AMONG THE TROTTING DEAD

Winds blew softly through Ponyville’s streets. The sun's rays warming the land, evaporating the dew. It felt strange for Twilight to see her town so quiet, so void of life. The distant sloshing of river water and the chirping of birds eventually broke her from her mindless haze. Tearing her gaze from a burnt-out putter wagon, she looked over at the house she stayed in overnight and saw her friends packing up the remainder of their supplies in their saddlebags.

“Is your head, okay?”

Twilight looked away from the ponies on the porch and looked down at Rumble and Scootaloo who were gazing up at her with their big innocent eyes. “Well,” She touched where shovel met skull. “It’s just a small pump, I’ll be fine.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Rumble felt relieved.

“So, are you ready to go to the orchard?” Scootaloo asked as she adjusted her saddlebag.

Twilight let out a chuckle. “Oh yes, I’m really looking forward to seeing my friends and my brothers…”

“Well, we better get a move on before a herd of trotters shows up out of the blue.” Rainbow Dash quipped, tossing a saddlebag over to Twilight.

Catching the bag, Twilight threw it over her shoulder. “They move in herds?”

“Yeah, from what we’ve seen…” Rainbow Dash made her way down the road. Her friends followed her. Looking back at her friend, she could see the gears in her head turning. “I see you thinking Twilight, knowing you, you’d like to stay and study them, but we need to get back to the orchard.”

“And then eat breakfast!” Rumble and Scootaloo jumped up n’ down.

“Yeah, how could I forget, breakfast… Pancakes with apples… again.” Rainbow Dash sighed. The group laughed at her plight. Rolling her eyes, she looked back at the group. “Come on fillies and colts, I can’t wait to see the look on those ponies' faces!”

Pancakes calmly sizzled in several iron skillets. A spatula entered one of the skillets lifting a pancake into the air and onto a plate. Applejack smelled its aroma and gave a satisfied hum before refiling the empty skillet with more pancake batter.

“Shoot pumpkin, you’re reminding me of when I was your age. Cooking breakfast for my siblings.” Her grandmother, Granny Smith chuckled as she sat at the dining table cutting up several red apples.

“Well, I did learn from the best.” Applejack laughed.

Rarity looked up from her seat on the couch beside the fireplace. “Do you need help Applejack?” She asked as she placed a folded blanket on a pile of other blankets.

“Naw, Rarity, I can handle it. Besides, we don’t need you all covered in pancake batter.” Applejack laughed.

Lotus and Aloe who were sitting beside Rarity, giggled at the earth pony’s words.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “I’m not that hopeless when it comes to cooking…” She smirked, a chuckle leaving her lips. “But, when it comes to love, that’s a whole other story.” Applejack’s cheeks went red with embarrassment. “Oh darling, when are you and Soarin going to make it official?” Lotus, Aloe, and Rarity peeked into the kitchen, giving the farm pony sly smiles.

Sweat rolled down Applejack’s brow. “Um…” She tapped the rim of a skillet with her spatula. “Soon, we’re waiting for the right time is all.” She said through clenched teeth as she held the spatula in her mouth.

“The right time?” Aloe questioned.

“What?” Rarity dropped the towel she was folding. “Sweetie!” She stared at her friend with a dumbfounded look on her face. “You better make it quick! If you haven’t noticed the world seems to be falling apart around us!” She placed her hooves on her face and rubbed her eyes. “I think it’s the best time to tie the knot! Don’t you think girls?”

“Oh, yes, very much so,” Lotus replied with a chuckle. Her sister Aloe laughed along with her.

“Well… I…” Applejack mumbled to herself before she shook her worries away and glared at the three mares.

“Your grandmother isn’t getting any younger sugar cube.” Granny Smith smirked at her daughter as she peeled away at an apple. “I’m hoping to add ‘Great’ onto my title before I die.” Rarity, Aloe, and Lotus laughed at her words.

Applejack’s cheeks blushed red. Soon her embarrassment increased when one of the pancakes burst into flames. “AW, SHOOT!”

