Hope is the last thing that must die.

Immediately the ground felt absent beneath me and I started free fall. Screams filled my ears and I only managed to fix my balance when I hit the floor.

I got up, spitting bits of sand from my mouth, and then I realized, they are all falling! Popping into existence just to fall, only a pair of them appearing correctly on the floor.

I heard a crack, and I turned to see an old stallion in tears, with his hoof bended in a sickening angle.

“Everypony who can fly! Grab the others!” I shouted, and some dizzy pegasus nodded and flew up to ease their fall. I approached him, yet half stunned with what was happening.

“MAH HOOF!” He screamed, holding it near his chest.

“Let me see it.”

“N-no! You’re gonna break it more!”

More shouts and screams filled my ears, and wanting to not lose time here I pulled his hoof back into place, a pop and crack emanating from it. Okay, now I need something to make splint-

Before I could finish my thoughts an axe fell right by him. That will do.

I used magic to hold his desperate attempts to struggle, and finished the splint casting a spell to help the bone heal faster.

When I turned I saw some pegasus flying, child's crying with bruises around them, ponies shouting and unicorns running in the direction of the sea. I peeked back and saw an intimidating forest staring back at me.

“Where the fuck are we?”

------

We all grouped around a campfire, the cold breeze of the ocean sending a freezing feeling down our spines.

A cloaked pony walked in, settling near another one equally dressed.

“She didn’t make it.” He said nonchalantly and gasps and weepings broke out around the fire.

I peeked over my shoulder and saw a body with a sheet over it.

“She fell into the ocean, didn't know how to swim. I tried my best, I’m sorry.” He continued, then lied down facing away from the fire.

“What a horrible way to go. Survive all our journey to die here, on the beach.” Nurse Honey Words said, gazing at her hurt bruised hoof for a moment.

I sighed, and they all looked at me, I could see their eyes shining with fear, but also solace. Now is the time which Blaze would make one of his inspirations speeches, or Captain Oak Shield would orchestrate a plan to get us out of this.

I got up, a bruise here and there making themselves known.

“Folks,” I started, some got into a more comfortable position to hear, others stopped their silent cry. “We lost a lot, but we need to have faith, and move on, for those who didn't make it.” I grabbed the crystal from my bag and stared at it. “We owe it to them.”

They shared and looked at each other, a shy nod sparking between them. I was never good at speeches, I know that Blaze would smash the sand, and would say something about the princesses, say that hope isn’t all lost or something. I hate myself, how can I be so pathetic?

“Thank you, guard Hope.” Nurse Honey Words spoke, breaking the silence of the night. “Thank you, and thank you to those who stayed behind.” Her eyes glared at the ocean.

“Thank you.” Another pony said, “Thank you.” Said another, and soon all the camp said it in unison.

“Thank you, for saving us.” Honey finished and soon everypony started settling to sleep.

I wiped a tear that sneakily formed and looked up at the moon. Its shining surface illuminated this solemn night. I always preferred the night over the day, it’s comforting being able to look at the moon, on contrary to the sun. I’ll tell this to Blaze next time I see him.

The next day started early, all the adults preparing a funeral for the poor mare. We carried her along the beach and then dug out a grave for her at the skirts of the forest. Luckily no foal witnessed it.

A grim aura fell under us while we buried our first member, not even a day in this place. Some of the ponies traded some experiences, trying to recall her name or things to say, not much was accomplished.

“Her husband called her pumpkin.” Nurse Honey Words said with difficulty, her hoof yet hurting while she put a flower over the grave. “I believe they loved each other very much.”

“They are together now.” We all joined together in prayer for her.

When we returned, an unsettling feeling permeated the air, what now? We survived the apocalypse, what do we do? I could see in their eyes the doubts stacking, and even though I wasn't very good at giving speeches, I received orders to save them, and that I can handle.

First I needed to get them occupied, an idle mind can do a lot of damage, so I asked them to pile everything and check our gear.

“Sorry, you need me to do what?”

“Fly.” I point at the ocean. This pegasus, the only one that is realistically unharmed, eyed me, then the sea and blinked emotionless back at me.

“I… don't follow.”

“I need you to go there and check if you find land, or any boat. Since you’re fine and all, you’re the most capable to do so.”

“To the ocean.” He points at it. “You want me,” He waves his hoofs at himself. “to go there- let me repeat, me go alone in the ocean.”

“Precisely.”

“I… I'd rather not, thank you.” I huffed and puffed my cheeks for a moment.

