Zak sits on a hill as the sun dips towards the horizon shared by the blazing forest in front of him. He holds his legs close against his shaking body. Blood cakes his hands and face as tears roll freely down his face. Beside him, Jenny sits her head laying against his shoulder and her arm around him and Annie. Behind him Grunt stands head held high with his axe, almost as blood covered as he is, on his shoulder. Above him the ponies who can fly, Fluttershy and Rainbowdash, float along with the small girls who seem to be trying to face reality but failing.. To the sides of Grunt is Twilight, Rarity, on the left; and Applejack who all try to look strong for the others. To Zak's right sits Annie as she clutches onto him and cries into his side her right side and back covered in scars and blood. A giant bear lays to her side as a pet would.
In front of them lay what once was considered a playground. It has been turned suddenly into a battlefield unlike any other. It is now nothing more than a half destroyed play ground with fires blazing across the nearby trees. Firefighters have since shown up to take care of the every increasing flames. The police soon followed afterward to check for survivors and provide protection from whatever caused this in the first place. At the same time the paramedics showed up to give medical attention where they could. Anyone not unconscious are currently being interrogated and questioned.
"I-I wanna go home..." Zak says softly through his sobs clutching his knees harder against his body to try to bring him a little bit more comfort.
"We all do." Jenny says rubbing his back trying to sooth him over as she watches the failing attempt of battling the magical fire.
With what just happened none of them really expect to sleep well tonight. If they even sleep at all. It all happened so fast that there was no way to tell that the outcome would be something like this. No way at all. At least all of them weren't involved. Only a few. But the blood of the innocent and guilty... It's too much. It cakes all of their souls like a smothering sandpaper sheet.
"What we do now?" Grunt asks his eyes never leaving the battlefield or fire as he shifts the weight of the axe.
"We can't go home..." Twilight says looking away first., "We have to leave... Before the cops come to us."
"Twilight I don't." Applejack start.
"I know he's in no condition! We just bring him along. I have the brains and I know what's best. Jenny, Can you grab them both and bring them along?" Twilight cutting away Applejack.
Applejack keeps quite as Jenny nods and picks up Annie and goes for Zak. Zak stands still crying, "I can walk..."
Twilight nods her head and starts walking, "I think I have an idea..."
"You always do egghead." Rainbowdash says trying to lighten up the mood a little bit thought her voice is still sad which only makes thing seem even tenser than they already are.
"Well someone does Rainbowdash." Twilight replies smiling a bit before thoughts impede on her mind which makes her smile disappear once again, "There's always someone there to make sure the weak become strong in the times of need..."
"Do you think she got out?" Zak asks wiping away more tears, "I know I didn't treat her like a friend but."
"I don't want to lie to you Zak. If she did than it's out of our hands. If she didn't than..."Twilight says shaking her head, "Don't think about it too much."
Zak nods his head and starts walking away, "Lets go. I can't stay here..."
"What about school?"
"Let them think I'm dead. Its for the best right?" Zak asks not putting much thought into it as he continues to walk.
The other takes one look back and start following behind Zak and Twilight. Grunt puts away his axe and picks up Fluttershy where he starts stroking her mane. Sometimes Zak wonders if he's helping Fluttershy out or whether she's helping him out. Though the thought doesn't last long as its assaulted and beaten like a child who can't fight back.
He considered that something like this would happen at some point. Just not something this extreme. He knew his days of peaceful living were numbered, but he didn't think they would end like this. Thought he tries to keep optimistic about it. Like Pinkie saysIt can always be worse!
At this point he highly doubts it, but he rather not push his luck. After all he's been pushing it since he started hanging out with that girl. If only he had said no and walked away and Twilight didn't persist on being more active. Was this unavoidable? After she.
"Zak!"
The voice snaps him out of his trance. He looks to his left to see Shell coming at him in full speed. She has a bandaged left arm and right leg. She winces every so often but the further closer she gets the further back Zak tries to back up. Of all the times for her to show up, now would have to be the worst.
"What should I do." Zak asks looking towards Twilight.
