//------------------------------//
// Chapter 33: Bandits of the Night 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
November 7, 2016
Chapter 33: Bandits of the Night.

I had no idea what was going to happen next. How could I? I spent the last several hours fending off a slew of ghosts that continued to spawn in every time one was defeated, and now things were quiet upon the light that brought them having left just like it came. Had I won? It did seem like it although I couldn't tell for certain. If my experience with the bow hadn't improved since my previous journey, the ghosts would've swarmed the barn and Apple Bloom wouldn't be in there right now with the cows. She would've been abducted by them if what she said was accurate.

To think that she didn't really do anything despite saying she intended on protecting the cows. I was starting to see that Apple Bloom possessed a lot of courage for someone her age, yet courage alone wasn't going to do much unless there was an effort to fight back. Given she was struggling with hitting the balloon she had set up by the house when I arrived--I knew this was the case since she didn't use arrows--she needed help because she just couldn't do it on her own. Had Applejack been more willing to listen instead of brushing off her sister's concern, she could've helped to save the cows without me needing to get involved.

Still, I wouldn't have abandoned Apple Bloom in her time of need. For one thing, that wasn't really the heroic thing to do, to turn your back on someone who truly needed help to resolve a problem beyond their understanding. And the other was that I would be reminded of who I used to be before I learned about the Magic of Friendship.

When I was a bully, I never helped out anyone unless I could benefit from it somehow. In my heart, if I didn't get anything out of it, that person's problem was just a big waste of my time that could be spent on further building up my influence over the student body. On the off-chance that a problem came up that I could benefit from, I had Snips and Snails do my dirty work for me and reap the rewards when it was done. The only time I ever personally got my hands dirty to help someone deal with a problem was when they practically begged me to help them take of something.

Looking back on it all now, I am reminded of just how much of a jerk I really was.

" That was a pretty intense situation." Twilight said. " For a moment, it looked like those ghosts were going to win, but we were lucky that the sun started to come up. My guess is they don't particularly enjoy the light hence why they only appear at night."

I was still sweating buckets. " I've never been so close to being overwhelmed like that before."

" But you handled yourself pretty well, Sunset."

" Believe me, Twilight." I said, sweat continuing to trickle onto the grass after falling off my chin. " I was an absolute wreck at the end as everything just went completely beyond my means to control it. I mean, just look at my condition!" Her Highness floated down next to me and noticed how intense my dripping sweat had gotten. " I've seen some pretty intense things doing this, but never anything like what we just experienced. If I hadn't been prepared, I might have died here."

" You can relax now as it's over."

I shook my head. " This is only the beginning. When I was journeying around Hyrule, I didn't notice it at first but things continued to get difficult the closer I got to saving that world from Ganondorf's tyrannical reign. My body, mind, and spirit were tested in ways that you'd never see back home in Equestria. From what I've been taking from this world apart from some of the more absurd things, it's going to get harder from this point onward." I finally managed to get back onto my feet and wiped away the sweat dripping down my brow. It felt disgusting--as to be expected--wiping off my own sweat, but I needed to regain my composure.

" A shame we can't just stop." Twilight said. " I'll admit that things are getting too intense for me. Me! The Princess of Friendship! I'm supposed to be the guiding type who can help ponies understand things, yet all I've managed to do is worry myself sick over what you've been doing."

" The role of a heroine is never easy."

" It makes me wish you didn't have to do it."

" Fate can be rather cruel, Twilight." I said. " To be fair, I never really wanted to do any of this. I just wanted to live my life as a normal teenager--as normal as one with magical powers can get--and visit the land of my birth at a time I felt was right for me. If I could go back in time and change it so that I wouldn't be here, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

" Sunset..."

" But, I know that this is what I have to do."

" All because of that strange mark that appeared on the back of your hand." Twilight said. " I think whatever that was has forced you into continuing down this path eternally until you finally reach the end."

The moment Princess Twilight mentioned it, I looked down at the back of my hand out of fear that perhaps the Mark of the Triforce would appear again just like it had done before against Ganondorf. To my relief, it didn't appear although my conflict against the Dark Lord wasn't the only time it appeared.

During the months leading up to the Friendship Games, there were times when the mark would appear, and I had to secretly hide it in case anyone got too suspicious. I knew back then that I should've been more open about it and told my friends that what happened actually did, but I knew they wouldn't believe me. At the time, they struggled coming to terms regarding magic and their ability to use it. I didn't want anymore pressure to be placed on them given what we had been through, so I chose to remain silent and deal with the problem of the Triforce mark on my own.

In hindsight, I was afraid of them knowing the truth. Perhaps I underestimated their ability to understand.

Turning towards Her Highness, I spoke up in case she thought I was daydreaming again. " All I know is that the mark represents the Triforce of Courage, and that it exists inside of me for reasons I still don't quite understand. It's difficult for me to explain since no one else in my life has ever experienced having a powerful force inside them."

" I have--" Twilight began. " I once had the magic of the alicorns within me."

" I remember you telling me story." I said. " I can't believe you didn't succumb due to having so much magic."

" My mental focus was stronger than most."

" No kidding!"

" The point is that you're not the only one to have gone through such a thing, Sunset. I've been there and I had to keep it a secret from my friends in order to protect them, and also because they would never understand. It's ironic when you think about it. Twilight Sparkle is learning from you about what happened to her and you are learning from me due to what I experienced before returning to stop the Sirens." Twilight said.

" Yet you don't have that power now." I said, sighing. " Besides, what you had was nothing compared to the power of the Triforce. I possess an essence of a goddess if I remember how the legend went. I'm not able to control that power freely since it's all still confusing to me, but should I unleash it without warning, there's no telling what can happen. You could say that I'm a ticking time bomb."

Princess Twilight then floated up to my cheek before pressing her tiny frame against it. I knew she was trying to comfort me and I appreciated her concern, yet what dwelled within me was something not even Princess Celestia herself would be able to comprehend. The only one who knew anything about the Triforce piece in me was Ganondorf himself, and I suspected he wanted me to turn to him in hopes of making me his devoted servant. No wonder he was so manipulative. He could bring about the destruction of an entire kingdom just by working in the shadows until all of the pieces were in place.

No matter what, I couldn't allow him to coerce me into embracing the power that once filled my heart. I became a monster once all for the sake of power, and that was something I don't want to go through ever again for the rest of my life. At the same time, I was aware of the fact that I was a tainted being. Because I had tasted evil when I became a she-demon, it never fully disappeared when the Magic of Friendship became part of me. No doubt Twilight Sparkle will start to go through a similar experience once it becomes clear to her.

" Is it safe ta come out now?" A voice called out from the other side of the barn door. It was Apple Bloom's voice and she sounded worried. " It's gotten awful quiet out there. Are y'all okay, Grasshopper?"

I nodded my head. " Everything's fine out here."

The barn door opened slowly and Apple Bloom stood there before me. " What? Y'all thought I was gonna swing it open or somethin'? Don't be daft! Cremia is still sleepin' and I reckon somethin' as simple as the barn door openin' up will get her down here faster than Mamamu Yan's dogs chowin' down!" Apple Bloom noticed the lack of ghosts around and then looked at a few scorched marks left behind. " Guess mah sister might ask us why the grass has been burnt, but I'm sure she'll be wantin' ta focus on what's really important now. I hope she allows me ta come along this time."

