Two days later…

For the next few days, Twilight, Flash, Spike, and Pinkie all went around the village, hearing the stories of the ponies who lived there. Pinkie did know almost all of them, but she let everypony share without interrupting. Despite many of the ponies still being nervous or suspicious of Twilight, many were now willing to give her a chance due to her accidentally solving their food problem. However, today, they heard a story from the last pony they expected.

“Hey, Twilight,” a voice called out, catching the group’s attention as they entered Second Sight’s house for lunch. Sitting at the table was none other than Rainbow Dash, armorless for the first time since they met her. She still wore the straps for her knives and kept on a worn shirt, but even those couldn’t cover the bulge of her wing stubs.

“Rainbow?” Twilight asked, not expecting the ex-pegasus to be here. “What are you doing here?”

“Came looking for you,” Rainbow said, standing up. Flash frowned and looked at her warily, which made Rainbow roll her eyes. “Calm down, dude. I’m not here to attack her or anything. I came for my turn.”

Flash blinked. “Your turn?”

Rainbow nodded. “I want her to hear my story. She may have already heard part of it from Fluttershy, but I want her to hear what it was like for me.”

“Why?”

“Because I understand what she’s trying to do,” Rainbow continued. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I still don’t exactly like her, and I still think she doesn’t understand us, but the fact that she’s gone around and listened to more than half the village’s stories shows that she at least cares enough to try and learn what it’s like to be us. If she’s willing to do that, then the least I can do is try to help her understand.”

“And Fluttershy talked you into it, didn’t she?” Second Sight said with a wry look.
Rainbow groaned, but nodded, which made Second Sight and Pinkie laugh. Silver Wind and Sturdy Oak, riding on Second’s back, giggled as well. The foals had taken a liking to the blind mare and vice versa, so when they asked if they could stay with her, she had agreed instantly.

“So, what do you say?” Rainbow asked. “It won’t be pretty, but do you want to hear it?”

Twilight nodded, though she was a little hesitant. “If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Then I should at least hear you out.”

Flash nodded, while Second Sight left the room, knowing the story wasn’t one for children.

Rainbow nodded and sat back down. “I’m sure Fluttershy told you about how I stuck up for her back at Thorn’s flight camp. In truth, it wasn’t about her, at least not at first. I just hated how some ponies think that being bigger or stronger gives them the right to treat the rest of us like trash. Thorn was always doing that, and so were the ponies she put in charge of helping oversee her property. Other foals picked up on this and would start to imitate them, especially if they were older or bigger than other foals.

“I knew I couldn’t stop Thorn, but I thought at least I could stop some of the foals that followed her example. It was only after defending Fluttershy that I got to know her. She was, well, awesome. She’s caring and sweet, and probably the nicest pony I had ever met. Most ponies on Thorn’s property would only be nice if it got them something. Real friendships are rare in places like that. If you see somepony you know getting beaten, it’s easier to just disconnect. But ‘Shy didn’t do that. She would have befriended everyone if they had just given her a chance, and she would have meant each and every one.”

Rainbow sighed. “But then that stupid flight test came. The teacher was always hardest on her, and when the cloud safety net broke, he didn’t even move. His face was calm, like he expected it to happen. I’ll bet anything he made it weaker so she would need to fly…or die. Makes me sick just thinking about it.

“She was the only pony who was my friend. A REAL friend. I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. So I broke the ‘no interfering with others flight test’ rule and took off after her. Stupid instructor even chased after me to try and stop me, but that just convinced me to push harder. I…I still don’t even know what happened. One minute I was still too far away from her, the next…”

Rainbow shook her head. “It was like this…force just took over. I began speeding up and the next thing I knew, BOOM!”

Twilight and the others jumped as she jumped up and waved her hooves about, but Rainbow continued as though nothing happened. “I did the one thing no pony thought was possible! Me, a regular pegasus, pulled of the legendary SONIC RAINBOOM! It was AWSOME!” She sunk back into her chair, smiling.

“It was amazing. The shockwave was so strong knocked the teacher right out of the air, even though he was behind me! I saved Fluttershy and did something thought to be impossible by any pony other than alicorns. It was the best moment of my life, and even if it cost me my wings, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Because for just a moment, I was better and more incredible than even Thorn, and nopony can tell me otherwise. And I now had my cutie mark to prove it.”

She slumped as the smile slowly fell from her face. “But… well, you know what happened next.”

