Going Home
It had been almost a week since I left the crashed train in desert. After finding Dodge Junction completely abandoned and coming to the awful conclusion that things were much worse than I wanted to think, I began making my way back to Ponyville. For the past couple of days I continued to follow train tracks, switching between flying and galloping when the weather changed or I got too tired for one or the other. Each mile – each day felt far too long, and the whole time I couldn't soothe the churning dread in my stomach. Where were all the ponies? What had happened to my friends? And why was everything so quiet?
There were only two towns I tried to find help in, but it was the same as in Dodge Junction. Every street was the same as the last, every building dark and empty, and hollow silence so endless that my racing heart seemed to echo off the walls. My only hope now was in Canterlot. Everypony had to be there, all of my friends and the Princesses – all of them waiting for me and worrying about me. They would be there, wouldn't they? I just had to find my way back. I just had to.
What about the scrolls? Couldn't Twilight or one of the Princesses have sent me a message by now? I couldn't send them a message myself without a specially-made scroll. But Twilight had Spike, and he could send any letter to Princess Celestia, I knew he could send one to me, too. How else did I get the reply? How else could that spell reach me? Spike had to have sent it, but why hadn't anypony contacted me since?
My head lolled to the side, shaking me from my thoughts. I looked down to the rail road rolling beneath me, and brought my gaze up to the next bend around some trees. I willed my wings to move faster, and with a shot of pain they pushed harder.
Gone were the deserts and rusty mesas I had seen for several days, and instead forests and grassy hills surrounded me at every bend. They felt much more welcoming than the barren lands and sand dunes, but even in the heart of nature and wildlife, the world was too quiet. Distant birds circled in the sky, and rare glimpses of badgers, bunnies, and squirrels assured me that they hadn't vanished too, but they were all afraid. I could hear it in their whimpers, I could see it in their glances before they would scamper off into the bushes. A part of me wanted to stop and try to talk to them, but I couldn't find my voice either.
Low rumbles of thunder rolled over the hills, making my wings stutter in flight; the weather wasn’t on my side again. Stern warnings from Flight Camp teachers echoed in my mind about flying in storms. Some of the lectures had been aimed only at me, while the rest of the group of fillies and colts looked at me, snickering and whispering...
I shuddered at the memory, and lowered myself to the ground. Walking was safer now, and it wouldn't be long until I would have to find shelter.
Maybe I could ask a little critter for somewhere to stay. I thought, staring up at the dark clouds edging overhead. Just for tonight, that'll be all I ask.
I led my eyes down to the tracks again and focused on the next bend on the winding road. I can't be far from Ponyville now. Maybe I could get home in time... See Angel. Oh, I hope he's doing okay.
Angel was the kindest bunny I knew. He was always trying to do the best he could for others – even me. There was a time when he needed all the care I could offer, but that was a long time ago. Angel was a carer like me nowadays, so I would leave him in charge whenever I was away. My little friends trusted him almost as much as I did.
A grumble echoed in my barrel, its sound making my stomach cramp on cue. I stopped and rubbed my belly. I knew what sound that was, but I also knew I had run out of food yesterday. I looked around, eyeing pine trees and stinging nettles off the sides of the tracks. My head shook, dropping down to my canteen in disappointment. My gut groaned in protest, demanding food, but all I could do was fill up with water. My hind legs dropped me down onto my haunches, and I sat in the middle of the tracks while I tipped my head back and drank a few gulps of cold water.
My skin prickled on my neck and chest and I leant forward again to replace the canteen's lid. The prickles shifted to my back and grew persistent. My wings flittered in place – too sore to do more than twitch. I looked up at the sky, blinking at stray droplets falling from above. The storm front had moved overhead, transforming daylight into gloomy twilight. I needed to find shelter, and find it fast. On the count of three I pushed my body onto all fours, and hopped down from the train tracks and into the forest. I scanned the floor for a warren or a den, and glanced up at the trees for one with a thick enough canopy. Only tiny little rabbit holes with noone home turned up, and slim pine trees with prickly needles prodded me deeper into the forest – and much farther from the fading light.
"Hello? Anyone?" my voice crackled to life, barely overcoming the rain. "I-I need somewhere to stay for the night."
