The next morning they met before dawn. Both had packed as lightly as they could - food, water and little else. Tempest walked as the heavier of the pair, with the matte black of her armor peeking out from under her frock.
Applejack raised an eyebrow at that, but the soldier was ready for it. "It's possible they haven't heard of my change of heart so far off. If that can get us past even one confrontation..."
"It'll be worth it," Applejack agreed with a nod.
They checked each other's packs in silence as the sun began to rise. And they were gone into town before another Apple could come out to ask questions that weren't answered by Applejack's terse note that lied through so many omissions.
Fresh snow from the night before crunched underhoof as they trotted in time towards the train station. There was no rush, but the sooner they arrived the less chance there was of being interrupted and asked awkward questions.
It was being alert to that which made Tempest's ear twitch. "...We're not alone."
"Well, yeah," Applejack dismissed casually. "This is Ponyville. Ah'm up early but there's still others out and about this time of day."
Tempest shook her head. "No, I mean that somepony is coming to us."
Before Applejack could react, it was too late. Their pursuers were upon them.
Rainbow Dash was - unsurprisingly - the first to reach the pair, hovering down to block their path. But the others - Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity all - weren't far behind. Each was kitted out not terribly differently than the first two with light saddlebags ready for long travel.
As the dawn sun broke across the tree line, the two sides faced off. There was a lengthy silence as each stared the other down - breath crystallizing in the chill air - before finally Applejack spoke up. "Mornin'."
"Good morning," sniped Rarity, lobbing a warning shot across the farmer's nose.
"Off somewhere?" came Applejack's casual reply in complete defiance of the alert.
Rarity's teeth audibly ground. "With you."
"Us?" Applejack looked guilelessly to Tempest and back. "What for?"
Pinkie Pie popped her head in front of Rarity's. "To save your family, silly! I mean duh!"
Still trying to avoid an actual lie, Applejack shifted uneasily. "That's quite a thing to be suggestin'."
Rainbow Dash's always short temper blew, and she hovered accusingly closer. "Cut the crap, AJ. We know everything, I heard every word!" She momentarily hesitated, realizing what she'd revealed. "Not because I was spying or anything! But when you two ran out of the party and into the orchard, I was worried! So... I followed you. And I heard it all!"
That shut Applejack up.
For around five seconds.
"So? Then you heard what else Ah had to say, Dash. That this is a family matter. An Apple family matter." She prodded the fluttering pegasus with her hoof. "Ah will not let any of y'all get hurt for this. No more than Ah'd let Apple Bloom."
And Rarity's ignored warning shot became a broadside. "Applejack, darling, please know and understand that I say this as one of your best friends and somepony who loves you dearly: shut up."
Applejack's jaw clicked shut.
"Thank you." Rarity gave her hair a perfunctory toss. "Now I do understand your concerns about the danger of this, as well as your feelings about the privacy of the matter. However - these are your parents we're talking about. Do you think for even a single moment that the whole lot of us wouldn't hurl ourselves into the maw of Tartarus itself to do this for you? If so, then I am sorely disappointed in how little you think of us." She stomped a forehoof for punctuation. "Now come along, we're wasting time."
It was probably a good thing that Applejack was staring at Rarity, because she would have felt obligated to punch Tempest in the face for the wide, smug grin she was wearing.
The farmer wasn't quite finished with the fight yet, however. "Now hold on just a minute everypony. Ah understand that you ain't afraid, but you've all got lives!" She turned her head. "Dash, you're a Wonderbolt! You can't just go traipsin' off on a moment's notice like this! You got practices and shows to be doin'!"
Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Nah, it's okay, I quit."
"YOU WHAT?!"
"Weeeell," Rainbow hedged, "Less quit and more put in for a leave of absence. I mean, Spitfire hasn't approved it yet - or read it, probably, since I just tossed it on her desk at like two in the morning last night and she's off for the holiday - but I know she's totally gonna. So no obstacles for me."
Anticipating the question, Rarity piped up. "I've already asked Coco to swing into town and keep an eye on the Boutique for me while I'm away."
"Cheese should be here tomorrow to cover my party needs, and the holiday baking rush is over," Pinkie added.
Fluttershy simply smiled, because everypony knew the answer was 'Discord' and going any further into detail would only be a headache.
"You know," Tempest noted as she trotted forward to join the others and continue the journey, "I would think that by this point you would get how friendship works. I mean, I'm a lot newer at this than you are and even I saw this coming."
With a heavy sigh, Applejack admitted defeat. "Alright. Ah know Ah can't talk y'all outta this, so Ah guess we're all goin' now. But nopony else!" There were reluctant nods of agreement to that. And Applejack blushed as her voice quieted. "And.. thank you."
