//------------------------------//
// Homefront 
// Story: This is what we do 
// by Foxgear 
//------------------------------//

This is what we do Chapter 32
By Foxgear



Adagio stared out the living room window wrapped up tight in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate sitting on the coffee table watching the sun pick low below the tree line. Sitting across from her was Applejack and Sunset Shimmer. The three of them sitting in tense silence as the clock hand ticked by. 
“You two are cozy,” Said Applejack sounding slightly jealous as Applebloom lay curled up against Adagio. The yellow siren merely grinned, sneaking a hand from under her blanket to pat the Applebloom’s mop of licorice colored hair. 
“She’s just attracted my blossoming motherhood. Don’t worry your still her big sister.” Adagio said sagely, a flush of red appearing on Applejack’s cheeks as she huffed. Applebloom mumbled in her sleep hugging Adagio tighter. “No need to be jealous, Applejack.”
“I’m not.” 
“Then stop staring at me.” Adagio snipped with a hint of red in her eyes. Applejack adverted her gaze, while Sunset looked nervously between the two sisters in laws. 
“Now, now there’s no reason to be fighting you two,” Sunset said moving to the lazy boy between the two. “Everyone’s on edge, so there’s no reason to be at each other’s throats over silly things.” 
“Don’t tell me what to do in my house, and get out of Mac’s chair,” Adagio said with authority, Sunset quickly moved back to Applejack’s side a tingling sensation traveling down the back of her spine. The former unicorn tried to meet Adagio’s gaze but promptly averted her eyes. 
(What’s going on?) Sunset wondered feeling a dominating presence radiating off of Adagio, she had felt something similar before, back in her filly hood when she had first met Princess Celestia. She had not expected to handle such a sensation again from Adagio of all people. 
From the stairs came a chuckle, Aria stepped into the room with fresh steam rising off her body from the shower. Ruffling a towel through her wet hair, the pink siren sat down next to Sunset and Applejack grinning all the while. 
“Looks like the Alpha bitch is starting to make a comeback. Already trying to put these lightweights under your thumb, Dagi?” 
Adagio exhaled, visibility slouching causing the intense aura to dissipate. “Maybe. A strong-willed sister in law and a girl that took a pass at my mate before our mating. Socially I can only tolerate one of you, I think you can figure out who, right Sunny?” 
Sunset blinked pointing to herself, Adagio nodding with a devious and not so friendly grin. “Is this a siren thing?” The unicorn girl asked having a hard time understanding what was going on. 
“Sirens, unlike your harem, orgy loving ponies, don’t have five or more mares to one stallion. We prefer to keep our studs all to ourselves. We’re greedy like that.” Aria explained. 
A deep blush covered Sunset’s face as she ran her hands over her jeans. “Right, good to know, but most ponies don’t practice herding anymore, and I don’t plan on trying to join in with your and Mac just to be clear.”
“Thank the gods, I was having a hard enough time keeping Aria and Sonata off him.” Adagio deadpanned, looking even more relaxed. 
“We haven’t made a pass at him in a while, get over yourself,” Aria snapped lightly, grinning as Adagio huffed before laughing. 
“Sorry, I have a hard time keeping my instincts in check. I’ve haven’t felt this much like a biological siren in years, it’s kind of overwhelming.” Adagio gazed curiously at Sunset cocking her head in wonder as the bacon hair girl looked uncomfortable under her stare. “I wonder how you’d react in my position. Do you still go through pony heat cycles?” 
Sunset laughed nervously, “Um hey, could we talk about anything else? Actually, better yet, I’m going to go check on Twilight.” She hastily excused herself running upstairs. Leaving Applejack bear the brunt of the two sirens muses. Aria scooted over to Applejack cozying up to the blonde girl. 
“So still no boyfriend?” 
“Same as you,” Applejack retorted, Aria flinching back as if burned. “Thought so, do we really need to be doing this routine? I’m worried about my friends.”
Adagio sighed, “Lighten up, you’ve been worrying about nothing but your friends for days now. Relaxing for just even a little bit is good. I mean I worried sick my husband might get hurt or killed for being a fool, but I’m sitting relaxed.” The cup in her hand cracked as Adagio’s grip tightened. “See? No stress at all.”
Aria snorted, “You lie about as well as she does now.” Indicating Applejack. 
“Well, Mac made an honest woman out of me.” Retorted Adagio sitting up prim and proper with her nose up at her tomboyish sister. 
“Yeah, he did, got his honesty deep down in you, didn’t he? Must have filled you up with a whole heap of its last night.”
“Yes, he…” Adagio stopped herself short realizing what her sister was saying. She smiled shaking her head. “You’re a cunt, Aria.”
“Takes one to know one.” 
“Are you getting lippy with me, young lady?”
“I don’t know am I, mom?”
“I’m your big sister, but I’ll spank you in mother’s place if I have to and wash that dirty mouth of yours with soap.” 
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Ok, that’ enough,” Applejack demanded. “I can’t tell if you two are fighting or not and could you please not bring up my brother when I’m around.”
