This is War

Pain, that was the first thing that Twilight felt as she struggled to regain conciseness. it hurts! she wanted to say but all that came out of her mouth was a painful moan. Her wings felt like they had been chewed by crocodiles, her left foreleg may be broken; sharp pains wrap around her body, and her head rings like a hammer landed on her horn. She needs to open her eyes, she needs to see her surroundings, but the pain is just too much.

All Twilight wanted at that moment was to go back to rest. Her body was all too glad to agree as she felt herself getting tired. No...Need to open my eyes...Need to find, friends, she pointed out to herself, but her determination was outmatched by pure exhaustion. Then came a voice, a voice that her pain filled ears didn't allow her to recognize, nor could she tell the tune of the voice, Twilight could only hear the words.

"This cannot be, is that an Alicorn that I see."

Everything went blank as Twilight finally fell back into sleep's embrace.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes as she slowly stood up, What the hay happened? She looked at her surroundings. Oak trees covered most of her view. The thick layers of leaves are letting in very little light, although she was able to see the sun setting through a small clearing overhead. This wasn't the Everfree Forest, but it was still creepy.

Dash then felt a small jolt of pain on her side, she turned to her left wing to see if it was broken. Luckily it was only bruised; she can still fly with it. After all, she had worse injuries during her training for the Wanderbolts. With no other injuries she decided to look out into the wilderness again to try to see if anything was familiar, but before the pegasus even looked beyond the first tree, she heard a bush rustle.

Turning to her right, Rainbow instinctively got on all four of her hooves and positioned herself in a  battle stance that was drilled in her head. Her back legs ready to jump either towards or away from the potential threat, her right foreleg hanging in the air ready an uppercut if needed, and her left leg is stiff for balance but slightly crouched encase she needs to doge to the right to avoid an attack.

The bush continued to shake, the rustling continued to get louder. What is it? Rainbow nervously asked herself. It seems to be alone, and it was too small to be a mantacore; so its ether a lone timberwolf, or a cockatrice. She shuddered of the possibility of facing anything that could eat her or simply turn her to stone, but then a small ray of hope entered her mind as she thought of another possibility, maybe its another pony.

"H-Hello, anypony there?" Rainbow said to the sound in the bushes.

As the rustling quickened a second sound came from the bushes. "Ow, Rainbow? Is, ow, is that you?" Said the sound of a very familiar posh voice. Then out of the bushes came a white unicorn mare with a purple mane and three demands for a cutie mark, her entire body covered with sticks, leaves, dirt, and some tree sap.

"Rarity!" Rainbow shouted with joy as she ran up to her friend. "Mare, am I glad to see you!"

"And I'm glad to see you to, Rainbow Dash." Rarity happily replied, almost being tackled by Rainbow. The two gave a small, yet firm, hug as if they haven't seen each other for years.

Rarity let go of Rainbow to continue the conversation. "After waking up in a bramble bush, and practically digging though all of those filthy branches, I'm delighted to be in a clearing at last, and with a friendly face no less.", she said as if it was a bad dream.

"Yeah," Rainbow said as she then stared up to the ceiling of leaves thoughtfully, which concerned the white unicorn. Rainbow Dash isn't one to think too hard unless the situation called for it. Rainbow then started to look around the forest carefully, and Rarity did the same. The forest was getting darker by the minute as the sun was still setting, many stars are already in the sky and a full moon came from the corner of the clearing.

The cyan-blue pegasus decided to bring up a question that has been bugging her since she woke up. "Hey Rarity, you wouldn't happen to know where we are, do you?"

"I'm sorry darling, I don't." Rarity answered, her eyes looking grave.

This gave Rainbow's face a ping of disappointment, then her eyes widened as a thought entered her mind, she smiled childishly. "You know what this means don't you?", she smirked.

"That we are hopelessly lost with my mane and coat in ruins and our friends nowhere in sight?" The fashionista said, clearly confused. "I'm having trouble understanding why you think in this particular situation has anything positive at the moment."

The smile only grew on Rainbow's face, "We are in the middle of a mysterious forest with no supplies and no help. So we need to use our own skills and wit for, possibly, our own survival." Her eyes were sparkling at this point as Rarity started getting the idea, "This is just like the beginning of one of Daring Do's adventures!" She squealed as her inner fan girl appeared for a second before returning her attention to her friend, who was rolling her eyes.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash." Rarity sighed, it took all her strength not to facehoof herself.

