The group finally found the farm, Rainbow could've guessed it was it when she first saw it; her impatience being slightly uplifted. Under better circumstances, it would've been a welcoming sight but unfortunately, Fluttershy was still being held against her will by bandits.
"Here we are! St John's family dairy." Andy announced as they walked up the trail leading to the farmhouse.
The farm resembled somewhat of a heavenly garden with how everything else in the world looked like. The sky actually looked great with the farm. Grass was neatly trimmed and no ransacked establishments nearby.
Stacks of hay, here and there. The fence that surrounded the farm was made out of basic wood, an electrical wire wrapped around it. There was a corn field to their left and a shed to their right.
"There's the fence that ah was talkin' about." Andy gestured to the fence. The others glanced at it for a moment before continuing along the trail.
"The fence keeps them out?" Mark asked.
"You betcha, they fry like bugs in a zapper. We're pushin' four-thousand volts through that thing with generators and amps!"
"I'll just assume that's a lot," Carley said.
It would've been great, a painful nostalgia, seeing this place for the first time. Applejack found her mind going back to her farm. The orchard. She hoped she would find the time to admire this place, take a seat under one of the trees; somewhere secluded and just relax.
They came across a gate, a steel sage sign with the name "St. John" engraved on it. Danny pushed it open.
"Okay, we're here now. Can we get our guns and start moving?" Rainbow said.
"Yeah, in a minute-"
"No, not a minute. We're wasting time here, we should be out there looking for my friend." She said, hastily cutting off Andy.
"She's right," Lee agreed. "Look, I mean no disrespect but our friend is out there and who knows how much time she has left."
Rainbow offered a brief smile at the man. "Exactly!"
Andy sighed, nodding. "Alright... Danny, could-"
"Ah thought ah so y'all with company comin' down the drive!" A lady with auburn colored hair who looked to be in her mid fifties came over to them.
Rainbow lowly grunted, her impatience and irritability coming back almost instantly. She didn't want to meet all these new people, she couldn't give a damn about meeting these people; she just wanted her friend back. Applejack must've heard as she laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Oh, uh guys, this here's our mama." Andy introduced.
"I'm Brenda St. John and welcome to the St. John Dairy!" She said, an enthusiastic smile on her face.
"Cool! Now, can we start packing!?" Rainbow exclaimed, the expression's on the St. Johns, well more so the brothers, changing slightly.
"Come on Dash, just relax a bit, alright?" Mark interjected, a frown on his face
"Uh, this is relaxed! This is as relaxed as I can be, you know, considering that my friend has been taken by bandits!" The gall on this guy... . Rainbow shook her head, scoffing at the four-eyed dweeb.
"Oh, bandits!? Oh mah, ah'm so sorry 'bout that sweetheart." Brenda said. "Is your friend okay?"
Rainbow fixed her with an are-you-serious look before giving a very simple answer. "No."
"Well, sweetheart if there's anythin' we could do to help-"
The fired up hothead perked up immediately, stepping forward. "Weapons! Do you guys have weapons? Guns?" The rest of the group, save for Lee and Applejack... and maybe Ben, wasn't too pleased with how Rainbow was acting. They understood that her friend was in danger but there were other ways to go about helping her.
The St. Johns were offering food, a resource they needed badly and Rainbow was making things worse for them.
"Oh, uh... Danny can show you where they're at but surely you're not goin' out there on your own, are you?" Brenda asked, concerned marked across her face. The St. John brothers shared a frown with one another but otherwise kept quiet.
"Probab-"
"No, she ain't. Ah'm goin' with her." Applejack said, cutting her off.
"I am too." Lee said, shortly after. He looked back at the others in the group. "You guys going to be alright on your own?"
Mark nodded. "Yeah, we're good."
"They'll be safe here, don'chu worry." Brenda said with a warming smile before looking back at her son. "Danny, could you show miss... uh, what was your name again?" She asked, looking back at Rainbow Dash.
"Dash," she quickly replied.
