Chapter 4 ~ Resulting Regrets

The ponies tried to salvage as much as they could from the situation but what remained of the caravan after the attack was very little. The ground beneath the wagons had caved in. Those that weren't sunk by rocks and sand had their axles broken, their wheels torn off or something different. They had managed to get the guards' wagon up again, although there was a gaping hole in the middle of it's floor and the the roof had a large crack, thanks to falling right into another wagon. Frisbee and Windsight had put on the harnesses and pulled the wagon farther.

Inside the coach, the wounded had been laid and for once Stardust had proven a bit useful, as she had treated them all with what still remained of their medical equipment. The others looked still at her with scorn, since she evidently had done nothing during the attack aside from running.

Right now, though, there were matters more important to be handled. Sunset had exchanged the barding for a simpler cloak and a bandage was wrapped around her head, covering her right eye as well as the back of it. She still felt pretty light headed but it didn't matter. She stood by the Captain's side. The stallion laid on his bed in the back of the wagon. The seemingly uncomfortable bed that was, when one had spent a considerable amount of time to settle in, actually pretty comfortable. His face was expressionless as he looked at the ceiling, almost as if he hadn't even noticed the other pony there.

"The ward that went off first," Sunset began, her voice toned down, "was the one beneath Fine Clouds' wagon. They took him and Seeing Sight. Then they managed to take Sweetroll. If Dry Soil hadn't rallied the rest they would've gotten them, too."

He breathed in deeply, "Didn't think he had it in him," he stated, not really bothering to put any strength in his voice.

"Yeah, he thought the same," Sunset answered, "Him and the others want to train to fight now," she said, "and in the meantime Copper has taken over navigation duties."

He nodded silently, "Well, we're not lost then."

Sunset looked at him, "Truth is, Captain...he's doing a really good job. Might be because the diamond dogs are gone or there are less magic users about but the leylines have cleared. Apparently the source of water is the Oaktongue and we should be there soon."

The Captain's head turned a bit, just enough to look at her, "Never heard of it."

Sunset chuckled, "Captain, Captain, Captain...what do you know?" she asked. It wasn't as condescending as the other times, more a friendly jab. He cracked a bit of a smile himself.

"I haven't either ever heard of it. But it should be drinkable if the leylines are to be trusted," the mare then added.

"Well, they aren't sentient so they can't lie."

Sunset nodded.

"Also, you damn filly, you take the lead till my shoulder has healed."

There was a moment of silence which was then followed by a flat "What?" from Sunset as she stared at him.

"Fractured shoulder. That tribe leader sure could swing his stick. Stardust couldn't treat that too well. I won't die but if we don't meet another caravan in the coming days or weeks I'll be unable to continue my duty as captain. Until that happens though, you act as my stand-in. You always wanted that, right?"

The mare looked at the Captain, her captain. "Yeah."

"Just, why are you so against me leading us?" he asked. He saw it on her face, this moment was the one to sort it all out.

"I've..." she started, "Well, how to start." The mare was scratching her chin with the hoof. "Ah, yes. Your tactics aren't breathtaking, your speeches aren't convincing and I find your mane annoying."

"Says the one with the green hair."

"Shut up," she said, though cracked another smile after a few seconds.

The Captain nodded to all the other points, though, much to Sunset's surprise. "We'll see if you do better, okay?" he asked.

Sunset didn't immediately salute, instead she commenting further: "One more thing...you forget those we lost."

The Captain sighed, as she added, "You don't keep a journal. You hardly do anything to get to know the ponies around you. You even forgot Summernight, right after you two were...married."

It was harder for her to say that than for him to hear that. The Captain didn't remember a Summernight Dream in his life, not ever, then again, he didn't remember much of his life either.

"Sunset...do you know why I call myself the Captain?"

"Because of your pompous ego I assume," she spoke with a brutal honesty.

He raised an eyebrow, then shook his head, "You know..." The Captain began but then stopped before abandoning the idea that he'd ever get along with Sunset."Yeah, my ego, definitely," the stallion uttered in a defeated voice. "You can leave."

