“Shit,” said Cannon looking at the hooded figures. “These guys just don’t know when to give up, huh? Do you think we can take ‘em?” he asked Tyrone and Clyde. The hooded figures started their slow approach at the comment.
“Oh no,” said Twilight, “we need to leave, not fight!” The hooded figures quickly picked up their slow walk to a trot.
“Whatever we are doing, we need to do it now and stop wasting time,” said Fluttershy.
“Agreed,” said Twilight. Everyone they hurried up and got their bags, or whatever that brought with them, and left unneeded supplies behind. Twilight looked back at the hooded figures. They had only a couple minutes left before they got there. Twilight then scanned the area again to see if they missed anything. She saw that Rarity’s tent was still up. Panicking, she called over Clyde. “I need you to go and get her up so we can leave, just forget about the tent”
“Me? It would probably be better if you did it, being her friend and all.”
Twilight sighed, “We don’t have time for this!” She dragged Clyde over to the tent. Twilight yelled Rarity’s name to wake her up and get her out of there, but Rarity simply ignored her. Frustrated, Twilight went in the tent and hit her with her bag.
“Twilight, stop! I told you to never wake me up early from my well deserved sleep!” Rarity put her pillow on her head in attempt to continue sleeping.
“You don’t understand, we have to leave! The cult is outside and is getting closer and closer!” Twilight smacked her again with her bag, but she refused to move. “You can sleep while we escape.”
Rarity removed the pillow from her face. “What? How?”
“Get on Clyde’s back so he can carry you while you can sleep and not complain about anything.”
Both Clyde and Rarity were shocked at Twilight’s plan.
“Wait, what?” asked Clyde. “I mean, I can do it, but you need to carry these bags and whatnot.” He handed the bags to Twilight, while she was still nervous about their time. Rarity looked outside and saw the group of hooded figures draw nearer and nearer to them. From what she could see, they were only about 200 yards away. Finally, she decided to follow Twilight's plan. She got on his back, holding on around his neck for support.
“Just don’t strangle me,” said Clyde, as he and Twilight ran toward the others. Rarity nodded and loosened her grip. They started to run around the outside of the camp and kept following the road. The hooded figures saw them and quickly changed routes after them.
The pack was led by Walburn and Spike. Apparently while high, both of them obtained the speed of Olympic class sprinters. With Cannon and Rainbow Dash close behind. Holding up the back was Clyde due to the recently added weight, as well as Poncho, because he's just extremely out of shape. The only thing that could possibly drive his chubby self to run was the gunshots he heard going off behind himself. All the while everyone else was somewhere in the middle, making a mad dash for their lives.
Suddenly everyone heard a sound somewhat having a resemblance to a pig squealing mixed with a mare screaming while giving birth. It had come from the back of group.
Immediately everyone spun around to see where the shrill shriek came from, except for the two potheads and Cannon. They were too caught up in the moment to give a shit where the sound came from. For the rest of the group, they turned and saw an absolutely horrific sight.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
While roaming the darkness within the forest, a terrible sound rang through Jeb and Applejack's eardrums. The few living things left in the woods, such as a few ravens and a sole squirrel on a branch above the couple, immediately flew through the dark branches to find refuge.
"Wha-wha-what was that?" whispered Jeb
"Welp I couldn't rightly tell ya little buddy, but one of our friends might be in trouble! Let's go check it out!" responded Applejack.
"Uh, I don't know if that's too good of an idea....We might get hurt, or worse!" whined Jeb.
"I don't care one bit Jeb! Let's be honest, they would come after us!"
"Applejack, wait. If they would have came for us, do you really think we'd be in this forsaken forest?" Jeb slanted his head downwards to let her ponder.
Applejack stroked her chin and spoke. "Point taken, but still Jeb, maybe we can at least regroup with them and help as well!" Applejack reiterated.
"Ugh...Fine...,” retorted Jeb.