“Is it true you insulted Thorn so she would make the bet with you?” Spike asked.

“Yep,” Rainbow said, straightening up. “After ‘Shy and I were locked up, I knew something bad was gonna happen, but I had no idea it would be that horrible. I was horrified when she said my sentence, but when she said Fluttershy’s, I was OUTRAGED. To even think of doing that to someone so… so… I don’t even know, but I refused to just let Thorn maim Fluttershy. So I did the only think I could. I bluffed.”

“Bluffed?” Flash asked.

“I didn’t really think I could hold out losing both my wings without crying out, but I couldn’t just let it happen. I had to try and stop it. Even if I wore a brave face, I…I was terrified. From the moment I started insulting her to the moment she dragged me onto the stage to do the deed, I thought for sure my life was over, that I would…fail… Fail to protect Fluttershy. ”

She shivered. “The first axe strike took off my right wing. I…I can’t even begin to describe the pain. It hurt so much, both physically…and mentally. I could FEEL it, the feathers falling away, the realization that I would never fly again, all of it as the axe struck. I barely contained my cry, I don’t know how, but I did. My eyes were filled with tears, and I think I bit my tongue so hard it bled. And yet through all of it, my eyes opened slightly, and I saw Fluttershy.

“She was crying too. She was just as afraid as I was. Not because she would be next if I failed, but because she didn’t want her friend to be hurt like this. She didn’t want me to take the punishment for her, to get hurt protecting her. But I had to. She was the only friend I had, and I’d be dammed to Tartarus if I let her suffer the same way I did. Keeping her safe, making sure she wouldn’t be subjected to the same torture, filled me with determination.

“I wouldn’t let her suffer like this, no matter what.

“The next strike didn’t even faze me. The only think I cared about protecting Fluttershy. Thorn was so desperate to get me to call out, she tried to cheat by extending the bet and making it so that if I cried out while she used the nearby torches to burn the wounds shut, I would lose. I didn’t care. Keeping her safe was all that mattered. When she was done, I stood there, and I told her exactly what I thought. I won, and she couldn’t do anything about it.”

Even though it was only a half one and it looked sad, Rainbow smirked.

“Seems a little risky to taunt her like that,” Flash said. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“I wasn’t gonna let her walk all over me. She did that to everypony, and I wasn’t gonna let it continue. Not without consequences. Take my advice, if you’re ever captured by an alicorn, don’t let them see your weaknesses. Stand tall, even if you’re chained to the floor, and act like you’re the one in control, because the moment they see a weakness, they’ll exploit it.”

‘Just like the Queen,’ Twilight thought, remembering back to the conversation she had with her in the cell. The queen had been in complete control, and had pretty much reduced her to a quivering mess, all with just her words. Granted, standing up and resisting might not have been a good idea in that PARTICULAR situation, but Twilight could appreciate the sentiment.

Rainbow continued. “After that, I passed out. I don’t know if it was from blood loss or shock or some other medical thing, but I was out like a light. When I woke up, I was locked in a small metal cell with a tiny barred window far out of my reach. I wasn’t chained up, but there wasn’t any real reason to be. I couldn’t get out, and they had a tiny slot in the door for food, so they didn’t need to worry about me jumping them three times a day.

“It…still wasn’t exactly pleasant. For the first two weeks, I just lay on the tiny bed. Besides that and a barred hole in the floor, which served as my bathroom, there was literally nothing. I couldn’t even see out the window because it was too high. I would only get a little bit of sunlight at noon or moonlight at midnight, but that was about it. Well, that and a bit of rain since the cell was underground, but that wasn't much of a problem for me.

“I also had trouble sleeping, for obvious reasons.

“The guards would act like I was just a caged animal, throwing the food in lazily, talking down to me whenever they could. Heck, some of them would come by every morning just to taunt me. Sickos. I tried to talk back, but they just laughed at my attempts. Kinda hard to show them you’re tough when your locked in a cell.

But at least one of the new guards accidently let slip that Fluttershy was ok while he was walking past. That had been keeping me up at night, so at least I could rest a bit easier knowing my stupid plan actually worked. But after those first two weeks, something…awesome happened.”

“Something awesome?” Twilight asked. Rainbow nodded.

“I made another friend.

