“Do you honestly think that you alone can take on the three of us?” Gailin asked Trixie as their conversation continued.
“Trixie would be a fool to think she could take the three of you one all by herself,” Trixie said, “But Trixie doesn’t have to. Trixie is just acting as a distraction.”
“WHAT?!” the captors exclaim at once.
“One of the facts about nature is never get in between a mother and her foal,” Trixie said before the three captors were attacked from behind by Cheerilee, Octavia, and Ditzy. As they attacked, Maud took the chance to leave through the woods.
She then used what she called a shortcut. About a minute after running through the forest, she arrives at the site where Surprise fell to the ground. That’s where she saw Comet Tail interrogating the paralyzed pegasus.
“How many other friends are with you?” Comet Tail asked, “We know that it’s not just the two of you pegasi. And we have good reason to believe there’s at least one unicorn, considering the silence spell.”
“So we had a silence spell put on us and went out on a fly,” Surprise said, “What’s wrong about wanting to keep our privacy?”
“The longer you lie to me, the longer you’ll be stuck in that paralysis spell,” Comet said, “Besides, you don’t have any right getting in our business.”
“She’s a Lunarbolt…” Maud said, causing the unicorn to jump in surprise and turn around, “Surprise is a member of the Lunarbolts, the pegasi military branch that Princess Luna herself set up.”
The look of shock on the unicorn’s face was soon replaced by that of realization. But then that faded into a smug grin, “You almost had me there, trying to convince me that she’s a Lunarbolt,” Comet said, “The least you could’ve done was pretend she’s a more impressive Lunarbolt than Surprise.”
“HEY!” Surprise shouted.
“I wasn’t born yesterday, you know,” Comet finished.
“Based on how you look…” Maud began, “You were born 22 years, 8 months, 2 days, 7 hours, 46 minutes, 7 seconds…8…9…10…11…”
“…HOW?!!” Comet cried, “Nevermind. I’ll deal with you soon enough.”
Comet turned back towards Surprise to continue the interrogation. But when he turned around, Maud was standing between him and Surprise. “What the… Weren’t you just-”
SMACK!
Before Comet could finish is statement, a gray hoof made contact with his nose, causing it to bleed again, “DAMNIT! I just got my nose to stop bleeding!”
“Do you know why it’s not wise to underestimate the Pie family?” Maud said, “Because we have abilities you’d never understand…”
Comet jumped back and shot magic at Maud that exploded into a smoke screen. The attack would cause damage to her at such close range, but nothing serious. Then there was a tap on his shoulder. He looked to see the earth pony unharmed and completely out of the blast range.
SMACK!
After spitting out a tooth from the attack, Comet jumped back again and, taking her advice to not underestimate her to heart, cast a paralysis spell on Maud, freezing her in place. Then he levitated her into the air before thrusting her to the ground.
CRACK!
Maud was somehow replaced with a boulder?! But how? She was paralyzed and levitated! His magic never let go of her either! But somehow she had escaped and replaced herself with a boulder?!
Before he could think about it further, the air had left his lungs and was flying into the air. Maud had bucked him in the gut from underneath. He was then tackled from above. Somehow, Maud was above him and had kicked him in the back of the head. Landing on the ground had completely knocked the pony out.
Surprise, who had witnessed the spectacle, shook off the shock, “Nice fighting and everything,” Surprise called out, “But with him unconscious, who’s gonna release me from this spell?”
Maud walked over to Surprise, analyzing her before slapping her on the left ear.
Surprise grabbed her ear in pain, “Ow! What was that for?” Surprise cried out before realizing she wasn’t paralyzed anymore, “How did you do that?”
“I hit a weak spot in the spell matrix…”
“But the spell only affects me from the neck down,” Surprise said, “My ear wasn’t even in the spell.”
“That’s why it’s a weak point…”
Surprise was about to argue with her that that doesn’t make sense. But then she realized something Maud had said earlier, “Abilities I could never understand?”
“Yes…”
“I’ll just take your word for it,” Surprise said, “I’m free, and that’s what matters. It’s amazing how easy you made that fight look.”
“It was easy…”
“Well, I’m glad you’re on our side then,” Surprise said, “Remind me never to make you mad. Do you even get mad? It’s hard to tell.”
“Yes…”
“So where are the others?”
“Saving the fillies…” Maud said as she lifted Comet onto her back and carrying him with ease. They then headed off to meet up with the others.
Though the “shortcut” would be a quicker form of travel, Maud couldn’t bring multiple ponies through. So the trip back was to be done on hoof.
“I can release the spell. But perhaps we should get out of the woods first,” Trixie, who was standing over the sleeping Scootaloo suggested, “For now, let’s go get Surprise and…hey, where’s Maud?”
As if on cue, Maud came walking to the group, carrying the unconscious Comet Tail. Surprise following behind.
“Wait, you led the group here the entire way, right?” Trixie asked Maud.
“Yes…”
“And that trip is five minutes at full speed, right?” Trixie asked.
“Yes…”
“Then how in Equestria did you manage to get from here to where Surprise is, knock out that pony, and back here while carrying that pony… IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES?!!” Trixie exclaimed.
“I know a shortcut…” Maud said bluntly.
“Wait, if you knew a shortcut, then why didn’t we take that on the way here?” Surprise asked, “We could’ve gotten here sooner, right?”
“It’s not that kind of shortcut…” Maud said.