Harmony Through Scarsby SamseysamChaptersLonelyLiarTrustBullyLonelyIt had been years since Twilight Sparkle moved to Canterlot to help out with her royal duties. One month before she left Ponyville, an earthquake had occurred and much of the population had fled. Twilight had delayed moving to Canterlot as much as she could in order to help rebuild the once beautiful town and, with a little help from the Elements of Harmony, she and her friends had successfully restored most of Ponyville's architecture and residents. Princess Celestia had ordered Twilight to stay in the royal castle to prevent any harm to come to the young princess. The reason Equestria had become so dangerous, was because of the sacrifice the elements made to help their beloved hometown. The town could only be saved after the six friends had agreed to a spell, which erased their memories of their friendship and transported them to different places around Equestria. Twilight was the only element who had not been affected, due to Celestia's affect on her element as a whole and was now isolated from her best friends. Life in Canterlot was fancy and posh, Rarity would have loved the fashion and couture of the city. Twilight smiled at the thought of her friends. She looked out an over-sized window and a small tear slid down her soft cheek from her purple eyes. "I wonder what the girls are doing right now." Twilight whispered to herself. Suddenly, she realized something. It had hit her so quickly and she finally saw the answer to her lonesome life. She decided to find her friends, to save Equestria from the absence of the elements. Twilight would reunite each of them with their element, hopefully it would be enough to regain their memories and their unique personalities. Twilight slowly made her way towards the throne room where she found Princess Celestia and Princess Luna addressing the royal guards. She hesitated, as she thought about what she would say to Celestia to convince her. The princess wanted nothing less than Twilight's safety and she needed her to be in a good physical state everyday. The ruler of Equestria really couldn't afford to lose Twilight as well as the elements, but bringing back Equestria's harmony would mean the protection they lost to a terrible tragedy. Twilight sighed and she walked into the large room. She cleared her throat a few times to get the attention of the princesses. "Princess Celestia I have decided to return to Ponyville." Twilight declared and she stomped her hoof to show her decision was final. LiarTwilight looked at the border of Ponyville. It was beautiful at night. After a long debate with the princess, Celestia agreed to let Twilight return to her favorite place in Equestria to meet up with her once united friends. After a long goodbye with Spike and a lecture on safety with Celestia, Princess Luna had arranged for Twilight to be transported by a private train. She had taken the elements with her. Her element magic, which also served as her crown, was placed carefully on top of her head. The other elements were necklaces and represented generosity, honesty, laughter, kindness and loyalty. Twilight had, as always, came prepared and had a list of her friends Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, so she could tick them off once she had restored their element. The train stopped and Twilight made her out of the compartment and onto the barely repaired station. She waved to the driver as the train disappeared from her eyesight. She then turned her attention to the elements. Twilight immediately noticed the soft, orange glow connecting the Element of Honesty to a deserted farm outside of the main borders. She held it in her hoof and ran towards the farm, instantly realizing she was headed for Sweet Apple Acres. Of course, the Element of Honesty and the apple farm both meant one thing; Applejack! Twilight reached a barn door and the beam disappeared. The barn was a soft red and had tattered white pillars holding the walls together. Twilight missed the smell of fresh hay and sniffed the air around the barn, only to find it was no longer there. She stood there like an idiot for a few seconds, wondering what happened to the barn. Twilight eventually found the courage to knock on the door. When there was no answer she knocked a few more times, tapping her back hoof on the ground impatiently. "Nopony's home." A voice weaved itself under the cracks in the wood. Twilight immediately recognized the slight southern tone in the pony's voice and jumped for joy at finding one of her friends. "Applejack, is that you?" Twilight asked. "Ya, it's 'me'," Applejack responded and stepped out of the barn. She looked tired and hungry. Her green eyes had lost their sparkle and her hat was drooping over her face. "Do ah' know ya'll?" Twilight remained calm and asked as sweetly as she could; "Applejack, I need to talk to you, so may I please come in?" "Ugh... Ah' could use a lil' company." Applejack