Strained and Flexed Bridges

by YukiSN

Four Days Past

Chapter 8 - Four Days Past

"What do you mean the Stalkers have vanished?" Twilight asked. The mares had returned to the familiar library and were huddling around a magic portal that Twilight had summoned. On the other side, Princess Celestia stood behind a desk, glancing over papers while Princess Luna was in the background talking with the guards and pointing at a map that hung on the wall.
"We have received word from out scouts that Stalker hideouts have been abandoned, appearing to be either ransacked or quickly evacuated. They left no traces and no indications of where they were headed to," Princess Celestia sighed, a scowl on her lips.
"We believe that they have gone into hiding,
"Well, what are we going to do?" Twilight asked, panicking now.
"For now, we can only hope that we can raise our defenses higher," Princess Celestia sighed.
"Speaking of which, have you encountered the other ShadowHawks? We know that Kozak will be holed up in Fluttershy's cottage but the others have evaded us," the princess groaned, massaging her temples with her hooves.

"No, we haven't," Rarity answered, Applejack quickly stepping in too.
"I reckon they might have left Canterlot and went to one of them fancy folk cities," she chimed in.
"Yeah! Where the parties are amazing!" Pinkie Pie added. Twilight looked at her friends, confused as to why they were holding information from the princess.
"Fair enough, well, if they should appear, Twilight please notify me immediately," Princess Celestia instructed, the lavender unicorn nodding before the portal closed.
"What's wrong you ponies? Why'd you lie to the princess?" Twilight asked, turning around and staring at her friends.
"Sugarcube, they didn't do nothin' wrong. I mean, you saw them. They're more clueless and shy or frightened like a rabbit in a snake pen," Applejack replied.
"Yes, I have to agree with Applejack! And besides, they're not harming anypony now are they? I mean look at Vex and Aurora! They often stay upstairs and cuddle or do work quietly so they don't disturb me, it's kind of cute actually," Rarity chimed in.
"And Strings is practically now just a foalsitter! I've even heard that he's living with Zecora out in the Everfree Forest," Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Twilight sighed, as much as she hated to agree with her friends and not reveal information to the princess, they did have a point. None of the ShadowHawks were posing a threat to the security of Equestria nor did they pose a threat to the princess.
"Fine, but what are we going to do about Fluttershy and Kozak? We know they're in Cloudsdale according to the letter she left… but then again Rainbow Dash and Rarity, do you think it's a good idea to go up there now? Consider what happened earlier," Twilight asked, Rarity blushing in embarrassment for losing her cool.
"But she's our bestest friend! Shouldn't we visit her? And I'm sure both Rarity and Rainbow Dash have already made up and are super duper bestest friends again!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"As little as I know of what's going on with you six, perhaps it would be best to give Rainbow and Fluttershy some room?" Spike suggested, opening the door while carrying a few boxes. The mares gave Spike's word a thought before sighing in defeat.
"Perhaps he's right, let's just… let things settle down for a while before confronting them," Twilight sighed, Rarity placing a hoof on her shoulder. The mares trotted out of the library, each one heading out into their own direction. Pinkie Pie had to return to her work, Twilight had to go and get more quills, and Rarity and Applejack had to go back to work and also check on their new guests.

Four days had passed, Fluttershy never leaving Sven's side and Rainbow Dash visiting everyday after her weather patrol duties were completed. It had been thirty minutes since Fluttershy had fallen asleep, her hoof still holding Sven's. The afternoon sun's rays shone warmly on the sleeping stallion, his eyes soon fluttering open before examining the sleeping mare lying next to him. A soft smile spread on his lips before he gently began to shake her.

"Flutters? Flutters. Hey, wake up Flutters," Sven's voice rang in Fluttershy's ears, the canary yellow mare slowly rising, yawning softly before meeting Sven's eyes.
"Sven! You're awake!" Fluttershy exclaimed happily, the stallion staring back at her with tired eyes and a frail smile.
"Looks like your friend is slowly waking up too," Sven replied, his eyes aiming towards a now rising Rainbow Dash.
"Dashie!" Fluttershy smiled, hugging her friend tightly, Rainbow Dash taking a moment to realize what was going on before returning the embrace.
"Shy… why did you do all of that? And keep it hidden from me?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Why did you let Thunderlane and his gang do… that… to you? Why'd you let those other ponies hurt you like that?" Rainbow Dash asked, a tear rolling down her cyan coat.
"H-h-h-how'd you know that?" Fluttershy stuttered, shocked that Rainbow Dash knew.

