AMONG THE TROTTING DEAD

Crisp morning air washed into the farmhouse through the opened door. Twilight shivered from the cold breeze of the outside world mixing with the warm dense air within the house. Letting out a held breath, she picked up several cups of hot coffee with her magic and walked into the living room, handing the cup out to the ponies who requested said drink.

Zecora sat by the fire, covered in a large blanket. Derpy sat beside her, feeding her a warm bowl of oatmeal. Zecora’s eyes watched the spoon scoop up a fair amount of the meal. Humming a tune, Derpy brought the spoon up to Zecora’s lips. Zecora slowly opened her mouth and accepted the meal.

“Shit!”

Rarity and Twilight looked at Applejack with wide eyes. With all the years that they had known her; they had never heard her let off a curse. “What?!”

“I said shit!” Applejack spat. “Why didn’t we go to her house sooner?”

Twilight frowned. “We didn’t know! You didn’t know!” She rubbed her horn, its tip sparking from a small discharge of magic, caused by her frustration. “We can’t go blaming ourselves for something we had no control over!”

“We did and we did nothing!” Applejack retorted.

“Darling!” Rarity sighed dramatically. “We don’t need another hothead!” She pointed at the kitchen window.

Several yards from the farmhouse, Rainbow Dash was showing an old dying apple tree whose boss. Her hind legs were swift and sound. “FUCK!” Her voice echoed out across the orchard as bits of bark went flying in all directions.

The children watched the irate mare unleash her fury from the comfort of the farmhouse window beside the fireplace. Scootaloo looked at her idol with terrified eyes. With all the years she had known Rainbow Dash, she had never seen her this angry before. For this moment, she feared that she no longer recognized the mare before her.

Hearing Rainbow Dash spew several more colorful expletives, Summer Wind Gently guided the children away from the window towards the backrooms. “Let’s go little ones, let's get our minds off of this.”

Applejack let out a long sigh. “I know, Rarity…” She winced at Rainbow Dash’s primal cries. “Thunderlane?”

Thunderlane stood up and let out a troubled sigh. “I’ll calm her down.” He left the house, the screen door squealing shut as it closed after him.

Macintosh watched as Thunderlane sat beside Rainbow Dash from the dining table. “I’ve been thinking,” He looked into his cup of coffee.

“Thinking of what?” His sister asked.

He put the cup to his lips. “What Zecora told you.” He sipped his drink. “And the pony we saw yesterday.” He looked at Zecora. “Our stalker was wearing a brown robe, like her captors.” The group looked at one another, pondering his words.

“You don’t think?” Sunny questioned. “That pony is with them?” Jet Cloud comforted his wife as she shivered from her thoughts.

Macintosh sighed. “I’m not sure, I hope I’m wrong and it's just some random survivor checking us out.”

Shining rubbed the base of his horn. “All the more reason we should leave for Canterlot!”

Twilight pulled her cup away from her lips. “Shining?”

“What?” He huffed.

“We can’t be brash.”

“I’m not being brash! I’ve been saying it to the group for a while, we have a better chance of surviving this if we were in Canterlot!” He frowned at her. “I didn’t go because you weren’t here, but you are and with this cultish group somewhere close to us, I think it's high time we leave the orchard!”

“We are doing just fine!” Applejack huffed. “We need to wait this out!”

Shining rolled his eyes. “I’d rather wait this out behind the walls of Canterlot.”

“Coming from the pony married to a princess.” Zipper laughed. “Where is she by the way?” He gave the unicorn a sly smirk. “I wonder if she’s fucking the royal guards you left in charge to protect her?” Shining growled as he activated his horn.

“Now you two, we don’t need this!” Willy Pete growled.

Before the two stallions could kill each other, Twight activated her horn, illuminating the room in a bright purple glow. “Enough!” The ponies looked at the irate unicorn with wide eyes. “How long?” She said in a huff.

“How long, what?” Shining, Applejack, Zipper, and, Macintosh asked.

