Rainbow Dash lay down on her cloud overlooking Ponyville and sighed. It had been nearly a month since the Incident, and she still felt that it was her fault. She had just stood there as one of her friends died, one that had just saved her, and she was unable to do anything.
“Rainbow?” Rainbow Dash slowly turned her head around.
“Oh. Hey Thunderlane.” She replied dismally.
Thunderlane winced. Rainbow felt something deep inside want to say sorry, but she couldn’t care less right now.
“Sorry. It’s just… I have to clear the skies today and…”
Rainbow looked around and, true to his word, Thunderlane had cleared the rest of the sky. “Of course.” She said, and flew off of the cloud onto the ground, starting toward Sugarcube Corner.
Applejack kicked the tree again, harder this time. She gritted her teeth at the pain and kicked again. There was a sudden splintering sound, and she looked behind her to see the tree nearly split in half. Just then, a hoof touched her shoulder. She looked forward again and looked into Big Mac’s eyes. For a few seconds, a silent battle waged between the two siblings before Applejack sighed and gave up. She went to Ponyville with her head facing the ground the entire time.
Angel Bunny looked at Fluttershy lying on the couch sadly (yes, he could do that), and decided she needed to go visit her friends. He jumped on top of her and pointed toward the door. Fluttershy just looked at him morosely. Angel gave her his best ‘I’m doing this for your own good’ look and started pushing her out the door. Fluttershy eeped in surprise before Angel pushed her outside and closed the door behind her. Fluttershy sighed and looked at the ground. ‘I guess I do need to visit my friends. I need to be strong for them.’ She thought, walking towards Sugarcube Corner.
Rarity threw the cloth away. “No no no no no!” She yelled franticly, mane frazzled and wrinkled.
“I can’t be a be a dressmaker if I cut a millimeter off the line! Out of all the worst possible things, this is the worst! Possible! Thing!”
She threw her hooves on her head and started crying. She decided right then and there she needed a break and maybe some food. She went outside and started to walk toward Sugarcube Corner.
The four friends met outside the door and, nodding in agreement, opened the door and walked inside.
Pinkie was having much the same trouble as her friends. Not able to concentrate on her work, she either burnt or ruined whatever she tried to make. The Cakes had sent her up to her room and told her to get some rest, saying they’d take care of everything. Right then, Mrs. Cake called up to Pinkie.
“Dearie, your friends are here to see you.”
Pinkie a piece of flattened hair out of her face and, putting a forced smile that looked more creepy than happy with her flat hair, went downstairs. Her friends greeted her with only a nod or two. They sat at one of the tables dejectedly until Fluttershy spoke up.
“I-I was thinking maybe…”
“Maybe what, dear?” Rarity asked.
“Maybe… we c-could go to t-that hill we used to when-when” She fell silent.
“Ah think that’s a great idea.”
“I’ll go.”
“Count me in.”
“I shall come along as well.”
They all agreed in unison, and then looked around at each other and giggled a bit before they became sober again, getting out of their chairs and walking outside. They trudged in the direction of the Everfree forest, getting slight stares from passersby until they finally reached the hill next to the forest. They sat there for a while, saying nothing. A slightly red-eyed and sniffling Spike joined them a few minutes before sunset. And that’s right about when they heard the scream.
++
A black mist seeped out of the cracks in an alleyway. Once I get the element of magic, Twilight Sparkle’s friends will no longer be able to stand up against me. Then it heard the scream, and felt along with it, a familiar resonance. What!? I killed her! There’s no way she could have survived the dark magic I gave her! The thing grumped. Things just got a lot harder…