They continued their path and before too long, managed to see rays of light peeking out between the trunks ahead of them. Within no time they were out of the dreaded woods and they saw before them the road they had sought the whole time. After a few minutes of inspection, they managed to find a small blood pool, a lot of hoof prints embedded into the sodden ground, and a mediocre blood trail going in the same direction.
Both ponies shuddered in fear at the same time. "We have to help them!" yelled Applejack. In a split second she was galloping off following the tracks. Shocked and scared, Jeb followed her.
* * * * *
Whipping around their heads, each one of them saw blood pumping out of Poncho's front right leg. Woken up by the gunshot, Rarity pulled off her eye cover and let out a blood curdling scream once seeing what had happened. Clyde gallantly set her down on a small patch of grass that wasn't muddy and sprinted to Poncho's aid. "Poncho how are ya doing?" asked Clyde.
"It hurts so bad! Just go on without me!" yelled out Poncho.
"Poncho, it's just a flesh wound. It grazed your leg and if anything it's a large gash in your leg! Get up and let's go!"
"But I can't! I'm going to bleed out in no time," exaggerated Poncho.
"We don't have time for this! They're gaining on us already!" said Clyde looking back down the road.
In a split second the heroic Clyde had the cry baby on his shoulders and was galloping away while Rarity was whining to her full potential about how horrible it is that the mud is getting on her pure white coat because she no longer had a ride through the mud.
Now with the distance between the groups was about thirty yards, the ponies knew they had to push harder. However, this only caused the Phaselus Civilis to run harder too. While looking over his shoulder to check the distance, Cannon made an incredibly surprised face and shouted, "Hey look guys! Those two losers joined the killers!"
Everyone else threw their heads over their shoulders and noticed Applejack gaining on the Phaselus Civilis, with a winded Jeb behind her. The unaware hooded figures were completely taken off guard when one was punted forward eight feet by one of Applejack's infamous kicks. The group of friends halted their runs and marveled at the beatdown.
Applejack was kicking away their guns, breaking legs and jaws, and chomping at the bit to avenge the dead. By the time Jeb reached the brawl, there was only one conscious cult member remaining. The hooded pony was able to blindside Applejack with a swift swing with the butt of his gun. The fallen pony laid on her side, with the gun now pointed in her face. The pony, with his eye down the sight, and his hoof on the trigger, took precise aim on the orange pony's head. Out of the corner of Applejack's eye, she could see Jeb running their direction. Then there was a loud crack, and darkness.
Once she reopened her eyes, Applejack realized she was still alive, but felt her face moistened with crimson blood. She looked around, and then she saw it. On the ground in front of her lay Jeb. Immediately she stood up, and looked for the cult member, but only saw him running away, with two members strewn over his back, and dragging one in his mouth, back into a nearby opening in a forest. She laughed then quickly went to Jeb's aid. With blood pouring and squirting out of his front shoulder, she knew his fate was sealed. "You didn't have to do that Jeb, but I'm eternally grateful to you for this great deed ya did."
"Bitch, are you kidding me,” said Jeb, coughing up blood. “I was just trying to run past you and get to the rest of the group. I was leaving you to die!" he shouted.
"Oh," said Applejack sadly. "Thanks anyways."
Quickly, everyone else rushed around Jeb, to see what had happened. "Damn Jeb, I'd say you really fucked up this time, huh?" giggled the high Wahlburn. Before he could begin to retort back to the smartass comment, Jeb's eyes slowly closed and he released a final, sullen breath.
Almost everyone began to tear up over the not so tragic loss, including Cannon, Walburn, and Tyrone. Patel even began to shed a tear, but once he realized this, he forced the droplet back into his eye and acted like nothing happened. Once seeing the hateful trio's current condition he said, "Why the fuck are you three upset?"
"I don't know about these two, but personally I'm doing it because I'm relieved. No more of his temper tantrums, and I'm also just sad that I have no one else to fuck with on a daily basis," whimpered Walburn.
"I second that," agreed Cannon.
Only then did the group realize that the sun was setting. Hurriedly they sought out firewood and shelter, and posted up camp in a small rock overhang they found. Stressed from the day's events, they all soon passed out.