“I need to know our location, and more precisely how far we are from land-”

“Oh, just that? This I can do.” He turned to the sea, chewed on his cheeks and put a hoof on his chin for a long moment before nodding and turning to me. “We are far from land.”

I felt one of my eyes twitching, oh the nerve, the very nerve! I was about to yell at him when one unicorn approached us.

“Uhm, miss- guard- captain- guard miss- I’m sorry what do we call you?” He introduced himself. He was a unicorn, had a black-obsidian fur and wore big glasses. Well, one of the lenses is missing, and the other is cracked, but he still wore it, even adjusting the glasses when they got loose.

“Ahmm, call me Hope.”

“I see, My name is Bright Future.” He did a small bow, and the pegasus tried to sneak away. I grabbed him by one ear and dragged him back. “And I can help with that.” He levitated a considerable big bag near us.

He opened the bag, and started unpacking. I saw all types of equipment for research, from microscopes to some funny glass pots. When he pulled out the third microscope I pressed my eyes in disbelief and blinked at him.

“Ha ha!” He declared victoriously holding a mini telescope. “With this I can read Luna’s stars and find our location in comparison with Salt-Lick Bay!”

“I dont-” I looked at the pegasus, just to see a white-tuft of his fur on my magic and he was flying towards the other ponies. Darn it.

“So? Should I start?” He asked, I peeked at his cutie mark, two metal rods touching each other, electricity sparking out of them.

“Can you do it?”

“Oh, yes of course! I loved stargazing when I was young.” He chuckled, fixing his glasses. “And I’m guilty, I gazed at them while in Salt-Lick when no pony was looking, so their location is fresh in my mind!”

With a sigh I nodded at him. He squeaked like a child and nodded vigorously.

I moved away, but for some reason I decided to look back. He was taking wood planks out of the bag, a box of nails and a hammer and started to build something. What the hay.

“Guard Hope?” I jumped in place, just to see nurse Honey Words smiling at me. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“N-no no,” I peaked back one last time to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Four legs and a base, he just built a table. I shook my head and turned to her. “Please call me Hope.”

“Alright, Miss Hope, we need to open an area to treat the wounded.”

I do a quick gaze around, the majority of us have some bruises here and there, the landing was rough for everypony, especially for the foals.

“Okay, ask Bright Future,” I pointed at the unicorn near the beach. “He must have some kind of blankets with him.” She nodded, but before she left I handed her my bag.

“We need a scouting group inside the forest.” I shouted approaching the group.

“We will do it.” One of the hooded ponies said and I nodded at him, soon they left.

“Now, is anypony willing to walk around this beach and tell us how big this island is?”

“What makes you think we are on an island again?”

“It's just a hunch, but Captain Oak told me we would be safe here, so therefore this is the most likely scenario. I mean.” I looked at the forest. “I don't remember seeing trees like these in Equestria continental land.”

“We might be in the south, it has a big jungle!”

“Enough! We are burning sunlight here. Volunteers?” Two ponies walked forward, they had some injuries, but nothing serious. “Good, you guys go that direction.” They shared a nod and moved.

I saw mister-scared-of-oceans whistling, clearly avoiding visual contact.

“You.”

“Oh C’mon, I aint flying to the ocean alone! Do you know how dangerous oceanic air currents are?”

“Scout the sky, grab some clouds to help nurse Honey Words take care of other pegasus.” He grinned.

“That I can do.” With that said, he flew fast up.

I looked back at the camp, five foals, three elderly ponies and a mother hugging her unconscious child. I thought about asking her to come with me, but the fear on her face while she sank her face in the colt mane was all the answer I needed. I looked at the old mares.

“Take care of the kids okay? We are setting up a medical zone soon.” I peeked back and saw Honey Words flying with what looked like a tent on her hooves. “Maybe sooner than later. I’ll be back soon.”

“Wait for me.” One old stallion shouted, he got up with difficulty, then I saw the splint on his hoof.”

“Sir, you can't move, we need you to rest-”

He raised his injured hoof, the one with an axe as part of the splint.

“Talk with mah axe miss.” He pointed that thing at me. “I still got some fight in me, and this ol’ fella here needs to stretch mah bones.” We argued, and he refused to settle, threatening to just follow me when I leave. “As ya said, we’re burnin’ sunlight.”

Sighing in defeat, I agreed and we both started our walk in the opposite direction of the other group.

We started walking a bit slow, he was limping a bit due to his injuries. I wanted this moment to ponder, to reflect and put my head in order, but now with him here it got difficult, for some reason.

