//------------------------------// // 31. Nakama // Story: Hero Souls: Awakening // by SvenFoxx //------------------------------// Twilight’s first intention was to go back to Zecora and start asking questions. Unfortunately, by now she was gone. If her friends were right, Twilight guessed Zecora was likely in the Everfree now. Destination in mind, Twilight began her march towards the forest. She crossed the border of the forest just in time for shouting to reach her ears. “Twi! Twi, wait up!” Twilight turned and found all five of her friends running up to her. “Girls?” she asked. “You’re going to see her, aren’t you?” Applejack asked. Twilight nodded. “I have to. Either Zecora is innocent,” Applejack winced. “And deserves recognition for her attempt to save total strangers, or she’s guilty, and therefore I am duty-bound as a Unicorn, and magic user in general, to stop her before she spreads Taint into town.” Rarity nodded. “She’s right. If I had been thinking, I would have realized the same thing a long time ago. Every Unicorn in town would come down on Zecora if she’s dabbling in things that generate Flux.” “A lot of Pegasi too, as Flux messes with our ability to manipulate weather. Ponyville’s weather would be thrown completely off,” Fluttershy added. “We should probably tell everyone before we head in, get a large enough group together to bring Zecora in,” Rainbow said. “No,” Twilight said with steel in her voice. “The last thing I want to do is bring together a group of ponies that have vengeance set in their heads, especially since Zecora may be innocent.” “But she lives in the Everfree!” Pinkie exclaimed. “What kind of good pony does that?” “We won’t know until we talk to her,” Twilight said, turning to once more begin her walk into the forest. “We’re coming,” Rainbow Dash said. “Even if Zecora is innocent, even if you could probably handle the entire forest yourself,” she said, remembering Twilight’s abilities. “We’re still your friends. We won’t let you do it alone.” Twilight turned her head to smile at her friend. “Thank you,” she said, and then looked at Applejack. “By the way, I’m sorry for snapping at you. I just found it a bit hard… seeing people… ponies… treat a single person like that. It brought up some old fears of mine.” Applejack smiled and hugged her friend. “All’s forgiven, sugarcube. I figured something was bothering ya. Besides, it’s not like you were wrong. I thought about it as we chased after you. Yer right, she was probably trying to help.” She tilted her hat down a bit. “Honestly… lookin’ back… I feel like one o’ them bigots up in Canterlot, treating a pony like that.” She sighed. “If nothing else, I owe Zecora an apology for this. It’s mah fault the town is so scared of her.” Twilight hugged her friend. “If she’s a good pony, she’ll understand and forgive you,” she comforted her friend. --- Half an hour into the forest, the group of friends were no closer to discovering the location of the Zebra they searched for. Twilight was also beginning to suspect something was up when they had pass through the same field of flowers four times now. It wasn’t until a scream echoed from the forest that they got anywhere. Applejack had instantly paled at the sound of the scream. “Applebloom!” she cried, not caring one bit as she pelted off through the thick brush of the forest. “Hang on, Bloom! I’m coming!” Her friends were behind her every step of the way. When the group broke into a clearing they came upon the site of a massacre. There were burnt sticks and leaves all over the place, and the ground in places was blasted as if a small bomb had gone off. That didn’t hold their attention long, though. Because on the other end of the clearing were two ponies they recognized. Applebloom was huddled up behind Zecora, shivering in fear and grasping her right front hoof. Zecora’s aquamarine eyes glared hatefully at the pack of seven Timberwolves that slowly approached them. Like them, she was growling menacingly. She brandished a darkened wand in one hoof with gold caps on the end. There was a second, red, cap on the end she wasn’t grasping, and it was smoking lightly. Applejack and Applebloom’s eyes met, and Applejack saw the terror in those eyes, mixed with pain. She saw tears of fear and desperation. Time slowed to a crawl, and Applejack felt despair as the Timberwolves lunged in. She knew she couldn’t reach her sister in time. She knew there was no way she could save her sister… But she didn’t care. “I want to live!” Applejack, time still slowed in her perspective, never even considered that Twilight may already be moving. She never considered that the faster of her friends were already lunging forward to save the two ponies. She never considered that Fluttershy was already in a dead sprint. She only saw a threat to her family, to her Nakama(1). “This room can’t be here anymore! I’ll destroy every place she doesn’t want to be kept in!” Without thinking, barely even acknowledging the blur that the forest had become, or the crater her sudden departure had left behind, Applejack pulled back a hoof as she zeroed in on the Timberwolf closest to Applebloom. “I won’t let you!” she cried almost savagely. “Who… are you?” “Me? I’m…” “Gum Gum…” Applejack breathed, passing Twilight and Fluttershy as her hoof trailed behind her… stretching. “Monkey D. Luffy! I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!” “Pistol!” The Timberwolf had just enough time to turn and see the hoof right before it impacted, turning it into so much kindling. Applejack slid to a stop next to Zecora, snorting as she glared at the rest of the Timberwolves. Chunks of wood fell in a rain around her. Her eyes were narrowed to near pin-pricks as rage and the desire to protect coursed through her veins. “Many thanks,” Zecora panted from next to her. “Thank me after we get out of this,” Applejack grunted. Twilight, Fluttershy, and the others slowed to a stop as they watched Applejack. “Did her leg just…?” Fluttershy asked slowly. “Yeah…” Twilight answered just as slowly. Applejack reared back as the other Timberwolves approached. “You won’t take my sister!” she roared, her two front hooves flying back and stretching. “Gum Gum Gatling Pistol!” Suddenly her hooves were flying as high speed as they continuously punched, retracted, and punched again in a massive blur. Zecora, not one to stand by and watch, levelled her wand. “Ignis!” she cried in an echoing voice. The red cap on the end ignited, and a fireball launched from the wand. It hit one of the Timberwolves and exploded violently, shattering the golem of wood. It was over seconds later, Applejack’s attack having destroyed the rest of the Timberwolves. She stood panting in front of her sister, and knew she was victorious. The Soul of Family had awoken.