“Yeah, Adagio, way to jump on Mac’s bone’s when his little sisters are in the house.” Beamed Aria as Applejack covered her ears, looking as red as a red apple. 
“Lalalala I’m not listening!” Applejack chanted.
Smiling devilishly Adagio dislodged herself from Applebloom, wrapping the young apple in a cocoon before standing to tower over her little raspberry sister, thrusting her buxom bosom with pride. “Well, I can’t help that my MATE is very desirable. Maybe if you were as blessed as me, you’d have one too, Aria.”
Aria disappointedly felted up her chest and stood up flustered, “Oh you did not go there, sister! And why would I want giant milk utters like yours!” 
Adagio jiggled her assets taunting them at Aria, “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me if you're not absolutely jealous of them. I mean, even Sonata is more stacked then you, and she’s younger than you.”
Fuming mad and face burning redder then a chili pepper Aria puttered out an inaudible reply when the front door opened, and Fierce Fury stood in the doorway. The pink siren whipped in his direction her eye dilated to insane proportions.  
“You! Fury! What're better big boobs or little boobs!” Blurted Aria pointing at the red rinin for an answer. 
Fury merely looked impassive and shrugged. “I prefer well-groomed wings.” And walked back outside. 
Adagio burst out in laughter. “Oh my god, of all the guys to walk through the door you get the one that doesn’t have any clue what you're talking about!” 
Both Aria fumed while Applejack tried to suppress her laughter. A loud yowl comes from outside causing all three women to freeze, and Applebloom rose up in fright. Adagio, Aria, and Applejack rushed outside where Fury was staring at the line of Timber Lions advancing out of the orchard. Adagio ran to the southern end of the porch, finding more Timber beasts coming in from the south all of them charging right for the house!
“More coming this way!” Aria shouted from the north side. 
Adagio wheeled around pointing east, “Applejack grab a gun and defend the east side, shoot from my bedroom there’s a rifle behind the door!” 
“Right!” 
“Aria!” Adagio screamed, but her sister was already springing into action stealing a full lip kiss from Fury’s lips, ears and wings sprouted from her body, and she formed two water tridents in her hands, her eyes glowing with rage and power.  
“GET AWAY FROM OUR HOME!” She screamed unleashing a sonic screech on a rushing group of timbers. 
“Sunset, get out down here!” Adagio called, the former unicorn rushed down the stairs already ponied up. 
“What do…” Sunset’s words were cut off as Adagio kissed her stealing enough magic to fully transform. 
Breaking the kiss Adagio pointed to the south, “Go over there and kick some Timber ass.” Sunset nodded and ran off with glowing fists of magic. Storming into the house Adagio quickly dashed upstairs grabbing Applebloom on the way to the guest room where Rarity and Sweetie Belle were. Rarity was looking out the window with Sweetie Belle hugging her hip and shaking in fear. “Rarity.” Adagio addressed the girl turned woman. 
“I know,” Rarity said turning around and gently pushed Sweetie Belle away. “I will fight too.” The fashionista pushed Sweetie to her and Adagio took the girl by the hand and pulled her close. 
“I will keep her safe,” Adagio promised. “Both of them.”
“Thank you, and Twilight is still asleep, keep her in mind too.” Rarity said and then jumped out of the window ponying up as she fell to the ground. She created to fencing swords of diamond and cut down a pair of Timber lions that were digging into the house wall. With a primal scream, the fashionista leaped into the fray while the sounds of gunfire filled the air. 
“Come on you two, let’s get Twilight.” Grabbing the downed nerd, Adagio with the help of Applebloom and Sweetie Belle carried her down the stairs. Passing through the living room, they saw the scene outside. Bodies of Timber beasts laid broke and burned on the ground, some of them dangerously close to the house. In the distance Fury fought with the giant Timber Rex trying to burn the creature to ash while other beasts piled on him. 
Aria flew past, cutting down beasts left and right with her tridents. One came close to breaking through the living room window, but she dropped down on it and mashed through the porch railing. Aria looked up and saw them and screamed, “Get to the safe room!” Before returning to battle. 
“Come let’s go you two,” Adagio urged leading them through the kitchen.
Through the window behind the table, they saw Sunset holding her ground. The former bully wasn’t faring too well, her clothes were ripped up bad showing off sickening amounts of slashed skin. One Timber Lion jumped Sunset from the side bringing her to the ground. A blast of red magic shot through the beast splattering it everywhere as Sunset stood back up again. 
Adagio pushed Applebloom ahead leading her to the basement door, “Keep going.” She urged turning on the lights and hurrying downstairs. In the cellar, she led the two preteens to a certain part of the stone wall, moving the freezer slightly to the right to reveal a brick with a small hole in it. “Applebloom grab that rod on the wall.”
The young apple did as told and grabbed the long metal pole with a ring on the end. Adagio took it and inserted it into the hole until there was a ‘click’ noise and part of the wall opened inward revealing a small room with weapons and food inside. 