And the worst wasn't that he talked through his elbows, it was the fact that he didn't talk at all! It felt weird. Or maybe I'm weird? I'm used to being surrounded by chatty ponies.

“Miss Hope.” He broke the silence. “I’d like to thank you.”

“It was no-”

“No, I mean it. I was having a tantrum and you put me back at mah, place, saved mah hoof and all.” I glanced at his hoof, then at his flank, a fallen tree as a cutie mark.

“Sorry for your axe.”

“This old fella here never let me down, was with me since I can remember. Helped me put down many trees, now helps me walk. What do ya town folks call it? Poetry or somethin’?

“Poetic?”

“Tha’ word.” He chuckled.

“What's your name?” I asked, realizing I didn't know.

“Name’s Wood Craker miss.” He shouted with a smile, moving a hoof as if taking off a hat he clearly lacked.

We continued our march for two hours, taking some pauses for him to catch a breath and exchanging stories. His best friend was one of those who stayed behind.

“I’d kill for a drink now.”

“Same here.” I rolled my eyes. I was never a drinker myself, but by Celestia as my witness, I wanted some booze right now.

“Oh, look at that fella running’” He pointed forwards and there was the other group, wait, why is there only one of them? I quickened my pace and soon approached him.

“You guys need to see this.” He declared breathlessly.

------

It took us a few minutes of running to reach our destination, but Wood Cracker gave up after some time, his injuries taking a toll, so he decided to wait.

My mouth opened involuntary when I saw the massive metal box sinking slightly on the sands of the beach, a brown pegasus resting atop of it with a branch on her hoof.

Just when I approached I realized the size of it.

“Big, right?” The pegasus said atop of it looking around. “I think we can fit our whole group inside this thing.” The door was ajar.

“Did you open this?” I cautiously approached the entrance.

“Nope, was like this when he arrived.” The other pony said, “This was near the door.” He pulled a sturdy key.

I tried and it fit perfectly on the keyhole. The inside was almost magically dark, the sunlight refusing to illuminate its interior.

“You didn't enter, right?”

“Do we look stupid to you? Of course not!” The pegasus shouted, raising her hoofs high, knocking the branch off her lap. It bounced on the ground and rolled inside the box. “My stick!” She yelled in terror.

“Okay, back off.” They both nodded and moved away.

“Careful there miss!” One said.

“Wait, let me get you another stick.” The pegasus continued.

With a loud click I closed the box and turned to them.

“Like hay I’m entering this. Let's get outta here.”

------

We found old Wood resting by the beach, and soon we got together to continue our walk to our camp. By what they told me, the time they walked and I, plus some variables, this island circumference is I don't have the slightest clue!

When we returned, I was a bit amazed with their progress, one tent stood high, with some sheets for the wounded, and nurse Honey Words flying between each other, administering them with bandages and medicine.

We settled down for some time, waiting for the return ones that adventured into the forest; and that white pegasus, that I quickly learned his name, Rowdy Ciclone, was nowhere to be seen. I chuckled, his name fit him well for some reason.

“Do you have a moment, Hope?” Honey said, her kind smile warming my heart in a way that only a nurse could do.

“Of course! About What?” She eyed the others near us.

“In particular.”

We trotted shortly away from the camp, always eyed by them, but soon their curiosity was surpassed by hunger, and in no time they started munching on our last rations. That is a problem.

“-do you think?”

“Oh sorry, I wasn't listening.”

“Our medical supplies Hope, we ran out of it. I did my best to make everything count, but…” She peeked over her shoulder at the sea. “My… my supplies got into the ocean when we got here and we lost basically everything. If we hadn't yours, well, some of the injuries could get a lot worse.”

“You- wha-everything?!”

“Y-yes, I mean, those poor foals were crying for Celestia's sake! I'm not very good at handling injured children.”

“N-No, it’s okay I guess, can't demand that from you, but they are fine right? No surprises?”

She stopped for a moment, biting her lower lips before looking me in the eyes and then waving at the others.

“They are… stable, one broken hoof here and there. But they are young, so it's not going to be that problematic. There is that mare though.” I follow her eyes and see a cream earth pony hugging her brown foal maternally, singing a lovely lullaby in such a melodic way that some of the other children rested near her.

“Is he okay?”

“I don’t know, she doesn't let me see him. She just asked for bandages and water. When I pressed her to let me help she got, ahmm-” I blinked at her. “violent if you will. Had to dodge a hoof-full of sand!” She snorted at the end and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

“So what do you think? Do you need backup to hold her or-”

“N-no, I was expecting you to go there and talk this out.”