" What is doing that's important?"

" Ever heard of the Milk Bar in Clock Town?" Apple Bloom asked. " It's a buildin' located on the east side that serves milk and other beverages."

I nodded my head. " I heard your sister mention it earlier."

" That place orders milk from this here ranch every month, but they haven't had a shipment come fer quite some time since that boulder blocked the way. Mah sister is gonna attempt to make a delivery so that we can earn some money and the Milk Bar can finally sell Chateau Romani again."

" Chateau Romani?"

Apple Bloom gasped in response. " Y'all tellin' me you ain't ever heard of Chateau Romani?"

" I think your sister mentioned it."

" Ah, shoot!" Apple Bloom cursed, stomping her foot on the ground several times. " I told mah sister that her sales pitch weren't good, yet she chose ta ignore me all because I wouldn't understand how business works." She continued throwing her tantrum before finally calming down. " Chateau Romani is the ranch's pride and joy, but only adults are allowed ta taste its goodness fer themselves. Cremia says it can give ya more magic power, but no one has ever experienced it after drinkin' some. If y'all are thinkin' of gettin' some fer yourself, ya best be willin' ta fork over a lot of rupees as it ain't cheap."

" How much?"

" 200 rupees." Apple Bloom answered. " At the Milk Bar but I ain't got a clue fer around here."

My jaw dropped in response. 200 rupees!? That was the most I could fit into my wallet. In order to experience the magic of Chateau Romani, I would need to give up every last rupee leaving me with none that could be used for other purchases. Unless I could get my hands on an even bigger wallet, this was a beverage that I couldn't afford as the steep price was just too much to bear. I suspected other people couldn't afford it given the price, but perhaps it was possible for me to receive some Chateau Romani as a gift from someone else? The chances of that happening were slim at best so there was no sense in keeping my hopes up.

Looking back at Apple Bloom, I noticed that she was holding a bottle in her hands that contained a white liquid. She noticed that I was looking in her direction and quickly hid it behind her back before whistling. I rolled my eyes over the obvious thought process that was going on in her mind. Apple Bloom had either snuck out some Chateau Romani for herself or had intentions of giving it to me for saving the cows.

I lurched forward slightly. " What have you got there?"

" I got so caught up with talkin' 'bout Chateau Romani that I plumb forgot about ya." Apple Bloom answered. " We did it... We won! But, I know that y'all did all the work while I hid in the barn cause I'm not a heroine like you. Guess I'm too big fer my britches, like mah sister keeps tellin' me, but I needed ta do somethin' to protect the cows. I want ta say thank you for what you did tonight. Thanks ta you, the cows are givin' thanks, too!"

" You didn't answer my question."

" I was gettin' ta that."

" Oh."

" Anyway, here's Romani's thanks." Apple Bloom said, handing over the bottle to me. " When you drink it, put yer hand on yer hip and take a big gulp like we do here at the ranch, and yer don't stop till the milk's all gone from the bottle." I thought it contained Chateau Romani instead of regular milk, but the important thing was that it was my third bottle. With it, I could fill it up with other things that took my fancy.  I made sure not to express dissatisfaction in case Apple Bloom thought I was being grateful.

" This will help me immensely." I said. " Thank you."

Apple Bloom bowed slightly before turning her attention to the house. " It's almost time for mah sister to get up, so I have ta get back to bed before she discovers that I'm out here talkin' to ya. She can be rather uptight much to mah annoyance but what can ya do?" She started to walk towards the house only to stop at the door and look back at me. " Why don't y'all come inside and warm up? Reckon it would do ya a world o' good seein' as the night was pretty dern cold."

" Won't Cremia find it odd that I was suddenly in your house seeing as I wasn't there last night?"

" Yeah... I do get what you're sayin'."

" Besides, I'd rather stay out here."

" Really? Why would ya want ta do that?"

" I've... I've never really had a home of my own compared to most other people. I do have a living arrangement back where I come from, but only a select few know about that. It doesn't bother me personally if they were to find out, but someone I know insisted that it remain secretive. When I'm not there surrounded by what I love, I usually sleep outside or inside so long as I don't get in the way." I answered.

" I weren't expectin' that." Apple Bloom said. " Well, if ya change yer mind, just knock quietly on the door. I'll let you in and you can sleep by the fireplace. If mah sister asks why yer in the house, just leave it ta me to explain things to her. Anyway, I need ta get back to bed.  See you later... Little heroine." Without another word, she quietly opened the door, walked inside, and closed it again.

Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head. " Why didn't you want to go inside?"

" I didn't want to act like I was intruding or something."

" Yes, I suppose that's one way to look at it." Twilight said. " Although you could do with better sleeping arrangements. Some of the previous ones haven't exactly been stellar but then we've had to make do with what we were given."

" I'm not sure if sleeping will be an issue."

" What do you mean?"

I took out the Ocarina of Time from my pouch. " Since we finally know how to manipulate time without having to reset, we could always skip ahead so that we don't have to wait for certain events to occur. Sleeping was the only reason I had to pass the time while waiting for things to happen."

" You still need sleep, Sunset." Twilight said. " Using the ocarina like that doesn't grant you immunity from what your body needs. You're still human and that means you have to accept certain limitations even when you don't enjoy having to experience them. Me? Since I'm a fairy in this world, I don't have those limitations although I choose to go through with them on your behalf."

" Guess you have a point."

" And you also want to avoid Ganondorf for now, don't you?"

I gasped. " How did you know?"

" I heard what he said about you having to face him again within your subconscious." Twilight answered. " I personally wouldn't get too worked up over that, but then I'm not in your shoes, Sunset, so I have no idea how it's affecting you mentally. But what I do know is that you can't allow it to consume your thoughts. Ganondorf seems to be the type of person who enjoys manipulating others without even lifting a finger. If he believes that he can control every action that you make, then he will have won before anything even happened. If he gets to you then you're nothing but a puppet to him."

Her Highness made a valid point even if her words were more harmful than helpful. I just had to accept the fact that Ganondorf was going to force me into fighting him again despite me not wanting to go through with it. I had no idea when he was going to initiate our next contest nor knew what kind of stipulations he would use in his favour, but I had to remain strong and continue my struggle in saving Termina and finding a way to change it back to the world that I called home.

There was something Ganondorf said that had been bothering me for a while. Why did he want to fight me again within my subconscious? He was obviously far stronger than I could ever hope to be--not that I cared about gaining power--so why not continue down that path and prove himself superior that way? Why rely on using the dream world? I could easily use it to my advantage given how in dreams, anything was possible, yet Ganondorf's power was still a mystery to me. He had been holding back more than he was letting on judging from what I experienced in our previous contest, yet I suspected that he possessed even greater strength.

I didn't want to admit this to Princess Twilight, but he could easily conquer Equestria without lifting a finger. If his true power was far greater than what appearances suggested, combined with the divine might of the Triforce, no pony would be able to oppose him. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would fall before his might. Not even Discord, the Spirit of Chaos would last long enough against one who possessed an artefact that had existed since the very beginning. Discord might last longer than most but in the end, Ganondorf would prevail and use his power to make Equestria his domain, or destroy it if he felt it wasn't worth his time.