“What is this?” Applebloom asked as Adagio pushed them inside taking one of the shotguns off the wall and two pistols. 
“It’s a secret storage room for alcohol from the probation days turned bomb shelter in the cold war. There’s enough food and water in here to last you three a week.” Adagio smiled and kissed Applebloom on the forehead. “Someone will let you out when this is all over.” 

“Wait, what!”

Adagio slammed the door closed, the heavy lock closed with a thud, and she slid to the floor knowing Applebloom was screaming at her right now. “I’m sorry.” She stood up and moved the freezer back before walking upstairs with the shotgun in hand. Closing the basement door behind her, but not locking it, hoping in doing so would a leave suspicion that the three girls were locked down there. Chambering a round Adagio cried on the inside as she shot out her kitchen window to blast a Timber Lion about to catch Sunset off guard. 

Next, she wondered to the living room blasting through the bay window to take out another on the porch. Picking her phone off the coffee table, Adagio hunkered down behind the couch where Applejack has been sitting earlier and started dialing numbers. Mac being the first. As her phone began to dial the sound of glass cracking caught her attention. The growling muzzle of a Timber Lion stuck through the broken bay window, acidic slobber burned the leather couch. The beast eyeing her menacingly. 

She hissed, sounding like an angry cat, Adagio swiped at the beast with her claws tearing bark away to reveal the rotten flesh beneath. Attacking again she jabbed her nails into the beast’s throat blood spraying onto her as its body went limp falling on top of her. Quickly she pushed the corpse off, drew a pistol and fired a round into its head for good measure. That last light of the sun faded as snow began to fall from the sky. 

Adagio dropped to her knees padding the blood-soaked floor for her cellphone. “Crap, crap, crap where is it?” She rolled the body of the beast still not finding her phone underneath. Frantically she kept an eye on the window in case another monster slipped past the others before checking under the coach. 

“There you are!” She exclaimed reaching under the couch for the phone, her fingertips just barely touched the mobile device, when a scream came from her bedroom. Adagio immediately pulled her arm out from under the couch and grabbed her shotgun again, and ran for her bedroom. Barging through the door, she found Applejack punching a Timber Lion in the head with her bare fist, blowing its head off. Two more climbed over the corpse of their packmate and pinned Applejack beneath the beast. Acting quick Adagio shoved the barrel of her shotgun down the throat of the nearest animal and pulled the trigger killing it. For the other, she kicked it in the head. Dazing it, before drawing one of her pistols and shooting it three times in the head. 

“Are you alright?” Adagio asked pushing one the beasts off her sister in law. With a grunt she dug her fingers into the one pinning Applejack and lifted it up, allowing Applejack to wiggle free. She grabbed her sister in law by the shoulders and dragged her outside the room and quarter of the way up the stairwell. Applejack held her left arm, blood seeping through her fingers. 

Applejack seethed, “Bastards got me when I was reloading. Rarity tried to lead them away, I lost sight of her and then more came charging in. We gotta find her.” 

“We’ll find her, but I gotta take care of you first,” Adagio said tearing a piece of her shirt off and tying it around her sister’s arm. “There that’ll do for now.”

The sound of stone on wood caught their attention, a Timber Lion emerged from the bedroom, Adagio wrapped her left arm around Applejack’s head, shielding her ears as she aimed her pistol with her right. Firing three rounds into the wood beast. 
“The house is getting overrun! Where’s Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Twilight?” Applejack asked as the sound of more Timber Lions entering the house could be heard. 

Adagio answered, “They’re safe.” And dragged Applejack up the stairs, abandoning her shotgun. At the top, she handed Applejack her spare pistol, and they both shot the incoming beasts. The narrow stairwell making a perfect choke point. “We gotta get to the phone, do you have yours?”