Two stallions carrying a heavy wooden crate full of canned goods entered the barn. “Damn, this is heavy!” Jet cloud, a pegasus with grey fur and a dark navy-blue mane stated through clenched teeth. Setting down the crate along with Copper, an earth pony with reddish-brown fur and blonde colored mane, he looked up at the rafters. “Hey, Hooves? Where does Applejack want these?”

Hooves, an earth pony stallion with brown fur and a black mane peaked his head over the edge of the rafters, his sharp blue eyes staring at the two stallions. “She wants them in the basement with the other canned goods.” He disappeared back into the rafter’s depth.

“Understood!” Jet Cloud laughed. “Don’t make too much noise.” He smirked at his own thoughts. “Don’t want the whole farm to hear!”

“HA! HA!” Hooves peaked his head out once more. “My girlfriend is doing laundry.”

“Sure?” Jet Cloud said in a drawn-out sigh. Hooves rolled his eyes as he dipped back into the rafters.

Copper rolled his eyes. “You just can’t get off his back, can you?”

“Just teasing is all.” Jet Cloud huffed. “Let’s go.”

Copper shrugged his shoulders and picked up his side of the crate and followed Jet Cloud into the basement. Entering the cool basement, they saw Willy Pete and Jiminy Jam sorting jarred goods from oldest to newest.

“How are you two? Enjoying the cool basement?” Jet Cloud mocked.

“That’s no way to speak to your elders.” Willy Pete laughed.

“Ha! Ha!” Jet Cloud rolled his eyes. “So, how’s it going?”

“Going as good as it can be?” “Willy Pete patted his chest. “Not hard work at all…. Unless you asked Jiminy.” He pointed to the stallion in question. The stallion who was in his early forties just rolled his eyes as he put a stack of jarred peaches away.

Copper sighed as he headed up the stairs. “I’m going to check and see if breakfast is ready.”

“You barely worked!” Jet Cloud grumbled.

“That colt will eat us out of house and home.” Willy Pete shook his head.

“I can’t help that I’m always hungry!” Copper shouted as he headed up the stairs.

“Oh, come on! You always win!”

Within a clubhouse built within the branches of an elder oak tree, several fillies, two colts, and a drake were playing a game of cards.

“What?” Dinky shrugged. “You have to think quick on your hooves.” She giggled

“Well, I want a rematch!” Sweetie Belle stated, picking up the cards with magic.

Spike stared at the playing cards as Sweetie Belle shuffled them. The crisp sounds they made as they smacked against one another were soothing to his ears. Applebloom, who sat across from him noticed his solemn mood. “You alright?”

“Uh…” Breaking his haze, he looked at the earth pony. “Yeah…” Spike sighed. The other children looked at one another with concerned gazes. Feeling uncomfortable, Spike got up from the floor and walked out of the clubhouse.

Worried for her friend, Applebloom followed him. “Spike?” She stepped onto the porch and stood beside him.

“What?” He sighed as he crossed his arm and leaned on the porch’s railing.

“What are you thinking about?” She copied his posture.

“Nothing…” He looked away and watched the grass dance with the wind.

Applebloom sighed. “I know that’s not true.” She eyed the grass as well. “Were you thinking of Twilight again?” Spike felt a tight sensation radiating from his chest. She studied his defeated posture. “I miss her too, you know…” She tapped her front hooves together. “She was a very helpful pony.” She laid her head on Spike’s shoulder.

He tensed up at her touch. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he looked anywhere that wasn’t directly at her. “Yeah…” He finally gave in and looked at her. “She was….” He smiled as he looked at the rows of apple trees. Eyeing the fruit that hung from their limbs. “I just wish I knew… If she’s….” He tapped the porch’s railing.

“If she’s alive?” Applebloom wondered.

“Or dead….” Spike sighed.

The other children stared at the two through the clubhouse door.

“Poor Spike.” Snowy sighed.

“Should we try to cheer him up?” Dusk asked. His twin brother Dawn nodded in agreement.

Sweetie Belle and Dinky looked at one another. “No,” Sweetie Belle looked at the playing cards on the floor. “Applebloom has it covered.”

Nearing the edge of Ponyville proper, Twilight looked back at the town and studied its silhouetted apocalyptic glory. The Germanic-styled homes and shops now husks of their former selves.