agreed and led me inside, "So, how'dya know ma name, huh?" "You don't remember me, but we were friends once. We had other friends as well. There were six of us." Twilight pulled the Element of Honesty out of her saddlebags. "I ain't interested with ya'll unless ya came to congratulate me on beatin' up that Hydra last month." "A Hydra? I have a hard time believing that." "Well, then get outta ma barn." Applejack whipped her head to face the ceiling and her dry lips formed a scowl. "Applejack.." Twilight tried to reason with the orange pony. "I said get.. Out... OF MA BARN!" Applejack backed up onto her fore-legs and pushed her hind-legs up with a great force, hitting Twilight and pushed her through the air and out of the barn. "But AJ..." Twilight quickly stuffed the element into her bag. "Who-eva ya'll are, stay outta ma barn!" Applejack snapped from inside. "Oh, and never call me 'AJ'!" Twilight glumly walked towards the town-hall and sat down on the veranda. "Why won't Applejack listen to me?" Twilight sat there lost in thought about Applejack's lies. Would the others be like that? She sighed heavily. A figure caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. The silhouette of another pony slowly moved towards Twilight. "Princess Twilight? Element of Magic, Princess of Friendship and Celestia's own pupil?" The pony was now leaning over her. She smelled like metal and chemicals. Her eyes were light blue and she had a white coat with a horn. The unicorn had black hair. Her cutie mark was a bubble. "Yes." Twilight responded sadly. "Wow, I studied the elements my whole life and I finally met their leader!" She squealed before straightening out her fluffy mane. "I am Frost Streak." Twilight grimaced. This was the last thing she needed. "I'm so sorry, but I really must find a place to stay tonight." "Oh sure. Perhaps I'll see you around then, Twilight Sparkle?" "Maybe." Twilight quickly galloped off towards a tree and lied down beneath it. She slowly found herself drifting off to sleep. -Applejack- Applejack watched the lilac alicorn leave, her head down. She wondered what the pony had wanted, but soon found herself concentrated on a picture of her family. "I lied to ya'll." TrustTwilight awoke the next morning under the same tree she slept under. She immediately noticed the yelling in the distance. Twilight stood up and glanced towards the sound flowing through her skull. Although she only heard some words, they were clear enough for her to realize what the voices were talking about. "Nerd!" Twilight remembered how much she had been bullied before she had become a princess. She turned a corner and noticed that the same mare from yesterday was standing in a puddle on the ground, her mane messy and her hoof nervously stepping backwards. The bully was standing a few meters away from her and was shouting insults at the unicorn. Twilight caught a glimpse of a white streak of hair hidden behind the mare's black locks. It must have been why she was called Frost Streak. Twilight stepped in front of the unicorn dramatically. "Excuse me but," Twilight batted her eyelashes. "I noticed how rude you were to this mare and I really would appreciate it if you stopped being so... Aggressive?" Twilight tried her best to imitate Rarity and stay calm whilst trying to get a point across. The bully instantly looked uncomfortable, quickly bowed and ran off. Being a princess always helps! "Wow, thanks!" Frost Streak slowly stood up and shook her body to get the muddy water off her coat. "No problem." Twilight smiled. "Us nerds gotta stick together!" "You were bullied too?" "Yeah." Twilight grinned. "Anyway, I was hoping you could help me with something." ~ The barn stood still and proud. Twilight walked slowly up the hill. Frost Streak was ahead, a rope around her neck. This seemed wrong. Twilight just couldn't bear to force the element onto her friends neck, but she really didn't have a choice. "This better work..." She thought as she trudged after her new, slightly too happy, friend. "Applejack!" Frost Streak almost sang as she called out for the stubborn, orange pony. The door opened immediately. "What'd ya want?" She looked around and opened the barn door a little more. Twilight hid behind an apple tree barely missing being caught by Applejack. Applejack and Frost Streak talked for a little bit and then they both smiled and walked inside. Twilight Sparkle gripped the tree with her hooves. "Get that rope off meh!" Applejack screamed. Twilight ran quickly inside, revealing an orange necklace. Frost Streak stepped back and watched the events take place in front of her very own eyes. She was definitely excited. "Applejack, look I don't want to hurt you. All I want to do is give you this amazing necklace." Twilight slowly lowered the necklace towards her friend's neck. "Please?" "Nah!" Applejack spat at the ground. She wiggled around a little, trying to break free, but Frost Streak grabbed the rope with her magic