Applejack shook her head shooting another Timber Lion. “It’s in the kitchen charging. Where’s yours?”

“Under the couch,” Adagio answered frustrated. “I’m going to check the rooms, hold them off.” 
“Ok.”

Adagio ran for Aria’s room since it was the closest and checked the nightstand, the dresser and underneath the bed, but failed to find Aria’s phone. She growled and ran to Sonata’s but stopped and turned around without entering realizing Sonata would have her phone. Her eyes then fell on the room where they had been keeping Twilight. Sitting on the nightstand was a purple smartphone. 

“Jackpot.” Adagio grabbed the phone, hit the home button, and growled again when the lock screen came up. “Fuck! Applejack do you know Twilight’s password!” 

“NO!” Applejack screamed over the sound of gunfire. “I’m running low on bullets!”

Adagio patted her pants pockets, finding two more clips, running back into the hall she tossed them behind Applejack at the top the stairwell. “That’s all I got.” She looked to the window flapped her wings and knew what she had to do. “I’m going back downstairs.”

“What?”

She didn’t elaborate and smashed through the window gently gliding down to the ground and ran back into the house shooting at the massing Timber Lions at the base of the stairs. Frantically Adagio flipped the couch over.

(Should have done that the first time.) She fumed unlocking her phone and going straight to her contacts, Mac’s name under her finger. While the phone rang, Adagio circled in place keeping an eye out for Timber Lions, a trio charged from the west, she quickly put them down while spinning back to the east. Three more tried to push through her bedroom door. 

Bullets rained down from the stairwell, Applejack screamed as she flew down the stairs and landed on a pile of Timber Lion corpses. The Apple girl continued to yell fighting her way back into the bedroom with her fists glowing brightly with magic. 

Phone still ringing Adagio ran to the kitchen and checked on Sunset who was still holding her ground. The former bully panted hard holding out her palm and fired a blast of red magic and then fell to her knees. 

“Sunny!” Adagio burst out the back door firing her pistol until it was empty and then created a boiling sword of water cleaving through an attacking Timber Lion. Hands full Adagio dropped the empty gun and grabbed Sunset by the neck of what remained of her shirt and dragged her back inside. “Hang in there Sunny.” 

“I’ll be fine,” Sunset said woozily her head rolling to the side as her eyes struggled to stay open. “I can still fight.” 

“Bullshit,” Adagio checked her phone, her call canceled. She cursed and dialed again. The back door exploded as several Timber lions broke through. Extending her hand Adagio summoned a torrent of water from the sink, inwardly crying as the pipes burst out of the wall. Seething with rage, she sent the Timber Lions flying out the back door focusing the water into tight stream cutting the Timbers in half. 

“Hello?” The familiar, comforting drawl of her husband voice said through the phone speaker. For a moment joy lept into Adagio’s heart even has her home was torn asunder, and her friends and family fought for their lives. The sounds of fighting, growls, and gunfire faded away for a brief and peaceful moment before it came raging back. 

Taking a deep breath, she screamed, “Get the fuck home now!” 

“We’re on our way, we gotta stop by the hospital, Sonata’s hurt,” Mac said calmly. His cool voice smoothed her fried nerves as she hunkered down beside Sunset, who was barely holding onto consciousness. “What’s going on?”

Adagio took a deep breath. “How bad is she hurt?” 

“She’ll live, but she needs a doctor. We’ll be there ASAP. I’d fly ahead, but I’m sapped of magic. We’re all battened down, Pinkie did a number on us and got away. Now, what’s going on?”

She held the phone away from her ear staring at the profile picture of Mac on the screen. He was tired and hurt already if he came home… she didn’t want to think about it. It was too late to stop him now anyway. “We’re under attack Timber beasts are everywhere, I’ve lost sight of Aria, Applejack, and Rarity, Fury is fighting a Timber Rex, and Sunset is barely hanging on beside me. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Twilight are locked downstairs in the saferoom. 

“Take Sunset and hide in the safe room, I’ll be there soon.” The call ended. 

Picking Sunset off the floor Adagio dragged her fellow Equestrian to the basement. Her wings vanished leaving her with only ears as a more Timber Lions poured in through the back door. With a curse, Adagio backpedaled into the living room heading for the bedroom. “Applejack!” She screamed kicking a Timber Lion corpse out of the way. “Applejack! Where are you?” 

No reply. 