When he'd get out off bed he'd give her such a buck to the face that she would never say something like that again. As the unicorn left the room he still grumbled to himself about how much he hated her. Probably that would never go away and rather than really try to figure her out, instead violence would do the job for the Captain. Just once in his life he wanted to solve a problem with violence alone.

Counting Copper was good with money, a skill he had learned to utilize well and that had made him infamous up in the north. So much that some ponies had gone to ridiculous ends just to get him to stay away from their homes. He never told Windsight, though and never intended to do that. All he had wanted back then was to go south, become rich overnight and live the rest of his days out surrounded by walls of wood and with fresh water always nearby. How he had ended up fighting for his dear life and then navigating a caravan through what he presumed to be the remains of the legendary Appleloosa was well beyond the blue unicorn.

He sat on the edge of the guard wagon, staring at the two pegasi before him. The battered Frisbee still seemed to have more strength left than his marefriend. Sometimes he wondered if she even was a pony, with that unholy stamina and strength of hers. If Frisbee ever joined with the goddesses she'd probably take claim to a close seat to Celestia.

To the side of the wagon walked Dry Soil, who had a sour look on his face. Obviously, it had only been a few hours since the attack. None of them had gotten over it. They had lost three good ponies...Although Copper wondered, had their guard always just been composed of five ponies? For a caravan with six wagons that seemed like too few. He sighed, they probably had more before the battle, even though he couldn't remember. His gaze went over Dry to the blackness that was kept away by the lights Stardust and he had cast.

He growled, he hadn't had the time to secure his journal so if there had been anymore guards, he'd never find out who they had been. It made him a bit mad, but only a bit. There wasn't much space in his heart for ponies he didn't know...anymore.

It was probably for the better, he mused. Not remembering them spared the rest of the caravaners a bit of pain and since the darkness had taken care of their bodies a burial was unnecessary, too. That was definitely for the better.

His thoughts were interrupted by Windsight asking, "How long until we reach the whatsitcalled?"

"Oaktongue, my love. It should come in sight soon," he spoke, although that was more of a guess. Copper was sure that they were going into the right direction but he wasn't nearly good enough at navigating to make a sense of how long it would take them. Reading the leylines was really something difficult and it was hard to believe that Seeing Sight had done it as well as he did. It might've not been his special talent but magic had still been his forte.  He still hoped it would only be an hour at most until they reached it. He had managed to convince Sunset that he did a great job at this and now he had to show his skills.

Counting Copper had lied at that point but a bit of bragging before Windsight had never really hurt anypony. Although it had never led him to hold much more responsibility than he already had. That was a good thing about being together with a loved one in the middle of a southern caravan, other ponies always assumed you didn't want to spend time with them. He liked that.

Counting sighed and let his head down, listening to the noise around him. The wheels on the dirt, the talking in the background, the sound of Dry Soil murmuring to himself, the flapping of the pegasi wings and humming noise of the spells that brought light onto them.

Listening to these sounds, as they resonated and created a wonderfully serene symphony he nearly fell asleep. He closed his eyes and took it all in, only to be interrupted by the that happy squeeing noise Windsight made when something excited her.

He looked up and saw it in the darkness. At first only silhouettes but then the shapes of trees appearing before them. Actual trees. He just looked at it, before another comment threw him off.

"Hey, you should stop hovering."

Dry Soil's comment got Windsight and Copper to turn their heads towards him and then, realizing what he meant they both looked down. The soil around the oasis was fertile, grass and flowers grew around the trees and as the place was illuminated its colors sucked the ponies completely in. Apart from their own coats and clothing they had only seen black and brown and gray over the last weeks. Truly, this was celestia-sent.

Counting grinned, "Told you it wasn't far off." Luck had saved him an embarrassing situation, he was grateful for that.

Windsight smiled, although she turned her head towards Frisbee, "I think we can stop."

There was no reaction, absolutely none.

"Frisbee?"

She knocked the other pegasus' shoulder, yet she still continued to flap her wings, looking forward.

"What's going on?" Copper asked, wanting to look himself, but Dry Soil did him the honor and galloped before Frisbee. Walking backwards he waved one of his hooves before her face, which still caused no reaction.

He then stopped dead and as she waltzed into him he started to hug her, much to the surprise of the ponies.