and tightened it around her waist. "Let mah goooo!" Twilight looked into her friends eyes. Applejack instantly stopped moving and stared back up at Twilight with a confused look on her face. Twilight took the opportunity and adjusted the necklace around her neck. "There!" Twilight shouted as a beam of light swirled around her friend. The light was the same color as the beam that lead Twilight to her friend at first. The light lifted Applejack off the ground and then it all disappeared and she fell onto her stomach. "AJ! Are you okay?" "TWILIGHT!" The orange pony flung her arms around Twilight's neck and started to sob into her shoulder. "I lied to mah family and they left me all alone to run the farm. It was wrong and I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me." Applejack stared at the ground. "What happened to the others?" "We are going to find them as well." Twilight reassured her friend. "this is Frost Streak" Twilight nodded in the direction of the grayish unicorn. "Howdy, Frost Streak! Is it 'kay if ah just call ya'll Frost?" "Sure!" Frost laughed and the others joined in. "So where to next?" "Ah vote Flutters." Applejack's face turned instantly serious. "She could be scared to death out there." "Actually, I'm pretty sure she would be.." Twilight couldn't find the right words so she simply chose not to continue the conversation. "Oh, never-mind. Now, let's go save Fluttershy!" All three ponies sprinted out of the barn and a soft pink light shone from the Element of Kindness towards Fillydelphia. Twilight smiled, "To Fillydelphia, girls!" Bully-Fluttershy- Fluttershy twirled around, allowing her large mirror to capture her whole body. She draped her hair over her right shoulder and sashayed out of her pink bedroom. Slowing her movements, she walked through her front door. Fluttershy stopped when she saw the brownish color of her daisies and looked around for her watering can. When she realized that it was no where to be seen, she trotted towards the town of Fillydelphia . Fluttershy walked up to a stallion watering the town garden and grabbed his hoof, tripping him. He yelled out as he fell hard onto the cold pavement. Fluttershy took her opportunity and grabbed the can. "Hey!" The stallion made an attempt to get up and retrieve his property, but failed and fell back again. Fluttershy smirked and stuck her muzzle in the air as she made her way back to her house. -Back to Twilight, Applejack and Frost Streak- Twilight groaned as she found herself becoming more and more tired./ "Applejack when can we eat?" Twilight's legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, "I am tired and hungry." "Well, I could use some rest too." Applejack looked at Frost, who gave her a small nod. Applejack gave all three of them a slice of the apple pie she had made the morning they left Ponyville. Twilight gobbled it down, and slowly her stomach stopped growling. "That was great, AJ!" Twilight licked her lips and covered herself with leaves. The sun started to descend over the horizon, giving the sky a magical feel. A crescent moon lifted itself into the sky. Applejack lied next to Twilight. Frost Streak seemed distracted by something else though. A nearby bush was slowly swaying with the soft breeze and with every movement a small shuffling sound filled the air. Twilight got up and walked towards the lush plant. "Who's there?" Twilight straightened her stance and pounded the ground with her hoof. Applejack stepped forward to join her. She shook the plant a little and a small yellow muzzle poked out from between two large leaves. then another muzzle (this one was white). The two fillies carefully moved out of the plant's protection, shaking twigs of their coats. "Applebloom? Sweetie Belle?" Applejack was the first top speak. "What are ya'll doing here?" "We had to hide from the black thingies." Sweetie Belle pointed upwards as a dark figure zoomed over the clearing. Applebloom jumped into her sister's hooves and the two of them hugged for a while. Twilight watched the figure some more. Changelings... Twilight trotted opver to the young fillies, "Where's Scootaloo?" The fillies' smiles vanished at the mention of their absent friend and Twilight's heart sank knowing something bad had happened. "She was captured by one of them evil black and green thingies." Applebloom looked into Twilight's eyes. "Y'all think we could save her?" "And Rarity?" Sweetie Belle missed her glamorous big sister. That was something Twilight could understand, but rescuing Scootaloo would delay finding the other elements. "Please?" Both fillies chorused. "We'll see." Twilight watched the girls' faces drop and their eyes droop downwards as they nodded sadly. She felt really guilty, but the thought of risking their own lives was even more serious. Another figure zipped over them, but this one spread a colorful trail behind it's muscular body. The group watched the Pegasus zoom through the sky. It couldn't possibly