“Me?”

“Well yes, you’re our… leader, right?” She tilted her head.

“Y-yes yes.” I coughed at my hoof, “A leader! I’m just new at this stuff.”

“Well, you better start getting good at it, that foal needs you.”

“Okay okay, you’re right, anything else I should know? I haven't seen Rowdy here.”

“Oh, him? I asked that sweet stallion to go look for the continent after he finished giving me the clouds you told him to, he is such a sweet.”

“And he said yes?”

“Well, he more likely volunteered, I spoke out loud about it and he told me he’d do it.”

“Riiight.” I looked at Bright. “What about him?” She just shrugged.

“Her name?”

“Cream Heart.” And with that information, I marched at her.

She saw me getting near, her motherly smile instantly turning into a furious frow that just a mother could produce.

“Hello Miss Cream, I think we never introduced ourselves formally.” She eyed me up and down.

“Greetings guard.”

“You don't need those formalities, you can just call me Hope.” I sat near her. “It’s not like somepony is going to punish us or something right?” I smiled at her, and her frown eased for a moment.

“What's his name?” This question took her off guard, she took a moment to recompose herself.

“It’s, ahmm, Button.” She caressed his mane slowly, “My little warrior here is fine, I know why you’re here.” She fulminated with her eyes, somepony over my shoulders. “He’s just asleep, give him some time and he’ll be fine.”

“Miss, we have a nurse, and few supplies left, he might be really hurt.”

“H-he is not! He was fine before we teleported! H-he hit his head in the fall, it’s just that.”

“He did what?! He might have a concussion! How could you not tell us that!”

“H-he will tough it up!” She looked at him, her eyes filling with tears, her voice was half sobby, half cracked. “H-he was always a bit e-energetic, always f-falling here and th-there.”

I dead stared at her, then at him, when I tried to approach her she shouted at me, waving her hoof violently towards my direction.

“Get away from me! Don't touch him!”

I blinked a bit stunned by it, before I could react she pulled a knife from her mane and I immediately got up, everypony near her did the same.

“Okay ma’am, we need to calm down now.”

“N-no, you don't understand, you ca-can’t touch my son. I won't allow!” She swung that knife threateningly at me for a pair of times before stopping.

“We are not going to hurt him, we’re here to help, but you need to help us.”

She didn't answer, her stare piercing me as if I was the aggressor here. I saw the two ponies me and Wood traveled around the island with, the stallion nodded at me, the mare gulped, and they moved sneakily towards her. I moved towards her.

“Easy there, we are not your enemy. We-we are living ones here.” That word inflated something inside her, her hug got stronger and her frown filled with more disgust than anger.

“I-I don’t want to hurt you, just, let me and my son be, we’re fine, y-you’ll se, in a day h-” But before she could finish, both the ponies jumped her and I quickly followed, using my magic to levitated the knife away from her.

She screamed, screamed as if we were about to butcher her child while we carried him to the tent. The eyes in the camp were a mix, some nodded at me with a shy smile, others shook their heads in disapproval. But the worst was the kids looking absolutely dreadful towards me.

When we entered the tent, I could still hear her screams, some ponies holding her down.

Nurse Honey tore a piece of the tent with her mouth and poured an empty bottle of disinfectant in it. Her face was dull, her comforting smile absent.

I rested Button on a sheet on the floor and quickly started helping Honey with her work. She didn't eyed me for a moment.

“You know, if I wanted to tear a child from her mothers embrace, I could have done that with the help of the others.” Her voice was cold, and almost supplanted by Cream Heart screams.

“What?” She took a scissor with her wings and started cutting some bandages.

“What you did was wrong.”

“I-wh- you told me to do something!”

“Yes, but not that! When I first saw you, I thought you could be a- I d-don't know, a medic or something, but alas.” She eyed me up and down, “You’re just like the rest of them. Just another bloody soldier.”

“Now wait a minute, he needed immediate medical assistance, I did what was needed! Question my methods, not my results.” She scolded, utterly incredulous with my words.

“Bet that's what you told yourself when we abandoned those poor souls in Salt-Lick Bay some days ago. It was… necessary.” My blood boiled for a moment.

“B-but they wouldn’t make it!”

“Yeah? And how does that make you feel? I hope it helps you sleep at night, it surely does not help me.” With a precise push she cutted the last bandage and her eyes went wide.

