In a small clearing within the untamed tropical wilderness several dozen yards away from the shoreline of that minor archipelago, Applejack paced about restlessly. She wasn't too worried about the current situation as such, but she felt like she couldn't sit still—like she was wasting time. She hadn't said anything outwardly to either Rainbow or Rarity, but the farm pony hadn't been able to get her family and farm off her mind since they all started off for Equestria.

Sixteen years.

It had been a little more than sixteen years since she saw Big Mac or Applebloom or Granny Smith or the rest of the Apple family. Even horrifically altered as she was both physically and mentally, she still missed them all something fierce. No amount of mental tampering—be it through magic or science—was enough to rid the country-born mare of her nigh unbreakable familial bonds.

She needed to see the rest of the Apples—to see what was left of them. She'd had ample time to think about what she might find when she finally returned and was under no delusions that things would be the same as they were before. She'd missed an entire war. What's more, it was a war that Equestria had lost. What if her family had been dragged into it?

What if Ponyville had been attacked? What if Big McIntosh or—Celestia forbid—Apple Bloom had gone off to fight? Even if there hadn't been any war, there was still that sixteen-year gap in time she could never get back. She hadn't been there to see her little sister grow up. She hadn't been there to see if Big Mac ever managed to find a mare to bring back to the farm.

Granny Smith was a hardy old mare but even back then it was clear to Applejack that she hadn't had many years left in her. She might've said otherwise, and she knew Granny Smith and the others would've agreed with her, but deep down she'd known. They all had. She wouldn't have survived the harsh demands of wartime. And that was just her immediate family. There were Apples all over Equestria and she ached to see each and every one of them.

And she was so close.

Equestria was right there, just a short flight away. She could do it. She'd lost her equinity but she'd gained so much more in return. Applejack would always prefer the ground beneath her hooves when it came right down to it. After experiencing what it was like to fly, however, the former earth pony would be lying if she said she couldn't see the appeal of being a pegasus.

In the past—what felt like eons ago, now—Rainbow had talked a good deal about the freedom of being able to soar through the skies. Applejack had listened like a good friend, but she'd never paid the prismatic pegasus any heed. After all, she was an earth pony. Her life, her livelihood, her family, everything she was, was intrinsically linked to the earth. Earth ponies weren't meant to know the joys of flight under their own power.

But now she'd tasted the freedom of that open sky and she had to admit, it was rather sweet. It opened up a whole new world of opportunities she'd never even considered. She'd flown, by her own power, all the way back to Equestria from another country. Something like that could not be overlooked—granted no normal pegasus likely would've been able to make such a trip in one go as she and the others had.

The more pragmatic side of her had realized the benefits of flight and now she was torn. She wanted so badly to simply shift into something with wings and abandon that small archipelago for the mainland. She had the ability to do so and it would be so easy. But she couldn't leave Rainbow or Rarity behind to deal with the aftermath of what they'd done... or could she?

All three of them had left Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy behind in Griffonia after all, but then again it was their decision to stay. What's more, Applejack knew that if she just explained her desire to rush and find her family, Rainbow and Rarity would probably understand and let her go. She'd been about to do just that once they'd landed ashore, but as she opened her mouth to ask, she was stopped by the weak touch of a hoof.

She looked down to see the pegasus mare she'd rescued from the burning airship. The rest had missed it during the escape, but Applejack had seen the weakened pegasus struggling to fight against the air pressure. In a snap decision that may have been more maternal or otherwise familial instinct than anything else, she'd gone back to quite literally pull the pegasus out of the fire.

It was Applejack that had saved the mare, and as she set the pegasus down on the sandy beach, that mare had stared back at her with unfocused, pleading eyes. Her voice was weak, her words barely audible, but when she opened her mouth, Applejack realized then and there that she couldn't just leave. She realized she hadn't been the only one to suffer hardships. She wasn't the only one with a family to protect.

There were other ponies who cherished their loved ones just as much as she did, and nowhere was that made more clear to her than in the words this young pegasus mare spoke. It was a simple question, a feeble but heartfelt inquiry as to the safety of her brother. Even before their escape, both siblings had been in bad shape, and Applejack hadn't even gotten the chance to respond before the mare passed out again, her question unanswered.

And now she was here, so close to her home yet unable to bring herself to walk away from her current predicament. It really was frustrating, but she'd already made up her mind to watch over the two siblings along with the zebrican mare. After what felt like hours, Applejack finally stopped her pacing and let out a resigned sigh. She paused a moment, then made her way over to where the zebra was examining the two unconscious siblings beneath the shade of a drooping palm tree.