Looking up at the sky, I saw that the second day was about to make itself known, yet I needed some sleep. Defending the cows from those ghosts took an awful lot out of me despite them ultimately retreating, and I needed to be prepared since I felt that Applejack would require my help later on when she does that delivery of hers.

I walked over and into the stable before slumping up against the wall and slowly drifted off to sleep. As my eyes closed, I saw Epona trotting over to me, lying down by my side, and began to sleep as well. It felt nice knowing that she was once again by my side after having spent so long in a place that was foreign to her. I had a hunch that she was going to be essential when it came to exploring the remaining regions of Termina. Also, she could give me an edge against the Gorman Sisters since they were horse breeders.





Sometime in the past...

" You wanted to see me, ma'am?"

" I did, Derpy!" Rainbow Dash answered. " I just wanted to go over with you the objective of your mission before you leave." Rainbow Dash then turned and began yelling at a group of pirate who were transporting some building supplies, ordering them that they needed to go faster. " Damn! I can't believe our fortress is in need of repair all because that masked one had to demonstrate her power. We should be stealing treasures from beyond Great Bay, not materials necessary to rebuild."

" Everything is under control, ma'am." Derpy said. " We'll steal the eggs when the Zoras aren't looking and come back with them."

" Do you really think it's going to be that simple?"

Derpy nodded her head. " We're good at what we do so it won't be a problem."

Rainbow Dash rubbed the bridge of her nose while groaning. " Did you really just say that to me, Derpy? Do you have any idea how stupid that approach of yours is? Of course the Zoras will know that you're coming seeing as we've been pillaging from their home, Zora Hall, for the last couple of months." The lack of a response from her second-in-command caused her face to turn red with anger, but she quickly calmed down after remembering that this was Derpy. " Look, that Zora hero will most likely catch you if you just waltz in there without a plan and will run you out of there before you even know what's happening."

" Why is he the only one who gives us trouble?"

" Because he's a fighter unlike the rest of them."

" I know what you mean." Derpy said. " Those martial arts moves combined with those fins of his have thwarted our efforts most of the time. Whenever he shows up, we know our plans are sunk as he pursues after us until he gets back what we stole."

" At least you remember those tricks of his."

" What can we do, Aveil?"

" That's why we're talking to each other, Derpy." Rainbow Dash answered, slapping her forehead. " Gah! I'm starting to regret making you my second-in-command, but no one else possessed the instinct that you have." Before she continued speaking to Derpy, Rainbow barked more orders at the other pirates, each of them saluted nervously before running off to carry out her instructions. " It feels good being in charge and yelling at my underlings to get things done. If not for me, this place would've fallen apart years ago. Now then, where were we again?"

" My mission, ma'am?"

" Oh yeah! Just sneaking into Zora Hall like we usually do won't work this time." Rainbow Dash answered. " We need to come up with another tactic, one that will give us the element of surprise, a tactic they will ever suspect."

" I'm all out of ideas."

" You haven't even thought of any yet!"

" Oops, my bad." Derpy said. She then noticed Rainbow Dash's eye twitching indicating that she was about to let loose her anger once again. Derpy began sweating droplets down her face knowing that she was already treading on thin ice but then something stirred within her memory. " I told the others to build a tunnel that goes underneath Zora Hall. They weren't eager about it so I gave them some motivation."

" Did you just say... Build a tunnel!?" Rainbow Dash asked. Derpy nodded resulting in Rainbow's face turning bright red again--brighter than it was before--and pulling on her hair for a few moments. " What in the world were you thinking!? No wonder our resources and women power has been shoddy! You've been making them build an underwater tunnel? We could've used those resources to further line our pockets with rupees!" It then dawned on her that Derpy had built a tunnel beneath Zora Hall. " You do realize that you've had our girls build a path under the ocean, right? All of that pressure on the tunnel must have caused a cave-in or a flood at the very least."

Derpy shook her head. " Nope! There were no problems, ma'am."

" I find that hard to believe."

" The tunnel has been in the works for a year and was only finished just last week."

Rainbow Dash's eyes perked up. " A year? A year!? You've been working on that for an entire year!? Gah! I don't believe this!" Again, she pulled on her hair but stopped when she realized that Derpy mentioned the tunnel was finished just recently. " Hold on... You and the others seriously worked on it for so long?"

" We did, ma'am."

" Huh... Consider me impressed, but are you sure it's sturdy enough?"

Derpy nodded. " I made sure to tell everyone to reinforce the foundations so that it would prevent any accidents. I also had them dig a few metres below the bottom of the ocean just in case the water would leak through after a while."

" So it can be used?"

" Yes, ma'am."

Rainbow Dash then suddenly wrapped her arms around Derpy and gave her a big hug. " Derpy... I... I had you all wrong. I know you test my patience because of how ditzy you can get, but you certainly know how to surprise me with your brilliance. This tunnel of yours has just given us the perfect means of slipping past the Zoras--especially him--and will make your mission all the more simpler. You do remember what it is we need to get, right?"

" Of course I remember." Derpy answered. " We need the Zora Eggs."

" Good! You were paying attention after all."

" Ma'am?"

" Here's what you and the others are going to do." Rainbow Dash said. " When the sun goes down in a few hours, I want you to use that tunnel, sneak into Zora Hall, find those eggs, and bring them back here without fail. As long as you don't mess up, the Zoras won't even know what happened until it's too late." Rainbow then looked at Derpy for several seconds before shivering on the spot. " Then again, I'm expecting there will be problems so I'll make sure to have a suitable distraction." She breathed a sigh of relief knowing that everything was finally working out. " Whew! Glad that's taken care of. You know what to do, yes?"

" Affirmative, ma'am!"

" Then you leave tonight!"







Dawn of the Second Day - 39 Hours Remain.



By the time I finally woke up--Ganondorf didn't plague me in my dreams so that was a relief--the first thing I did was whinny at Epona who responded in kind. She got onto her legs, stretched before shaking her head and stood there waiting most likely for me to climb onto her.  It felt unusual to ride around on her now that she was much younger than before and I hadn't changed at all. When I rode on Epona during my previous journey, I felt a rush that I never knew existed until I climbed onto that saddle for the very first time. I felt like I was the one galloping around without a care in the world. Now? Now it felt completely different compared to before.

Was it because she wasn't the same Epona? I mean, the one next to me and the one who galloped across Hyrule Field were one and the same, yet I felt that Epona wasn't the same horse due to being a filly instead of a steed. It wouldn't change my opinion that her presence by my side would make things easier, but I had to wonder if she would have been better off back at Lon Lon Ranch until she had grown up a little. Now I that thought about it, why was she with me when I was first sent here? The last time I saw Epona, she was left behind at the entrance to the destroyed Hyrule Castle Town.

That was in the future, of course. In the present day, she was still at the ranch but somehow I ended up taking ownership of her. If I had taken the liberty of having prior knowledge as to how this video game began, I wouldn't be confused over how Epona was here with me. It wasn't her fault that she ended up being trapped in this doomed world. No, that blame lies on my hands and I had to ensure that she returned safely to where she belonged--although that might not be easy as I think Epona doesn't want to be separated from me after what happened with Starlight.