“How could you-” I charged at her, was about to- what was I about to do?

“He is bitten.” I stopped my charge, just to gaze upon his wound in his shoulder.

“Fuck.” When I spoke, his mom bursted into the tent, her guards barely delaying her unstoppable charge towards her child.

“D-dont’ hurt him!” She screamed, falling just a few centimeters from him

In no time she rested between me and Honey and Button.

“P-please… Don't.”

I don't know what to do, I could see the eyes of those outside the tent, whispers spreading like a wild fire between them. Nurse Honey opened her mouth, but then stopped and moved to the side and stared at me, I felt as if she stared at my very core.

A spear came into my mind, the order, protect the civilians also sparked too. I just… What the actuall fuck am I thinking! I shook my head, clearing what was hoofs down the scariest thing I’ve ever thought, that foal is alive and breathing for Celestia’s sake!

“Miss Cream.” I started, trying to hide the anxiety in my words. “He is bitten.”

“W-we don't know how this works! H-he got bitten on the first day! It's been almost a week now! Look at him! He is healthy.” She turned to him, her voice getting somehow even more broken. “He is my healthy boy. My brave and fearless little boy.”

“Miss.”

“Then just let us go! We won't be a problem! I-” But before she could finish her words, I hugged her, her shaking hoofs slowly hugging me back while my breath got erratic for a moment. I hugged her stronger while I looked at her kid. He looked so peaceful and well, one could mistake him by a sleepy child.

I ended our hug, not without her protests and I looked her in the eyes.

“We lost too much already, friends, purpose.” I peek at the entrance and see the green unicorn. “Family, home. I won't ask you to give up on your kid, neither will I ask you to leave.”

“But-” One pony shouted.

“As she said, we don’t know what will happen, nor how this works.”

“We all saw what happened to Blaze.”

I sighed in defeat, then I looked back at Cream, I could feel the anxiety in her eyes.

“Then,” Her breath stopped, “We will deal with it.” Her hoofs stopped, she fell, doing her best to grab onto me to not collapse into the floor. “But for now he is a healthy boy. Nurse Honey, please, continue your work.”

When I looked at her, she had that same dull face, but I spotted a small smile forming in her face while she returned to the foal.

“Everypony out.”

We sat by the entrance, I tried to ease her heart, but a silent hug was the best I could muster, I hope it does any good.

“D-do you think, do you think he’s gonna be fine?”

A quick yes mustered in my mind, but I didn't dare to say it, I couldn't lie to her, or worse, to myself. I gently pressed her head against my chest.

“Have hope, that's everything we can do now.”

------

Quickly the moments piled up and turned into minutes, and soon a whole hour. Her sobbing slowly, but gradually easing. Then a little voice broke the silence.

“Mommy?” There he was, a brown little colt under Honey wing, scratching his eyes, as if he had just awoken from a slumber.

Cream Heart immediately threw herself at him and embraced him. Honey sat by me.

“He was fine, little concussion that's all. Nothing that a little wakey-wakey spell couldn’t deal with.”

“He is…”

“I don’t know.”

“Well I th-”

“My tent!” Bright shouted, passing one hoof through one of the many holes in it. “I lent it! I wanted it back in one piece!” I roll my eyes and gaze at the ocean. It's mesmerizing. I was never a beach pony, now I know why so many love this vision, wait, what is that?

“Well, looks like Rowdy is back, can you check on him? I’ll calm down Bright.” And just like that she got up, told some reassuring words towards Cream Heart, but not before patting on my shoulders.

I sighed, let's deal with this already then. What a day. I peek back at the mother, she smiled at me, and did a shy nod. I felt… happy.

Rowdy crashed on the beach, rolling aimlessly until he stopped by me.

“Well well well, so you can go into the ocean after all?”

It took him a few moments to recompose himself, he grabbed a comb and fixed his messy mane.

“Well, what can I do? It’s a stallion's duty to please the ladies.”

“I-I’m a mare you know?”

“Well, yes, but you’re a soldier mare.”

“There is- there is no difference!”

“Oh believe me there is.” He winked at me. “You gals are just built differently.”

Contrary to punching him, I just restrained myself to sigh.

“What did you see?”

“Well, mostly the sea you know, it’s a big-”

“Cut that out okay? Not in the mood.”

“See? You soldiers ladies have no-” He stopped when I stared deadly at him. “Ahemm, not much, mostly water.” I squinted my eyes and he raised his hoofs in defense. “But that's true! Look at poor me! I fell twice into the sea!” He flapped his wet wings, and I let my bravado down for a moment. “And I wasn't going to risk a third fall.”