“How long are we going to wait?” Twilight let out a heavy sigh. “How long are we going to wait for this to end, to get fixed… Even if it does.” She thought hard about what she was going to say next. “I don’t think this will be solved anytime soon.”

“Why do you say that sugar cube?” Applejack tilted her head.

Shining stared at her, his eyes narrowing as the seconds passed.

“I…” She looked out the window watching the clouds slowly drifting across the sky. “I don’t think the princesses are alive…”

The ponies looked at one another. “Why do you say that missy?” Marley wondered.

Twilight bit her tongue as she stared at her hooves. “Twilight?” Rarity looked at her friend with a concerned glare. “Why do you think they’re dead?”

“Because they’re the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria. They are alicorns. This should’ve been solved within a week. I would still be in the hospital, and none of you would be huddling within Applejack’s farmhouse… She wouldn’t have been raped!” Twilight pointed at Zecora. “There wouldn’t be the dead overwhelming Ponyville or the damned world for that matter!”

“How could you say that?” Sunny rubbed her eyes in frustration, trying to wipe away the tears forming around her eyes. “You don’t know if it’s taking longer than they thought!”

“I just have a bad feeling!”

“I have a bad feeling if we stay here, things will happen that will get us killed!” Shining huffed. “I say let’s leave for Canterlot!”

“I think that’s a better plan. “Jimmy Jam nodded.

“We just can’t go!” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m not saying that Canterlot is not ‘safe’, I could be wrong, but the evidence leads me to believe that it will be suicide to make our way to the capital, just to come to a dead city!”

“Then what should we do?” Jet Cloud crossed his forelegs.

“We stay here! Make this place safe the best we can… I can study the dead and see what we can do to make it safer around them… Maybe a military detachment will come, if we could find a working H.A.M radio, we could call them.” She swallowed her frustrations. “And we stay vigilant of any hostile ponies. The children will have to stay close to the farmhouse. No wandering off.” The ponies mulled over her words. Slowly many nodded in agreement. Shining however shook his head as he left the farmhouse. Twilight stared at the front door and let out a tired sigh.

Applejack stood on the farmhouse’s porch as she looked at her apple trees swaying with the mid-afternoon breeze. The morning fog and the clouds faded allowing the sun to dry the damp land. She wondered what her apple trees were thinking, if trees could think. She smiled at the little fib her father told her as a filly. She felt her throat tighten at the thought. ‘Pa…’ She held a breath. “What I would give to hear your voice once again…” She looked up at the sky. “What would you do?”

“I’ve been finding myself asking the same thing.” A worn-out voice mumbled shallowly.

Hearing the screen door close, Applejack looked over her shoulders and saw Rainbow Dash in all her disheveled glory. “You alright?”

“Yeah… I think?” Rainbow Dash sat beside her friend. “I’m calm now…”

Applejack smiled. “Thunderlane knows how to work, ya!” She giggled.

Rainbow Dash blushed. “Yeah… I guess you’re right.”

Applejack sat down and laid a foreleg over her friend’s shoulders. “I think he’s right for you.”

Rainbow Dash leaned into the earth pony. “You do?”

“Yeah.” She gave the prism-maned mare a goofy smirk.

Rainbow Dash snickered. “For the longest time, I thought he was into… Um… F-Fluttershy…”

“Now don’t you go start on crying!” Applejack huffed as she held Rainbow Dash’s head in her hooves. “We’ll find her one day, maybe soon, maybe not.” She looked over at the children playing by the barn. “But, right now there is a little filly and a promise you made to her parents.” She placed a hoof under her friend’s chin. “A promise to watch over and care for her.”

Rainbow Dash looked over Applejack’s shoulders and saw Scootaloo kicking the ball toward the goal. “You’re right…” She felt her chest tighten. “Did I scare her?”

Applejack let out a sigh. “Ya did, but move on from that. Show her you’re love, and she’ll be just peachy.” Rainbow Dash nodded and headed over toward the others that gathered around to watch the children’s game.