My thought process suddenly got interrupted by the sound of someone or something inside the barn. I got up and was about to check it out when Epona nudged me in the back with her muzzle prompting me to whinny in response telling her that I needed to know what that was. She whinnied before lowering her head so that she could chew on some grass while I resumed walking over to the barn. When I arrived, I could hear two voices coming from inside along with the sounds of cows mooing every now and again.

Opening the barn door, I stepped inside only to be confronted by Applejack. " Oh my... Hello. I weren't expectin' you ta appear in the doorway. In fact, I'm surprised y'all decided ta spend the night here at Romani Ranch."

" I needed to take care of some business."

" What kind of business?"

I looked at Apple Bloom who gave me a panicked expression signalling that she didn't want Applejack to find out. " I was checking on something I thought would be essential to my journey but it ended up being a false sense of hope."

" Sorry yer search didn't reap you any rewards, sugarcube." Applejack said. She was finishing milking a cow before pouring the contents of a bucket into a container and sealing it tightly with a lid while looking proud of her accomplishment. " I was thinkin' 'bout somethin'. Since the entrance to the ranch has finally opened up again, I was thinkin' of going to town to deliver some much needed milk to the Milk Bar. How would y'all like a ride?

" Romani's goin' to take our milk to Clock Town, too." Apple Bloom said.

" No, yer not!" Applejack shouted sternly. " You're lookin' after the place! The cows would be all alone otherwise."

" Why can't I come with ya? You know I won't misbehave when it comes ta yer deliveries."

" I said you weren't comin', Romani, and that's that! Have I made myself clear?"

" YES, sister!"

Applejack then turned towards me again. " I'm mighty sorry 'bout that little display y'all just witnessed. Romani likes to think that she's mature enough to go with me, but doesn't realize that she ain't quite all grown up yet. It's like I keep on tellin' her, she's gettin' too big fer her britches." She placed the container of milk on a shelf along with two other containers that had probably been there for a while. " I'll be leavin' about 6 o'clock this evening, so y'all can join me if you'd like."

" I'm thinking of sticking around here for a while." I said. " What else is there to do around here besides speaking with you two?"

" Most people who come here do so to taste some of our prized Chateau Romani." Applejack answered. " If that ain't yer thing then I suggest payin' a visit to either Grog who resides in the Cucco Shack just beyond the house, or Mamamu Yan at the Doggy Racetrack on the other end of the ranch."

Thanking Applejack for the suggestion and agreeing to her request of hitching a ride with her, I was just about to leave when Apple Bloom tugged on my tunic and pulled me over so that her sister wouldn't hear us. " It just ain't fair! Romani knows she can help with the delivery, yet my mah sister just don't see that! Sometimes, I hate bein' the younger sister 'cause I never get ta do anything I want, but reckon there's nothin' I can do 'bout it. Anyway, thanks for helping last night. The cows are doin' well thanks to you. And they're putting out a lot of milk!"

" I'm glad to hear that."

Apple Bloom then quickly looked to make sure Applejack still couldn't hear us before continuing. " About last night... It's a secret from mah sister. I don't wanna worry her and besides, it's not like she's gonna believe a word I say. Y'all can see what she's like just by lookin' at her mannerisms alone." She sighed heavily. " Listen, Grasshopper! Romani is lookin' after things despite complainin' 'bout it. Now that we chased them ghosts away, things are safe. Mah sister don't need ta know at all! Hey, can I ask you to help next yea..." She suddenly cut herself off as though she had something else up her sleeve.

Was she about to say something about me helping out next year? " Um, what were you about to say?"

" I know, Grasshopper! Why don't y'all just live at the ranch?"

I almost fell over upon hearing her suggest that. What was she thinking, asking me to live here? For one thing, I couldn't stay here because I still needed to rescue the remaining giants, save this world, and find out how to change things back to the way they were before Ganondorf showed up. Second, Apple Bloom wasn't aware that things weren't meant to be this way so her idea of me coming back next year wasn't feasible.

I was also starting to see some familiarity between Apple Bloom and her sister even though neither of them would understand if I told them. In the world I called home, the two sisters cared for each other very much, yet allowed tensions to get in the way of their family bond. Apple Bloom was often the catalyst of such misunderstandings yet Applejack was just as guilty so it wasn't always one-sided. Seeing them in this world, like they were, reminded me of good times after I understood friendship.

Apple Bloom was beginning to daydream, thinking about me living at Romani Ranch, yet I knew that I had to crush her hopes. " Listen, uh... Romani. While I do appreciate the offer of wanting me to live here, I'm afraid that just isn't possible. I can't be tied down around here as there are other things I must take care of first. Ummm... Hello? Are you even listening to me here?"

"  I'll lend ya Romani's bed." Apple Bloom said. I slapped my forehead. She wasn't listening and now she was thinking about lending me her bed. I couldn't stick around in the barn anymore so slowly, I began to shuffle towards the door only for Apple Bloom to stop me by grabbing my tunic again. " My sister will be happy, too! It's a great plan! I just know it is and that means it's decided! You're our bodyguard, Grasshopper, so y'all have to practice hard!" By that point, she had lost complete interest in me and was in her own little world allowing me the chance to slip outside without her noticing.

Once I was back outside, I began to breath heavily before shaking my head. " That suddenly got really awkward."

" I know what you mean." Twilight said. " I think she was getting a little too personal."

" It's like she thought I was someone else."

" Well, you shouldn't let her words frighten you, Sunset."

" Yeah, considering there is far worse waiting for us."

" We've got less than three hours to go before Applejack leaves for Clock Town." Twilight said. " That is enough time for us to check out one of the two places she suggested for us to visit before nightfall. The question though is, which one should we check?"

" I was thinking of the Cucco Shack."

" Really?"

I nodded my head. " I know dogs are adorable and all, but they are pretty common critters compared to Cuccos."

" Okay, then we'll head on over to the Cucco Shack."

Fortunately, the location wasn't that far away and it was obvious as to which one was the Cucco Shack. One sign above a door depicted an image of a Cucco while a sign above a second door depicted an outline of a dog's head. I walked over to the closest door, opened it up, and went inside to reveal something I definitely wasn't expecting.

The Cucco Shack wasn't what I thought it was--I thought it was going to be the inside of a chicken coop like the kind you see on farms. It consisted of an enclosed field with several tree, shrubs, and other plants along with pieces of fence stuck in the ground. Compared to the main area of Romani Ranch, this placed looked peaceful as though nothing had ever caused any problems here.

I then noticed a large group of yellow chicks waddling around without any sense of direction. If Fluttershy were here right now, she would've bowled me over without a second thought just to fawn over the chicks like she were their mother. Sadly, she wasn't here due to being stuck inside of a temple--again the notion of resetting time weighed heavily on my heart--so it wasn't as exciting as it could have been. I was surprised that these chicks had so much room all to themselves considering how small they were. Why would they need so much space to begin with? It didn't make sense.