“Sad, isn’t it?” Thunderlane stood beside Twilight.

Twilight stared at her library home in the distance. “It is…” She looked at the stallion. “I’m really looking forward to seeing a more welcoming sight.”

“Well then,” Thunderlane and Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash. “Let’s get a move on before them numb nuts eat all the pancakes!” She laughed as she trotted at a steady pace. Scootaloo and Rumble followed her as they skipped along at her pace. Thunderlane and Twilight smirked at one another and gave chase.

Derpy sat on a dirt mound staring blissfully at her surroundings. She took a deep breath and fluffed her wings. Standing up, she stretched her neck and headed over to Applebloom’s clubhouse.

“Hello, Derpy!” Carrot Top shouted from the porch of the farmhouse.

“Hello, Carrot!” Derpy waved. “Whatcha doing?”

“Playing cards.” Carrot held up a hoof-full of cards. The ponies playing with her held up their cards as well.

“Who’s winning?” Derpy walked up closer to the porch and smiling all the while.

“I am!” Sunny giggled.

“No, you’re not sis!” Summer Wind mumbled with a pout.

Carrot Top rolled her eyes. “What are you up to?”

“Checking on my daughter.” Derpy waved as she headed for the clubhouse. “When I get back, I want to join in!”

Summer Wind watched the grey colored pegasus head toward the clubhouse. “Carrot?”

“Yes?” Carrot Top looked at the pegasus.

“Not to be nosey or anything… But, how is her daughter a unicorn?” Summer Wind placed the five of clubs on the pile. “Her colt-friend is an earth pony.”

“Maybe her first colt-friend was a unicorn!” Sunny sighed. “Maybe it was a one-night stand?” She gave her sister a sly wink.

Carrot Top looked at Sunny with a raised brow. “No… It wasn’t. She married a unicorn. Married him too young.” She placed a card down slowly. “Hand Dinky at sixteen.”

The sisters looked at each other. “She looks older?” Summer Wind stated.

“She does, but no, she’s only twenty-six.” Carrot Top hummed.

“Where’s the husband now?” Summer Wind tilted her head.

“It’s obvious they separated.” Sunny frowned at her sisters.

“Sort of…” Carrot Top stared at her cards. She remembered that day. Supporting her young friend through the turmoil she was facing.

Summer Wind studied the hurt radiating from Carrot Top’s eyes. “Oh… I see…” She eyed Derpy nearing the clubhouse. “Was he?”

“Yes…” Carrot Top grumbled. “Gave him a black eye.” She set down one of her cards on the pile. “Wish I did more.” The sisters only nodded and dropped their line of questioning.

Getting to the clubhouse, Derpy looked up and saw Spike and Applebloom sitting together on the porch, resting their heads against one another. She smirked, ‘Young love.’ Her smile left. ‘Young love indeed…’ She shook her head. ‘Not my place to judge…’ She smiled as she approached. “Cloud watching, are we?”

Spike and Applebloom jerked from her voice. Seeing the crossed-eyed mare, they quickly sat up. “Um, yeah… Sort of…” Applebloom stuttered with a blush.

“Yep, cloud watching.” Spike gave a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Derpy giggled. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” She gave a wink. Applebloom and Spike blushed. “How’s my daughter and the rest of you doing? Are you playing nice?”

Spike laughed. “Yeah, though, Sweetie Belle is getting upset that Dinky keeps winning at cards.”

Derpy giggled, “Well, I’m sure…”

“What in tarnation is going on?”

Derpy, Spike, and Applebloom looked over towards the farmhouse to see Applejack and the rest of the ponies walking over to the gate. “What’s happening?” Applebloom asked.

“I don’t know, but let’s find out!” Derpy stated. “Come on, children, let’s go!”

-5 Minutes Earlier-

Soarin sat on the farmhouse roof. He stared at the foothills surrounding the orchard, studying them and the hazy silhouette of Ponyville through a pair of binoculars. Seeing nothing unusual, he set them in his lap and laid back giving his eyes a rest.

Standing beside the fence a few yards from the gate, Macintosh skimmed over a pile of plywood scrap. His green-colored eyes jumped from one piece to another. “Hey, Mac, I’m ready for the next piece whenever you are?” Shining called out, looking at the bulky stallion.