Twilight doesn't attempt to answer. This time Jenny does.
"Like you said. We have to leave. We can't stay here if we want to be safe. You want to keep the others safe don't you?" Jenny asks turning him around, "As long as you don't look back you don't have to face her."
"I should be good at not looking back huh..." Zak says chuckling sadly.
"I know." Jenny says turning around and placing her arm around him and making him move forward.
"Zak!? Where are you going!? Zak!!" She continues to screaming following behind.
Jenny presses on, "Don't look back. Close your ears if you have to. Some things you just don't go back to."
"This is one of them." Zak finishes moving forward at his own pace now, "Right Twilight."
Twilight slowly nods her head.
So with the new resolve of getting away from this bad area, Zak keeps walking ignoring the desperate calls from the girl. Eventually they stop. He's not sure if she just stopped chasing or if she just stopped calling out to him.
"She still follow." Grunt says stopping.
Zak almost stops and looks himself but he decides better. Right now he's walking towards a forest so if she keeps coming she'll get lost as well. Something hits him in the back which makes him stop. He turns around and looks down to see a rock.
"Zak!" Shell yells.
Zak can only stare at her for a moment. He couldn't believe it. She's too persistent.
"It's fine Zak." Jenny says shaking her head, "Just see what she wants real quick then we'll leave."
"Okay." Zak says walking towards her to meet her halfway.
There Shell stares into his eyes and he stares back. Her eyes cold and serious his eyes cold and dead. It could be worse. They could both be victims of the event. Well, in a sense he's a victim. But it's hard to fight what can't be stopped.
"Zak..." She says, "Why?"
"Cause I need to leave. I won't come back. It's too dangerous now." He says simply looking behind him to see if he's getting the approval he needs from everybody else about what he's saying.
"So you're running away? They'll think you're a criminal! They'll hunt you down!"
"Not if they think I'm dead." Zak retorts turning and walking towards the forest.
"No! This is a serious problem!" She yells grabbing him by the shoulder and turning around, "I'll make sure they know you're alive!"
"Look, don't. That'll only cause more trouble for me." Zak says finding this situation annoying.
"But you can't just fake your death like that! Plus with what she said about."
"I know what she said!" Zak yells his eyes lighting a bit, "Just shut up and leave! And keep your mouth closed!"
"Not unless you're coming back with me... I can't let you throw your life away like this." She says with conviction despite taking a step back from the sudden outburst.
"Too bad." Zak says turning again.
"Zak! Damn it! I'm not goin-" He words are cut off by the sound of a blast.
A very familiar sounding blast too. Zak looks down to his right to see Twilight standing there her horn a lit. Zak turns around to see Shell backing away staring down at the new addition to her scares. A hole goes through her. Blood flowing out of her faster than Zak reaction. Zak goes from calmness to a sense of panic and sickness.
She doesn't even scream. She opens her mouth and releases no noise. She falls back and simply stares up. Zak says nothing and Twilight envelopes her with her magic and moves her from the spot. Zak can only stare at the spot where she once laid.
"Twilight..." Fluttershy speaks out for the group.
"She's not a very caring friend. No... she's not a friend at all. Even if she was, she's betraying you now. Friends are meant to keep each other's secrets. Not threaten them with it. Isn't that right Rarity." Rarity nods her head emotionless.
"Oh... my god..." Zak says falling to his knees and finally retching as all the bodies come back to his mind on top of this.
"I'm sorry." Twilight says looking away from everyone, "It had to be done. We all know what needs to be done! Its the right thing to do!"
Zak doesn't say anything or even do anything. He just stays there on his knees shaking, crying, and remembering all the little details and all the big details of what has transpired today. This horrible bloody day. The horribly terrifying day.
Looks like she's right. He is a Hider. He could never be a Seeker with how they seek out their victims. He's been hiding everyday and now the Seekers are looking for him. He would wonder just how long they'll be able to hide, but Twilight already has that covered as she moves the group away from Zak so he can't hear her and her plan.
They talk for a while and than nod their heads in agreement. This is the first of many unknown plans to be made without Zak.