That's when I noticed someone sitting at the base of a tree in the middle of the field, their head held down low. At first, I thought they were sleeping and I considered waking them up in hopes of talking to them, but I quickly discovered that they were mumbling to themselves, eyes wide open. The figured was bare-chested, wore shorts, shoes, and socks, yet his most distinguishing feature was the crest of hair on top of his head. If I didn't know any better, it looked like the comb on top of a chicken's head.

When I walked closer to the figure, they lifted up their head and Her Highness was shocked at who it was. " I remember you! You're that dragon who gave Spike such a hard time and intimidated us during the dragon migration of Equestria and in the Dragon Kingdom during the Gauntlet of Fire trials. Garble... That was your name!"

" Huh? What the heck is a Garble? And what do you mean by dragons? There haven't been any dragons in Termina for centuries."

" Twilight..." I whispered. " This isn't someone you know from Equestria. I mean, it is but not like that."

" Something in my gut made me react like that."

" Why don't you let me handle this?" Her Highness nodded and I looked down at this Garble character. He certainly didn't look like a dragon although I could see some slight draconian traits such as his large eyebrows and well-built frame. " I apologize for how my friend treated you."

Garble sighed. " It's no big deal. Nothing at this point really matters."

" What do you mean?"

" I heard it from my gramps. Says the moon's gonna fall." Garble answered. " People back in town haven't begun to panic yet and are going about their business like nothing's happening, but come tomorrow, they will be running for the hills in hopes of avoiding the impending doom."

" You know about the moon?"

Garble mustered a tiny chuckle before resuming his moping. " The other day it was small up there and now it's gotten bigger. With somethin' that big, it's sure to take this ranch down with it... Hahhh... Oh, well. I might as well introduce myself and explain what I do around here. My name is Grog and I'm the only Cucco wrangler around here. The owner's father hired me years ago when Cuccos started becoming prevalent, but as you can see, it's not been a positive experience."

" They seem fine to me." I said. " You should be proud of having ten chicks."

" That's the problem!" Garble said. " I was hoping for them to have grown up by now and become roosters. With the moon falling and things continuing to get worse and worse, it's becoming worse and worse without any signs of improvement. My only regret is that I won't get to see these guys in their prime as roosters."

" Can I do something to help?"

Garble shook his head. " Unless you could make a miracle and make them grow up, there's nothing you can do."

From what I took of Garble and his attitude, he had lost the will to live and was generally being negative. I guessed that the world's fate had affected him in a way that most were either ignorant towards or didn't want the impending doom to affect them. In his heart, he no longer had a purpose and was willing to wait for the end. A part of me wanted to tell him that he was wrong yet I knew all that would do was make him feel even worse.

Looking at his chicks, they were carefree compared to him, but on occasion they would look up at me like they were wondering why he was upset. Garble didn't realize that his attitude was affecting them negatively. Even if they did grow up in time before the moon destroyed everything, that negativity would still be plaguing them, they would still be concerned for him and that might cause problems in the future. In order to solve Garble's problem, I needed to get his chicks to grow up quickly, but I didn't have the means to do that.

" What can we do?" I asked. " Unless you can somehow conjure up a growing up spell, I don't think we can help him."

Princess Twilight thought for a moment before coming up with an idea. " You might actually have the solution on hand, but we would need to know the correct method otherwise it would be nothing but a pointless gesture."

" Really? I have something?"

" Do you remember talking to Discord a long time ago?"

I nodded. " Yeah, I remember that. He talked about being part of an animal troupe before he joined Gorman's Troupe."

" He also gave you a mask as thanks for listening to him."

I reached behind my back and pulled out the Bremen Mask before looking at it. " He said that he didn't need this anymore after he stole it from some dog. Are you saying that this mask could help us figure out Garble's problem?"

" Yes." Twilight answered. " Discord said that the leader of the animal troupe was a dog whose younger members were able to mature under his guidance. I've got a feeling that the dog used the power contained within the Bremen Mask, and you can use that to help out Garble."

" Are you sure about that?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " Of course I am! Just put on the mask and see if anything happens."

Against my better judgment, I placed the Bremen Mask on my face. It only covered my eyes and my cheeks so it wasn't anything unusual, although the bird-like features might prove to be off-putting. " So far, nothing is happening." I said. Her Highness told me to walk forward and see if the chicks would pay attention, so I did yet they didn't notice and continued frolicking about although Garble did give me a puzzled look before resuming his moping. " This isn't working, Twilight."

" Maybe you need to use something else with it?"

" Like what?"

" What about the ocarina?" Twilight asked. " Animals do love to hear music."

I took it out from my pouch and gazed at it. " Well... It's not like we have any other option." Placing it up to my lips, I began to play despite not knowing what song would work, but then something strange happened. The melody I played was one I didn't know, yet the chicks were immediately mesmerized by it and started to follow me around. Was this the power of the Bremen Mask? It must have been as there was no other possible explanation.

Not all of the chicks were following behind me as I played this strange melody--I had since started to walk around in a marching fashion--as some of them were located all across the field, so I had to continue playing even if it my lungs would get exhausted beyond reasoning. From my perspective, this was actually pretty fun and my problems seemed to have melted away, yet from the perspective of Garble, who was now looking at me, he was trying to figure out what I was doing. Princess Twilight also enjoyed listening to the melody and was even dancing along to it much to my surprise.

Soon, more chicks began to follow my song in a straight line and I began to count them off just to see how many there were. So far, I had managed to round up at least six of them yet I could hear the sounds of additional chicks coming from various nooks scattered about. One chick was hiding underneath a fence and refused to budge as though it were afraid to come out of hiding, but my melody was able to convince it to come along and join the line just like the others had done.

If there was one thing about the melody that annoyed me, it was the fact that it was too short. It would loop back to the beginning after about twelve seconds and unless you were a huge of it, it would get really grating after hearing it for the tenth time or so. But, I persevered since I was doing this for Garble's benefit more than anything else.

After picking up a ninth little chick, I thought that there was no more of them left, but I was surprised when a tenth one suddenly emerged from behind Garble's leg and joined in the line marching at the rear. For those next few moments, the chicks followed me around in their hypnotized state while I continued playing the melody, and everything was going fine until something else started to happened.

The first chick that had followed me suddenly poofed into a puff of smoke--I almost stopped playing because of that--but when the smoke cleared, it had somehow transformed into a full-sized rooster, an adult Cucco. The Bremen Mask had the power to make young animals grow up instantly and literally, and here I thought it was just a bird-faced mask that was used to represent leadership. Soon more chicks began to change indicating that I had to keep going, so I continued playing although my lungs felt like they were about to collapse due to so much pressure being placed on them.

Once the final chick had become an adult, they all crowed together and I stopped playing where I slumped to the ground in exhaustion. " Gasp! That... took much longer... than I... was expecting... I don't ever... want to play that much without stopping... ever again..."

" Are you alright, Sunset?"

I tried to get up but to no avail. " I'm completely drained."

" Do you need a couple of minutes?"

" That would be nice."

Princess Twilight then began to take a closer look at the now adult Cuccos. " It's absolutely fascinating that they grew up just like that and all because of the power of a mask. I think collecting them has proven very useful despite knowing what awaits at the end upon getting them all. Still, these chicks, I mean... Cuccos... do seem to be perfectly fine despite the sudden growth spurt. Wouldn't such powerful magic like this be great in Equestria?"