Picking up a piece of plywood with his mouth, Macintosh walked up to Shining and placed it against the fence. Igniting his horn, Shining aligned the piece in the correct orientation. Picking up a hoof hammer, Macintosh pounded several nails, securing the piece to the fence. Before he went back to the pile for another, he noticed several figures walking along the road leading to his family’s orchard. Squinting his eyes, he barely made out four recognizable figures in the haze, but the fifth figure took him for a loop. “Looks like they found somepony on their savaging run?”

“What?” Shining looked over his shoulders looking at the approaching group. “Well, would you look at that….” He looked over at Soarin and noticed the stallion was sleeping the day away. “Hey! Sleepyhead, wake up!”

Soarin jerked awake causing his binoculars to go flying into the air. In a panic, he quickly caught them. Startled and upset, he looked to his left at the stallion that awakened him from his content nap. “What?”

“Take a look, ‘Mr. Lookout!’” Shining pointed at the road. “See if it's Rainbow Dash and her misfit of explorers!”

Soarin mumbled to himself as he gazed through the binoculars. “Yep, it's them.” He stated as he locked eyes with them. “It's Dashie and her… Uh…” He lowered his binoculars a bit.

Seeing his reaction, both Shining and Macintosh looked at each other shrugging their shoulders. “Is everything alright?” Shining asked, concerned about his friend’s sudden mood change.

Soarin shook the haze from his mind and looked through the binoculars once more. ‘I must be seeing things?” He told himself. “Uh… Oh, Sweet Luna…” He dropped the binoculars, his wings extending out.

“What in tarnation is going on?” Applejack huffed as she stormed out of the farmhouse covered in pancake batter. “What’s with all the yelling? You sound like a damned dinner bell for them trotters!” She looked at her brother and Shining. The other members of the farm made their way over to the commotion.

“Your colt-friend is the issue!” Shining huffed. “He’s acting strange!” He pointed at said pegasus.

Applejack looked up at the roof of the farmhouse and noticed the shaking stallion. “What’s gotten into you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Soarin picked up the binoculars from his lap. “Like hell I have!” He tossed them down to the group below.

Shining caught them in his magic.

“What do you think it is?” Spike asked his brother.

Shining looked down at the small dragon. “I’m not sure?” He gave Soarin a quick glance and noticed his head was buried in his hooves. Feeling uneasy he placed the binoculars over his eyes.

“What do you see?” Rarity asked.

“Somepony is eager to get somewhere?” Rainbow Dash teased.

“That’s an understatement!” Twilight giggled as they neared the farmhouse. She saw the group of ponies by the gate through the morning haze. She could make out the large shape of a stallion and a smaller shape of a dragon. “Oh… If I didn’t have a massive migraine, I would teleport us to the gates right now…”

A bright ball of light flooded their eyes.

Recovering from their temporary blindness, they opened their eyes to see who or what blinded them. Shining Armor, Spike, Applejack, and Rarity stood in front of them, their eyes wide as saucers. Shining’s horn smoked from a haphazardly casted teleportation spell. “Shining! Spike!” Twilight cried. Before she could say more, her brothers tackled her to the ground and held her tight. Overwhelmed with emotions, Twilight’s emotional damn finally broke. “I-I thought I lost you!”

Shining felt her tears wetting his chest. “Hush little sis… We’re here.” Spike himself was overwhelmed with emotion, the only words leaving his mouth were a mess of incoherent mumbles.

Twilight’s friends looked at the scene with broad smiles as their own emotions boiled to the surface. “Well shoot!” Applejack choked as she removed her cowboy hat. “Looks like this calls for a celebration!”

“Hell yeah!” Rainbow Dash cheers!”

-An Hour Later-

Twilight played with the remaining pieces of her pancake. She could feel the tension. She swore it would cut her in half. She knew that they were questioning the story she told them. She sighed as she looked up at the ponies seeing their disbelieving or dumbfounded expressions.

“Damn…” Applejack shivered. “It’s a miracle that you survived.” She played with her braided ponytail.

