Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy were sitting on the extendable picnic chairs. Pinkie, Ben and Trixie decided to sit on the ground since there were not enough chairs for all of them.
"Fluttershy, you were kidnapped?" Twilight gently asked, not wanting to make the girl nervous.
Fluttershy had a thoughtful look on her face. "Yes."
"What... what happened? I thought you were out hunting with Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie Pie asked, frowning.
"I was but I ran away because I got scared," Fluttershy simply admitted, no difficulty in doing so and surprising even herself. She'd usually be ashamed of admitting things like that, saying she was afraid although it was clear that she was. "When we were out looking for food, we heard a scream. Me and Rainbow didn't know what it was so, we thought to check it out and that's when we met... Ben and his teacher. His leg got stuck in some sort of trap."
"Yes, Trixie remembers that," Trixie interjected. "That's when Lee and Kenny showed up with them. The teacher was missing a leg."
The group shared a look of disgust, remembering the awful sight. Fluttershy, oddly enough, did not seem to be sickened by the image of a missing leg at all. "Mhm, Lee couldn't get him out so... he cut off his leg with the axe."
"Dear Celestia," Rarity muttered, cringing as everyone else did.
"He couldn't get him out any other way?" Twilight asked.
Fluttershy shook her head. "No, the trap wouldn't open but I got scared and ran away. I didn't know how long I ran for but when I stopped, somebody came up behind me and started to... choke me." She paused for a moment, her eyes falling to the ground.
Rarity leaned over, placing a hand on the girl's thigh. "It's okay, darling, you don't have to continue." Trixie's morbid curiosity hoped she continued.
Fluttershy looked down at her friend's hand, staring at it for a moment when suddenly an angered look appeared on the girl's face and she forcibly removed it. Rarity seemed to be bothered by this but she kept quiet, rubbing her hand.
Twilight frowned. "When Lee and the others came back, he told me you and Rainbow were still out hunting for food."
Fluttershy shook her head. "I wasn't hunting, I was running away. I got so scared that I just wanted to get out of there."
"R-Rainbow wanted him to tell you that," Ben suddenly interjected, drawing the other's attention. "She didn't want you to worry."
Twilight's frown deepened. "Really? So, she lied?"
"I-I... y-yeah, I guess," Ben answered, unsure.
"When I woke up," Fluttershy abruptly continued, drawing the attention back to herself. "I was surrounded by... these people. They were wearing masks, actually, most of them were. Not all of them. But when I woke up, a few of them dragged me further into the woods." She recalled, a wide-open stare in her eyes as if she were deep in thought. "They wanted to..." she trailed off. The others seemingly caught on to what she was insinuating and became further disturbed.
"Okay, Fluttershy, you don't have to-"
"They wanted to do something to me, down there." Fluttershy interrupted, gesturing to her pelvic region and silencing Twilight.
The group already knew what she meant but to hear her say it and make it clear that, that was exactly what she meant; caused everybody to wince in disgust.
"That's wonderful," Trixie bitterly muttered. "We're living right next door to a pack of animals." She said, folding her arms.
"Sick, disgusting barbarians," Rarity said, her eyes nearly tearing up.
Pinkie, Twilight and Ben stayed silent but the disgust was clear on their faces. Pinkie looked torn, clasping her hands together with a worried frown. Twilight seemed indignant, a deep scowl on her face as her eyes cast downward and Ben appeared distressed.
"Did they do anything to you?" Twilight asked, the scowl still on her face. "Did they... assault you?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "No, they didn't."
Everyone felt the relief that passed through them. The anger in Twilight settled slightly.
"Rainbow and Applejack saved you?" Pinkie Pie inquired, an expecting smile on her face.
"No, they didn't. I killed the bandits." The girl was met with a series of shocked, confused looks. Ben already knew what had happened as he had already gotten the story from Lee and the others. "Applejack, Rainbow, Lee? They arrived afterward."
"Y-You... killed them all?" Rarity asked.
Fluttershy nodded. "Uh huh."
"Well, I'm not gonna be losing any sleep over it," Trixie said. "Was it like... two of them? Two bandits?"
"No. There was plenty of them, I don't know how much exactly but I killed them all. Slaughtered and butchered them... and I would do it again. "
The others shared a confused and concerned look as the girl admitted the statement. They won't deny that the bandits got what they deserved but to hear the girl who is usually so timid and kind be so blatantly open about murdering someone was... unsettling.
A frown took its place on Twilight's features. "Fluttershy, are you... okay?"
"Yes," she replied, facing her directly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I'm just... just worried, is all."
"Well, I said I'm fine. The bandits didn't do anything to me... I am okay, Twilight." Fluttershy assured her, her face still blank.
Twilight didn't buy it. She didn't push her on it instead, nodded and offered a smile. "Alright, well, I'm glad."
Hours had passed and the sun disappeared over the distant trees; taking away the blue hue of the sky and leaving darkness.
Twilight was posted on top of the R.V., it was her turn to keep watch. Starlight had shifted over an hour ago, going into one of the rooms to settle in for the night. Pinkie and Applejack were the only ones who were awake, staying up with Twilight. Applejack had awoken from her nap a while ago, whereas Pinkie simply wasn't tired.