Pinkie pronked over and grabbed her cousin in a hug. "Say thank you by bringing them home." Her smile widened a little - hinting at a very dangerously large one behind her restraint. "The party to welcome them back is going to be legendary."
On the platform of the station, the six gathered close. The morning train was due in ten minutes - leaving Canterlot before heading southwards. But they still had a choice to make.
Between them, Tempest spread out a map. "The Citadel of Storms is here," she pointed with her hoof, "To the south and past the edge of Equestrian maps. Not far past, but enough. To get there we'll need to cross the sea, and there's three sensible routes for us to take."
She pointed to the south-eastern edge of the continent. "The first is via Mount Aris. It's the closest, has a rail route that goes directly there and we could easily get re-supplied before we continue on."
"But?" Rainbow Dash knew there was one coming.
"But that means we'd have to convince a hippogriff crew to sail into the heart of the Storm King's territory, which isn't easy." Tempest paused. "Also, while Equestria pardoned my crimes? Queen Novo has been pointedly silent on if I'm still an enemy of the state or not."
Fluttershy shuddered. "So if we go there, they might put you in prison? I don't think I like that idea." The others nodded in firm agreement.
And Tempest moved on. "Our second option is Klugetown. Finding an airship to get us there would be easy. Possibly even trivial, since I know for certain that they still trade with the Storm Kingdom. And since it would be through the air instead of by sea, it would probably be the fastest way to get there."
"Yes but darling, it's still Klugetown," Rarity noted with more than mild disdain.
"Exactly," came with a nod from the dark mare. "There's no direct rail connection so it would take us the longest to get there, and the odds of us finding a fast transport are about the same odds as someone trying to capture and sell us."
"Again," Rarity added for emphasis.
Tempest's hoof slid up to the south-western coast. "The third option is here - Shire Lanka. Out past the Arimaspi Territories and on the coast. It's an Equestrian settlement, so it's connected by rail and the safest location for us to get to and hire a ship. The problem is that while it's the closest place inside Equestria's borders to the Citadel, it's a lot further than Klugetown or Mt. Aris. And the way back is going to be tough - there's only one train a month each way, so we might get stuck there on either leg of our trip."
"Soooo our choices are you going to prison, all of us going to prison or an extra-long vacation in a tropical paradise?" Pinkie Pie tilted her head curiously. "You've got some reeeeally weird ideas about equivalent options, Fizzie."
The girls all laughed, of course, even as Tempest blushed miserably at the shortened use of her original name.
"Ah think the point Pinkie's tryin' to make is that two of those three options sound about as appealin' as holes in a cider barrel." Applejack tapped her hoof on the map beside Shire Lanka. "Here's 'bout the only choice we really got. Maybe it'll be slower, but it's our best chance of gettin' there and back in one collective piece."
All around, the girls nodded and murmured agreement. With the plan settled, Rarity split off to purchase the tickets while the rest got organized.
"Still funny to see Rarity makin' a trip like this without twice her weight in luggage," Applejack off-handedly noted as they waited.
Rainbow Dash, of course, laughed.
More kindly, Fluttershy gave her opinion alongside a hip-bump to silence her oldest friend's snickering. "We all understand how important this is, Applejack. That Rarity's bringing so little shows how seriously she's taking this. We all are."
A soft smile reluctantly came to Applejack's lips. "Ah know, Fluttershy. And while maybe Ah still think this is too big a risk for y'all to take on my account - Ah appreciate it more than there's words to say. This is a debt the Apple family's never gonna be able to repay."
"Who said anything about repaying it?" Fluttershy's laughter chimed cheerfully. "You know that if it were any of our families that needed help, you wouldn't hesitate. Knowing you would be there to help us if we need it is more than enough. It's part of being a friend."
The four ponies hugged tightly.
Tempest Shadow... stood awkwardly beside the cluster of mares.
At a brisk trot, Rarity returned with a half-dozen tickets in her magic. Seeing the situation, she clicked her tongue. "No no no, that will not do at all." A cornflower blue aura wrapped around a wide-eyed Tempest and forcibly dragged her alongside Rarity as the fashionista plunged into the group hug. "You're one of us now, Miss Shadow. If you intend to stand by our sides for the bad parts, we shall insist you share in the good ones with us as well."
In the pile - and with Pinkie Pie's forehooves around her neck - Tempest grumbled with embarrassment. And then hugged the others back.
Just up the tracks, a train's whistle signaled the imminent arrival of their future.