After Nathan met the rebels, he went straight home. It already being after Curfew, and him not wanting to be caught outside by the guards. He got home, and went to bed. The next morning he woke up, and got ready for school . Immediately after walking outside, he noticed a parcel on the door step. Being the curious foal he was, he went up and poked at it with his hoof. Upon closer inspection of the package, he noticed that there was no return address. Nathan picked up the box with his teeth, and carried it back inside. He tore at the tape, and opened the parcel. Inside were 10 bits, and a note.

The note read:

Meet me at the place where your father was taken. At midnight, tonight.

Nathan stared at the note in disbelief. "Midnight? But that's after curfew. I can't be out at that time. I have a family to be here," he suddenly cut off his sentence, remembering that his family was gone. He swallowed and walked out the door for school.

He skipped the market entirely that day, after school. There was no need to go, he had enough money for at least two weeks. Walking home from school, his head was in the clouds, and he kept biting his upper lip. Nathan was worried about what he would encounter, at midnight. He finally made it to his door, and decided to try to sleep before midnight. First though, he set one of the many old grandfather clocks to go off at midnight, and he then crawled into bed. At exactly midnight, the clock chimed and Nathan jumped out of bed. He grabbed his orange vest, and headed out the door. He knew the way to the street that he had waited for his father on that faithful night. After walking just a short distance, he arrived to the location. Waiting there was Fritz.

"I knew you'd come, even if it meant breaking curfew. You have balls kid, I could tell when I first met you. I told you to meet me here, for one reason. The two ponies that we are going to go after first, are the one's that attacked and took your father. THEY CAN NOT CONTINUE TO DO THIS, AND THINK THAT NO PONY WILL STAND UP TO THEM, Fritz shouted, his face red and full of anger.

Nathan took a breath and said, "I didn't know becoming a part of this meant that I would, would have to kill. I don't want to hurt another pony. They don't deserve that. No matter what somepony does, they do not deserve death."

Fritz looked at Nathan, nodded once, and said "I was wrong. You don't have balls. You're just a coward. You disgust me. After all these bucking guards took away, from you, you still won't stand up to them. We don't need you. We will find somepony else.

Nathan looked worried, started to say something, thought better of it, and instead swallowed a lump in his throat. He then turned to Fritz and said " No, I do want to get them back. Believe me when I say that I do. I'm just scared. I didn't know we would have to commit acts of violence. You have to understand, I am younger than anyone in the group."

Fritz sighed, "You're right. I'm sorry, for yelling. Sometimes little one, violence is the answer. How about this, you help us get into the guards base of operation, and we will do the rest."

Nathan nodded. And walked away into the night, back to his house. He silently pondered over things, on his walk home, and came up with the conclusion that he did have a family again. He smiled to himself. At least a little ray of sunlight was appearing in his life again. As he thought this, a flashback suddenly occurred.

"See little sis, you can do it,"Nathan remarked, as he watched Elisabeth fly her kite for the first time. It wasn't much of a kite, really. Just a sheet tied to a string with sticks bracing the sheet, but it was all they had. Elisabeth seemed to enjoy it, at least. She was skipping through the forlorn looking meadow, with it's dying grass, and lack of flowers, with a big grin on her face, and head titled up to watch the kite fly. "I'm doing it! I'm really doing it," exclaimed Elisabeth. "I know, look at you go," Nathan remarked. He sat on the grass and watched his exuberant little sister, have the time of her life. "One day, she'll realize that this world isn't all sunshine and giggles. That little smile will fade, and the happiness will leave her eyes. I want to try to make sure that day never comes," thought Nathan.

Author's Note

The next chapter will be published after the first episode of Season 5. The protagonist in that episode will be making an appearance in the story.