It's only been a few hours after Rainbow Dash's and Applejack's defeat. They both lie in the Infirmary as Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity sit by their beds, Heads hung and sobbing. Twilight, the Pillars, and the Student Six are just outside the Infirmary, talking amongst each other.
"This is not good, The Pony of Shadows is declaring war on Harmony." Mistmane spoke with a dreadful expression.
"Yeah, and he is no pushover. Who were those two? With their masks, we have no way of identifying them." Flash Magnus huffs loudly.
"We saw their decks, can we decide who they are with those?" Suggested Ocellus.
"More than one copy of a deck exists, child. They could be anyone." Starswirl shook his head. Ocellus sighs and looks down at the ground.
"We need to change our game plan. Waiting for them to come to us is too dangerous. We are not only putting ourselves in danger by being sitting ducks. Not only that, We are putting the students here in danger as well by exposing them to the Shadows." Said Rockhoof. Starswirl lets out a sigh.
"I believe you are right old friend, we cannot all just sit here. Some of us need to go out and find some Shadow Riders to challenge. If we bring them here one by one, the Students could be influenced by the shadows, or worse." Said Starswirl. Twilight raises her head a little to look at Starswirl. Her eyes were dark and sunken in to show that she had been crying quite a bit.
"I'll just send the students home. If any of them end up like the others, I'll never forgive myself for not protecting them." Twilight's voice was montoned and horse.
"We can't just send them home." Starswirl protested, causing all eyes to fall on him.
"Why not!? They can't stay here! It's far too dangerous!" Twilight looking annoyed at Starswirl, raising her voice.
"Because it may incite a panic. The students saw what happened to your friends. Them thinking it was all an act is a good thing. If we send them home, it may tip them off that what they saw was real, they will tell other ponies and then everypony will be nervous and afraid of everyone. This is what the Pony of Shadows wants as it will be easier for him to influence others and brainwash them. The best way to hide this is in plain sight. We can't send the students home, and we cannot keep letting the Shadow Riders come here." Starswirl theorized. Twilight opens her mouth to protest, but slowly closes it and hangs and shakes her head again. More tears began to fall from her cheeks. She wasn't in the mood for a debate. Starswirl sighs and approaches her.
"My child, I'm truly sorry for your losses. You and your friends should take a break from fighting the Shadow Riders for a bit. I and the Pillars will take care of them for a while." Said Starswirl. He places a hoof on her shoulder to comfort her. Twilight slowly reaches up and puts her hoof on top of his and clutches it tight.
"...Thank you Starswirl." Twilight's voice cracked a bit.
"What about us?" Asked Smolder, shifting all looks to her and her friends.
"You six stay out of the way until we need you." Starswirl brushed them off.
"Aw come on! We are no pushovers! Sandbar beat a Shadow Rider and he is fine! We are Element Bearers too!" Protested Silverstream. Starswirl looks at them a little bit annoyed.
"Take a look at your two professors, they too had defeated a Shadow Rider before and now look at them. Their souls now reside in the Shadow Realm. Do you want your soul sent there as well?" Said Starswirl sternly. Silverstream slowly quiets down and sulks back behind her friends with a sad and scared expression.
"Starswirl, calm down, this is their fight too. Eventually they will be challenged as well." Flash Magnus looked to Starswirl. "Whether you like it or not, these six are targets for the Pony of Shadows as well. They bear the elements, like the rest of us. They may be kids, but they are resilient. Cut them some slack." Starswirl looks at the students who look back at them. They all give him a serious face, even Silver who steps back out and gives him a hopeful look.
"...Very well. I suppose it is inevitable." Said Starswirl. The student six then smile and starts hoof/claw bumping each other. "We split up tomorrow, one team will venture out for one week, hunting the Shadow Riders, the other will stay here and protect the school. We must split up strategically, so that one full set of the elements both goes out, and stays behind. Three Pillars, three Students."
"Are you sure that is safe? They're kids..." Twilight looks to the students like a mother hen.
