips. "You stupid, stupid pony!" Twilight cried as she pulled her lips away "You are so stupid!" She kissed him again, Macintosh's eyes widening as she pulled back again to shout "I hate you so much, you know that!? I was worried sick about you and...and...oh you're so STUPID!" She pressed her lips once more to his as Macintosh let out a deep chuckle, making this one last as long as he could until they stopped for air.

"E...Eeyup.." was all the stallion could manage to say, smiling upwards at Twilight who, despite her tears, smiled back.

~*~

"Ah knew you could run fast...but by the stars Macintosh ah didn't know ya'll could run THAT fast!" Applejack breathed, just pulling out of a hug from her older brother. Him, Applejack, and Twilight were sitting in the barn, the country mare whooping in joy as she caught sight of him and Twilight coming over the hill just earlier.

"Well ah gotta say, ah didn't know ah could run so fast either," Macintosh chuckled "But Luna have mercy if you don't run faster then the wind when ya'll got a wall of angry ponies on yer ass."

Twilight's side was pressed into his, the mare trying to get as close to him as possible while looking up at him. "How did you get away?" Twilight whispered in awe.

"Wasn't easy..." Macintosh growled, reflecting back on the time during the rain "They don't stop for nothing. They'll keep going till they pass out from exhaustion. I weaved through houses, hid in bushes, hell I even climbed a few trees. The lightnin' n' thunder was stirring em up bad, and all ah had to do was wait for an opening to get back to Town Hall." he sighed, looking over towards the entrance of the barn as he went on "By the time ah got there though, that escape tunnel ya'll used was already plugged up good...so I doubled back, went from house to house...and eventually made it out of town and out here."

"Well ah'm glad yer back Macintosh," Applejack smiled, giving her brother a big hug before turning towards the entrance to the barn. "Ah got a few more orders o' apples to fill fore' the train leaves, so..." She smiled, walking towards the entrance.

"Wait, don't ya need help there sis'?" Macintosh called after her "Ah think ah'm a bit behind on mah chores as well!"

Applejack simply laughed, shaking her head and turning her head to mutter "Ah think you've got more important things on yer hooves to worry about a few apples. Ah've been doing this without ya for awhile now...ah can handle a few more trees." With that, she walked out of the barn, turning and disappearing around the corner.

"If you were wanting your heart back..." Twilight whispered, staring up at him with a smile "You can't have it...it's mine."

Macintosh scoffed playfully, looking down at her and muttering "Oh yeah? Ah thought ah said that ah was comin' back for it?"

"Nope...it's mine, you gave it to me," Twilight giggled, triumphant as she whispered "But...I guess in order for it to be a fair trade...I should give you mine, right?"

Macintosh looked at her in partial shock, a blush passing over his face as he whispered "So...so ya know huh...? Ya'll warmed up to the idea or whatever...?"

Twilight chuckled, shaking her head as she said "Applejack spilled the apples Macintosh, she told me all about your little crush on me." Macintosh frowned, glaring towards the front of the barn. His glare faded instantly however as Twilight put a hoof to his chin and turned his head back to face her, a loving smile on her face. "And..." she whispered "It being the end of the world...or at least Ponyville...I think now would be a good time to live life...have all those experiences, right? Who knows...we could all be dead in an hour for all we know." Macintosh blushed as Twilight went on, chuckling "And of course I knew! It'd be kind of hard not to notice a crush if the stallion who had a crush on me kissed me so suddenly!"

Macintosh laughed, turning his body towards Twilight and looking down at her. "So..." he whispered, blushing as she did "We're supposed to enjoy everything there is to enjoy before the end huh?"

"Eeyup," Twilight whispered, mimicking his signature one-liner "Just in case...anything happens...I want some kind of memory that I can hold onto till the end."

Macintosh leaned down, pressing his lips against Twilight's and enveloping them in a deep kiss. A tingle of electricity shot through Twilight as she shivered, her face heating up as she kissed him tenderly. When the kiss was done, Macintosh smiled slightly and looked over towards the stairs, whispering "So...want to go make memories?"

Twilight giggled, blushing as she looked over as well. She whispered as they started to make their way over towards the stairs "You know...usually I'd be freaking out about this...being overly nervous. That and the fact that there's no way I'd let a thing like this happen so early in a relationship....but..."

She trailed off, leaving Big Macintosh to whisper gently "But...what?"

Twilight shook her head, smiling as she whispered...

"All hail the end of the world..."

~*~

"Everypony up! Time to go!" came the shouts of several Lunar Guards who galloped around the farm, rousing sleeping ponies up. All around, the groans and growling of ponies could be heard as the train gave off a loud huff of steam, its pre-track sequence being initiated by the train-crew. In the hay loft of the barn...Twilight stared at the far wall to her right, her cheek pressed up against the still partially sweating neck of Big Macintosh. She was sore, she ached, but oh she was so HAPPY. It was the happiest she had been in ages...sharing the most intimate moment of her life with a stallion at the end of the world was something that she would hang onto for a long time. She wouldn't even care if they were attacked right now...she could die happy after this.

"Twi', Macintosh!" Applejack shouted from below "Ya'll done tusslin'!? They're loadin' everypony up on the train! We gotta go!" Macintosh let out a deep sigh, his eyes tearing themselves away from a spot on the ceiling and settling downwards on Twilight.

"You awake?" he whispered, nuzzling her gently.

"Mmmhmm...." Twilight breathed, drawing in an apple-scented breath through her nose and exhaling it.

