David Treese had just had his fifteenth birthday yesterday, but nothing of major importance had happened. He laid back in his creaky bed, looking up at the concrete ceiling. It was always so cold during the winter. Even with his fur, he couldn't keep from shivering. He turned to his brother, who laid in another bed at the opposite side of the room. "Hey, Oakie?"

Oak Treese turned onto his side to face David. "Yeah?"

"...Do you think Ma and Pa miss us?" he asked.

"Maybe," replied the older brother, Oak. "Pa, probably not. I know Ma misses us."

"Think they stopped lookin for us?" asked David.

"I dunno," said Oak. "It's been four years." A thought then came to his mind. "I turn eighteen in two days. They're kicking me out after that."

"They can't just kick you out," said David. "I'll be alone..."

"But you'll have Magic Hat to keep you company," reasoned Oak.

"But she keeps trying to make me her assistant," said David, a worried look on his face. Oak looked up at the ceiling, pondering the situation. If he came back when David was 18, then he could bring him along. But what if David was adopted before then? Oak decided he didn't want to risk it.

"Alright," said Oak. "I'll try to take ya with me, but we'll have to be sneaky. They won't just lemme take ya with me."

"Okay!" said David, grinning. It was decided. Oak would sneak David out with him tonight.

They waited until it was well past midnight before sneaking out of bed. After making sure the hallway was cleared, they made their way to the front door. It had once been a manor, home to a very wealthy unicorn, but nowadays it was an orphanage. What had happened to the un,icorn was a mystery.

Oak attempted to turn the handle, but then swore under his breath as he learned it was locked. "We gotta use a window," he whispered. He then looked down the hallway to find one of the windows had been unlocked. "Alright... through here," he said.

David squirmed through the window, eventually getting through. Oak joined him close behind. Now outside, they only had to run as far away as possible.

And so they did. They didn't even look back.

At least, that's what they tried to do. Instead, a familiar figure jumped out of the window, falling flat on her face.

"Gosh dang it!" she muttered as she rose to her hooves. Her coat was autumn brown, accented by her golden blonde mane. "Y'all get back here! You know you can't take David with you!"

"He'll get adopted if I don't," replied Oak. "You know how quickly the adults try to take him from here. Without me, he'd be snatched up in the blink of an eye."

"Just ask my dad! He'll keep an eye on David!"

David thrashed in his restraints, unable to break free. Memories flowed through his mind as he tried everything he could to escape.

"Twilight, hold him still!" said Applejack.

"I'm trying!" Twilight replied. "The ropes keep getting weaker and it's getting tiresome casting renewal spells."

David continued to bite down on his ropes. He had to find Dylan, had to find Oak.

"Perhaps music soothes the savage beast?" suggested Rarity.

"In case you haven't noticed, we're kinda short on instruments," replied Dash.

"Darling, I used to help Sweetie Belle go to sleep when she was just a tiny foal. I don't need instruments," Rarity pointed out. In an instant, her horn was lit up, and soothing strings began to play from seemingly out of nowhere. David's thrashing grew weaker as the sad tune reminded him of what he'd done.

"Nice thinking, Rarity!" applauded Twilight.

David's mind tried taking him to a better place...

"Thanks for picking me up," said David. He looked out the window of the cart that carried them through the city. It was too big a place to wander alone.

"No problem. I can't believe her dad had agreed to watch you for your remaining years there," said Oak.

"It's you he hates, not me," replied David. "So, where are we going now?"

"Well, uhh... I don't rightly know, actually. I, uhh... got let go today," said Oak.

"Ya got fired?"

Oak sighed and shook his head. "It's only a temporary setback. There's a few openings at Fullstack's building. We're going to be doing a lot of oddjobs... Hopefully we'll be good at one of them. Lord knows I'm no good out here right now."

Dylan woke up on the somewhat comfortable carpet of his new little hangout. Something felt wrong. Something felt VERY wrong. He could hear screaming...

And it was all too familiar.

Dylan ran out into the storm, seeing the mane six carrying a bound pony. "You're back!" he cried.

Applejack suddenly looked worried. "Uh... H-Hey, Dylan! Ah didn't expect ya to be out in this rain!"

"Yeah, I um... I got a gift from Amber," he said, blushing. "And, uh, it's out here..." He pointed to the mini home.

"Uh huh..." Applejack looked to the small little clubhouse.

"Who's...?" Dylan pointed to the struggling stallion.

"Uh... We don't exactly know. Might have an idea who, though..." Applejack put a hoof on Dylan's should. "I think it's best ya stay outta this business fer now..."

"Why? Is it that bad?" Dylan tilted his head in confusion. "Was Quick Stacks dealt with?"

"Kinda," answered Applejack. "I think we all need to put our heads together to solve things."

"Me, too?" asked Dylan, hopeful.

"Ah said no," replied Applejack. "Now, go on."

Dylan turned and went back inside his present, but he still looked out the window at them. Applejack returned to Twilight and eventually went into the barn before coming back out with a piece of rope. She quickly tied the fresh bonds around the struggling stallion, allowing Twilight to stop repairing the older piece of rope. Nearly collapsing, Twilight put a foreleg around Rainbow Dash to keep her held up.

"Wow, Twilight. You look tired," said Pinkie. "Maybe you should sleep when we get to the castle."

"I'll be fine," said Twilight, panting. "I just need a quick breather."

"So, you can time travel," pointed out Rainbow Dash, "but you can't keep old rope from being broken?"

"Okay, first off," Twilight replied, "That was with special circumstances, not by doing it on my own. Second, I have to visualize that rope being put back together every single time, and it's not like I can just renew it. I'm putting together old pieces that are just too weak to hold."

"Well, with this newer rope, you can take a break," said Applejack with a smile. "Now let's get him back to the castle."

And so they did. It took a while for even the Princess of Friendship to explain to passerby guards that this was a dangerous pony who needed to be questioned, but eventually they made it.

Twilight sat on a couch set up in her room, exhausted. "Okay... So, Mr. Angrypants," she started, "let's try getting answers out of you..."

She lit up her horn in an aura of magic and pressed it to the stallion's forehead.

"Please, be careful," said Fluttershy. "We wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"It's no problem, Fluttershy," replied Twilight with confidence. "It's a simple spell to help me get into his mind." She closed her eyes, and then reopened them again, images appearing in her pupils as memories went through her head.

Author's Note

This was a short chapter, but now I'm back into the swings of things. I'll be doing both alternative updates on Redemption is Magic and Where The Apples Grow, as long as a few updates on other fics in between, following a schedule.

Please, forgive me for forgetting my roots, and I hope regular updates will make up for it.