“Shoot missy!” Willy sputtered. “A miracle is an understatement of a lifetime!” He took off his Boonie hat. “Are you sure what you said is true?”

“Willy! Of course, it is! Her being here is proof that she lived through it!” Jet Cloud huffed.

“I know…” Willy defended himself. “It’s just a crazy story!”

“It’s okay.” Twilight raised a hoof. “It’s true… All of it…” She looked at her mostly empty plate. “I sometimes can’t even believe it myself.”

“Sorry, sis…” Shining chewed his cheek. “I’m sorry for not coming for you.” He looked at the fireplace, watching the fire consume the logs within. “Some brother I am…”

Twilight looked at her brother with a flat scowl. “Don’t blame yourself!” She placed a hoof on his shoulder. “I can’t imagine what you were going through, having to help protect the ponies on the farm, worrying about Cadence and our parents, even Spike.” She watched the fire dance about. “I don’t blame you…” She patted Spike’s head. “I think I would have done the same…”

Shining looked at his sister. “Sure…” He smiled. “Thanks.” His smile left as he looked at the fire once more. Twilight felt her chest tighten. His tone and posture felt off, but before she could ask if he was okay, Derpy started to speak.

“It’s a shame what happened to Redheart.” Derpy held her daughter tight as she mulled over her memories of the mare.

Rarity looked into her cup of tea. “I, um, I remember when we would… Um… We would leave for school and head to the local soda shop… We would order the largest malt.” She laughed, wiping away a tear. “We would see who could drink theirs the fastest.” She let out a soft sigh. “We would get the worst brain freezes…”

Her little sister Sweetie Belle seeing her sister’s distraught demeanor laid her head in her sister’s lap. Rarity excepted the gesture and gave her sister a small pat on the head. The group nodded in response. The ones who knew her felt sorrow for the mare. While the ones who didn’t, kept silent, allowing the others to mourn a friend.

Not liking the mood, the room was slowly embracing, Granny Smith slowly sat up from her rocking chair and headed into the hall beside the stairs. “Enough with your downcast faces! Today is a day to celebrate!” She opened the cupboard door under the stairs. She pulled out a stack of board games. “Let’s have some fun, shall we?”

-Six Hours Later-

The group sat under the stars by a large bonfire that was on the barn’s lefthand side beside a large oak tree. A half-foot wall of granite stones surrounded the firepit, keeping the winds from snuffing out its flames. The children leaned against the firebreak roasting their large marshmallows over the flames.

“I knew grabbing those marshmallows would turn out to be a good idea.” Thunderlane congratulated himself as he plopped a marshmallow in his mouth.

Marley stared at the pegasus as he cut up a small basket of berries he foraged earlier. “A sweet tooth will rot your teeth, pal.” His brother Zipper nodded as he took several puffs of his cigarette.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Your opinion would change if you saw my friend Pinkie. Her teeth are whitest of pearly whites!” She placed her front hooves behind her head and leaned against Thunderlane, causing the stallion to blush.

Marley rolled his eyes back at the mare. “Sure, missy.”

Giving Rainbow Dash and Marley a quick glance, Twilight turned her attention to Applejack, watching her help her younger sister with a marshmallow. “AJ?”

Applejack looked up from her task. “Yeah, sugar cube?” She quickly took a bite out of her sister’s marshmallow, much to the dismay of her sister.

Twilight rubbed her hoof along the soft grass they sat on. “I’m worried about Fluttershy.”

Applejack gave her friend a solemn look. “I’m worried too… We’ve been leaving supplies at her house and searching when we can during scavenging runs, but it’s just them blasted trotters. They’re all over Ponyville.”

“The town seemed quiet.” Twilight watched some embers float out of the firepit.

“Trotters get quiet when there’s no sound to stimulate them.” Applejack poked the fire with a stick.

“Have you checked Zecora’s place to see if she went there?” Twilight placed her front hooves closer to the fire as a cold breeze softly rolled past them.

Shining sighed. “Tried.” He chewed on his smore.

“Them blasted trotters are all over the Everfree,” Macintosh stated with a soft hum. “Thunderlane and I almost died trying to get to her place.”