Twilight was starting to grow worried as the night went on, wondering where the rest of the group was and why they weren't back yet. She frankly hated keeping watch at night. Everything was worse, staring at those woods on the other side of the street was downright eerie.
She constantly expected to see a silhouette, some black figure standing over by the bushes. Not moving, just standing still; watching, observing, stalking them. It was creepy, to say the least.
"Twilight?" She jumped, eyes shooting open. She looked down to see Pinkie, standing by the corner of the R.V., an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you."
Twilight took a breath to steady herself. "It's fine, don't apologize. I'm just a bit... creeped out."
"Are you afraid of the dark?" Pinkie asked, genuinely curious.
Twilight frowned. "It's not that I'm afraid of the dark. It's more about finding something in the dark." She threw a glance over at the woods to find nothing there.
"Oh okay." Pinkie followed her line of sight. "... The group isn't back yet," she said after a few moments.
"Yeah, I know," Twilight replied.
"Do you think they're okay? They've been gone for a while"
Twilight sighed. "I know."
"Maybe the bandits got them?"
"Don't say that. That's the last thing I wanna think about right now."
"But what if they had?" Applejack came over, a serious look on their face.
"Then obviously we're gonna have to do something about it," Twilight answered.
Pinkie frowned, eyes darting to the ground. "Hm, I don't know... I just get this feeling that something might've gone wrong."
"Why do ya say that?" Applejack inquired.
A slight grimace came onto the party girl's face as her frown got deeper. "I don't know, it's just a weird feeling."
"Is this another one of those hunches?" Twilight asked.
"I think so..." Pinkie said, her face still engrossed in a frown.
Twilight and Applejack exchanged a knowing look with each other. Soon enough, Twilight suddenly got a bad feeling. When it came to Pinkie's "senses", they were correct pretty much ninety-nine percent of the time. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember the last time Pinkie's hunches were ever wrong. No matter how strange or far-fetched it sounded.
Twilight frowned, looking down at Applejack. "How do you feel about taking us to the dairy?"
Pinkie suddenly lost her thoughtful frown, looking back up at Twilight. "We're going to the dairy?"
Applejack nodded. "Yeah, ah can do that."
Twilight nodded in return, leaning forward on her chair and planting her elbows on her thighs. "Alright, here's what I suggest. We wait for a little longer just in case they show up, but if they're not back within twenty minutes? We'll go out looking for them. How does that sound with you two?"
"Who's gonna stay back?" Pinkie asked. "Someone has to watch over the motor inn."
"I don't know, we'll just wake one of them up," Twilight answered.
"Ah think we should bring maybe one or two with us. Ah'd feel safer if there were four or five of us, rather than just three," Applejack suggested.
"Who do you suggest?" Twilight inquired.
The farmer's eyes darted away for a moment before they returned to Twilight's gaze. "Starlight? Maybe Trixie?"
Twilight frowned as she thought about bringing her student. She was a good choice, or at least she seemed to be a good choice. She and Lilly practically lead the motor inn. As for Trixie, she only ever helped whenever she needed to or was asked to. The magician never really did anything on her own accord. "Starlight, we'll bring her."
Applejack nodded. "Okay, ah suppose now we wait." The farmer walked off, taking a seat in one of the extendable chairs.
As time passed, Twilight only began to grow more anxious. Even though it was only a few minutes, it still seemed like hours as she was waiting for the group to show up. She hoped Pinkie's "feeling" was just a feeling although, it was highly unlikely; given the numerous occasions past.
Pinkie walked over to Applejack who was still sitting on the chair, seemingly in deep contemplation. "Applejack?"
The farmer snapped out of her thoughts, looking at her cousin. "Pinkie?"
She took a seat beside her in one of the chairs. "How far is the dairy? Is it like an hour?"
Applejack frowned. "Ah dunno. Maybe around half an hour? forty-five minutes, somethin' like that."
Pinkie nodded. "Oh right, right..."
As the minutes flew by, Twilight found herself wishing the group would just pop out of the woods with a whole assortment of food. Wishful thinking was all it was. She looked over to the woods and waited. Waited for a rustle, leaves crunching but nothing came. It was just dead silent and before she knew it, twenty minutes had passed.
Twilight rubbed her face, sighed through her nose and got up; bringing the rifle with her. She glanced at the woods, her gaze lingered for a few moments. Still nothing. She lowly grunted. "Dammit..." she climbed down the R.V. and walked over to Pinkie and Applejack.
Noticing her, Pinkie stood up from the chair. "Are we going now?"
Twilight hesitantly nodded. "Yes, get ready."
Pinkie and Applejack glanced at one another before they left to fetch a weapon.
Twilight walked to Starlight's room, up to the second floor. It was the second last room. She knocked. "Starlight? It's me, Twilight," she announced. "I need to talk to you."
After a few moments, the door opened, revealing an annoyed Starlight. She was in her sleepwear. It was a simple black tee and a pair of striped short shorts. Her hair was messy, flowing down her shoulders. She sighed. "Yes, Twilight?"