"Luna sends her love," Rainbow Dash simply replied, Fluttershy's cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Her mind began to race for an excuse or some other explanation but nothing seemed to come to her. Sighing in defeat she decided it would be best to try and explain why she did what she did. A sudden breeze striking the back of her mane caused both mares' attentions to adjust to the empty bed where Sven once laid. A note was all that remained in his place.
"I'll be in the basement."
Rainbow Dash soon turned to Fluttershy, tears still in her eyes.
"Please… Shy tell me everything… Please… I can't stand to see you in pain," Rainbow Dash cried softly, pulling the yellow mare close to her and holding her tightly. Stroking the sobbing pegasus' back, Fluttershy allowed some of her own tears to fall freely.
"Okay Dashie, I'll tell you everything."

Sven had teleported to the basement of Fluttershy's cottage, his sudden appearance startling the creatures that ran about while their caretaker was out. Collapsing out of exhaustion, he felt the cold stone floor welcome his belly. Groaning at the pain in his gut, Sven cursed softly beneath his breath before slowly rising and searching for a comfortable place to rest. Finding another bag of bird seed, he began to search for a makeshift blanket, his cloak serving as the sheets. Unable to find anything, the stallion just decided to skip it and go to sleep. However, his desired nap was interrupted when Angel Bunny hopped on top of him, thumping his head heavily.
"What's your problem?" Sven muttered, rising feeling pain in his chest. The white rabbit only glared at the stallion before waving its paws angrily in front of Sven's eyes. Sven shot up, throwing the rabbit off of his chest, glaring at Angel Bunny.

"What do you want?!" he yelled, the white rabbit now frozen in place.
"Why do you ke- Aaaah!" Sven yelled, suddenly dropping to the floor, his hooves pressing against his head.
"The voices… make them stop! Please… No more…" he strained to yell, Angel Bunny suddenly panicking at the stallion's sudden burst of pain.
"Stop… just… stop…" Sven moaned, passing out on the ground. Not knowing what to do or where his owner was, Angel Bunny quickly bounced out of the cottage, making his way to the only pony who he knew he could trust.

BAM! BAM! BAM!
"Who in the name of Celestia could that be?" Twilight muttered, putting down her book, On the Origin of Crystal Ponies. This had been the fourth time someone had decided to disturb her. Spike was out at the moment, getting some groceries to make dinner with. Sighing, Twilight put her book down, trotting to the door to find Angel Bunny bouncing up and down, motioning for her to follow him.
"It's urgent isn't it?" Twilight asked, Angel Bunny throwing a tiny pebble at Twilight's head, angrily motioning for her to follow him. Sensing that something was terribly wrong, Twilight picked up Angel Bunny with her magic, galloping out of the library and towards Fluttershy's cottage.

"Vex dear? Dinner is ready!" Rarity called, the mare slowly trotting down the stairs, smiling shyly at the fashionista. Despite Rarity's hospitality towards her and her sister, Vex still remained shy. Aurora on the other hand was now often helping Rarity draw up designs or brainstorm new possible styles for specific seasons or events. Meanwhile, Vex would stand in a corner, watching her sister and Rarity discuss thoughts and ideas before being handed a drawn up sketch in which she would take the design and begin to sew the dress together.
"O-o-ok Ms. Rarity," Vex stuttered, following the unicorn to the common space where Aurora and Sweetie Belle were setting up the table. Rarity smiled at her guest's shyness and at her sister's work ethic ever since the two mares moved in. Thinking back to the last four days, Rarity realized how much she had learned about Vex and Aurora.

The first surprise that came to Rarity was when she discovered that Vex was a pegasus. The younger sister had failed to have locked the door when in the shower. Sweetie Belle was playing hide and seek with Rarity, choosing to hide in the bathroom just as Vex had turned off the water. Rarity was just passing by the door when she heard the sound of the shower curtain moving followed by Sweetie Belle screaming in fright before running out. Peering inside, Rarity found Vex trying to hid beneath a towel draped over her head, her wings spread out widely. Rarity took a mental note that she would have a pegasus model to test and fit her designs on. Glancing at her flank, Rarity noticed that her Cutie Mark was a pair of transparent wings. Smiling and waving, Rarity slowly closed the door.

