Assassination of the Ponies

The four set off along the rocky rock, carrying supplies as they went. Twilight began to think of Pinkie Pie, how she would bounce alone any trips and give of random comments from time to time. Twilight felt tears brewing. She fought them back, but when Applejack saw Twilight and told everypony to stop a minute, Twilight allowed herself to cry into AJ's orange shoulder. Twilight let every feeling go, she heard everypony crying, thinking of all those dead back home, and all those still going to die.

"Come on y'all, let it all out.-" Applejack said, crying herself. Two of her best friends were dead, as was most of her family. "-because we aren't movin' until y'all have cleared your systems." She finished. The four found themselves huddled together in a square, crying and remembering.

"Remember when we went to the Gala?" Rainbow asked, trying to get everypony to think of the good times.

"Yeah. When Pinkie started dancing in front of all those fat cats." Applejack laughed, for a second the crying became laughter, only to reverse again soon. All of them had been keeping their feelings inside for far too long.

"Or when we all saved of Equestria from Nightmare moon?" Twilight asked, the four told stories to each other, making each other remember the good days. They laughed and cried together. Happy and sad at the same time, glad to be alive, yet hating for those who were not. Mixed feelings went round the four, but each was sorry they were alive, and Fluttershy and Pinkie weren't. For a good twenty minutes the four sat on the rock floor remembering, then they came back to the present as a fire ball shot overhead and crashed over in the direction the four would be heading in.

"Meteor?" Rainbow asked. Twilight looked up into the dark, red sky above staring at the dying sun.  She was unsure and then a sound rang out and another fireball shot into the ground, closer.

"Dragon attack!" Twilight shouted, the four ponies panicked and ran, as fast as they could dodging rocks and hearing explosions ring out. The lavender pony was right, sadly. A medium sized blood red dragon flow over low to the ground, flapping its wings loudly and roaring, fire was being breathed everywhere and the four ponies had to run around to find cover.

"Shield up!" Twilight shouted, forming a protective shield over herself and the other three, she couldn't hold it for long, crippled with her teleport spell. Rarity ran under and her horn began to glow, Rainbow and AJ soon followed under the shield, the dragon turned and blasted dragon breathe all over the four ponies, but thankfully the shield held and they were safe. Rarity began to shoot spells at the dragon, targeting its wings and under belly. Rainbow was trying to fly to help but as usual the metal bracers stopped her. Only a few more days and she would be able to fly.

"Shoot it!" Applejack shouted, noticing Rarity had stopped.

"I can't , my magic is draining, we need to hide somewhere, fast." Rarity replied, then began to hold the shield up with Twilight. The other unicorn just nodded under gritted teeth and sweat.

"Move!" Twilight shouted and the dragon began a fire sweep again. The four ponies began to run, where to, no pony knew. Just forward. The dragon followed suit, burning the ground around the four and continuously breaking down the shields protection.

"Cave!" Applejack shouted, pointing a hoof as she ran, her blonde hair swaying as she did so. She was right though, almost directly ahead stood an entrance, possibly not a very big cave but enough to hid until the dragon got bored and went to hunt else where. The four ponies practically jumped into the cave, Twilight breaking the shield and losing consciousness as she rolled into safety. Rarity also collapsed and was panting heavily, the dragon roared a few times and breathed fire into the entrance for good measure, before flapping its wings and flying away. Rainbow collapsed onto the ground, panting, Applejack stood her ground but was like wise recovering her breath.

"Now. Now what?" Applejack panting. Twilight was gone and Rarity close to it.

"We have. Have to wait. Until Twilight and Rarity have their. Strength back, we can't go through dragon lands without- without magic." Rainbow Dash replied. "Anyway, its nap time." And with that, Rainbow fell on her side and fell asleep. Applejack smiled for the first time in a long time and curled up next to her friend and prepared for sleep. It was an uncomfortable floor but her exhaustion from just then and since the chaos, made AJ fall asleep almost instantly.

A few hours passed and AJ woke up, she was sore and hurting from sleeping on solid rock and stood up to stretch out her aching body. She looked to her friends. Rarity and Twilight still passed out and Rainbow was on her side making no noise. AJ went over to check on her, the mare soon flipped over staring into the Earth ponies eyes.

"Did I wake ya?" AJ asked.

"No. I have been awake for about twenty minutes. I think, hard to tell the time out here, no clocks." Rainbow replied. AJ just nodded and sat next to her friend.

"How long do you think we will have to wait?" AJ asked.

"For what?" Rainbow replied.

"For them to be refreshed?" AJ grunted. Pointing to the two unicorns.

"No idea. Twilight was still spent before we came out here. Let alone now after having to cast that shield. If we stay for a few days, hope they get better. I will fly back grab some more food and we can move on. Again." Dash replied. The Earth pony just nodded again. Staring at Rainbow. It was getting dark out. The shadows were long and deep. Outside the sky would've been bright with colour. Reds, oranges. AJ decided to say the fact it was getting dark.

"But without the Princesses, who knows how long it'll take for sunset." Rainbow muttered.

"But ya'll got to admit they are pretty good at it, despite everything. Ah just hope for an end to this." AJ replied, hurting again.

"We all do. Just be lucky we ain't the ones out there fighting."

"Yeah." Applejack muttered quietly. "Yeah." She repeated. Then went over to the saddle bags and got out some sleeping gear, after helping Rainbow with hers the two went to sleep in the dark empty cave. Thinking of home, the old times.