"The group isn't back yet," Twilight answered. "We were thinking about going out to the dairy to see if they're okay."
Starlight frowned. "Why? They're probably just late, you don't need to go out there."
"It is late. Far too late for them to be out there, they should be back by now but, they're not. They would've sent somebody back to let us know they're alright."
"...Nobody's back yet?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, a-and besides, Pinkie had a feeling."
Starlight threw her an incredulous look. "What in the hell does that have to do with anything?"
"You know Pinkie. You know how she is and how she gets these..." Twilight waved her hand in front of her, trying to think of the word. "Hunches or predictions, whatever you wanna call it. She's never been wrong."
"Is this another one of those twitchy tail things?" Starlight asked, stepping out of the room and planting one hand on her hip. "'Cause if you hadn't noticed Twilight, she's not a pony. I mean, not anymore. Not a pony anymore."
"It's still a hunch. She says she has a bad feeling. That something happened. Besides that, they've never been wrong even when I wanted them to be."
Starlight stared at her for a moment, her eyes darting down to Pinkie and Applejack waiting in the empty parking lot of the motor inn. She rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and spoke. "Okay, I'll guard the motor inn." She concluded.
"Actually, we wanted you to come with us," Twilight corrected.
Starlight raised a brow. "Come with you? Who's gonna guard the motor inn?"
Twilight shook her head. "I dunno, maybe Trixie or Rarity but we wanted you to come with us."
Starlight sighed through her nose. "Okay, then." She stepped back into the room. "Just give me a minute to get changed."
Twilight nodded. "Yeah, we'll wait for you."
The door closed and Twilight left the second floor. She walked over to Applejack and Pinkie. Applejack was carrying the same rifle she had before and Pinkie was carrying a simple Springfield pistol.
"She comin'?" Applejack asked.
"Yeah, she's just getting ready," Twilight answered.
Applejack huffed. "Wow, she's actually doin' somethin' other than complainin'. 'Bout time." She said causing Twilight to frown.
"Hey! That's not nice." Pinkie interjected.
Applejack shrugged. "Well, it's the truth. All she does is complain about how other people do their jobs. She and Lilly. If ya ask me, it's time to critique how she does her job."
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, still frowning. "This isn't a competition, we're going out to see if the group is okay."
Applejack looked at her for a moment before her eyes darted elsewhere. "Right, sorry..."
"Forget about it," Twilight simply said. "I'm gonna go wake up Rarity."
Once Rarity was awoken and informed of the situation, the fashionista was more than willing to stay and keep watch over the motor inn. Starlight had gotten dressed in a buttoned black shirt and jeans. She was carrying a Glock.
"Be careful out there," Rarity said as the others moved past the blockade.
"We will," Twilight reassured with a smile.
"Make sure you keep an eye on things around here, don't go messing up anything," Starlight interjected.
An empty smile stretched across Applejack's face. "O'course. Shoulda figured you'd do that."
"I'm sorry?" Starlight frowned. "I'm just being logical like I always am."
"No, you ain't. You're just bein' a stuck up-"
"Alright," Twilight interrupted, slightly raising her voice. "This is not what we're here for, let's just focus on getting the group back. Yes?"
The two scoffed but, otherwise, stayed silent.
Twilight glanced back at Rarity who was frowning. "We'll try to hurry back as soon as possible."
"Yes, of course, darling," Rarity replied, glaring at Starlight.
This did not go unnoticed by Twilight. She nodded before facing the group. "Okay, let's go."
The mane four headed across the road before disappearing into the woods; leaving Rarity struggling to push the dumpster back into place.
Soon after the girls left, it started to rain. It was slow at first. Soft little droplets here and there before it gradually increased as they moved further into the woods and before they knew it; it was pouring down on them. Their clothes were drenched in water, their hair wet and stuck to their faces.
"How much further is it!?" Starlight yelled over the sound of the rain. Twilight and Applejack were the ones in front, leading her and Pinkie.
"Should be there in a few minutes!" Applejack replied.
"Ugh, sweet Celestia! This damn rain!"
"It's not that bad!" Pinkie interjected.
"I can barely see or hear anything! How do you even know where you're going!?" Starlight exclaimed.
"Let's just keep moving!" Twilight said. "She said we'll be there in a few minutes, it's not much longer!"
"Yeah, uh, the longer we're out here, the more likely we are to catch a cold!"
"Well, what can you do about it!?" Applejack exclaimed. "You wanna just stand there and complain!?"
"No, I'm walking and complaining!" Starlight rebutted.
"Oh, landsakes, just shut up and quit your whinin'!"
"We should've stayed back at the motor inn instead of wandering out here, getting drenched with water all because the group is taking their time getting back!"
"How're you so sure that they ain't in trouble or anythin' like that!? For all we know, they could've run into a few bandits!"
"They can handle themselves! Kenny and Lilly are with them! Celestia's sake, you're acting like an overprotective mother!" Starlight scoffed, shaking her head.
"At least, ah actually care! Not some heartless sociopath like you! Miss 'ole ah'm gonna enslave a whole village over a cutie mark!"