“How’s she holding up?”

“Good as can be Twilight.” Applejack looked at the unicorn. “How’s Zecora?”

“Good.” Twilight watched Spike block the ball. “She resting by the fire.”

Applejack nodded as she looked into the farmhouse and saw her brother watching over Zecora from the kitchen table. A small smirk came to her lips as she eyed the others. Lotus and Aloe talked amongst themselves while her grandmother slept the day away in her rocking chair.

Twilight turned her gaze from the game toward the main gate and saw her brother Shining, along with Zipper, Marley, Soarin, Jiminy Jam, and Copper working on the fence line. “You think he’s still mad at me?” She asked out loud as she stared at her brother.

“I don’t think so?” Applejack sighed. “I understand he wants to go… To be honest, I think it be safer than here, but after what you said.” She looked at her friend. “You really think that princess Celestia and Luna are dead?”

Twilight bit her lower lip. “We once wielded the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord… They would have gotten us to help them…. Why didn’t they?”

Applejack looked at the barn and watched Rarity wipe the dirt from Sweetie Belle’s cheeks. “I’m not sure.”

Twilight glanced at her friend and looked down at a patch of grass growing by the porch’s steps. Returning her gaze to the stallions by the gate. She noticed her brother and Soarin staring toward the path that led up to the farm. Their eyes were narrowed and their expressions stern. The other stallions looked at where they were looking and their own facial expressions soured.

A chill ran down Twilight's spine as she sat up and rushed up to her brother. “Twilight where are you going?” Applejack chased after her friend. Hearing his sister Macintosh got up and stepped out of the farmhouse and stood on his porch watching her and Twilight running up to the gate.

“What’s going on?”

Macintosh looked over his shoulders and saw Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and the others walking up to him. “Not sure?” He looked back at the gate. “But I have a feeling it’s not good.” Rainbow Dash stared at the group by the gate, her mind racing with a million thoughts.

Twilight stood beside her brother and looked at where he was looking. “What do you see….” Her eyes are drawn to a pony about a hundred yards from the orchard’s gates. “It’s that?”

“I think so.” Her brother growled.

“It is,” Soarin added. “But if I fly over there, he’s going to just run away.”

“Why is he standing there like a creep?” Copper asked.

Marley glared at the mysterious figure. “I think he’s studying us?”

“Studying us?” Twilight looked at Marley.

“Yeah.” Zipper replied for his younger brother. “Saw the same look our pa would give when he hunted for beaver furs. He sensed Applejack’s disdain. “Hey missy, my pa had to make a living!”

“Zipper enough!” Marley sighed. “Anyway, as my brother was saying,” He turned his attention to the figure. “That look he’s giving is one n’ the same.” He copied the figure's glare. The figure tilted his head, confused by Marley’s expression.

“Looks like you threw him for a loop.” Jimmy Jam quipped.

The figure looked side to side, before making his way up to the gate.

“He’s coming up!” Applejack took a defensive stance.

“Let him!” Shining huffed.

“Let who?” Rarity asked as she joined them, along with Macintosh and Rainbow Dash.

“Where are the others?” Applejack asked.

“They’re staying at the house… Is that the stranger from yesterday?” Rarity asked, just noticing the figure approaching them.

“Yep,” Macintosh replied in a dull tone.

“He knows where Fluttershy is!” Rainbow Dash growled as she took flight.

Before she could pounce on her prey, Twilight, and Rarity activated their horns and grabbed their friend and held her down. “Brother some help!” Shining looked at her and just shrugged his shoulders. Twilight didn’t show it, but she was gritting her teeth in frustration. ‘I don’t need him…’ Her own thought scared her and caused her to lose her magic, but she regained focus and poured more magic into holding down Rainbow Dash.