"You can stop, we're here," he told her while still being pushed backwards by the much stronger pegasus for a bit. He repeated the line, which caused her to settle down on the ground, then once more, and she collapsed.

Me and Sunset were born in a place called the World's Wake. That is all I remember, though. Maybe the pain in my bones is from my childhood. Maybe the black cascade tearing down houses and claws of darkness grabbing ponies around me that haunt my dreams are from that time. I don't remember.

I flew, though. For the first time I flew and it wasn't just like any other pegasus taking their first real flight. I did it in armor and carrying Sunset. I don't know where I wanted to go, why I wanted to leave and why Sunset remembered nothing, too. I just saw her face when she woke up and I was incredibly happy, as happy as I never was again. I knew why. It was because a pony had been saved. I don't know from what but I just knew I had saved her. That was enough. So when we met the ponies of the caravan the decision fell instantly and I left my armor on to become one of it's protectors.

Though Sunset and I didn't remember anything we shared so much and she, too, became a guardspony. We had quite a few adventures and the Captain praised me a lot. In fact, everypony praised me, despite that they'd never talk much to me.

Actually it seems kinda weird. As if they only care about my ability to kill. I have an aptitude for the things surrounding killing, yeah but the ponies reduce me to that. They call me 'stoic', 'mute' and other stuff despite me talking quite a bit. They just never listen. They open their mouths, they say something and even why I nod or laugh as loud as ponybly possible they don't seem to notice.

They only care for my ability to murder other beings and I can't accept that. They all talk so normally with each other, yet I have to scream at their faces to get them to listen. There is something horribly wrong with the lot of them.

Only Sunset seems to care. The way we talk with each other, even when she gets irritated for no reason, is truly special. How she never interrupts me, how she smiles at my jokes, even though they aren't funny.

Really, she's good to me. Something I might never repay.

I don't remember much of what was and right now I don't feel much at home, aside from when Sunset is around. She's the main reason I pull through and despite my gut telling me otherwise, to stay near them.

From the moment I met them I felt something off with this caravan. As if it was watched constantly, as if something was waiting in the shadows to drag everypony to hell. The ponies talked, laughed and cried with each other, yet so easily forgot those who vanished around them.

There is something incredibly off with this caravan and I should have run away a long time ago. As I fly above I still think of it, just galloping towards the horizon. Of course I'd take Sunset with me. It'd just be me and her. If I would go I'd take her with me to the end of the world, where even the darkness and the silence couldn't reach. I'd run and run and run until we both died of exhaustion. That would be the right thing to do.

If I don't...

We will all bathe in the sun.

Frisbee opened her eyes, feeling weak. The first thing she felt was the warmth of a blanket wrapped around her and straw beneath her. The mare felt naked...of course, her armor was gone. Had she fainted? The Pegasus turned to the side to find Sunset looking at her with a painful smile.

"You're awake," she said weakly. Frisbee noticed that her one eye was red and she had to snuffle. Sunset Dale had cried.

Why, Frisbee asked but got no answer.

Why would you cry Sunset?, she asked again, yet Sunset only stared at her.

"Are you okay?" the unicorn asked. Frisbee felt a lump in her throat, Sunset hadn't heard her, for whatever reason. All she could see right now was Sunset, the thing she had sworn to protect, crying over her. Then it dawned to her. There was no reason to ask. Frisbee remembered every fallen pony and Sunset did, too. For whatever reason fate had never been kind to the unicorn.

Frisbee rolled on her stomach and pushed herself up. She felt incredibly weak. It was probably because she had given her rations to the kids. Maybe even dehydration. Not that Frisbee cared, there were things far more important than that.

Sunset tried to move towards her, that face not changing, "You don't need to get-"

Frisbee threw her arms around the unicorn and pulled her close towards her. The one-eyed unicorn just let it happen, completely flabbergasted.

Frisbee, though, she didn't just hug her, instead she decided to scream at the top of her lungs.

"It's going to be alright."

Although the words reached Sunset as barely something above a whisper it still worked and she hugged her knight in shining armor, tightly. This was a good moment, a moment Frisbee didn't want to let go of. Strands of their manes mixed together before Frisbee's eyes. Two different tones of green mixing with each other, close to two different kinds of gemstones.