"Right, could you show miss Dash where the weapons are at?"
Danny nodded. "Come on, y'all." He waved them over, walking toward the farmhouse.
Rainbow eagerly followed with Applejack and Lee tailing behind.
They walked over to the farmhouse sat on top of the hill. They went inside and were greeted by two rooms. The right lead into a dining room and the left lead into a bathroom. There was a set of stairs in front of them leading to the second floor and a hallway just past it.
As they moved through the house, Applejack felt a sense of nostalgia, being surrounded in a familiar setting. She sighed dejectedly.
They went into the hallway which lead into a room that resembled something of a lounge. An old square box television sat up by the window, a two-seater couch accompanied by a bunch of wardrobes on the left side of the room; a backdoor to the house over near the right corner.
Danny opened one of the wardrobes, presenting the trio behind him to a decent arsenal of weapons. There were two rifles, two scopes and three handguns; one of them a revolver and other two colt 1911; although, one of them looked rusty. "Take your pick." He said before taking one of the rifles and attaching one of the scopes to it.
The three of them exchanged a look before helping themselves. Lee was the first to take one of the weapons. He took the rifle as well as Danny did and grabbed one of the scopes.
"I'm keeping this." Rainbow said, tapping the empty rifle she had.
Danny nodded. "Fair enough." He opened one of the drawers in the wardrobe; presenting a few boxes of ammo. "Andy likes keepin' it organized, in case of emergencies."
Rainbow ushered him out of the way before helping herself to one of the boxes and began loading her rifle.
Applejack took the revolver, gazing down at the dangerous piece of metal. The weapon wasn't making her nervous because she's handled them in the past when hunting for animals. It was the fact that they were going into a fight and it's safe to say, people were going to die.
Killing animals was one thing. That was hard enough the first time around but killing a human? She never actually thought she would be here, in this world, long enough to commit such an atrocity. They weren't ponies but that didn't matter, they were practically the same anyway except one was more prone to violence.
Applejack understood full well that Fluttershy was being held by bandits and that she would do what she can to get her back but that didn't mean all her doubts of killing a human would dissipate.
She glanced to her right, watching Rainbow load up her rifle, seemingly unbothered by the whole thing. She might have just been dead keen about getting Fluttershy back.
That was the problem Applejack had... killing. She wanted to get Fluttershy back too and she was going to kill in order to get her back; which is something she had never done before.
Rainbow may be completely unbothered by the fact that they would need to kill in order to get her back. Applejack, however, wasn't.
She let out a trembly exhale before digging her hand into the drawer and began loading her revolver. She just needed to remember, they started it. They took Fluttershy...
The group wandered through the woods, Rainbow and Danny in front while Lee and Applejack guarded the back.
"You sure, you don't know where their camp is?" Danny asked.
"I was running through the woods. Everything looks the same out here, how am I supposed to know?" Rainbow replied, annoyed.
"A little bit of insight would be nice." He muttered.
They headed down the path they took with the motor-inn, to where Rainbow had caught up with them. They continued on from there. Unfortunately, her memory was too vague to remember what directions Rainbow had took off in. The army of trees didn't help either.
"You okay?" Lee asked, noticing Applejack's reserved posture.
She sighed. "Just a lil nervous is all."
"You'll be fine."
"Yeah, ah will be. Need to anyhow." There was constant thumping in her chest, the expectation of coming across the bandit camp growing by the second.
"Just remember, we're here too."
She nodded understandably. "Yeah, ah know. It's... ah ain't never killed a person before."
Lee's eyes fell to the ground for a second, a troubled look on his face before they returned back to the farmer. "I-I never killed anyone either. Walkers is one thing but people...?"
"Ah know what you mean... honestly? Even though they're bad people and they took... my friend... it still don't feel right..."
"It's not like they're leaving us much choice."
"Y'think we might be able to talk it out with 'em?"
As Lee was about to respond, Rainbow Dash stopped and interrupted him. "Talk it out? Why would you wanna talk it out?" She said, approaching her.