“Okay, just get in-”

“Oh, and there is a storm coming, a doozy.”

“What?” I felt my left eye twitch.

“Yes, a big one!” He raised his hoof high. “In about a day or so.” my left eye twitches uncontrollably.

“AND THAT WASN'T THE FIRST THING YOU TELL ME!”

“Hey hey, chill there, you see you just proves my-”

“I swear for Celestia, you say that again."

“Okay okay I shut it.”

“Did you see it?”

“Nope, but I felt it in my wings.”

“What?”

“Look lady, you unicorn folk can feel magic fields and whatnot, we pegasus can feel storms and whatnot, you need to see what earth ponies can sense.” He smirked.

“Isn't that highly imprecise?”

“Oh-oh believe, I ain't wrong. Not about this.”

Deciding to not waste time or indulge him in his game I told him to move.

“MISS HOPE!” Somepony shouted behind me and my peace was shattered, back to duty I guess.

When the night came we had a somewhat functional resting place. Mister Wood, lent us his expertise on cutting down trees, and the axe supporting his hoof for some time. It was a fight to convince him, but in the end he agreed, as long as he would supervise the knuckle-head that would use his axe so no harm was done to it. How charming.

We used the logs to form huts, and the large leaves from the trees together with vines we found in the boundaries of the forest for walls, truth be said, it was rudimentary, but better than sleeping with nothing. The kids slept in Bright’s tent that had the holes patched up with leaves. I chuckled when recalling his reaction to us sewing that.

“Hope?” Nurse Honey whispered by me, giving me my bag back.

“Yes?”

“Bright wants to talk to you.”

“Okay.” I sigh, looking at the forest one last time.

“They still haven’t returned? I hope everything is okay.”

I didn't answer, what could I say? I sent those ponies there.

“H-hey, they are fine okay? The-I- well, I don't actually recall their names now that I stop to think about it, but they looked tough didn't they? They surely can handle themselves.”

“There are many dangers in a forest like that at night!”

“Hey there.” She rested an assuring hoof over my shoulder. “Worrying about them won't make anything easier, nor will make them show up sooner. You should get a rest.” We traded nods and she trotted at the camp.

I turned and walked towards the sea, Bright had a little laboratory of his own! I still find it puzzling how he took it all from his bag. He gazed into his little telescope, annotated something in the sand with his magic, and repeated. I stood there near him analyzing his doings, but I couldn’t keep pace with him. He would write down lots of things, half of them I understood. Many fancy terms, like, what is a parsec? He then would wipe it all, and start rewriting in the sand.

“You wanted to talk to me, Bright? Any good news?” When he turned to me I did a little jump be. By the gods his mane is a mess and his glasses are barely hanging on his snout.

“H-hi miss, I-yes-yes, I have good news.” His horn glowed and he fixed his glasses; and the wall of numbers and calculations vanished, forever forgotten in the sands of time.

“Well? Then spill it.”

“W-well, you see,” He fumbled his words for a moment. “I don’t know the name of this island, never been into cartography and stuff like that, you know? I’m more of a real science guy-”

“I get it, can you go to the point?” I scratched my eyes.

“Okay, okay, we are five hundred and seventy kilometers from the nearest coast.” I coughed with the information.

“W-what? That’s-”

“More than the Three Sister Archipelago, I know. As I was saying before being rudely interrupted, I’m no maps guy, never heard of this place; b-but the alignment with the stars doesn't lie, we are five hundred and seventy kilometers on the east coast of Equestria. We are actually closer to the Dragon Lands than from Equestria if my latitude numbers are correct.”

“And I presume that they are?”

“Always.” He fixed his glasses.

I looked him up and down, truly believing I would regret my next sentence.

“And you’re like this due to happiness? Why the crazy mane?”

“O-oh, that.” He stopped, breathed in for a long time before releasing the air.

I expected him to turn to me and explain, he instead looked again into the telescope while furiously writing his number down in the sand. After half a minute he pushed the telescope away and started kicking sand and cursing the world before sitting apathetic.

“Bright? What was that?” He didn’t react to my answer, just looked up, gazing at the stars.

“Tell me, what do you know about stars and their positioning?”

“To be honest, not much, it wasn’t my, my jurisdiction if you will, in my squadron.”