"So what's the word, Doc?" Applejack asked, "they gonna be okay?"

"Emaciation... dullness of the coat... sickly pallor..." the other mare muttered, passing a hoof over the barrel of the unicorn stallion. She frowned as she pried open one eye, "eyes are red and glassy..."

The zebra sighed and stood up from where she'd been leaning over the stallion.

"The symptoms they suffer from smoke inhalation is not so serious," she explained, "if that were all then they would make a full recovery on their own in a matter of hours, but..." she shook her head slowly and returned her gaze to the blacked-out pair, "the bigger issue is exhaustion and severe malnutrition."

Applejack grimaced and followed the other mare's gaze. She'd been surprised to learn that the zebra—Kaya she'd called herself—was an actual doctor. Applejack had only known of one zebra and what that zebra did, so she assumed Kaya was cut from a similar cloth. Unfortunately, she'd been wrong, and Kaya was rather quick to point the fact out.

"I am no inyanga, ignorant mare," she'd corrected in that calm but oddly biting tone, "I am... I was a family physician by trade. I have both studied and practiced proper medicine in Manehattan for many years."

Needless to say, Applejack was both taken aback and somewhat abashed by her own presumptions. She had no idea what an inyanga was but by Kaya's tone, it seemed the mare wanted in no way to associate herself with one. The only thing she could do was apologize and not bring up the subject again. She did have questions, but Applejack ultimately decided to let it drop lest she suffered more verbal barbs.

"A steady diet of oats and alfalfa and some proper rest over the next few months should find them whole and healthy once more," Kaya continued with a concerned frown, "...but I fear our situation does not call for such luxuries at the moment."

"Well shoot," Applejack muttered, pushing up her stetson so she could scratch at her mane, "an' there ain't nothin' else we can do?"

"Not unless you can pluck the needed sustenance from thin air," Kaya replied before taking in her surroundings, "many of the plants here serve little nutritional value and some I believe may be rather unsafe to consume altogether. There is nothing for it. We must return to the mainland if the twins are to recover—preferably sooner rather than later."

"Ah hear ya," Applejack nodded, then added with a note of despondency, "Ah had plenty of what ya needed back on my family's farm, near Ponyville, but it's been a dog's age since Ah been home."

"A farm near Ponyville you say?" Kaya replied, turning to give Applejack a look of what seemed like both realization and sympathy, "ah, yes... Applejack. I suppose that makes sense."

Applejack frowned at Kaya's tone and words, feeling a sudden mix of both dread and the sensation that she was missing something. The zebrican mare's expression was one of pity, and Applejack didn't like that one bit.

"What do you mean?" she asked warily, "what makes sense?"

"You must forgive me," Kaya replied with a short shake of her head, "I have only just now realized who you and your companions are, or rather what each of you is supposed to represent."

"Ya mean... the Elements o' Harmony?" Applejack guessed, cocking her head in bemusement. She huffed and looked away with a humorless chuckle, "yeah, Ah suppose we were once upon a time, but apparently that ain't the case no more."

"It would seem so judging by what I have seen of you all now," Kaya agreed, looking the other mare up and down, "I doubt Harmony would be so accepting of such murderous inequine monstrosities."

"Land sakes, girl, you don't hold back do ya?" Applejack winced, "but Ah guess Ah can't argue with that assessment. Ain't no point in denyin' the obvious. Still, none of us really had a say in how we all turned out."

"Hm," Kaya replied as she went back to examining the twins, "I know not what became of you all during your long absence, but evidently, the news of your demise at the hooves of Sombra was greatly exaggerated."

"The news of what!?"

Both Applejack and Kaya turned to see the familiar cerulean form of Rainbow Dash emerge through the trees. She looked between the two as she approached, confusion clearly written on her face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her eyes finally settling on Kaya, "I came back to see how everything was holding up. The hay is all this about our demise?" she paused and glanced over to the siblings with a grimace, "oh wow, they're uh... they're not looking so hot."

"No," Kaya frowned, "these two need immediate medical attention which is, unfortunately, something I cannot provide until we have reached the mainland. If we've no business here, then I suggest we make for Equestria proper as soon as possible."

"Ah agree," Applejack nodded, "where's Rares and that griffon?"

"They're still talking back on the beach," Rainbow answered somewhat distractedly, "but what about the whole 'demise' thing?"

"Ah'm more'n a mite bit curious about that myself, but we can all gab about it on the way back," Applejack replied as she stepped past Rainbow and towards the foliage, "now let's get Rarity an' get the hay outta here. It's high time Ah find out what happened to my family an' our farm."