The figure timidly stared at Rainbow Dash, but before he could take a step, Applejack cleared her throat. “That’s far enough!” Applejack huffed. The figure frowned at her. His tail wagging side to side. Seeing the figure up close, Applejack saw that he was an earth pony, with grey fur and a reddish-orange mane and tail. His eyes were a fiery orange that pierced into her soul as he looked in her direction. “What brings you to mah farm?” She asked as she stepped closer to him.

“Curiosity…” He scanned over the group. “And studying you.”

“Studying us?” Copper asked tilting his head.

“Why?” Shining growled.

“Studying us so he can report back to his crazy cult at Sanctuary!” Rainbow Dash spat, but Twilight’s and Rarity’s magic held her firmly against the soft grass.

The stallion looked at her with wide eyes. “Sanctuary?” Twilight could see that he looked a little panicked. “H-How do you know of it?” He finally asked after a few seconds of silence.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Soarin huffed.

The stallion’s eyes darted side to side.

“They attacked our friend.” Applejack gave Soarin a look. Soarin gave a silent nod as an apology. “And left her for dead!” She turned her attention back to the stallion.

The stallion looked down at his hooves, his mind deep inside. Applejack watched his lips moved, as he mumbled to himself. He returned his attention back to her. “Was she a Zebra?”

“Why does that matter?” Twilight asked.

He looked over his shoulders and stared at the distant town of Ponyville. “Because it does.”

“How?” Shining gave him a raised brow.

“Because…” The stallion chewed his cheek. “I’m... I was from sanctuary…” He saw them tense up. “They have turned into something that they are not…” Rainbow Dash gnashed her teeth as she fought against the magic pinning her as she crawled ever so closer to the stallion. With the stallion not noticing he continued. “And… I need your help.”

“Why the hell would we help you?” Marley spat.

“Because…”

“AW CRAP!” Rarity yelled as her magic broke. Rainbow Dash pounced on the stallion in a blink of an eye and unleashed several punches that landed solidly on the stallion’s face.

“RAINBOW DASH, STOP!” Twilight grabbed her offending hooves and pinned them to the sides.

“Twilight, WHAT THE FUCK! AHH!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she was dragged across the ground. With a groan, she looked up at Twilight and gritted her teeth. “Why did you stop me?”

“I stopped you because if he’s apart of Sanctuary, he might know where it is!” She got in Rainbow Dash’s face. “And if you went and killed him then we wouldn’t know where!” She snorted. “Losing Fluttershy forever!”

Rainbow Dash quivered at her friend’s harsh tone and glare. Even the others, except for Zipper and Shining shivered at her tone. “True.” Zipper commented. “But it was fun to watch…” A bolt of magic smacked his face. It didn’t hurt or draw blood but it was enough to send a stream of low-intensity shocks through his body. “What the fuck was that?” He yelled as he stormed up to Twilight, his brother stepping in front of him.

“To shut up.” Twilight looked at the unconscious stallion. “We need to be smart about this and stop acting out on emotions like little foals!”

Shining watched his sister and Zipper exchanging glares. “We understand sis. Let us not tear each other apart over some stupid stallion.” He looked at the stranger ‘enjoying’ his impromptu nap. “Let’s get him to the barn, when he wakes up, he’ll answer our questions.” He activated his magic and threw the stallion on his back. With a huff, he made his way to the barn.

-Six Hours Later-

Winds picked up speed as dark clouds rolled overhead. The sounds of shaking leaves and tree limbs echoed across the land, creating an eerie orchestra for the night. Twilight’s ears twitched as the sounds of howling winds whistled into the barn. Applejack and Rarity stood on either side of her as they watched the unconscious stallion resting against a pile of bagged wheat flour.

The lantern’s light on the post behind them cast the space in a warm orange glow that brought calm to them. “You think we should have brought Rainbow Dash for this?” Applejack asked.

“No,” Twilight stated bluntly. “She’ll go off the handle.”

“Do you think this is a little barbaric, tying him to one of the pillars of the barn?”

“Better than what almost happened to him,” Twilight stated bluntly. “And besides if he is a part of Sanctuary then we have to be more careful.”