be who she thought it was, was it. The pony stopped, staring down at the quintet. Then she flew off into the distance. Applejack sighed and turned to face the others. "Traitor." She let her hat slide down her face and her hair covered her left eye. "Lets get some sleep." Applejack fed the younger ponies and tucked them into the crisp leaves. Twilight could sense Applejack's own regret for her actions, but seeing her best friend with the Changelings upset her terribly. The next morning the quintet woke early and started straight for their destination. "Are we there yet?" Sweetie Belle shifted her fringe. "I can't wait to see Fluttershy again!" "Remember everypony, our friends are different now than what they were before. Just look at what happened to Applejack," Applejack sighed and stared at the ground, whilst Twilight pushed some leaves out of the way and uncovered a dirty town covered in dust and rubble. "And to answer the latter of your questions, yes, we are here. I think." Frost looked at the Element of Kindness again. "Yep, this s it." She started to walk towards a large building where a yellow pegasus stood towering over a young stallion. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun and a flower sat neatly behind her right ear. Fluttershy wasn't exactly shy anymore, so the group took particular care whilst walking up to the mare. "Don't ever tell me what I can and can't do!" Fluttershy turned around, whipping the stallion with her silky tail. She huffed and walked away. The group quickened their movements to keep up with the pegasus, who was now strolling down a thin trail leading to a homely cottage much like her home in Ponyville. The yellow pegasus disappeared into the house and slammed the door behind her soft pink tail, her head proudly lifted high in the air. "Oh, please. Not another pony like Rarity." Applejack groaned, her head barely touching the ground. Twilight rolled her eyes at Applejack's comment. She was determined to help Fluttershy no matter what it would cost. "Come on, ponies!" Twilight encouraged the rest of the group. "I'd say we only have a few minutes of daylight left, so we should get this over with." She trotted cheerfully up the path and was soon standing in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Here goes nothing... Twilight knocked once on the door, but when she got no answer, she knocked another three times. The door slowly opened and a pegasus shoved her head out, glaring at Twilight and her friends. "What do you want?"
LonelyIt had been years since Twilight Sparkle moved to Canterlot to help out with her royal duties. One month before she left Ponyville, an earthquake had occurred and much of the population had fled. Twilight had delayed moving to Canterlot as much as she could in order to help rebuild the once beautiful town and, with a little help from the Elements of Harmony, she and her friends had successfully restored most of Ponyville's architecture and residents. Princess Celestia had ordered Twilight to stay in the royal castle to prevent any harm to come to the young princess. The reason Equestria had become so dangerous, was because of the sacrifice the elements made to help their beloved hometown. The town could only be saved after the six friends had agreed to a spell, which erased their memories of their friendship and transported them to different places around Equestria. Twilight was the only element who had not been affected, due to Celestia's affect on her element as a whole and was now isolated from her best friends. Life in Canterlot was fancy and posh, Rarity would have loved the fashion and couture of the city. Twilight smiled at the thought of her friends. She looked out an over-sized window and a small tear slid down her soft cheek from her purple eyes. "I wonder what the girls are doing right now." Twilight whispered to herself. Suddenly, she realized something. It had hit her so quickly and she finally saw the answer to her lonesome life. She decided to find her friends, to save Equestria from the absence of the elements. Twilight would reunite each of them with their element, hopefully it would be enough to regain their memories and their unique personalities. Twilight slowly made her way towards the throne room where she found Princess Celestia and Princess Luna addressing the royal guards. She hesitated, as she thought about what she would say to Celestia to convince her. The princess wanted nothing less than Twilight's safety and she needed her to be in a good physical state everyday. The ruler of Equestria really couldn't afford to lose Twilight as well as the elements, but bringing back Equestria's harmony would mean the protection they lost to a terrible tragedy. Twilight sighed and she walked into the large room. She cleared her throat a few times to get the attention of the princesses. "Princess Celestia I have decided to return to Ponyville." Twilight declared and she stomped her hoof to show her decision was final.