My ears swiveled and searched, flicking to each rustle and snap. I turned around several times, hopeful that a friendly animal had come out to help me. But each time I looked there was only wind blowing sticks down, or small bushes welcoming the pitter-patter of rain. I hurried along, my hooves creating a path underneath the trees.
Once more, I called out. "Hello? Is there anyone out there?"
Nothing called back. I knew there were animals in this forest – I had seen them from the rails – but they were gone. Hiding or moving far, far away from me.
Are they afraid... of me?
A streak of white-hot light burst from the sky and landed on a tree to my right. My ears rang, and in a blink the ground had left my stiff legs suspended in the air. I hung there for a heartbeat and dropped down to the ground, flopping onto my side. Without a second thought I dug into the ground and pulled myself up and ran from the burning tree.
The storm announced itself again with a kick in my flanks. Claps and crackles filled my ears, coursing down my spine and to the tip of my dock. My legs thundered, tearing me between trees and launching me over creeks. Everywhere I looked there was no shelter. No caves or thick trees, no signs of animals living nearby. I couldn't outrun the storm, I didn't even know why I was still running – or where!
My hooves bounded forwards but found nothing beneath them. I jerked forwards and tumbled before I could even take a breath to scream. I slid and flailed down a steep, muddy slope. Rolling and bumping into rocks and trees. I was dumped off a short ledge at the bottom and straight into a big puddle of mud. I screamed as my left foreleg erupted in searing pain, and with grit teeth I sat up and pulled the wounded limb in and held it tight, biting my lip and closing my eyes tight. The tell-tale warmth trickled down my hoof, seeping into the fur on my unhurt leg. I kept my eyes closed for a moment, focusing on keeping my breaths even and calm. Panicking wouldn’t help me.
Hesitantly, I peeked at my cut with one eye, and squeaked when a flash of lightning showed all the blood. My ears rang out as the thunder boomed above me, making me cringe and freeze up for a moment. I counted to ten and opened my eyes, and carefully brought my hurt leg up for a closer look. Crimson was flowing from a deep cut, mixing with mud and rainwater to make an unbearable throb. It needed treating right away. I needed help, but I was alone and didn't even know where I was.
"Come on, Fluttershy," my voice whimpered. I cleared my throat, speaking over the rain. "It's not that bad. You can take care of it, everything will be okay."
On three legs, I picked myself up out of the mud, and limped underneath a nearby tree. My saddlebags dropped onto the ground with a muted thud, and I quickly pulled out the first aid kit I had taken from the train.
I looked over my wound again, feeling woozy at the sight of the injury. It must have been a sharp rock that caused it, and the dirt I had been sliding in had to have got in too to cause so much pain.
With shaky hooves, I opened a pack of sanitizing wipes and placed one onto my right hoof. I paused and took a deep breath, and nodded before I quickly pressed the wipe into the cut. I held it there and grit my teeth, trapping a high-pitched squeak behind them.. This step always hurt, I couldn’t lie about that, not even to my animal friends, but this hurt like a bunch of needles being jabbed into my foreleg at once. I held it there, though, waiting for the pain to ease. Slowly, the stinging wore off and the heat soothed slightly, leaving me relaxed enough to keep working.
Another flash of lightning and explosion filled the forest, causing me to flinch and yell out when I poked my wound. I grit my teeth and finished cleaning with a pink towel, and dropped it with the others. I unpacked a bandage roll, tearing it with my teeth so it would unravel, and carefully wrapped my leg up in bandages. With one great tug I ripped the rest of the roll off and put it back in the kit, and the tied off the loose end around my leg. The treatment complete, I packed the kit back into my saddlebags and let out a deep sigh, staring through my tear-glazed eyes at the grass and trees around me, giving myself a moment to breathe.
The rain was falling around me in torrents, and the sky was rumbling with thunder and flickering with distant forks of lightning. The forest had become dark and unwelcoming, and I could hear nothing but raindrops pounding on the leaves and ground. I closed my eyes and curled up against the tree trunk, shivering at every howl of wind. I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight, not with the storm and cold air, but at least I was in the dry, and had somewhere to rest my leg for a few hours.
A long groan bubbled in my stomach, and I pulled up a big clump of grass with my teeth and started chewing in response.