" I wouldn't say it was magic." I answered. " The Bremen Mask possesses an unique ability that I don't think magic can replicate."

" That's a shame."

" Besides, it wouldn't be very natural to have fillies suddenly becoming mares and colts suddenly becoming stallions."

" That's true."

After a few minutes of resting, I finally got back onto my feet and put both the Bremen Mask and the Ocarina of Time away. " I hope that will make Garble happy knowing that he got to see his chicks grow up."

Garble's response was lacklustre to say the least, but he was still happy about it. " These guys are all roosters. Heh, heh! It's a miracle! I didn't think I'd live to see them all grow up before the moon falls." He turned towards me. " Did you do this?"

I nodded my head. " I used a mask to make them grow up."

" Really? Who would have thought that a mask would be able to make them become roosters." Garble said. " I may not look like it given my disposition and all, but you've really made my day here, kid, by using your powers. I don't really get it, but just seein' these guys with a crest and all... I don't have regrets about anythin' anymore. I'm perfectly satisfied."

" I'm glad to hear that."

" Here... You can have this from me..."

" I don't need a reward for doing a good deed."

Garble shook his head. " I insist that you take this as a sign of my gratitude. Besides, it will do you a lot of good better than it did me." He reached into a hole that was situated behind him in the tree he sat under, and took out something that I recognized from my previous journey. In his hand was a mask--it was actually a hood--that comprised of a pair of large ears that swayed about and the most adorable looking eyes you ever saw. " This is the Bunny Hood. I received a long time ago although I never could use the power it contains. If you were to wear this hood, you could run as fast as the legendary rabbits that used to exist in Termina.

" You think I could use its power?"

" I don't need to be convinced of that." Garble answered. " You proved it to me by helping me seeing these roosters in their prime. When the moon finally comes crashing down, I can die knowing that my heart has finally be healed of all the problems that were choking it." He then handed over the Bunny Hood before looking at his Cuccos. " You don't need to worry about me anymore. As long as I've got my roosters, I'll be ready to face the end."

Despite my heart wanting me to tell him that it wasn't going to be the end tomorrow night, I knew that I would be wasting my breath. When I eventually reset time, none of this would have ever happened and his Cuccos would be back to being little chicks again. Still, I felt proud knowing Garble no longer had any doubts in his heart. That was reward enough for me to be satisfied so after thanking him for the Bunny Hood, I left the Cucco Shack and noticed that the sun was beginning to set. Applejack said that she would be heading into town after the sun goes down to make a delivery. I had every intention of being there to ensure she would be successful.

It's not that I was doubting her abilities to do something she was obviously skilled at doing, but there were dark creatures lurking beyond Romani Ranch and she would have need of someone to protect her during the delivery run.

My first thought involved simply walking back over to the house, but then an idea struck my head and it involved what I had just picked up from Garble. Since there was no danger nearby, I could use this free moment to try out the Bunny Hood and see how it worked. I took it out from behind my back and put it on, the fuzzy ears waved about as a gentle breeze picked up. Just looking at how adorable this mask was made me blush yet Her Highness was curious as to what I was planning. I told her that I wanted to try out the Bunny Hood to see if Garble was telling us the truth and she agreed saying we wouldn't get another opportunity for a while.

I started to run forward at a brisk pace that suddenly turned into super speed to the point where I almost had no control over my movement. Skidding to a stop by planting my feet on the ground--and almost giving myself third degree burns--I tried running again and instead of another brisk pace, I ran faster although this time I had much better control. The only thing I needed to work on was coming to a stop, as I ended up smacking into the wall of the barn.

" Are you alright?" Twilight asked. " You hit that wall pretty hard."

I shook my head. " I wasn't running that fast, Twilight."

" Oh... Guess I overreacted, huh?"

" You think!?"

" It looks like the Bunny Hood does grant you an increase in speed so long as you wear it, but maybe it could increase the speed of your fighting style as well? We might need to have you conduct a couple of experiments to determine the full extent of that mask." Twilight said.

" I'll... Get back to you on that." I said. That's when I noticed a large wagon had been stationed just outside of the barn with a single horse hitched up to it. " Applejack must be getting ready to make her delivery."

" We got here just in time." Twilight said. " The sun is just about to go down for the night."



Night of the Second Day - 36 Hours Remain



I was actually expecting Applejack to be sitting up at the front ready to go, but she was no where to be found. Throughout the entire time I've known her, she had never once been non-punctual when it came to being on time. Then again, this was Termina and that meant Applejack wasn't the same person here as she was back home.

The sounds of arguing suddenly could be heard coming from inside, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that Applejack was arguing with Apple Bloom most likely over the latter not being allowed to come on the former's delivery to Clock Town. I could understand how Apple Bloom felt regarding this situation. She didn't want to be left out and forced to remain behind, yet it wasn't really my place to question the judgment of someone who knew what she was doing. I just hoped it wouldn't cause a rift between the two of them. In such dangerous times like this, those two needed each other now more than ever.

A few moments later, Applejack came out of the house, closed the door gently, and walked over to her wagon before climbing up into the front seat. That's when she noticed me standing nearby and almost got scared. " Oh... Good evenin'. I had a feelin' y'all were gonna be here."

" What happened in there?" I asked. " I could hear someone making a fuss."

Applejack sighed. " It's mah little sister, Romani. She kept on insistin' that I take her with me ta do mah delivery, but she just don't understand how dangerous it can be. It ain't safe outside the ranch what with those creatures runnin' 'bout especially at night."

" Then why are you going out so late?"

" What other choice do I have?" Applejack asked. " The Milk Bar has been needin' a delivery for some time now, and I've gotta try to get some milk there otherwise they'll go outta business which would also make me unreliable."

" I'm sorry to hear that."

No wonder Applejack seemed stressed out. She must have had a lot on her mind what with minding the ranch, looking after her sister, and dealing with important matters that pertain to the success of not just the ranch but other places as well. If those ghosts had succeeded in abducting all of the cows, I doubted Applejack would have been able to prevent her sanity from shattering to pieces.

" Sorry, sugarcube, but I can't afford ta continue chattin' with ya." Applejack said. " I've gotta leave to make mah delivery and get back here as soon as possible. I take it y'all wanna come along fer a ride? It ain't anythin' glamourous or such but this wagon will get us ta our destination." I nodded my head resulting in Applejack nodding in return and tilting her head to indicate I should climb onto the wagon. " That's great. Tonight I'm kind of lonely... I welcome company."

" Really? I thought maybe someone else aside from your sister would come with you."

" Fraid not." Applejack answered. " Grog has to take care of his Cuccos and Mamamu Yan doesn't enjoy goin' outside the ranch at night. If I could be honest with ya fer a moment, sugarcube, I'm a little worried about mah little sister. Leavin' her behind to take care of things ain't my cup of tea, but I've got no one else who knows how ta take care of the cows in the barn. She should be fine in the house, yet I can't stop worryin'."

" It shows you care."

" I just wish mah little sister would understand where I'm comin' from."