"Girls, stop it!" Pinkie interjected before Starlight was able to go off on the farmer. "Can we stop fighting with each other, please!?"
Twilight threw a frown in Applejack's direction, disapproving of her snide comment. "She's right. You two have been arguing ever since we left!"
"Me!? She's-" Applejack threw a thumb over her shoulder, at Starlight. "-the one who's always cryin' about everythin'!"
"But you keep responding to her. I've been telling you to ignore her this whole time!"
"Whoa, hang on! You guys were the ones who brought me along! What's the point of bringing me if you aren't even gonna listen to what I have to say!?" Starlight interrupted, a scowl on her face.
"'Cuz we didn't think you'd be bitchin' over. Every. Single. Thing that happens! We brought you with us because we thought you were goin' to be helpful for once! Actually do somethin' besides sittin' on your flank! That's all you do, Starlight! Whine, whine, whine!" Applejack exclaimed.
"Sitting on my flank!?" Starlight repeated. "I'm the one who's always on watch! What do you do!?"
"Repair the fence! Deal with Larry, your marefriend's father!"
Twilight frustratedly wiped away the droplet of water trailing down her face as the two argued with each other.
Starlight scoffed. "My marefriend? What are you even talking about? What Lilly? Oh Okay! So, you're resorting to playground insults, now!? That's childish!"
"Ah might be childish but ah'm right and you know it!" Applejack directed a smug smile back at Starlight.
"Hm, yeah, sure. I don't suppose you and Rarity have something going on with Kenny then, hmm!?" There was a twitch in the farmer's smile that didn't go unnoticed by Starlight. "How you guys are always teaming up against us!? You wanna play that game, A.J.? Then fine, let's do it then!"
"Oh my Celestia! This is ridiculous! Both of you, enough!" Twilight shouted, stopping suddenly and turning toward the two. She had a scowl on her face. "We're supposed to be out here looking for our group and how we are, screaming at each other like foals! This is not a competition! We're out here to make sure the group is fine, that they're okay! You two have been arguing ever since we left the motor inn! For, Celestia's sake, can you both please stop arguing and start focusing on making sure the group is okay!?"
Pinkie glanced worriedly between her friends. Starlight and Applejack were glaring at each other and Twilight seemed to be fed up with the whole ordeal. Rightfully so, she's been trying to calm them down ever since they left. Applejack wasn't helping the situation in no way shape or form, she constantly fired back at Starlight. She was already worried before but now, Pinkie was becoming increasingly concerned with how the two are interacting with one another. It wasn't just Applejack either, Rarity usually sided with her. But, to be fair, Starlight was always the one who... started the conflict.
As much as Pinkie hated to admit it, she hated conflict. Especially when it came to her friends. They would fight back in Equestria, of course, but it would never escalate to this degree.
"U-Uh, yeah, let's just keep looking for our friends," she said, glancing nervously between Starlight and Applejack.
"Ah don't need to do that," Applejack grunted causing Twilight and Pinkie to turn toward her in disapproval. "We're here."
Twilight frowned, turning to see a house in the distance. Past the few trees and bushes, the house's lights were on, shining amid the dark and cloudy sky. From the light, Twilight could make out a farm. The surrounding area seemed empty, void of any people and walkers. Lee, Kenny, Lilly or any of the others were nowhere in sight.
"Where is everybody?" Pinkie asked, looking over the farm.
Twilight shook her head. "Maybe they're inside the house."
The mane four exchanged concerned looks with one another before walking up the path, leading to the St. John's farmhouse. There was still heavy rain pouring down on them like a waterfall and their faces were locked with grimaces as droplets assaulted their faces.
They walked over to the gate, noticing the St. John sign on it. They still haven't come across anyone.
Twilight pushed open the gate, noting the large open barn further to their left. To their right was a significantly smaller structure, she presumed it to be a shed of some kind.
As they stepped further onto the farm, muffled voices could barely be heard coming from the house. As the girls listened in, their hearts plummeted as they heard the conversation that took place.
"What're we thinkin'?" A feminine voice said.
"The kids we'll keep alive!" A deep voice replied. "They can be used as bait, people ain't just gonna leave a kid out there alone. We'll kill the rest of them, there's a shit load. They'll keep us fed for months."
"The hell!?" Starlight exclaimed under her breath.
"What does that mean!?" Pinkie hushed, alarmed.
Twilight sneaked a glance beside her, at Applejack who had a solemn frown on her face. The farmer held up her rifle and they silently trekked onward.
"Okay, Starlight, you and Pinkie-"
A loud crack exploded in the area, a grunt instantly came afterward. Twilight felt herself pale as she saw Applejack falling to the ground, her hat falling off her head.
"What the hell!?" Starlight shouted.
Another crack rang out causing the three remaining girls to disperse immediately, running separately in different directions.
Panting, her heart racing faster than Rainbow can fly, Pinkie jumped into cover behind the large barn. The girl panted, her hands shaking rapidly as she held the Springfield.
That was a gunshot, Pinkie concluded, panicking. She saw her friend fall to the ground. Applejack had gotten shot. She's dead. Her best friend was dead. She just saw her friend get shot and die.