“One afternoon, when I was napping because I was bored out of my mind, I heard somepony outside the window. And man, was she annoying. She was wailing and sobbing about something really minuscule. I don’t even remember what it was, but I’m pretty sure she said something about a stain. Eh, doesn’t matter. Anyway, I yelled up at her to be quiet, and she asked how I could dare to interrupt her sorrow and started using these fancy words I never even heard of. Between all the strange vocab and her funny accent, I wasn’t sure she was even real for a moment.

“I eventually got so tired of her ranting that I told her unless it was as bad as losing my wings, she should just suck it up and move on. She was quiet for a time, after which…she apologized. And not a fake apology. She really meant it. I could tell because she sounded almost like Fluttershy for a minute, so much so that I found myself telling her it was no big deal and apologizing for snapping at her.

“She had to leave soon after, but she promised to come back and talk to me. And she actually did. It wasn’t too often, but just hearing someone other than the guards talk to me was… nice. It really broke up the monotony and gave me something to do. Granted, I didn’t take much interest in her job, but she was pretty nice and just being able to talk to anyone was a-ok in my book.”

“Did you learn her name?” Flash asked.

“Rarity. She was apparently recruited by Thorn as a designer after she showed a talent in both dresses and gem finding. She didn’t like making things for her, but it was a stable job and kept her out of trouble. More importantly, it gave her full access to Thorn’s house, which just happened to be where I was being held.”

Rainbow shook her head. “I…I wish I could have gotten her out with me. But I didn’t have the time. I was in too much of a rush to get out. But if it weren’t for her… I’d still be locked up. Crazy filly somehow found out what cell I was in and then proceeded to steal the key and drop it through the window in the dead of night.

“She risked everything she had – and possibly her life – all to help me, a random filly she spoke to through a small barred window. We never even saw what the other looked like. Yet she was willing to take a chance to free me. Talk about generosity.

“Anyway, the moment I had the key, I ran to the door. The lock was on the outside, of course, but they had left the food slot open, if you can call what they gave me food. I dislocated my forehoof to get it out far enough to slide the key in and open the door. It hurt, but the fact that I was escaping was enough for me to bear it. Granted, it did slow me down, but not by much.

Rainbow looked away, as if unsure to continue. It took her a moment, but she did take a breath and kept going. “Just…keep in mind how I had been treated when you hear this next part. I did something I…regret, looking back on it.

“It all started when I came across a Butler in the prison. He…He wore these knives.” She gestured to the blades on her chest. Twilight’s eyes widened as she realized where this was going. “They were enchanted to always return to their owner. If I throw one of them, I can summon them back to my belt any time I want, just by thinking. It’s kinda cool since I have unlimited knives, but…it only works for me because I killed the last owner. It…caused the enchantment to transfer to me.”

Rainbow hesitated, letting that fact sink in. Twilight shivered slightly, subconsciously reaching up to rub the scar on her neck. Despite her relationship with the ex-pegasus, she still reached her hoof out, gently patting Rainbow’s. Rainbow blinked, but smiled ever so slightly at the gesture.

Rainbow took a deep breath. “I was so angry when I got out, so empowered, that when I saw the original owner with his back turned, I…I lost it. I leapt at him and grabbed the topmost knife and before he could call for help, I stabbed him in the neck, and I just kept doing it over, and over, and over…”

Rainbow took a shaky breath. “I…I tore him to shreds, I…I just couldn’t stop, and when I did, h-he must have already been dead for a good three minutes. I…I vomited. I was so ashamed at myself for doing it, but at the same time I just felt so ALIVE! I-It was like I was finally free, finally taking control of my destiny. But every time I started to think like that, I…I just imagined what Fluttershy would have though if she saw me like that. T-That though hurt even more than losing my wings.

“So, after I regained control, I took his knives, and made a run for the exit. I…I still had to kill a few Butlers before I got out, but I didn’t lose control again. I…I just buried the idea for the moment and focused on getting out. Once I left the prison, I jumped out a window on the first floor and hightailed it to the farm. There was only one farm that kept prisoners, so it was easy for Rarity to figure out which one it was and tell me where it was located.”

Rainbow barred her teeth. “When I found Fluttershy, I was both relieved, and angry as Tartarus. She was alive, but she was so weak, it just…I wanted to go back to the house just to attack Thorn, even if it would have been pointless. Thankfully, Second Sight talked enough sense into me so that I simply settled with saving Fluttershy and the rest of them.