Applejack sighed, grabbed the reins, and whipped them making the horse start trotting along towards the entrance to the ranch. I took this time to look around the inside of the wagon and noticed that three containers of milk were behind me. I wasn't sure if three containers would be enough but then I had never visited the Milk Bar she mentioned earlier. She probably had more than enough to deliver although it looked like anyone could just come up from behind and grab them before she would even notice. Still, I felt bad for Applejack yet I couldn't really offer her any sympathy.

She was cheerful on the outside whenever she talked about her business as a ranch owner, but deep inside of her heart was a tormented individual who was struggling with all kinds of problems that were too much for her to handle. 

After remaining silent for a while, Applejack finally broke her silence. " I guess it's been a while now since our father died. He was a great man who always made sure we had everythin' we needed, and he loved fawnin' over mah sister every chance he could, yet that illness o' his ultimately took him far too soon than anyone expected. Romani pretends that she has gotten over our father's death but I know better. She continues ta cry each and every night, wishin' he was still alive. If we could've found a cure for his illness, he'd still be with us and running things 'stead of me."

Her words had an air of dread surrounding them. In the world that I called home, Applejack and Apple Bloom had no parents but had their Granny Smith as a parental figure who looked after them and ran Sweet Apple Acres. She never liked talking about her parents as though she were trying to hide something from us, yet we never questioned her about in case we thought we were prying into a personal matter that was none of our business.

I guessed no matter what world they were in, the Apple sisters had to deal with tragedy in their lives. That's why they needed each other, to help them cope with something that was difficult for them to overcome and even more difficult for them to explain.

My heart wanted me to reach out and place my hand on her shoulder, but I hesitated at the last minute. When it came to family, I had no experiences with which to share to make others feel better. The last time I saw my family was the day I went with Princess Celestia to her School for Gifted Unicorns. I wasn't very close to my family and I doubted they even knew where I was, not that I personally cared. To me, they were faceless beings who no longer held any meaning, but deep in my heart longed a desire, a desire to see them, to understand why I never heard anything from them in such a long time.

" I'm sorry to hear that about your father." I said, breaking my own silence this time. " It must have been hard for you."

Applejack looked at me for a brief second before looking back at the road in front of us. " I'm tryin' ta take care of the ranch as the current owner, but things have been gettin' unstable lately. The cows always seem bothered and frazzled, and I'm findin' broken bottles everywhere! Who's doin' it, I don't know..." I could see tears beginning to trickle down her face but she quickly brushed them aside as though to hide the fact that she was vulnerable. " Mah sister Romani has been worried, too. She's practicin' using a bow... She says it's to stop the"ghosts" that come by the ranch every year."

" Do you believe in that?"

" Heck no!" Applejack answered. " Romani has got quite the imagination for a young un, and I reckon she says that stuff just to rile me up somethin' fierce. Still, I gotta admit that strange things usually happen at this time of the year, but it being ghosts? Nope! I just can't believe that!" The wagon started getting a little faster due to moving down a slight embankment, catching me off guard, yet Applejack was looking up at the sky. I looked up and saw the moon looming overhead, the one thing that would bring about destruction. " Say, what are the townsfolk sayin' 'bout that moon? It's bigger than before, isn't it? I wonder if it will fall... that thing?"

" They just carry on with their lives like nothing's happening."

" Carefree fools."

" Yeah, you could say that."

The wagon reached the entrance to the ranch yet Applejack brought the horse to a stop by pulling on the reins. She got down and walked forward in order to look around before coming back again. She climbed back up onto her seat and whipped the reins signalling for the horse to continue. " Sorry 'bout that, sugarcube. I just wanted ta make sure nothin' was waitin' fer us up ahead to ambush us."

I wasn't afraid of any monsters given that I had the means to protect myself, but Applejack had every right to be cautious since she was unarmed. " In town... I have a friend. Her name's Anju... The day after tomorrow is her wedding and she has been mighty excited 'bout it for quite some time. Yet, I heard that her fiance disappeared some time ago and no one has any idea where he could be. I don't know what the hay he's thinkin' but I hope he ain't havin' second thoughts. I've been invited ta the wedding myself so I hope Anju can find happiness, somethin' she's been needin' fer quite some time."

It sounded like Applejack cared an awful lot about this Anju person, yet I wondered why I never encountered her during my trips to Clock Town. Perhaps I should make a mental note to check out each building the next time I'm there and see if I could find out which of my friends was portraying Anju. I also thought about this fiance of hers who had apparently gone missing. Maybe they had second thoughts regarding marriage like Applejack said or maybe something bad happened, prompting a disappearing act. Of course, I was one to talk given my own lacklustre performance when it came to romance.

Suddenly, the wagon came to a stop and I bumped my head against a wooden pole. " Hey! Why did you stop?"

" What? The road..." Applejack answered. After recovering from bumping my head, I looked at what had caused the wagon to stop and saw a gate had been placed across the path with no means of being able to get past. When I came by the other day, there was no gate there so someone must have placed it there knowing that Applejack would be coming by to make her delivery. I had a feeling I knew who was behind this but I couldn't say anything without proof. " Girl, get yer bow ready... yer gonna be needin' it."

" How do you know I have a bow?"

" I was watchin' ya the other day shootin' down those targets Romani put up." Applejack answered. " She won't let anyone use her bow, not even me, so I figured you were usin' yer own to complete whatever game she made ya do."

" Fair enough, but what do we do now?"

Applejack sighed and looked down a path to the right. " There ain't no other choice now. Still, I'm just so mad 'bout all this! First Milk Road is blocked by a boulder and now... We have ta take this detour through ugly country which don't settle well with me..." She whipped the reins and the horse turned to the right before trotting down the path. It soon opened up into a huge open area that was sparse with trees all over. I didn't understand why Applejack referred to it as "ugly country" at first, but I quickly figured it out when a nearby sign revealed that we were about to go through the Gorman Sister's racetrack. " Are you ready, girl?"

I nodded. " Ready as I'll ever be, I guess." I took out the Hero's Bow and prepared an arrow.

" Good. I'm gonna try to get us through here as fast as I can!" Applejack said. " If any pursuers come from behind, chase them off with your arrows." What!? Pursuers!? She never mentioned anything about that. " I know that look in yer eyes, girl, but you can't really be all that surprised. I've been attacked by the same bandits fer months whenever I had to come through Milk Road, yet I'm surprised they wanted ta detour us down this path through ugly country. They may be after my cargo of milk bottles. Do ya understand?"

I nodded. " What if I run out of arrows?"

" I got plenty in back fer ya ta use." Applejack answered. " Feel free ta use as many as ya want. Now... Here we go!" She whipped the reins hard and the horse began to gallop at a fast pace as though our lives were depending on it.

The instant we began moving, I could hear the sounds of hooves coming from behind, but I couldn't see who it was as it was too dark. That quickly changed when two horses suddenly came into view, each one wearing a hood over their faces to hide their identities, yet it was the two riders on each horse that had me concerned. Both of them were obviously female as I recognized their body shapes as being such--it also helped that they sounded like females--wore farming clothes, carried pitchforks, and were determined to keep up with us no matter what the cost.