“This feels wrong.” Rarity sighed.

“It does but we have to do it. For the safety of the farm.” Applejack removed her hat and placed it on a cider barrel. “Let’s hope he’s cooperative.”

Twilight stared at the stallion watching his chest rise and fall with every breath he took. Looking at his flank, she studied his cutie mark. It was an anvil and a ball of fire striking it. ‘He must’ve worked in metal working?’

“Err…”

Hearing him stirring, the trio got closer to the stallion. “Rainbow sure did give him a wallop!” Applejack stated, more to herself than to anyone else.

For some reason, he felt groggy. His head pulsed from a headache he swore would split open his skull. He slowly slipped out of his slumber and found that his whole face hurt. ‘What the hell?’ He asked himself as he opened his eyes, well one eye. His left eye was swollen. Hissing at the discomfort, he looked around and saw that he was in a barn. His mind began to wander as he slowly scanned the room. Seeing three mares standing over him to his left, he let out a huff. “Now, I remember…”

“How are you feeling?” Twilight asked.

The stallion kept staring at them as he became aware of the other aches and pains his body was feeling. “Like shit.” He stated bluntly.

“Sorry about our friend, she has a temper sometimes.” Rarity looked over the stallion. “I know we got on the wrong hoof…”

“You don’t say.” He huffed.

Rarity winced at his tone, but she continued her kind smile. “Well let’s try this again.” She hummed. “What’s your name?”

“Not telling you, my name.” He frowned.

“How are we going to trust what you say if you won’t tell us your name?” Twilight raised a brow as she brought out a thermos from her saddlebag.

The stallion looked at each mare, his eyes narrowing. “How can I trust you.”

Applejack frowned. “Look, pal…” Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Twi?”

Twilight let out a sigh, “My name is Twilight, she’s Applejack and that’s Rarity.” She pointed at them. “Now your name.”

The stallion sighed as he tried to get into a more comfortable position. “Blaze.” He said softly as he looked over his shoulders and saw his front hooves tied behind his back to the post he laid against. Twilight nodded and poured a cup of tea and floated it over to him. Blaze looked at the cup for a few seconds. Smelling the sweet aroma of rose tea, he took a sip and sighed at the warmth running down his throat.

“Now?” Rarity began. “Why were you spying on us?”

Blaze remained silent as he listened to the howling winds of the storm outside seeping through the cracks and holes of the barn. “I’ve been searching for ponies that can help me.” He watched the flame’s glow from the lantern dance on the objects within the barn. “To save my friends.”

“From Sanctuary?” Twilight asked. He nodded. “What is this Sanctuary? Were they created because of the dead?”

Blaze shook his head. “No, Sanctuary was created to escape the life of the modern world.” He looked off into space. “To live by the commands of the gods.”

Rarity and Applejack looked at the stallion. Confusion was on their faces as they glanced at Twilight, excepting her to know what he was talking about. Twilight was at a loss herself. Sure, she had read history books about ponies in the past that believed in many gods during early pony history, but there were so many religious beliefs spread across many tribes it was hard to pinpoint which sect Blaze was talking about.

“How long has this group been around?” Twilight offered him another drink.

Blaze took a drink. “Six years.” He looked at the mares. “We lived in the Everfree and would go into town to sell and trade. The forest didn’t supply all our needs sadly.”

Twilight tilted her head. “I never heard of your group at all?”

“And we kept it that way.” Blaze looked at his hind hooves. “We would blend in when selling our wears. Have to hide from the prying eyes of our oh-so-kind leaders.” Twilight frowned at the way he spoke of the princesses.

“Why did your group attack our friends?” A seething voice hissed from the rafters.

Hearing a familiar voice, Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity looked up and saw Rainbow Dash in a stalking pose similar to a cat. Her eyes glared at the stallion. “Dash, we told you to stay in the house!” Applejack growled in frustration.

“Shut it AJ!” Rainbow Rash spat as she jumped down and got in Blaze’s face. “Why did they kidnap Fluttershy?” She slammed her hoof on the ground as she sorted in his face. “Why did they rape Zecora?”