“But then the farmer came and tried to stop us. He…He insulted Fluttershy, called her useless and weak. I gave her to Second Sight and then proceeded to kick the farmer’s flank. But…” Rainbow’s face became calm. “When I was about to finish him, Fluttershy called out and told me to stop. She… She said that I should let him live. I was…stunned. He hurt her, made her nothing more than skin and bones, and yet she still wanted to spare him.

“I asked her why, and she just said ‘It’s not his fault.’ And… that’s why we still don’t kill ponies here. Even guards or butlers.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked. Rainbow shook her head.

“Both Applejack and I came to the same conclusion when we escaped. The Butlers, the guards, the ponies the alicorns put in charge, they’re not the enemy. They didn’t ask to be raised or trained or whatever it was that caused them to become heartless. It was all the alicorns. They are the ones that make these rules, train their forces to be so ruthless, come up with these harsh punishments.

“That farmer, the Butlers I killed, they were all just as trapped as I was in that cell. They need to do what they do, or they end up on the side I was on, the side that gets punished and tortured. They’re…victims, just like we were. That’s why I just tied him to a tree and covered him in honey and feathers. Why we didn’t kill those Butlers in the forest. I was still fuming, and I couldn’t just let him get away with what he had done, but killing him? That’s just… it just isn’t right. Doesn’t mean I couldn't humiliate him though.”

“About the killing,” Flash said cautiously. “Does Fluttershy know?”

“Yeah, she does. Once she was better, I…I told her. I thought she was gonna hate me. But it’s Fluttershy. She forgave me, and even said that the fact that it bothered me means I’m still a good pony. Not so sure on that last bit, but I guess I’ll just take her word for it.” She gave them a small smirk. “And…that’s pretty much it.”

“Wow,” Spike muttered.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Twilight said, looking at the floor. “I doubt I could have done anything I were there, but still. No pony should have to go through that. Especially…”

“The killings?”

“Yea…”

“How did Applejack come to the conclusion about Butlers?” Flash asked.

“I don’t know,” Rainbow said. “The only thing I know is she was going to be a Butler, but the training failed and she escaped. Maybe having lived through it the training, she knows they’re not inherently evil. I really don’t know though.”

“It is a mystery,” Second Sight said, coming back into the room with the foals. “Not even my incredible wit could break through to her.”

“That’s a surprise,” Flash said with a small smile, only half serious.

“Quiet, you,” Second Sight said, lightly thumping the back of the head. “I’m hilarious. If this was a story, I’d be the comic relief.”

“I think Pinkie fits that role better,” Spike said, getting a beaming smile from the pink mare.

Second Sight was about to respond when the door burst open and Bronze Sword came to a skidding stop.

“Rainbow…” she wheezed. “We have…an EMERGENCY!”

“What is it?” Rainbow said, all serious and straight-laced like she hadn’t just relived the worst days of her life.

“Our scout’s reported back an invasion! It’s Thorn,” she said. “Her ENTIRE Butler force, and the psycho herself, are in the north part of forest!”

“WHAT!?” everyone yelled, jumping to their feet.

Silver Wind and Sturdy Oak, however, yelled something different.

“MOMMY’S HERE?!” they cried in terror, drawing all eyes to them.

“MOMMY?!”

The foals flinched, terrified of all the eyes now locked onto them, but Second Sight simply took them off her back and brought them into her forehooves.

“It’s ok, dearies,” Second Sight said, gently cradling the terrified siblings. “I think you need to tell us what your story is, quickly. Can you do that?”

They hesitated, but nodded.

“W-We’re Thorn’s youngest children,” Silver Wind said.

“S-She was training us to r-run the estate,” Sturdy Oak said, eyes starting to tear. “J-Just like she does w-with all her kids. B-But we didn’t like it. I-I have my limp because s-she would beat me i-if we didn’t do what she wanted, o-or if we questioned her.”

“H-He would take the blame for me,” Silver Wind said, also crying. “S-So I wouldn’t get hurt. W-We overheard some of Mommy’s Butlers t-talking about ponies in the forest. W-We didn’t want to be l-like our brother. He…He ran the farm with Miss Fluttershy.”

“Yikes,” Flash muttered, summing up what everypony in the room felt at the news.

“W-We didn’t want to be like him,” Sturdy Oak said. “M-Mommy would threaten him or h-hit him if he didn’t listen to her, or i-if he didn’t make enough food. We… We didn’t want to be like that for the rest of our lives… so we ran.”