She herself had to admit that Sunset's embrace felt as warm as blanket at least and she asked herself if this was the reason why Windsight and Copper were always hugging each other. Probably, it felt good, warm, safe. Three good things, even more so with what had transpired today.

Frisbee had wanted Sunset to talk, but the other mare seemed content with just being so close and being able to cry her heart out. And Frisbee smiled.

An hour after what had probably been the single best moment of the day they all sat by the fireside. The oasis had been much more than they had expected. In the middle of the wasteland a waterfall came down from a mountainside and down below a lake had formed and around it trees and grass had long since grown. A small haven in the middle of nowhere and an oasis which they had discovered first.

Grass and flowers grew wildly around these parts, which gave Dry Soil the chance to make a wonderful salad and for once, everypony sat together, with only the Captain and Party sleeping inside the wagon. Stardust sat a bit away from the wagon, shoved aside with no recognition for her skills as a medic. In their eyes, she was still the coward who had gotten them into the situation to begin with. Windsight was still swooning over the great navigator, a title with which she prided Counting as of now. He wasn't really modest with it but Counting never was modest with many things. Nopony denied him that, too. Frisbee munched on a few pale blue flowers, which were slightly glowing. Sunset had picked them out.

Lunar Lovers they were called. Based around an old legend concerning the great Princess of the Night. Sunset hadn't told Frisbee, of course. The tale spoke of Luna, who shaped these flowers with the magic of the stars themselves and put them in the garden of a mortal pony she fancied. The pony would go out every night and find one more flower in their garden, until his garden looked like a reflection of the starry sky and he knew who had placed them there. Sunset had never seen a star but had heard that they once covered the entire sky, going around a huge planet that was called the Moon. All that sounded so romantic.

Dry Soil also sat there, entertaining the kids. It might've been called a tranquil scene, but it was not. Whenever a pony died, the silence would take them and drag their entire existence with them. Yet Diamond Dogs had taken three of them and their loss remained unforgotten. It was always the worst, being reminded that death was not the worst fate one could suffer. They all had heard the tales of the gemstone mines of the Diamond Dog tribes. Any captured pony would live at the cost of never seeing the surface again or having the warmth of a family again. Instead all they would do for the rest of their lives was to work for their new masters. A horrible fate. Though the worst part was that those that remained wouldn't forget about it and were left wandering, never being able to save them, yet always in false hope that one day they would return.

The fire flickered and all the mare could do was sigh. Her eye still hurt and she'd probably had to wear a patch over it for the rest of her life, which could be short considering having one eye made for a considerable disadvantage in battle. That was both horrible and depressing. She had to get her thoughts clear.

She stood up, "I'll be back in a minute." She told the others and moved towards the lake, they basically ignoring her. Probably for her own sake. Frisbee looked at her as she went, Sunset noticed that. Frisbee always looked after her and she loved her for that.

They had positioned their wagon not very far away, basically just a few steps, so there wasn't any need to cast anymore light spells. Neither unicorn had still the power to do so and Stardust wasn't even mentioned as a helper. It was kinda sad, Sunset had to admit. That filly had fixed up everypony as good as she could after the fight was over and yet Sunset still couldn't be thankful towards her. It had all just built up for this moment. If it hadn't been for Dry Soil they would have lost even more ponies. She would've had to drag the other guards to this place, probably failed and died. Dry Soil had saved the day more so than Stardust.

And the green maned unicorn hated her for it. As she stood before the water she looked at her reflection. The mane was as wild as Party's, her coat was fuzzy and when she looked at her face all she saw was a tired mare with one eye less. One more sad sight today. Nudging the water a bit with her hoof, she thought that surely it would get even worse by days end. Something would still happen.

Something did happen but it wasn't what she had expected. As the ripples formed Sunset felt something shift in the water. It wasn't something a normal pony or a pegasus could see, she knew that instantly. Something in the lines of magic. Sunset looked at the water, then figured she could try something to find out what was happening. The next sensible thing was to tap into the magic of this place.

