//------------------------------// // Chapter Eighteen // Story: Starlight // by PurpleFire135 //------------------------------// Applejack yawned. It was no wonder she was tired, she had been up all night. She did some calculations. The flare had been sent up at around ten the previous night. She had escaped headquarters at around midnight, according to the last clock she saw, the one in her office. She estimated it was probably around seven or eight in the morning now, though she had no way of being sure. Suddenly, her tracker began to beep; she was near the coordinates of the flare being sent up. She looked around, for what she could see there was nothing but trees nearby and this part of the forest looked just like every other part of the forest she had been wandering through all night. She frowned, trying to hold back her frustration and think through the problem; which was something she had never been particularly good at while tired, and right now she was exhausted. She realized that the flare wouldn’t have gone up right at the source of the problem. Most likely, the agent had recognized the issue and hid a little ways off into the forest, to not alert her targets. So, the best option would be to search the area around where the flare coordinates were in bigger and bigger circles. So that is exactly what she did. It was not long after that, only three circle rotations when she came across something very odd, and without a doubt, Applejack knew that this had been what she was looking for, though she had not expected to find it. --- Starlight looked up at the sky. The gray storm clouds from the night before had finally stopped drizzling and were finally beginning to dissipate. Starlight felt an immediate sense of relief when she saw the glowing form of the moon peaking out from between the clouds and trees. She didn’t know quite why, but she had always felt better when she could see the sky. Being able to now made her feel a little less alone. She tilted her head and thought for a second. Eight a.m. on the hour She thought to herself. Now if she could just figure out where she was. As soon as she thought that, she heard a crunch under her hoof. She had stepped on a leaf. She looked up and realized she had walked into a clearing, a very familiar clearing. She looked at the leaves scattered around on the ground and groaned. It was the clearing she and Zecora had used for training! Which meant she was near the camp. Which meant she had been going in circles all night. Starlight could have yelled in frustration. At least she had an idea where she was now. She paced in a small circle, unsure of what to do. She could just turn around and try to leave the forest again. That was probably the smart plan since she needed to stay clear of any Guard ponies still wandering around. Also, if she could get out of the forest she could start to figure out a way to get back to the City, which is where she assumed they had taken Rainbow. On the other hoof, it would be nice to know if the camp had withstood the attack. She doubted it, when she left things had looked pretty dire. However, if there was a chance any pony was left in the camp, or nearby, they may be able to help her figure out what to do next. Also, if she went to the camp she could try to locate the escape tunnel and try to find the ponies that had avoided the attack. She even could try locating Fluttershy or Pinkie Pie and get them to help her. She needed help. She figured her best bet was to try to find the camp and see if any pony was still there. If they weren’t, then she could try to find the tunnel and where it let out. Either way, she had the best chance that way. She may even find Zecora and be able to ask her about what she had said right before Starlight had gone out into the storm. That was another thing to think about. The way Zecora had said it made Starlight confused. It almost sounded like a poem, or a riddle or something… Zecora had talked about unicorn magic, about bringing it back…What did that mean? And the key was the first part of you? Did that mean the letter ‘y’ or the word ‘yo’? Or was Zecora directly talking about Starlight? Was the key her head? And that stuff about where magic came from…far above? Where was that? Did Zecora mean the mountain the City was on? It was the highest point of elevation in all of Equestria after all. Was there a secret door in the mountain that had magic inside? Thinking about it all gave Starlight a headache. She needed to find help. What was most important to Starlight right now was getting Rainbow free, not deciphering some zebra riddle. Despite the fact that her head was still spinning with thoughts and plans, Starlight decided to find the camp. She set off in that direction. --- Applejack stared at the destruction laid out before her. A huge half-scorched bush surrounded the place like a wall. Inside, everything had been burned. Smoking remains of what seemed to be tents and other supplies lay in heaps, looking like they had been thrown and scattered by the wind. At the sight of these things, Applejack realized what she was looking at. It was the remains of a camp. The frame of a make-shift building stood in the center, half collapsed from fire damage. The lower floors still looked like they might have actual flames burning in them. The destruction was not without casualties. There were Guard soldiers and civilians laying still in the mud and ash. Applejack resisted the urge to be