Shaking and still panting, Pinkie slowly peeked around the corner, catching Applejack's groveling figure and her eyes widened.
Twilight breathlessly dived behind the shed. She panted, her eyes wide open. She peeked around the corner, immediately catching sight of Applejack's figure. "Applejack!" She shouted as her eyes stayed locked on her friend.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out and she dipped her head back into cover.
Applejack was dead. Her best friend was dead. Just like that, no goodbye or farewell. She was just killed off in the blink of an eye. She was gone... . Twilight gripped the rifle she had in her hands as her eyes teared up. She gripped the weapon hard, squeezing it and clenching her teeth. She shut her eyes tightly.
Applejack was dead. Someone killed her best friend...
"What the hell was that!?" The feminine voice in the house exclaimed.
"Ah'll go check-"
"Help! Kenny! Lee!" Twilight recognized the voice immediately. It was Katjaa.
"Shuddup or we're gonna-" The feminine voice grew lower and Twilight was unable to make out what was being said.
Still gripping her weapon, she peeked around the corner, scanning every inch of the farm. Her blood began to boil as she failed to figure out where the shooter was. She was going to kill him. Her. Or them, whoever it was. She was going to murder these psychopaths. They killed her friend, after everything they've been through and she just dies in such a frivolous way. As if she did not matter in the slightest.
Twilight paused for a moment, her eyes lingering on Applejack's figure for a moment before dipping back into the cover.
Starlight snuck around to the left side. There was a bungalow she saw, a faint outline of a silhouette was there but it had snuck around the corner of the house. She ran after it, her finger on the trigger.
As she moved around the corner of the house, she saw a glimpse of the figure before it ran past another corner. She ran, planting herself against the wall. Her heart raced. Her hands were wrapped around the grip of the Glock, abnormally still. As she stared ahead.
Applejack had gotten shot. She didn't have time to make sure if she was still alive when another gunshot rang out and by then, Starlight had already booked it. Whether Applejack was still alive or not, didn't matter. To her, the shooter was still alive and scurrying around like a rat and was going to start shooting again. Starlight steadied herself, gripping the pistol tighter and taking a deep breath.
She turned the corner and spotted somebody with a masculine frame. He was wearing a polo shirt and a pair of slacks and was posted behind a nearby tree. He was holding a rifle, aiming it forward as if he were about to shoot.
Starlight quickly drew her weapon and fired a few shots at the man. She heard a yelp and she fired a few more shots into the man, and he soon dropped to the ground.
She ran over, her gun still aimed at him. She heard the groaning, the man was crawling on the ground pathetically. Starlight got a better look at him. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties and had black short hair.
There were a few bloody puncture wounds on the man's back and he rolled over, facing Starlight. "W-wh-who... the hell..." he struggled out, grunting.
As she stared at the man bleeding out below her, a sense of guilt started to pass through her. Her gun was still drawn on him. "Where is my group!?" She shouted.
"W-w-what?" The man grunted out.
"The group that came here earlier! Hours ago! Where are they!?"
The man was going to answer when he suddenly started to convulse, a series of wet inhales and exhales until a long drawn-out breath left him. He stared into Starlight's eyes as the life in his quickly drained, leaving an expressionless face.
Starlight stared at the man for a moment, a feeling of regret passing through her. She knew exactly what needed to be done, it was dangerous to try and spare this man even after what he did to Applejack. She wasn't going to consider it anyhow, regardless of what she was feeling right now. This man had shot Applejack and tried to kill them, he deserved it; yet, she still felt guilty about doing it. Ending this man's life.
This was her first time killing. She's killed before. Animals. They were different. Humans were a whole different thing.
She knew that it needed to be done but, she can't help but feel guilty about it.
Starlight stared at the lifeless man in front of her, feeling the heavy thump in her chest. She didn't know how long she was staring until her eyes fell upon the rifle of the shooter and she knelt to pick it up. Tucking the pistol in the hem of her pants, she aimed the rifle at the man's corpse and pulled the trigger. The rifle jolted with a flash, sending another loud crack throughout the area and a newly-found bullet wound in the man's head. It was done and a long exhale left her.
She looked to her right, down the hill on the lawn was Applejack's motionless figure laying in front of the house and she jogged over to her. Starlight paused before kneeling to check on her. As she rolled the farmer over, a groan suddenly escaped her causing Starlight's eyes to widen. "Applejack?"
The farmer was clutching her right rib, blood seeping through cracks in her fingers. Her face was stuck in a grimace.
She heard rapid footsteps approaching and she turned, aiming the rifle at the source but instantly lowered it when she saw Twilight and Pinkie run over to her.
"Applejack!" Twilight exclaimed, sliding over to her friend.
Pinkie came around to the other side, her hands shaking violently as she tried to comfort her friend.
"I-it's okay, it's okay," Twilight reassured. "You're gonna be fine, you're gonna be fine. Here, let me." She gently moved Applejack's hands out of the way before applying her pair to the wound.