LiarTwilight looked at the border of Ponyville. It was beautiful at night. After a long debate with the princess, Celestia agreed to let Twilight return to her favorite place in Equestria to meet up with her once united friends. After a long goodbye with Spike and a lecture on safety with Celestia, Princess Luna had arranged for Twilight to be transported by a private train. She had taken the elements with her. Her element magic, which also served as her crown, was placed carefully on top of her head. The other elements were necklaces and represented generosity, honesty, laughter, kindness and loyalty. Twilight had, as always, came prepared and had a list of her friends Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, so she could tick them off once she had restored their element. The train stopped and Twilight made her out of the compartment and onto the barely repaired station. She waved to the driver as the train disappeared from her eyesight. She then turned her attention to the elements. Twilight immediately noticed the soft, orange glow connecting the Element of Honesty to a deserted farm outside of the main borders. She held it in her hoof and ran towards the farm, instantly realizing she was headed for Sweet Apple Acres. Of course, the Element of Honesty and the apple farm both meant one thing; Applejack! Twilight reached a barn door and the beam disappeared. The barn was a soft red and had tattered white pillars holding the walls together. Twilight missed the smell of fresh hay and sniffed the air around the barn, only to find it was no longer there. She stood there like an idiot for a few seconds, wondering what happened to the barn. Twilight eventually found the courage to knock on the door. When there was no answer she knocked a few more times, tapping her back hoof on the ground impatiently. "Nopony's home." A voice weaved itself under the cracks in the wood. Twilight immediately recognized the slight southern tone in the pony's voice and jumped for joy at finding one of her friends. "Applejack, is that you?" Twilight asked. "Ya, it's 'me'," Applejack responded and stepped out of the barn. She looked tired and hungry. Her green eyes had lost their sparkle and her hat was drooping over her face. "Do ah' know ya'll?" Twilight remained calm and asked as sweetly as she could; "Applejack, I need to talk to you, so may I please come in?" "Ugh... Ah' could use a lil' company." Applejack agreed and led me inside, "So, how'dya know ma name, huh?" "You don't remember me, but we were friends once. We had other friends as well. There were six of us." Twilight pulled the Element of Honesty out of her saddlebags. "I ain't interested with ya'll unless ya came to congratulate me on beatin' up that Hydra last month." "A Hydra? I have a hard time believing that." "Well, then get outta ma barn." Applejack whipped her head to face the ceiling and her dry lips formed a scowl. "Applejack.." Twilight tried to reason with the orange pony. "I said get.. Out... OF MA BARN!" Applejack backed up onto her fore-legs and pushed her hind-legs up with a great force, hitting Twilight and pushed her through the air and out of the barn. "But AJ..." Twilight quickly stuffed the element into her bag. "Who-eva ya'll are, stay outta ma barn!" Applejack snapped from inside. "Oh, and never call me 'AJ'!" Twilight glumly walked towards the town-hall and sat down on the veranda. "Why won't Applejack listen to me?" Twilight sat there lost in thought about Applejack's lies. Would the others be like that? She sighed heavily. A figure caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. The silhouette of another pony slowly moved towards Twilight. "Princess Twilight? Element of Magic, Princess of Friendship and Celestia's own pupil?" The pony was now leaning over her. She smelled like metal and chemicals. Her eyes were light blue and she had a white coat with a horn. The unicorn had black hair. Her cutie mark was a bubble. "Yes." Twilight responded sadly. "Wow, I studied the elements my whole life and I finally met their leader!" She squealed before straightening out her fluffy mane. "I am Frost Streak." Twilight grimaced. This was the last thing she needed. "I'm so sorry, but I really must find a place to stay tonight." "Oh sure. Perhaps I'll see you around then, Twilight Sparkle?" "Maybe." Twilight quickly galloped off towards a tree and lied down beneath it. She slowly found herself drifting off to sleep. -Applejack- Applejack watched the lilac alicorn leave, her head down. She wondered what the pony had wanted, but soon found herself concentrated on a picture of her family. "I lied to ya'll."