Taking a deep breath she moved her head closer to the water and touched the water with her horn's point. Then she closed her eyes and tried to feel the leylines.

A moment of silence in her head. The voices vanished, the sound of the water, the woods, everything, something that would let her draw back under normal circumstances but with the silence something else came. A peace of mind and indescribable warmth. As she tapped into the raw streams of magic this place possessed she felt an immense amount of...

Love?

For a moment she wondered what that meant, then she felt something. Opening her eyes she lifted her head.

She stood atop a black sea, surrounded by water and before her on a rock, surrounded by light she could make out the silhouette of a pony, no...something different. It had the shape of a pony, but bigger and it spread it's large wings before her while a horn adorned it's head.

She couldn't make out any details on the ethereal creature, though and sincerely doubted that she stood before an actual alicorn.

"What is this?" she demanded to know, trying to figure out where she was.

"Part of a larger plan," the silhouette spoke, "We're all part of a bigger plan and I am here to tell you something important, Sunset Dale. The whole of creation hinges on you, everything that was, that is and that will be. The fate of my kin, as well as yours. I want you to listen closely, because if you make one misstep everything will fall apart."

Sunset stared at the majestic creature before her. She didn't know what to say.

"Fret not, young one for you are the most trusted of our servants," the 'thing', Sunset didn't know what else to call her, said.

"I'm not your servant!" The unicorn barked immediately, "I serve my caravan as a guard and it's interim captain! Whatever you say will not-"

"Time is short, Sunset Dale," the ghost interrupted her, "I cannot keep on much longer, so I need you to listen to me."

Sunset looked at her, just more questions rising up in her, still, the only way to get an explanation was to play the things game, "Speak then."

"The Silence and the Dark are coming Sunset and you must take the reigns and make your decision based on what I will tell you now. A simple prophecy, though it's meaning will show itself in time."

Sunset tilted her head, "What?"

"Sunset Dale, never forget this, burn it into your mind, understand. Perk your ears and listen well," the winged unicorn-horse ghost-thing told her and took a step forward. Sunset just felt the water trembling beneath her.

"O-Okay?" she asked, trying to take a step back, but even though she moved her hooves she didn't get away from the spot she was standing on.

The creature though looked at her for a second, as if she tried to consider what to say next. Then though, she spoke.

"There have always been four."

And Sunset blinked.

The mare found herself again by the river side, her horn stuck in the water but the feelings of warmth and love their gone, and the leylines she felt had weakened immensely. Whatever that thing had been, Sunset was sure of two things: a.) it had been incredibly powerful and b.) Whatever decision hinged on the number 4 couldn't exactly change the world. It was probably rations, though. Everypony would get four flowers with them or something.

She shook her head, "That was dumb," she told herself and turned around, just to have a piece of paper clash right into her face. With a "hrmmlglmf" she levitated it off her face and read it out loud.

"Don't  stop talking.

Don't stop listening.

NEVER STOP THE SOUND!

Don't let the lights flicker.

Don't stay alone.

ALWAYS REMAIN IN THE LIGHT!

And before the end comes

And everything falls to pieces

KILL HER!

signed: T"

She looked at the piece of paper with a quizzical look. "What?"

She wanted to scrunch the paper but then stopped herself, looking at it again. The apparition had talked about this, hadn't she? Two prophecies.

"Four is always the number," she spoke, looking at the paper and then at the camp.

"Sunset, Frisbee, Captain, Party," she spoke the names in thoughtful manner, "Stardust."

She looked at the pieces she had been given, the words the apparition and the ethereal creature had spoken to her. A conclusion that could change the fate of the world. Was the whole world meant or her own? Was it that if she, now that as intermediate Captain she had power, didn't use it to get rid of the one element that wronged all the time.

The reason why they hadn't had any water had been Stardust, the reason why two guards died and three civilians captured by the hounds was Stardust. The one pony who hadn't fulfilled her duties was Stardust.

If she stayed she'd only bring more trouble. Sunset looked up.

"This is it," she decided, a smile coming to her face, although she didn't know why she had needed two ghosts to tell her something so simple.

With a smile on her face she moved back to the caravan.