“Have you heard from Zecora?” Twilight looked at Applejack.

“I offered her to come to the orchard when everything was falling apart, but she declined. She preferred to stay at her place.” Applejack played with her fire-poking stick.

“I’m sure she will be fine, Zecora is a resourceful pony.” Rarity hummed and she laid her head on her sister’s. Sweetie Belled groaned under the new weight, but gave in and focused on her marshmallow. Snowy laughed at her as she tried stealing a marshmallow from one of her twin brothers.

“Even though I never met them, I hope they’re safe.” Sunny commented as she gave the group a smile.

Twilight smiled at the mare as she turned her attention back to the fire. “How’s Pinkie since the last time you spoke to her?”

Applejack adjusted her hat. “The last time we’ve spoken, was about two weeks ago before the phone lines died.” She looked at the fire consuming the logs with calm fury. “She’s doing good, but you know Pinkie. She was missing her friends, she really wanted to meet the ponies we took in. Wanted to throw them a party. She’s also scared for Fluttershy… scared for you…” Applejack picked up her cup of warm apple cider. “Pinkie being Pinkie.” She chuckled.

“Well, when this is all over, I look forward to meeting her, she sounds like a lot of fun to hang out with.” Copper smiled as he leaned against the tree. Jet Cloud smacked him over the head. “Ow… What was that for?”

“Yeah, to hang out with? Ha, more like you want to get a chance to woo her.” Jet Cloud laughed. “You hopeless romantic.”

The group gave a chuckle at the stallion’s expense. Copper frowned. “I’m not hopeless…”

Feeling bad for the stallion, Rarity leaned over and placed her lips to his ears. “Don’t worry, darling, I’ll tell you all about Pinkie, even give you some pointers.” She whispered, giving him a wink, confirming her promise.

Finishing up with her marshmallow, Applebloom stuck another on her stick, but before she could place it over the fire, a water droplet fell on her snout. Confused, she looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds rolling overhead. Several more began to fall upon the land. “Aw, colt…” She stared at her marshmallow melting from the rain.

“Storm clouds?” Macintosh wondered.

“They could be natural clouds or the weather factory is decaying faster than expected.” Rainbow Dash stated with worry.

“Was the weather factory in Cloudsdale heavily damaged during the outbreak?” Twilight asked, looking at her friend.

“From what I saw when I was trying to… Get my p-parents out of the city… Yes.” She looked at Twilight. “A large explosion rocked the city… I saw smoke and lighting coming from the factory.”

“If that’s the case, these upcoming weeks are going to be one hell of a stormy ride.” Jet Cloud stated as he stood up to study the clouds.

“Well, let’s wrap it up!” Granny Smith stood up, her limbs shaking as she did so. “It's time to call it a night!” She headed towards the farmhouse with help from Summer Wind. The group followed their elder. Macintosh and Soarin snuffed out the flames, while the others packed up the snacks and drinks.

Twilight sat at the edge of the bed. Her eyes stared out at the small window before her. She watched the droplets on the glass rolling down to their demise. Spike slept on the other side of the bed. His shallow snores filled the air, calming her. Even though it wasn’t her bed and she wasn’t in her house, it felt like home, it felt normal…

Hearing the door to her room open, she looked over her shoulder and saw her brother stepping up to his bed. “I thought you were going to keep watch?”

Shining looked over at his sister. “No, the storm’s brutal and besides, I can’t see hardly anything. The dead or the living will have a hard time finding this place in the rain.” He sat on his bed a gave a long sigh.

“You alight?”

“Yeah,” He smiled. “It’s just a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

“Really?” Twilight smiled at her brother.

He laughed at her expression. “I’m glad you’re alive.”

“I’m glad you are too.” She looked at the window once more. “Do you know what happened to our parents?” She rubbed her shoulder. “And your wife?”

Shining sighed as he laid down. “Mom and dad are in Canterlot. They left a few days after you were admitted into the hospital.” He stared at the ceiling. “Quickly after that reports of sick ponies attacking others made the rounds on the radio and in papers. Cadence stayed in Canterlot with them, she had to in order to help Celestia and Luna with the crisis.” He put his hooves behind his head. “Princess Celestia ordered me to stay here and protect you and the town with a small detachment of my royal guards and an army platoon.” He frowned. “Then it went to shit.”