"We gotta get up...trains leaving" he smiled, watching as Twilight groaned and rolled off of him slowly.

She slowly got to her hooves but winced as she tried to walk, her legs moving awkwardly as she moved towards the stairs. Macintosh couldn't help but chuckle, blushing like mad as Twilight growled "Not a word outta you...ugh, I'm not gonna be able to walk for a week..."

"Ah could carry you if that'd make you feel better" Macintosh whispered, to which Twilight merely chuckled and shook her head.

They joined a sly-looking Applejack below, the country mare quickly leading them out of the barn and around to the back where a steady stream of pony's were boarding the twenty-car-thick train. "Ah put us in the caboose" Applejack said as they approached the rear car "More privacy that way, ya know?" The two of them nodded, moving inside the open door of the car and turning into the living area.

"Hey Twilight!" Spike said from one of the bunk beds lining the walls, his eyes weary but happy to see her. Catie waved from her own bunk opposite of Spike, while Rarity simply greeted them with a small nod and a smile from the aisle.

"Good to see you darling...how are your legs?" Rarity mused, giggling as Macintosh blushed an even deeper shade of red.

"Rarity...not in front of the little ones!" Twilight whispered in horror, her own blush showing on her face "How did you...how did you even know?!"

"Well..." Rarity giggled, walking up and whispering in Twilight's ear "Me and Applejack thought that it was just too...'juicy', of an opportunity to miss. I must say...he seems to have worked his work-horse status well..."

Twilight wanted to bury her head in a hole somewhere, her glare turning to Applejack as she whispered "Why did YOU listen in!?"

Applejack simply chuckled, patting Macintosh on the back as she said "Wanted to make sure the boy here was treatin' ya right...and by the sounds of things, he treated you reaaaaal good..."

The two lovers grimaced, giving each other a look as Applejack and Rarity moved down the car, picking bunks for themselves. Macintosh led Twilight down the corridor, stopping to greet and hug the two little ones, and moved to the near rear of the car. They sat in the aisle, holding each other as a voice from the front of the car shouted back towards them "Hey!" The group looked to the front to see Shadow-Mane poking his head into the car, a smile on his face "Our unicorn's are just about ready to blast another hole in the shield, after that we'll be going straight on to Canterlot! Luna will be wanting to see you once you arrive, but take all the time you wish, ok?"

Everypony and Spike nodded, settling back into a relaxing state as the hum of magic whirred in the air. "They'll notice this..." Rarity whimpered, looking out towards Ponyville.

"Yes...but by the time they do we'll be long gone" Twilight whispered, nuzzling cheek into Macintosh's chest and sighing. The train gave a sudden lurch forward, the engine howling with life as a ripple of magical energy passed over Twilight's skin. A massive discharge of magic could be heard, thudding loudly against what Twilight knew to be the shield Celestia had put up, and with wide, happy eyes...Twilight watched the barrier of the shield pass by the window.

They were free...

Behind them, the shield closed back up, leaving Ponyville utterly abandoned...except for the waves of Afflicted that had begun running out towards Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight sighed, happy that they were finally free of Infection...free of the Afflicted...free of death. She stared out the window at the sight of Ponyville...the edge of the Everfree Forest....

....and the glint of yellow armor that caught her eye right on its edge. Her eyes widened as she lit up her horn, her ability to use magic now unrestricted and free of danger. A simple 'Eagle-Eye' spell...yes...that would do the trick. She quietly moved out of the hold of her lover, letting off her spell and watching as her vision magnified tenfold. She peered closely at the edge of the Everfree forest...and gasped. There, standing together, were two of the Royal Guard...Celestia's Guard...

What were they doing there?! Were they spying for her?! If that was the case...that must mean the bunker was in..

"The Everfree Forest..." Twilight whispered in awe, watching as the guards quickly turned and galloping into the dense barrier of trees. She narrowed her eyes as she watched them go, her mind drawing in several conclusions but centering on just one. Celestia was in there...the source of all her agonizing pain...all her misery.

She couldn't leave it alone...if Celestia was there and the virus was there...this might be her only chance to kill it and kill her. The only way to secure the future of Equestria and ensure the virus didn't spread again was to kill Princess Celestia...and destroy that bunker.

She looked back towards the rest of the car, watching as her friends fell asleep in their bunks...their minds clear and free of worry and danger. And then...she looked towards Big Macintosh who stared back with a look of worry on his face, his voice a quiet whisper. "What's wrong...everything ok?" he asked, putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

She smiled, a small glimmer of tears forming at the base of her eyes as she whimpered "Macintosh...remember when you said you gave me your heart...that you'd come back for it?"

The work horse nodded slowly, nervousness creeping into his brain as he said "Eeyup...but...why do you ask?"

Twilight slid into his hooves, hugging him tightly and whispering "Would you believe me if I told you the same thing...if I told you I'd come back for you...for everyone?"

"Of course Twilight...but wh-"

She never heard the end of his sentence...for the glow of magenta around her cut off all sound. She had stepped back away from Macintosh to quickly ignite herself with Magic, teleporting herself outside the train and onto the fields of grass near it. She let the tears run free as she watched the train go by, a look of guilt but of determination on her face. She should of said something to him...said at least anything. But no...all she gave to him was a silent promise. A promise that she would be coming back.

"I love you..." she whispered to the train as it sped away, her gaze finally turning towards the Everfree Forest.

She said these words, her mind clear and focused on her goal.

She knew what she had to do...and had left Big Macintosh with the only words she had left for him.

A promise...a heart...a future...

A Goodbye.