TrustTwilight awoke the next morning under the same tree she slept under. She immediately noticed the yelling in the distance. Twilight stood up and glanced towards the sound flowing through her skull. Although she only heard some words, they were clear enough for her to realize what the voices were talking about. "Nerd!" Twilight remembered how much she had been bullied before she had become a princess. She turned a corner and noticed that the same mare from yesterday was standing in a puddle on the ground, her mane messy and her hoof nervously stepping backwards. The bully was standing a few meters away from her and was shouting insults at the unicorn. Twilight caught a glimpse of a white streak of hair hidden behind the mare's black locks. It must have been why she was called Frost Streak. Twilight stepped in front of the unicorn dramatically. "Excuse me but," Twilight batted her eyelashes. "I noticed how rude you were to this mare and I really would appreciate it if you stopped being so... Aggressive?" Twilight tried her best to imitate Rarity and stay calm whilst trying to get a point across. The bully instantly looked uncomfortable, quickly bowed and ran off. Being a princess always helps! "Wow, thanks!" Frost Streak slowly stood up and shook her body to get the muddy water off her coat. "No problem." Twilight smiled. "Us nerds gotta stick together!" "You were bullied too?" "Yeah." Twilight grinned. "Anyway, I was hoping you could help me with something." ~ The barn stood still and proud. Twilight walked slowly up the hill. Frost Streak was ahead, a rope around her neck. This seemed wrong. Twilight just couldn't bear to force the element onto her friends neck, but she really didn't have a choice. "This better work..." She thought as she trudged after her new, slightly too happy, friend. "Applejack!" Frost Streak almost sang as she called out for the stubborn, orange pony. The door opened immediately. "What'd ya want?" She looked around and opened the barn door a little more. Twilight hid behind an apple tree barely missing being caught by Applejack. Applejack and Frost Streak talked for a little bit and then they both smiled and walked inside. Twilight Sparkle gripped the tree with her hooves. "Get that rope off meh!" Applejack screamed. Twilight ran quickly inside, revealing an orange necklace. Frost Streak stepped back and watched the events take place in front of her very own eyes. She was definitely excited. "Applejack, look I don't want to hurt you. All I want to do is give you this amazing necklace." Twilight slowly lowered the necklace towards her friend's neck. "Please?" "Nah!" Applejack spat at the ground. She wiggled around a little, trying to break free, but Frost Streak grabbed the rope with her magic and tightened it around her waist. "Let mah goooo!" Twilight looked into her friends eyes. Applejack instantly stopped moving and stared back up at Twilight with a confused look on her face. Twilight took the opportunity and adjusted the necklace around her neck. "There!" Twilight shouted as a beam of light swirled around her friend. The light was the same color as the beam that lead Twilight to her friend at first. The light lifted Applejack off the ground and then it all disappeared and she fell onto her stomach. "AJ! Are you okay?" "TWILIGHT!" The orange pony flung her arms around Twilight's neck and started to sob into her shoulder. "I lied to mah family and they left me all alone to run the farm. It was wrong and I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me." Applejack stared at the ground. "What happened to the others?" "We are going to find them as well." Twilight reassured her friend. "this is Frost Streak" Twilight nodded in the direction of the grayish unicorn. "Howdy, Frost Streak! Is it 'kay if ah just call ya'll Frost?" "Sure!" Frost laughed and the others joined in. "So where to next?" "Ah vote Flutters." Applejack's face turned instantly serious. "She could be scared to death out there." "Actually, I'm pretty sure she would be.." Twilight couldn't find the right words so she simply chose not to continue the conversation. "Oh, never-mind. Now, let's go save Fluttershy!" All three ponies sprinted out of the barn and a soft pink light shone from the Element of Kindness towards Fillydelphia. Twilight smiled, "To Fillydelphia, girls!"
Bully-Fluttershy- Fluttershy twirled around, allowing her large mirror to capture her whole body. She draped her hair over her right shoulder and sashayed out of her pink bedroom. Slowing her movements, she walked through her front door. Fluttershy stopped when she saw the brownish color of her daisies and looked around for her watering can. When she realized that it was no where to be seen, she trotted towards the town of Fillydelphia . Fluttershy walked up to a stallion watering the town garden and grabbed his hoof, tripping him. He yelled out as he fell hard onto the cold pavement. Fluttershy took her opportunity and grabbed the can. "Hey!" The stallion made an attempt to get up and retrieve his property, but failed and fell back again. Fluttershy smirked and stuck her muzzle in the air as she made her way back to her house. -Back to Twilight, Applejack and Frost Streak- Twilight groaned as she found herself becoming more