Two days later, Rarity found Aurora staring at Opal, the white cat hissing at her. Thinking nothing of it but a cute encounter, Rarity quietly gasped when she saw Aurora engulf herself with a faint aura before the magic engulfed her completely, floating now in the air as a small ball. The ball lowered to the floor before molding into a familiar shape before another Opal sat before the original. Opal looked at the doppelganger, confused and trying to see if she was looking into a mirror. The doppelganger suddenly shifted back to Aurora, startling Opal into running away, meowing wildly. Smiling weakly, Aurora struggled back up to her hooves, suddenly collapsing in a heap, her breathing ragged and heavy.
"I keep… forgetting… the toll…" she groaned, dragging herself over to a collection of pillows that Rarity had laid out for Vex to sleep on when needed.

Rarity also noted that Aurora's magic was very weak, she could hardly carry a crate of supplies. It appeared that at most she could carry some of Rarity's bags with her when she went shopping. Rarity had also learned, from Sweetie Belle, that Vex had a very weak immune system and a frail body, almost like Fluttershy. Rarity almost found it darkly humorous, the two former assassins now reduced to simple ponies, both who were weaker than nearly all ponies. Rarity had gratefully learned that Vex's cuteness through her shyness could often be a great way to soften a deal for supplies if the timid unicorn went shopping with Rarity. The fashionista still felt a little guilty for exploiting Vex like that. Her guilt was later removed when Aurora simply told her not to worry.

"Come now dear, did I say you could just call me Rarity?" the unicorn smiled, the shy pegasus nodding before sitting down at the table. Aurora and Sweetie Belle brought forth mashed potatoes, diced carrots, and chicken noodle soup.
"Classics! They never get old!" Rarity giggled, taking a sip of her soup. Her eyes moved to Vex, the pegasus quietly and slowly eating her mashed potatoes. Remembering how she would let her guests wander through town freely since Aurora seemed to have memorized the layout quickly, Rarity decided to see if she could strike up a conversation.
"So! Vex, Aurora, did you have fun in town today?" Rarity asked, Aurora nodding politely while Vex squeaked in confirmation.

"Really! Do tell where you two went if you don't mind me asking," Rarity asked, intrigued by the mare's social lives outside of Carousel Boutique.
"We went to the market mostly, Vex wanted to buy some flowers but came up a few bits short. So we decided to see what the center of town was like. Poor Vex here got lost and freaked out. I found her later at some kind of bakery with a HUGE stallion with her," Aurora smiled, looking at her younger sister. Purple eyes turned as Rarity looked at Vex, watching the mare blush.
"Oh? Was he a handsome Vex?" Rarity asked, genuinely curious about said stallion. Vex shyly nodded, Sweetie Belle now focused on the conversation rather than building her Cutie Mark Crusaders spoon catapult.
"So sis, what was the lucky stallion's name?" Aurora teased, smiling as Vex squeaked and hid behind her hooves. Her lips moved softly, though any words that she was trying to communicate failed to get across to the other three mares' ears.

"Excuse me?" Rarity asked, not hearing the shy mare. Vex tried raising her voice but still no luck.
"I can't hear her," Sweetie Belle piped up, nearly falling out of her chair when Vex quietly screamed.
"MAC!" the embarrassed pony blushed furiously as she spoke, burying her face in her hooves, crying quietly. A pang of guilt shot through Rarity's heart, the unicorn walking over to the crying pegasus and stroking her back.
"I'm sorry dearie, I didn't mean to make you upset. If all else, if this stallion has caught your eye, you should go for him! Maybe he feels the same," Rarity assured, Vex looking up at Rarity, a huge blush still on her face.
"Wait… are you saying that you're in love with Big Macintosh?" Sweetie Belle asked, oblivious to Vex's embarrassment. Rarity glared at her sister, the later quickly silencing herself.