Applejack frowned. "Because ah ain't quite comfortable with killin' people?"
"We kill animals all the time, what's the difference!?"
The farmer fixed her with an incredulous expression. "What do ya mean 'what's the difference'!? There's a huge difference!"
"No, there isn't." Rainbow threw the barrel of her rifle into the dirt beneath her and began leaning on the butt of the gun.
"We kill animals for survival. Because we're hungry."
"Yeah, exactly! We kill for survival! The bandits have taken Fluttershy! All the more reason for us to kill them!"
"Do you even hear shit that you're spewin' right now!?" Applejack snapped.
Rainbow raised a brow before removing the mouth of the gun from the dirt. "Applejack, we need to kill them! They are way too dangerous to be left alive! What if this happens to someone else, I-I-I mean who's to say that it already hasn't. It's the whole reason why we brought the guns to begin with!"
"No, the whole reason why we brought 'em is to protect ourselves."
"Yeah, 'protect'. Protect us by killing the bandits!"
Applejack scoffed. "Honestly, ah don't see the reason why you're so dead set on wantin' to kill anyway. Why can't we just talk it out instead of wastin' our resources and ammo!?"
"This is a waste of time!" Danny interjected. When Rainbow's head snapped toward him, he quickly elaborated. "We ain't gon' find your friend if we're standin' here hollerin' at each other! How about we just keep movin' yeah?"
"He's right, we'll deal with this we find the camp but for now, we'll just keep looking? We can't be arguin' like this if we're in a fight." Lee added, glancing back and forth between Applejack and Rainbow.
A few moments passed, Rainbow threw a glare at her friend which was returned. "I'm not wasting my time making 'small talk' with bandits, Applejack. When we find them, we kill them, end of story." She walked off before Applejack got a chance to respond.
Applejack stared at her for a moment longer; keeping her glare on her. Danny quietly groaned, shaking his head before following her down the trail. Lee looked at her worryingly before she finally continued down the trail.
Lee agreed with Applejack on not wanting to kill anyone despite him already committing the act once but if it came down to it, he would. He also hoped that this wasn't going to be an issue when they finally find the camp, those two can't be yelling at each other while they're getting shot at.
They took cover behind a few trees, the large brushes successfully masking them. "I'm pretty sure this is it!" Rainbow whispered, looking in at the camp with eagerness. She wasn't as fidgety or impatient as before.
The camp they arrived upon appeared to be very similar to what Dash saw last time. The rusty wooden shack was what caught her attention, when they moved closer; they saw tents set up in a circular formation, confirming that it was the camp site she last saw.
"Is this all of them?" Lee said, aiming his rifle and scoping out the area.
The problem that was made very quickly to Rainbow Dash was the fact that most of the camp was almost deserted. Only two of the men she saw last time were there, sitting over by the fire; cooking something and seemed to be chatting with each other.
She shook her head as she glanced around the camp. "No, there was supposed to be more. Like ten or eleven, I think?"
"Where do you think they're at?" Danny asked, his rifle was locked on one of the men.
"Maybe we could get some information. Let's get closer, we'll listen to what they're saying." Lee suggested.
"Good idea," Rainbow replied.
They edged closer to the camp albeit at a turtle's pace; it was stress inducing to do so. Besides Rainbow and Danny, Lee and Applejack were being extra quiet; not wanting to alert the bandits. Soon enough they were able to get a good angle and they began listening in.
"-of what you're talkin' about."
"How do you not understand!? Ah literally spelt it out to you, moron!"
"Whatever, I don't care anymore. Anyway, how long before this thing finishes?" The man reached over to touch the animal they were cooking only to end up with his hand getting slapped.
"Don't fuckin' touch it! Ah found it!" The one with a white jacket and beanie said; a light skinned man with a brown beard.
"So, you ain't gon' share?"
"...Nah, maybe, I dunno."