“Come on, Sunny.” She tried shaking Sunset awake, but the bacon hair girl remained silent. Hearing more growls coming from behind her Adagio had to think fast and fast she did. Throwing Sunset into her closet and covered the unconscious girl with a sheet. Adagio shut the door and tipped her dresser over to block the door. “Be safe.” Turning to the door Adagio saw the head of the Timber Lion breakthrough, she gave it a smack with her clawed hand, aggravating it before jumping out the hole in her bedroom wall. The beasts chased after her, ignoring sleeping beauty in the closet. 

Heading north Adagio screamed for help while passing the bashed and sliced bodies of dozens of Timber Lions. “Applejack! Rarity! Aria!” She cried into the falling snow. A white blanket covered the formerly dead grass, the snow a mess of paw prints and scattered footprints with no rhyme or reason to them. At the north edge of the house, Adagio took a sharp turn west towards Fury’s position. Running into the open yard where the red Night Patroller did battle with the Timber Rex. 

He wasn’t doing so well. The red rinin was tried from days of back to back fighting. His movements sluggish, his attacks halfhearted and lacking bite. The fire sword clenched in his fist could barely be considered a dagger. 

“Fury!” Called Adagio, the patroller whipped his head in her direction before focusing on his battle. Dodging the snapping jaws of the Timber Rex and thrusting his dagger into its eye. 

“What!” He yelled back climbing onto the back of the beast, stabbing it several times, it’s bark covered flesh catching fire. 
“Where are the others!” 

He growled, several Timber Lions dogpiling atop to save the Timber Rex. Adagio thrust out her hand turning the freshly fallen snow into boiling water and blasting several holes through the mighty beast. Quickly she turned and shot several blasts of water at the Timber Lions behind her, the monsters nearly slipping from her mind. 

Fury rose from the ground, hot steam rising off his body. “Try north.” He barked pointing his dwindling flame dagger at the Rex. “I’ll keep as many as I can here.”

“Thank you, Mac is coming, just hold out a little longer!” Adagio said dashing to the north orchard in search of the others. 



“Why are there so many of you!” Rarity whined running her diamond rapier through a Timber Lion, the blade snapped, crumbling to dust in her hand. Her breathing labored, her hair matted with sweat as she limped from tree to tree while holding her side. Phantom pains from her previous battle with Mac flared like volcanic eruptions. Most notably in her ribs. 
A Timber Lion attacked from high above jumping out of a tree. Rarity threw up a shield, positioning it at a turned angel. Instead of blocking the Timber Lion the buffer bisected it. The split corpse fell to the ground, at the sight of its fleshly rotten organs Rarity promptly threw up from the sight and smell. She stumbled back, relieving her stomach again, dry heaving until there was nothing left in her stomach. In her blurry vision, she saw globs of red mixed in with her vile. 
“That isn’t a good sign,” She panted as more Timber Lions approached her, all of them cautious now after her slaying many of their pack. They spread out around her watching her like a wounded animal, which she was. Holding out her hand Rarity tried to make a weapon, but only bits of diamond dust blew from her hand. Her body sagged, the last of her magic dissipated into the falling snow. Screaming Rarity rose back up and charged at the pack, her legs faltered, and she fell face first to the ground. 
The Timber Lions looked amongst themselves, wondering if it was a ploy to trick them. Sniffing the air, they grinned devilishly, smelling the fear and exhaustion radiation off the girl. The head of the pack jutted its head telling four of its brethren to inspect the body closer. Four lions slowly approached Rarity their jaws salivated with slobber as they each stood before a limb of the wounded girl, their prey. Their heads dropped, and they each snatched an arm and leg in their teeth and began to pull. Their victim crying out in pain, but she didn’t put up a fight, too weak from the hunt. They pulled harder.
“NO! GODS NO!” Rarity cried as her shoulders were popped out of the socket. One of the Lions stomped on her back, tearing through her shirt as it tried to get a better position to rip her limb off. A bone went ‘CRACK,’ and her body went numb. Another Lion pressed on her head, muffling her cries as her face was pushed into the cold ground. “No, please, no…”
“Get away from her!” Something smashed into the Timber Lions feasting on her, but only one let go, the one feasting on her right leg, the others too far in their frenzy to care about their comrade. “I said get off her!” Her rescuer demanded again. Her other leg and left arm were freed, but the one chewing on her right arm remained, sloppily chewing on her forearm while keeping her head pinned down. “Get off!” 
The final lion was vanquished. Rarity was no longer a chew toy, though remained immobile. “Come on get up! We gotta go!” Her rescuer demanded. 
“I can’t move.” 
“Tch, figures.” Rarity finally pinpointed her rescuer's identity when a raspberry colored hand entered her field of vision and hoisted her up. “Come on, Fashionista.” Aria barked roughly slinging Rarity onto her shoulder. “Hang on tight.” With her fin like wings, Aria took flight, the Timber Lions jumped after them their jaws grazing the bottom of their feet before they finally got high enough. 
“Thank goodness you found me.” Rarity sighed, her relief was short-lived when Aria began to careen towards the ground. Before any word of warning could be uttered the two of them crashed into the ground. Charred remains of the northern shack before them. “What happened?” 
“Nothing, shut up.” Aria barked hoisting Rarity over her shoulder again and began slogging toward the burned out shed. Rarity was less than gently set against one the still standing posts that made up the corner of the shack. It was here Rarity finally got a good look at Aria’s condition, the siren not fairing much better than herself. 
“Aria your,” Stammered Rarity spotting the bone spike protruding from the siren’s gut. 
“I know,” Aria snapped, staggering on the blackened floor in a half-conscious trance. Several other wounds adorned her flesh, cuts, and bruises, but what was most concerned Rarity beside the spike in Aria’s stomach was creeping blue traveling up her exposed flesh. The siren held herself, shivering something fierce. “So cold.” Aria stomped over to Rarity, sat down and embraced the fashionista. “I hate the cold.” 
Rarity shivered, Aria’s skin was like ice! 
“Aria, Aria, you need to keep moving, fly to Cherry Jubilees, leave me if you have to. Go find someplace warm!” Rarity begged, but the siren didn’t reply and held her tighter seeking warmth that Rarity didn’t have to give. 
“What did they teach in school, what was it!” Rarity racked her brain for her health class lessons. She needed to get Aria to someplace warm and heat her up. Such a place was not available, and she was in no shape to be carrying the frozen Siren anywhere. There was only one thing left she could think of to do and forced her arms to move despite the pain. “I will keep you alive, so don’t freeze on me, Aria.”