and more tired./ "Applejack when can we eat?" Twilight's legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, "I am tired and hungry." "Well, I could use some rest too." Applejack looked at Frost, who gave her a small nod. Applejack gave all three of them a slice of the apple pie she had made the morning they left Ponyville. Twilight gobbled it down, and slowly her stomach stopped growling. "That was great, AJ!" Twilight licked her lips and covered herself with leaves. The sun started to descend over the horizon, giving the sky a magical feel. A crescent moon lifted itself into the sky. Applejack lied next to Twilight. Frost Streak seemed distracted by something else though. A nearby bush was slowly swaying with the soft breeze and with every movement a small shuffling sound filled the air. Twilight got up and walked towards the lush plant. "Who's there?" Twilight straightened her stance and pounded the ground with her hoof. Applejack stepped forward to join her. She shook the plant a little and a small yellow muzzle poked out from between two large leaves. then another muzzle (this one was white). The two fillies carefully moved out of the plant's protection, shaking twigs of their coats. "Applebloom? Sweetie Belle?" Applejack was the first top speak. "What are ya'll doing here?" "We had to hide from the black thingies." Sweetie Belle pointed upwards as a dark figure zoomed over the clearing. Applebloom jumped into her sister's hooves and the two of them hugged for a while. Twilight watched the figure some more. Changelings... Twilight trotted opver to the young fillies, "Where's Scootaloo?" The fillies' smiles vanished at the mention of their absent friend and Twilight's heart sank knowing something bad had happened. "She was captured by one of them evil black and green thingies." Applebloom looked into Twilight's eyes. "Y'all think we could save her?" "And Rarity?" Sweetie Belle missed her glamorous big sister. That was something Twilight could understand, but rescuing Scootaloo would delay finding the other elements. "Please?" Both fillies chorused. "We'll see." Twilight watched the girls' faces drop and their eyes droop downwards as they nodded sadly. She felt really guilty, but the thought of risking their own lives was even more serious. Another figure zipped over them, but this one spread a colorful trail behind it's muscular body. The group watched the Pegasus zoom through the sky. It couldn't possibly be who she thought it was, was it. The pony stopped, staring down at the quintet. Then she flew off into the distance. Applejack sighed and turned to face the others. "Traitor." She let her hat slide down her face and her hair covered her left eye. "Lets get some sleep." Applejack fed the younger ponies and tucked them into the crisp leaves. Twilight could sense Applejack's own regret for her actions, but seeing her best friend with the Changelings upset her terribly. The next morning the quintet woke early and started straight for their destination. "Are we there yet?" Sweetie Belle shifted her fringe. "I can't wait to see Fluttershy again!" "Remember everypony, our friends are different now than what they were before. Just look at what happened to Applejack," Applejack sighed and stared at the ground, whilst Twilight pushed some leaves out of the way and uncovered a dirty town covered in dust and rubble. "And to answer the latter of your questions, yes, we are here. I think." Frost looked at the Element of Kindness again. "Yep, this s it." She started to walk towards a large building where a yellow pegasus stood towering over a young stallion. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun and a flower sat neatly behind her right ear. Fluttershy wasn't exactly shy anymore, so the group took particular care whilst walking up to the mare. "Don't ever tell me what I can and can't do!" Fluttershy turned around, whipping the stallion with her silky tail. She huffed and walked away. The group quickened their movements to keep up with the pegasus, who was now strolling down a thin trail leading to a homely cottage much like her home in Ponyville. The yellow pegasus disappeared into the house and slammed the door behind her soft pink tail, her head proudly lifted high in the air. "Oh, please. Not another pony like Rarity." Applejack groaned, her head barely touching the ground. Twilight rolled her eyes at Applejack's comment. She was determined to help Fluttershy no matter what it would cost. "Come on, ponies!" Twilight encouraged the rest of the group. "I'd say we only have a few minutes of daylight left, so we should get this over with." She trotted cheerfully up the path and was soon standing in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Here goes nothing... Twilight knocked once on the door, but when she got no answer, she knocked another three times. The door slowly opened and a pegasus shoved her head out, glaring at Twilight and her friends. "What do you want?"