"Oh, come now dear, it's nothing to be embarrassed about! Big Macintosh is quite the stallion! He's hard working and quite handsome too!" Rarity giggled giddily. Vex's cheeks flushed once again, her encounter with the red stallion playing through her head.
"I… I… I… Oh!" she cried out, pushing past Rarity and running out of Carousel Boutique.
"Sis!" Aurora yelled, running to the open door, searching for her sister. With her sister nowhere in sight, began to run outside only to quickly dash back in as a loud crack boomed through the night sky. Soon rain began to pour from dark skies, the droplets pounding the dirt roads of Ponyville.
"Vex!" Aurora yelled, the pouring rain and thunder drowning her voice out. Rarity placed a hoof on her shoulder.
"She'll be alright dearie. Ponyville is a safe place, even during a thunderstorm like this. No doubt she'll run into somepony," Rarity assured, Aurora looking at her with worry in her eyes.
"Oh… I should be out there…" Aurora moaned, another crack of lighting emitting a cry from the sister.

"Dearie, are you scared of thunder?" Rarity asked, the unicorn looking down at the ground in shame.
"Yes, ever since I was a filly it frightened me. And now it's the only thing stopping me from finding my sister," Aurora sobbed softly, Rarity hugging the unicorn in attempt to comfort her, another crack of thunder frightening the unicorn. Despite having the two mares living with her, Rarity still found it shocking how much their present selves contrasted their past selves. Sighing, Rarity led Aurora back upstairs and to her room where she watched the saddened unicorn crawl beneath the blankets and cry herself to sleep. Rarity felt pain's cold hand slowly wrap its fingers around her heart as she watched Aurora sob. Closing the door, the white unicorn made her way back down to the kitchen where Sweetie Belle was putting her dishes away.
"What's wrong sis? Is Vex coming back?" Sweetie Belle asked, worry laced in her words. Rarity turned her gaze towards the small window above the sink, watching the rain pound heavily against the ground while the wind blew wildly.
"I don't know Sweetie Belle. Just… just finish cleaning up here and go to bed,"

"Kozak? Kozak? Please wake up Kozak." A soft voice floated through Sven's ears. Slowly, the stallion groaned, his eyes opening quickly before shutting tightly as to avoid the bright light that shone down upon him. Sven soon felt a pair of hooves gently lift him up, propping his back up against a soft pillow. Opening his eyes cautiously once again, Sven discovered that he was lying on Fluttershy's bed, being propped up against the bed frame with one of the many soft pillows that belonged to the yellow pegasus.
"Kozak, you're awake!" Twilight's eyes suddenly closed in on Sven's emeralds.
"What happened? How'd I get up here?" he groaned, a sharp pain emitting from his chest, causing the stallion to cough harshly. Twilight quickly retrieved a glass of water, Sven eagerly accepting it and gulping the soothing liquid down.

"What happened to you? Angel here came barreling to the library banging on the door frantically. He looked worried so I followed him here," Twilight explained. Sven looked down at the white bunny who was fast asleep in a small basket next to the bed.
"So what happened to YOU though?" Twilight asked. Sven strained to remember, his mind suddenly sending sharp jolts of pain through his body.
"Ah!" he groaned, feeling a more intense dose of pain shoot through his body.
"Are you ok?" Twilight asked, concern clearly showing on her face.
"I don't know… my mind… it keeps sending jolts of pain when I try to remember whatever happened," Sven groaned, massaging his temples. His eyes suddenly widened as he noticed a pile of equipment and other scientific looking machines, more memories starting to flood into his mind causing more jolts of pain.
"Ok, well I'm going to run some tests on yo-" Twilight began before her machines were suddenly engulfed in a purple green flame.
"NO! I will NOT be another experiment!" Sven roared, leaping out of the bed and pushing Twilight down. Before Twilight had a chance to protest, Sven had already galloped out of the front door.

"Hey! Kozak!" Twilight yelled, rushing to the front door in hopes to find Sven still running in the distance. The rain however cloaked Sven perfectly while the darkness covered his body in a natural shroud. Sighing in defeat, Twilight teleported back to the library, wondering why she didn't do that before. Upon her arrival, she heard Rarity's voice outside her door.
"Twilight! Dearie please open up! It's urgent!" Rarity yelled over the thunder and the rain. Rushing to the door as to not keep Rarity waiting outside in the horrible weather, Twilight quickly ushered the white unicorn in, handing her a towel to dry off.
"What brings you out here in this weather?" Twilight asked, brewing a pot of warm tea for her cold guest. Following Twilight into the kitchen, Rarity quickly embraced the warmth of the roaring fire.
"Rarity?" Twilight asked, pouring two cups of tea.
"It's Vex! She's ran away!" Rarity cried softly, taking a long sip of the warm elixir that soothed her throat and warmed her body.