Perhaps the strangest thing about them were the masks each one was wearing. Their masks looked like some kind of assassin what with that piercing gaze, yet something about them told me that I could get my hands on one. I didn't understand why I thought that way, but I had no time to think about it.

One of the horses suddenly started galloping closer, the rider aiming her pitchfork forward in an attempt to break one of the milk containers. I aimed my bow at them and that's when I came to a horrible realization... I had to actually shoot arrows at actual humans, humans who weren't monsters. I felt conflicted. A part of me didn't want to become a butcher and take human lives--ironic since I was doing just that against monsters--yet another part told me that I had to otherwise Applejack would have failed. No... I couldn't let my friend down even if what must be done didn't feel right.

I started firing arrows and braced for the worst, yet all that happened was the rider and horse were pushed back slightly. They began to get closer again so I repeated the process, each arrow reached its target, hitting them all over their body, but they were pushed back instead of dropping down dead. " I... I didn't kill her despite how many arrows hit her." I said to myself before firing a few more arrows. " I don't get why this is happening but I shouldn't really question it." The horse fell back although now the second one decided to move up, its rider swinging about her pitchfork in a crazy fashion.

Before she had a chance to smash one of the milk containers, I plugged her with several arrows, pushing her back, but then the first horse decided to make another attempt. I was starting to see how this would pan out although I needed to be careful in case they decided to change their tactics. The second horse galloped forward--I had a slight problem getting an arrow ready--and I saw up close the mask that she was wearing. It was definitely bizarre looking, almost ancient, as though it had existed for centuries. Were they trying to convince me that they were assassins or was it a pathetic attempt at scaring me into submission?

Princess Twilight quickly bopped me on the head to get me back on track, and I fired several arrows pushing the second horse back. " Thanks for that, Twilight." I said. " These two are pretty tenacious women."

" I also don't like how they keep on hollering." Twilight said. " They're making me want to cover my ears."

" Do you think it's those Gorman Sisters we heard about?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " There's no one else it can be, Sunset. Their clothes are a dead giveaway along with the horses and those creepy masks, yet why would they go to all this trouble in order to make Applejack fail in her delivery? I honestly don't see any connection between a pair of breeders and a ranch owner."

" Unless there's something we missed."

" Maybe we should have visited the sisters." Twilight said. " We could've stopped this from happening."

" It's too late for that now!"

Her Highness nodded. " Yes, and it's a shame that some humans have to stoop to such low levels. By the way, Sunset. Do you recognize who these two are? I don't think they are from Equestria as their body shapes aren't familiar to me, but those masks do make it difficult."

" I can't tell who they are but their voices sound familiar."

" We'll worry about that another time." Twilight said. " You need to continue shooting at them until we can get out of this area." One of the horses then started getting closer again and Her Highness began panicking. " Incoming! There's a horse incoming on the right!"

Turning my head to the right, I caught the glimpse of the first horse out of the corner of my eye, but when I tried to fire an arrow, I realized that I was out of them. The extras were scattered about and tied together in groups of about thirty so that meant grabbing one and using them quickly. Reaching behind me without even looking--my eyes were fixated on what was coming my way, I fiddled about and panicked but I grabbed a set of arrows yet now the horse and rider were right in front of the milk containers. I had no time to undo the knot to the arrows so I yanked them out before tossing them at the rider.

Her squeals told me that my plan was working and eventually she backed away leaving me a few moments to get my quiver back in order. " I can't believe that actually worked although maybe Applejack should've mentioned that her extra arrows were bundled together." I said to myself. " Also, I knew she was aware of my carrying a bow on my person, yet how did she know that I would need so many arrows? Was she right about being attacked every time she attempted a delivery? And here I thought she was trying to earn some sympathy by making it up." In hindsight, I should've realized that Applejack never lied.

The two riders then started to converse with one another and I knew that meant they were planning on making things even worse for me. That's when an idea crossed my mind and I looked down at the three milk containers. Why did Applejack place them right at the back of the wagon where they would be vulnerable to attack from anyone who would attack the wagon from behind? " You know... I should just move them further in."

As the horses started galloping towards the wagon signalling a two-pronged assault, I grabbed one of the milk containers and slid it across the wooden floor until it was a few inches away from Applejack, who was concentrating on getting us through here. No doubt that she was under tremendous amount of pressure and was mere moments away from losing her sanity, yet she had to keep going even when things looked bleak. I reached for the next container when my hand nearly got skewered by a pitchfork. The first rider cursed under her mask for not shattering the container but before she knew what was happening, I pelted her with more arrows before doing the same to the second one.

Both reeled back and moved in again so I quickly slid the second container to the front and grabbed the third only for the second rider to plunge her pitchfork at it. Knowing that all three containers had to make it, I turned around thrusting out my back and the pitchfork connected with my shield. Good thing I didn't have in front of me otherwise I would have been skewered instead. The pitchfork's pronged tips bent in an awkward fashion--they didn't break--resulting in the rider cursing at me before ordering her horse to pull back.

" I didn't think that would work."

" Neither did I." Twilight said. " It looked like you had lost your mind, Sunset, but I should've known that you had it under control."

" Is my shield okay?"

Her Highness floated behind me to check before coming back. " The pitchfork didn't do any damage so you're good to go with your shield though I suggest you resume firing your arrows at our attackers. They look like they're about to attack once again."

I slid the final milk container behind Applejack before picking up some more extra arrows and aiming my bow. " The containers are safe now so if they want to smash them to pieces, they need to get past me and that isn't likely to happen."

" How far do you think we've got to go before we can outrun them?"

I shook my head. " I don't know. Only Applejack would know that answer and she's currently busy focusing on driving."

Applejack responded much to my surprise. " Hey! How're things goin' back there?" She paused for a moment before continuing. " And what's the idea callin' me Applejack? That don't sound like a good name ta me, but maybe a nickname of some kind. I do fancy a good portion of apples every now and then."

" Uh, things are going good." I answered. Did she just say something about apples? Perhaps my theory about my friends retaining some aspects of their memories from our proper home was true. " How much further do we have to go? I'm starting to run low on arrows and these bandits refuse to give up."

" Just a few more moments and we'll be outta ugly country."

" I hope you're right."

" Trust me." Applejack said. " What would I get from lyin' to ya?"

She whipped the reins informing her horse to go even faster and it acknowledged by pouring on the galloping speed. I was thrown slightly backwards, landing on my butt as the riders were beginning to fall behind although they started whipping their horses in the flank to keep up. I didn't like the idea of whipping a horse in their flank as it was important to them, yet I supposed some things were different here than they were in Equestria.

The riders continued whipping their horses, whooping and hollering as they got closer, but then they suddenly slowed down before coming to a complete stop. I thought they had done that intentionally because of a trap waiting for us further ahead, but it turned out that Applejack had succeeded in getting us through this area. The horse took a small path to the right located close by that went downward slightly before it opened up into a large clearing with a path heading back to Milk Road. The bandits looked on, anger most likely fuming from behind their masks, and rode off into the night.

We were able to make it through the bandit attack but there was still reaching Clock Town with the delivery that remained. The monsters outside at this time of night roaming around the field consisted of the Blue Bubbles, and getting by them wouldn't be easy.