"Ok," Rainbow said after a second of calming down from her excitement, "in all seriousness, we first need to-"

  "MOVE IT SCUMBAG!"

Both ponies flinched at the sudden and hostile new voice from the opposite direction from where Rarity first appeared. They then turned to each other both a bit frightened, Rainbow moved her right hoof and tapped it on her mouth requesting silence, Rarity was all to eager to nod in agreement. Rainbow then jerked her head in the diration of the voice and started crawling into the bushes, the white unicorn fallowed coping her movements as accurately as possible trying not to make any noise.

Rarity's teeth grinned in frustration as more of her fur and mane became worse than they have before, then opened her mouth as if she was about to cry in pain as a thorn found it's way into her shoulder but keep quiet, she knew it wasn't worth getting discovered for. As they got closer, they soon heard muttering, which sounded like somepony is complaining, then hoof steps could be heard. The muttering became more like voices as they neared their destination, one tired yet commanding male voice was heard, "All right Windy, we'll stop here."

"Yes!" A younger male shouted though the bushes, "My hooves were killing me." As he said this Rainbow Dash and Rarity found a break in the think bushes, much to Rarity's relief. However, the rainbow mane pegasus was still cautious trying not to be seen.

The two can see six ponies, five of them being in Royal Guard armor and surrounding a single pony in a black hood and cloth. However, there was something strange about the armor the guards wore, Rainbow noticed that the armor looked like it was made of silver instead of the standard gold in the moonlight.

Three of them had some kind of cloth that could be seen underneath the armor as well as a hood that covered there heads. she also found crossbows laid on their backs supported by strange arm-like metal bars on their left sides, and the bolts on their right side for easy reach.

Rainbow switched her gaze at another pony, the earth pony seemed to have the thickest armor with the plating covering the entire body, the only thing that she could tell that it was alive was the green eyes, light grey mouth, and ears poking though the helmet. On his right side was a large sword hanging on a belt, on his left he had a small shield that was tight around the elbow of his foreleg.

The last guard was a unicorn with his horn showing though his helmet. Wile his armor wasn't as thick as the sword stallion, as there are gaps between the plating, the experienced look in his sea blue eyes were demanding respect. He also had a sword on his side, though it was smaller than the other pony's, but just barely. All the guards were carrying saddlebags and started to unpack what looked like tent cloth.

Rarity turned to Dash with a questioning look in her eyes. "Rainbow, your training in the guard, have you seen that kind of armor before?" she whispered.

Dash only returned the same face to replay, "No, never, there completely new to me." She looked at the guards again. "There weapons are strange too, the prince said that we've rarely ever needed a crossbow, only in emergencies like a hoofed robbery, and I've only heard of swords used by griffons since ponies never needed them any more after thousand years of peace."

Rarity was slightly taken at back by her friend's knowledge, but then she reasoned that it is necessary in order to join the guard. The unicorn nodded, and they both went back to study the strangers, who are in the middle of setting up there camp with surprising speed. Two of the crossbow ponies, both Earth ponies, are standing guard looking for danger, wile the rest finished setting up three tents.

Within two minutes all three are set up and a small fire was burning in the middle. The unicorn walked up to his stallions, "Well done, now since Windy is the one to suggest we rest," he turned to a crossbow tan Pegasus "you'll be on first watch, is that understood?"

Rainbow half expected 'Windy' to protest, but instead he saluted and responded with, "Yes sir." before walking to the edge of the camp and just stood there wile the rest of the guard started to enter the tents. Until the armored stallion stopped in front of his tent and looked at the black cloaked pony, who was between two of the tents, with some sort of resentment.

Then he started to walk towards the figure, a smile on his face. Rainbow watched, unsettled by the situation.something bad is going to happen, I know it, she thought. As the stallion got closer she started to get eager to tackle him to stop whatever he was going to do. "Halt!", both Rainbow and Rarity nearly jumped when they heard the yell, they looked slightly to the left behind the armored pony. The unicorn was just staring at the scene, disapproval all over his visible face.

The armored pony just simply stopped, and turned to his leader, his face expressionless. The unicorn walked up to him until he was almost able to touch the earth pony's face. "We already discussed this, Thunder, she needs to be able to walk in order for her to get to the fort to face her trial." Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the word, Fort? The equestrian guard never needed a fort unless for training, and definitely not for holding prisoners.. She decided to just continue watching, the argument already is attracting attention from the other guards.