Nearly spitting her tea out, Twilight looked at Rarity, bewilderment in her eyes.
"What do you mean 'ran away'? I thought she was staying with you," Twilight asked. Rarity sighed, quickly explaining the events that led up to Vex's departure. Twilight listened closely, constantly refilling their tea cups before Rarity finished.
"And that's that," Rarity sighed, guilt grasping her heart once again. Twilight explained what happened to Sven, Rarity taking a mental note of Sven's reactions to Twilight's equipment.
"You don't suppose he was used as an experiment by Princess Celestia do you?" Rarity asked, Twilight shaking her head, the thought of her mentor using another pony for a test subject just seemed to immoral.

"Well what do you think made him react like that?" the white unicorn asked. Twilight sighed, unable to come up with a reasonable answer.
"I don't know Rarity. But I know he's still hiding something. And there's only one pony that he'll most likely reveal that information to," Twilight sighed, her eyes drifting up to the skies.

"Let me go! Somepony help me!" Vex screamed, her voice muffled by a hoof placed over her mouth while another stallion hit her hard in the belly, knocking the wind out of the mare. Collapsing to the muddy ground beneath her, Vex struggled to regain her breath, feeling herself being yanked back up onto her hooves by a rough tug on her mane. Yelping in pain, she felt a rough pair of lips press harshly against hers.
"Stop!" she screamed once more, her voice now being drowned out by the beating rain and crack of thunder. Vex was shoved to the ground, a hoof soon making contact with her back, pinning the mare to the ground.
"Well, well. What's a pretty mare like you doing walking through the forest alone?" a husky voice mocked. Vex was too frightened to answer, earning a chuckle from the ring leader of her assailants.
"C'mon boys, lets have some fun," the ringleader chuckled, the three stallions forcing Vex's hind legs apart, the mare crying out in protest only to feel something prod against her marehood. Tears welled up in Vex's eyes and a scream escaped her lips as the ringleader roughly forced his way inside.

Vex could feel everything go numb, from below her chest. Her eyes continued to pour tears while her lips continued to scream in protest only to have another stallion mount her, silencing her quickly with his own thrusts. Vex's eyes widened, the stallion's thrusts causing her to almost choke. The rain beat her body roughly, it's cold droplets making her dilemma even less pleasant. Feeling herself being flipped over, she felt something else prod her. Her eyes widened and a whimper rang in her throat. Her protests were in vain.

Sven continued to run through the rain, his mind still flooding with memories of Canterlot and the doctors who waited for him there. The rain soaked through his cloak, sending shivers through his body. His mane was drenched and covered his face, the stallion's eyes barely being able to see out from the black curtain that shrouded him. His breath was jagged and strained while cuts from branches and other obstacles riddled his legs. He wanted to forget it, he wanted to forget everything. But then he'd forget her, and he simply couldn't just do that that simply. Gritting his teeth, Sven cursed loudly before tripping over a rut in the road, splashing into a puddle of mud. Lying there, Sven cried. For the first time in years he cried. Tears poured down his cheeks, blending in with the rain that continued to batter and soak his body. His shivers grew worse and he could feel his strength leaving him quickly. His eyes slowly began to close before a scream hit his ears. A moment passed before his mind suddenly snapped in realization of who's voice he had heard. And it sounded like she was in pain and danger.

Galloping at breakneck speed, Sven began to search for the source, finally coming into a clearing, his eyes widening at the scene. He felt darkness slowly fill his heart. His mind began to slowly vanish, all sense of civility and logic vanishing with it. He felt his heart slowly slow down before coming to a slow and faint beat. A dark void soon filled Sven's body, the stallion closing his eyes and drowning out all sound. The wind and rain, he felt nothing as he remained in place, his eyes closed. Another scream caused his eyes to fly open. The dark void that occupied his body was soon replaced with a green flame. Sven's once emerald eyes slowly changed to a blood red color, now glaring at the three stallions violating Vex. A sadistic grin spread on his lips before he moved silently like a shadow.