The one with a purple jacket and sunglasses; also a light skinned man, tossed his hands up in confusion. "It's either a yes or no question, can I have some?"
"Alright, then... no, you ain't havin' none!"
"Selfish."
"Moron."
The one with the shades folded his arms. There was a pause between them, the bandit with the beard picked up a stick and began prodding at the animal; fire popping as he did it.
"You know that girl Steve found?"
"...What about her?" The one with the beard raised a brow, his voice sounding slightly low and discouraged.
Rainbow felt a spike in her heart rate at the mention of Fluttershy and began listening attentively; unknowingly, her grip tightened around her rifle.
"She's... s-she's not gonna be around much longer, is she?"
"I dunno..."
"Yeah well, I'm glad they took her into the woods."
"Mhm."
"I mean, it was like that girl from last time."
"I don't care and I ain't talkin' about this. Just shuddup, leave me the hell out of it." The bearded bandit seemed as if he'd rather be doing something else.
Rainbow suddenly felt a fired urge and she aimed her gun. It was trained on the bandit with shades and she began striding into the camp. Once she shoved aside the brushes, she pulled the trigger; letting out a loud crunch. The bearded bandit turned instantly but the stock of a rifle was slammed against his face; falling onto his back, clutching to his face as he began kicking up the leaves furiously.
Applejack watched in a state of paralysis as her friend carried out this monstrous act. Lee and Danny went passed her into the camp.
Rainbow heard a gurgling noise coming from her right. She turned to find the bandit that she shot earlier was still alive but motionless, a leaking hole with maroon pouring out of the side of his neck.
Finally gathering the courage to snap out of her shock, Applejack walked out of the woods and joined the rest of her squad. Upon entering, she stared at the bandit groveling on the ground, his fruitless attempts for any ounce of air he could breathe.
She found herself pitying the man and walked closer toward him. The shades he was wearing was gone, off to the side on the ground where it fell off. She glanced toward the bearded bandit who was still rolling in pain before returning her gaze back to the purple jacket bandit.
Rainbow noticed Applejack gazing down at the dying bandit. She walked over to her, the farmer didn't acknowledge her presence. "Want me to finish it?"
Applejack turned to Rainbow, an loathsome look in her eyes. "Step away. Now."
She kept her eyes locked onto her 'friend' before she shook her head and returned to the bearded bandit. Once she had stepped away, Applejack looked down at her revolver before reluctantly raising it on the dying bandit and squeezed the trigger.
Lee guarded the bearded bandit. He was slowly regaining his composure, his nose crooked and leaking with blood. Rainbow pushed past Lee, tossing the rifle before grabbing the man by his collar. "Where is she?" Came her simple question, one that left room for no negotiation.
The bandit didn't say anything at first, his face stuck with a confused expression. "W-who're you-"
"The girl that you brought! The one that Steve brought! Where is she!? Where did you take her!?" Rainbow snapped.
He held up his hands for a second before he began pointing to his left, another trail accompanied by a large brush of leaves on both sides.
"That's where they took her?"
The bandit nodded, an unreadable look in his eye. "Yeah, probably about... half an hour ago... I dunno." Rainbow shoved him to the ground. "H-hey, I... didn't do anythin'." He said, propping himself up.
Rainbow had a strange look in her eye as she silently panted. "Yeah, you didn't." She started walking over to the rifle she tossed earlier.
Already knowing what she planned to do, Applejack approached her instantly. "Hey, Rainbow!"
The wonderbolt fixed her with a burning glare. "What do you want, Applejack?" She said, her voice laced with venom.
"Ah'm stoppin' you from losin' your darn mind."
She paused for a second before her glare morphed into a befuddled expression. "Losing my mind? Did you not hear what he just said!?"
"Yeah, ah heard-"
"No, you didn't! You're full of it! You're more concerned for them then you are of Fluttershy!"
"She's right. It's dangerous leavin' him alive." Danny casually agreed.
"So, you think we should just kill 'em?"
"Well, better him than us."