"But wait, hang on a minute!" Rainbow called out to Applejack's retreating form, "I wanna get back to Equestria as much as the next pony here, but I don't think we can just... drop back into Ponyville and expect everything to be all hunky-dory!"

"Maybe not, but we're gonna find out just how bad things are sooner or later," Applejack answered without breaking her stride, "might as well be sooner."

Rainbow Dash wanted to argue but realized the other mare had a point. In fact, if she was being honest with herself, she completely agreed. In the end, she simply watched Applejack disappear into the trees, though it wasn't long before a voice from somewhere behind her caught her attention.

"A surprisingly astute observation coming from you," Kaya commented from over where she was standing by the siblings.

Rainbow's eyes narrowed at the words.

"The hay is that suppose to mean?"

"You did not seem the type to worry about such things," Kaya explained casually, "but then again, until today I knew little of you and your friends beyond your names and deeds so I suppose it is not my place to judge."

"Yeah, I suppose it isn't," the pegasus spat, "seriously, what's your deal anyway? I thought Rarity was a master of passive-aggressiveness but you take it to a whole new level. Honestly, you and the jolly bird beak back there aren't all that different."

"While I would like to think myself somewhat more compassionate than that featherbrained oaf, I admit it is a terribly bad habit of mine," Kaya replied without any visible hint of remorse or apology in her tone, "call it a... character flaw if you like."

"What I call it is being a total—"

"Hey, you two comin' or what?!" Applejack called out from beyond the trees surrounding the clearing, "Ah don't wanna waste any more time hangin' round here than Ah have to, so let's get! An' make sure ya'll bring those twins along with ya!"

"Well, it seems someone is raring to go," Kaya observed dryly after a slightly awkward moment.

"Well yeah, I don't blame her," Rainbow sighed before making her way over to where the twins were. Together she and Kaya pulled a single sibling each onto their backs, "Applejack has ponies and a home she hasn't seen in sixteen years—we all do. And if that wasn't bad enough, we apparently missed out on an entire war, a war that was... probably our fault now that I think about it."

Kaya raised a questioning eyebrow but didn't say anything, much to Rainbow's surprise. Instead, the zebrican mare starting trotting in the same direction Applejack had gone. After a moment, Rainbow Dash followed.

"So yeah, basically we're all dying to know what happened to Equestria while we were, uh... gone," the pegasus finished, "maybe just flying off to Ponyville right off the bat isn't a good idea, but I totally get where she's coming from."

"Hm."

Rainbow frowned.

"That's all you have to say?" she asked, somewhat put off by the non-committal response, "what, no snappy retort? No questions about where we even were all these years? Or how we became freaky eldritch killing machines?"

"I have much to say and many questions regarding the untimely death and sudden return of Equesttria's 'saviors'," Kaya replied after a moment, "but my first and foremost concern is the lives of these young ones. How you came to be where you are now can wait."

"Fair enough," Rainbow Dash shrugged after a moment's thought, "Since we're apparently headed to Ponyville I'd like to say you're in good hooves with Nurse Red Heart, but I don't even know if she's still there."

"I know Red Heart," Kaya said with the smallest hint of a frown, "she is a good mare and a fine nurse practitioner, but she will be of no help to us now."

"Really?" Rainbow asked with a small frown of her own, "why's that? Did something happen to her?"

"She moved from her home in Ponyville to work in Manehattan during the war and has been there ever since," Kaya replied, "as far as I know, she has not been back to Ponyville since its expansion into an agricultural city."

"Since its what?!" Rainbow balked, practically stumbling over her own four hooves and nearly dropping one of the twins in her surprise, "wait, hold up, back up a minute... what do you mean agricultural city?"

"I mean just what I have said," Kaya replied as calmly as ever, "as years pass, things change, and those changes are all the more drastic in the aftermath of open conflict. The nation, its citizens, and the places they live in... all are destined to change, and the idyllic little town of your past is no exception, Rainbow Dash."

"Well sure, but... but that kind of change takes time, right?" Rainbow asked as she tried to comprehend the image of an industrialized Ponyville, "I mean, it's only been sixteen years. How much could they really build?"

The zebra paused a moment to look Rainbow in the eye, her gaze steady but her tone slightly admonishing when she next spoke.

"I think you already know the answer, girl."

Rainbow winced and a grimace crossed her face as she thought about it. In truth, she did know the answer to that question. When ponies of all tribes worked together as a community to build something, the job got done, and it got done fast. If passionate enough, or pushed hard enough, the expansion of Ponyville into a large city within the span of sixteen years was entirely plausible.

And if Ponyville changed so much that it became a freaking city, then what about the rest of Equestria? Rainbow thought, how much has the rest of the country changed while we were gone?