"Lieutenant Steel," 'Thunder' said, showing no resentment, "with all due respect sir. I request that I may continue in 'treating' this trader."

'Lieutenant Steel' only continued to stare down at the pony coldly before giving his answer, "No. Why? Because we, a simple portal of five, got lucky to find only two Night Stalkers, and I am not willing to risk being discovered by the enemy, because of your petty need for revenge!" his voice nearly cracked in anger as he said that last word.

Thunder was about to speck when they all hear a low, slow giggle. The giggle slowly turned into a loud laugh from the cloaked pony like she was a mad mare. "Revenge?" she said in a very familiar voice, "You want revenge? for what, your sister, brother, mother, or maybe your son?"

Rarity had her mouth open as she made the connection of the voice. "No..." she whispered in disbelief.

Rainbow was in the same state, "It cant be..."

The black pony decided to reid herself of the hood, reviling a green mint coat with darker green mane except for the white stripe though it. However, the most surprising feature was her golden eyes, filled with hate and anger. "I have more reason to kill you all." she continued "You murdered my friend!"

Both Rainbow and Rarity gasp, as there minds started working though the shock. They turned to each other, and said at the exact same time "Lyra!?!"

Fluttershy was walking though a beautiful meadow. Flowers dancing in the wind, Celestia's sun shining proudly in the sky, and both her pony and animal friends and playing all around her. Though, that was not the best part of today.

"I got it!" barked a little female dog, who was chasing a twig flying though the air. The dog ran, and ran, until the twig started to fall. She jumped, and grabbed the twig between her jaws.

"Good catch, Winona." Applejack cheered, once Winona returned. She didn't know when her friends could speak to there pets, but Fluttershy didn't care. Seeing Rainbow Dash talking to Tank about the next Daring Do book, Rarity and Opal salving there issues, she didn't know what Pinkie and Gummy were talking about, and Twilight with Owlowiscious reading there books under a tree. This was paradise.

"Hey, Fluttershy." she felt a little furry paw tug her mane. She turned around to see a small white rabbit. Fluttershy know Angel since his birth and has been taking care of him most of his life. Most ponies think that Angel abuses her to no end, but that isn't true, wile he is bossy he can also be very nice and protective of Fluttershy.

"Oh, hello Angel, isn't it a beautiful day." Fluttershy said as she leaned forward and nuzzled the little bunny. Angel, though, jumped away and ran up to her side, pushing her with surprising strength. "Goodness, I had no idea you were so strong." the timid Pegues.

Angel stopped pushing and looked at Fluttershy what seemed to be concern. "I'm sorry Fluttershy," he said, his voice almost shaking. "But you need to wake up!" the bunny started to spit out a trail of lime green fire towards Fluttershy.

Fluttershy screamed in terror and tried to run from the fire, only to crash into a metal bar. After rubbing her head to help with the pain, she looked behind her to see Spike sitting with a relieved look on his face. "Spike? What is going on? Why..." that is when she heard the laughing.

All around her ponies were laughing at the timid pony for hitting herself. Ponies carrying spears, swords, helmets, and varies other objects stuffed in bags. Fluttershy cowered behind Spike in an attempt to hide form the ponies outside their, cage? "S-Spike, what is going on?" she asked.

"I don't know," the dragon answered his voice full of worry, "I just woke up just a minute ago." The laughing started to die down a bit, so Fluttershy decided to peak out of her hiding spot to get a better look. However she couldn't see the landscape because it was so dark, but she did notice that their cage was moving. Fluttershy also noticed that there were at lest ten ponies walking around the cage, each either carrying stuffed saddlebags or a wagon filled with shiny-sharp items. Her heart started to thump faster.

"Hey." Fluttershy jumped with a 'eep' when a midnight blue mare flew to her cage out of nowhere. The pony only giggled at the pegasus's fear, showing a her four, fangs? Not only fangs, but she also noticed catlike pupils in her bright orange eyes, and on the pony's shoulders were a pair of bat wings. "Aww, look at that," she stated to the other ponies, "our little gest is a little scared of me." Most of the others chuckled with her, some just rolled their eyes.