It was a misty and cold morning, and I woke up underneath the tree shivering and damp. I still felt exhausted and numb from the travelling I had done in the past week – not to mention the night I had spent. The other nights I had gone through I had spent underneath the stars, but that had to change, and I should've been more prepared. But where had the cold weather and rain come from? It didn't fit the season, fall was still a few weeks away but now the air was colder and mist shrouded the surrounding trees. Dread began to linger over me, bearing its claws on my back.
What if there was nopony managing the weather?
I closed my eyes and tried to block the thought off. "No." I croaked. "My friends are waiting for me. I need to find them in Canterlot." I opened my eyes and stared off into the misty woods, finishing my thought in my head. Once I do, everything will be okay.
I turned my attention to my bandaged foreleg, and started to unravel the cloth to check the wound underneath. Fortunately, the cut had closed itself and was starting to heal. There wasn't any sign of infection, which I was very thankful for, but the cut was tender and delicate. I had to be careful walking, otherwise it would open again. I couldn't risk falling ill out here, not without any safe place to rest and recover, or without enough food and water. I muttered to myself to take care, and to check my leg every few hours.
My wings unfurled and I gave them a test flap. With a slow beat I lifted myself up, and slowly ascended above the treetops for a better view. The sun struggled to pass through the clouds and warm the right side of my face, but its light reached everything I could just about see. The mist was still too thick to really see anything in the distance except for looming shapes, which meant that flying would be too risky. Rainbow Dash wouldn't agree, but she was used to flying in almost all kinds of weather. The thought of me flying with no visibility, or controlling a storm front – just one of the tasks a weatherpony often had – made my wings fall out of sync.
I carefully descended to the the forest floor and landed on three hooves. I turned toward my belongings and gathered them up. I was going to find and follow the tracks again. I knew I was getting close, but I still didn't know exactly where I was, and I didn't want to get lost in the woods. I hovered above the ground to give my leg more time to rest, and started retracing my steps back to the train tracks. I passed through the silent woods, not bothering to look for any animals anymore. A burnt-out tree emerged from the fog, pointing me in the right direction, and a few minutes later I found the train tracks once more.
A few hours passed while I flew in silence and kept my eyes fixed into the distance. There had to be a landmark somewhere in the clearing mist, and the sooner I spotted it the sooner I could find out where I was. Finally, just as I came over the crest of another hill, my eyes caught sight of a ghostly silhouette in the distance. I veered away from the train tracks and glided to a clearing on the edge of the woods. I carefully eased myself onto three legs, stumbling a little as I shifted my weight, and peered off into the horizon. In a few minutes of squinting and rubbing my eyes, the Sun rose high enough in the grey skies to warm the world underneath. The veil became thinner and thinner until I could see the unmistakable outline of Ponyville's City Hall.
Before I could squeak in happiness, more of the low-lying clouds cleared away, revealing the skeletal remains of burned-down homes and damaged thatched roofs. Faint wisps of smoke from the dying fires rose above the town, underlining how lifeless Ponyville seemed was like any other town I had seen. Something worse had happened in Ponyville though, and I hoped that if anypony was still down there, none of them were hurt and they escaped the chaos that broke out in Ponyville.
Nopony escaped. Don't lie to yourself: you’re alone.
"No!" I snapped at the air, voice uneven. "I am not alone! Everypony is safe! They must have evacuated, they must have got away!" I grit my teeth and stared at the grass beneath me, the anger in me blowing out as quickly as it ignited. I closed my eyes, feeling two little streams roll down my cheeks. "They got away," I murmured, "there is no other explanation."
I needed to get to Canterlot soon, my friends could fix this. I knew they could.
I lifted myself back into the air, and started to fly towards Ponyville. Canterlot was a grey outline in the distance, and probably another day away. But before I could go on, I wanted to check Ponyville for anypony in need of help, and then go to my cottage and check on Angel. He would be worried about me, and it would make him feel much better to see me safe and sound again.
My eyes drifted up to the distant outline of Canterlot and lingered there, trying to see it better through the mist. "I'll be there soon, everypony," I whispered. "I'm sorry I'm taking so long."