"We shouldn't kill him, he hasn't done anything to us." Lee said.
Rainbow scowled at him. "He hasn't done anything!? Are you serious!?"
"Yeah, I am." Lee didn't falter and his stern look remained. "We all heard what he was saying. he didn't want any part in it."
"Yeah, exactly! He didn't do anything, he just stood there and breathed! Did absolutely nothing!"
His rifle was trained on the grounded bandit. "We are not killing him." He gestured for him to get up.
The weight on Applejack's chest lifted slightly, grateful for Lee being here and having an actual moral compass; unlike these other two psychopaths.
"So what? We're just going to let him go!? Like that!? No punishment!?" Rainbow shouted.
He ignored her and began checking the bandit's pockets, his hands frozen in the air. Once Lee had confirmed he had no weapons, he jerked the rifle to the side. "Go."
The bandit frowned, glancing behind him. "W-where?"
"Anywhere, just go. If you see a farm anywhere near here, you walk the other direction and don't look back. You understand?" He said, his stern look stuck like a boulder between a crevice.
The bearded bandit nodded, his gaze locked on the rifle.
Rainbow stared daggers at the man; her finger twitching to pull the trigger. He hesitantly stumbled away from the camp and into the woods, leaving rustling in his wake.
"Feels like we just made a mistake." Danny commented.
"You keep tellin' yourself that Danny but ah like to think we made a good decision by bein' decent."
Rainbow immediately stepped up to her. "Your 'decency' is what's gonna get our friends killed Applejack. Come on." She said, stepping around her and toward the trail where the bandit pointed earlier.
They ran down the lane for a few moments with Rainbow taking the lead. It wasn't long before they heard grunts, coupled by sickening wheezing. "Fluttershy..." Rainbow muttered before running further along the trail.
Before she knew it, she found herself at a clearing. A bloody, gruesome scene. As if she had just taken a shower that rained blood, there was a girl repeating the same vicious action over and over again. It was Fluttershy, she knew it was but she was so unrecognizable.
With some sort of knife in hand, she hammered down on the bloodied corpse. Over and over again. There were others that were laid out just as bloody as the last one.
"Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, slowly edging near the clearing.
"Jesus, lord almighty," Danny muttered as he saw the display.
Applejack was caught between a mix of distress and concern as she gazed upon the clearing. The air didn't smell fresh, it was musty; hot in a strange sense.
Upon hearing her name, Fluttershy's rhythmic stabbing suddenly stopped; her head snapped up anxiously. Her eyes darted between the members of the group before they landed on Rainbow. "R-Rainbow Dash?"
Lee grimaced, rubbing at his mouth.
The wonderbolt was over in a flash, Applejack walked over afterwards.
"Fluttershy! A-are you okay!? A-are you hurt!?" Rainbow worriedly expressed as she looked over her blood-soaked friend.
The girl in question looked down at her fingers, the knife, unable to find the urge to be disgusted by the acts she had done.
"Hey." Rainbow gently lifted the girl's chin. "Are you okay?"
Almost in a dazed-like trance, she slowly shook her head; letting go off the knife.
Applejack looked around the bloody clearing, bodies everywhere. They all looked identical, multiple stab wounds; the putrid smell. Her mind had crashed as it attempted to process what had happened.
Fluttershy had slaughtered all of these people. Fluttershy, the one who was too afraid to speak, too afraid to hunt an animal, ended up doing all of this.
The farmer walked closer toward her two friends. "It's gonna be okay, Fluttershy. We're here now."
Rainbow threw her an stern look before scoffing. She helped Fluttershy up from the ground, holding both her hands.
"We should start headin' back, still got things to do at the dairy," Danny said.
Rainbow nodded at him before looking back at Fluttershy. "Are you good to walk?"
Fluttershy nodded simply nodded, keeping her stunned look on her friend's eyes.
"Okay." Rainbow said, nodding herself and keeping her close to her.
With that, the group began their walk back to the St. John farm; leaving the stench-filled clearing.