Fluttershy could hardly believe it, a bat pony. Like most ponies, she only heard rumors of the mysterious race. However, it was a fact that they did exist, they just kept to themselves with an exception or two. The pony looked at her again, a strange hunger in her eyes. Fluttershy backed away from her as much as possible, quickly followed by Spike.

The mare smiled again, landed beside the cage, still looking at her and the dragon. However, the eyes she now carries are now examining the shy pony, "Your a strange one you know that?"

"W-What do you mean?" Fluttershy said, her fear being absorbed by curiosity.

"Well, its not every day that you find a pony passed out and sleeping with a dragon in the middle of a clearing." the strange pony explained, "I mean, it's as if you came out of no where, no trails, no signs of a crash, nothing." She then narrows her eyes at the shy pegasus, humming thoughtfully as she gave another toothy grin. Next, she licked her lips, which sent a chill down Fluttershy's spine "You know, it has been awhile since I last ate."

She's going to eat me! Fluttershy thought, trying to back away further, however her back is already at the edge of the cage. Spike walked up in front of her and spread his arms out trying to protect her, "Y-You leave her alone!" he said as bravely as he could make himself.

Again the mare laughed, only more cheerful, as if somepony made a joke. "Thi-This is just too easy!" the pony said, continuing to laugh even harder. Fluttershy felt her heart slow down at the knowledge that she wasn't in immediate danger, Spike however, was obviously angered "That wasn't funny!" he said with a stern tone.

"Just leave her be.", both of the captives turned to the front of the cage to see a earth pony stallion pulling it. He had a light brown coat and a short, but wild, black mane, and his cute mark was a simple stamp. His blue eyes looked at the two, a board expression on his face "Moonshine likes to scar ponies half to death, that is how she says hello, and how she gets entertainment."

'Moonshine' that was the bat pony's name. Fluttershy looked at Moonshine when she stopped laughing "Oh come on, I was about to introduce myself. Besides, what's the harm in scaring them a little." she said rolling her eyes.

"Nothing," the kind pony replied, "I just don't want her to faint in front of the boss, you know how scary he can be when he wants to." After hearing a sigh from Moonshine, he looked back to in front of him and continued to walk, not noticing the shy peguses wince.

A pony that these ponies are afraid of. Fluttershy thought. It was scary enough to be in a cage, surrounded by ponies that are sacked with weapons, and a bat pony that may or not eat other living things for fun. However, to hear that their leader might be more frightening than all of them combined was terrifying. She turned to Spike with pleading eyes, "What is going to happen to us?" she whispered.

"I don't know Fluttershy" he whispered back, his eyes filled with fear, and his voice full of pity. He sat down beside her, Fluttershy thought he had a good idea and laid with him, tired of standing for so long.

That was when Moonshine retuned, Fluttershy didn't even knew that she flew off. She gave one last playful look at the two she disappeared as she flew over the cage. Judging by the two subtle thumps on the wooden roof, Moonshine landed on top of the cage and was laying down. "You two have the right idea." she said yawning, "It will be sun rise by the time we get home so rest up, because you have a long day ahead of you." after that all the two could hear of the bat pony was quiet snoring.

Fluttershy sighed, Moonshine was right, it is late and she was tired. She laid her head down, she also felt the rough scales of Spike laying on her as a pillow, though she didn't care, and fell asleep, wondering where her other friends are.

Applejack was tired of walking. Ever since she and Pinkie Pie awoke, with Pinkie on top of her, in the middle of nowhere of some desert, they've been walking trying to find civilization. When they woken up the sun was starting to set behind a plateau, now the moon was almost in the center of the night sky making the rocky desert cold as winter.

The farm pony couldn't help but notice Pinkie, the most energetic pony she knew, getting tired and shivered in the cold. "It'll be alright, sugarcube. Soon we'll be out 'a here, Applelussa can't be too far."

"I know," Pinkie said, before sighing, "but why did Dissy do this? I mean, I know that we asked for it when he said he wanted help. But, why can't he just tell us what was wrong," Pinkie's mane started to slightly deflate as she said, "aren't we his friends?"

Applejack couldn't help but pity her normally happy friend, she and Discord have good friends even before Terik's attack; together they played games, and made the best of parties, she tried to be as close as a friend to Discord as Fluttershy was.

Applejack thought of all the times she herself has been with the Draconequus. They never seen eye to eye, Discord was still a chaotic being that brings disorder where ever he goes. Whenever he came to visit the Apple farm, he always tried to 'help' with something; have them grow legs to have them walk to the basket, which defeat the meaning of the work; changed the apple's taste to 'improve' it, and much more.