"We will keep them safe dearie, don't you worry." Mistmane places her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. Twilight looks at her, after thinking for a bit she then nods.
"The teams will be as follows. The first team to go out will consist of me, Rockhoof, Somnambula, Sandbar, Smolder, and Gallus. The second team to stand guard for the first week will be Flash, Mistmane, Mage Meadowbrook, Yona, Ocellus, and Silverstream. This way we have one of each element together at all times, it will be safer that way." Starswirl laid out the plan, writing down his plan into a new journal he had acquired.
"You three, I suggest you pack for tomorrow. It's no telling where we may go." Said Somnabula to the three students.
"Where exactly will we go?" Asked Sandbar.
"Wherever the shadows hide. We will feel the elements pulling us towards our targets." Rockhoof reasured.
"What are we going to do for food, or shelter?" Asked Smolder.
"We'll buy supplies, and if we cannot find inns to stay in, then we shall camp." Said Starswirl.
"This is going to be awesome! Shadow Rider Hunters!" Exclaimed Gallus. Starswirl rolls his eyes and sternly instructs them to go and pack for the journey. All the students leave to help each other pack up for their quest. Twilight looks back towards the infirmary door, Mistmane then approaches Twilight to comfort her more.
"You can go back in and sit with your friend dearie, you and your friends have done enough." Mistmane spoke softly.
"We haven't done enough until the Pony of Shadows is defeated." Said Twilight. "He's taken two of my friends...and my brother Spike... that is already too much to bear, but if the same happens to my students....I...I will...." Said Twilight as tears form in her eyes again.
"You need to have hope Twilight. Hope is something you should never lose. You lose your hope, you lose everything." Said Somnambula. "I promise you, we will not let a single thing happen to the students. We will put ourselves first before them." Twilight turns to face her and nods.
"...I trust you. Thank you." Said Twilight. She turns again and enters the infirmary to be with her friends. Meanwhile, all the students were gathered in Smolder's and Sandbar's room as they helped their friends pack. Gallus even brought his stuff into their room so he could pack with them.
"This is going to be so intense! We are going out to hunt Shadow Riders!" Exclaimed Smolder, putting a few extra blue jackets in her back pack.
"No fair that Yona friends get to go out first." Yona huffed, sitting in a corner.
"Give us a week Yona and you'll have your turn." Said Sandbar as he packed.
"Yeah, but this will be two weeks that all of us will be separated." Ocellus had a sad expression on her face.
"Yeah, but we can bring our crystal balls to stay in touch." Said Gallus.
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot about those! Since we see each other everyday we stopped using them for a bit." Said Silverstream. Sandbar, Smolder, and Gallus make sure to put their crystal balls in their saddlebags/backpack. They soon feel like they have packed the essentials, After that, Sandbar and smolder look at their friends. They were all looking at the ground and had sad expressions on their faces.
"Hey, are you guys alright? Asked Sandbar.
"We...we were kinda wondering." Ocellus Ocellus scratches her foreleg with her hoof.
"Yona and friends are really gonna miss other friends. Yona knows we have the crystal balls, but it not the same." Yona softly spoke.
"So... we wanted to know, for tonight, can we sleep in here with you guys? Before you have to leave, so we are together one last time before the trip." asked Ocellus with puppy dog eyes. Both Sandbar and Smolder smile.
"Of course you guys can. Shoot, you don't even need to ask." Said Smolder.
"I'll go air up the air mattresses." Said Sandbar, standing up and approaching the closet. The others smile widely and hug each other. As Sandbar airs up the mattresses, Smolder grabs the mattresses from their beds and lays them out on the floor. When the Air mattresses are all aired up, he puts them up against the other mattresses. "There, we all have a place to sleep." Said Sandbar. The six students quickly lay down on the beds and continued talking to each other until it was late. The next morning, Somnabula gently opens the door to wake up the students. She peeks in and smiles and sees that all of them are sleeping together. She smiles seeing them, she knew that they all had a very strong bond together, and a friendship that may see the end of all this craziness.
End of Chapter 11