What followed was a quick announcement that as Captain she intended to change some things after this whole diamond dog disaster. Namely: She wanted to have everypony start guardtraining. They were far too few now and the remaining guardponies weren't able to protect them like before. The Caravan would stay by the Oaktongue oasis until the Captain and Party had recovered and then would go on and see if they could join up with a caravan. A few northerners had to be around here somewhere and even they wouldn't refuse some poor sods from the Badlands. It was a safe enough plan and everypony agreed on it, all while Sunset eyed with a knowing grin to Stardust.

Then came the point she had waited for, the moment for her to be as brilliant as only she could be and do the thing the Captain or Limelight should have done in the very beginning.

Standing by the flame she told Stardust to come over and the mare followed suit.

"Guardspony Stardust Arrow. As Interim Captain and effective leader of the Caravan I hereby decree that you shall be exiled from this caravan."

There was a small moment where everypony looked at Sunset yet only Stardust in shock, "W-What?" she stuttered.

"You heard me," Sunset stated with a smug smile, "All you ever did was be baggage, you got more ponies killed in your time than you saved. Plus: Nopony likes you."

Stardust looked around, trying to find somepony to disagree.

The younger ones looked a bit unsettled, but they too blamed her for this. The lovers looked down, not wanting to drag attention to themselves. Dry Soil smiled and Frisbee...

She looked at Stardust with what she perceived to be an actual encouraging look.

"You can't just exile me. I'll die in the wastelands," Stardust defended herself.

"Really?" Sunset asked and she didn't even try to put on the face of her caring. She had always been waiting to do this and Sunset had to admit to herself right now, being in power was awesome.

"You could just take my rank as a guard. I still saved the Captain and-"

"Two Ponies. That's your good record. Have you ever tried to look on all the ponies you got killed. You probably don't even remember what happened back at the white rivers or the Skygape."

Sunset blinked as Stardust actually did react, looking down...actually remembering. For a moment Sunset even thought...no, she had to do this. For the sake of the whole caravan and herself. One nuisance had to go, at least one.

"Do you get it?"

Stardust's gaze shifted, from the corner of her eyes she looked at the darkness. Going out there was a death sentence.

"Please..." Stardust implored, choking up, "Please, please," she fell unto the ground, folding her hoofs, "Please let me stay," tears were coming up in her eyes.

Sunset felt for her but it was all for the better of the caravan, she told herself. It had to be done and there was no other way around it. Nothing could change Stardust from being the useless coward she was and forgiving her wasn't easy. Even then, she would have to leave. For the sake of the caravan, Sunset repeated in her mind.

For the sake of the caravan.

The unicorns stood there by the fireside, one begging on her knees, the other trying to look as strong and smug as possible to avert any suspicions that she did actually still care about Stardust, telling herself to be a strong leader. Around them the other ponies felt obliged to follow Sunset's example and put on a mask that hid their own conflicting feelings. They had their thoughts but for now, Sunset led them. She was the only one capable of doing so and they also told themselves that this was for their own good. Even if one soul had to be sacrificed.

Sunset frowned, "If you don't want to go," she offered, "I could simply cut your throat right here."

"That was wrong to say," Dry Soil said long after that discussion had ended and Stardust had packed her things, readying herself to leave for good.

"It made her leave," Sunset answered, trying to sound sure of herself, although she felt that not giving that pony any kind of farewell would be inappropriate....well, maybe.

Indeed they sat around the fire as Stardust had taken her gear, left the vicinity of the campfire and now concentrated on a dual spell for both light and a bit of noise.

While Sunset asked herself the question just how strong a leader she was, Frisbee stood up and moved towards Stardust. The two mares looked at each other, one as stoically as ever, the other with a tear in her eye and a smile on her face.

"You never speak," Stardust whispered, "Even though you think you do..."

Frisbee gave her a look that normally would interpreted as sheer emotionless but at this point Stardust moved towards her and hugged the pegasus, whispering in her ears: "I'm still grateful...Just, listen to your own heart and do what you think is right."

Frisbee gave a hint of a smile, of which Stardust knew it meant a huge, thankful grin, she nodded and as she left the pony's embrace she said the following.

"Let's meet up again someday."