I glided over Ponyville, scanning the town for anypony down there among the damaged homes and deserted streets. Some of the cottages had burnt down or lost their thatched roofs, most likely from unattended fireplaces and stoves than something more threatening - or at least I hoped so. I shook my head gently. No, don't get distracted, I need to focus. I should check some of the houses, there could be ponies inside. I thought about my own cottage, and what Angel was probably doing along with the rest of my friends. Staying hidden. Staying safe.
I banked left and started to descend toward the market, carefully easing into my landing to not disturb my wound. I craned my neck around to the left, and then to the right, trying to catch a glimpse of anypony hiding in the shadows or among the ditched wagons and market stalls dotted around. Instead, I saw nopony, and heard nothing but a breath of wind whistling into my ears. It felt unnatural to be stood in what was usually a busy and lively place; there were no booming voices from vendors trying to catch a customer's attention, no chatter from friends bumping into each other while they went about their day, and no fillies and colts running between the grown-up ponies to Sugarcube Corner or to the Joke Shop down the road.
The wind picked up again, and carried with it a chill that didn't belong to the season. Signs creaked on their hinges, and crumpled paper and other bits and pieces blew over the ground around me. I was having second thoughts about searching Ponyville. I didn't feel ready to face what may lie behind the doors of the intact homes, not after feeling the shock of seeing a place usually so alive feel as silent and still as a graveyard. I wanted to go home: be somewhere familiar and safe, and pretend that nothing was wrong for a few hours – at least until I felt brave enough to go to Canterlot. I turned away from the market, and started walking through town to the road that led the way home. The streets were silent, except for the rhythm of my hooves echoing against the walls of the houses. I concentrated on the rhythm of my steps, giving my mind something to distract itself with while I walked back to my cottage.
What I would find at my cottage? Angel was a smart and brave little bunny, but I had been away for longer than I said I would be. No doubt all of the critters saw and heard the shock wave explode over Equestria, so they would be worried sick about me.
A rare smile peeked around the edges of my mouth. "That would make two of us," I whispered to myself.
The echoes of my hoof-steps changed their rhythm. I frowned, listening to difference between my hoof-falls and their echoes. I stopped dead in my tracks, but a constant scuffle continued to bounce off the houses. I glanced left and right and ducked down, eyes wide and knees shaking. There were extra steps – steps that were not mine. Something was nearby and they were very close. Out of reflex, I dove over a broken wall and hid inside the ruins of somepony's house. I cowered behind the wall, silently telling my heart to slow down and be quiet. The sound grew of steps and scraping grew louder, and with dozens of frightening beasts appearing in my head, I risked a glance out into the street – just as a massive beast ambled into view, dragging his claws in the road behind him. The creature looked a lot like a Diamond Dog, but only with humongous claws on both forelegs and larger, more intimidating teeth. He seemed to be looking for something, and I wished that it wasn't me, but where I was hiding wasn slowly coming into his view. I had to move. Cautiously, I sneaked to another wall for a better hiding place, trying my best to not alert the Hound. He had his back to me, and was staring towards the rest of Ponyville. If I could make just a few more careful steps, just a little further...
"Hey, Spoon! Have you found anything over there?" A deep voice yelled in the distance, making me squeak in surprise and accidentally kick some rubble. The hound's ears shot up straight, and the bulky dog began to turn around. Quickly, I flapped my wings and silently whisked myself back into hiding, pressing myself up against a wall and holding my breath. I could hear him growling threateningly, and gradually creep his way up to my hiding spot. My heart leapt up into my throat, but I didn't dare swallow it down in fear of making a sound. His muffled steps neared, until I was sure he was on the other side of the wall I was hiding behind. I could hear his low, throaty breath, and the sound petrified me as his shadow loomed on the floor to my right. I was going to be found, but I was frozen in place. My mind screamed for me to run away, to break for it before I became a statue, but it was already too late to flee.
The gruff voice called out again: "Spoon! Where are you? I think there might be something in this tall building in the center of town! But I need you to open it up!"
The hound grumbled to himself, and then shouted back to his friend, making me shrink into a quivering bundle of nerves "Oh, all right! I'm coming!"