upset or disgusted. This was not the first time she had seen a battlefield after a fight. She realized that this was why the agent had sent up the flare. She must have found this camp while searching for Rainbow Dash and the unicorn filly. They must have been a resistance against the Guard. Just like protocol in this situation, the Guard had responded fast and eliminated the camp. Applejack’s scowl deepened. This was not the first time the Guard had done something like this, but it was one of the first times in a long time she could feel the true hatred for it. She needed to go. She still had no idea where Rainbow Dash was, and if the unicorn filly was even still alive. She had to assume that the Guard had arrested any surviving members of the resistance and were on their way back to the City. Applejack needed to intercept that march. She hoped that Rainbow Dash had evaded capture. If they had caught her, she may already be back in the City for questioning. Applejack bit her lip, thinking out her options. She shrugged, realizing the decision was not a hard one. That march was her best option. There was a chance to find Rainbow Dash or the unicorn filly and at the very least she could help free the Resistance ponies now that she was officially against the Guard. She looked around for tracks that would indicate which way they went for sure. It wasn’t hard to find. The tracks of over twenty ponies lead off from the other side of the camp, back towards the edge of the forests and back to the City. Applejack went to follow it and as she did she turned around to look back at the camp one last time, just to make absolutely sure she wasn’t missing anything. She was glad she did as a sudden flash of movement caught her eye. What was that? She thought, turning to look at the spot where she thought she had seen something small dart behind the wall. She narrowed her eyes and began to move towards it. It had almost looked like a very small purple pony. --- Starlight wanted to cry. She looked at the camp in complete ruin and felt her heart sink. She had only been here a week or so, but it had already started to feel like home. Like the best home she had ever had. Now, now it was gone. Along with every pony in it, it felt like. The destruction was total. She stood still, almost in shock as she looked at the ruins of the vibrant and alive place that had been perfect and whole the day before. Then she noticed something. An orange earth pony was standing on the other side of the camp. Starlight had thought the place was empty, and this was not a pony she recognized. She ducked behind a still standing portion of the wall and hoped to the stars that she had not been seen. With her luck, it was probably a left-over Guard pony. From what Starlight had seen, the pony wasn’t in uniform, but you could never be too cautious. Starlight started inching her way back towards the forest, keeping her face turned towards the hole in the wall she had almost gone through. She was so scared she didn’t even breathe. She could not be caught by the Guard, not after Rainbow had given herself up so she could get away. She was almost to the tree line when her back hoof ran into something warm and furry. Her heart skipped a beat, she jumped and she screamed as she whirled around to see what it was. She jumped even higher when she realized that it was the orange pony. Starlight had never wished she had her hat on more than she did right now. When she was at Fluttershy’s and then the camp, it hadn’t mattered that she was a unicorn or who knew it. Now, looking into the bright green eyes of the mare that was currently staring down at her, she felt very exposed and did the very first thing she could think of. With a pop she tried to teleport away, she didn’t really care where, just away, but just as she was about to disappear in her bubble of dark purple magic, a hoof stopped her. “Woah, now just hold on a second.” The orange pony said as she reached out and took Starlight by the hoof. “I’m not gonna hurt you, just stay here for a second.” She continued. Starlight tried again to teleport, but she couldn’t. If another pony was touching her when she tried, she would have had to take them with her. Starlight’s magic was not strong enough to teleport more than herself. She huffed and looked up at the mare who was holding her. The orange pony slowly let her go. “Please, just hear me out.” “Who are you?” Starlight demanded, looking up at the pony with a scowl. “My name is Applejack. I’m uh, ah…well, I used to be a friend of Rainbow Dash, and I’m looking for her. Do you know her? Or where I could find her?” The orange pony told Starlight slowly, as if she was afraid Starlight was going to bolt any second, which was a well founded thought because Starlight was thinking of doing exactly that. Starlight frowned and narrowed her eyes at the orange pony, Applejack, if that really was her name. “Prove it.” “Prove what?” “That you’re really a friend of Rainbow’s.” “So you do know her.” Applejack said with a small smirk. Starlight was unfazed and raised an eyebrow at the older pony. She was still waiting for her proof. “How do you want me to prove it?” Applejack asked. Starlight thought for a second. She wasn’t quite sure how. She just needed to know this pony was being honest. If she really was who she said she was, then maybe she could help Starlight free Rainbow, or at least help Starlight find her. “Tell me something about Rainbow most ponies