Twilight looked at her brother with heavy eyes. “Have you heard from them since?” She looked at Spike. “Did Spike receive any messages?”

“A couple… But they stopped recently.” He looked at her. “That’s why we are going to Canterlot.”

Twilight felt a chill run up her spine. “We as in all of us or just us?”

“Just us since most of the group wants to stay here.” Shining studied the look his sister was giving him. “What?”

“Do you think Canterlot is even safe?” Twilight looked out the window. “All of this should’ve been taken care of by now.”

Shining’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”

Twilight remembered the conversations she had with Thunderlane back at the safe house. “I… I don’t think the princesses or even the government is going to fix this anytime soon.”

Shining frowned at his sister and gave an irritated huff as he rolled over. “You don’t know that.”

“But….”

“But nothing!” Shining huffed as he pulled the chain to the lamp above their heads with his magic. “Now go to sleep! You had a long day.”

-One Hour Later-

Twilight stared at her room’s ceiling. Her brothers’ snoring filled her ears as she thought about the events of the past two days. Hearing the distinctive roar of thunder, her thoughts drifted to Celestia and Luna. Were they really dead? Did the country of Equestria fall? What about the other countries. Was it's truly that bad? ‘Look at what you saw…’ She swallowed a lump in her throat. ‘Could it?’

She let out a frustrated moan and rolled over and looked out the window. Staring into the pitch black she strained her eyes until the hazy silhouette of the Everfree forest came into focus. ‘Are you at Zecora’s?’ She asked herself as her mind drifted to Fluttershy. ‘Then why didn’t you two come to the farm?’ Her answer to her question was the sounds of rain, wind, and the snoring of her brothers. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh as her mind slowly drifted off to sleep.

The morning air was thick with fog causing the sun above to struggle to break through. What light made it to the surface was subtle and eerier. The temperature outside was cold yet humid making any pony’s fur stand on end if they ventured outside.

The ponies of the orchard congregated in the farmhouse’s living room and kitchen. Some were sipping cups of coffee or freshly squeezed apple juice. Others ate toast with jam or apple slices covered in cinnamon sugar.

Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash stared out the window by the front door. They eyed the dense fog as it rolled through the grove of apple trees. “Looks like we’ll not be doing too many outdoor activities today.” Scootaloo flatly stated as she joined them along with Rumble.

Rainbow Dash studied the filly, watching the feathers on her small wings fluff up. “Looks like it.” She looked out the window once more. “This fog is thick. I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“Well, at least we’ll be able to still work in the barn.” Willy said as he sat by the fire.

Macintosh looked at the fog with a stern glare. “Let’s stay close to the farmhouse and the barn.” He looked at the ponies. “Just in case any trotters happen to wander up to the orchard. It will be harder to spot them in this fog.”

The group agreed with the stallion’s command and gave him a nod before going back to their morning meanderings.

Twilight who sat at the kitchen table near the window, a large cup of coffee floating mindlessly in front of her lips. She sipped her coffee slowly as she looked through the window on her left. She watched the fog roll over the hills, through the apple trees, and through the thick mass of trees of the Everfree. Her mind mulled over countless thoughts that plagued her.

Thoughts of Fluttershy worked their way to the forefront. She sipped her coffee once more and narrowed her eyes at the Everfree. ‘Them blasted trotters are all over the Everfree’ Macintosh’s words entered her mind. “The hell with it…”

Applejack who sat across from her looked at the unicorn with a raised brow. “What was that, sugar cube?”

Twilight looked at her friend. “Applejack?” She sipped her coffee. “Shining?” She asked not looking at her brother who sat next to her.

“Yeah, Twilly?”

“I’m going to search for Fluttershy in the Everfree forest.” She kept her eyes on the forest. “I want a small group to go with me.” Her brother was going to protest, but she raised a hoof to silence him. “I know it's dangerous, that’s why I want to keep the group small, in and out as fast as we can.” She looked at him. “I just want to know, why, if Zecora is fine, why didn’t she come to the farm…”