Starlight frowned, looking on in concern. She then noticed the open barn to their left. "Pinkie," she said, turning back to her. "Stay here, I'm gonna see if the group's in the barn."
"Okay." Pinkie shakily nodded and grabbed her pistol.
Starlight's gaze lingered on Applejack for a few moments before she left, walking in direction of the barn. She held the rifle close to her, keeping a pristine eye on anything that seemed off.
She stopped just outside it, peeking in slowly and making sure no one else was around. When she deemed it was empty, she stepped through, the sound of the heavy rain becoming muffled. She got a good look at the interior. A large hall with numerous animal pens on both sides. Strands of hay littered the floor and various farm equipment were scattered around.
At the very end, there were two large doors. She walked toward them, noticing the little gap that separated them. Once she was by the doors, she pushed them aside, her eyes widened at the gruesome contents of the room. Smeared all over the walls and the floor, was dark dried-up crimson. There was a bench that had an extraordinarily large saw attached to it. There was a splatter of blood staining the blade.
Various other farm tools were decorated in the shade of blood. In the right-hand corner, sat a large iron door. She made her way over to it, glancing at the state of the dirty room. She placed her hand on the latch and pulled it. A clicking sound came from the door and she pulled it open.
She was quickly faced with a series of looks in her direction. Some were scowling but most of them were alarmed. What caught Starlight's undivided attention was Larry; or rather, his head and what was left of it, laying in the middle of the room. Some type of square block sat upon Larry's head. Half of his face had been crushed while the bottom half remained. She stood there, mouth agape and her rifle lowered. Lilly was crying, blood splattered all over her torso and face; kneeling by his body.
"Starlight!" Kenny called, a relieved look on his face as he came over. "Shit, come on, we gotta get movin'!" He moved past her, into the room behind her.
"M-moving!? W-what!? What is going on in here!?" Starlight shouted, looking over Larry's corpse in disgust.
"Long story, these people are a bunch of fuckin' cannibals!" Kenny said, in a hushed voice. "They got Katjaa and Duck!"
"What about here!? What, in Celestia's name, happened in here though!?" Starlight gestured toward the body.
"We don't get time to go over everythin'! Those fuckers got my family! We need to get fuckin' movin' now! Come on!" Kenny left the room, into the barn.
She then noticed Rainbow sitting by the corner, clutching at her leg. Lee came over to Starlight with a worried look on his face. "Lee, what happened in here!? Why is Larry dead!? What the hell is going on!?"
Lee sighed, shaking his head. "Larry had a heart attack," he said.
Starlight scoffed. "What!?"
Lee nodded. "Yeah. Me and Lilly... we tried to help him but... Kenny... he thought it was best to put him down."
"You're joking! Kenny killed Larry!?" Starlight exclaimed.
"Yeah, that fucking piece of shit..." Lilly suddenly answered, tearing her gaze away from her father's mutilated corpse. She directed her bloodshot eyes at Starlight.
"Sweet Celestia..." she trailed off, gingerly taking a step into the room. "Lilly, I-I'm..." she didn't finish, unable to do so. She kneeled beside her, planting a gentle hand on her shoulder, her gaze still on the brunette. Lilly nodded, her lips still wobbling.
There was a groan, she looked over at Rainbow standing by the corner who was struggling to stand up. She was using the walls to keep her balanced. "L-look, I'm sorry to say this but we should leave while we still have the chance." She grimaced.
Lee nodded. "She's right," he said softly before walking over to Lilly.
Starlight stepped back and walked over to Rainbow, noticing the blood patch surrounding her ankle. "What happened to you?"
"I was shot in the leg, what does it look like?" Rainbow said.
Starlight shook her head before moving in closer to the flamboyant girl. "Alright, lean on me."
With a look of hesitance, Rainbow threw her arm over her shoulders.
"Is it just you?" Lee asked, standing over by the door.
Starlight shook her head. "No, there are a few others. Me, Twilight, Pinkie and Applejack."
Lee nodded and they exited the room, entering the barn. Lilly was left alone with her father and Clementine stayed with her. As they left the barn, they saw Kenny standing outside by the lawn along with his family but what got them speechless was the fact that Andy was floating in the air. Twilight was in front of him, a deep glare on her face with her palm stretched out toward the man; a faint pink aura surrounded his body.
Twilight threw her hand down, Andy slammed against the ground at an alarming rate. She did it again, throwing her hand down repeatedly and Andy was forced to follow in direction of her hand; mercilessly. He slammed against the ground, creating a splash from the water that soaked the lawn, wet thuds as he was thrown continuously against it; at heart-stopping speed. It ended as she slammed her palm down one last time, the man rolling on the ground before stopping; motionlessly and presumably dead.
Andy's face was wrecked with blood. Dark crimson trailed down his nose, ears and eyes profusely without the intent of stopping. The rain was washing it away, only for the blood to come rushing out again. His corpse laid there on the grass. A few feet away was the shed that was now destroyed. Brenda's dead body twisted and contorted body, laid amongst the wooden debris. Twilight's fists were clenched, trembling, teeth gritted as she seethed.
Noticing out of the corner of her eye, she turned toward the barn and spotted the rest of the group.