I bit my tongue to keep my silence, and slowly Spoon's shadow shrank away. I listened carefully, picking up his fading steps and distant scrapes of claws on stone. I took a deep breath and swallowed my heartbeat back down; that was too close.
There was no time to lose: I had to get out of Ponyville and warn Angel. If there were more of those Dogs around Ponyville, then my animal friends could be in danger.
I peeked out around the corner of the wall I was hiding behind, making sure the coast was clear, and then took off running – wincing as my injured leg started to burn from its sore wound. I unfurled my wings in a hurry as I galloped down the road, and leapt into the air, quickly flying away from Ponyville. I raced to my cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest, hoping to reach it before anything saw me.
After my close call with the diamond dog, and experiencing the stillness in the town I called home, I felt better to be away from Ponyville and closer to my cottage. I couldn't stay for too long, but I needed to check on the animals, and warn them of the Diamond Dogs. My stomach growled. I’ll need to get some food, too.
This whole situation was just awful, I hadn't seen a single pony since the train crash, the weather was starting to take on a mind of its own, and by the sounds of it, a small group of Diamond Dogs were wandering through Ponyville to steal whatever they wanted. I was afraid of things getting worse before I could find Twilight and the others.
What could be worse than this? Dragons?
I shook my head quickly, dispelling the thoughts. I have to stay focused and organised. First, I should check on the animals and make sure they are safe, then I need to gather any supplies I may need, and finally head to Canterlot and find the girls. That's all I need to do – I can do this.
The cottage came into view, and I flew up to the front door with bated breath. Were my animal friends safe? Was Angel okay? I couldn't find out soon enough. The front door was unlocked, and with my bandaged leg I opened the door and looked inside. A lead ball dropped in my stomach.
My home had not a animal inside. Instead, I opened my front door to a cold and empty home. Angel didn't scamper up to me, no mice scurried out to greet me, and there was no sign of any other animal here. All there was left was the dark and silent interior that was staring back at me.
My head couldn’t stay upright anymore, and it tipped forward and cast my gaze to the floor.
My legs sluggishly carried me inside. I quietly closed the door behind me, tears streaming down my face. The room became dark, save for a few gaps in the curtains allowing light to come through, and I began to search the rest of the house for my animal friends. I searched the bird houses and mouse holes, and even checked under my bed upstairs, in a fleeting hope that my friends were simply hiding. I found nothing.
I felt crushed. Angel was gone, the animals were gone, and they took the life of my cottage with them. I was on my own. The silence in the house was horrible. It was cold, bleak, and hollow. I was beginning to feel the same way. I didn't know what to think any more: ponies were missing, my animal friends had disappeared, and the place I used to call home was falling apart everywhere I looked. It was too much to swallow; too much to take in. I dragged myself upstairs and into my room. And once I saw my bed, I fell onto it and quietly sobbed, burying my face into an ice-cold pillow until I fell asleep.
It was approaching sunset when I woke up. My stomach growled, pushing me out of my bed and towards the kitchen. I felt sick as I walked across my room, which I chalked up to more than just hunger. Along the way I picked up and lit a lantern to make up for the dimming light outside.
When I came into the kitchen, I noticed a messy stack of paper on the table. I had seen them when I was frantically searching, but didn’t think about what they could be. I walked over to it and looked them over, sprawling them out across the table. On every page was an inky print from each animal that was living with me before I left. Birds, cats, mice - dozens of prints of all shapes and sizes occupied the pages. There were even prints from my friends’ own pets. And right at the end of the last page, in the bottom of the stack, was a bunny's paw print next to a barely-legible initial.
‘A’ for Angel.
I sat down and buried my face in my hooves, but this time it was through relief. Angel had taken charge. He had done what I would've done and took everyone to safety. He had made sure that I would know they were okay and left behind these 'signed' papers, too. Bless him – he was always a true angel to me. A smile tugged at my face reflecting the pride I felt for him. He was a clever little bunny. I really hoped that he was safe, and had managed to get the critters to safety, wherever that may be.
I dried my eyes with the bandage on my leg. At least I know that they’re out there, and that they have each other.
I was interrupted by the sound of familiar voices, gruff and with an accent. I blew my lantern out and took a peek outside a window. Coming up the road was the massive hound with long claws, followed by a couple of other diamond dogs. They were carrying full sacks with them, but had many more to fill. One of them pointed at my cottage, and they all started coming up the path.