“Rarity! Rarity where are you?” Applejack yelled into the wind. Struggling to find her friend or anyone for that matter in the vast acres that made up the orchard. It was dark, snowing, and the chorus of growls from every shadow had her jumping at her own shadow. In her frantic rush to get away from the Timber Lions around the house, she had run into the orchard without keeping track of where she was going. She hadn’t even paid attention to switch orchard she had gone into. Her trail a mess of haphazard footprints and with her only source of light her dying cellphone there was little she could do to find her way back as the battery bar turned red. The cold sapping the electronic device of its power twice as fast. 
A twig snapped had Applejack heel turning, fist ready to smash whatever was coming, her knuckles connected with the jaw of a Timber Lion. Much to her horror, the beast had tricked her, and she swung right into its mouth, its teeth clamped down on her hand and pulled to the ground. Three more Timber Lions rushed out from the brush and chomped down on her leg. Thrashing around Applejack kicked her boot off, relieving herself of one. With her other leg she rolled and kicked the second one off, and with the third, she stabbed her fingers into its eyes with her free hand. The trio of monster staggered back, and she quickly worked on setting her trapped hand free, tackling the beast biting down on it and repeatedly punched it until its jaws broke and released her. Not waiting around, she hopped on her uninjured leg and dashed away. 
“Dang it, dang it!” She murmured harshly. Limping on one leg would get her nowhere fast and with one hand pressed uselessly against her body, she was like a wounded deer about to be caught. Her foot caught a tree root, and Applejack landed face first in the snow screaming as sharp stone dug into her stomach. Rolling on her back she felt for any blood on her belly and thankfully found none, but it still hurt. Wound, tired, and cold Applejack let out sniffle, which turned to tears as the hopelessness of her situation got to her. 
“Mac… Daddy… Daddy, please help me.” She sobbed calling out for Nico. The little girl inside her crawling to the surface. The one that was weak and full of self-pity. Angrily Applejack pushed that side of her back down deep into her unconscious. “Shut up you crybaby.” She scolded. With much effort, she sat up, crawled her way up the trunk of the tree and stood on her feet again. 
That took the last of her strength and her leg buckled under her weight leaving Applejack slumped against a tree as her pursuers arrived. This time there were more of them. Six in fact. With a shaking hand, Applejack retrieved her pocket knife and pointed at the Timber Lions in a defiant last defense. 
“Well, come on!” She shouted hoarsely. Her braid had broken leaving her hair unbound and flying all over the place like a feral animal. 
Two charged her, Applejack jabbed with her knife, sticking one in the eye while the other tried to bite her hand. She struck the blade bouncing off the bark skin. Screaming she readjusted her strike and stuck the second one in the eye forcing the two lions back, but the others took the chance and attacked her wounded side. Frantically she twisted her body to jab with her knife. The awkward strikes of having to fight past her breasts left her unbalanced and open to attacks. One of the beasts bit into her right shoulder, and she dropped her knife. 
“Dammit!” Applejack screamed thrashing wildly around. It did little to stop the bites at each Timber Lion began to nip at her. 
A loud shriek broke through the growls and screams, Applejack quickly pressed her hands over her ears as the Timber Lions wimped and backed away from her. From the trees emerged Adagio demon eyed and showing a lot of fangs. The yellow siren’s hand flexed with two-inch-long claws coming out of her fingertips. 
“Get away from her,” Adagio stalked toward the pack of Timbers. They whimpered looking uncertain before regaining their backbones. They lined up to attack and charged the lone siren. Adagio inhaled, her chest puffing up before she let loose a massive sonic shriek upon the group. The Timber’s rattled, blood spurting out their ears, three of them falling dead right on the spot. The remaining three circled around one on the left and two on the right. The two on the right attacked., Adagio plunged both of her hands into their bellies and whipped them into a tree. Nearly severing them in half. The final Timber landed on her back, but the siren did not fall, with an angry grunt, she shook the beast off snapping its leg with her foot before violently ripping into its stomach, disemboweling it in a frenzy. 
When the deed was done, Adagio went limb, returning to normal. With a look of disgust, she swiped the blood from her face. “I liked it better when they were just made of wood. You ok?” Adagio asked stepping off the corpse, grimacing once she got a look at Applejack’s condition. “Forget I asked.” 
“Did you find anyone else?” Applejack asked as Adagio lifted off her the ground. 
“No, but I think we’re finally starting to thin these bastards out. I only ran into ten on my way here. Good thing I heard your screams.” 
Applejack grumbled indigently. “Great. Let’s just keep that to ourselves. At least from Applebloom. I want to keep the badass older sister look up a little bit longer.” 
“Then I guess she hasn’t seen all the frilly things you’ve been snagging from Rarity, yet?” Adagio jested, enjoying a laugh at Applejack’s expense. The farmgirls face flush. 
“Just get me to a med kit.” Applejack grumbled. As they limped through the trees, no monsters attacked them. Maybe the attack was finally over. “Should we be going back to the farmhouse yet? If there are any left, they’d probably gather there.” 
Adagio stopped, frowned and then resumed walking. “We’ll have to chance it. I’m not carrying you to Cherry’s. Hopefully, Fury took care of that…” Adagio shivered, freezing in place as a bright pillar of magic shot into the sky from the direction of the farmhouse. “What the hell is that.” 
Applejack nudged her on, “It doesn’t matter what it is, Applebloom is there! We gotta go!”
“Right!”