“There are five fundamental patterns.” He raised a hoof and clapped it at the floor as he spoke. “First, is the primordial night; then the monster night followed by the victory, fear and love night, each with a particular set of stars.”

“Okay?”

“Three days ago it was the primordial night, which, by my calculus, is impossible, it should be monster night.”

I looked up at the stars, a constellation here and there, but nothing an untrained eye could grasp.

“Why? Why by the name of the gods do I still see the alicorn constellation! It should not be there!” He panicked and he prepared to redo his math.

“Okay,” I grabbed him by his shoulder and gave him a good shake. “Compose yourself and explain.”

“I-I- did you ever hear of Princess Luna fumbling her nights? That never happened!”

It took me a moment to fully process what he was, was- no he has to not be-

“You’re not implying that Princess Luna-”

“I don't know, but that.” He pointed a hoof at the starly sky. “That is an anomaly beyond mere panic.”

“Maybe she is just busy, and doesn't have time for it, she does mold the night after all.”

“That's… unlikely, just a tiny portion of the sky truly changes each night, normally it has to do with a dream she witnessed, or a nightmare she defeated, and decided to share with her subjects… but there it is, the same new constellation I saw in Salt-Lick Bay. Luna hasn't touched the sky since this nightmare began.”

A moment of silence followed, he just whimpered in silence, doing his best to hold his fears and tears. He failed.

I approached him and rested a hoof over his shoulder.

“Hey there.” I said, feeling anxiety rising and the bile in my stomach revolting with the news. “You know, it's cold, why don't you join us by the fire?” I point at it, my vision turving a bit, am I about to pass out?

“B-but the pr-”

“What are you gonna do about it?”

He froze, my words sinking into him, he raised a hoof for a moment, then gave up.

“I don’t… know. I don't know what to do.”

I bit my lips to stop me from throwing up, I closed my eyes to stop my dizziness and breathed in to ease my heart. I tap on his shoulder, and I smile.

“You can join us by the fire.”

“I-I think I will. It's just… the princesses are okay, right?”

I saw his eyes, they had nothing but hope and excitement during the whole time, now they are filled with fear, confusion and despair.

“C’mon now, the food is getting cold” I tapped his shoulder and walked towards it.

------

When we arrived a fuzz started while they waved at us, giving Bright a can of beans that he eagerly accepted. The kids are all sleeping in their tent.

“What do you think Hope?” I blinked, too focused on the fact we are eating our last meal and last bit of fresh water to fully grasp his question.

“About what?”

“Well,” Rowdy shrugged and pointed in all directions. “‘bout everything, those things for exemple, what do you think they are?”

“I told yer air-head, it’s a punishment by the gods!” Wood shouted. “We mettled with the dragons and all-changing folk, by the gods, the lord of chaos himself got into this mess!”

“Here we go again.” A mare rolled her eyes.

“Oh don't ya tell me that, everything worked when every folk knew their place, not meddling with each other.”

“Are you implying this all happened because we got closer to the other races?” Wood stopped, and reflected for a moment “If your memory is that bad oldy, the lord of chaos saved your flank.

“I’m not happy about it, neither do I like it, but the world worked when every single kind knew where they belonged. Dragon folk in the dragon lands, griph-gra- bird kin in their nests, and the lord of chaos keeping out of material matters! I don't need to like it to see the truth. We are being punished by the almighties.”

Some nodded at his points, others rolled their eyes at it.

“Maybe they really are zombies? I mean, the necromancers, they do exist.” One pony said.

“Existed.” Bright corrected him apathetically. “They got whipped out almost two millennia ago.”

“But what if they survived?”

“Unlikely, besides, the… zombies, as you call them, weren’t like the ones modern media illustrate. They didn't spread with a bite, or used magic and flight as those do. They were simple bodies being reanimated with magic. Simple as that.”

Some ponies signed with relief, others looked even more worried.

“So just a disease then?”

“Also unlikely.” Bright interrupted again. We all looked at him and he shrugged.

“A disease that does- I can't even- it’s impossible, simple as that.”

“Our smart-ass folk, the peak of ingenuity.” Bright grunted.

“A disease can’t… do that, it’s clearly magical in nature since the lord of chaos himself couldn't do anything about it; and the pathogens that cause diseases are too small to hold any magical properties, one of the few camps of study without a magical element in our world.”

“So, a magical condition? Like a poison joke?”

“It’s also unlikely, magical conditions don't spread. They are isolated events that can be replicated with control, not cultivated or passed by each individual like we all saw.”