She knew that she was stubborn and that wasn't anymore true even after his reformation. Applejack felt that he needed a short leash for what he did to her and her friends, even after Discord help recapture Terik she didn't fully trusted him. It wasn't until Appleboom convinced her to put aside her pride and give him a chance a month ago.

Applejack looked at Pinkie and saw her falling behind, the poor party pony wasn't used to walking for long distances in long periods of time. She herself had the fortune of working on an apple farm, as she had to buck trees and carry the apples to the cellar. Applejack decided to walk slower for her pink friend, but was caught off guard when Pinkie leans into her for support her eyes closed.

"Are ya okay Pinkie Pie?" Applejack asked, her voice full of worry.

Pinkie's eyes then shot open, shaking her head violently in an attempt to remain awake. "Yeah I'm fine" she muttered, however she still seemed to have the issue of keeping the pair of tried eyes open.

Applejack only glared at her, "Pinkie, ah am just as tried as you, no need ta lie." Seeing the look of shame on Pinkie's face she added "Hey now, don't ya fret none, we'll find shelter then we'll git ta Appeloosa." And once we get back ta Ponyville, I'm gonna give Discord a piece of ma mind! she thought bitterly.

Pinkie's expression brightened slightly. Glad to reassure her friend, the farm pony looked on ahead to the distance to look for just that, shelter.

The two continued to walk for what seems like forever, as Luna's moon rises higher to the night sky. Applejack was about to give up when something caught her eye. "Hey Pinkie, ah think ah've..." she looked for her friend, and found her laying on the ground, sound asleep. "Pinkie," Applejack said as she nudged sleeping pony "awake up, ah think I've found us a good sleepn' spot."

Pinkie's head lifted up slowly, one of her ears tilted in confusion "Umm, what?" her eyes weren't even half opened yet.

"Ah said," the farm pony restarted "that ah think that I've found a place to rest, thata way." she said pointing to there right.

almost as soon as she picked the direction, Pinkie gained a new surge of energy and started fast trotting on the path. Applejack had to use what bit of life in her legs she had left just to keep up.

It wasn't a long trip, but it was still tiring for two ponies without sleep. Once they've reached the location, both of them found a slop that leads down all the way to a wall of rock that boxes in the area below them. However, in the middle of the boxed canyon were  dark green levees dancing in the night wind.

"Trees!" Pinkie cheered though her sleepiness. Applejack just stared in amazement, trees in the desert protected by underground wall of earth from the sandstorms, and get easy access to water, and a ramp like slop for ponies to easily walk down to the small forest, but why?

Both mares walked down to their temporary new home, there Applejack learned the answer to her question. Underneath almost every tree was some scattered apples. "It's an apple orchard." she muttered, relieved to find something familiar to her.

Pinkie walked behind one of the trees, once she returned she dropped a basket from her mouth. "And where there is an orchard," she reasoned, "there are ponies!" Pinkie Squeaked with excitement, only to yawn afterward.

Applejack quietly chuckled, "How about we get some needed rest, sugarcube." She walked past her friend to an apple tree, its branches covered almost all of the night sky giving a sense of security, "Right here seems ta be a good spot." she said as she laid her head to the chilly, yet soft, ground.

She heard a few hoofsteps as Pinkie got closer to their sleeping spot, then she felt an extra coat rub against her own. More out of curiosity than anything, she looked up to see Pinkie curled up like a cat right next to her. Applejack was glad that one of her friends was with her to keep her company, but she saw that Pinkie's eyes weren't only still open, they were looking into the distance in either sorrow or deep thought, she couldn't tell.

Out of worry for her friend Applejack asked "What's been botherin' ya, Pinkie? Ya look worry sick."

Pinkie turned her head to face her. Now that she had a good look, Applejack saw tears starting to form in the eyes of her friend, "Wi-will we be able to see our friends again?"

The question caught her off guard, will they? The land that they've found themselves in seems very similar to the desert around Appleoosa, but that didn't mean that they are anywhere near it. Not only that, but it is most likely that there friends are in the same problem as she and Pinkie, only farther way.

Her answer didn't come easily, "I don't know Pinkie, I honestly don't know." she said looking away from her friend and shutting her eyes, feeling her own tears run down her face.