They all looked on in shock as they witnessed what she had done. What she was able to do. All the stories they had told. The species they claimed to be. Claiming that they were unicorns and that they had magic. It was true. The unicorn part was still odd but, after seeing what had just transpired, they were more inclined to believe them. Twilight had magic and they had just witnessed her kill Andy without even touching him. He was floating in the air, that was impossible. Now, he was dead. Lying on the grass with his body all beaten and bruised. This was all Twilight's doing.
The group was still silent, probably trying to wrap their heads around what they just saw; shocked by the revelation. Twilight looked at Pinkie who was cradling Applejack in her arms. She walked over to them. "Come on... can you pick her up?"
"A-ah... ah can s-stand." Applejack grunted, clutching at her right rib, her hand wet with a mixture of her own blood and rain.
Pinkie quickly helped her up, draping her friend's arm over her shoulder and stood up.
Twilight nodded, the glare not once leaving her face. "Okay, let's get moving then."
They turned back to the group, the stunned gazes aimed toward them. The only ones who weren't surprised were Starlight and Rainbow as this was the norm for them. "We should go." The group silently agreed, nodding, still stunned by what had happened and they all left the barn, not muttering a single word.
The group wandered through the forest with Twilight and Lee ahead of them. Even after everything that took place; the St. Johns turning out to be cannibals, seeing Mark with his legs hacked off and Doug being unfortunately shot in the head by Danny; yet after all that, the group was still at a loss as to how Twilight had magic. They heard the story, listened to their backgrounds and never believed it. It was still hard to process even now.
Everything she told them, her being a unicorn and having magic. Being a powerful unicorn... it was true.
"Twilight?" Lee called.
She looked at him, turning with her brows raised. "Hmm?"
He frowned, looking down for a moment before his gaze returned to her. "It's just... what happened back at the dairy... was that...?" He trailed off.
"Magic?" Twilight asked, Lee nodded. "Yes. Yes, it was."
"But..." his frown grew deeper. "But, how does that even work? I'm just... confused."
"I don't know, either." Twilight looked off to the side for a moment. "When we first got here, all those months ago, I couldn't use my magic. It was just gone, I thought I wasn't ever going to use it again. When Applejack got s-shot... all I remember was just being... angry. I just wanted to... wanted to h-hurt something. That was when I ran inside the house and I found Katjaa and Duck. Someone hit me from behind and I threw out my hand and that was when everything... happened." Twilight paused for a moment.
"That was when your magic came back?" Lee asked.
Twilight nodded. "Yeah, I suppose. When I threw out my hand, everything flew everywhere. As in, all the chairs, table, any object that was in front of me just flew everywhere."
"Jesus..." Lee breathlessly said. "So, you really are a... u-unicorn then?"
"Alicorn, actually, but yes." She corrected before looking down at her left palm. She frowned. "I can't seem to do anything now though." Twilight held it out, holding the rifle with her right hand and attempted to use her magic. She focused on a few trees ahead of them, trying to rustle their leaves. Nothing happened. She shook her head and sighed. "I guess it's gone now."
"Well, you don't have to prove anything to me," Lee replied, smiling at her. "I-I may not have believed you when you girls said that you were... ponies but you never needed to prove anything to me. You girls were always apart of the group and besides, your magic will definitely give us an advantage in case anyone tries to mess with us again."
Twilight offered a small smile. "Thank you, Lee. Don't know why my magic is gone though."
"Probably because it was linked to your emotions?" Starlight suggested, still supporting Rainbow and drawing the looks of her group members. "Magic was already easy enough to do but the effects of each spell usually amplified when I was... well, mad."
"Fair point," Twilight replied.
"Ah still can't believe y'all have magic," Kenny interjected. "It's fuckin' insane."
"I always thought you guys seemed a bit... strange," Carley said, drawing attention to herself. "I mean, when it came to Pinkie and Applejack." The reporter looked at the two girls. "You guys seem the most strongest out of all of us. Like, I've seen you guys lift heavy things and you make it look so easy."
"Y'all unicorns too?" Kenny asked, feeling his face scrounge up over how dumb that sounded.
"We told you before," Pinkie said.
"Yeah, well, ah stopped listenin' after y'all told me you were ponies."
"They're Earth ponies," Twilight answered. "They don't have magic or wings like Rainbow and Fluttershy do, but their bodies are far stronger compared to unicorns and pegasi. It's easier for them to do manual labor such as, construction, farming etcetera."
"Well, shit! No wonder why you're always workin' on the fence," Kenny replied.
Lilly scowled, the blood staining her clothes dried up.
The group continued onward for a few minutes. They suddenly stopped, alarmed looks on their faces as they heard the continuous mechanical growling. "Is that a car?" Lee asked, turning to Twilight who nodded in response.
"Think so but, keep your guard up." She gripped her rifle, raising it slightly.
As Lee and Twilight turned the corner, they were greeted by a sight of a station wagon. Its door was open and the headlights along with the interior lights were on.
Twilight and Lee exchanged a frown. They crept up to the wagon, spotting no one in sight. Lee went around toward the front, checking the interior. He saw the keys still jammed in the ignition and pulled it out with a click, stopping the growl of the engine.