“Sooo, you’re saying that we know, that we know nothing, how comforting.” Rowdy chuckled

“You want me to lie? Facts are facts. I’m more inclined to trust Mister Woods here,” Wood smiled, “as much as I hate to admit.” His smile turned into a frown.

“What if they are a mix of both?” A low voice echoed and we all jumped away from the green filly staring at us.

“Thinker, dearly, you should be sleeping!” And the old mare moved, her back hoof trembling while she rushed the child back to her tent. “You can't sneak upon us like that, we are discussing adult talk here.”

“But could it not be?” She questioned while walking towards the tent.

“Kids, am I right?” The old mare jocked after returning and sitting again.

“Well.” Bright starts. “No, it's impractical to do it, you would need to find a perfect balance, and the amount of power, it’s just sci-fi at best.”

“Powerfull, like the lord of chaos?”

Bright's eyes blinked a pair of times, and he kept opening and closing his mouth for a couple of moments.

“He… with time… I think so.”

“So, with time, an equally powerful one could manage that?”

“Yes.” We all looked at him. “I mean, I’m no virologist, nor a healer! I’d need a lab and a good supply of infected to find that out through tests, and some months to actually learn virology and advanced healing principles!” We all shrugged.

Time went on, and the subject slowly turned away from that. At first it was jokes and stories, and even a couple of prayers, but soon they started sharing their stories, how they ended up in Salt-Lick Bay before everything started.

“I was on vacation.” One said, cleaning a shy tear.

“Lucky you, my boss told me to go there to check the clouds to see if they are ready to be harvested! Damn that city sucked!” Rowdy spoke, yawning slightly

“Hey, that's my city!” A brown pegasus spoke loudly, slamming the floor.

“But it did! There was nothing there! Neither a good pub, nor a good brothel! An Absolutely awful place.”

“First of all, only someone living there can say it, yes it sucks but hey, thats is- was, my home.'' The mood died a bit, but she shook her head, buffed and stared at him… seductively?! “And about the brothel thing.” D-did she just licked her lips? “You clearly didn't look for it enough.”

Before any of us could react, she got up, stretched and started walking away.

“I feel like a good flight right now, be right back.” And just like that she flew high into the night, winking an eye before leaving.

Everypony stared at Rowdy, whose mouth was ajar, his wing holding a spoonful of beans ready to devour. He just handed it over to the next pony and got up

“You know, I feel like one too.” Without any further warning he flew towards the other direction, but we all saw him changing directions mid flight and going after her.

“Well, that just happened.” Honey spoke and we all shared a good laugh.

Honey leaned towards the fire, and started humming a lullaby, it was low tone, but clearly discernible. Lullaby for a Princess, one of Equestria's most traditional songs.

“My father used to sing it to me when I was young. You see, I was quite the chicken.” She chuckled. “And my father, he was so brave, I wanted to be like him, I wanted to save lives like him. That's why I became a nurse, in a year I would be a doctor like him.” She bit her lower lips, tears forming in her eyes. “Fuck. Fuck.”

“H-hey miss, you okay there?”

“I miss him,” She wiped her face. “He was always so… hard to rationalize. I tried everything to make him move, but he wouldn’t, he needed to save those poor souls back into the mall. Can still remember his words.” Her breath failed a couple of times, but she finished. “Can’t abandon them, they need me. Fucking stubborn- piece of-” She gazed at the fire, before letting out the longest sigh I have ever heard. “I miss you dad.”

I decided to stay awake. Told them I still needed to wait for others to come back, and the love birds too, and in less than an hour they all went to sleep.

Nothing happened, it hurts so much to say it; not a single leaf from the trees moved. Gods, I hope they are okay.

After some time the mare returned, she flew in a funny way, her mane was… well, her mane. She froze when she saw me awake, I nodded at her, pretending to take off my helmet. She blushed even more and went straight to her bed. Well at least somepony is having fun.

Not much time after it, Rowdy returned. He had the biggest grin I have ever witnessed in my whole life. Oh boy here we go.

He approached me, always grinning, and let out a heavy sigh. He chuckled a couple of times and patted me on my shoulder.

“Nice talk, Hope.” And just like that he went to bed. What in the hay?

I stayed in guard all night, shooing away some small rodents that came from the forest from time to time. They didn’t return.

When the sun started to rise, I yawned, and retired myself to my hut. I believe I need a good rest. A good… and nice rest. I didn’t realize I was so… exhausted. Even thinking is hard.

“Good night Blaze.” I mumbled some words while rolling and nesting into my hut.