"Hey boss, how long have we been bucking this mare?" one of the assailants asked, finishing for the fourth time. Vex's body had nearly gone completely limp, the feeling of being bucked almost settling in as something natural. Her eyes were glossy, the fear that once inhabited them gone and an empty void replacing them. She had become a sex toy, something for other stallions to relieve stress or just have fun with when they wanted. She imagined how her sister would react to the news, the look of disgust and disappointment on her face. Vex's thoughts soon drifted to what her new mom would think… … … Wait, did she just refer to Rarity as her mother? A loud roar suddenly rang through the air, snapping Vex out of her thoughts. A black shadow zipped towards the ponies, suddenly consuming one of the stallions holding Vex down.

A bloodcurdling scream rang through the air as blood splashed on the wet ground below, trickling off with the small streams and puddles. Another assailant turned to search for his friend's executioner only to feel excruciating pain across his face as claw marks ripped through his skin, badly disfiguring his face. Crying in pain, the assailant felt a heavy kick to his chest, sending him flying backwards into a tree and knocking him out. The mocking ringleader who once towered over Vex now stood cowering in place.
"Show yourself! I'll take you on one on one!" he yelled, trying to remain in his tough persona but failing greatly when a sickening laugh rang in his left ear. Turning quickly, the last thing he spotted was a rock rocketing towards the side of his head and a glowing red eye staring at him. Blood soaked the ground beneath Vex, the mare sobbing uncontrollably as she lay there, her body and mind broken.

Two thuds were heard, the stallion and the rock hitting the ground, the blood trickling away. Vex slowly looked up, expecting to be forced once again by the new stallion. Instead, the once fearful red eyes changed, turning to a soft emerald color.
"Vex… why'd you do it…" a cracked voice escaped the stallion's lips before he was slowly engulfed in a shadowy mist, vanishing. Vex let loose a weak cry, trying to call for help but found herself slowly loosing conscious, a raging headache starting to come on as well. Whimpering, she tried to drag herself back to Carousel Boutique but found no strength to move. The hours that the other three stallions had spent raping her had drained her completely.

"Sis… help me… please…" Vex whimpered, her head falling in a shallow puddle of muddy water. The rain continued to batter her body while the wind sent shivers through her body while Vex fought a losing battle against unconsciousness. She could feel her body beginning shut down. In one final attempt she let lose one more weak cry for help. Silence.

Morning dawned over Equestria, Princess Celestia gracefully raising her sun, bringing warmth to all those who gazed upon it or basked in its rays. Applejack rose slowly, trotting out of bed and tiptoeing downstairs to the kitchen. There she reached into the fridge, producing two bottles of cider and some apple fritters. Chuckling softly, the orange mare made her way to the barn, trotting up to the loft where Archimedes and Rayne slept soundly. Applejack felt her cheeks blush softly at Archimedes sleeping, lying on his side while his hooves gently moved up and down as if he was running. A goofy grin soon spread on his face while he muttered something about a griffon and a dragon. Applejack giggled softly, turning her attention towards Rayne who also slept soundly, the bird strangely hanging upside down from a beam. Choosing not to ponder why, how, or if it was healthy, Applejack quietly made her way to Archimedes, gently shaking the stallion.
"Sugarcube.. Sugarcube wake up. I brought breakfast," Applejack cooed gently, Archimedes slowly stirring before letting loose a small yawn and sitting up. Rayne also slowly began to come to from her peaceful slumber, the bird giving a soft caw before flapping her wings and perching herself on Applejack's hat.

Applejack smiled and produced a basket with the items she snagged from the kitchen. Smiling, Archimedes brushed the hay out of his hair and politely accepted a bottle from the orange mare, the two laughing softly over trivial things before the sound of hooves reached their ears.
"Sis? Are ya in here? You promised you'd take me and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders into town today for some supplies," Applebloom's voice echoed. Turning to Archimedes, Applejack gave an apologetic smile, Archimedes smiling back and assuring her it was fine. Sighing some what disappointingly, Applejack packed up the remaining food and drinks before descending the stairs to her energetic little sister.
"Alright, alright. Let's go and get Sweetie Belle," Applejack chuckled, mussing her sister's mane. The two trotted off, Applejack throwing a glance back at the loft where Archimedes stood, waving goodbye. Applejack smiled back before returning her attention to Applebloom, the filly seemed to be frozen in place.

"What in tarnation got ya'll frozen stiff? I haven't seen ya stay this still si-" Applejack began before her eyes locked onto the scene before her. A bloody stone, red dirt, red mud, red ponies, an unconscious Vex.