Sunset Shimmer awoke in a pile of Adagio’s clothes and unmentionables. Her head pounded, her body ached and (What the hell is that buzzing?) She sat up, feeling dizzy, most likely from blood loss. The buzzing noise was coming from outside in another room. What could make such a loud noise like that? No phone could do that. 
Then it hit her! (My journal! Someone from Equestria is trying to contact me!) Sunset pushed on the door, finding it stuck with something heavy blocking it. Pressing her back against the wall of the closet she kicked against the door moving whatever was blocking it slightly. She peered through the crack covering her mouth to keep quiet. Five Timber Lions roamed around the bedroom. Much to her luck, they hadn’t noticed her. 
The buzzing noise became louder. A sixth Timber Lion entered the room with it in its mouth and dropped it on the floor. The six Timber looked curiously at it. Tapping the book with their paws to try and figure it out. 
(What do I do. I gotta get to it. If they destroy it, the portal can’t be reopened!) Sunset panicked. What could she do? 
Tightening her fist Sunset squeezed whatever magic was left in her out, creating dancing red sparks in her hands. The beasts turned to the closet, their eyes narrowing in on her. She had to act. Bursting through the closet door Sunset snapped her fingers, red sparks flying from her hands, the flashes lit the bark of the attack beasts aflame. Sunset ducked and rolled under the second beast grabbing her book as she sprang to her feet. Her foot caught the foot of Mac and Adagio’s bed sending her flying on top of it. A Timber Lion tried to crawl up after her, and she kicked in the muzzle while frantically opening the journal. Words were appearing, but she had no time to read them. Spying a pen on the nightstand, Sunset crawled across the bed, fending off the attacking beasts with kicks. One tore off her shoe and chomped down on her foot. She screamed the Lion whipped her into the nightstand and knocked it over, the corner of the stand struck her under her breast. 
Sunset seethed, and heel dropped the lion on her foot and scrambled for the pen. Hastily with her prize in hand, she raced back to the closet and slammed the door closed. The Timber Lions pounded against it, the wood creaked and snapped sending splinters flying into her hair. 
Throwing open a random page Sunset wrote ‘View’ the book glowed and projected the image of Sixes to her. “Grandpa!” In the projection, Celestia and several others appeared. “Grandma.” She wiped her tears from seeing the two. “Please tell me the portal is fixed.”
“We think we got it, but we need an access point. No telling if the portal will be stable either, but we’ll worry about that. Are near something that can act as a door for us?” Celestia asked. A timber Lions claw burst through the door, the stone claw catching Sunset in the shoulder. She screamed and pressed her back against the wall as far away from the attacking beast as possible. 
“Sunset!” Celestia screamed. “Sunset what’s happening!” 
“We’re under attack, everyone’s fighting and separated. I’m hiding in a closet. What do I need to do to fix the connection?” 
Princess Twilight’s voice came forth, “You need to magically bind the book with a mirror or something like that, something big enough for a pony…er, person to fit through. Is there anything like that nearby?” 
“Yes, right in the other room with the killer Timber Lions attacking me!” Sunset screamed as another claw burst through the door. 
“Sunset,” Sixes’s calm, deep voice said. “Breath, calm down and focus on what you need to do. Open the portal and survive, stay where you are, and you die.” 
“But…”
“Trust me, connect the worlds, I’ll be there. Be brave my little girl.” 
She nodded, “Ok. Ok. Yes, fuck yes! I’ll do it!” Sunset hugged the book tight to her chest and stood up, the door was almost gone. With a scream she tackled the door, breaking through it as the Timber Lions broke through. She rolled over top of them, their bark backs roughly shaved her skin as she flopped hard to the floor. Her eyes fell on Adagio’s full body mirror. She crawled toward it, one of the Timber Lions recovered and pounced on her back. 
“Get off me!” She screamed elbowing it in the stomach and crawled for the mirror again. Stretching her arm out with the journal clutched tight in her fingers. A timber Lion ran over the top of her, cutting her lip and knocking her head against the floor. She persisted, pressing the book against the glass surface and dug down deep within herself for one last spark of magic. 
Sunset’s world went dark, and the book fell with a thump to the floor. 