The stallion stared into her magenta eyes as her words swam through his head. “Rape?” His eyes trembled as he looked down at his lap. “That can’t be?”

“It is you fucker!” Rainbow Dash wound up her hoof to punch him, but Twilight held her hoof back with her magic. “TWILIGHT!”

“This is not going to help?” Twilight picked up the irate mare with her magic and threw her against a pile of hay. Rainbow Dash groaned as she got up and stared at Twilight glaring daggers at her. “Let him speak!”

Rainbow Dash held back a growl as she rested her head against the cool ground of the barn. “Fine…”

Nodding, she looked over at Blaze and saw him staring longly at his hind hooves. “You seemed just as surprised as we are?” Twilight sat back down.

“It’s worse than I thought?”

“Worse?” Rarity tilted her head. “What caused you to leave?”

“And when did you leave?” Applejack added.

Blaze stared at the oil lamp hanging on the post behind Twilight and watched the flame within dance about. “A year before the world went to shit…” He looked up at the rafters and through one of the barn’s windows. Seeing a flash of lighting he looked back at the mares. “I left because Father strayed away from the gods and their teachings…”

“Strayed away?” Rainbow Dash mocked. “From what our friend told us, sounds like these gods are a bunch of pricks!” She spat. “And your friends are delusional!”

“What happened to your friends, the gods tell us to do no such thing!” Blaze growled back. “Father is to blame!” Rainbow Dash snarled and got in his face.

“Rainbow enough!” Twilight growled activating her horn.

Rainbow Dash glared at her friend’s glowing horn. “Really?” She looked at her other friends. “Are we really going to hear him out and help?”

“He’s the closest lead we have to Fluttershy!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “I don’t like it either Dash! But it’s better than nothing, like Twilight said, we need him.” She looked back at him. Seeing the loneliness in his eyes, she sighed as she looked back at her hot-tempered friend. “So let him finish!”

Twilight sat down by the fire beside Zecora as she fed her a bowl of oatmeal. Her mind mulled over Blaze and his story as she stared into the bow of steaming oats. She thought about what he said an hour ago. It sounded so genuine, but at the same time it sounded so… She couldn’t put a hoof on it. Why now of all times did he want to seek help out of all times he could’ve? ‘Because it’s the end of the world…’ She told herself. She frowned, was it really? Was the old way of life truly lost forever?

The crack of thunder broke her from her mindless haze, allowing her to be aware of the growing tension building within the cramped space of the living room.

“Why the hell should we help him?” Summer Wind put her hooves on her head.

“Because his group has our friend!” Rarity spat. “I don’t like it either but we need to save her!”

“I don’t trust him!” Shining Armor huffed. “He could be leading us into a trap.”

“I agree.” Rainbow Dash shivered. “We need to play this smart.”

“But what about Fluttershy?” Scootaloo asked.

Rainbow Dash let out a heavy sigh. “I know, but it would do us good if we get ourselves into trouble.” She told the filly.

Zipper stared at Rainbow Dash with a flat scowl. After what felt like forever, he laughed and shook his head. “I can’t understand you missy.”

Rainbow Dash lifted her head and looked at the earth pony. “What do you mean?”

“For a nearly a month and a half we’ve been leaving out supplies for your friend. Hoping she’ll come back. And now we have a lead and you’re acting like a little cunt, all timid-like.”

Rainbow Dash showed her teeth. “Can’t rescue her if I’m down for the count pal!”

“Strange, you were acting all gay for her, then now you give two shits!” Zipper looked over at Shining. “Same goes for you, pal. The oh-so-brave royal guard, here to save the day!”

Shining frowned. “Watch it!”

“Are we really doing this?” Copper put his hooves on his head. “Mac? Soarin? Applejack, please? do something to stop these morons!”

“Moron!” Zipper and Rainbow Dash spat at the brown-colored earth pony.