Oh no. I-I've got to get out of here!
I hopped out of my chair and hopped on the spot. Where are my saddlebags? What do I need? How long do I have!? I looked at my flanks and saw that I had still had my saddlebags, and ran over to my cabinets as quickly as I could. I dropped cans of fruit, apples, and anything else edible into my saddlebags, and swiped my lantern on my way out of the kitchen. I barrelled up the stairs and into my bathroom, and hastily took some medicine bottles from my bathroom cabinet.
With barely any time to get out, I ran for my bedroom, randomly grabbing my scarf and a simple sewing kit. What else do I need? What else do I need?!
I froze the moment I heard my front door being tried. It wasn't opening, and a few seconds later I heard a loud crash as the door was kicked down. I tried to slide under my bed, but my saddlebags were too big. I heard the scampering of paws underneath me as the rooms downstairs were searched, and the loud thuds and scraping sounds of something big coming up the stairs.
No, no, turn around! My heart pounded in my ears, and I felt like I couldn't breathe out of fear of being heard. Terrified, I pulled myself from under my bed and started fumbling around by the nearest window. These latches used to be so simple to open!. My hooves were shuddering uncontrollably, and my ears were stiff with fright as they heard the steps getting closer to the top of the stairs.
The window flew open, squeaking loudly on their hinges. My eyes were frozen open, and I turned to my bedroom door just as the hound from earlier came in. We locked eyes, and in less than a second I had leapt out the window with the giant dog following close behind.
I was not expecting my bags to be so heavy, so I fell before my wings could catch me. I tumbled onto the ground but instantly recovered, breaking into a full, crazed gallop. I had lost some cans and medicine bottles in the fall, but by now I was too frightened to care. I tried to take off, but my wings were too jittery from adrenaline for them to work properly. Instead, I flapped them erratically to push me along, trying to move faster than the diamond dog chasing me. I sprinted for the Everfree Forest – I could escape him there.
My ears swivelled around; the hound was catching up to me, his breath felt like it was on my neck. He was readying his massive claws to strike. I pushed myself harder, running for my life. I had to reach the forest. I could lose him in the bushes and low branches – it was my only chance. As I passed the fringe of Everfree, the hound slashed after me, cutting a tree branch in one slice. The branch dropped down, narrowly missing me but clearly landing on the Diamond Dog with a loud thump. I kept running, jumping over bushes and fallen trees, my hooves thundering on the ground as I galloped further and further away from the angry howls of the diamond dog. I ran deeper into the forest until I couldn't run any more.
I stopped beside a large tree and hid behind it, gasping for air. My heart raced in my chest and my veins throbbed and arced in electrified terror. My lungs gulped down fresh air and pushed it out almost as soon as it took it. I counted to ten, again and again, until I could think again. I glanced around the tree, hoping that I had lost the massive beast. Nothing.
I hope Diamond Dogs don’t have a good sense of smell. I glanced around, fully registering where I was. I hope there’s nothing at all that has a good sense of smell.
I focused my hearing, listening intently for a few minutes before my heartbeat slowed down and allowed me to relax. My body melted into the grass and I took a deep sigh of relief. I was safe. For now.
That feeling didn't last long: it was already getting dark, I didn’t have a home to go to, and I was deep in the Everfree Forest. I didn't want to risk spending a night in the open here. The amount of dangerous creatures that lived her guaranteed that I wouldn’t get a break from running if I did.
I started wandering through the forest, not knowing where I was or where I was going. I was lost, and I knew all too well that being lost in the Everfree Forest was a very, very bad thing. Not even my worst nightmares could do the real inhabitants justice.
While I tried to imagine a cross between a Manticore, Cockatrice, Hydra, and a Dragon, I came across a familiar-looking river, and soon knew where I was. It had been a couple of years since I had been on this path, but I was sure I knew the rest of the way. With the light in the forest quickly fading, I decided to hurry along and follow the route. Though it led deeper into the forest, it ended at a place that I knew would be a safe place to hide – at least for the night.
I flew over the water and started making my way down the track, heading to the Old Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.
