My Little Pony: Forever Stranger

Turns out Summit was right after all. Loyalty ran deep in oxen, too. Such as the loyalty between Shale Mantle and his sister, Copper Chisel, who hadn't seen each other for four years.

When Bovaria fell apart, in the chaos he wound up on the ground with Summit, and she in the city, locked up with the rest of her family like jewelry. She tried to escape at least once a year, failed every time. A talented warrior, her brother was trapped too, duty-bound to Summit. But even had he been free to leave, what would he have done? Hike to the Stone Heart, probably be caught long before he got close, then wake up every morning after underground, in a dark room with iron bars.

So he made a choice. Even with the help of this other pony, Summit didn't stand a chance of taking Bovaria back from Slate. Shale had seen for himself the old unicorn's power, and his tolerance for those who threatened his work. Summit was going to lose, and anyone following him would be banished or worse. But maybe- just maybe- if Shale helped capture his beloved leader, Slate would show gratitude.

When the caravan split, Shale made sure he went with Summit, waited until they were close to the Stone Heart, then broke away and flagged the first patrol he saw. Gale, Flint, and Blitz heard every detail as they trailed Grout's company through the pass, not a word between them. And when the inevitable happened, the three of them didn't startle; they sighed.

"Behind us!"

"Get them!"

"Grab the pony!"

There was no battle plan, no gesture to attack or retreat. The three of them simply stepped from the drift where they had hid, and plodded towards the wave galloping for them. Gale didn't remember much of the fighting. His horn glowed towards the end, though, and afterwards he, Flint, and Blitz ran panting towards the setting sun. Guess they won.