Twilight's eyes widened as she went around the back of it, toward the trunk. "Sweet Celestia... hey, come look!" She shouted. In the back of the wagon, practically filled to the brim, was a whole assortment of supplies. Cans, packets, rice, etc. The rest of the group came over.
"Holy shit," Kenny muttered as saw the trunk.
"Wow! That's a lot!" Pinkie said, coming over to the back to get a look at the supplies.
"I wonder where the owners are," Starlight commented.
"Gone." Rainbow deadpanned, still leaning on Starlight.
"Don't matter," Kenny replied. "There's a shit ton of supplies just completely out in the open. If the owners were still alive, they wouldn't have left it here."
"What if they didn't have a choice?" Lilly said, her voice full of venom as she glared at Kenny.
"Like ah said, don't matter. This stuff's still out in the open and ah ain't leavin' it here."
"He's right," Everyone turned in Twilight's direction. Starlight, Rainbow and a few others were left frowning in confusion. "We barely have enough supplies as it is, we should take it and leave before anyone else shows up."
"But, Twilight, this isn't ours though." Pinkie pointed out, frowning.
"I know, but we're still gonna take it," she said, surprising the rest of the group. Twilight was always the moral compass of the group, she and Lee. Granted, they didn't know if the owners were still alive or not, but Twilight had suggested taking it. Regardless if the owners were still alive or not.
"T-Twilight?" Applejack frowned, clutching at her right rib. "A-are you really suggestin' this?"
"Yes. Again, we barely have enough supplies as it is."
"B-but, we shouldn't take things that aren't ours, what if they come back?" Clementine said.
"Then all their stuff is gone and their lives are ruined," Lilly interjected.
"They're right, we shouldn't take this," Lee said, drawing the group's attention. "None of this stuff is ours and we don't know if these people are dead. I'm not robbing anybody."
"It's not robbery, Lee. It's common sense. Even if they weren't dead, they should've been smart enough to have someone stay behind and guard it instead of just running off into the woods somewhere." Twilight sternly replied.
"Exactly!" Kenny added. "It ain't our fault for takin' it because if we don't take it, someone else will. Hell, maybe, even those fuckin' bandits out in the woods might take it!"
"That's what you want?" Lee folded his arms. "What if it were you? How would you feel if somebody just came out of the woods and takes all of your stuff?"
"It wouldn't be me because ah wouldn't be stupid enough to leave all my shit out in the open," Kenny rebutted.
Twilight frowned. "This doesn't matter, morality does not keep us fed. We're still taking it."
"Twilight!?" Applejack grunted.
She turned toward the farmer, her expression indifferent. "Applejack, if you don't wanna take any of this stuff then fine but the rest of us are."
"W-where is this even comin' from!?"
"We don't even know if these people are still alive, Applejack. You're saying that we should just leave all this stuff here when there's a chance that they could be dead?"
"That ain't my point. My point is..." Applejack trailed off. She relented, shaking her head. "Forget about it."
Pinkie frowned at her but stayed quiet. Lee handed over the keys to Kenny and he unlocked the trunk. There were numerous boxes of food stashed away, along with a couple of jackets. As Kenny handed them out to the group, a few others stood by, waiting for them to finish.
"Lee," Katjaa called out. "There's a hoodie in here that would probably fit Clementine."
The girl shook her head. "She's fine, thanks!"
"Whatever man, it's gonna get cold out eventually," Kenny said.
"Applejack?" Pinkie called. "I've noticed something recently."
"What's that, sugarcube?" Applejack grimaced at the pain her ribs were emitting.
"I-I... I-I feel like... I don't know... I just feel like our friends are becoming more..." she trailed off, a thoughtful frown on her face.
"Out for themselves?" Applejack offered.
"Yeah, like..." Pinkie trailed off for a moment. "First, it was Starlight then Rainbow and now it's Twilight. I don't know why they're becoming so mean."
Applejack shook her head. "Ah don't know, sugarcube. We're just hungry. Ah'm sure once they finally get their food, they'll stop bein' so cranky all the time."
"But they're still taking the supplies even if they become their old selves again, they still stole."
Applejack sighed, shaking her head. "Ah know."
"Hey," Carley said. "You know that camcorder you got? I have some batteries, I figure I might be able to get it working."
"Batteries huh? Can you handle those?" Lee asked with half a smirk.
"You're not gonna let me live that down are ya?" Carley took the batteries from Lee, putting them in the camcorder.
Applejack and Pinkie walked over to them, watching Carley tinker with it for a moment. She pressed a button and a faint sound was coming from it as if it was playing some sort of video. Applejack and Pinkie didn't fail to notice the distressed look on the reporter's face as she watched the video. "Uh, guys, you might wanna take a look at this." She held it out to them and their faces became as equally as disturbed as Carley's.
It was a video of them, at the motor inn before it suddenly cut to an unsettling part of it. A bandit could be seen outside of a tent. A woman was screaming in the background before it abruptly cuts back to the motor inn with a woman creepily narrating over it.