"Wh-What about Cloudsdale?" the slightly shaken pegasus asked, hating the slight desperation in her voice but unable to fully help it, "that's gotta be the same as it ever was right? I mean, it's Cloudsdale. Expansion doesn't exactly work the same way."

"True, cloud cities are indeed far more... flexible where construction is concerned," Kaya conceded with a small nod. She moved forward once again, pushing ahead of Rainbow as she continued, "but to be frank, I do not know much of what has become of Cloudsdale. I know the Rainbow Factory was repurposed as a manufacturing plant for pegasi armaments some time ago, but beyond that, I could not tell you."

"Alright, that... makes sense I guess," Rainbow reluctantly relented, "I think I heard something back in school about how the Factory was actually this massive fortress a long time ago so I guess it isn't really that surprising, but the other weather factories are still operational?"

"The rain still falls and the wind still blows so I would assume so."

"And there's nothing else you can tell me?"

"Do I look like a pegasus, child?" Kaya quipped, turning her head to raise an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash, "do I look in anyway like I would know the inner workings of a city built in and of the clouds above?"

Rainbow winced as she followed behind Kaya. She knew the other mare was right and that her knowing anything about the situation was probably a long shot. Cloudsdale, historically, had never had many zebrican visitors if any at all.

"Okay, fair point. I guess I'll just have to see for myself then," she sighed and decided to change topics, "in any case, how are we gonna get those two any help if Nurse Red Heart isn't in Ponyville anymore? Is there another doctor we can go to?"

"I am another doctor," Kaya replied, "and if your friend insists on going to Pone City I know of a place we can go."

"Pone City?" Rainbow scoffed, "is that what they're calling Ponyville now? Yeesh, what a dumb name."

"On that, we agree, much to my surprise," Kaya nodded, "though some have taken to calling it Appleville from what I have heard."

"Appleville?" the pegasus parroted in bemusement, "as in... Appleville? Like the Apple family?"

"I would imagine so," Kaya replied, "I do not know their reasons personally, nor do I particularly care. Moreover, if you are set on your destination, the name of the city should be the very least of you and your friend's worries."

"Why's that?" Rainbow asked, not liking the older zebra's tone.

"Sombra's influence reaches quite far, child," Kaya replied, her voice heavy with a gravitas that wasn't there a moment ago, "the streets of many Equestrian cities are crawling with his enforcers so if you plan to move about the country, you and your friends would do well to never show your faces in public, lest you draw unwanted attention to yourselves and those around you."

"Yeah, that's not gonna be a problem—"

"Perhaps where your appearance is concerned," Kaya interjected, "but I am not worried about your appearance, girl. What worries me is your disposition. Your propensity for violence."

She stopped and turned once more to look Rainbow Dash full in the face. The veneer of calmness and serenity had suddenly fallen away and in its place was an expression that set the viral pegasus on edge. There was little visible change in her overall features, but there was something dark and threatening in her deep azure eyes as she spoke her next words.

"If you and the other two wish to slaughter your way through Sombra's minions like bloodthirsty beasts then, by all means, do so to your heart's content," she hissed, "but should your actions bring harm to a single hair on the hide of these two siblings, I will see to it that you suffer a fate most horrible—your monstrous anatomy be damned. Do you understand me, child?"

Rainbow hesitated a moment, then nodded.

"Y-Yeah, I hear ya," she answered in an uncharacteristically diffident tone, "no heroics, no brutal murder of our enemies. Bloodshed and belligerence are off the table. Got it."

It wasn't quite Fluttershy's Stare, but the look Kaya gave to Rainbow Dash at that moment was incredibly reminiscent of that uncanny gaze. It was enough to send a jolt of unease through her virally enhanced body and, almost unbidden, she found herself acting in much the same way she would've had her butter-yellow friend told her off. Kaya, for her part, continued to glare at Rainbow for another moment or two before finally turning away.

"So long as you understand, I will do what I can to help you and the other two beasts you call friends to acculturate into Pone City society," she finally said, "it is the least I can do for aiding myself and the others in our escape."

"Uh... cool... thanks?"

Kaya didn't respond, instead opting to keep trudging ahead. Rainbow honestly didn't mind being ignored and just followed after the other mare in a pensive sort of silence. There was a strange tension in the air between the two now, but it wasn't all that hard to dismiss. After all, Rainbow Dash had quite a lot to think about. There was still a lot to unpack about their current predicament, and she had the rather unpleasant feeling that things were only going to get more complicated from here on out.

Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait, guys. FFXIV got its hooks into me and I had a hard time tearing myself away from it.