wouldn’t know.” Starlight said. “Like what?” “I don’t know…were you just friends with Rainbow? Or were you friends with her other friends too?” Starlight asked, still trying to think of a way to know for sure about this orange mare. “We were all friends. Rainbow, me, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie…” Applejack trailed off. Starlight put up a hoof, that was a good start, but any good spy could have looked that up. Then she had an idea. She wasn’t sure if it would work, but Applejack had said she was friends with Pinkie too… “Can you promise me that you’re being honest?” Starlight asked. Applejack smiled. “I can do better than that. Have you ever heard of a Pinkie Promise?” Starlight grinned, just a little, and just to herself. It was exactly what she had been hoping for. It was as good a proof as any. Besides that, if she was lying, she would be breaking the promise. Nobody breaks a Pinkie Promise. Starlight was pretty sure that Pinkie actually hunted down those who did. “I’ve heard they’re unbreakable and I’ll know whether or not you do it right.” Starlight countered. This was a good test, Starlight thought. Not many ponies knew about Pinkie Promises and it was one of the few things Rainbow had told her about her past and her friends. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Applejack recited, and looked back at Starlight, who nodded. Starlight sighed in relief and smiled. She had been almost positive she had been caught, but now she had a new ally. She didn’t know for sure that she could trust this mare; after all she had no idea where she came from or who she really was, other than her name was Applejack. However, despite all that, Starlight could feel like she was telling the truth. She didn’t know how she knew it, but she did for certain. “So do you know where Rainbow Dash is?” Applejack asked. Starlight felt her heart sink just thinking about it. “Not for sure…I do know that she was captured.” She said quietly. Applejack blinked slowly, taking it in. “That’s what I was afraid of.” She muttered unhappily. “Hey, you’re her friend and you want to find her right? Can you help me get her back?” Starlight asked, looking hopefully up at Applejack who nodded. “Absolutely.” --- Fluttershy was deep in thought as they walked. She and Pinkie had just left her house, or what was left of her house anyway. They had found it in a dismal state. Not only was there all the damage from when Rainbow and the pegasus that had attacked her fought, which included a huge dent in the wall, an actual hole in another all and all the knocked over and ruined furniture; but there was also all the damage from the storm. A nearby tree had fallen on the cottage and rain had spilled in. The bottom level had flooded, and there was still an inch or two of water on the floor. Luckily, none of the animals had been hurt, for which Fluttershy thanked the lucky starts above. While they had been there, she had cleared out a few rooms and reset some enclosures in the backyard and told all the animals she would be back soon. Well, almost all. Angel had absolutely refused to let her leave, so she had compromised and let him come with. He was now sitting happily on her back and looking around curiously. “Don’t you get any ideas.” Fluttershy told him. “The forest is no place for a little bunny like you.” He pouted and then moped for a second. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at him, and once he realized she wasn’t buying it he resumed his looking around. She rolled her eyes. “Pinkie? How much longer until we get to the emergency shelter?” Fluttershy asked. Pinkie scrunched up her nose and looked at the sky. She put her nose to the ground and sniffed. She stood back up. “About five minutes, I’d say.” She said with certainty, although it was hard to take her seriously with the bit of mud that had stayed on her nose. “Really? That soon?” Fluttershy giggled. Pinkie nodded, not understanding why Fluttershy was laughing, but she wasn’t concerned with finding out and just turned on her hooves. “Follow me!” She bounced ahead, then, as if something had suddenly occurred to her, she stopped. “Hey Fluttershy?” She said, a little more serious as she turned around. “What is it?” “So, I was thinking. This shelter is not very stable, we can’t stay here for more than a day or two.” Pinkie said slowly. “Yes, and?” “Well, your house needs rebuilding and we have a lot of ponies that would be willing to help. It wouldn’t be permanent or anything, but could we set up camp around your place? Just for a little while? We’d repay you by fixing your cottage!” Pinkie told her enthusiastically. Fluttershy didn’t really even have to think about it. It was the best option those ponies had and if she was honest with herself, she wanted them to come. She had loved this past week or so, getting to see ponies every day, getting to talk with them, it made her realize how lonely she had been these past few years. She had been dreading going back home, but now, she could bring them with her. “Don’t worry; we wouldn’t all be in your house! We have lots of tents and stuff stored at the shelter; really we could work it out so you would barely notice us.” Pinkie said hopefully. Fluttershy smiled happily. “I would love to help. It will be nice having so many friends around.” Fluttershy told Pinkie, who bounced with joy. She turned and bounced down the path. “Well, we’d better go get them!” She said and Fluttershy followed.