“B-But now she’s HERE! AND SHE’S GONNA TAKE US BACK!” Silver Wind cried, breaking down. Sturdy Oak didn’t fare much better. Second Sight just cradled them and did her best to comfort them.

“Shhh, shhh, it’s ok. We won’t let that bad alicorn get you,” she whispered.

“Bronze, what’s Thorn doing? How many ponies does she have?” Rainbow asked, trying, and failing to keep her voice level.

“W-we think she had about a hundred Butlers with her. No other soldiers, and Fluttershy says Fluffy can’t find any other scents. It’s just her and her Butlers. As for her path… She’s heading right for us.”

“No…”

“Yes… A-Applejack’s triggered the evacuation, and plan Delta.”

“Plan Delta?” Flash asked.

“All the non-combatants are going to evacuate to the safe house a ways outside the village. It’s a large cave with a small, well hidden entrance. It’s almost impossible to find unless you know where it is. E-Every pony who can fight is going to stay here. W-We’re gonna make it look like we’re the only ones here, and hope it stops her.”

“What…What if somepony went to catch her attention…” Twilight asked, her voice cracking slightly. “Somepony she hated, and wanted revenge on?”

“What are you—“ Rainbow began, only for Flash to cut her off.

“Absolutely not.”

“Flash—“

“NO! You are NOT distracting her!”

“She hates me! She tried to kill me as soon as I ascended!”

“I know! I was THERE! I was terrified she would actually succeed!”

“It’s me or everyone here! Even if they fight, she KNOWS her kids are here in the forest somewhere! If she doesn’t find them, she will KEEP LOOKING!” Twilight was sobbing, but didn’t stop. “They don’t deserve to be sent back there. If the Queen is looking for me, then chances are Thorn is gonna need to send me back there or risk her wrath.”

“Or she’ll just keep you locked up and not tell the Queen!” Spike says. “And who knows what she will do to you then!”

“I’m with them,” Bronze Sword said. “She could just torture you for who knows how long and the Queen would never know! It’d be suicide to try and distract her.”

“We don’t even know if that would stop her.” Rainbow said sadly.

“It’s not worth the risk,” Pinkie said.

“But if there’s a chance to stop her, save the village—”

“No, Twilight, as your guard and your friend, I refuse to let you do this.”

Twilight froze, staring at Flash.

“Would you stop me?” she asked, prompting everyone but Flash’s eyes to widen in shock.

“If I needed to,” he said. He was as stealthy as ever, but Twilight had spent enough time with him to know he was reaching into his suit for a sleeper bomb. “Don’t make me do this, Twilight.”

She swallowed hard.“ I-I won’t,” she choked out. “And I-I’m sorry…”

“Sor—“ Flash started, but that was all he had time to say.

With a bright wave of purple magic, Twilight overloaded a sleep spell, knocking Flash, Spike, Bronze Sword, Pinkie, and Rainbow unconscious in less than a second. The bomb harmlessly rolled from Flash’s wing, and even asleep, he managed to look like he was crying.

“I’m s-sorry,” Twilight breathed.

“Are you sure about this, dearie?” Second Sight asked calmly. She and the foals had moved out of range of the spell, looking defeated.

“N-No,” Twilight said, still crying. “B-But I can’t let T-Thorn find everyone. I-If I need to get hurt to s-stop her, t-then I’ll do it.”

“T-Thank you,” Silver Wing whispered, catching Twilight’s attention. “I-I think it’s brave of you. I-I’m sorry we did this.”

“It wasn’t you,” Twilight said, her voice a bit more stable. “You just wanted to be safe, happy. A-And you don’t deserve to be hurt by her.”

“Still, t-thank you. E-even if you f-fail, t-thank you for t-trying.”

“You have a plan?” Second Sight asked.

“Fly out, get seen, divert her attention, try and fly out to get seen by the Queen’s forces before she catches me. Hope Flash can get me out,” Twilight said, sounding like she was reciting a to-do list. “It should give enough time for everyone to get to safety, and hopefully stop her interest in the forest until Applejack can think of a plan.”

“You’re taking a big risk. Are you sure about this?”

“No, b-but these ponies don’t deserve to be captured and forced to live through that T-Tartarus again.” She took a deep breath.

“Seems Rainbow’s wearing off on you. Bold, but dangerous. Good luck, dearie. I promise we’ll come for you.”

“Don’t risk yourself for me,” Twilight muttered as she walked towards the door. “I’m not worth it.”

And with that she took off into the air.