“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Mac’s hand gripped the steering while of his pick up tight, the rpm meter ran almost to the red, his truck siding on the freshly fallen snow as he tore recklessly down the road. If not for his magic enhanced reflexes he would have gone into the ditch along ago driving on slippery roads like this. 
He was alone, gunning for home with no sense of self-preservation. He left Sonata in the care of Stryker Six and Limestone at the hospital. He hadn’t bothered to call Ferocious or Celestia and Luna. There was no time. 
Turning sharp on to his driveway he kept the pedal floored. When he saw a strange Timber creature on the road, he didn’t break and rammed the monster with his pick up. The body flew over the hood cracked his window and probably smashed up his grill, but he didn’t care. When another came into view, he swerved towards it flinging it into a tree. A group of three stood at the end of the path, and he didn’t bother slowing down for them. He smashed right through, two flew off to the side, as the third was rolled under the pickup. 
Mac finally came to a stop as one of his tires blew out, and the truck skidded into the yard. From there he opened the door his maul in hand as he observed the situation. It was chaos. What looked like hundreds of Timber Lions and other assorted beasts lay dead in his yard. Fury fighting a Timber Rex by himself. Fist clenched on the handle of his maul Mac stomped toward the Patroller to help. Swinging at Timber Lion that tried to get the jump on him, with nothing but pure muscle he crushed the monsters head with hammer end. 
Before he could get any closer something happened to the Timber Rex, it stopped its attacks on Fury, it’s skin turned black with white bones decorating its body. Suddenly the Timber Rex whipped around and began feasting on the Timber Lions. 
He knew what that meant. 
Through his broken front door with Sunset Shimmer resting in his arms emerged Sixes and several others. A pair of warm arms wrapped around him from behind as the Night Patrollers spread out and began killing the remaining Timbers, while he savored the touch of his loved one. 
“Adagio.” He said relieved turning around and embracing his wife tightly. “I’m so glad you're safe.” 
Adagio held him close and sobbed into his chest. “I’m sorry… I… the house…and…”
“It’s ok,” He cooed. “It’s ok. I’m home.”