The pegasus held her hoof up for a second and then untied her bandana, giving it to Stardust. Sunset saw that and did the thing she thought the wisest to do, turn to the fire and ignore it.

Stardust took the bandana with her hoof. "Thanks, thank you."

She tied it around her own neck with magic and then proceeded to turn around, "Until next time."

With only Frisbee waving she moved away from the caravan, her home. Now, as Frisbee sat down again Sunset gave her an angry stare.

"First thing I do as Captain, get rid of the one pony who caused most of the trouble. You guys may not think much of it now but you'll just see how peaceful it's gonna be in the coming days," she stated bluntly her eyes going to the fire again.

"We're not going to have any more weird accidents or ponies getting wounded, having our whole water disappear or our food stolen. We're not going to have to worry about sudden ambushes," she stated. The others looked her way, nodding, Dry Soil even cheered a bit, for whatever reason.

"We have to worry about absolutely nothing of these things anymore. In fact I honestly believe that all bad things come to an end now," Sunset continued, slowly going from convincing she did the right thing to actually believing it.

"She's been nothing but trouble," the unicorn then claimed, with a grin widening on her face,"HA! I sure as hell saved us a lot of future trouble."

She wanted rambled on, fixing her opinion more and more, saying she did the right thing, that it was for their good, that the pony harbored only bad luck. Frisbee noticed as she continued that at some point she started repeat the stuff again and again, eventually shifting into justifications which were not quite as sane as those before.

"It was only meant that there should be 4 guardsponies remaining," being one of those and: "Killing her might've been kinder but this way we won't have to bury her."

Sunset herself didn't seem to quite care about that, as far as she was concerned, it was only venting. Nothing serious anymore, aside from the fact that she had just de facto killed off a member of her caravan. No matter how much she would try to justify that, in the back of her head she would probably go on and doubt the whole thing for the rest of her life. With that in mind she closed her eyes after a while and then just waited for somepony to pick the conversation up again. Yet that line never came, so instead Sunlight opened her eyes instead, frowning. Nopony had been listening or they would've answered her by now.

"Seriously,  my little ponies," Sunset Dale said and looked down at the horrified faces of two fillies, a colt and a stallion. Her eyes sunk even deeper at the fire, which, while still enlightening the place had stopped making any kind of actual noise.

"Oh-" Sunset started and jumped up. She heard something behind her, turned around and just felt a gust of wind moving behind her, blowing the fire out with one gust, leaving them in complete darkness. Only Stardust in the distance seemed to be unharmed. She had moved pretty damn slow, which was just Sunset's luck.

"STARDUST!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, the other mare turned around in the distance. She could still hear Sunset.

A smile formed on her face, that faded the moment she saw the wagon being hurled through the sky towards Stardust. Before it landed on the pony Sunset closed her eyes and then turned around again.

"FRIS-" She started to yell but was immediately cut short.

The sound of a harp.

As Sunset opened her eyes for the last time she felt something grabbing at her legs and neck and tail and mane, something scratching at her body and head. Slowly, the mare felt the pain growing and her own strength fading. Yet there was this weird thing happening. She looked at the apparition, clad in the same dress, with the same bandages, sitting there with her legs crossed and strumming the golden harp. It was a beautiful sight to say at least.

"Thank you," the ghost then said.

"For what?" Sunset asked.

"For saving us all.”

Sunset didn't find out what was meant. All she knew was that it was over and she let it happen. The dark took her.

The remains of the wagon were scattered across a few meters. Actually all that pointed towards the thing had once been a wagon were the wheels that also lay there. Whoever it had once belonged seemed already gone, though. She wondered what had happened here?

The scavenger moved looked around the broken wood and walked a bit around until she found something lying in the middle of it. She hurried towards that thing, since it looked like an actual pony.

She was right. A dark blue mane with fiery orange sides, white coat. Her armor had protected her from the bulk of the blast as it seemed but she was still unconscious and her face was covered in blood. If she could actually still be saved it had to happen fast.

The scavenger looked at her for a second before taking action. Whoever that pony was and whatever had gotten her to stray so far from the ruined roads didn't matter right now. All that had to be done was to save her.

V

~Resulting Regrets~

End