She still wobbled a bit, but her practice was paying off. She took one last look at the village. Everything was in chaos as ponies ran about grabbing everything they could. Derpy was carrying her youngest daughter to the south while the eldest ran behind them. Applejack was passing a small filly off to another pony, before she and Big Mac ran towards the north side of town.

All of them were worried. Twilight could see it on their faces. But she felt proud of them too. They were faced with something that could doom them all, and those who could fight were still doing everything they could to save those who couldn’t. She took a deep breath, got one final look at her temporary home, and beat her wings higher. She heard a few shouts as she flew north. One from Derpy, telling her she was going the wrong way, another from Shield Bearer, yelling at her to wait. She ignored them. She had to help them, even if it cost her her own freedom.

She flew, dodging trees, branches, and the occasional dangerous plant. The longer she flew, the better she felt. It seemed as though Thorn was a good ways away from the village – Twilight might be able to protect its secrecy after all.

After a quiet fifteen minutes, she heard a crash. Below her, a few Butlers were cutting through the underbrush of the forest. A Timberwolf leapt out, but a quick blast of red magic lashed out and smashed it to splinters. Coming out from behind a tree, Thorn stood tall and firm, her red eyes glaring at the forest.

Twilight landed high in a tree to see if she could find a way to distract her without immediately calling attention to herself, but the branch she was standing on quickly broke out from under her and fell towards the forest floor, landing on a Butler’s head and knocking him out instantly. Thorn’s eyes immediately flew upwards and widened as she saw Twilight.

“You!” she hissed.

‘Oh dear,’ Twilight thought as she hovered. She thought of just flying away right then and there and hoping for the best, but then she remembered Rainbow’s story. If she needed to make sure Thorn chased her, then it was time to pull a Rainbow. Twilight reached a hoof up and pulled her bottom eyelid down while sticking her tongue out.

“Naaaaaa,” she taunted, before turning north and soaring away as Thorn screamed in rage.

Thorn might be a faster flier, but Twilight had one particular advantage in the forest –she was smaller. She easily dodged through the tree branches while Thorn could not. And with Twilight’s little taunt, Thorn was so mad she never even thought of using her magic.

“GET HER!” the red alicorn roared as she tried to smash her way through the branches. Her Butlers were slow to respond, giving Twilight a chance to get some distance. She flew away from the trail they had carved through the forest, forcing the unicorn and earth ponies to try and fight their through the underbrush to keep up. It was a losing battle.

The pegasi had it easier, but a few blasts of magic caused more tree branches from above to fall and served to make the path she took harder to follow. Twilight was actually keeping ahead of them, and it almost made her laugh. She hoped she could keep it up.

And she was able to for a good five minutes.

Then a lightning bolt spell flew between the branches and nailed her in the side.

Her vision blurred, she hit a branch, and she passed out as she tumbled down to the forest floor below.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hey, Shield?”

“Yeah, Thunder?”

“Aren’t Thorn’s forces supposed to be here by now?”

“How should I know? You and Lightning were the ones that saw her, and you were the one who came back to us. Shouldn’t you know if they should be here by now?”

“I don’t know how long it takes a group of ponies that big to travel through the forest. We hardly ever leave with more that five ponies. I just feel like we’ve been waiting for too long.”

Shield Bearer was going to respond, but he was interrupted as Lightning flew out of the forest. His face was grim, and he looked almost like he was in shock.

“Lightning! Report!” Applejack yelled from the top of the wall. She was still watching the forest.

“Stand down. They’re retreating.” Lightning said.

“What!? WHY?” Applejack cried in shock.

Lightning looked up at her.

“Twilight sacrificed herself for us. Thorn has her.”

Author's Note

.........
BUM BUM BUUUUUUUUUM!
What the-? PINKIE! Get out of the Author's Notes! This is supposed to be a dramatic silence to keep people on edge from the cliffhanger!
But your posting the next chapter soon anyway, so is it really a cliff hanger?
YES, IT IS! Why are you even here?
Oh, well your girlfriend slash editor said this might be a good chapter for me to do this, so here I am. Also, don't blame her. You're the one who mentioned this originally, remember?
...Curse you, logic.
Yes well anyway, you might want to get going Pinkie, or you'll miss the next chapter.
GASP! You right! Thanksgottagobye! *pinkie vanishes in a puff of logic
My brain is weird.

Next time: End of act 1: Learning, fighting, healing, and igniting the fires of hope