“Will you stop! You're scaring the kids!” Sunny spat.

“Act like adults!” Jet Cloud snapped.

The kids watched the adults and their flaring tempers nervously. Applebloom shivered as she held onto Spike with a death grip. Spike stared at his sister wondering what she was thinking. Wondering if she had a plan?

“We don’t need this, all of you!” Applejack huffed.

“Let’s get rid of him!” Jiminy Jam stated.

“What?” Rainbow Dash shouted, her voice cracking. Thunderlane tried to calm her down but he was too slow. “We still need to rescue Fluttershy!”

“Well, be a big mare and stop being scared!” Zipper laughed.

“Brother, stop!” Marly huffed.

“ENOUGH!”

All the ponies within the room stopped their bickering and looked at Zecora.

Zecora stayed still as she brought the blanket that was around her closer in, to up her comfort. She let out a heavy sigh, her eyes never leaving the fire dancing madly about within the brick fireplace. “Though I never met this pony, and only hearing your words, though they are varied…. I trust him.” She looked at Twilight and nodded her head at the bowl of oatmeal.

Twilight blushed a smile as she offered her the bowl. “WHAT?” Shining and Rainbow Dash stared at her in confusion. “You of all ponies shouldn’t be trusting him?” Rainbow Dash pointed at her chest to emphasize her point.

“He was not the one who…” Zecora inhaled deeply as she remembered her ordeal. “Who tortured me….” She looked over at Rainbow Dash. “If you ponies don’t want to trust him, then I will and go to this so-called Sanctuary myself, for Fluttershy’s sake.”

The group stared at the zebra for some time, their minds mulling over her statement. The silence was sharp and dense as it hung over them. Only the sounds of the fire, their soft breaths, and the distant crack of thunder filled the air. “She’s right,” Derpy stated with a sigh. “What choice do we have to find your friend.”

Shining gritted his teeth. “I don’t feel good about this.”

“Nothing we do will feel good anymore,” Willy told the young stallion. “Life is full of hard choices.”

“Whose going?” Copper asked.

“I will.” Rainbow Dash raised her hoof. Thunderlane also raised his hoof.

“I will too.” Soarin sighed.

“No, you will not!” Applejack huffed.

“If you can go into the Everfree, I can go to this so-called Sanctuary.” Soarin raised his brow. “I’ll be fine.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I think we should keep it just us pegasi. In and out.”

“Our ‘guest’ is an earth pony?” Copper rolled his eyes.

“One of us will carry him.” Jet cloud sighed. “I will go.”

“No, you need to stay here for our kids!” His wife stood up, pulling on his front leg.

“Four pegasi will be in our favor.” He sighed. “If things don’t feel right, we’ll run.”

“What if they follow you?” Shining growled.

“We’ll get there when we get there,” Mac replied, his green eyes giving Shining a stern glare.

Shining rolled his eyes as he made his way to the front door. “So, are we doing this or not?”

Twilight looked at Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. “We’ll tell him our plan.”

Shining stared at the floor as he mulled over his sister’s words. “The quicker we get this done, the better I’ll feel about this.”

Blaze rested his head against the pillar. The drumming of rain sent pleasant shivers through his body. He let out a sigh through his lips and opened his eyes. His smile left as he looked up at the barn’s rafters. Seeing the flash of lightning, he closed his eyes once again. His mind wandered to thoughts of a mare. Her canary yellow fur. Those soft cyan eyes of hers…

Hearing the barn’s doors squealing as they swung open, Blaze broke from his stupor and looked over at the doors and saw Twilight and Rainbow Dash. “What’s the verdict?” He asked, blinking his tired eyes.

“We’ve come to one.” Twilight walked up to the stallion, her damp mane clinging to the sides of her neck. “We’ll help you, but you’ll help us rescue our friend first.”

Blaze stared at the mares. His orange eyes narrowed. “How are we going to do this?”

“We got an idea.” Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but let a sly smirk adore her lips. “But you’re not going to like it.”